Friday, April 4
Knoxville, Tenn.
5 p.m.
Mississippi State
at
#7 Tennessee
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Nation’s Biggest Rankings Risers Meet In Knoxville This Weekend
April 03, 2025 | Softball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After they took down the nation's Nos. 1 and 2 teams on the same day last weekend, No. 17/15 Mississippi State and No. 7/6 Tennessee will meet in Knoxville this weekend.
The teams were the biggest movers in the USA Softball poll this week, with Tennessee climbing four spots and State rising three. The Bulldogs have tied their highest mark in the history of that poll at No. 15, which they last reached in 2006. That year was also the last time MSU won 30 of its first 38 games, and this year's squad has tied the program record for the fastest to 30 wins.
On paper offensively, the teams are nearly identical. Their batting averages and slugging percentages are both separated by just six points, and their on-base percentages are only 12 points different. State holds the slight edge in average and slugging and has one additional RBI this season. The teams both average nearly seven hits per game and just over eight runs per game.
Mississippi State is coming off its 12th run-rule victory of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Central Arkansas, 8-0, in five innings. Delainey Everett tossed her first shutout of the year to improve to 8-0 with a 1.32 ERA that ranks 14th nationally.
5 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats
Saturday, April 5
3 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats
Sunday, April 6
12:30 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Thirty and Thriving: Mississippi State won 30 games in just 38 contests, matching the 2006 season for the fastest to the 30-win mark in program history. MSU is just seven wins shy of Samantha Ricketts' highest win total in a season with at least 16 games remaining guaranteed.
SEC Start: MSU started SEC play with a 5-1 record for the first time in program history. State's 6-3 mark in league games to this point is tied with 2000 for its best start since opening the 1998 season at 8-3. In 2000, State went on to a 9-3 record for its best 12-game start in SEC play.
Sierra Sets The Table: Sierra Sacco is among the top 10 nationally in batting average (7th), hits (7th), runs (3rd), doubles (10th) and on-base percentage (6th). MSU is 57-8 when she scores since the start of last year.
Everything On Everett: Delainey Everett tossed her second career complete game and shutout on Wednesday. She is now 12-0 in her career. This year alone she doubled her win total (8) from her freshman campaign, while halving her ERA down to 1.32, which ranks 14th in the nation.
Barbary's Big Year: Nadia Barbary is just four hits and three total bases shy of her previous single-season career highs. Last year, Barbary posted 21 extra-base hits with four homers. This season, she has 15 extra-base hits, but seven have left the yard.
Where Are You Going?: Jessie Blaine and Ella Wesolowski have combined to pick off six runners. The next best SEC team has just two. Blaine's five pickoffs are one shy of the MSU single-season record.
Magic Number: The Bulldogs have scored five or more runs in 74 of State's 92 wins (80.4 percent) over the past three seasons, and they are 144-15 under Samantha Ricketts when scoring at least five.
Head Coach: Karen Weekly | Record at TENN: 115-347-2 (24th Year) | Career Record: 1338-444-2 (29th Year)
Batting Average: .323 | Runs Per Game: 6.81 | Hits Per Game: 8.11 | Slugging Pct: .558
ERA: 1.44 | K/7: 9.00 | K/BB Ratio: 3.67 | Opp. Batting Avg: .156
Current Streak: Lost 2 | Last Series: April 12-14, 2024, TENN won in Starkville, Miss. (G1: MSU, 9-1 [5 inn.] | G2: TENN, 6-1 | G3: TENN, 7-3)
The Lady Vols' pitching staff leads the nation with a 1.44 ERA and its 14 shutouts rank third in the NCAA. As a team, Tennessee averages 9.00 strikeouts per seven innings, which is second nationally, and its 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth. The Lady Vols' 0.90 WHIP is also top in the country. Ace Karlyn Pickens is the star in the circle, posting a 1.03 ERA that is sixth nationally and leads the SEC. Sage Mardjetko is in the supporting role, allowing 3.67 hits per seven innings, which is seventh nationally, and Erin Nuwer's four shutouts rank 10th in the country.
The teams were the biggest movers in the USA Softball poll this week, with Tennessee climbing four spots and State rising three. The Bulldogs have tied their highest mark in the history of that poll at No. 15, which they last reached in 2006. That year was also the last time MSU won 30 of its first 38 games, and this year's squad has tied the program record for the fastest to 30 wins.
On paper offensively, the teams are nearly identical. Their batting averages and slugging percentages are both separated by just six points, and their on-base percentages are only 12 points different. State holds the slight edge in average and slugging and has one additional RBI this season. The teams both average nearly seven hits per game and just over eight runs per game.
Mississippi State is coming off its 12th run-rule victory of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Central Arkansas, 8-0, in five innings. Delainey Everett tossed her first shutout of the year to improve to 8-0 with a 1.32 ERA that ranks 14th nationally.
Game Coverage
Friday, April 45 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats
Saturday, April 5
3 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network | Live Stats
Sunday, April 6
12:30 p.m. – Tennessee | Watch on SEC Network+ | Live Stats
Leading Off
Major Movers Meeting: The Bulldogs (+3) and Lady Vols (+4) made the two largest jumps in the USA Softball poll this week after No. 7 Tennessee took the series from then-No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 15 State defeated No. 1 Texas on Friday night. It marked the first time that No. 1 and No. 2 lost on the same day since June 2, 2019. At No. 15 State has tied its highest ranking in the history of the USA Softball poll, last achieved in 2006.Thirty and Thriving: Mississippi State won 30 games in just 38 contests, matching the 2006 season for the fastest to the 30-win mark in program history. MSU is just seven wins shy of Samantha Ricketts' highest win total in a season with at least 16 games remaining guaranteed.
SEC Start: MSU started SEC play with a 5-1 record for the first time in program history. State's 6-3 mark in league games to this point is tied with 2000 for its best start since opening the 1998 season at 8-3. In 2000, State went on to a 9-3 record for its best 12-game start in SEC play.
Sierra Sets The Table: Sierra Sacco is among the top 10 nationally in batting average (7th), hits (7th), runs (3rd), doubles (10th) and on-base percentage (6th). MSU is 57-8 when she scores since the start of last year.
Everything On Everett: Delainey Everett tossed her second career complete game and shutout on Wednesday. She is now 12-0 in her career. This year alone she doubled her win total (8) from her freshman campaign, while halving her ERA down to 1.32, which ranks 14th in the nation.
Barbary's Big Year: Nadia Barbary is just four hits and three total bases shy of her previous single-season career highs. Last year, Barbary posted 21 extra-base hits with four homers. This season, she has 15 extra-base hits, but seven have left the yard.
Where Are You Going?: Jessie Blaine and Ella Wesolowski have combined to pick off six runners. The next best SEC team has just two. Blaine's five pickoffs are one shy of the MSU single-season record.
Magic Number: The Bulldogs have scored five or more runs in 74 of State's 92 wins (80.4 percent) over the past three seasons, and they are 144-15 under Samantha Ricketts when scoring at least five.
About Tennessee (30-7, 5-4 SEC)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches – 7 | USA Softball – 6 | D1Softball – 10 | Softball America – 9Head Coach: Karen Weekly | Record at TENN: 115-347-2 (24th Year) | Career Record: 1338-444-2 (29th Year)
Batting Average: .323 | Runs Per Game: 6.81 | Hits Per Game: 8.11 | Slugging Pct: .558
ERA: 1.44 | K/7: 9.00 | K/BB Ratio: 3.67 | Opp. Batting Avg: .156
Series History
Overall: 22-47 | Home: 10-21 | Away: 11-23 | Neutral: 1-3Current Streak: Lost 2 | Last Series: April 12-14, 2024, TENN won in Starkville, Miss. (G1: MSU, 9-1 [5 inn.] | G2: TENN, 6-1 | G3: TENN, 7-3)
Notables
The Lady Vols' pitching staff leads the nation with a 1.44 ERA and its 14 shutouts rank third in the NCAA. As a team, Tennessee averages 9.00 strikeouts per seven innings, which is second nationally, and its 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth. The Lady Vols' 0.90 WHIP is also top in the country. Ace Karlyn Pickens is the star in the circle, posting a 1.03 ERA that is sixth nationally and leads the SEC. Sage Mardjetko is in the supporting role, allowing 3.67 hits per seven innings, which is seventh nationally, and Erin Nuwer's four shutouts rank 10th in the country.
On Deck
With only SEC games remaining, things slow down for the Bulldogs next week. Mississippi State returns to Nusz Park on April 11-13 to host Missouri in a three-game series. The opener on Friday is set for 6 p.m., and Saturday's first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. The series finale will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday. All three games will air on SEC Network+.Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."
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