No. 12 Mississippi State Hosts No. 1 Tennessee to Open SEC Softball Play
Mississippi State will host Tennessee in its Southeastern Conference softball opener at Nusz Park, beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The series continues through Sunday, with a Saturday tribute to armed forces members and a First Responder Day on Sunday, featuring the fifth annual First Responder Home Run Derby, according to school officials.
This marks the second consecutive year the top-ranked team will play in Starkville. Last year, MSU upset No. 1 Texas in the series opener. Head coach Samantha Ricketts, who has led the Bulldogs to 46 ranked wins, expects a challenging matchup against Tennessee’s elite pitching staff. Both teams rank among the top five nationally in ERA, hits per seven innings, shutouts, strikeouts, and WHIP, with five of the six most-used pitchers among the top 10 in ERA.
Mississippi State enters SEC play with an 11-17 record in conference openers but has won three straight. The last series victory over Tennessee occurred in 2021, when the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader. The series schedule is set for Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at noon. All games will be streamed on SEC Network+ with live stats available.
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 9 in the NCAA RPI, the highest in program history, and No. 10 in the first KPI rankings of the season. They have posted a program-best 26-2 record entering conference play, surpassing the previous best of 19-2 in 2014. Leila Ammon threw her first career no-hitter Tuesday against Southeast Missouri.
Senior pitcher Alyssa Faircloth ranks nationally in strikeouts per seven innings and saves. Nadia Barbary has hit five home runs in the last 10 games, leading the team in multiple offensive categories. Kiarra Sells continues to produce with double-digit home runs for the second straight year, leading in batting average and stolen bases. The team’s current batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage are all school records.
Mississippi State will host UAB on Wednesday night in a nationally televised game on SEC Network at 7 p.m., continuing its home stand.
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