Four Mississippi State softball players and their coach are preparing to compete in the international division of the Canada Cup in British Columbia from July 5-12, according to the university.
Head coach Samantha Ricketts will make her debut as the head coach of the American Samoa Women’s National Team, which enters the tournament ranked No. 42 in the world. The team last competed in July at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau, where it won gold, and it is seeking to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Ricketts has familial ties to American Samoa, which has brought seven players with Samoan connections to Mississippi State since 2016, including rising junior Kalani Sells and incoming freshman Taylor Faga.
Joining Ricketts on the field are alumnae Kiarra Sells and Matalasi Faapito. Faapito, a three-year starter at Mississippi State, played 137 games, totaled 19 home runs and 59 RBIs. She posted a .737 slugging percentage in NCAA Tournament play and had a 2.70 career ERA with 132 strikeouts. Sells, a senior, earned Second Team All-South Region honors this spring after leading MSU in multiple offensive categories, including batting average, slugging, and stolen bases. She finished her college career with a .614 slugging percentage and 25 homers over her final two seasons.
Additionally, Alyssa Faircloth will participate with Team TC Colorado, a travel organization composed of elite collegiate players. Faircloth, a Second Team All-American, set school records with 268 strikeouts in a season and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year this year.
The tournament features 15 teams divided into pools, with Mississippi State players all competing in the White Pool alongside teams from Chinese Taipei, Israel, Peru, Singapore, Canada Elite, and Saskatchewan 222s. On the final day of pool play, Faircloth will face off against Ricketts, Sells, and Faapito at 8:30 a.m. CT. The event provides an international platform for these Bulldogs to showcase their skills and represent Mississippi State on the global stage.
