Earned, Not Given

STARKVILLE – The four consecutive days of softball at Nusz Park this weekend were just a glimpse into the efforts the players on the Mississippi State softball roster put in daily. Gameday is when the curtain is peeled back and the hours of hard work become vividly transparent.

For State, that message has been repeated early and often. For a team that is regularly starting three players who combined for just 50 career at-bats entering the season, player development has been a key. While on paper, some Bulldogs may look inexperienced, those same players are quick to point out the experience they bring from their time behind the scenes.

"We're all here living our dreams out," junior outfielder Morgan Bernardini said. "We all wanted to, as young girls, be college athletes, and that's one thing we've worked hard for. Ki [Sells] and I, we've been here. This is our third year here. You guys may not have seen a lot of us on the field, but we've been there every step of the way. We're showing up to practice. We're showing up to games. We've learned our roles. We've embraced them, and we're taking them on now."

Bernardini has made an immediate impact in MSU's starting lineup this season. The Elkville, Illinois, native, has a .346 batting average, nine hits and three RBIs through the first 10 games of 2025. This weekend in The Snowman, Bernardini hit 6-for-15 at the plate with a .400 batting average, while also running her hitting streak to a career-long seven games in Saturday's contest against Bradley. Her performances have helped MSU score 67 runs and win nine of 10 games this season, including three run-rule victories in this weekend's tournament.

Along with Bernardini there's Kiarra Sells, another junior who has embraced the opportunity to produce for MSU's starting lineup. The native of Jasper, Texas, is second on the team with a .435 batting average and leads the squad with a .629 on-base percentage. She also has a hit in every game this season and has successfully advanced a runner in 71.4 percent of her opportunities.

Those key contributions from Sells and Bernardini have not gone unnoticed. What is more important to head coach Samantha Ricketts, is the way the pair have handled themselves with their drive and willingness to put in the work to improve every day.

"I'm very happy for both of them," Ricketts said. "Those kids really grinded. They worked hard. They got better and better and they're ready. They may not have a ton of career at-bats under their belt, but they do have a ton of at-bats off our pitchers and our practices and scrimmages, and I think that's what really has helped them be ready for their opportunity this year."

In a similar vein, sixth-year pitcher Lexi Sosa has recorded nearly half of her career at-bats this season. The graduate from San Diego, California, spent the first four yearsof her collegiate career with the UCLA Bruins before transferring to MSU in 2024. During this weekend's tournament at Nusz Park, Sosa's hard work paid off in the form of four home runs, including a grand slam that led to an 11-3 victory over Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon. Prior to this weekend, she had just one career long ball and hadn't left the yard since 2020. In the circle, Sosa also threw a season-high 5.2 innings with seven strikeouts in Thursday's 10-3 win over Southern Illinois.

If there is any takeaway from performances like this from the likes of Bernardini, Sells and Sosa, it is that sometimes good things take time. The trio trusted MSU's development program, and they are seeing the results at the plate and in the circle.

"They're veterans. They know how to play the game," Ricketts said. "They know how to go in there and attack because they've been through two years worth of practice and fine-tuning their approach and their skills. I'm very happy for them. You love to see that for kids who have put in the work and for them to really get rewarded. It's been just such a fun start for them."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Morgan Bernardini

Kiarra Sells

Lexi Sosa

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