Mississippi State’s Mowatt-McKinney finalist for D1Softball assistant coach award
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney is one of 25 finalists for D1Softball’s 2026 Assistant Coach of the Year award, the organization announced. Her work helped the Bulldogs reach their first Women’s College World Series this spring, marking her eighth trip to Oklahoma City in her playing and coaching career.
Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised Mowatt-McKinney’s impact, saying, “Coach T has done a phenomenal job developing our pitching staff and preparing them to compete at the highest level.” Ricketts added that the staff’s achievements reflect the standards Mowatt-McKinney sets daily and expressed pride in her recognition.
The Bulldogs’ pitching staff broke nearly every school record in 2026, including team marks for strikeouts (523) and strikeouts looking (121). They also set conference records for batting average against (.225), total strikeouts (179), strikeouts per seven innings (7.83), and fewest hits allowed (134). The staff ranked second in school history in batting average against (.186), strikeouts per seven innings (8.71), shutouts (17), and strikeouts looking in SEC play (42).
Despite a lengthy season, the pitchers allowed just 280 hits and 160 runs, the seventh-lowest totals in school history. Three pitchers posted top-10 program marks for batting average against, led by Leila Ammon (.182), who also ranked eighth all-time for walks per seven innings. Alyssa Faircloth set school records with 268 strikeouts, 70 strikeouts looking, and a 10.56 strikeouts-per-seven-innings average. Peja Goold’s .186 batting average ranked sixth in program history, and she recorded eight shutouts, which ranked second all-time at MSU.
This season marked the second time in program history that three pitchers threw no-hitters under Mowatt-McKinney’s guidance. She has been involved in six no-hitters in three seasons, the third-highest total ever for a State pitching coach. Goold and Faircloth earned All-American honors and SEC Newcomer of the Year awards from various outlets. The pitchers under her coaching have earned 10 national and conference weekly honors, surpassing totals from previous seasons.
Mowatt-McKinney has also developed several players for professional careers, including Goold, Raelin Chaffin, and Aspen Wesley. Wesley saw career-best results before signing with the Texas Monarchs and playing overseas. Chaffin was drafted in the 2025 AUSL draft after one season at MSU and helped her team win the league championship. Goold signed with the Oklahoma City Spark and made her AUSL debut this year.
The winner of the D1Softball National Assistant Coach of the Year and Pitching Coach of the Year awards will be announced on August 31. For more updates, follow Mississippi State softball on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram by searching “HailStateSB.”
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