Saturday, February 15
Ruston, La. / Dr. Billy Bundrick Field
11 a.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Arkansas
Softball Gears Up for LA Tech Classic
2/14/2025 12:00:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (2-4, 0-0 SBC) heads to Ruston, La. to compete in the Louisiana Tech Classic, facing the Bulldogs and the No. 13 Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday and Sunday.
LA Tech Classic Schedule
Feb. 15
Game 7-vs. No. 13 Arkansas @ 11 a.m. CT
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
Feb. 16
Game 8-vs. No. 13 Arkansas @ 10 a.m. CT
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
Game 9-at Louisiana Tech @ 4 p.m. CT
ESPN+:es.pn/42RMF3N
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
The Golden Eagles are reeling off of a historic 2-1 home opener victory against Ole Miss on Thursday night. With two outs and a two-strike count in the bottom of the tenth inning, senior outfielder Natalie Taylor delivered the game-winning single through left field, driving in Shelby Allen to secure Southern Miss' first victory over Ole Miss since 2018 and its first against the Rebels at the Southern Miss Softball Complex since Feb. 24, 2016.
The Golden Eagles battled a historic performance from Ole Miss freshman pitcher Miali Guachino, who set a program record with 19 strikeouts in a complete-game effort with nine innings thrown and 181 total pitches.Â
In the circle for Southern Miss, Jana Lee and Kayla Giardina combined for 131 pitches and eight strikeouts. Giardina took over in relief, delivering a career-high five strikeouts across five shutout frames on the way to earning her first career win.
Southern Miss Notes
Scouting the Competition
No. 13 Arkansas
Arkansas is led by Courtney Deifel, who is in her tenth season with the Razorbacks. Deifel has led the program to two SEC regular season championships, one SEC Tournament Championship and seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2017-2024.
For the sixth time in program history, Arkansas started 5-0 with a sweep in the Texas State Tournament in San Marcos, Texas, outscoring opponents 40-4. Arkansas set a program record for most runs scored in a game with a 23-0 shutout of Lipscomb.
Senior first baseman Bri Ellis leads the team with six hits, nine RBI, three home runs, four walks and five runs scored. Her 51 career home runs are the most among active Division I players.
Freshmen pitchers Payton Burnham and Cam Harrison each recorded eight strikeouts in their first career starts. Arkansas' bullpen recorded a 0.66 ERA in the opening weekend, allowing just three earned runs with 37 strikeouts.
Series History
Arkansas leads the all-time series 5-3, last meeting in Fayetteville, Ark. on March 7, 2010. The Golden Eagles last beat the Razorbacks on Feb. 7, 2009, in a 9-7 victory at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech is led by fourth-year head coach Josh Taylor, who has led the program to three consecutive 30-plus win seasons, and won the Conference USA Coach of the Year award in 2022 and 2024.
The Bulldogs opened their season last weekend at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, finishing with a 2-3 record. Louisiana Tech defeated No. 4 Oklahoma State at the tournament, earning its first win against a top-ten team in 17 years.Â
Allie Floyd and Nicole Hammoude were selected to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team. Floyd posted a 3.29 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched, leading the Bulldogs to both of their wins at the tournament. Hammoude logged seven hits in 14 at-bats. Senior infielder Claire Raley also finished the tournament with a .533 batting average, collecting eight hits.
Series History
Louisiana Tech leads the all-time series 34-18 with four consecutive wins. The Golden Eagles last won against the Bulldogs on May 2, 2021 in Hattiesburg. The program's last win in Ruston, La. came on April 30, 2016.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
LA Tech Classic Schedule
Feb. 15
Game 7-vs. No. 13 Arkansas @ 11 a.m. CT
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
Feb. 16
Game 8-vs. No. 13 Arkansas @ 10 a.m. CT
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
Game 9-at Louisiana Tech @ 4 p.m. CT
ESPN+:es.pn/42RMF3N
Live Stats:smttt.info/Stats
The Golden Eagles are reeling off of a historic 2-1 home opener victory against Ole Miss on Thursday night. With two outs and a two-strike count in the bottom of the tenth inning, senior outfielder Natalie Taylor delivered the game-winning single through left field, driving in Shelby Allen to secure Southern Miss' first victory over Ole Miss since 2018 and its first against the Rebels at the Southern Miss Softball Complex since Feb. 24, 2016.
The Golden Eagles battled a historic performance from Ole Miss freshman pitcher Miali Guachino, who set a program record with 19 strikeouts in a complete-game effort with nine innings thrown and 181 total pitches.Â
In the circle for Southern Miss, Jana Lee and Kayla Giardina combined for 131 pitches and eight strikeouts. Giardina took over in relief, delivering a career-high five strikeouts across five shutout frames on the way to earning her first career win.
Southern Miss Notes
- Southern Miss' game versus Ole Miss lasted three hours and three minutes, marking the Golden Eagles' longest match since a 14-inning loss on March 18, 2017, versus Louisiana Tech. The game also goes down as the second-longest match in the Southern Miss-Ole Miss series, ranking only behind an 11-inning loss on March 29, 2000.Â
- The win marked the program's first victory against an SEC opponent since a 3-0 home shutout against Mississippi State on April 6, 2022.
- Southern Miss senior pitcher and designated player Jana Lee earned NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic All-Tournament Team honors after her standout performance over the weekend. Building on her success as a 2024 Second Team All-Sun Belt selection, Lee picked up right where she left with two dominant outings in the circle for Southern Miss. The Albany, Ga., native pitched complete games versus Marshall and No. 20 Northwestern, registering a 1.00 ERA with only two earned runs allowed to a total of 11 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched.Â
- A total of ten Golden Eagles have made their debut with the team this season, including six freshmen. Freshman Hannah Christian currently leads the team with five hits.
Scouting the Competition
No. 13 Arkansas
Arkansas is led by Courtney Deifel, who is in her tenth season with the Razorbacks. Deifel has led the program to two SEC regular season championships, one SEC Tournament Championship and seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2017-2024.
For the sixth time in program history, Arkansas started 5-0 with a sweep in the Texas State Tournament in San Marcos, Texas, outscoring opponents 40-4. Arkansas set a program record for most runs scored in a game with a 23-0 shutout of Lipscomb.
Senior first baseman Bri Ellis leads the team with six hits, nine RBI, three home runs, four walks and five runs scored. Her 51 career home runs are the most among active Division I players.
Freshmen pitchers Payton Burnham and Cam Harrison each recorded eight strikeouts in their first career starts. Arkansas' bullpen recorded a 0.66 ERA in the opening weekend, allowing just three earned runs with 37 strikeouts.
Series History
Arkansas leads the all-time series 5-3, last meeting in Fayetteville, Ark. on March 7, 2010. The Golden Eagles last beat the Razorbacks on Feb. 7, 2009, in a 9-7 victory at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech is led by fourth-year head coach Josh Taylor, who has led the program to three consecutive 30-plus win seasons, and won the Conference USA Coach of the Year award in 2022 and 2024.
The Bulldogs opened their season last weekend at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, finishing with a 2-3 record. Louisiana Tech defeated No. 4 Oklahoma State at the tournament, earning its first win against a top-ten team in 17 years.Â
Allie Floyd and Nicole Hammoude were selected to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team. Floyd posted a 3.29 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched, leading the Bulldogs to both of their wins at the tournament. Hammoude logged seven hits in 14 at-bats. Senior infielder Claire Raley also finished the tournament with a .533 batting average, collecting eight hits.
Series History
Louisiana Tech leads the all-time series 34-18 with four consecutive wins. The Golden Eagles last won against the Bulldogs on May 2, 2021 in Hattiesburg. The program's last win in Ruston, La. came on April 30, 2016.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
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