Mississippi State continued its dominance over in-state rival Ole Miss with a softball sweep last weekend against the Rebels, improving to 25-19 and 8-14 in SEC play.
After a rainout Tuesday night in Hattiesburg, the Bulldogs turn their attention to the Kentucky Wildcats for a three-game set this weekend in Starkville.
For State, senior catcher Ka’ili Smith earned SEC player of the week honors hitting .615 with six RBIs, two doubles and a triple against the Rebels.
Smith said she likes where the team’s mindset is and hopes to carry their momentum from Oxford back home this weekend.
“We feel so big. We have to keep it going and bring it every day,” Smith said.
Also contributing for State is sophomore Heidi Shape, who went 5-7 with six RBIs against Ole Miss.
The Wildcats, 21-23 and 8-9 in the conference, will also come in with confidence, having defeated a good Georgia team twice in Lexington last weekend.
Leading the way for Kentucky is sophomore pitcher Lauren Cumbess, who threw a no-hitter against Georgia last Saturday en route to earning SEC pitcher of the week.
MSU head coach Vann Stuedeman spoke highly of the Cats, comparing them to her own team.
“They are an up and coming team just like us. They are a Super Regional team,” Stuedeman said.
For the Bulldogs to notch another big series win during Super Bulldog Weekend, they will need even more timely hits, Stuedeman noted.
That is just what the Bulldogs have gotten after their tightly contested series loss to the SEC’s best team, Alabama, where Stuedeman stressed the importance of getting big hits in clutch situations.
“We are really going to need good pitching, defense and timely hits. We have to play in the moment,” Stuedeman said.
Hitting is not the only thing that has sparked the Lady Bulldogs to four straight wins. The pitching staff, led by juniors Stephanie Becker and Kylie Vry, helped keep the Rebel bats in check, as well.
Becker, who pitched in all three games including a complete game Saturday, improved to 12-10 on the campaign, while Vry pitched in two of the three, picking up a win in the Friday ballgame and improving to 8-6.
With only nine games remaining (six conference games), the Bulldogs have a chance to stay put at third place in the SEC Western division but certainly do not need to drop any games to inferior opponents, especially at home.
A strong finish is certainly possible as the Bulldogs finish the year with Kentucky this weekend and a struggling Auburn team during the last weekend of the regular season.
Stuedeman said MSU must continue to get better and stretch their confidence.
“This game will humble you quickly. We must continue to work hard,” she said. “The confidence level is there.”
Another three wins this weekend would be huge for a resurgent Bulldog squad, who are looking to secure their first NCAA tournament birth since the 2008-2009 season.