Ricketts Signs MVC Defensive Player Of The Year Carder

STARKVILLE – Anna Carder, who was named the Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year this season, has signed with Mississippi State. The catcher earned First Team All-MVC honors as well after leading Southern Illinois with a .390 batting average that ranked ninth in school history.

Carder's bat also produced a .617 slugging percentage that ranked eighth in the conference while her 1.114 OPS was fifth in the league. She led the team with 14 doubles and was third in homers (7) and RBIs (42) this spring while posting 16 multi-hit games and catching nine runners stealing from behind the plate.

The rising senior will play her final season in Starkville after collecting 97 career RBIs and 31 career doubles in her first three years of collegiate play. She also boasts 25 career runners caught stealing and was a Second Team All-MVC selection as a freshman.

"Anna Carder brings a ton of experience behind the plate and another left-handed bat to our lineup," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "She is a natural leader, and I am looking forward to having her in our locker room and working with our pitching staff."

The Athens, Alabama, native attended Athens High School alongside State sophomore Morgan Stiles where the pair won a state championship together in 2022. She was a two-time First Team All-State selection and led the team in 2021 with a .420 average and 55 RBIs.

For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow on X, Facebook and Instagram by searching "HailStateSB."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Ricketts Signs MVC Defensive Player Of The Year Carder

Players Mentioned

Anna Carder

Morgan Stiles

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