Bulldogs Host No. 24 Missouri At Nusz Park

STARKVILLE – Coming off a lengthy road trip, Mississippi State softball returns home to host No. 24 Missouri at Nusz Park this weekend. All three games will air on SEC Network+.

The Bulldogs (24-13, 5-4 SEC) went 2-3 on the road trip, but picked up a big win over then-No. 11 Tennessee, 8-3. MSU has been much improved in its second full season under Samantha Ricketts, and State has the chance to match its SEC win total from last season (8) at the midpoint of the conference slate this year.

Missouri (23-13, 3-5 SEC) has been ranked as high as No. 8 this season, but started SEC play with five straight losses against Tennessee and Ole Miss. The Bulldogs were 4-2 against those teams this season.

This weekend is Alumni Weekend in Starkville, and former members of the program will be recognized on Saturday. Members of the Bulldogs' 40th Anniversary All-Time Team who are in attendance will be presented with a gift from the program. Free throwback logo t-shirts are available on Saturday as well.

Friday night continues the Bulldogs' weekly scorecard bingo games, and former Bulldog Carter Spexarth will be recognized for her career that spanned 2018-21. On Sunday, the second set of All-Time Team trading cards will be given away. Admission to MSU softball games at Nusz Park is always free.

Game Coverage

Leading Off

Captain Chloe: Chloe Malau'ulu leads the team in batting average (.480) and slugging percentage (.840) in SEC play. She is third in the SEC in batting average and fourth in on-base percentage (.567) in league play.

Tide-Turning Tigers: Last year's series at Missouri was the beginning of the Bulldogs' turnaround in SEC play. Despite being swept, two of the three games were one-run affairs, and MSU claimed its first conference win the following week.

Success In SEC Series: MSU has won four of its last six SEC series, sweeping three. The Bulldogs are 12-5 in their last six regular-season SEC series dating back to 2021.

Hammering Homers: MSU is averaging 1.43 homers per game. With 55 regular-season games on the schedule, State is on pace for a school-record 78-homer season and its third 70-homer season on record, all under Samantha Ricketts.

Two-Out Rallies: State is hitting .376 with two outs in conference play, which is nearly 100 points higher than its overall average (.283). 20 of MSU's 34 RBIs in SEC games have come with two outs.

Another Jewel In Her Crown: Mia Davidson has now hit 84 career homers, which is the most in SEC baseball or softball history and is tied for ninth in NCAA softball history.

First Runs First: The Bulldogs have outscored opponents, 94-25, in the first two innings. MSU is 21-1 when leading after the second and 21-2 when scoring first this season.

Shea Strong In SEC: Shea Moreno is batting .407 in SEC play with five doubles, which is second in the league. She is second on the team in average and slugging percentage (.593) in league games.

Lineup Log: Ricketts has used 28 different batting orders and 19 different defensive alignments to start the game through 37 contests.

About Missouri (23-13, 3-5 SEC)

Rankings: NFCA Coaches – 24 | USA Softball – 25 | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – 22
Head Coach: Larissa Anderson | Record at MIZ: 119-62 (4th Year) | Career Record: 249-135-1 (8th Year)
Batting Average: .292 | Runs Per Game: 5.2 | Hits Per Game: 7.8 | Slugging Pct: .508
ERA: 3.12 | K/7: 7.0 | K/BB Ratio: 2.8 | Opp. Batting Avg: .233

Series History
Overall: 7-14 | Home: 4-6 | Away: 3-6 | Neutral: 0-2
Current Streak: Lost 3 | Last Meeting: Apr. 18, 2021 in Columbia, Mo. (MSU 5, MIZ 6)

About the Tigers
Kimberly Wert is the reigning SEC Player of the Week after breaking the Tigers' career home run record (48 HRs) in their sweep of South Carolina last week. Freshman Kara Daly is tied for the team lead with nine homers. MSU returns eight of nine starters and four of five pitchers from last year's Super Regional team. Last year's SEC Freshman of the Year Jenna Laird has already stolen 18 bags this year and now has 100-plus career hits in her second season. Laurin Krings has won 12 games in the circle with a team-leading 131 strikeouts.

On Deck

The Bulldogs remain in conference play next week, traveling to No. 4 Alabama for a three-game set beginning Thursday, April 14 at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The second game of the series is set for 6 p.m. on Friday with the finale also airing on SEC Network at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Follow the Bulldogs

For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."

Bulldogs Host No. 24 Missouri At Nusz Park

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Chloe Malau'ulu

Shea Moreno

Carter Spexarth

Mississippi State University Athletics

Bulldogs Host No. 24 Missouri At Nusz Park

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Chloe Malau'ulu

Shea Moreno

Carter Spexarth

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