Saturday, April 10
Ruston, La.
10:00 AM
Mississippi State
at
Louisiana Tech
Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
No. 1 Oklahoma, Louisiana Tech Await Mississippi State Saturday
April 09, 2021 | Softball
STARKVILLE – The nation's No. 11 strength of schedule won't get any easier this weekend for Mississippi State softball. The Bulldogs are set to play a pair of road games, their eighth and ninth contests away from home in the last 10 games.
Â
After seeing its scheduled home series with Tennessee postponed, MSU will now travel to Ruston, Louisiana, to play Louisiana Tech at 10 a.m. CT and No. 1 Oklahoma in a neutral-site meeting at 12:30 p.m. Both games will stream on C-USA TV.
Â
Head coach Samantha Ricketts and graduate assistant Nicole Pendley will face their alma mater in the afternoon contest. State last played the nation's top-ranked team in 2016, when the Bulldogs played at No. 1 Florida on April 22-24. MSU has played Oklahoma (28-0, 6-0 Big 12) three times, twice when the Sooners were among the nation's top 15 teams. Coincidentally, the programs first met in 1983, also in Ruston.
Â
MSU holds an all-time record of 13-9 against Louisiana Tech (13-16, 3-1 C-USA) but is 1-2 in Ruston. State has won each of the last 13 meetings, including two games in 2019 by a combined score of 18-0.
Â
State's SEC series against Tennessee was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and contact tracing within the Tennessee program. The opportunity to reschedule the games later this season will be evaluated.
Â
12:30 p.m. – vs. No. 1 Oklahoma | Watch on C-USA TV ($) | Live Stats
Â
Â
Sooner Series: MSU last played Oklahoma in 2017, falling 5-3 to the then-No. 13 Sooners. The teams first met in Ruston, Louisiana, in 1983 in a 4-0 Oklahoma victory.
Â
Playing No. 1: MSU's last upset of the top-ranked team in the NFCA poll came on April 8, 2015 in a 9-4 victory over LSU. The Bulldogs also defeated No. 1 Arizona, 7-1 on Feb. 9, 2002. State is 2-10 all-time against the nation's No. 1 team, including a 1-1 mark in non-conference meetings.
Â
On A Roll: Fa Leilua has hit safely in a season-best seven eight games and reached base in a season-high 11 straight.
Â
SEC Sluggers: Mia Davidson is sixth in SEC softball history with 62 career home runs. Rafael Palmeiro (67) is the only Bulldog student-athlete to have hit more in a baseball or softball career.
Â
Going Back To Back: Davidson and Leilua hit back-to-back homers for the fifth time in their careers on Wednesday. MSU is 4-1 when they go back-to-back. The have homered in the same game 15 times, and MSU is 13-2 in such contests.
Â
Making Them Miss: The Bulldog pitching staff ranks third in the SEC with 261 strikeouts and leads the league in looking strikeouts (68). State has struck out 61 batters over nine SEC games.
Â
Sophomore Spark: Madisyn Kennedy batted .357 in four games last week with two home runs and six RBIs. She posted a .786 slugging percentage which ranked second on the team and was 3-for-4 with two outs.
Â
Rankings: NFCA Coaches - NR | USA Softball - NR | Softball America – NR | D1Softball - NR
Head coach: Bianca Duran | at LATC: 13-16 (1st Year) | Career: 13-16 (1st Year)
Batting Average: .252; Runs Per Game: 4.1; Hits Per Game: 6.7; Slugging Percentage: .356
ERA: 4.53; K/7: 4.4; K/BB Ratio: 1.1; Opp. Batting Avg: .288
Â
Oklahoma (28-0, 6-0 Big 12)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches - 1 | USA Softball - 1 | Softball America – 1 | D1Softball - 1
Head coach: Patty Gasso | at OU: 1308-337-2 (27th Year) | Career: 1308-337-2 (27th Year)
Batting Average: .457; Runs Per Game: 12.1; Hits Per Game: 12.6; Slugging Percentage: .894
ERA: 1.46; K/7: 9.3; K/BB Ratio: 4.5; Opp. Batting Avg: .143
Â
Â
Â
Â
Â
After seeing its scheduled home series with Tennessee postponed, MSU will now travel to Ruston, Louisiana, to play Louisiana Tech at 10 a.m. CT and No. 1 Oklahoma in a neutral-site meeting at 12:30 p.m. Both games will stream on C-USA TV.
Â
Head coach Samantha Ricketts and graduate assistant Nicole Pendley will face their alma mater in the afternoon contest. State last played the nation's top-ranked team in 2016, when the Bulldogs played at No. 1 Florida on April 22-24. MSU has played Oklahoma (28-0, 6-0 Big 12) three times, twice when the Sooners were among the nation's top 15 teams. Coincidentally, the programs first met in 1983, also in Ruston.
Â
MSU holds an all-time record of 13-9 against Louisiana Tech (13-16, 3-1 C-USA) but is 1-2 in Ruston. State has won each of the last 13 meetings, including two games in 2019 by a combined score of 18-0.
Â
State's SEC series against Tennessee was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and contact tracing within the Tennessee program. The opportunity to reschedule the games later this season will be evaluated.
Â
Game Coverage
10 a.m. – at Louisiana Tech | Watch on C-USA TV ($) | Live Stats12:30 p.m. – vs. No. 1 Oklahoma | Watch on C-USA TV ($) | Live Stats
Â
Leading Off
A Tough Go: On top of the nation's No. 11 strength of schedule in the latest NCAA RPI calculations, MSU will now play undefeated No.1 Oklahoma. All but two of State's losses have come to teams ranked or receiving votes in the latest NFCA poll.Â
Sooner Series: MSU last played Oklahoma in 2017, falling 5-3 to the then-No. 13 Sooners. The teams first met in Ruston, Louisiana, in 1983 in a 4-0 Oklahoma victory.
Â
Playing No. 1: MSU's last upset of the top-ranked team in the NFCA poll came on April 8, 2015 in a 9-4 victory over LSU. The Bulldogs also defeated No. 1 Arizona, 7-1 on Feb. 9, 2002. State is 2-10 all-time against the nation's No. 1 team, including a 1-1 mark in non-conference meetings.
Â
On A Roll: Fa Leilua has hit safely in a season-best seven eight games and reached base in a season-high 11 straight.
Â
SEC Sluggers: Mia Davidson is sixth in SEC softball history with 62 career home runs. Rafael Palmeiro (67) is the only Bulldog student-athlete to have hit more in a baseball or softball career.
Â
Going Back To Back: Davidson and Leilua hit back-to-back homers for the fifth time in their careers on Wednesday. MSU is 4-1 when they go back-to-back. The have homered in the same game 15 times, and MSU is 13-2 in such contests.
Â
Making Them Miss: The Bulldog pitching staff ranks third in the SEC with 261 strikeouts and leads the league in looking strikeouts (68). State has struck out 61 batters over nine SEC games.
Â
Sophomore Spark: Madisyn Kennedy batted .357 in four games last week with two home runs and six RBIs. She posted a .786 slugging percentage which ranked second on the team and was 3-for-4 with two outs.
Â
About the Opponents
Louisiana Tech (13-16, 3-1 C-USA)Rankings: NFCA Coaches - NR | USA Softball - NR | Softball America – NR | D1Softball - NR
Head coach: Bianca Duran | at LATC: 13-16 (1st Year) | Career: 13-16 (1st Year)
Batting Average: .252; Runs Per Game: 4.1; Hits Per Game: 6.7; Slugging Percentage: .356
ERA: 4.53; K/7: 4.4; K/BB Ratio: 1.1; Opp. Batting Avg: .288
Â
Oklahoma (28-0, 6-0 Big 12)
Rankings: NFCA Coaches - 1 | USA Softball - 1 | Softball America – 1 | D1Softball - 1
Head coach: Patty Gasso | at OU: 1308-337-2 (27th Year) | Career: 1308-337-2 (27th Year)
Batting Average: .457; Runs Per Game: 12.1; Hits Per Game: 12.6; Slugging Percentage: .894
ERA: 1.46; K/7: 9.3; K/BB Ratio: 4.5; Opp. Batting Avg: .143
Â
On Deck
The Bulldogs will make up a rained-out contest at Samford on Tuesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. CT. The game will stream on ESPN+. MSU then hosts Southern Miss to wrap up the season series with the in-state foe on Wednesday, April 14. That game will be nationally televised on SEC Network at 6 p.m.Â
Follow the Bulldogs
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."Â
Â
Players Mentioned
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Washington
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Texas Tech
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Raelin Chaffin ESPN2 Postgame Interview
Saturday, May 17
SOFTBALL | Postgame Press Conference vs. Washington
Friday, May 16