STARKVILLE — Mississippi State softball announced the addition of a new ace arm through the transfer portal this week, bringing in Peja Goold after three years with Chattanooga.
The right-hander is a two-time Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and an NFCA First Team All-South Region selection. In three years with the Mocs, Goold recorded a 2.28 ERA and boasts 95 career victories. She threw 21 complete games in 2025, including eight shutouts.
Goold’s junior year also saw her post a 25-7 record in 29 starts, leading the team with a 1.69 ERA, 244 strikeouts, 202.2 innings and a batting average against of .173.
“We are thrilled to add an experienced pitcher of Peja’s caliber to our pitching staff,” MSU head coach Samantha Ricketts said of the new arrival. “It became apparent on her visit to Starkville that she was a great fit for our program and community, and we are eager to get her on campus. Peja will be a great complement to the other pitchers in the bullpen, and her competitiveness and drive to succeed at the highest level are exactly what we were looking for in the recruiting process.”
Goold was rated as a four-star prospect by Softball America, and was the No. 4 pitcher in the transfer portal according to College Sports Evaluation. She adds strength to a position of need for the Bulldogs after ace Raelin Chaffin was drafted into the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
Goold was a highly touted athlete out of Stockton, California, with an All-State selection from CalHi sports, and won an Alliance Division II national championship with her travel ball team, the NoCal Batbusters.
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