Trio Of Bulldogs Open WPF Season Head-To-Head Thursday
June 15, 2023 | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Women's Professional Fastpitch will begin its second season on Thursday evening, and a trio of former Mississippi State players will meet head-to-head on Opening Day.
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Annie Willis and the Smash It Sports Vipers will hit the road to visit the Oklahoma City Spark, who begin their first season as an expansion franchise at home. The Spark roster features Fa Leilua, who was selected from the Vipers in the expansion draft, and Chloe Malau'ulu, who signed a free agent contract earlier this month.
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An additional MSU tie can be found on the Spark's roster. Bulldog head coach Samantha Ricketts' sister, Keilani, also signed with the OKC squad as a free agent this summer.
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The Vipers and Spark will play a three-game series on Thursday-Saturday. The first two games are slated for a 7 p.m. CT start, and Saturday's rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. CT. All games can be viewed online with the purchase of a Dugout Pass on wprofastpitch.tv. The Opening Day games have been made free to watch on Thursday only.
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Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional softball league in the United States, founded by USA Softball. The league replaced the former NPF and has expanded to include four teams for its second season. In addition to the Spark and Vipers, the longstanding USSSA Pride franchise and the newly-formed Texas Smoke are league members.
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The back-half of Opening Week sees the Vipers return home to host the Smoke on June 19-21, while the Spark will welcome the Pride for three games.
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Each franchise is slated to play 36 games with two three-game series at home and two three-game series on the road against each team in the league. The Vipers and Spark will meet again on June 27-29 and July 10-12 in Oxford, Alabama. They play their final series in Oklahoma City on July 24-26.
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The regular season will end on Monday, August 7. The WPF Playoff Semifinals are scheduled for August 11-13, and the Championship Series will be played on August 15-17.
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For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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Annie Willis and the Smash It Sports Vipers will hit the road to visit the Oklahoma City Spark, who begin their first season as an expansion franchise at home. The Spark roster features Fa Leilua, who was selected from the Vipers in the expansion draft, and Chloe Malau'ulu, who signed a free agent contract earlier this month.
Â
An additional MSU tie can be found on the Spark's roster. Bulldog head coach Samantha Ricketts' sister, Keilani, also signed with the OKC squad as a free agent this summer.
Â
The Vipers and Spark will play a three-game series on Thursday-Saturday. The first two games are slated for a 7 p.m. CT start, and Saturday's rubber match will begin at 1 p.m. CT. All games can be viewed online with the purchase of a Dugout Pass on wprofastpitch.tv. The Opening Day games have been made free to watch on Thursday only.
Â
Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional softball league in the United States, founded by USA Softball. The league replaced the former NPF and has expanded to include four teams for its second season. In addition to the Spark and Vipers, the longstanding USSSA Pride franchise and the newly-formed Texas Smoke are league members.
Â
The back-half of Opening Week sees the Vipers return home to host the Smoke on June 19-21, while the Spark will welcome the Pride for three games.
Â
Each franchise is slated to play 36 games with two three-game series at home and two three-game series on the road against each team in the league. The Vipers and Spark will meet again on June 27-29 and July 10-12 in Oxford, Alabama. They play their final series in Oklahoma City on July 24-26.
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The regular season will end on Monday, August 7. The WPF Playoff Semifinals are scheduled for August 11-13, and the Championship Series will be played on August 15-17.
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For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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Players Mentioned
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