Over two seasons at Mississippi State, Kiarra Sells has been used almost exclusively as a pinch runner and a defensive replacement, and on the rare occasion she has been asked to pick up a bat, it has not gone well. Sells is hitless in 10 at-bats for the Bulldogs, although with two walks and four plunkings, she does have a career on-base percentage of .353.

This summer, Sells joined the Texas Ninebands of the Lone Star State Collegiate League, and she may well have been the league’s best player. In 27 games, all starts, in her home state, Sells batted .394 with a .979 slugging percentage, led the league in home runs with 15 and runs batted in with 44.

She drove in seven runs in a game on June 25, going 4-for-4 with two homers. Of her 37 hits over the summer, 24 went for extra bases, and she also walked more often than she struck out. The Ninebands finished 22-6 and were runners-up in the league.

Sells’ younger sister, Kalani Sells, will join MSU’s roster as a freshman next season.

Kylee Edwards, coming off her freshman season as the Bulldogs’ starting shortstop, was also active this summer with the Bradenton Slice of the Florida Gulf Coast League. In 65 at-bats, Edwards slashed .277/.405/.538 with five doubles, four home runs and 21 runs scored, walking 12 times to just five strikeouts. The Slice finished 12-11 and reached the FGCL semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Manatee Impact.