It’s time for the 2022 NCAA Softball Tournament! The Mississippi State softball team managed to make it in, landing as a 2 seed in the Tallahassee Regional. The Bulldogs have been up-and-down at times this year as they’ve struggled to consistently play up to their full potential, but Samantha Ricketts’ team has shown that it can contend with some of the best in the country.
The Tallahassee Regional will provide a pretty interesting challenge for the Bulldogs. This is the 17th time the Mississippi State softball team has been able to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs have never been able to get into a Super Regional.
Will that change this season?
Learn more about all of the teams involved in the 2022 Tallahassee Regional here.
Tallahassee Regional team preview: Mississippi State
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Mississippi State softball pitcher to watch
The Bulldogs really do have a pretty impressive group of pitchers and it’ll be interesting to see how they attack this regional with their pitching staff, but Annie Willis does lead the way statistically. With a 2.73 ERA and 127 strikeouts through 110.1 innings pitched, Willis has shown she has the potential to be really solid against just about anyone.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Mississippi State softball hitter to watch
While there are some really solid hitters on this Mississippi State softball roster, it’s impossible to really put anyone other than Mia Davidson right here. Davidson’s 21 home runs and .390 batting average make her a force to be reckoned with. She’s one of the best hitters college softball has ever seen and she’s one of the most productive hitters the SEC has ever seen in either baseball or softball.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Mississippi State softball stats
- Overall record: 33-24
- Conference record: 10-14
- RPI: 30
- Team batting average: .278
- Team ERA: 3.04
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Mississippi State softball coaching record
Samantha Ricketts hasn’t been a head coach for very long, but she does seem to be showing some potential. Since Ricketts took over for Vann Stuedeman, Mississippi State has continued on with the success that it had been having under its previous head coach. The Bulldogs still haven’t really elevated themselves as a program just yet, but Ricketts has posted a 93-52 win-loss record and this team has made it to its second consecutive regional under her leadership. There’s still some room for this program to grow and improve, but Ricketts has helped develop some truly great hitters during her time in Starkville that dates back to her stint as an assistant coach on Stuedeman’s roster.
Tallahassee Regional team preview: Florida State
2022 Tallahassee Regional: FSU Seminoles softball pitcher to watch
The FSU Seminoles are an absolute powerhouse and they’ll be tough for anyone to beat. Of course, one huge reason for that is how dominant FSU’s pitching is. The Bulldogs (as well as the other teams in this regional) will need to be mindful of Kathryn Sandercock and her 1.41 ERA. Sandercock has struck out 151 batters this season and boasts a 29-1 win-loss record.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: FSU Seminoles softball hitter to watch
It’s important for any pitcher facing Florida State to be careful as they pitch to Michaela Edenfield. One of the most productive hitters in the country, Edenfield has hammered 16 home runs this season and boasts a .289 batting average. FSU has a number of productive hitters, but nobody on the Seminoles’ roster has more home runs than Edenfield.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: FSU Seminoles softball stats
- Overall record: 55-10
- Conference record: 19-5
- RPI: 3
- Team batting average: .293
- Team ERA: 2.05
2022 Tallahassee Regional: FSU Seminoles softball coaching record
The Seminoles have a remarkably talented and experienced coach in Lonni Alameda. Not only is Alameda a national championship winning coach, she’s been a longstanding and dominant winner for FSU. Alameda has been in Tallahassee since 2009 and has guided the Seminoles to the Women’s College World Series on four different occasions. Alameda boasts a win-loss record of 761-338-3.
Tallahassee Regional team preview: USF Bulls
2022 Tallahassee Regional: USF Bulls softball pitcher to watch
Anyone who faces the South Florida Bulls softball team will need to account for Georgina Corrick. During her senior season for the Bulls, Corrick has been dominant, posting a 0.53 ERA and a remarkable 36-5 win-loss record. Corrick also leads the country in shutouts with 20.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: USF Bulls softball hitter to watch
The USF Bulls don’t really hit a ton of home runs, though there are a few very productive hitters on the USF softball roster. Make sure to keep an eye on Dezarae Maldonado, who has a .284 batting average and six home runs on the season.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: USF Bulls softball stats
- Overall record: 44-14
- Conference record: 12-5
- RPI: 39
- Team batting average: .269
- Team ERA: 1.60
2022 Tallahassee Regional: USF Bulls softball coaching record
Ken Ericksen is the head coach of the South Florida Bulls and he’s been a pretty successful coach for a number of years. Ericksen has been the head coach of the Bulls since 1997 and during that time, USF has made it to the NCAA Tournament on 15 different occasions. The Bulls have made Super Regionals four different times and they made it to the Women’s College World Series in 2012. Ericksen has managed to win over 1,000 games during his career.
Tallahassee Regional team preview: Howard Bison
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Howard Bison softball pitcher to watch
Alyssa Vasquez has been solid throughout the season and has managed to hit 7 home runs this year, which is second on Howard’s roster. Vasquez leads the Bison with a .378 batting average and is someone who has the talent to potentially change a game in a heartbeat.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Howard Bison softball hitter to watch
Howard has trusted several different pitchers throughout the season, but Analise De La Roca leads the way for the Bison. So far, De La Roca has managed to maintain a 3.05 ERA with 133.1 innings pitched this season. De La Roca also has 90 strikeouts on the year and she isn’t a pitcher the Bulldogs could afford to take lightly.
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Howard Bison softball stats
- Overall record: 31-22
- Conference record: 17-4
- RPI: 202
- Team batting average: .303
- Team ERA: 4.20
2022 Tallahassee Regional: Howard Bison softball coaching record
Tori Tyson was hired prior to the 2019 Howard Softball season and though the Bison have struggled at times, Tyson has done a very solid job of improving her program steadily over the past few seasons. The Bison just won their conference championship and appear to be headed in the right direction as they improve under Tyson’s guidance. This is the best season Howard has experienced under Tyson’s leadership, but it’s reasonable to expect that they will continue to experience success as they improve moving forward.
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