HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Southern Miss softball is heading to Starkville to face No. 19 Mississippi State at Nusz Park on Feb. 10 at 4 p.m., according to the university’s athletics department.
The Golden Eagles finished their opening weekend with a 4-1 record, only dropping one game in extra innings to Louisiana Tech. They currently lead the nation in sacrifice flies with eight, and also rank first in the Sun Belt Conference in double plays and third nationally. Southern Miss is also atop the Sun Belt in walks with 28.
Kayla Giardina pitched a complete-game shutout on Feb. 6, joining 49 other NCAA pitchers in leading the country in complete games. She also has a 0.00 earned run average, making her one of 148 qualified pitchers with that mark, according to the university.
Nealy McManus leads the team with nine RBIs, ranking 23rd nationally and first in the Sun Belt. McManus and Maddison Johnson are tied for 18th in the country with one triple each. Mississippi State, which is 4-0 after wins over Baylor, Northwestern State, Wichita State, and New Mexico, hosts the Golden Eagles in the matchup.
Alyssa Faircloth recorded 14 strikeouts against New Mexico, ranking eighth in the nation for strikeouts per seven innings, according to D1 Softball.com. The teams have a historical record of 20 wins for Mississippi State and four for Southern Miss, with the Golden Eagles winning the last meeting in 2022 with a 3-0 victory.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN+. For updates, fans can follow Southern Miss Softball on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
