SEC play is set to start as the Mississippi State Bulldogs are gearing up for a pretty pivotal road trip up to Oxford.
Samantha Ricketts and the Mississippi State softball team are getting set to meet up with the Ole Miss Rebels in what could be a fascinating and thrilling display of solid SEC softball competition.
Headed into the series, Mississippi State boasts a solid 17-3 record and it’d be safe to say that’s because they’re currently thriving in just about all aspects of the game.
Let’s start taking a look at how the Bulldogs measure up with Ole Miss right now.
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Mississippi State softball: 2024 MSU vs. Ole Miss preview
The team’s batting average sits at a robust .362, with 18 home runs and 127 RBIs. Sierra Sacco has been a standout performer, leading the team in runs scored (22) and stolen bases (12) while maintaining a .391 batting average. Jessie Blaine has also been a force to be reckoned with, leading the team in home runs (5) and RBIs (21).
We know the Bulldogs are hitting well, but the pitching has been equally impressive. Mississippi State’s pitching staff comes into this series with a really impressive combined ERA of 1.54 as Josey Marron and Aspen Wesley lead the way with a combined 11 wins.
Opposing teams have struggled against the Bulldogs’ pitching, batting a mere .202 with 106 strikeouts in 113.2 innings pitched.
Meanwhile, the Ole Miss Rebels enter the series with a pretty solid 15-5 record of their own, including a 5-2 away record and a 7-1 neutral site record.
Ole Miss has showcased some firepower and the Rebels are batting .321 as a team with 15 home runs and 108 RBIs of their own. Jaden Pone has been a key contributor, leading the team in batting average (.418) and stolen bases (8) while maintaining an impressive .522 on-base percentage.
In the circle, the Rebels’ pitching staff has demonstrated some strength of its own as Ole Miss has a combined ERA of 2.16. Makenna Kliethermes has been the ace of the staff, notching 7 wins with a 1.86 ERA. The Rebels have held opponents to a .226 batting average while striking out 124 batters in 129.1 innings pitched.
Mississippi State softball schedule – 2024 MSU Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss Rebels
Looking to keep up with the Mississippi State softball team and the Ole Miss Rebels? Here’s what the schedule for the three game series between the Bulldogs and Rebels:
| Date | Time | Location | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8 (Fri) | 6:00 PM | Away | Oxford, Miss. |
| Mar 9 (Sat) | 3:00 PM | Away | Oxford, Miss. |
| Mar 10 (Sun) | 3:00 PM | Away | Oxford, Miss. |
Game one happens Friday evening in Oxford. First pitch is around the time of 6 p.m. Games two and three are set for 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Meet the teams in the 2024 Miss. State softball – Ole Miss Rebels series
Let’s start going over everyone involved in this series, starting with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Mississippi State softball stats
- Record: 17-3 (Home: 12-0, Away: 0-0, Neutral: 5-3)
- Batting average: .362
- ERA: 1.54
- Homeruns: 18
- Opponents strikeouts: 106
- Runs scored per game: 7.37 (140 runs scored in 19 games)
- Opponents’ batting average: .202
- Opponents’ ERA: 8.90
Ahead of last weekend, it was pretty clear the Miss. State Bulldogs were doing pretty well for themselves. MSU improved its batting average from .340 prior to last weekend up to .362 heading into this weekend.
And in the circle, the Bulldogs have continued to be flat out dominant. Mississippi State’s pitching staff has 106 strikeouts and opposing batters are only hitting .214 against MSU (down from .214 from ahead of last weekend).
That’s really good.
Mississippi State softball best wins
Not much has changed in this department from last week. The Bulldogs now have a 17-3 record and there’s four ranked wins for Mississippi State to hang their hats on right now.
So far, MSU has two wins over the #23 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, one win over the #13 Utah Utes, and one win over #8 Clemson.
Here’s what those wins look like from a score perspective:
- Mississippi State 9 – Louisiana 1 (6 innings)
- Mississippi State 2 – Louisiana 1
- Mississippi State 6 – Clemson 3
- Mississippi State 10 – Utah 2
That’s a really solid resume.
Mississippi State softball worst losses
And things haven’t changed here either. Mississippi State managed to go through last weekend without suffering a single loss. So, that clean and clear 6-0 sweep through the Bulldog Invitational made it clear that Mississippi State’s record still only holds 3 losses.
Yay!
There’s a loss to Oklahoma (who is the best college softball team on the planet over the last 3 or so seasons) and then a couple of late night contests out on the west coast against west coast teams.
Here’s what those losses look like:
- UC Davis 2 – Mississippi State 1
- Oklahoma 9 – Mississippi State 3
- Fresno State 3 – Mississippi State 1
Ole Miss softball stats
- Record: 15-5 (Home: 3-2, Away: 5-2, Neutral: 7-1)
- Batting average: .321
- ERA: 2.16
- Homeruns: 15
- Opponents strikeouts: 124
- Runs scored per game: 6.00 (120 runs scored in 20 games)
- Opponents’ batting average: .226
- Opponents’ ERA: 5.90
The Ole Miss Softball team has had an impressive start to the 2024 season, boasting a 15-5 overall record. At the plate, Ole Miss has been solid, hitting .321 as a team and scoring an average of 6 runs per game. The Rebels have also shown power at the plate, hitting 15 home runs in just 20 games.
On the pitching side, Ole Miss has been equally impressive. The team’s ERA stands at an impressive 2.16, and they have struck out 124 opposing batters. Opponents have struggled against the Rebels’ pitching staff, batting a mere .226.
Those numbers aren’t quite as good as what MSU has put up to this point in the season, but the margin is slim and Ole Miss is very clearly a dangerous team for MSU to face (especially in Oxford).
Ole Miss softball best wins
On more than one occasion, Ole Miss has shown the ability to rack up some impressive victories this season and showcasing their offensive prowess and dominant pitching.
The Rebels secured a resounding 15-0 win against Hawaii in an away game and followed that up with an 11-0 victory over Pitt in a neutral site contest. Ole Miss continued their winning ways at home, defeating Kent State 10-0 and UAB 7-0. The team also notched a 9-0 win on the road against Memphis.
- Ole Miss 15 – Hawaii 0
- Ole Miss 11 – Pitt 0
- Kent State 10 – Ole Miss 0
- UAB 7 – Ole Miss 0
- Memphis 9 – Ole Miss 0
Ole Miss worst losses
Despite their overall success, the Ole Miss Softball team has still managed to suffer a few setbacks this season, including at home. The Rebels recently suffered two tough losses at home against UAB and Southeastern Louisiana, with scores of 4-6 and 4-9, respectively.
Ole Miss also struggled in a pair of away games against Clemson, losing 0-5 and 1-9. Additionally, the Rebels fell short in a neutral site game against BYU in Honolulu, Hawaii, with a final score of 4-7.
- UAB 6 – Ole Miss 4
- Southeastern Louisiana 9 – Ole Miss 4
- Clemson 5 – Ole Miss 0
- Clemson 9 – Ole Miss 1
- BYU 7 – Ole Miss 4
How to watch Mississippi State softball vs. Ole Miss – 2024 Bulldogs vs. Rebels
- Game 1 – Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss – 3/8 at 6 p.m.
- Game 2 – Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss – 3/9 at 3 p.m.
- Game 3 – Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss – 3/10 at 3 p.m.
Final thoughts on Mississippi State softball vs. Ole Miss
This is going to be a tough series for the Bulldogs. Arguably their toughest weekend up to this point in the season. While the Mississippi State softball team has done well against multiple challenging foes, this is a rivalry weekend and it’s also three games of SEC play.
MSU has better stats and has shown it has the ability to beat ranked teams, something that Ole Miss hasn’t done so far up to this point in the season.
That said, this is a road game and MSU hasn’t played a true road game so far. So, who really knows what’s going to happen. I’m hoping for a couple wins and I think it’s feasible for Mississippi State to get this series. That said, I think it’s a closely contested matchup. It should be pretty fun to watch.
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