STARKVILLE — While the last couple of weeks haven’t gone according to plan for the No. 24 Mississippi State softball team, all goals remain within reach as it enters the final weekend of the regular season.
MSU (34-18, 6-15 Southeastern Conference) will face No. 7 Tennessee (42-10, 12-9) at 6:30 tonight in Game 1 of a three-game series at Nusz Park.
The teams also will play at 1 p.m. Saturday and at 1 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be available on SEC Network +. Tonight’s game will be a part of the SEC Network’s Bases Loaded coverage on the main channel.
Despite seven-straight conference losses, the Bulldogs remain in the NFCA national rankings and are No. 20 in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI).
“It has been a difficult couple of weeks, but hopefully the team has learned from this experience,” MSU coach Vann Stuedeman said. “How do you respond adversity? Well, you have to attack it. You can’t get caught up in making major strides. You have to play the game in front of you.”
With one win or three Ole Miss losses (in a series against Georgia) MSU can clinch a berth in the SEC tournament, which begins Wednesday in Columbia, Missouri. The Bulldogs would be seeded 12th if the tournament began today. The Bulldogs could move as high as No. 9 with a sweep of the Lady Volunteers.
Tennessee is ranked No. 9 in RPI, so MSU could work its way back into the discussion to play host to a NCAA tournament regional with a strong showing this weekend and at least one quality win in the conference tournament.
Regardless of this weekend, MSU is virtually guaranteed a sixth NCAA tournament regional berth in the past seven seasons. Ole Miss (at No. 37 in RPI and last in the conference standings) is the SEC team in most jeopardy of missing a regional.
Missouri is No. 23 in RPI, but it can ill afford losing all three games to conference leader RPI No. 3 Florida this weekend. The Tigers would then slip to 28-27 and need a win in the conference tournament to qualify for an at-large bid or miss the conference tournament.
“Typical season in the SEC where everybody is fighting for everything in the end,” Stuedeman said. “This league can humble you. If one thing doesn’t go well, it can impact an entire weekend. The goal is postseason play, and we have a lot riding on this weekend.”
Star Wars night is set for tonight. The game Saturday will feature a Cinco de Mayo theme. On Sunday, MSU seniors Calyn Adams, Morgan Bell, Carmen Carter, Reggie Harrison, Cassady Knudsen, and Holly Ward will be recognized after the game.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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