Six million dollars. That’s what Mississippi State University’s new softball facility costs. But after the long wait while their stadium was being built, the women are ready to show off the new field this season.
With the stadium featuring more than 1,000 chair-back seats, the team is hoping for a packed house every game.
After coming off a 36-21 overall record and a 10-14 record in conference last year, the team is looking to better that this season. Some top players are returning this season and the team eyes improving their record.
To start off the season, the team is ranked 39th in the country and stands at No. 11 in the SEC. The road will not be easy for the Bulldogs, as they play 10 teams that are ranked in the Top 25 polls.
Although the team lost many good starters, the offense will not lack as many of the leaders are returning this season. The Bulldogs will not miss a beat with their leading hitter, Caroline Seitz, returning for her junior season.
Seitz finished the season last year with a .318 batting average, 15 home runs and 54 RBIs (runs batted in).
Another leader coming back is Mackenzie Toler, who led the team last year in on-base-percentage with a whopping .480.
The third person to watch out for is Katie Ann Bailey. She had a great season hitting with a .331 batting average with five homeruns and 34 RBIs, while also swiping 11 stolen bases.
Along with the opposing teams’ pitchers that will fear the lineup of MSU, so will the catchers of the league. Loryn Nichols and Kayla Winkfield are both returning, and their speed on the base paths is scary. The two combined to steal 62 bases last year and were only thrown out three times.
On the mound for the Bulldogs, Alexis Silkwood will be the ace of the team. During last year’s tenure, she went 26-16 with a 2.85 ERA (earned run average). The goal for Silkwood is to reach 30 wins this season, but she will not be the only one who needs to produce. The entire Bulldog squad will need to increase its depth to make a run for the SEC crown this season.
With many key starters returning, there are also many new faces to the squad. The team plays host to eight new freshman players on the squad, and many of them look to help out the team as much as possible.
The sights are high for MSU as Vann Stuedeman returns for her fifth year at the reign of the softball team. In her first four seasons as head coach, she has entered the NCAA tournament each year and finished with more than 33 wins all four times.
With a great coach, the ace of the team, three leading hitters, and the top two base runners all returning, the Bulldogs are expected to be fantastic. With those expectations, comes a lot of pressure and exposure.
That is why MSU is playing host to a program record 32 televised games this season. The team will play most of their games on SEC Network +, but eight games will be on SEC Network and one game will be on ESPNU.
Mississippi State opens up their season Feb. 11, against Georgia Southern at 5:30 p.m. as part of their Bulldog Kickoff tournament.
