Golden Eagles Host Mississippi State for In-State Midweek Tilt

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss softball team welcomes the Mississippi State Bulldogs to Hattiesburg for a midweek matchup this Wednesday. The Golden Eagles are set to face off with their fourth in-state foe of the season and look to build momentum heading into a road conference series this weekend.

The Golden Eagles last took the field on March 29 for a doubleheader against Jackson State on the road. Southern Miss (20-15, 1-8 C-USA) swept the twin bill, winning a close first tilt, 5-3 before dominating the Lady Tigers in five innings by a score of 11-0. The Black & Gold outhit JSU 20-10 over the two contests.

Graduate outfielder Destini Brown racked up five stolen bases through both games against Jackson State, including four in game one, which tied a career-high. Rycca Hinton gave Southern Miss a critical home run, the first of her career, in the first game to lead the Golden Eagles to victory.

The Black & Gold will take on its third opponent from the Southeastern Conference of 2022. Southern Miss previously matched up with the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide in March. The Golden Eagles defeated the No. 4 Gators in a stunning upset on the road on March 2 and fell to No. 3 Alabama at home on March 15.

Mississippi State travels to Hattiesburg with a record of 24-12, which includes a 4-5 mark on the road. The Bulldogs are 5-4 in SEC competition, including a win over Florida and a sweep of Ole Miss in March. Mississippi State is led by third-year head coach Samantha Ricketts.

The Golden Eagles and Bulldogs have squared off 51 times in a series that dates back to 1983. Mississippi State holds a commanding 39-12 lead over Southern Miss, which includes a 20-2 record in Hattiesburg. The Black & Gold will travel to Starkville, Miss. for another meeting with the Bulldogs on April 27.

Junior pitcher Morgan Leinstock has had a heavy workload in the circle this season for the Golden Eagles. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native has pitched the third-most innings in the nation, with 136.2 frames completed this season. Offensively, Brown has been a constant threat when on base, as her 26 stolen bases rank fifth in the nation and first in Conference USA.

The Golden Eagles welcome Mississippi State to the Southern Miss Softball Complex on Wednesday, April 6. First pitch is set for 6 p.m., and fans can grab their tickets at SouthernMissTickets.com or tune in live at CUSA.tv or at 92.7 FM The Score.

Follow the Southern Miss softball team on social media, @SouthernMissSB on Twitter, @southernmisssb on Instagram and at facebook.com/SouthernMissSB.

Inside the Matchups | Headlines
Scouting Mississippi State
-Mississippi State enters Wednesday's matchup with a record of 24-12, with a 4-5 record in road contests and a 5-4 SEC mark.
-The Bulldogs last took the field last weekend in Knoxville, Tenn. for a conference series with the Tennessee Lady Vols. MSU dropped the series, ending the weekend with a 1-2 record.
-Mississippi State holds SEC victories over Florida, Tennessee and a series sweep of Ole Miss.
-MSU faced off with Conference USA opponent Middle Tennessee for a midweek matchup on March 30. In an offensive shootout, the Bulldogs claimed a 19-14 victory in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
-The Bulldogs hold a 9-2 record against shared opponents with Southern Miss, winning all but a pair of contests to Florida.

Southern Miss-Mississippi State Series
-Southern Miss and Mississippi State will face off for the 52nd time, dating back to 1983.
-The Bulldogs hold a commanding 39-12 series lead on the Golden Eagles, including a 20-2 record in Hattiesburg.
-Last season, Mississippi State defeated Southern Miss twice in a home-and-home series on March 31 and April 14 of 2021. Both contests were closely contested, as MSU picked up 3-2 and 2-1 victories.
Southern Miss, 12 | MSU 39
Home: 2-20
Away: 7-16
Neutral: 3-3
Last Meeting: 3-2 MSU (4/14/21)

Last Time Out (vs. Jackson State)
-The Golden Eagles last took the field against the Jackson State Lady Tigers for a twin bill in Jackson, Miss.
-Southern Miss won a close opening game, 5-3, before dominating game two by a score of 11-0 in just five innings.
-Destini Brown recorded five steals over the course of the day, including four in game one.
-Rycca Hinton recorded the first home run of her collegiate career in the first contest, a crucial two-run shot to give Southern Miss the lead.

D Brown Makes History
-Graduate student Destini Brown broke Chrystal Brown's long-standing stolen bases record on Friday, Feb. 11 in Southern Miss' season-opener against North Alabama.
-The McComb, Miss. native racked up three steals in the first five games of the Black & Gold's season and now sits at 107 career bases stolen over her sparkling tenure.
-Last season, Brown led Conference USA in stolen bases with 35 and finished the 2021 season ranked No. 9 in the nation in the statistic.
-The 2021 C-USA First Team selection will look to extend her record throughout the 2022 season.
-Brown became the first Golden Eagle in program history to eclipse the 100 steals milestone on March 11 against North Texas.

Down Goes No. 4 Florida
-The Golden Eagles shocked the college softball world on March 2, as Southern Miss defeated the previously-undefeated Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
-Southern Miss toughed out a 5-4 victory on the road, picking up its first win against a ranked foe since 2018 and its first top-five win since the 2000 Women's College World Series.
-Home runs from Jana Lee and Maria Smith propelled Southern Miss to one of the biggest victories in program history. Morgan Leinstock led the way in the circle, holding Florida's potent offense to four runs in a stunning upset.
-Southern Miss became the first unranked program to take down a top-five opponent this season.

Leinstock brings the Heat
-Junior pitcher Morgan Leinstock has been relied on for big performances in 2022.
-The Scottsdale, Ariz. posted 13 strikeouts against Alcorn State on Feb. 25, the most in a single game in her collegiate career.
-She finished the week of Feb. 20 with three wins, with a shutout along with an ERA of 0.67 and just two earned runs in 27 innings pitched.
-Leinstock has had one of the busiest schedules in college softball, as she has pitched 136.2 innings thus far this season.
-She recorded her first win over a ranked opponent on Wednesday, March 2 against No. 4 Florida.

Golden Eagles Host Mississippi State for In-State Midweek Tilt

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Players Mentioned

Destini Brown

Rycca Hinton

Jana Lee

Morgan Leinstock

Maria Smith