Mississippi State softball kept up its positive start to the 2026 campaign with a true road win over UAB in Birmingham on Wednesday. The Bulldogs, now 19-2 on the year, kept building off their best start to a season under head coach Samantha Ricketts with a strong showing from one of the team’s key veteran pieces.
MSU senior Nadia Barbary opened the scoring with a solo shot in her first at bat, and would add a three-run home run in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Abigail Stevens would add another two runs on a double down the foul line in right field the following inning as the Bulldogs picked up a 6-1 win.
Sophomore Leila Ammon got the midweek start at pitcher, tossing six innings with seven strikeouts while allowing only three hits and no walks. Ammon’s record for the season is now 5-0. Reliever Delainey Everett came in to close the game in the seventh.
Barbary is one of three Bulldogs to start in all 21 games so far this season, averaging .318 at the plate with a .988 OPS. She leads the team with 20 RBI, is second only to Kiarra Sells in hits with 21, and is tied for second in home runs with five on the year.
“It felt good just having the team’s back,” She said after the game. “You know, we kind of had a slow start and it was just about knowing that as time comes, we’ll take care of business.”
“Nadia has been such a consistent presence for us, all year and every year,” MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts said of the senior third baseman. “It’s just been fun to watch her continue to grow and step up when we need her, setting the tone in the first, and then helping us extend it late in the game. I think it just gives us a little bit of breathing room. You know, with our lineup, we know it can be anyone at any given time, and with the expectations for the senior, she does a great job of handling that pressure.”
The Bulldogs will stay across the state line on a trip to Mobile, where they will face New Mexico, Samford and host South Alabama in the Jaguar Classic. They’ll start the weekend with a 10 a.m. game against the Lobos on Friday, followed by an afternoon game against the Jaguars at 3 p.m. The game against South Alabama will be available to stream via ESPN+.
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