Swinging With Stiles
February 27, 2025 | Softball
STARKVILLE – After Morgan Bernardini doubled and Kylee Edwards took a pitch to the elbow guard, the opportunity to drive home the first runs in the bottom of the second inning against UAB on Wednesday rested on Morgan Stiles' shoulders.
The Athens, Alabama, native did not disappoint, as she blasted her first career home run beyond the left field wall at Nusz Park to put the Bulldogs ahead of the Blazers by a score of 3-0 in the second inning.
Entering play with a batting average of .167, the Bulldogs' nine-hole hitter may not have been a popular pick to leave the yard, but her home run did not come as a surprise to anyone in MSU's dugout. As a matter of fact, it was right on cue.
"Before we started the season, she was hitting the ball just so good," senior pitcher Raelin Chaffin said. "I think she let the nerves get to her a little bit, but it's good to see her finally settle down and start hitting like we all know she can hit. Like I said, earlier in the spring, it was like we couldn't get her out. We didn't know how to get her out. She was on fire, so it was just super cool today to see her settle down and get comfortable again."
Wednesday saw the Stiles that State's coaching staff witnessed throughout preseason scrimmages. She recorded a career-high three RBIs and raised her batting average by more than 60 points.
Her demeanor at the plate and willingness to learn from her more-experienced teammates have bolted Stiles into the starting lineup for State 12 times so far this season.
"That girl is a grinder," junior outfielder Kiarra Sells said. "She works super hard every single day. I'm super happy that she's out there with us. It's really exciting to have [the freshmen] here with us and to see them show up."
Stiles was a standout infielder at Athens High School before signing with MSU. She was the No. 15 prospect in her class and the No. 10 infielder via Extra Innings Softball. The four-time First Team All-State honoree began playing with Athens' varsity squad in the seventh grade.
The determination that propelled her to playing up was one of the first traits head coach Samantha Ricketts noticed when she began recruiting Stiles. Her mindset has not wavered since transitioning into collegiate softball. The freshman's hard work has come to fruition in the form of quality at-bats for the Bulldogs.
"She's continuing to learn. She puts in a ton of extra work and it's just always really satisfying to see that payoff for a player like that," Ricketts said. "She's a competitor. She's fiery. She's athletic. She can hit for average and for power, so I think we saw this weekend better and better at-bats from her and knew that she was getting close to some big swings for us. That was really good to see her come through for her first tonight."
After a rocky start to college ball, Stiles turned to the veterans for some advice. Senior Jessie Blaine was one who she credits with helping her turn the corner.
"The biggest thing that the older girls have helped with is just confidence and being okay with failing. I've been talking with them because they've all been through it, and they know how hard it can be," Stiles said. "I've been learning that it's okay to fail, and that's what makes you better."
The Athens, Alabama, native did not disappoint, as she blasted her first career home run beyond the left field wall at Nusz Park to put the Bulldogs ahead of the Blazers by a score of 3-0 in the second inning.
Entering play with a batting average of .167, the Bulldogs' nine-hole hitter may not have been a popular pick to leave the yard, but her home run did not come as a surprise to anyone in MSU's dugout. As a matter of fact, it was right on cue.
"Before we started the season, she was hitting the ball just so good," senior pitcher Raelin Chaffin said. "I think she let the nerves get to her a little bit, but it's good to see her finally settle down and start hitting like we all know she can hit. Like I said, earlier in the spring, it was like we couldn't get her out. We didn't know how to get her out. She was on fire, so it was just super cool today to see her settle down and get comfortable again."
Wednesday saw the Stiles that State's coaching staff witnessed throughout preseason scrimmages. She recorded a career-high three RBIs and raised her batting average by more than 60 points.
Her demeanor at the plate and willingness to learn from her more-experienced teammates have bolted Stiles into the starting lineup for State 12 times so far this season.
"That girl is a grinder," junior outfielder Kiarra Sells said. "She works super hard every single day. I'm super happy that she's out there with us. It's really exciting to have [the freshmen] here with us and to see them show up."
Stiles was a standout infielder at Athens High School before signing with MSU. She was the No. 15 prospect in her class and the No. 10 infielder via Extra Innings Softball. The four-time First Team All-State honoree began playing with Athens' varsity squad in the seventh grade.
The determination that propelled her to playing up was one of the first traits head coach Samantha Ricketts noticed when she began recruiting Stiles. Her mindset has not wavered since transitioning into collegiate softball. The freshman's hard work has come to fruition in the form of quality at-bats for the Bulldogs.
"She's continuing to learn. She puts in a ton of extra work and it's just always really satisfying to see that payoff for a player like that," Ricketts said. "She's a competitor. She's fiery. She's athletic. She can hit for average and for power, so I think we saw this weekend better and better at-bats from her and knew that she was getting close to some big swings for us. That was really good to see her come through for her first tonight."
After a rocky start to college ball, Stiles turned to the veterans for some advice. Senior Jessie Blaine was one who she credits with helping her turn the corner.
"The biggest thing that the older girls have helped with is just confidence and being okay with failing. I've been talking with them because they've all been through it, and they know how hard it can be," Stiles said. "I've been learning that it's okay to fail, and that's what makes you better."
Players Mentioned
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