Willis Selected With No. 7 Pick In WPF Draft

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Graduate pitcher Annie Willis was selected with the No. 7 pick in the inaugural Women's Professional Fastpitch Draft by the Smash It Sports Vipers on Friday afternoon.

"It's always something you dream of as a little girl, growing up, just because it's so rare of an opportunity in the women's sports world," Willis said. "It was never something I really ever thought could happen, and then I transferred here. Seeing the past people who have gone pro and how you can be successful in that from this school, I kind of started thinking about it. Not until recently did I find out it was an option for me. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I've got to take it and run with it."

Willis joins former Bulldog Fa Leilua on the Vipers after Leilua signed a free agent contract last week. She is State's 13th draft pick in program history and second this year after Mia Davidson was selected in the Athletes Unlimited College Draft earlier this month.

State is one of four programs nationally with multiple draft picks between the two leagues, and the Bulldogs are tied with Arkansas for the most picks in the SEC. Texas and Florida State also had two players picked between the leagues.

"We are thrilled for Annie and the opportunity to continue to play after her college career has ended," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She's worked really hard for this moment, and she's been such a consistent presence in our bullpen and on our team with her leadership and work ethic for the past three years. We can't wait to see her out there again playing with Fa and support them this summer with the Vipers."

Willis, Davidson and Leilua will give MSU 22 professional players in its history when they take the field this summer. Of those, 10 were coached by Ricketts as an assistant or the Bulldogs' head coach, and Ricketts has guided seven of the Bulldogs 13 draft picks.

"I think having a pitcher drafted along with our hitters is a testament to the hard work we put toward developing a full program," Ricketts added. "Having pitchers that are consistent, strong and support our hitters is a great step forward for our pitching staff and the program."

Entering the Tallahassee Regional, Willis boasts a career 2.56 ERA between her three years at MSU and two years at Troy. She is one of seven Bulldogs with 350 career strikeouts in maroon and white, and in her Mississippi State career, she has averaged 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings.

Willis has started 46 games for the Bulldogs and thrown 12 complete games. Five of those complete games have been shutouts, and she has thrown two career no-hitters. She also holds the school record for single-game strikeouts with 19 in her first no-hitter.

The 2022 season marks State's third season with multiple draft picks. In 2004, Iyhia McMichael (No. 1), Jennifer Jessup (No. 10) and Jennifer Waterman (No. 47) were selected in the NPF Draft. With the birth of the American Softball Association in 2018, MSU again saw three players drafted: Cassay Knudsen (No. 1), Caroline Seitz (No. 10) and Calyn Adams (No. 23).

Willis started the Bulldogs' first game in the Tallahassee Regional on Friday night at 5 p.m. CT against South Florida.

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

Mississippi State University Athletics

Willis Selected With No. 7 Pick In WPF Draft

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Mia Davidson

Fa Leilua

Annie Willis

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