Mississippi State softball announced that seven current, former and future Bulldogs players have been named to national team player pools for their respective nations ahead of a summer of international games and upcoming Olympic qualification campaigns.
2025 graduate Sierra Sacco, currently an assistant on head coach Samantha Ricketts’ staff and a professional player in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, was selected to the United States player pool while six Bulldogs were selected to the American Samoa player pool. Former Bulldogs Chloe Malau’ulu, Fa Leilua and Matalasi Faapito, current players Kiarra and Kalani Sells, and incoming signee Taylor Faga will all compete for spots on the roster, which will be led by Ricketts as head coach.
American Samoa has committed to play at the Canada Cup in Surrey, British Columbia in July, the first competitive games under Ricketts.
Sacco, currently a graduate assistant on staff at MSU, spent the 2025 summer with the Talons in the inaugural AUSL season. She was selected after a consensus First Team All-American senior season with the Bulldogs and went on to win the inaugural championship with the Talons. She started in all 29 appearances, posting a .312 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBI on her way to an All-Defensive Team selection.
Faapito, also a graduate assistant at MSU, last played for MSU in 2024 alongside teammate Malau’ulu. The latter has been a regular with the American Samoan team, winning gold at the Pacific Mini Games last year.
The Sells sisters are currently with the Bulldogs for the 2026 campaign, with Kiarra a senior leader in the outfield. She currently has a .409 batting average with 47 hits, 13 home runs and 29 RBI through 42 games.
Ricketts was named the new head coach of the American Samoa team in February. She can trace her family lineage to the village of Leone on the island through her mother, and has had success in recruiting and developing Samoan players since joining the MSU staff as an assistant in 2016.
International play this summer will be part of the qualification process for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where five spots are open to compete with the hosting USA team in an off-site tournament in Oklahoma City. The last five spots will be filled via the 2027 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup, regional championships and a last-chance qualifier tournament.
Both Team USA and Team American Samoa will compete at the USA Softball International Cup from July 30 to August 3 in Oklahoma City this summer.
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