Friday, May 17
Stanford, Calif.
6:30 PM
Mississippi State
vs
Cal State Fullerton
State Begins NCAA Tournament At Stanford Regional
May 16, 2024 | Softball
STANFORD, Calif. – A rematch awaits No. 18/20 Mississippi State as the Bulldogs open the NCAA Tournament against Cal State Fullerton on Friday night. State and the Titans met in February this year, with MSU claiming a 4-2 victory.
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The Bulldogs' first game of the regional will air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. CT and is available online through WatchESPN or the ESPN app. Television assignments for the remaining games of the regional will be announced later this week.
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State (33-18, 12-12 SEC) is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulldogs have made 10 of the last 12 tournament fields, and all 18 appearances have come since 2000. In their last NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bulldogs reached the Super Regionals for the first time in program history, winning the Tallahassee Regional to earn the right to host the Starkville Super Regional.
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A veteran core combined with multiple freshman starters creates a unique mix for the Bulldogs. Brylie St. Clair, Madisyn Kennedy and Paige Cook are all tied for the program record with 11 career NCAA Tournament games under their belts. St. Clair holds school records for the most hits and at-bats in a single tournament year after leading off in every game of State's Super Regional run.
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Aspen Wesley adds a proven presence in the circle as she holds the program record for wins and appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Wesley is also one of just five Bulldogs in program history to throw a shutout in the Tournament, blanking then-No. 2 Florida State in 2022. Matalasi Faapito has never pitched in the NCAA Tournament, but she has hit well, posting a career .733 slugging percentage that is third in program history and a .333 average.
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A trio of freshmen starters will be making their postseason debut, and all three are among the SEC's top-five freshman batting average leaders. Sophomore Nadia Barbary and junior transfer Sierra Sacco are also set to make their postseason debuts.
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Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Cal State Fullerton – 6:30 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 2: No. 8 Stanford vs. Saint Mary's – 9 p.m. | Watch on ESPN2 | Live Stats
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Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 4 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 6:30 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner – 9 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
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Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – TBD | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 7: If Necessary – TBD | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
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Returning To The Standard: Since they made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, the Bulldogs have only missed the field in back-to-back years one time (2010-11). State reached its first NCAA Super Regional in 2022 after reaching the regional final in four straight tournaments.
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All-SEC Selections: State claimed three All-SEC selections this year for just the sixth time in school history. Madisyn Kennedy was a First Team honoree, while Aspen Wesley and Sierra Sacco were tabbed Second Team. Sacco has earned all-conference honors all three years of her career.
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Magic Number: MSU is 74-6 since the start of 2022 when scoring five or more runs. State has done so in 26 of its 33 wins this year.
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All Out Aspen: Aspen Wesley became the first Bulldog pitcher to be named SEC Pitcher of the Week twice in one season. She has recorded career highs in innings pitched (117.2), strikeouts (123), wins (14), complete games (12) and shutouts (3) this year. Her nine wins and .200 batting average against in SEC play were single-season school records.
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Banner Year: After being picked to finish last in the SEC Preseason Poll, State finished with a .500 record in SEC play for the first time since 2007 and earned the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament. Along the way, MSU collected 33 wins, its highest total in the regular season under Samantha Ricketts.
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SEC Sluggers: Madisyn Kennedy led the SEC in slugging percentage (.800) and home runs (9) in conference play. Her home runs were an MSU single-season record for league play. Nadia Barbary led the conference with 11 doubles in league play, which was also an MSU record.
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Spread The Nusz: State broke its single-season attendance record, welcoming 22,349 fans this year in its first ticketed season.
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In Extra Innings: 1-2 | One-Run Games: 5-8
Tournament Record By Opponent: Stanford, 0-0; Cal State Fullerton, 0-0; Saint Mary's, 0-0
Tournament Record By Conference: Pac-12, 0-11; Big West, 1-1; West Coast, 0-1
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Head Coach: Jessica Allister | Record at STAN: 241-127 (7th Year) | Career Record: 531-234 (14th Year)
Batting Average: .278 | Runs Per Game: 4.14 | Hits Per Game: 7.29 | Slugging Pct: .447
ERA: 1.68 | K/7: 7.48 | K/BB Ratio: 4.06 | Opp. Batting Avg: .209
Series History: 1-2 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-2 | Current Streak: Lost 2
Last Meeting: March 9, 2002, in Plant City, Fla. (STAN 7, MSU 0)
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Head Coach: Kelly Ford | Record at CSUF: 407-238-1 (12th Year) | Career Record: Same
Batting Average: .314 | Runs Per Game: 4.38 | Hits Per Game: 8.34 | Slugging Pct: .417
ERA: 2.26 | K/7: 6.50 | K/BB Ratio: 3.36 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History: 2-6 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 2-6 | Current Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Feb. 24, 2024, in Cathedral City, Calif. (MSU 4, CSUF 2)
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Head Coach: Sonja Garnett | Record at SM: 100-161-1 (6th Year) | Career Record: 210-264-2 (10th Year)
Batting Average: .293 | Runs Per Game: 4.63 | Hits Per Game: 7.62 | Slugging Pct: .400
ERA: 2.96 | K/7: 3.80 | K/BB Ratio: 1.66 | Opp. Batting Avg: .259
Series History: 0-1 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-1 | Current Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: March 14, 1997, in San Jose, Calif. (SM 2, MSU 1)
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The Bulldogs' first game of the regional will air on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. CT and is available online through WatchESPN or the ESPN app. Television assignments for the remaining games of the regional will be announced later this week.
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State (33-18, 12-12 SEC) is making its 18th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bulldogs have made 10 of the last 12 tournament fields, and all 18 appearances have come since 2000. In their last NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bulldogs reached the Super Regionals for the first time in program history, winning the Tallahassee Regional to earn the right to host the Starkville Super Regional.
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A veteran core combined with multiple freshman starters creates a unique mix for the Bulldogs. Brylie St. Clair, Madisyn Kennedy and Paige Cook are all tied for the program record with 11 career NCAA Tournament games under their belts. St. Clair holds school records for the most hits and at-bats in a single tournament year after leading off in every game of State's Super Regional run.
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Aspen Wesley adds a proven presence in the circle as she holds the program record for wins and appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Wesley is also one of just five Bulldogs in program history to throw a shutout in the Tournament, blanking then-No. 2 Florida State in 2022. Matalasi Faapito has never pitched in the NCAA Tournament, but she has hit well, posting a career .733 slugging percentage that is third in program history and a .333 average.
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A trio of freshmen starters will be making their postseason debut, and all three are among the SEC's top-five freshman batting average leaders. Sophomore Nadia Barbary and junior transfer Sierra Sacco are also set to make their postseason debuts.
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Game Coverage
Friday, May 17Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Cal State Fullerton – 6:30 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 2: No. 8 Stanford vs. Saint Mary's – 9 p.m. | Watch on ESPN2 | Live Stats
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Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 4 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 6:30 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner – 9 p.m. | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
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Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – TBD | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Game 7: If Necessary – TBD | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
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Leading Off
Familiar Foe: State and Cal State Fullerton already played once this year at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in February. The Bulldogs claimed a 4-2 win after scoring three unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Jessie Blaine faced the Titans in the NCAA Tournament last year as well, drawing two pinch-hit walks.Â
Returning To The Standard: Since they made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000, the Bulldogs have only missed the field in back-to-back years one time (2010-11). State reached its first NCAA Super Regional in 2022 after reaching the regional final in four straight tournaments.
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All-SEC Selections: State claimed three All-SEC selections this year for just the sixth time in school history. Madisyn Kennedy was a First Team honoree, while Aspen Wesley and Sierra Sacco were tabbed Second Team. Sacco has earned all-conference honors all three years of her career.
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Magic Number: MSU is 74-6 since the start of 2022 when scoring five or more runs. State has done so in 26 of its 33 wins this year.
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All Out Aspen: Aspen Wesley became the first Bulldog pitcher to be named SEC Pitcher of the Week twice in one season. She has recorded career highs in innings pitched (117.2), strikeouts (123), wins (14), complete games (12) and shutouts (3) this year. Her nine wins and .200 batting average against in SEC play were single-season school records.
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Banner Year: After being picked to finish last in the SEC Preseason Poll, State finished with a .500 record in SEC play for the first time since 2007 and earned the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament. Along the way, MSU collected 33 wins, its highest total in the regular season under Samantha Ricketts.
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SEC Sluggers: Madisyn Kennedy led the SEC in slugging percentage (.800) and home runs (9) in conference play. Her home runs were an MSU single-season record for league play. Nadia Barbary led the conference with 11 doubles in league play, which was also an MSU record.
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Spread The Nusz: State broke its single-season attendance record, welcoming 22,349 fans this year in its first ticketed season.
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NCAA Tournament History
Appearances: 18 | Overall: 22-35 | vs. Ranked Teams: 2-23 | In Stanford: 0-0In Extra Innings: 1-2 | One-Run Games: 5-8
Tournament Record By Opponent: Stanford, 0-0; Cal State Fullerton, 0-0; Saint Mary's, 0-0
Tournament Record By Conference: Pac-12, 0-11; Big West, 1-1; West Coast, 0-1
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About the Opponents
No. 8-seed Stanford (30-22, 10-6 Pac-12)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – 8 | USA Softball – 8 | D1Softball – 6 | Softball America – 7Head Coach: Jessica Allister | Record at STAN: 241-127 (7th Year) | Career Record: 531-234 (14th Year)
Batting Average: .278 | Runs Per Game: 4.14 | Hits Per Game: 7.29 | Slugging Pct: .447
ERA: 1.68 | K/7: 7.48 | K/BB Ratio: 4.06 | Opp. Batting Avg: .209
Series History: 1-2 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-2 | Current Streak: Lost 2
Last Meeting: March 9, 2002, in Plant City, Fla. (STAN 7, MSU 0)
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Cal State Fullerton (36-17, 22-5 Big West)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Kelly Ford | Record at CSUF: 407-238-1 (12th Year) | Career Record: Same
Batting Average: .314 | Runs Per Game: 4.38 | Hits Per Game: 8.34 | Slugging Pct: .417
ERA: 2.26 | K/7: 6.50 | K/BB Ratio: 3.36 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History: 2-6 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 2-6 | Current Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Feb. 24, 2024, in Cathedral City, Calif. (MSU 4, CSUF 2)
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Saint Mary's (43-13, 17-7 West Coast)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Sonja Garnett | Record at SM: 100-161-1 (6th Year) | Career Record: 210-264-2 (10th Year)
Batting Average: .293 | Runs Per Game: 4.63 | Hits Per Game: 7.62 | Slugging Pct: .400
ERA: 2.96 | K/7: 3.80 | K/BB Ratio: 1.66 | Opp. Batting Avg: .259
Series History: 0-1 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-1 | Current Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: March 14, 1997, in San Jose, Calif. (SM 2, MSU 1)
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