Softball Begins Road Stretch With Jacksonville State Cocky Classic

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Softball (4-4, 0-0 SBC) begins a three-week road stretch this weekend with the Jacksonville State Cocky Classic in Jacksonville, Ala. The Golden Eagles will play five games at Jana McGinnis Field against Southern Indiana, Belmont, Samford and tournament host Jacksonville State, starting Friday, Feb. 23.

Southern Miss Schedule

Friday, Feb. 23
12:30 p.m. vs. Southern Indiana
2:30 p.m. at Jacksonville State (ESPN+)
Watch: smttt.info/49jlAHn

Saturday, Feb. 24
3 p.m. vs. Belmont
5:30 p.m. vs. Samford

Sunday, Feb. 25
10:30 a.m. vs. Southern Indiana

The Golden Eagles took two games this past weekend to win the Opening Day Classic series against Missouri State in the team's first home series of the season.

After starting Saturday's doubleheader with the season's third loss by only one run, Southern Miss rebounded for a dominant 9-2 showing against the Bears, highlighted by a season-high 11 hits and 8 RBI.

The Golden Eagles continued its momentum at-bat, belting ten hits in Sunday's match, marking the team's first two consecutive matches with double-digit hits since February 15-17, 2023. Southern Miss won the game 4-3 after junior Ryanna Valdivia hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded.

Strong pitching performances from junior Jana Lee and freshman BrookLynn White backed both of Southern Miss' victories. Lee threw her tenth career complete game Saturday night for her second win of the season, and White earned her first career win in a complete game, yielding five hits, two earned runs and one walk with three strikeouts.

Loganne Stepp started Saturday, throwing four innings with four strikeouts, while Holly Craft pitched in relief. Altogether, the pitching staff posted a 2.57 ERA in the series.
Eight different Golden Eagles produced a hit in the series, including a team-high five hits from graduate student Hannah Borden and Lauren Lindsey. Mikaila Fox led the team on a .571 batting average with four hits.

Now, the Golden Eagles return to the road for the next three weekends, beginning with the Cocky Classic.

Southern Miss Notables

After earning a start at second base midway through the River City Leadoff, Valdivia has drawn a walk in four straight games. The Elkhorn, Neb. native also earned two sacrifice RBI on Sunday.

The Golden Eagles hit ten doubles in three matches against Missouri State, bringing the team's season total to 14.

Shortstop Nealy McManus hit her first career double with a pair against the Bears on Saturday night, also tagging along a career-best 3 RBI.

Fox has consecutive games with doubles, and Lindsey earned three doubles on the weekend. Lindsey also posted a team-high of three hits on Sunday.

Southern Miss has posted a .500 record or better in its first ten games for five consecutive seasons and needs one win in the Cocky Classic to continue that streak.

Scouting Southern Indiana

Southern Indiana (1-4) won one game last weekend in the 2024 Easton Bama Bash, facing Virginia, St. Thomas and Alabama.

The Screaming Eagles beat St. Thomas 4-1 in a rematch and held No. 11 Alabama scoreless for five innings in a 2-0 loss at the Easton Bama Bash.

Southern Indiana is led by head coach Sue Kunkle, who is in her 23rd season at the program's helm. Kunkle has a 650-447-1 record with the Screaming Eagles and led the team to a 21-23 record in their first season in the Ohio Valley Conference and their first season as a Division I program.

Southern Indiana was projected to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Junior pitcher Josie Newman was named to the 2024 OVC Softball Preseason Players to Watch List. In three appearances, Newman has pitched 20 innings, allowing 14 hits, six earned runs and nine walks while striking out 15 batters.

Series History

The Golden Eagles will meet the Screaming Eagles for the first time this weekend at the Cocky Classic.

Scouting Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State has started the season 2-8 after competing in the Carolina Classic and Chattanooga Tournament. The Gamecocks are currently on a three-game skid.

The Gamecocks are led by Jana McGinnis, who is in her 31st season with the program. McGinnis has a 1,017-584 record at Jacksonville State.

Sophomore pitcher Jaliyah Holmes pitched a perfect game in a win against Murray State, throwing ten strikeouts in a 3-0 win. In 19 innings pitched this season, Holmes has allowed 18 hits, nine earned runs and two walks with 18 strikeouts.

Holmes and senior Lindsey Richardson were named to the Preseason All-CUSA Team. Richardson is one of two returning Gamecocks who started every game last season.

Series History

Jacksonville State and Southern Miss have met 23 times, first in 1989. The teams played each other in Hattiesburg last season, with the Golden Eagles winning 4-1. Southern Miss has a 17-6 series advantage and has won in six of the previous ten meetings.

Scouting Belmont

Belmont enters the Cocky Classic at 4-4 with two consecutive wins at the Panther Invitational. The Bruins beat Sun Belt West opponent Georgia State twice at the tournament and picked up a 1-0 win against South Dakota. In their opening weekend at the Tiger Invitational, Belmont faced Auburn and Virginia Tech and knocked off Illinois 6-4.

Belmont is led by fourth-year head coach Laura Matthews.

Belmont was ranked sixth in the MVC Preseason Poll. The Bruins finished with a 29-24 record in 2023 and a 12-14 conference standing in their first season in the MVC.

The Bruins return pitcher Maya Johnson, who posted over 200 strikeouts last season. In three appearances this season, Johnson has a 1.00 ERA with 13 hits allowed, two earned runs, six walks and 14 strikeouts.

Series History

Southern Miss has won both of its meetings with Belmont, last facing the Bruins on Feb. 13, 2016, in Gulf Shores, Ala., with a 4-1 victory.

Scouting Samford

Samford opened the season 1-8, winning 5-1 in opening weekend against Sun Belt West opponent Troy.

Samford is led by third-year head coach Kimball Cassady.

Samford was picked second in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll, receiving three first-place votes.

The Bulldogs return Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year McKenzie Newcomb, who has the lone win for the team this season. Newcomb led the conference in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts and wins, and her 8.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked fourth in the nation in 2023.

Series History

Southern Miss holds an 11-10 series advantage over Samford, picking up two wins last season in Hattiesburg. Before then, the Bulldogs had won three straight against the Golden Eagles.

For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).

Softball Begins Road Stretch With Jacksonville State Cocky Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah Borden

Holly Craft

Mikaila Fox

Jana Lee

Lauren Lindsey

Nealy McManus

Loganne Stepp

Ryanna Valdivia

BrookLynn White

Softball Begins Road Stretch With Jacksonville State Cocky Classic

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Hannah Borden

Holly Craft

Mikaila Fox

Jana Lee

Lauren Lindsey

Nealy McManus

Loganne Stepp

Ryanna Valdivia

BrookLynn White

Related Videos