University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Softball Welcomes Texas State for Final Home Series of 2024 Season
4/25/2024 9:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss (20-24, 8-10 Sun Belt) prepares to host Texas State (36-12, 12-5 Sun Belt) this weekend for the team's final home conference series of the season, starting Friday at 6 p.m. at the Southern Miss Softball Complex. The Golden Eagles will celebrate its five seniors on Sunday's series finale at noon for Senior Day.
Southern Miss Schedule
Friday, April 26- 6 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/3xYRhHT
ESPN+: es.pn/4ba9IYB
Saturday, April 27- 2 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/49TCwUi
ESPN+: es.pn/3WfqGAK
Sunday, April 28- Noon
Live Stats: smttt.info/44bFyC1
ESPN+: es.pn/4bdE4cR
The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 7-3 midweek loss against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Both teams produced seven hits in the match, but the Rebels stranded seven Golden Eagles to its three left on base to find the advantage it needed in the game.
Southern Miss lost its series last weekend with Louisiana, who improved to 87 consecutive series victories in the Sun Belt. The Cajuns handed the Golden Eagles three losses on the weekend, improving to 17-1 in conference play this season.
Southern Miss challenged Louisiana in the series opener, holding the Ragin' Cajuns to just two runs, the fewest the team had scored in a home conference game since last season on May 13, 2023. After allowing two runs in the first inning, starting pitcher Jana Lee threw five shutout innings, allowing Southern Miss' batters to attempt to cut the deficit.
Graduate student catcher Hannah Borden blasted a solo home run off of the scoreboard to put the team on the board, but ultimately a season-high nine strikeout performance from Sam Landry helped Louisiana maintain its lead and take the game 2-1.
While Lee received the loss in the match, it marked her third consecutive complete game performance from the designated player and pitcher, on the heels of two complete games in the circle in the team's series sweep of Georgia State.
Louisiana took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, deciding the first match in five innings at 14-3 and continuing its rhythm in the series finale with a 9-2 victory. The Cajuns took the series with 28 hits on the day, producing 14 hits in each match.
With six conference games remaining in the regular season, Southern Miss ranks eighth overall in the Sun Belt with an 8-10 standing, one game behind ULM and Coastal Carolina, and one game ahead of Marshall in the standings. The Golden Eagles will be tested by Texas State and South Alabama to close out the regular season.
Southern Miss Notables
Scouting Texas State
Texas State Series History
Texas State leads the all-time series 3-0. The Bobcats won both games of a doubleheader in San Marcos, Texas last season in Southern Miss' inaugural year in the Sun Belt.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Southern Miss Schedule
Friday, April 26- 6 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/3xYRhHT
ESPN+: es.pn/4ba9IYB
Saturday, April 27- 2 p.m.
Live Stats: smttt.info/49TCwUi
ESPN+: es.pn/3WfqGAK
Sunday, April 28- Noon
Live Stats: smttt.info/44bFyC1
ESPN+: es.pn/4bdE4cR
The Golden Eagles are coming off of a 7-3 midweek loss against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Both teams produced seven hits in the match, but the Rebels stranded seven Golden Eagles to its three left on base to find the advantage it needed in the game.
Southern Miss lost its series last weekend with Louisiana, who improved to 87 consecutive series victories in the Sun Belt. The Cajuns handed the Golden Eagles three losses on the weekend, improving to 17-1 in conference play this season.
Southern Miss challenged Louisiana in the series opener, holding the Ragin' Cajuns to just two runs, the fewest the team had scored in a home conference game since last season on May 13, 2023. After allowing two runs in the first inning, starting pitcher Jana Lee threw five shutout innings, allowing Southern Miss' batters to attempt to cut the deficit.
Graduate student catcher Hannah Borden blasted a solo home run off of the scoreboard to put the team on the board, but ultimately a season-high nine strikeout performance from Sam Landry helped Louisiana maintain its lead and take the game 2-1.
While Lee received the loss in the match, it marked her third consecutive complete game performance from the designated player and pitcher, on the heels of two complete games in the circle in the team's series sweep of Georgia State.
Louisiana took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, deciding the first match in five innings at 14-3 and continuing its rhythm in the series finale with a 9-2 victory. The Cajuns took the series with 28 hits on the day, producing 14 hits in each match.
With six conference games remaining in the regular season, Southern Miss ranks eighth overall in the Sun Belt with an 8-10 standing, one game behind ULM and Coastal Carolina, and one game ahead of Marshall in the standings. The Golden Eagles will be tested by Texas State and South Alabama to close out the regular season.
Southern Miss Notables
- With two home runs last week, Hannah Borden tied the program's all-time single season home run record with 15 home run shots this season. Borden leads the Sun Belt and is tied 14th nationally in home runs. Having already broken the program's all-time home run record at 42 home runs, Borden has increased her career total to 47 home run shots.
- Leading the Sun Belt with most home runs, Borden also paces the conference in slugging percentage (.769) and on base and slugging percentage (1.242). The Trussville, Ala. native ranks sixth with a .392 batting average, seventh with a career-high 56 hits and fourth with 41 RBI. Borden is only three hits away from eclipsing Megan Hill's 205 hits, which rank as the second-most in program history, and needs six more RBI to eclipse Tata Davis' No. 2 ranking (149 RBI). Borden also tied Jessica Huerta's second-most walks in program history (101) with a walk in the second inning of Tuesday's match at Ole Miss.
- Junior second baseman Maddie Weeks set a career-high with two hits Tuesday against Ole Miss. Weeks recorded her career first triple in the top of the second and then got her second hit with a single up the middle in the sixth.
- For the second consecutive week, Kinsley Gordon led Southern Miss' batters with a .375 average in the team's series at Louisiana, producing three hits with three RBI in the series, including a double and a home run. Gordon slammed her third home run of the season on a two-out, two-run shot to score both of Southern Miss' runs in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader loss. The sophomore outfielder recorded two hits in the match, with a single in the sixth inning.
- Southern Miss will celebrate its five seniors on Sunday versus Texas State: Kayla Agner, Hannah Borden, Lauren Lindsey, Caroline Worrell and Maria Smith.
Scouting Texas State
- The Bobcats are led by Ricci Woodard, who is in her 24th year at the helm of the Texas State softball program. Woodard has led the Bobcats to 12 conference championships and 10 Division I Softball NCAA Regional appearances.
- Bobcats pitcher Jessica Mullins leads the league with a 1.08 ERA while also pacing the conference in innings pitched (195 IP). The right-handed senior has struckout a conference-high 180 batters to only 30 earned runs and 40 walks allowed. Mullins' 25 wins is also the most in the league.
- Texas State's senior Hannah Earls ranks third in the Sun Belt with 61 hits and Sara Vanderford leads the league with 20 doubles.
- As a team, the Bobcats have produced 388 hits, which rank third in the conference. Texas State's 75 doubles lead the league.
- Texas State ranks second in the Sun Belt at 13-5 on a five-game winning streak, one game ahead of South Alabama in the conference's standings.
Texas State Series History
Texas State leads the all-time series 3-0. The Bobcats won both games of a doubleheader in San Marcos, Texas last season in Southern Miss' inaugural year in the Sun Belt.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Players Mentioned
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C
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1B
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OF
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INF
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OF
/ SoftballLetter to Softball: KK Agner
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Caroline Worrell
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Hannah Borden
Sunday, April 28
Letter to Softball: Maria Smith
Sunday, April 28