For the first time since 2019, at least three Mississippi State players have earned postseason All-Southeastern Conference honors, with Madisyn Kennedy making the first team and Aspen Wesley and Sierra Sacco securing spots on the second team.
The fifth-year senior Kennedy had been the Bulldogs’ starting shortstop ever since her freshman season in 2020, but she shifted over to first base this year to accommodate freshman Kylee Edwards. With fewer responsibilities on defense, Kennedy has had a career year offensively — she is first in the SEC in slugging percentage (.829), second in home runs (17) and fourth in runs batted in (56).
Kennedy emerged as one of the most-feared hitters in all of college softball in March with a .547 on-base percentage, 1.333 slugging percentage, 10 homers and 34 RBI in the month. She went through a rough patch toward the end of the regular season but hit a three-run blast in MSU’s SEC Tournament loss to South Carolina on Wednesday night.
Like Kennedy, Wesley earned her first All-SEC honors as a fifth-year senior. She tossed three complete-game shutouts in conference play, including her first career no-hitter against rival Ole Miss. Primarily a rise ball pitcher, Wesley turned her changeup into a go-to pitch over the offseason by working with new pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney and changing her grip slightly.
In 117 1/3 innings pitched, Wesley is 14-6 with a 3.28 ERA. She is holding opposing batters to a .204 average, with an even more impressive .197 batting average against in SEC play. She closed out the regular season by allowing just one run in two complete-game wins against Georgia, becoming the first pitcher to shut out UGA all year.
Sacco, a junior in her first year as a Bulldog after transferring from Louisiana Tech, has been as consistent as it gets both in the leadoff spot and in center field. She leads MSU with a .348 batting average and .497 on-base percentage and is a perfect 19-for-19 on stolen base attempts. Sacco is also fifth in the SEC with 52 runs scored and tied for third with 42 walks, compared with 28 strikeouts.
In the field, Sacco has not made an error all season and regularly makes highlight-reel plays in center due to her speed and instincts.
The Bulldogs (33-18, 12-12 SEC) finished at or above .500 in conference play for the first time since 2007. They will find out their NCAA Tournament destination during the selection show Sunday, which will air on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. central time.
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