STARKVILLE — Amanda Ivy had one thought when she Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman for the first time.
Ivy wondered if Stuedeman had that much energy all of the time.
“Coach Vann makes you love the game,” Ivy said. “I have learned so much the last four years. The biggest thing I learned is to have passion for what you are doing. There is a love for your teammates and for the game here. It is special.”
Ivy is one of five players who will play at Nusz Park for the final time this weekend when MSU (34-18, 8-13 Southeastern Conference plays hosts to No. 16 Kentucky (32-13, 11-10) in a three-game SEC series. The series opens at 6:30 tonight. The game will be part of the SEC Network’s “Bases Loaded” package, which will take fans to each of the six conference games.
The 3 p.m. game Saturday will be shown nationally on the SEC Network, while the 1 p.m. game Sunday will end the regular season and be shown on SEC Network +. Senior Day festivities will be held after the game.
The senior class includes Ivy, Katie Anne Bailey, Olivia Golden, Caroline Seitz, and Alexis Silkwood. All five will leave as four-year letterwinners. Bailey and Ivy are Mississippi natives.
MSU is looking for its third regional berth in four seasons, and fifth in Studeman’s six seasons as head coach.
“It’s a special group because they have worked together for four seasons to make our program better,” Stuedeman said. “There is a lot of success that is going to be finishing up this weekend. They have helped establish our program as a contender.”
While the Bulldogs like their postseason chances, the NCAA resume could get a major shot in the arm this weekend. In the latest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), Kentucky is No. 14 and MSU is No. 33.
MSU is the lowest-ranked SEC team in the RPI. However, multiple regional projection sites have the league getting all 13 members in postseason play for the first time. Twelve of the 13 schools have won 30 or more games.
MSU enters the final weekend tied with Ole Miss for eighth in the conference standings. Both teams have clinched berths in the SEC tournament, which starts May 10 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“We just need some good things to happen,” Stuedeman said. “We like our postseason chances, but you can always help your cause. After last weekend (a sweep at Auburn), we just need to bounce back, play better, and find a way to win some games. We need to send the seniors out on a high note.”
MSU had won three-straight conference series for the first time since 2012 before being swept at Auburn. It was the second time MSU has been swept in the SEC.
Bailey remembers fondly her time at MSU. She would like to add to those memories this weekend.
“It will be special playing at home for the final time,” Bailey said. “It doesn’t seem possible that four years have already come and gone. We have faced adversity, but we have always kept battling. I think these seniors will always be remembered for how hard we worked and how we always battled.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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