Life’s not easy in the Southeastern Conference.After getting out to a hot start in non-conference play, the No. 21 Bulldogs of Mississippi State (26-11, 4-7 SEC) are finding that out, fighting to hover around .500 in the conference.
After a weekend sweep of in-state rival Mississippi, the softball Bulldogs lost two tight games to No. 8 LSU (29-4, 8-0 SEC) Wednesday night.
The Tigers toppled the Bulldogs in the doubleheader by scores of 5-2 and 2-1.
“I was pleased with the way we swung the bats at times, but we didn’t swing well at the times when we needed to,” MSU head coach Jay Miller said. “It was one of those games where it seemed everything we tried didn’t work. It was frustrating that we didn’t get the job done.”
One highlight of the doubleheader was freshman Jessie Spain’s first career home run, which accounted for both of MSU’s runs in the opener.
“We’re doing great,” said reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Courtney Nesbit, of Acworth, Ga. “We had a great series at Ole Miss to get back into the SEC race. We’re never settling. We’re just trying to get better.”
On MSU’s schedule for Super Bulldog Weekend is the Bully Bash, a three-team tournament that will feature games against Mississippi Valley State (14-18, 2-1 SWAC) and Georgetown (13-23). The tournament, Miller believes, will provide his team a well-timed break in the season.
“Hopefully, it gives us a little breather,” the sixth-year head coach said. “It will hopefully give some at-bats to kids who haven’t gotten a lot of playing time. It should give some starters a rest, and will be a refresher for the rest of the conference schedule.”
Junior first baseman Sammie Jo Bailey agreed and said she thinks the Bash will provide a good opportunity to make adjustments in her game.
“Coming off a hard SEC schedule, we can use these games to get back on track and to pick up some good wins,” Bailey said. “It also gives us an opportunity to make adjustments to get ourselves ready for more SEC games.”
Despite a losing SEC record, head coach Jay Miller said he has been pleased with the level of play his team has displayed, and that they have just fallen short against some tough, ranked teams in the SEC. It is possibly for this reason that Courtney Nesbit, a designated player who went 5-for-6 against LSU Wednesday night, is approaching the tournament with caution.
“We come out and play with the same intensity as we do in the SEC,” Nesbit said. “We play these non-conference teams the same way we play our SEC opponents.”
MSU is still clinging to a Top-25 national ranking, despite its losing conference record.
It’s an aspect of the season, though, that Nesbit said isn’t as important to the team as it is to outsiders.
“We don’t really talk about having a ranking much,” Nesbit said. “We thought it was cool at the beginning, but we don’t pay much attention to it now. We just give our best every game.”
MSU has met the Delta Devilettes of Mississippi Valley State already this season, earning a 10-0 mercy-rule victory in Starkville.
The meetings between the Bulldogs and the Georgetown Hoyas will be the first meeting between the schools.
Though the tournament is part of an action-packed Super Bulldog Weekend, junior starting pitcher Kelsey Nurnberg isn’t necessarily concerned with attendance numbers this weekend.
“Regardless of how many people show up,” Nurnberg said, “I know we’ll have the support of those there. And that’s what matters.