STARKVILLE — This weekend was an important one for No. 23 Mississippi State softball, not only to set the tone heading into conference play, but just to come home.

Back-to-back tournaments in Mexico and California had prevented the Bulldogs from playing in front of the home faithful at Nusz Park for a couple of weeks, but this weekend did just that.

“It was nice to be back home, to finally get some good weather toward the end of the weekend and just getting in front of our fans,” head coach Samantha Ricketts said. “It’s better on the rest, the recovery for our bodies, as well.”

Being able to sleep in their own beds certainly paid off for Mississippi State, who played six games in four days before its Southeastern Conference schedule begins.

The Bulldogs (17-3) went a perfect 6-0, highlighted by a pair of run-rule wins on Sunday, a 15-0 rout of Alcorn State and 11-1 victory over Samford, putting this program in the driver’s seat into what Ricketts talked about as their “second season.”

“We’ve had tournaments like this in the past where we expect to go 6-0 and we didn’t,” Ricketts said. “I thought they did a great job of handling business and continuing to learn from it.”

It was a group effort on Sunday as not one individual stood out from the rest with quality performances coming from everyone.

Some of the team’s youngest players showed out both at the plate and in the circle, starting with freshman left-hander Delainey Everett in game one.

Having taken the mound in a few games previous this season, Sunday was Everett’s first start as a Bulldog and she made the most of her opportunity, allowing three hits over five shutout innings against Alcorn State while striking out four.

“I did want to show everyone that I am capable of doing that, especially as a freshman,” Everett said. “… Going out there, I was just super excited. Not even nervous, I was just anxious. Throughout this week, I knew I was starting this game, and it was on Sunday, so I was waiting a while, but it was fun and exciting to get out there and show everyone who I really am.”

A number of players stood out at the plate, including Salen Hawkins, Kylee Edwards and Ella Wesolowski, all three of whom started both games for the Bulldogs on Sunday.

Edwards and Hawkins both hit home runs on the day as Hawkins hit her first collegiate homer in the finale of the Bulldog Invitational against Samford. 

Slotted in the bottom half of the order, the three provided production and depth to an offense that’s been one of the best in the country this season.

“I feel like a lot of the girls, they’re more confident,” Hawkins said. “I struggle sometimes. I’m a little wishy-washy with it, but this second game, I just wanted to have fun in that first at-bat and that second at-bat, I was trying to swing hard at anything. I did and it finally went over.”

The confidence level of Mississippi State is at a high, taking down several ranked opponents in non-conference play while entering the top-25 itself.

Ricketts spoke about how this team has talked more this season than her previous four in Starkville about culture, expectations and goals the Bulldogs have set for themselves.

Coming off a disappointing 2023 campaign, there’s no desire for this program to take a step back, and in fact, MSU has taken multiple steps forward as it tries to once again solidify itself as a player and a contender in the SEC.

“We know the SEC is a grind,” Ricketts said. “We have to be ready for every opponent. Every weekend feels like a Super Regional and we have to be at our best in all three phases.”