Tyler Bratton - Softball Coach

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Tyler Bratton

Title:
Associate Head Softball Coach
Email:
tbratton@athletics.msstate.edu

Tyler Bratton will enter his 12th year with the Mississippi State softball program in 2025. He was elevated to associate head coach on July 1, 2022, after spending the previous nine years as an assistant coach since December 2013.

He is SEC softball’s third-longest-tenured active assistant or associate head coach at their current school. Additionally, including his prior time on the MSU baseball support staff, he has been employed by State since 2008, which makes him tied for the longest-tenured assistant coach currently at MSU.

Bratton who works primarily with the outfielders, also handles State’s defensive alignments and baserunning as he helps direct the offense from the third-base coaching box. He also shares recruiting responsibilities.

Over his previous 11 years, Bratton has been responsible for developing both of MSU’s SEC All-Defensive Team selections. In 2021, he guided Chloe Malau’ulu as she led the SEC in outfield assists and ranked second in the conference in outfield putouts. Amanda Ivy earned recognition in 2017, becoming the first player in program history to reel the laurel. Ivy robbed opponents of three home runs over the season, and her wall-crashing catch against No. 24 Arkansas was voted SEC Softball Catch of the Year.

Malau’ulu went on to sign a professional contract with the Oklahoma City Spark of the WPF following the 2023 season. She closed her career with 18 outfield assists, just five shy of the school record. She led the SEC in outfield assists in both 2022 and 2021.

Mississippi State's outfield quietly put together one of the best seasons on the grass in program history in 2021. The Bulldogs led the SEC with 15 outfield assists, which ranked third in school history behind only the 2002 and 2010 teams.

Bratton first coached third base in 2014 and 2015 before resuming third-base coaching duties in 2018. In his eight years giving signs, Bratton’s baserunners have achieved an 84.5 percent success rate on stolen base attempts (441-for-522). In the shortened 2020 season, the Bulldogs were an impressive 29-for-32 (90.6 percent) on stolen base attempts, highlighted by Candace Denis, who was a perfect 12-for-12 and ranked fourth in the conference in stolen bases.

The 2020 campaign also saw Mia Davidson and Jackie McKenna combine to nab six runners stealing or with pickoffs, leading the SEC in both categories. MSU’s .967 fielding percentage was the fourth-highest in school history.

Since 2016, State has turned 133 double plays, averaging one every 3.7 games. In that nine-season span, 77 Bulldogs have completed error-free campaigns.

In 2017, MSU’s defense turned in a .965 fielding percentage, which tied the 2003 squad for the fourth-highest fielding percentage in program history and was the highest fielding percentage by the team since Bratton’s debut season in 2014 when the Bulldogs ranked seventh in the nation with a .976 fielding percentage as a team.

During his debut campaign with the softball squad, Bratton instilled a toughness in the team, as MSU batters were hit by a nation-high and school-record 88 pitches. State also set the SEC Tournament single-game record with eight HBPs against No. 16 Kentucky that spring. Those extra runners helped carry MSU to eight wins against ranked opponents, tied for the second most in a year in program history.

With Bulldog baseball, Bratton consistently organized a top-10 strength of schedule, coordinated team travel arrangements and acted as the program’s liaison with adidas. The West Point, Miss., native also aided in on-campus recruiting efforts, directed the team’s video operations and oversaw all tasks associated with the day-to-day operation of the MSU baseball program.

Bratton was a three-year standout in baseball and football, playing outfield for Bill Miley at Oak Hill Academy in nearby West Point. He continued his baseball career in 2003 and 2004 at East Mississippi Community College, where he was coached by Bill Baldner. Bratton then came to MSU as an outfielder on Polk’s 2006 team that advanced to the finals of the NCAA Clemson Regional.

At Mississippi State, Bratton earned an undergraduate degree in secondary education in 2007 and, in 2009, completed MSU graduate degree studies in sports administration. He and his wife, Lauren – who serves as the tennis programs’ director of operations, reside in Starkville with his son, Maddux, and their daughter, Bailey.