#StateToTheShow: Four Bulldogs Open Professional Seasons

STARKVILLE – Opening Day is here for four former Mississippi State softball players as Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and the Association of Fastpitch Professionals (AFP) begin their seasons this week.

Chloe Malau'ulu and Madisyn Kennedy's AFP season begins in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the Scenic City Pro Cup where they will go head-to-head this week. Meanwhile, in San Marcos, Texas, Brylie St. Clair and Aspen Wesley begin their professional careers with the Texas Monarchs who open the season against the Texas Smoke on the Texas State campus.

Kennedy will make her professional debut in Chattanooga with the Florida Vibe. A breakout senior season saw the Second Team All-American hit 17 home runs, including a single-season record nine in SEC play. She became the fourth member of State's 40-homer club and ranked among the top 30 players nationally in RBIs per game and slugging percentage.

Malau'ulu enters her second season with the Oklahoma City Spark after batting .278 in her rookie season with 70 percent of her hits going for extra bases. She was second in the league among rookies in the regular season with four homers last year. Had she recorded enough plate appearances to qualify, her .803 OPS would have ranked among the top 10 in the league.

The Vibe open the tournament at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday against the Chattanooga Steam, and the Spark will play the New York Rise later that evening at 6:30 p.m. CT. Malau'ulu and Kennedy go head-to-head on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. On Friday, the Vibe plays the Rise at 10 a.m., and the Spark meet the Steam at 6:30 p.m. The results of pool play will determine matchups on Saturday.

Fa Leilua remains under contract with the Spark, but she will miss the 2024 season due to health issues and pending surgery. She posted a 1.070 OPS last year with a league-leading nine homers and 24 RBIs, which ranked third in WPF.

Over in Texas, St. Clair, Wesley and the Monarchs franchise will make their debuts in a four-game series with the Texas Smoke on June 20-23. Thursday and Friday's games are set for 7 p.m. while Saturday's is a 6 p.m. start, and Sunday's game will begin at 1 p.m.

St. Clair started all but two games in her senior year and all but three games over her final three seasons in Starkville. She was among State's top two base stealers in each of the last three years and led Bulldog outfielders in putouts this season.

Wesley was a Second Team All-SEC selection in her final collegiate campaign, leading MSU in appearances, ERA, opposing batting average, wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. She tied the school record with nine wins in SEC play this year and tossed her first no-hitter against Ole Miss. She closed her career holding MSU NCAA Tournament records for wins and shutouts.

Mississippi State has seen 26 players go on to professional careers in its history. Of those, 14 were coached by Samantha Ricketts at some point in their college career. The Bulldogs are currently represented by six active professionals (Mia Davidson-Smith, Athletes Unlimited), and the 2020 and 2021 rosters held a school-record seven future pros (Annie Willis, retired).

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

Mississippi State University Athletics

#StateToTheShow: Four Bulldogs Open Professional Seasons

Players Mentioned

Madisyn Kennedy

Chloe Malau'ulu

Brylie St. Clair

Aspen Wesley

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