The Mississippi University for Women softball team improved to 8-4 over the weekend, registering a doubleheader win against Sewanee on Saturday and splitting a doubleheader against Hendrix College on Sunday at the Don Usher Softball Field in Columbus.
The strong weekend showing saw the Owls repeat as recipients for conference awards. Emilee Slade was named Player of the Week for the second week in a row while Brooklyn Rhodes picked up her second Pitcher of the Week award of the season.
Slade hit an impressive .348 over the weekend, going 5-13 at the plate with two multi-hit games, totaling four runs and three RBIs. She hit both a sacrifice fly and bunt in the Owls’ 9-8 comeback win over Hendrix College, crucial runs in a tight game to take the second game of a Sunday doubleheader.
Rhodes, a freshman, kept up an impressive start to her career with a complete game in a 5-3 win over Sewanee, registering a pair of strikeouts and just two earned runs in seven innings of work.
Rhodes added another five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work in the Sunday loss to Hendrix, aiding a comeback attempt that fell just short. The Owls were 4-0 down when Rhodes entered the game and ultimately lost 4-3.
Men’s basketball
The MUW men’s basketball team will take part in the SLIAC tournament today, facing off against Eureka College in the quarterfinal.
The Owls have had an improved 2024-25 season after missing out on the conference tournament last year, embracing a disciplined defensive approach. They were able to give the conference co-leaders a run for their money in the regular season finale, but ultimately the ability to score saw the Golden Eagles win.
“We sat down and guarded,” Owls head coach Dean Burrows said of the team’s approach.” We couldn’t score so we hang our hat on playing solid defense and rebounding the basketball. (Spalding) came up with timely rebounds when we were trying to get back into it. I don’t know if the guys are just waiting for the tournament, but there’s no on or off switch, you’ve got to be on it every day.”
It’s the program’s first trip to the postseason as an NCAA Division III and SLIAC member, and the first postseason action since Burrows’ second season when the team qualified for the USCAA national tournament.
The game against the Red Devils is a rematch of a series the teams split during the regular season. The Owls won 75-67 at home but lost 82-78 on the road in a double-overtime thriller earlier this month.
The winner of the tournament will earn a spot in the NCAA DIII tournament, and though they aren’t favorites, that is the goal the Owls enter the postseason with.
“Anything can happen, you look at North Carolina State last year. Five games in five days just to get into the NCAA Tournament, and then they made a run to the Final Four. That’s getting the cart before the horse there, obviously, but we just want to have a good rest day, get back in the gym, travel and get ready to go play Eureka.”
The Owls tip-off against the Red Devils at 7 p.m. The game will be available to stream via Eureka College Television: https://www.eureka.edu/ectv
The winner will go on to face Greenville University in the semifinal.
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