November 05, 2026 | Softball
STARKVILLE โย Two former Mississippi State softball pitchers will return to Starkville as graduate assistants for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Second Team All-American Peja Goold is joined by 2024 Second Team All-SEC selection Aspen Wesley as the newest additions to the Bulldogs' coaching staff.
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Goold concluded her collegiate career this past season by helping State reach its first Women's College World Series. She was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by USA Today Sports, finishing the season with 182 strikeouts, which was eighth in MSU single-season history. She led the Bulldogs with eight shutouts and was second on the team in wins (15). She was named to the NFCA All-South Region First Team and was drafted by the Oklahoma City Spark.
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Wesley spent her entire five-year collegiate career in Starkville. She led the team with a 3.15 ERA, a career-best 132 strikeouts, a career-best 129.0 innings pitched, a .206 opposing batting average and 15 wins in her final year. The Philadelphia, Mississippi, native ranked eighth in program history with 362 career strikeouts when she graduated. She also became the first Mississippi State pitcher in program history to hold opponents below a .200 batting average in conference play (.197).ย
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Inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in early 2025, Wesley spent two seasons playing professionally with the Orlando Monarchs and Texas Monarchs before continuing to play overseas.
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Both former Bulldogs have been on campus since August and will serve as batting practice pitchers throughout the 2027 and 2028 seasons. They captained this year's Fall World Series teams with Team Aspen claiming a 4-2 win over Team Peja in October.
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For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow onย X (formerly Twitter),ย Facebookย andย Instagramย by searching "HailStateSB."
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Goold concluded her collegiate career this past season by helping State reach its first Women's College World Series. She was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by USA Today Sports, finishing the season with 182 strikeouts, which was eighth in MSU single-season history. She led the Bulldogs with eight shutouts and was second on the team in wins (15). She was named to the NFCA All-South Region First Team and was drafted by the Oklahoma City Spark.
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Wesley spent her entire five-year collegiate career in Starkville. She led the team with a 3.15 ERA, a career-best 132 strikeouts, a career-best 129.0 innings pitched, a .206 opposing batting average and 15 wins in her final year. The Philadelphia, Mississippi, native ranked eighth in program history with 362 career strikeouts when she graduated. She also became the first Mississippi State pitcher in program history to hold opponents below a .200 batting average in conference play (.197).ย
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Inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame in early 2025, Wesley spent two seasons playing professionally with the Orlando Monarchs and Texas Monarchs before continuing to play overseas.
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Both former Bulldogs have been on campus since August and will serve as batting practice pitchers throughout the 2027 and 2028 seasons. They captained this year's Fall World Series teams with Team Aspen claiming a 4-2 win over Team Peja in October.
ย
For more information on the Bulldog softball program, follow onย X (formerly Twitter),ย Facebookย andย Instagramย by searching "HailStateSB."
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Players Mentioned
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