In what is probably the strongest conference in the history of college softball, every weekend presents new and unique challenges. But as Mississippi State approaches the halfway point of Southeastern Conference play, the No. 17 Bulldogs are fitting right in.
MSU (29-8, 6-3 SEC) is part of a four-way tie for third place with LSU, Florida and Texas A&M — all programs that have been to the Women’s College World Series several times. Only SEC newcomers Oklahoma and Texas, who met in last year’s national championship series, are ahead of the Bulldogs, who have never hosted a regional and never reached the WCWS.
Two-time defending conference champion Tennessee, which will host MSU this weekend, is one game behind the Bulldogs in the standings even after winning a series in Norman. And while MSU was not able to win the series against the No. 1 Longhorns, its toughest opponent to date, the Bulldogs have been able to patch over their biggest issues as the calendar turns to April.
The most pressing concern is the lack of a reliable innings-eater not named Raelin Chaffin, but through nine SEC games, MSU has milked Chaffin for every out she can manage. The LSU transfer has already blown past her previous career high in innings and has pitched in all but one conference game so far, with four complete games in SEC play.
So far, she has not worn down, even though Texas hit her hard in the seventh inning of Friday’s nightcap and in the fifth inning Sunday. That has allowed Delainey Everett, almost exclusively a reliever last year, to be effective in her shorter outings. It’s allowed Lexi Sosa to come in for more ideal matchups, and it’s allowed Josey Marron to work through her struggles with command.
Offensively, this group has a higher ceiling than last season even without slugger Madisyn Kennedy, who had a huge year as a fifth-year senior. That’s because of Sierra Sacco’s transformation into one of the best offensive players in the country, continued improvement from players like Nadia Barbary and Kylee Edwards, and newcomers to the starting lineup like Kiarra Sells, Morgan Bernardini and freshman Morgan Stiles.
If the Bulldogs can keep this up, a regional at Nusz Park seems likely. But the bats abruptly cooled off down the stretch last spring and never recovered. So as the stretch run nears, conditioning is more important than ever. The schedule is not getting any easier, but all MSU needs to do over the next month is stay the course.
— Benjamin Rosenberg
MSU baseball to need only worry about the next game
There is plenty to worry about with the Diamond Dawgs right now.
The team sits at 16-12 after a 1-8 start to Southeastern Conference play. A series sweep at No. 8 LSU last weekend highlighted a number of problems. In Game 1, they couldn’t hold onto a lead. In Game 2, they couldn’t deliver at the plate in a tight game. In Game 3, the defense gave way at every sign of a comeback.
The Bulldogs are not playing clean baseball, and they’re running out of time.
Head coach Chris Lemonis signed a contract extension after the 2021 national championship win, securing his position with the Bulldogs through June 2025. Despite the growing noise of concern around the current team, the focus, as always, needs to be on one game at a time.
Lemonis knows that too.
“I try to stay away from the noise,” Lemonis said after the Saturday loss to LSU. “I know it’s always there. I worry about it for the kids. Baseball is important in Starkville, and when we’re not playing well, you hear it. All we can do is go out and play the next game.
“We know we’re close. It’s just a matter of getting a big hit or making a big pitch. Get to where we can play some relaxed baseball. These kids are trying too hard, I need to get them to relax a little bit and have some fun playing the game. Winning is fun, we need to get to where we’re winning some ball games.”
The good news is that the schedule gets a little lighter. After three straight weeks of top-10 opponents and two straight weeks on the road, the Bulldogs face 12-9 South Carolina in Starkville this weekend.
The Gamecocks are equally hungry to turn things around, and no series is a write-off in the SEC, but what better time than now for MSU to get a series win on the board?
The pressure is on for Lemonis and the Bulldogs. There is no escaping that, but there is only one way out, and that doesn’t involve making drastic changes halfway through the season. To turn this around, they just have to keep plugging away.
— Colin Damms
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