No. 12 Mississippi State Softball Heads to Tiger Invitational at Clemson
Mississippi State softball, ranked No. 12 in the latest NFCA Coaches’ Poll, is set to compete in its first visit to McWhorter Stadium this weekend. The Bulldogs will participate in Clemson’s Tiger Invitational, a seeded round-robin tournament that begins Friday in Clemson, South Carolina.
MSU opens against Wofford at 9 a.m. Central Time on Friday, followed by games against Georgia Southern and the host Tigers on Saturday. The results of the round-robin will determine the bracket for Sunday, with Clemson automatically earning the top seed. The Bulldogs’ Saturday game against Clemson will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. Results from other games will be available via live stats.
This weekend marks Mississippi State’s first matchup against a ranked opponent this season. The Bulldogs boast 25 ranked wins over the past two seasons, according to team officials.
In national rankings, Mississippi State is ranked No. 12 in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll, its highest ranking in program history, surpassing last week’s No. 14. The team previously reached No. 11 in the Softball America poll in 2024.
Pitcher Alyssa Faircloth has emerged as a strikeout leader, recording three games with double-digit strikeouts this season. She ranks fifth nationally in strikeouts per seven innings at 12.67 and is third in total strikeouts with 73, according to team stats.
Leadoff hitter Morgan Stiles has been consistent, reaching base in all but one game and scoring nine first-inning runs. Mississippi State leads the nation with a .990 fielding percentage and has a team ERA of 2.90. The Bulldogs also lead in strikeouts with 150 this season, with 33 called strikes, ranking second nationally.
Offensively, Anna Carder has driven in six game-winning runs, while Morgan Bernardini has seven RBIs with two outs. The Bulldogs played their first regular-season road game at an ACC park since 2019 Wednesday night at Georgia Tech. This weekend will be their first trip to Clemson’s McWhorter Stadium.
Wofford, Georgia Southern, and Clemson are all unranked, with Wofford holding a 14-1 record and Georgia Southern at 6-7. Clemson is 11-5 and ranked 25th in the NFCA poll. The Bulldogs will stay on the road next week, with games against UAB and South Alabama.
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