Softball Travels to Starkville for the Bulldog Invitational Presented by C Spire

HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (5-8, 0-0 SBC) prepares to travel to Starkville, Miss. this weekend to participate in the Bulldog Invitational presented by C Spire, starting tomorrow against Mississippi State at 6 p.m.

The Golden Eagles make the trip to Nusz Park for the first time since the 2022 season, when they last played the Bulldogs. Southern Miss will also meet Alcorn State twice in the tournament and face a rematch with Samford, who beat the Golden Eagles last weekend in the Jacksonville State Cocky Classic.

Southern Miss Schedule

Thursday, Feb. 29
6 p.m. vs. Mississippi State
Watch (SEC Network+)
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/3uDYzzP

Friday, March 1
12:30 p.m. vs. Samford
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/4bUzCRw

5:30 p.m. vs. Alcorn State
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/3Ic95Bt

Saturday, March 2
9 a.m. vs. Alcorn State
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/3SVjnur

4:30 p.m. vs. Samford
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/3SWqQtz

Southern Miss won one game this past weekend at the Jacksonville State Cocky Classic in Jacksonville, Ala. The Golden Eagles snapped a four-game skid at the tournament Sunday with a 7-1 victory in a rematch against Southern Indiana.

Southern Miss Notables

Southern Miss' 13 hits versus the Screaming Eagles matched the most the team had produced since playing against Nicholls last season on April 4, 2023. Hannah Borden, Kinsley Gordon and Shelby Allen each fielded two hits, while KK Agner blasted a season-high three hits. Altogether, Southern Miss saw production throughout the order with eight different batters registering a hit.

Shortstop Nealy McManus led the Golden Eagles with seven hits last week in 12 at-bats, finishing the weekend with a .583 batting average. The Millport, Ala. native hit her first career triple against Belmont and batted in five runs. McManus paces all starters through 13 games with a .407 batting average and .593 slugging percentage.

Stepping in for her first starts of the season, first baseman KK Agner recorded her first hits at Southern Miss. Before matching a season team-high of three hits against Southern Indiana, the MGCCC product belted two hits versus Belmont, including a solo home run.

Graduate student Hannah Borden batted in five runs this weekend, increasing her career total to 113 RBI, which ranks third in program history. The Trussville, Ala. native needs only six more RBI to surpass Jennifer Fox's (2005-08) second-place standing. Borden surpassed Fox this weekend in another statistical category with 83 career walks, which ranks for the fourth most in program history. With a solo home run to start the weekend versus Southern Indiana, Borden now holds sole possession of the second-most home runs in program history with 34, trailing Megan Hill's record by seven home run shots.

Scouting No. 21/23 Mississippi State

Mississippi State won three matches at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic last weekend in Cathedral City, Calif, improving to 11-3 on the season. The Bulldogs beat UCF, Notre Dame and Cal State Fullerton, while dropping matches against No. 1 Oklahoma and Fresno State.

The Bulldogs are led by fifth-year head coach Samantha Ricketts, who is 136-83 with the program.

The Bulldogs' pitching staff has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the nation through 14 games with nearly eight strikeouts for every walk.

Pitchers Josey Marron and Matalasi Faapito delivered consecutive no-hitters earlier this season-the first time two pitchers had ever done that in back-to-back games in program history.

The Bulldogs have produced 122 hits through 14 games this season, with Jessie Blaine and Nadia Barbary each leading with 14 hits apiece.

Mississippi State Series History

Mississippi State leads the all-time series 39-14, winning nine of the last ten matchups. The programs last faced each other in the 2022 season, splitting two matches. While the Bulldogs won 5-4 at Nusz Park in that season, Southern Miss beat Mississippi State at home 3-0 on April 6, 2022 for the first win against the Bulldogs since 2011.

Scouting Samford

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

Samford has won two of its thirteen matches this season, with both wins coming against Sun Belt opponents-Troy and Southern Miss.

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

In the Bulldogs' match against Southern Miss last weekend, Jordyn Partain threw a complete game, allowing one run and one hit, while fanning five batters.

Sarah Squillace, Ansley Yantis and Lindsey Nelson each had three hits and batted in three runs against Southern Miss.

Samford Series History

With Samford picking up a win last weekend against the Golden Eagles, the all-time series is tied 11-11 between the programs.

Scouting Alcorn State

Alcorn State is led by second-year head coach Eugenia Fernandez.

Alcorn State (5-10) won one game against Tuskegee University last weekend in the Annual HBCU Tournament in Montgomery, Ala.

The Lady Braves were selected to finish fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Outfielder Kristian Edwards was named to the All-SWAC Preseason Second Team.

Edwards currently leads the team with 12 hits and five runs batted in with a .387 batting average.

Alcorn State Series History

Southern Miss is 25-1 all-time against the Lady Braves, dating back to Feb. 21, 2004. The Golden Eagles have won 23 straight matches against Alcorn State, last winning two home contests last season.

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

Softball Travels to Starkville for the Bulldog Invitational Presented by C Spire

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Shelby Allen

Hannah Borden

Kinsley Gordon

Nealy McManus

Softball Travels to Starkville for the Bulldog Invitational Presented by C Spire

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Shelby Allen

Hannah Borden

Kinsley Gordon

Nealy McManus

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