Thursday, February 13
Starkville
5 p.m.
Mississippi State
vs
Southern Illinois
Schedule Altered For The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Presented By Newk’s Eatery
February 12, 2025 | Softball
STARKVILLE – Softball returns to Nusz Park this weekend as No. 19 Mississippi State prepares to host The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial presented by Newk's Eatery. With inclement weather forecasted for Saturday, the tournament schedule has been heavily altered to give all teams the best chance to play their games to completion.
With five teams playing in 12 games over four days, scheduling remains fluid, and fans should stay tuned to Mississippi State Athletics social media accounts for the latest updates throughout the weekend.
Mississippi State will now open the tournament at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday evening against Southern Illinois. An additional neutral game from Sunday has been moved to Friday, making that day have five games on the docket, and game action will now begin at 9 a.m. The Bulldogs' game against North Texas moves back to 2 p.m. on Friday thanks to the additional contest ahead of them, and their first game of the weekend against Bradley will immediately follow it at 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday, one of four originally scheduled games will move to Sunday and the day's action will again begin at 9 a.m. in hopes of completing play before inclement weather moves into the area. As a result, MSU's second game with Bradley will move up to 11:30 a.m.
State concludes the tournament at 2 p.m. on Sunday with a final game against Georgia Tech. MSU has hosted The Snowman every year since 2017. It was renamed from the February Freezer prior to the 2020 season in honor of the late Alex Wilcox, a former MSU softball player who courageously continued to play while undergoing ovarian cancer treatment in 2018 before passing away that summer.
5 p.m. - Southern Illinois | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 14
2 p.m. – North Texas | Watch on SECN+| Live Stats
4:30 p.m. – Bradley | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 15
11:30 a.m. – Bradley | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 16
2 p.m. – Georgia Tech | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
The Taryne Treatment: Pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney has transformed the Bulldog staff in just over a year. The Bulldogs have thrown 26 complete games since she arrived. State totaled 28 over the prior three seasons (2021-23). She has coached players to three SEC Pitcher of the Week awards in her short tenure, which is as many as the Bulldogs had won in the eight years prior to her arrival.
Magic Number: The Bulldogs have scored five or more runs in 51 of State's 66 wins (77.3 percent) over the past two seasons. The Bulldogs are 121-15 under Samantha Ricketts when scoring at least five.
Sierra Sets The Table: Sierra Sacco currently leads the team in batting average (.471), hits (8), doubles (4), RBIs (7) and slugging percentage (.706). Half of her hits this year have gone for extra bases, and she leads the team with a .706 slugging percentage. Sacco is 4-for-4 with runners in scoring position and has advanced a runner in 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) opportunities.
Taking Down Top Teams: Mississippi State claimed defeated No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 19 Nebraska on openeing weekend, moving Samantha Ricketts into second place among all Bulldog head coaches in program history with her 36th ranked win.
Long Time No See: State and North Texas are meeting for the first time since April 19, 1986, which is MSU's 11th-longest gap in a series with a school that still fields a Division I softball team. Nationwide, only Texas A&M and Idaho State (1982) have a longer gap scheduled to close this year.
Head Coach: Jen Sewell | Record at SIU: 102-48-1 (4th Year) | Career Record: Same (4th Year)
Batting Average: .254 | Runs Per Game: 4.40 | Hits Per Game: 6.60 | Slugging Pct: .423
ERA: 5.13 | K/7: 5.13 | K/BB Ratio: 1.69 | Opp. Batting Avg: .308
Series History
Overall: 7-6 | Home: 7-5 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-1
Current Streak: Lost 3 | Last Meeting: Feb. 18, 2022, in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 3, SIU 4)
Head Coach: Rodney DeLong | Record at UNT: 200-99 (7th Year) | Career Record: 345-179-1 (11th Year)
Batting Average: .281 | Runs Per Game: 4.40 | Hits Per Game: 7.20 | Slugging Pct: .406
ERA: .408 | K/7: 4.28 | K/BB Ratio: 1.10 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History
Overall: 1-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
Current Streak: Won 1 | Last Meeting: Apr. 19, 1986, in Arlington, Texas (MSU 6, UNT 3)
Head Coach: Sarah Willis | Record at BRAD: 46-70 (3rd Year) | Career Record: 208-247 10th Year)
Batting Average: .192 | Runs Per Game: 2.20 | Hits Per Game: 4.60 | Slugging Pct: .242
ERA: 3.39 | K/7: 2.76 | K/BB Ratio: 0.59 | Opp. Batting Avg: .227
Series History
Overall: 3-1 | Home: 3-1 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
Current Streak: Won 2 | Last Meeting: Feb. 7, 2004, in Starkville, MS. (MSU 7, BRAD 1)
Head Coach: Aileen Morales | Record at GT: 191-159 (8th Year) | Career Record: 304-264 (12th Year)
Batting Average: .254 | Runs Per Game: 2.60 | Hits Per Game: 6.40 | Slugging Pct: .365
ERA: 2.00 | K/7: 4.80 | K/BB Ratio: 1.14 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History
Overall: 12-4 | Home: 8-2| Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-2
Current Streak: Lost 1 | Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2022, in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 1, Gt 4)
With five teams playing in 12 games over four days, scheduling remains fluid, and fans should stay tuned to Mississippi State Athletics social media accounts for the latest updates throughout the weekend.
Mississippi State will now open the tournament at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday evening against Southern Illinois. An additional neutral game from Sunday has been moved to Friday, making that day have five games on the docket, and game action will now begin at 9 a.m. The Bulldogs' game against North Texas moves back to 2 p.m. on Friday thanks to the additional contest ahead of them, and their first game of the weekend against Bradley will immediately follow it at 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday, one of four originally scheduled games will move to Sunday and the day's action will again begin at 9 a.m. in hopes of completing play before inclement weather moves into the area. As a result, MSU's second game with Bradley will move up to 11:30 a.m.
State concludes the tournament at 2 p.m. on Sunday with a final game against Georgia Tech. MSU has hosted The Snowman every year since 2017. It was renamed from the February Freezer prior to the 2020 season in honor of the late Alex Wilcox, a former MSU softball player who courageously continued to play while undergoing ovarian cancer treatment in 2018 before passing away that summer.
Game Coverage
Thursday, Feb. 135 p.m. - Southern Illinois | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Friday, Feb. 14
2 p.m. – North Texas | Watch on SECN+| Live Stats
4:30 p.m. – Bradley | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 15
11:30 a.m. – Bradley | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Sunday, Feb. 16
2 p.m. – Georgia Tech | Watch on SECN+ | Live Stats
Leading Off
Rockin' And Raelin: Raelin Chaffin became the first Bulldog in program history to win NFCA National Pitcher of the Week honors. Her first week in Maroon and White saw Chaffin pick up four victories, including two complete-game wins against ranked teams. She tossed 22.2 innings without allowing an earned run while striking out 20.The Taryne Treatment: Pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney has transformed the Bulldog staff in just over a year. The Bulldogs have thrown 26 complete games since she arrived. State totaled 28 over the prior three seasons (2021-23). She has coached players to three SEC Pitcher of the Week awards in her short tenure, which is as many as the Bulldogs had won in the eight years prior to her arrival.
Magic Number: The Bulldogs have scored five or more runs in 51 of State's 66 wins (77.3 percent) over the past two seasons. The Bulldogs are 121-15 under Samantha Ricketts when scoring at least five.
Sierra Sets The Table: Sierra Sacco currently leads the team in batting average (.471), hits (8), doubles (4), RBIs (7) and slugging percentage (.706). Half of her hits this year have gone for extra bases, and she leads the team with a .706 slugging percentage. Sacco is 4-for-4 with runners in scoring position and has advanced a runner in 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) opportunities.
Taking Down Top Teams: Mississippi State claimed defeated No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 19 Nebraska on openeing weekend, moving Samantha Ricketts into second place among all Bulldog head coaches in program history with her 36th ranked win.
Long Time No See: State and North Texas are meeting for the first time since April 19, 1986, which is MSU's 11th-longest gap in a series with a school that still fields a Division I softball team. Nationwide, only Texas A&M and Idaho State (1982) have a longer gap scheduled to close this year.
About Southern Illinois (1-4, 0-0 MVC)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Jen Sewell | Record at SIU: 102-48-1 (4th Year) | Career Record: Same (4th Year)
Batting Average: .254 | Runs Per Game: 4.40 | Hits Per Game: 6.60 | Slugging Pct: .423
ERA: 5.13 | K/7: 5.13 | K/BB Ratio: 1.69 | Opp. Batting Avg: .308
Series History
Overall: 7-6 | Home: 7-5 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-1
Current Streak: Lost 3 | Last Meeting: Feb. 18, 2022, in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 3, SIU 4)
About North Texas (4-1, 0-0 AAC)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Rodney DeLong | Record at UNT: 200-99 (7th Year) | Career Record: 345-179-1 (11th Year)
Batting Average: .281 | Runs Per Game: 4.40 | Hits Per Game: 7.20 | Slugging Pct: .406
ERA: .408 | K/7: 4.28 | K/BB Ratio: 1.10 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History
Overall: 1-0 | Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
Current Streak: Won 1 | Last Meeting: Apr. 19, 1986, in Arlington, Texas (MSU 6, UNT 3)
About Bradley (2-3, 0-0 MVC)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Sarah Willis | Record at BRAD: 46-70 (3rd Year) | Career Record: 208-247 10th Year)
Batting Average: .192 | Runs Per Game: 2.20 | Hits Per Game: 4.60 | Slugging Pct: .242
ERA: 3.39 | K/7: 2.76 | K/BB Ratio: 0.59 | Opp. Batting Avg: .227
Series History
Overall: 3-1 | Home: 3-1 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0
Current Streak: Won 2 | Last Meeting: Feb. 7, 2004, in Starkville, MS. (MSU 7, BRAD 1)
About Georgia Tech (4-1, 0-0 ACC)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – NR | USA Softball – NR | D1Softball – NR | Softball America – NRHead Coach: Aileen Morales | Record at GT: 191-159 (8th Year) | Career Record: 304-264 (12th Year)
Batting Average: .254 | Runs Per Game: 2.60 | Hits Per Game: 6.40 | Slugging Pct: .365
ERA: 2.00 | K/7: 4.80 | K/BB Ratio: 1.14 | Opp. Batting Avg: .217
Series History
Overall: 12-4 | Home: 8-2| Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-2
Current Streak: Lost 1 | Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2022, in Starkville, Miss. (MSU 1, Gt 4)
On Deck
The Bulldogs remain home next week for their first midweek matchup of the season. State hosts Samford on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. CT.Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
Players Mentioned
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