University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, February 19
Hattiesburg, Miss. / Southern Miss Softball Complex
4 p.m.
Southern Miss
vs
Jackson State
Softball Welcomes Jackson State for Wednesday Midweek Contest
2/18/2025 2:00:00 PM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss.-Southern Miss Softball (2-7, 0-0 Sun Belt) prepares to welcome Jackson State (7-0, 0-0 SWAC) Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Southern Miss Softball Complex.
Game 10: Jackson State vs. Southern Miss
Wednesday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss Softball Complex-Hattiesburg, Miss.
The Golden Eagles return home after competing in the LA Tech Classic in Ruston, La. Southern Miss dropped two matches against No. 13 Arkansas and Louisiana Tech.
Southern Miss will play its second home game of the season, following a historic 2-1 home opener victory against Ole Miss last Thursday. 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 look to continue their success at home, where they finished the 2024 slate with a 10-6 record, marking the third consecutive season the team has recorded a .500 or better standing at the Southern Miss Softball Complex, the program's longest streak since 2008-2010.
Southern Miss Notes
Freshman outfielder Hannah Christian leads the Golden Eagles with eight hits and three runs, maintaining a team-high .308 batting average through her first nine games. Christian also leads the team with four stolen bases, stealing two in the last match against Louisiana Tech.
Freshman pitcher Kayla Giardina earned her first career win in Southern Miss' victory over Ole Miss last week, throwing five shutout innings with five strikeouts to help hold off the Rebels. Giardina also started versus Louisiana Tech, playing three innings with three strikeouts.
Senior second baseman Maddie Weeks recorded her first career home runs in back-to-back games against No. 13 Arkansas at the LA Tech Classic, launching a two-run shot Saturday and then a three-run round-tripper Sunday. Weeks' nine RBI leads the team.
Head Coach Natalie Poole seeks her 600th career win, currently standing at 599 wins. Poole has led the Golden Eagles to 46 victories during her tenure with the program.
Scouting the Competition
Jackson State
Jackson State is led by seventh-year head coach Kevin Montgomery, who led the Lady Tigers to the winningest season in program history with a 33-19 record, a SWAC championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.
Jackson State was picked to finish first in the SWAC's Easterrn Division in the preseason poll. Jace Jackson and Mari Stephens were tabbed to the SWAC's Preseason First Team and Meah Almaraz was named to the Preseason Second Team.
Jackson leads the Lady Tigers with ten hits, followed by Almaraz and Ariana Murillo's nine.
Sofia Gonzalez paces Jackson State's bullpen with a 3-0 record with two complete games, posting a 1.24 ERA through 17 innings pitched with 13 hits and three earned runs allowed with six strikeouts. Brooklyn Morris and Jorgina Gant each have a 2-0 record in the circle, maintaining a 2.15 and 2.33 ERA, respectively.
Series History
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 25-4, with Jackson State winning the last matchup 6-5 on March 7, 2023 in Jackson. The Golden Eagles have won nine of the last ten meetings and boast a 15-2 standing at home against the Lady Tigers.
For the latest information on Southern Miss Softball, follow the program on Facebook (facebook.com/SouthernMissSB), Twitter (@SouthernMissSB) and Instagram (@southernmisssb).
Game 10: Jackson State vs. Southern Miss
Wednesday, February 19 at 6:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: https://smttt.info/Stats
Southern Miss Softball Complex-Hattiesburg, Miss.
The Golden Eagles return home after competing in the LA Tech Classic in Ruston, La. Southern Miss dropped two matches against No. 13 Arkansas and Louisiana Tech.
Southern Miss will play its second home game of the season, following a historic 2-1 home opener victory against Ole Miss last Thursday. 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 look to continue their success at home, where they finished the 2024 slate with a 10-6 record, marking the third consecutive season the team has recorded a .500 or better standing at the Southern Miss Softball Complex, the program's longest streak since 2008-2010.
Southern Miss Notes
Freshman outfielder Hannah Christian leads the Golden Eagles with eight hits and three runs, maintaining a team-high .308 batting average through her first nine games. Christian also leads the team with four stolen bases, stealing two in the last match against Louisiana Tech.
Freshman pitcher Kayla Giardina earned her first career win in Southern Miss' victory over Ole Miss last week, throwing five shutout innings with five strikeouts to help hold off the Rebels. Giardina also started versus Louisiana Tech, playing three innings with three strikeouts.
Senior second baseman Maddie Weeks recorded her first career home runs in back-to-back games against No. 13 Arkansas at the LA Tech Classic, launching a two-run shot Saturday and then a three-run round-tripper Sunday. Weeks' nine RBI leads the team.
Head Coach Natalie Poole seeks her 600th career win, currently standing at 599 wins. Poole has led the Golden Eagles to 46 victories during her tenure with the program.
Scouting the Competition
Jackson State
Jackson State is led by seventh-year head coach Kevin Montgomery, who led the Lady Tigers to the winningest season in program history with a 33-19 record, a SWAC championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024.
Jackson State was picked to finish first in the SWAC's Easterrn Division in the preseason poll. Jace Jackson and Mari Stephens were tabbed to the SWAC's Preseason First Team and Meah Almaraz was named to the Preseason Second Team.
Jackson leads the Lady Tigers with ten hits, followed by Almaraz and Ariana Murillo's nine.
Sofia Gonzalez paces Jackson State's bullpen with a 3-0 record with two complete games, posting a 1.24 ERA through 17 innings pitched with 13 hits and three earned runs allowed with six strikeouts. Brooklyn Morris and Jorgina Gant each have a 2-0 record in the circle, maintaining a 2.15 and 2.33 ERA, respectively.
Series History
Southern Miss leads the all-time series 25-4, with Jackson State winning the last matchup 6-5 on March 7, 2023 in Jackson. The Golden Eagles have won nine of the last ten meetings and boast a 15-2 standing at home against the Lady Tigers.
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
/ Softball
INF
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