Mississippi State Softball Prepares for Road Trip to ACC Teams
Mississippi State’s softball team, ranked No. 12 in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll, heads on an 11-game road trip starting Wednesday with a game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Bulldogs, 14-1 this season, are enjoying their best 15-game start since 2014 and their highest ranking ever in the NFCA poll, according to team officials.
The midweek contest has been moved to ACC Network Xtra, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. Central time. Georgia Tech boasts a potent offense, ranking among the top in their conference in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs, sources said.
Following the game in Atlanta, Mississippi State will travel to Clemson, South Carolina, to participate in the Tiger Invitational. It will be the Bulldogs’ first trip to McWhorter Stadium and their first regular-season game at an Atlantic Coast Conference park since 2019. The team last played at an ACC school during the 2022 Tallahassee Regional, where they upset No. 2 Florida State.
Mississippi State’s defense continues to shine, with a .992 fielding percentage that leads the nation. The team has committed only three errors in 15 games. Nadia Barbary and Morgan Stiles were named Softball America’s Defender of the Week, according to the publication.
Stiles has been a consistent presence at leadoff, reaching base in all but one game. She has scored nine first-inning runs and the team is outscoring opponents 29-1 in the opening frame. The Bulldogs also lead nationally with 137 strikeouts, including 33 looking called strikes, which ranks second nationally. They have hit 30 doubles, on pace to break last year’s school record of 90.
Eleven players have hit home runs this season, including three who recorded their first career hits. Mississippi State has achieved five run-rule wins so far, including a 19-1 victory over Delaware State, the second-largest margin of victory in program history. The team’s next challenge is an away game against Georgia Tech, followed by the Tiger Invitational at Clemson, marking their first trip to McWhorter Stadium.
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