Alabama Softball Takes On Mississippi State Tonight

When the SEC softball schedule was release earlier this year, the two member schools who are in the closest proximity to each other were not matched up. Needing some competitive non-conference foes, the Crimson Tide coach Patrick Murphy rang up MSU coach Samantha Ricketts and proposed a one-game midweek contest between the two rivals. For you new college softball fans, Ricketts is a former two-time All-American at Oklahoma and sister to fellow Sooners All-Am Keilani Ricketts.

The Bulldogs started out the season with two wins but found themselves on the sidelines for the next seven games due to bad weather. After rebooting on Feb 21, MSU struggled winning only six of their next ten, including a 7-8 heartbreaker to Texas.

BATTING

Fa Leilua was a former Pac-12 All-Freshman honoree who was a standout player for Arizona State. After taking a medical redshirt in her junior year, she transferred to Starkville for the 2019 season in which she was named second team All-American. Now in her sixth year as a super-senior graduate student, she is still raking with a .412 average, 5 home runs and 12 RBI.

True senior Mia Davidson is hitting .325 with 14 runs scored, 3 doubles, 5 round-trippers, and 11 RBI.

The Dawgs average 6.58 runs per game.

PITCHING

Mississippi State has used six different pitchers this young season with five of them earning starts. Five of the six sport ERAs over 3.00. Huntsville, Alabama native Annie Willis is 4-0 but carries a 3.32 ERA. She transferred to MSU last year after two years at Troy. I have a hunch she will start.

Alabama will start Montana Fouts.

KB Sides and Jenna Johnson are still both out as they nurse injuries.

DETAILS

OPPONENT: Mississippi State
DATE: Wednesday, March 3
TIME: 6 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Rhoads Stadium.
TV: SECN+ and ESPN app

#Team25 #RollTide