Sports

Mississippi State to Face No. 2 Oklahoma in Super Regional

Mississippi State will face No. 2 Oklahoma in the Super Regional round of the NCAA softball tournament starting Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. The series opens with Game 1 at noon Central Time, followed by Game 2 on Saturday at 12 p.m., and Game 3, if necessary, on Sunday. All games will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2, with live stats available.

The Bulldogs are making their second Super Regional appearance in program history. They advanced by winning the Eugene Regional, where they posted a 3-0 record and allowed just two total runs. Their only runs came in the first inning of the first game, and they haven’t allowed a run in 21 2/3 consecutive innings.

Mississippi State’s Alyssa Faircloth set school records during the regional, including wins, strikeouts, ERA, and no-hitter. She threw the program’s first postseason no-hitter against No. 12 Oregon. Morgan Stiles leads the team in NCAA Tournament hits, and Nadia Barbary holds the school’s career and single-season records for runs scored. The team also broke its school record with 503 strikeouts this season.

Oklahoma, with a 51-8 record, is ranked No. 2 in the NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 4 by USA Softball. Coached by Patty Gasso, the Sooners boast a powerful offense, leading the nation in batting average and ranking high in homers and runs per game. The series marks the first postseason meeting between the programs, though they have faced each other annually since 2021.

If Mississippi State wins, it will advance to its first Women’s College World Series, beginning May 28. The Norman Super Regional is one of three this year featuring two SEC teams. Oklahoma’s offense has been dominant, but the team has been held to fewer than five runs in 11 games this season, with an 8-3 record in those contests.

Oklahoma’s series record against Mississippi State is 0-11 overall. The teams last met in April 2025, with the Sooners winning all three games in Norman. The Bulldogs are aiming to upset the high-powered Sooners and make history for their program.

Source: Original Article

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