No. 20 Bulldogs Hit The Road For Midweek In Montgomery

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State will travel to reigning National Player of the Week Madisyn Kennedy's hometown on Wednesday to meet Alabama State in Montgomery at 3 p.m. CT.

The originally-scheduled doubleheader has been changed to a single game. Fans can purchase a single-game pass to watch live on HornetSportsNetwork.com for $8.

Kennedy has been pacing one of the hottest offenses in the country. The No. 20/20 Bulldogs (21-6, 3-3 SEC) rank 10th nationally in OPS (1.000) thanks in large part to her 1.688 mark that ranks second nationally among individuals. The fifth-year first baseman leads the SEC in slugging percentage (1.643), homers (6) and RBIs (13) in league games and has hit eight homers with 24 RBIs in the month of March.

Wednesday will mark State's third trip to Alabama State's campus and first since the 2021 season. The Bulldogs won that matchup 10-4. They were also ranked No. 20 in the 2018 trip to Montgomery when State won 11-0.

Leading Off

Nation Taking Note: Madisyn Kennedy was named the NFCA and NCAA National Player of the Week on March 19. She leads the SEC with a 1.167 slugging percentage that ranks second nationally. Her 1.688 OPS this season is second nationally and leading the conference.

March Madi-Ness: Madisyn Kennedy has posted a 1.520 slugging percentage in March with eight homers and 24 RBIs in just 12 games. Ten of her 12 hits have gone for extra bases this month with eight leaving the park.

Fearless Freshmen: Ella Wesolowski and Salen Hawkins give State two of the top eight freshmen in the SEC in batting average. Only Florida joins the Bulldogs with multiple freshmen in the top eight.

Magic Number: MSU is 66-4 since the start of 2022 when scoring five or more runs. State scored at least five in 25 of its 27 wins of 2023 and has done so in 18 of 21 wins in 2024.

Tops In Ops: The Bulldogs rank 10th nationally in OPS at 1.000 as a team. MSU's .457 on-base percentage is fifth in the nation, and their .543 slugging percentage is 17th.

Making The Sacrifice: Paige Cook has already has four sacrifice flies again this year, which is one shy of the school record, and her 10 career sac flies are tied for second in school history. As a team, State's 15 sacrifice flies rank third nationally and are two shy of last year's school record. In 2023, MSU averaged 0.32 per game, and its now averaging 0.56.

What's Cookin': Paige Cook has led the team in two-out RBIs each of the last two years, and now has 55 for her career, which is sixth in MSU history.

Going The Distance: As a team, MSU has tossed 12 complete games already this year after throwing just eight last season. Josey Marron and Aspen Wesley have accounted for nine complete games.

Sweet Nothings: State now has three pitchers with no-hitters this season, which trails only 2006 - when three pitchers tossed four no-hitters - for the most in a season in school history.

About Alabama State (12-16, 2-4 SWAC)

Series History

Notables

The Lady Hornets rank seventh nationally with 63 stolen bases on the year. Three players have already stolen at least 10 bases individually. Alabama State's offense is led by their all-time hits leader Kindall DeRamus, who is one of three Lady Hornets batting above .300. DeRamus leads the SWAC with 34 hits. Kendall Smiley boasts a .420 batting average and 1.003 OPS and ranks ninth in the nation with four triples. In the circle, Charity Bibbs leads the way with a 3.32 ERA and three complete games. She has claimed half of the Lady Hornets' wins and thrown more than twice as many innings (76.0) as the next Alabama State pitcher.

On Deck

Mississippi State is set to travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs will meet No. 18/17 Arkansas for a three-game set in Bogle Park on March 22-24. All three games will air on SEC Network+. Game times are set for 6 p.m., 2 p.m. and 12 p.m. CT.

Follow the Bulldogs

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

No. 20 Bulldogs Hit The Road For Midweek In Montgomery

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Salen Hawkins

Madisyn Kennedy

Josey Marron

Aspen Wesley

Ella Wesolowski

Mississippi State University Athletics

No. 20 Bulldogs Hit The Road For Midweek In Montgomery

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Paige Cook

Salen Hawkins

Madisyn Kennedy

Josey Marron

Aspen Wesley

Ella Wesolowski

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