Embracing The Ride

STARKVILLE – As Mississippi State softball prepares to compete in the program's 18th NCAA Tournament appearance, a class of talented seniors are mentoring fiery freshmen ahead of their first postseason action.

After just missing the field last season, the Bulldogs are back in the Tournament, and the experienced veterans in the Maroon and White are amped to finish what they started.

"It's a little bit more sentimental this year knowing that this our last postseason," fifth-year outfielder Brylie St. Clair said. "We're not taking any moment for granted. We're just living in the moment and excited for the opportunity."

St. Clair is no stranger to the postseason. The native of Sand Rock, Alabama, holds the program record for most hits and at-bats in the NCAA Tournament after starting every game of Mississippi State's Super Regional run in 2022.

St. Clair is one of eight Bulldogs with NCAA Tournament experience that has allowed her to share words of advice with those making their postseason debut in the Stanford Regional.

"Postseason is definitely a grind," St. Clair shared of her advice. "Stay level-headed, and go out there and compete. I said it once, I'll say it again… you have to be grateful that we're here, but don't let that get in the way of the main goal."

Pitcher Matalasi Faapito has also recorded her fair share of special postseason memories in the Maroon and White.

The talented two-way player etched her name into the program's record book by tying with former catcher Mia Davidson for most homers in a single year in the NCAA Tournament, and none was more memorable than her go-ahead blast at Nusz Park in the Super Regional.

In her last collegiate season, Faapito is embracing her role helping the freshmen gear up for this opportunity that lies ahead.

"My motto to the freshmen is just making sure they have fun at the end of the day," Faapito said. "Yeah, it's our job to be an athlete and to do well, but when you see us playing at our best is when we are having fun and playing together. Like [head coach Samantha] Ricketts said earlier, 'Do it not just for yourself. Do it for the seniors.'"

For this year's senior class, nothing has come easy. There have been waves of trials and tribulations that these athletes had to overcome. The veterans accomplished their ultimate goal of solidifying a foundation for the future of the program by sticking together and putting the work.

There is still softball to be played, however. The Bulldogs are traveling to sunny Stanford, California, to begin their postseason path in a regional that features the likes of No. 8 Stanford, Saint Mary's and Cal State Fullerton.

MSU defeated the Titans, 4-2, earlier in the year during the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Auburn transfer Jessie Blaine also competed against Fullerton twice in the Clemson Regional last year when she drew a pair of pinch-hit walks in two victories.

For upperclassmen and newcomers alike, having experience against the Titans helps the Bulldogs prepare for what lies ahead when they open the Stanford Regional against Fullerton at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday.

"It means so much for our scouting report. The technology that we're privileged to have gives us an even greater advantage to be able to take the numbers, take the experience, take the matchup that you've had previously, and translate it to either improve or come back again with similar approaches that were successful in the past."

After her first full year competing for the Bulldogs, Blaine has found her home in Starkville. She's seen the foundation laid before her and aims to leave a long-term impact of her own for years to come.

"It means so much for the upperclassmen to be able to leave something behind better than we found it," Blaine said. "Going into the postseason, that's the perfect opportunity for us to show where this program is going and how much we've put into it."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Jessie Blaine

Matalasi Faapito

Brylie St. Clair

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