TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Thursday night was a homecoming for Mississippi State University softball coach Vann Stuedeman.
Stuedeman served 11 years an assistant coach at the University of Alabama before taking over last summer as coach at MSU. While Stuedeman played her former team during the regular season, those contests were in Starkville.
Eighth-seeded MSU’s 5-2 loss to top-seeded Alabama marked Stuedeman’s return to Rhoads Stadium.
“I came out early to scout the Georgia-Kentucky game and all the fans were saying, ‘We miss you,’ ‘We miss you’, and ‘You’ve done a great job,’ ” Stuedeman said. “It feels nice. It was great to be welcomed back by such great folks. It really means a lot to me. I know the Alabama fans will be cheering for us in the NCAAs. They weren’t cheering for us tonight. But I believe they will cheer for us against any other opponent. They gave me a great welcome. It was fun to be here. The fans are gracious. I know this support will carry over for (volunteer assistant and former Alabama player) Kelsi (Dunne) and I in the postseason.”
Stuedeman received a standing ovation from a large group of fans behind the first-base dugout when she came out with the lineup card. Both pregame and postgame involved a number of hugs with Alabama players, assistant coaches, and Alabama coach and former boss, Patrick Murphy.
It’s a party
MSU will play host to a NCAA tournament watch party at 8:30 Sunday night at the Buffalo Wild Wings on Highway 12 in Starkville. Fans are encouraged to watch the selections with the team. Fans will also be given ways to stay in contact with the Bulldogs throughout the fall in anticipation of the 2013 season.
The selection show will be a live one-hour presentation, beginning at 9 p.m. Sunday (ESPNU).
MSU has played in eight regional tournaments. The last was in 2009. Both players and coaches feel MSU will receive an at-large berth to the 64-team tournament field.
“We accomplished so much this season,” MSU senior catcher Ka’ili Smith said. “In the month of April we set a school record for wins (13 in the month of April). We really grew up a lot. We played so much better in the second half of the season, and I feel like we really belong.
“We have the right mind-set to get this done. No matter who the opponent is, we are going to go somewhere and really fight. I really don’t want this season to end because I still think we can play some winning softball.”
Murphy also believes MSU will be in the tournament field. He called this year’s conference tournament field the most balanced it has been, and would also like to see Arkansas, which didn’t make the eight-team Southeastern Conference tournament, considered for the NCAA tournament.
“We have eight teams that need to be in, possibly even nine, if you look really hard at Arkansas,” Murphy said. “They have beaten some of the top teams. Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Arkansas were all much improved this season, and those were the three teams that were not here.
“I don’t even want to think about next year when we add two more really great teams (Texas A&M and Missouri).”
With a Ratings Percentage Index of 37, softball analysts have MSU included in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs finished in the SEC’s Western Division, went 14-4 to end the regular season, and won a school-record 13 true road games.
“I think our team has come a long way,” MSU junior outfielder Jessica Cooley said. “We have really come up with a fighting attitude. We play each inning like it is our last. Even when we go down to defeat, you see a team that really lays it on the line. With our pitching depth, we have a chance to be very competitive in a regional. It is hard to believe how much we have grown up this year. We now take the field every game with the attitude that we can win.”
With a RPI of 45, Arkansas may be a tougher sell to the committee. It beat Alabama and Tennessee in the regular season but was 27-26. RPI is one factor the committee uses to determine at-large teams.
Tournament numbers
MSU has played in 12 SEC tournaments. The Bulldogs are 11-19 all-time, including a 3-9 mark in opening-round games.
Thursday night marked the third-straight time MSU faced Alabama in an opening-round game. The Crimson Tide has won each of those meetings — 1-0 in 2008, 5-1 in 2011, and 5-2 Thursday night.
MSU’s only appearance in the championship game was in 1998 — a5-4 loss to Alabama in nine innings.
The tournament shifted to a single-elimination format in 2006.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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