Crucial Final Softball Weekend Scheduled At Nusz Park

STARKVILLE – The final weekend of the regular season has arrived for Mississippi State softball, and the Bulldogs will host No. 19 LSU in a critical final series on May 6-8.

The SEC standings are incredibly tight heading into the last weekend of play. The Nos. 6-11 teams are all separated by just two games, and the Bulldogs, who are currently 11th in the conference, could possibly pass five teams this weekend.

State (31-21, 9-12 SEC) have won six games against NFCA-ranked opponents so far this season. MSU has a chance to match the 2017 and 2002 seasons for the second-most ranked wins in a season.

LSU (32-19, 11-10 SEC) is coming off a series loss to Florida. After winning the opener 9-1, the Tigers dropped the following two games by a combined score of 8-2.

Mississippi State will honor its senior class throughout the weekend. On Friday night, those Bulldogs who are earning their degrees this semester will participate in a graduation ceremony at Nusz Park. Additionally, Friday night is the final scorecard bingo night of the year. On Sunday afternoon, the traditional senior day ceremony will take place for the student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility, and fans can collect the final set of All-Time Team trading cards.

Saturday afternoon is Samoan Day at the ballpark, recognizing the influence Samoan culture and players of Samoan descent have had on the Bulldogs' program. Three current student-athletes and head coach Samantha Ricketts are of Samoan descent.

Admission to State's home softball games is always free. With MSU baseball also playing home games this weekend, parking shuttles are available from the Zacharias Village parking lot that will drop off fans at the front gates of Nusz Park.

Game Coverage

Leading Off

Second Game Stats: MSU is 5-2 in the second game of its SEC series. State's ERA is cut in half in the second matchup (2.61). The Bulldogs' batting average climbs nearly 40 points and they slug almost 90 points better in Game 2.

Dawg Defense: The Bulldogs have turned nine double plays in SEC play, which is tied for third in the conference. Madisyn Kennedy leads the SEC with 47 assists in SEC play, and her 95 assists in all games rank second in the league.

Lineup Log: Samantha Ricketts has used 35 different batting orders and 22 different defensive alignments to start the game. She used a season-high 19 players in State's last game at Kentucky.

Dawgs In The Draft: Mia Davidson was one of 13 players selected in this year's Athletes Unlimited College Draft. She is the 12th Bulldog to be selected in a professional draft and will become the 20th Bulldog to play professionally this summer. Ricketts has coached six of State's 12 draftees since she arrived as an assistant.

All Hail The Queen: Davidson's 89 career homers are the most in SEC baseball or softball history and sixth in NCAA softball history.

Record Watch: Davidson (53) is one throw out (caught stealings and pickoffs) from tying the MSU career record set by Sam Lenahan (54; 2011-14). If she starts all three games this weekend, she will break the MSU career record in her 261st start.

Multiples For Mia: Davidson holds the school record with 56 career multi-RBI games, and her 67 career multi-hit games are fifth in MSU history.

Tackling Top Teams: Including this weekend's series, MSU will have played 23 games against NFCA-ranked teams. That marks the ninth time in the last 10 years (only missing the shortened 2020 season) that State has played 20 or more ranked games.

Critical Conference Series: The six teams currently in line for the Nos. 6-11 seeds in the SEC are separated by just two games.

About LSU (32-19, 11-10 SEC)

Rankings: NFCA Coaches – 19 | USA Softball – 20 | D1Softball - 25 | Softball America - 23
Head Coach: Beth Torina | Record at LSU: 448-199 (11th Year) | Career Record: 577-310 (15th Year)
Batting Average: .297 | Runs Per Game: 6.0 | Hits Per Game: 7.8 | Slugging Pct: .505
ERA: 2.81 | K/7: 5.6 | K/BB Ratio: 1.9 | Opp. Batting Avg: .237

Series History
Overall: 10-60 | Home: 8-29 | Away: 2-29 | Neutral: 0-2
Current Streak: Lost 2 | Last Meeting: Apr. 7, 2019 in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 3, LSU 5)

Scouting the Tigers
LSU has 116 hits and 19 home runs in the last 14 games. In SEC play only, LSU is hitting .290 (No. 2 in the SEC), has a .497 slugging percentage (No. 5 in the SEC) and a .397 on-base percentage (No. 3 in SEC). Overall, LSU hits .297 and ranks fourth in the league with a 2.81 ERA. Georgia Clark ranks No. 6 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC with 58 RBIs. In the last four SEC series, LSU has totaled 98 hits, including a season-high 17 hits in the series opener against Florida (April 29).

On Deck

MSU will play in the SEC Tournament next week. The tournament begins on May 10 in Gainesville, Florida, but State has assured itself of not needing to play on the tournament's first day. The Bulldogs will open play on Wednesday, May 11 and could fall anywhere from the Nos. 6-11 seeds.

Follow the Bulldogs

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

Crucial Final Softball Weekend Scheduled At Nusz Park

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Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Madisyn Kennedy

Mississippi State University Athletics

Crucial Final Softball Weekend Scheduled At Nusz Park

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Players Mentioned

Mia Davidson

Madisyn Kennedy

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