Mississippi State and head coach Samantha Ricketts are surely grateful to be back in the postseason, but her first thought upon seeing the Bulldogs’ draw may well have been, “Haven’t we seen enough of you?”
For the second year in a row, for MSU to advance to the super regionals, the Bulldogs must beat NiJaree Canady, who has been arguably the best pitcher in college softball since the day she stepped on campus at Stanford as a freshman.
MSU thought it had overcome that roadblock in this year’s season opener, when Raelin Chaffin outdueled Canady and her new team, Texas Tech. But the softball gods just can’t stop putting this supernova of a flamethrower in the Bulldogs’ way. And in all likelihood, MSU must beat her not once, but twice to extend its season another week.
Canady is certainly not unhittable, as the Bulldogs proved in the eighth inning of that February matchup in Clearwater, Florida. But even after moving to a hitter-friendly ballpark in a climate where the ball flies, her ERA is still 0.81 in 181 innings, and she has 263 strikeouts against just 35 walks.
Of course, MSU needs to beat Washington on Friday to likely even have a chance to face Canady again. But the Bulldogs can also use Canady’s strengths to their advantage. If they can lay off the rise ball and put the ball in play, eventually, somebody may well run into one. And if that happens with Chaffin in top form, the No. 12 seed Red Raiders could be on upset alert.
“We know we’re going to strike out. We knew that in February,” Ricketts said. “Those numbers are going to happen, but (it’s about) how do you grind out at-bats, how do we continue to learn every inning so that we can make adjustments as the game goes on.”
Referring to Canady’s seven-figure NIL deal with Texas Tech, MSU’s caption on social media after its win in February read, “Feelin’ like a million bucks.” Beating her again, on this stage? Now that would be priceless.
— Benjamin Rosenberg
Rewarding your fans is reason enough
Mississippi State baseball has had a rough few years since winning the school’s first-ever national championship in 2021. The team hasn’t lacked talent, but it has lacked encouraging results aside from a return to the postseason a year ago.
The decision to move on from head coach Chris Lemonis two weeks ago wasn’t a decision taken lightly. Though fans have been suggesting the move dating back to the 2023 season, he was given more time to turn things around.
It wasn’t happening, and AD Zac Selmon made the decision midseason not just for the sake of action, but because there was a belief there was still something to play for this season. Whether or not a postseason run is in the cards, that is still true.
The Bulldogs aren’t just beholden to expectations, they have a duty to the fans who show up every season.
It might not have as much weight as a national championship or a Top 10 ranking, but it means something for fans to see the team play as they have these last two weeks. A series sweep means something to a 20-plus-year season-ticket holder.
It means something for fans to see Starkville Academy graduate Evan Siary go eight shutout innings with 15 strikeouts and no walks against Ole Miss.
Barring a wild turn of events, or some super regional luck, the series against Ole Miss was the last chance State fans had to see their team at Dudy Noble Field this season. The series win was important for postseason hopes and dreams, but it was just as important to repay the loyalty that fans have shown through a tough stretch in the team’s history. Rewarding that loyalty is reason enough to play with everything you’ve got, regardless of what is at stake.
— Colin Damms
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
