Signee Spotlight: Carson Smith

STARKVILLE – Carson Smith, the No. 36 player in the class of 2025 according to Extra Inning Softball, signed with Mississippi State in November. Smith has also been tabbed the No. 13 middle infielder.

The Mendenhall, Mississippi, native began playing varsity softball at Simpson Academy as a seventh grader. She won three First Team All-District honors while at Simpson and was named Team MVP in eighth grade and Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman. She attended Hartfield Academy for the remainder of her high school career, where she won back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024.

"Carson has been a Bulldog for a long time," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She's been attending camps since she was a little girl, and I remember Mia and Montana Davidson coaching her at youth camp and wanting to sign her on the spot. She has continued to grow and has become one of the best hitters in the state of Mississippi. She can hit for power and steal bases, and she is a gritty, tough player who will compete and push everyone around her."

Smith was a three-time All-Conference and All-MAIS selection. She was named an MAIS Futures All-Star in her sophomore and junior years, earning MAIS All-Star status as a senior. As a sophomore at Hartfield Academy, she hit .347 with five homers and stole a dozen bases.

The following year, Smith was named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen as a junior after batting .471 with a .912 slugging percentage. She stole 22 bases and recorded a 1.557 OPS that year. In 2024, she batted .534 with career-high 24 stolen bases and six homers and was named an MAIS All-Star in her senior season.

"I chose Mississippi State because it felt like home from the first time I ever stepped on campus," Smith said. "I grew up being a Mississippi State fan. I came to every game that I could, and I put the dream of playing at Mississippi State on my heart at a young age. The coaching staff also played a big role in why I chose MSU. Coach Ricketts, Coach T Bratt [Tyler Bratton] and Coach T [Taryne Mowatt-McKinney] have led their team to many successful seasons and grown players not just as athletes but as people."

Smith played travel ball for Impact Gold National, which finished third in the Power Pool Sparkler and was among the top 20 at the Alliance Fastpitch 16U National Championships in her first year. She hit .318 with a .489 slugging percentage for her freshman summer. Impact Gold claimed a top 15 finish in the IDT and a top 20 finish at the Alliance Fastpitch 16U National Championships in her second season while she batted .418 with 32 stolen bases.

In the summer of 2023, she hit .439 with eight home runs and a 1.478 OPS. Last summer, she posted a .300 batting average and a .517 slugging percentage with 16 stolen bases. Smith also recorded a .968 fielding percentage that summer.

Mississippi State softball signed six student-athletes on National Signing Day on Nov. 13. State's class included three players that were ranked by Extra Inning Softball as a top 15 player at their position nationally. The Bulldogs will continue to release an in-depth look at each signee throughout the month of December.

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

Mississippi State University Athletics

Signee Spotlight: Carson Smith

Players Mentioned

Carson Smith

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