Any time you can add a coach with a playing career as illustrious as DJ Sanders, it seems like you have to. That’s exactly what Samantha Ricketts and Mississippi State softball did.
Sanders is a Columbus native, playing her high school ball at New Hope. Sanders took the opportunity to come back closer to home after spending some time away during her college tenure.
“I really can’t put into words how much this means to me or how important this is to me and my family,” Sanders said. “With as much as I’ve gone off and done with softball — as far as school transferring, playing, and coaching — this is definitely the closest I’ve been since leaving for college. And because I have wonderful parents who love to support me, they’ve followed me wherever I’ve gone, so this should be a lot shorter drive for them.”
Sanders grew up very close to Mississippi State and even cheered for the Bulldogs as a kid. However, she elected to head to Lafayette, Louisiana, to play for the Ragin’ Cajuns in college. While at Louisiana, she piled up accolades like All-American honors and First-Team All-Sun Belt, to name a few. Sanders finished up her playing career at the University of Oregon, where she earned All-PAC 12 honors. For the last two years, Sanders has been serving in a graduate assistant role at Missouri.
While Sanders had great opportunities away from home, there was a draw to head back to the Golden Triangle. Ricketts saw the opportunity to bring in Sanders and pulled the trigger.
“It really was a perfect fit. We were at Missouri for a series this year, and she was just finishing up her masters program and they were doing senior day,” Ricketts said. “I really had no idea that she was finishing up so that kind of piqued my interest. I turned to my staff and asked ‘Is she looking to coach?’ We got into contact with her pretty quickly and were able to sit down with her at the SEC tournament, and it just seemed like an easy fit right away.”
Ricketts said she felt Sanders was eager to wear Maroon and White and to contribute to the team she grew up rooting for. She also noted the Sanders hire is helping build on the positive momentum the team ended the season with.
“I think it really helps and continues to give us visibility and helps people recognize our program and our name, and her face is a big part of that as well,” Ricketts said. “It really continues to bring that championship caliber mentality to the staff, with people that have played at the highest level and having success.”
Sanders is only a few years removed from playing softball at the highest level, and the successes and experiences she had there can really help this team.
“I feel like I’m being able to relate to players,” Sanders said. “I’m not that much older than them, I’ve been in their shoes, I just want to make sure they have the tools that I wish I had when I was playing.”
Ricketts echoed Sanders’ statements that she could relate well to the team since she is not far removed from a playing career herself.
“(I think she can bring) that mindset of what it’s like to be in there in the daily grind,” Ricketts said. “Now, she might be repeating what I’m saying or what one of the other coaches are saying, but sometimes coming from a younger perspective, someone they can relate a little more to, is always nice.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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