02/16/00 Go here to view pictures of the Dudy Noble / Polk-DeMent Stadium expansion.

02/29/00 - A 7-0 start, best since the 1995 season, has helped vault Mississippi State's Baseball Bulldogs back into the national ranking. After sweeping a two-game set with Southeastern Louisiana and a three-game series with Arkansas-Little Rock over the past week, MSU climbed into this week's Collegiate Baseball rankings at No. 23.

Mississippi State is one of seven teams from the Southeastern Conference included in this week's rankings by the Arizona-based publication. Also ranked are No. 8 Alabama (8-4), No. 12 Auburn (14-3), No. 14 South Carolina (12-0), No. 15 LSU (6-5), No. 21 Kentucky (10-0) and No. 30 Tennessee (12-4). Florida State (13-2) holds down the top spot for the third consecutive week in this week's Collegiate Baseball rankings.

The Bulldogs travel to Jackson, Miss., Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. game with Jackson State and then host the Tigers Wednesday in a 3 p.m. game at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium. No. 23 MSU then sets sail on a rugged five-game, six-day road trip to California and Tennessee, meeting No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, No. 11 Southern Cal and No. 6 Georgia Tech in the Kia Baseball Bash prior to testing the University of Memphis in a pair of games Mar. 7-8 in Millington, Tenn.

A pair of junior pitchers, southpaw Mark Freed (1-0, 0.00) of Pennsville, N.J., and junior Jeff Hunter (0-0, 0.00) of Columbus, Miss., have been tabbed as starters in the Jackson State series.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletics media relations department

02/28/00 - Mississippi State, off to their best start since 1995 when they won 10 in a row to start the season, defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 8 to 7 in 11 innings.

For those of you who are interested, only two MSU teams have won more than 7 games to start a season. Of course the 1995 team was one. The other one was the 1985 team, which won 14 to start the season.

MSU was led at the plate by Shane Kelly, Travis Chapman and Phillip Willingham who had two hits a piece. Jon Knott hit a two-run home run.

UALR scored first with a 1st inning sacrifice fly by Chris Hall. MSU came right back in their portion of the inning to score four runs.

Shane Kelly led off with a triple and was knocked in by Josh West's ground ball to 2nd base. Jon Knott walked and scored on a triple by Phillip Willingham. Willingham came in to score on an error. Jamie Rock singled and was knocked in on a Daron Wright single to right field. After one inning, MSU led 4-1.

UALR would tie up the game up in the 4th inning on a three-run home run by Aaron Robbins off of MSU reliever Ryan Carroll. They would go ahead in the 5th on a bases loaded walk by Ryan Carroll.

MSU would tie the game up in the 7th with an RBI double by Shane Kelly. MSU would then go ahead in the 8th on a two-run home run by Jon Knott.

UALR would knot the score in the 9th inning due to a passed ball on a strikeout and an error by MSU. Both runs were unearned.

MSU closer Adam Larson would shut the door in the 10th and 11th innings, striking out four in those two innings.

MSU threaten to score in the 10th, when they loaded the bases, but grounded into a double play to end the inning.

MSU would win the game in the 11th when Shane Kelly scored on a one-out single by Travis Chapman.

Adam Larson (1-0) picked up the win for the Bulldogs while Chris Hall (0-1) took the loss for UALR. UALR left 14 runners on base. MSU left 9 runners on. Both teams committed three errors.

The attendance was 2,868 and the time of the game was 4:25.

The Bulldogs travel to Jackson Tuesday to take on Jackson State in a 6:30 p.m. game at Smith-Wills Stadium before returning home Wednesday to host JSU at 3 p.m.

02/27/00 - Mississippi State (6-0) jumped ahead early and never trailed in posting a 9-4 win over Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at Dudy Noble Field.

Centerfielder Shane Kelly went 3-for-5 and drove in a pair of runs, and second baseman Daron Wright plated three runs with a sacrifice bunt and a two-run triple to lead the Bulldogs' 11-hit attack. Wright's three-bagger highlighted a three-run Bulldog burst in the seventh. Wright, Jamie Rock and Jon Knott extended their season-opening hitting streaks to six games.

Sophomore starter Tanner Brock struck out a career-high nine and allowed three hits over 4-2/3 innings, with Josh Wooten (1-0) picking up his first career decision after holding UALR (9-5) to one hit over 2-1/3 innings. Adam Larson got the final out in the eighth and closed out the game in the ninth to nail down his third save in as many appearances.

Trojan starter Jacob Anderson (2-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on seven his during a 5-2/3 inning stint.

Derin McMains collected a pair of hits and Rusty Davis belted a solo home run to lead the Trojans.

MSU got season-first solo home runs in the eighth inning from Shane Kelly and Travis Chapman.

The Bulldogs, off to their best start since 1995, conclude their five-game homestand and the three-game series with Arkansas-Little Rock Sunday at 1:30 p.m. MSU senior lefthander Kevin Donovan (2-0, 0.00) and UALR senior righty Marcus Hinson (2-0, 4.08) are the projected starting pitchers.

Arkansas-Little Rock 000 010 111 - 4 -7 -2
Mississippi State 030 001 32X - 9-11-1

WP --- Josh Wooten (1-0). Save --- Adam Larson (3). LP --- Jacob Anderson (2-1).
Anderson, Husman (6), R.McMains (7), Smith (8) and Robbins. Brock, Wooten (5) and Burkley, Medders (8), Larson (8) and Obradovich. HR --- Davis (1), Kelly (1), Chapman (1). Att --- 3,063.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/27/00 - Mississippi State strung together a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and used a stingy defense to shut down the Tennessee Tech offense to complete a doubleheader sweep of the visiting Golden Eagles with a 5-0 victory Saturday afternoon in Starkville.

Sophomore Kasey Whitehead turned in a 3-3 performance at the plate, including a two-run homer in the fourth, while Karrie Rider chipped in a couple of RBI with a 2-3 performance, including her team-leading fourth double of the season. Starter Jennifer Pursell (4-3) worked a complete-game, scattering five hits and striking out four, to earn the victory for the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State put its first run on the board in the opening frame, using a RBI single by Kellie Wilkerson to plate Keri McCallum from third base for the 1-0 lead. After being held scoreless in the next two innings, the Bulldogs extended their lead in the fourth when Whitehead took a two-strike offering from Tech starter Adrienne Fortmann over the left field fence for the 3-0 lead.

Mississippi State added insurance runs in the fifth when Rider hit a two-run double off of the third base bag to plate both Michelle Gates and Jenny Hehnke for the final runs of the game.

In the early game, the Bulldogs used explosive bats to pound out seven runs on 15 hits, but had to stave off a furious Tennessee Tech rally in the seventh to preserve a 7-4 victory and extend their winning streak to eight games.

Kellie Wilkerson hit 3-4 with three RBI, while Jenny Hehnke recorded a season high three hits on four at bats, to spark the Mississippi State offense. Freshman starter Jennifer Nelson improved to 2-0 after working 6.1 innings, striking out two Golden Eagles and giving up a lone earned run, to earn the win for the Bulldogs.

State jumped on the visitors early, using RBI singles by Gates and Rider, along with an untimely error by shortstop Jadryen Lane, to take a 3-0 lead after one. RBI doubles by Wilkerson in the fourth and sixth innings, coupled with a RBI groundout by Gates in the fourth, gave the Bulldogs a commanding 7-0 lead heading into the seventh, but State was forced to put out a late fire by the Golden Eagles' offense to insure the win.

Mississippi State will again be in action on Friday when it travels to Columbus, Ga., for the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Bulldogs are scheduled to take on No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 11 Stanford and No. 23 UMass in pool play on Friday, before heading into tournament play on Saturday and Sunday.

Game 1 - MSU 7, Tennessee Tech 4
Tennessee Tech....000 000 4 - 4 8 2
Mississippi St......300 301 x - 7 15 2
WP - Nelson (2-0). LP - Henry. 2B - MSU Wilkerson 2, Henry. SB - MSU McCallum 2, Rider, Hehnke. Time - 1:37. Att. - 324.

Game 2 - MSU 5, Tennessee Tech 0
Tennessee Tech....000 000 0 - 0 5 2
Mississippi St......100 220 x - 5 9 1
WP - Pursell (4-3). LP - Fortmann. HR - MSU Whitehead. 2B - MSU Rider. SB - MSU McCallum, Hehnke, Wilkerson, Gates, Schlagheck.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/26/00 - Beginning March 1st, all, yes I wrote all, MSU baseball games will be on Broadcast.com. It looks like the MSU athletic department and the French Camp radio station listened to what you guys said.

02/26/00 - Mississippi State defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 6-2 yesterday behind the outstanding pitching of freshmen pitchers Joey Collums, Chris Young, Steven Dowe and junior pitcher Justin Estel.

The four pitchers allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 10. The winning pitcher was freshman lefthander Steven Dowe, which was his first win as a Bulldog.

MSU jumped on UALR starter Carl Rowland for three runs in the first two innings.

During the 1st inning, Shane Kelly led off the inning with a double. Jon Knott knocked him in with a two-out single.

In the 2nd inning, MSU scored two runs after the first two batters flied out. McGrath started the rally with a double down the leftfield line. Matthew Maniscalco doubled him in. Shane Kelly then knocked in Maniscalco with a single. MSU led 3-0 after 2 innings.

A-LR finally got on the board with a two-run home run by Aaron Robbins in the top of the 5th inning. UALR got two additional runners on during the 5th, but true freshman pitcher came in with two outs and struck out Derin McMains looking. MSU's lead was cut to 1 run, 3-2.

MSU would finish the scoring by adding 3 more runs in the 6th inning on a wild pitch, an RBI double by Josh West and an RBI single by Travis Chapman. MSU now led 6-2.

MSU, now 5-0 on the young season, and Arkansas-Little Rock (9-4) play a 2 p.m. game today. Prior to the baseball game, the MSU (7-3) softball team plays a double-header against Tennessee Tech (0-5), beginning at 11:30 a.m. on the MSU softball field.

Diamond Dog comments:

Post-game press conference quotes:

MSU baseball coach McMahon:

Talk about the three freshmen pitchers that pitched today?
McMahon: First of all, Arkansas-Little Rock is an outstanding, veteran ballclub. Their record indicated that. They are very solid and very sound. I thought that they pitched very well today. This series is going to be a great test for us.

From our perspective, we gave the starting opportunity to freshman pitcher Joey Collums, who has never pitched at Dudy Noble. He did an outstanding job and pitched with good composure. He was followed by Chris Young who did a very good job. Then Steven Dowe came in and threw some really quality pitches. I thought junior pitcher Justin Estel was outstanding today.

GP: This team has played well defensively the last three games at Dudy Noble while they made a few errors at the Coco Cola Classic in Mobile. Do you expect them to continue to play as well, defensively, as they have over the last three games?
McMahon: That is a really good question for this reason. One must understand that our guys play and practice on their home field. When they go play on different fields, they find out that different fields play so differently. That is why we wanted to play in a tournament on the road.

We are also playing players at new positions. Obviously, Travis played third base a couple of years ago so you would expect some of those things to happen.

How about talking about Justin Estel's performance today?
McMahon: Justin has pitched in a lot of rolls. I thought that was one of Justin's best performances since he has been here. He dominated the strike zone. He got ground balls when he needed to. He showed very good composure.

GP: Do you have any idea when Josh West will be able to play in the field?
McMahon: Josh threw in the outfield during warmups today. That was very pleasing to us.

GP: How do you think the team is doing offensively?
McMahon: We feel like our guys are taking quality at bats. Collectively, we will work hard to swing the bat better. There are some guys in the lineup who are producing but I don't think the team production is as good as we want it to be.

McMahon: Guys, make sure you mention that the ballclub and I said thanks to all the great Mississippi State Baseball fans for helping set a new record of 4,344 season baseball tickets sold.

02/26/00 - Mississippi State (7-3) will attempt to continue a six-game winning streak Saturday as the Bulldogs suit up to host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-5) in a doubleheader at the Mississippi State Softball Field. First pitch is set for 11:30 a.m.

The Bulldogs come into the game fresh off the Mississippi State Bulldog Classic last weekend which saw women in maroon capture all five games in cruising to the tournament crown. Four players - catcher Keri McCallum, shortstop Karrie Rider, utility player Jennifer Nelson and outfielder Kellie Wilkerson - earned All-Tournament Team honors, while Wilkerson was a unanimous selection for Tournament MVP.

In five games at the Bulldog Classic, Wilkerson, who became State's first All-American last season as a freshman, hit .615 with three homers, two triples, one double, five walks, eight runs scored and seven RBI. She was named SEC Player of the Week for the performance.

"It built our confidence tremendously," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen of the Bulldogs' success last weekend. "It was chance to get our offense rolling and it gave us ample opportunity to put some more players into the lineup. We played good games against some good teams and, hopefully, that will prepare us for Tennessee Tech and for next weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic."

But the Bulldogs will go into Saturday's doubleheader with more than just honors backing them. This past week, Mississippi State moved up six spots to No. 37 in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Top 25. The Bulldogs will also head into today's games with Tennessee Tech riding a nine-game home winning streak. Mississippi State is 50-25 lifetime at the MSU Softball Field.

"It is good for any team to feel that they have the advantage because they are at home," Arendsen said. "We are just comfortable here. We believe that this is our house and nobody is going to come in here and take any games from us. We try to stress that to our players."

Following Saturday's doubleheader, the Bulldogs will take a week off from competition before heading to Columbus, Ga., next weekend for the NFCA Leadoff Classic - the nation's most premiere tournament. Mississippi State is scheduled to play three top 25 teams in Columbus, including No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 11 Stanford and No. 23 Massachusetts.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/25/00 - "The Score" will be broadcasting live from the Arkansas-Little Rock / Mississippi State baseball game today. They will be out in the Left Field Lounge area near the foul pole from 4 to 5 p.m. I am scheduled to be on from 4:30 to 4:50. Marshall Harris and Aaron Sones (two of "The Score's" co-hosts) and I hope to see all of you at the game today.

02/25/00 - Before the Bulldogs begin their second home series of the year, fans of Mississippi State baseball have claimed another entry in the MSU baseball record.

The Mississippi State Athletic Department Ticket Office has processed orders for a school-record 4,344 baseball season tickets, surpassing the previous sales mark of 4,294 set in 1989. Officials anticipate final total sales will approach the 4,500 milestone.

MSU (4-0) continues its current five-game homestand Friday with the first game of a three-game series against Arkansas-Little Rock (9-3). Redshirt freshman lefthander Joey Collums of Germantown, Tenn., is expected to make his collegiate debut for MSU while the Trojans have tabbed senior righthander Carl Rowland (2-0, 2.25) for starting mound duty.

Junior first baseman Jon Knott (.467) paces the Diamond Dogs at the plate, having launched three home runs in the first four games. Knott, Jamie Rock (.389) and Shane Kelly (.350) share the team lead with seven hits each while third baseman Travis Chapman (.375) leads the club with 10 RBI. All three of Chapman's hits in Wednesday's 9-2 win over Southeastern Louisiana were extra-base knocks, including his 50th and 51st career doubles.

Ten Bulldog pitchers have combined for an impressive 0.75 earned run average after four games, totaling 45 strikeouts and allowing but three earned runs over 36 innings. Senior Kevin Donovan (2-0, 0.00) and sophomore Brandon Medders (0-0, 4.50) share the team strikeout lead with eight whiffs each.

UALR, which competes in the Sun Belt Conference, has won seven of its last eight games, splitting a two-game home series last weekend with Murray State. The Trojans enter the series sporting a .332 team batting average, with first baseman Chris Hall (.488, 2 HR, 17 RBI) and rightfielder Clay Smitherman (.436, 3 HR, 14 RBI) leading the way. UALR hurlers have also enjoy early-season success, sporting a 2.67 staff earned run average and 96 strikeouts in 108 innings.

The weekend series continues Saturday with a 2 p.m. game and concludes with a 1:30 p.m. contest Sunday.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/24/00 - Before you read my game recap, I just wanted to mention to you that there will be a sold-out gospel concert at Humphrey Coliseum this Saturday at 7 p.m. If you are planning on attending the baseball game, expect a lot of traffic coming into the parking area around the Hump at about the time the baseball game will be through. Now, on to the game recap.

MSU, behind another excellent performance by the starting pitcher, defeated SE Louisiana, 9-2.

MSU starting pitcher, Jeff Hunter, went 4 innings, giving up no runs on 1 hit, no walks, and 2 hit batters, while striking out 5. A MLB baseball scout clocked Jeff at 88 mph. The scout compared Jeff to Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux due to his control and changing of speeds. Jeff was followed on the mound by Kevin Donovan (2 ip, 1 h, 1 unearned run, 4 k's and 1 bb), Steven Dowe (1 ip, 1 h, 1 er, 1 k, and 0 bb), Justin Estel (1 ip, 1 h) and Ryan Carroll (1 ip, 1 bb, 2 so).

The hitting stars were:
Shane Kelly - 2 for 5.
Ryan McGrath - 2 for 3, 1 rbi.
Travis Chapman - 3 for 4, 1 2b, 1 3b, 5 rbi.
Jon Knott - 1 for 4, 1 hr (his 3rd), 2 rbi.
Jason Burkley - 1 for 3.
Daron Wright - 2 for 4.

MSU collected a total of 12 hits, while not committing an error. Kevin Donovan earned the Bulldog victory, his 2nd of the young season. MSU is now 4-0 on the season. They continue play Friday with a 3 p.m. game against Arkansas-Little Rock.

02/23/00 - MSU defeated SE Louisiana 5-2 behind the 1-hit, 5-inning performance of junior pitcher Mark Freed.

MSU scored first in the 1st inning when the SELU second baseman errored a ground ball hit by Daron Wright.

MSU also added single runs in the 3rd and 4th innings and two runs in the 6th. SELU struck for single runs in the 7th and 8th innings.

Jamie Rock hit a home run in the 3rd inning. Travis Chapman knocked in two runs in the 6th inning. Travis, Jamie Rock, Ryan McGrath and Matthew Maniscalco all had two hits a piece.

MSU pitcher Mark Freed (1-0) had relief help from hurlers Brandon Medders (2 ip, 2 h, 4, k's, 2 bb, 1 r), Josh Wooten (1 kp, 2 h, 1 k, 0 bb, 1 r) and Adam Larson (1 ip, 1 k, 0 h, 0 bb, 0 r).

Attendance for yesterday's game was 2,473.

MSU, now 3-0 on the season, will pitch junior Jeff Hunter while SELU is expected to start Josh Kaplan (1-1, 4.44 era, 24.1 ip, 32 h, 13 so, 0 bb).

02/22/00 - With a pair of season-opening road wins safely tucked away, Mississippi State's Baseball Bulldogs launch their 110th home baseball campaign Tuesday, taking on the Southeastern Louisiana Lions in a 3 p.m. contest at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium.

MSU belted the UAB Blazers 17-1 Saturday and rallied past Mercer 6-4 Sunday to win the 15th annual Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile, Ala. With the wins, State climbed to No. 26 in the latest Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll.

Bulldog coach Pat McMahon has tabbed junior lefty Mark Freed for seasonal first-pitch duties against Southeastern Louisiana (8-5). The Lions, who enter the two-game series riding a four-game win streak, are set to start junior righthander Steve Sawyer (1-1, 6.92).

State enters the series sporting a .324 batting average, with junior first baseman Jon Knott (.625) leading the way. The Venice, Fla., native went 4-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs and three RBI in the Bulldogs' 16-run win over UAB and added a single in State's Sunday win over Mercer to claim tournament MVP honors. Left fielder Jamie Rock turned in a pair of two-hit innings en route to a 4-for-9 series.

Seven Bulldog hurlers combined for 25 strikeouts and allowed but one earned run in 18 innings of mound work in Mobile. Senior lefty Kevin Donovan, making his third start in 58 career appearances, picked up the win against UAB while Justin Estel took over for starter Tanner Brock to record the win and Adam Larson nailed down a save in the win over Mercer. State scored five times in the eighth inning to erase a 3-1 deficit in the tournament championship game.

MSU and SLU wrap up their two-game set Wednesday at 3 p.m.. The Bulldogs then close out their five-game homestand with a three-game weekend series against Arkansas-Little Rock.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/22/00 - After keying Mississippi State to a 5-0 record and the 2000 Mississippi State Bulldog Classic championship this past weekend, sophomore All-American Kellie Wilkerson was named Monday as the Southeastern Conference's Player of the Week, the league office announced.

In five games at the Bulldog Classic, Wilkerson hit .615 (8-13) with three home runs, two triples, one double, five walks, one stolen base and seven RBI en route to being named the Tournament MVP. In the Bulldogs' opener with Northwestern State, she recorded a 3-3 performance with two home runs and three RBI in a 3-2 victory. She finished the weekend with a 1.692 slugging percentage.

"Kellie Wilkerson was outstanding for us this weekend," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "She played excellent defensively for us and hit the ball very well. Hopefully, she will build on this performance and it will continue throughout the rest of the season for us."

Last season, Wilkerson played and started in all 67 games for Mississippi State and recorded a team- and SEC-best .443, ranking her nationally as the eighth-best hitter and the top-hitting freshman. She ranked seventh nationally in slugging percentage (.749), eighth in RBI (65), tied for 14th in doubles (17) and 22nd in home runs (13).

Wilkerson made 33 appearances as a pitcher, starting eight contests, en route to a 7-8 record and a 2.12 ERA. Along the way, she collected a State-record eight saves, which ranked as the nation and SEC's second-highest save total.

Following the conclusion of the 1999 season, she garnered First Team All-SEC and All-Region honors and, less than a month later, garnered Second Team NFCA and Easton First Team All-American honors, becoming Mississippi State's first-ever All-American softball player.

As a team, Mississippi State is off to its best start in school history, recording a 7-3 record in its first 10 games of the 2000 season. The Bulldogs will again be at home this weekend, hosting a two-game set with Tennessee Tech on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/21/00 - Mississippi State erupted for five runs in the eighth inning Sunday to claim a 6-4 win over Mercer in the championship game of the 15th annual Coca-Cola Classic at Eddie Stanky Field.

Jamie Rock singled twice during MSU's four-hit, fifth-inning burst as the Bulldogs (2-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit. Travis Chapman delivered a clutch two-run single while Shane Kelly and Jamie Rock had RBI hits.

First baseman Brandon Blair belted a single and two doubles, the second during a ninth-inning Mercer rally. Justin Estel (1-0) struck out five in 2-2/3 innings of work and picked up the win after relieving MSU starter Tanner Brock in the fifth. Adam Larson came on to pitch the final two frames to gain a save. Jason Page (0-1), the third of five Mercer pitchers, took the loss.

Junior first baseman Jon Knott went 5-for-8 in the tournament to earn tournament MVP honors.

Mississippi State begins home competition Tuesday, welcoming Southeastern Louisiana in a 3 p.m. contest at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department media relations department

02/21/00 - Mississippi State (7-3) scored five runs in both the first and fourth innings to key an offensive explosion as the Bulldogs routed Austin Peay 10-1 in five innings to record their sixth-straight victory and wrap up play in the 2000 Mississippi State Bulldog Classic Sunday afternoon.

Nichole Henry and Jenny Hehnke combined for a 4-5 performance at the plate with four RBI to fuel a high-octane Mississippi State offense, while starter Courtney Frank (2-0) shut down Austin Peay, giving up just a lone first-inning home run and striking out five Lady Govs to record her second victory of the 2000 campaign.

"I thought Courtney pitched a good game today and I thought we played very well as a team," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "We had some key first inning hits that allowed us to take that big lead and I think that took the wind out of their sails from the get go."

Despite the victory, Austin Peay got on the scoreboard first when Heather Skeels took a one-out offering from Frank over the left field fence to give the Lady Govs a quick 1-0 lead. However, Mississippi State answered in the bottom half, using a costly error to plate five unearned runs and take a 5-1 lead into the second frame.

Gates' two-run double in the fourth inning plated both Wilkerson and McCallum for a 7-1 lead and, just a short time later, another Austin Peay error allowed Gates to cross the plate to extend the lead to seven. Mississippi State finished the onslaught using an RBI double by Hehnke and an RBI single by Brooke Best to plate the Bulldogs' ninth and 10th runs, respectively.

For the tournament, Mississippi State hit .399 as a team and held its opponents to a .223 average with a 2.19 team ERA. The Bulldogs also placed four players on the All-Tournament team, including Tournament MVP Kellie Wilkerson, who hit .615 (8-13) with three home runs, two triples, one double, seven RBI and a 1.692 slugging percentage.

BULLDOG CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
P - Amanda Ortego, Northwestern State
P - *Awbrey Winckler, Chattanooga
C - *Keri McCallum, MSU
1B - Leslie McAllister, Winthrop
2B - Kate Graham, Winthrop
3B - *Brandy Kenney, Northwestern State
SS - *Karrie Rider, MSU
OF - *Kellie Wilkerson, MSU
OF - Allison Alvarez, BelmontB OF - Leigh Spiceland, Austin Peay
UTL - *Jennifer Nelson, MSU

TOURNAMENT MVP - *Kellie Wilkerson, MSU

* Unanimous Selection

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department media relations department

02/20/00 - MSU defeated UAB 17 to 1 yesterday in front of 2,277 fans, mostly Bulldog fans. MSU will take on Mercer, a 4-0 winner over South Alabama, at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Hitting stars for the Bulldogs were senior first baseman Jon Knott who went 4 for 5, including 2 home runs and 3 RBI. Shane Kelly was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI. Jamie Rock and Phillip Willingham also had 2 hits. Enrico Jones hit a 2-run, inside-the-park home run. Ryan McGrath had 1 hit and knocked in 3 runs. Kevin Donovan picked up the win with a 2-hit, five inning performance.

02/20/00 - Mississippi State (6-3) pounded out a season-high 15 hits and rode the pitching of freshman Jennifer Nelson to defeat Belmont 8-0 in six innings and clinch the 2000 Mississippi State Bulldog Classic Championship Saturday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.

Nelson (1-0) worked six scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out four Bruins to earn the first win of her career. The freshman turned in a 4-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored to pace a quarter of State batters with multi-hit performances. Senior Keri McCallum tied a career-high with two triples on a 2-4 performance with one RBI.

"We are very comfortable in the field when we are hitting well," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "I thought Jennifer Nelson turned in one of the best pitching performances that we have had all season and I thought we played very well as a team. However, we need to realize that we are not done in this tournament yet. We still have a game left to play on Sunday."

On the strength of a RBI triple by Kellie Wilkerson and a sacrifice fly by Karrie Rider, State plated three runs in the opening frame to light up the scoreboard first. The Bulldogs took a 5-0 lead after into the third on a RBI triple by McCallum and a RBI double by Nelson. Nelson gave the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead in the fourth on a RBI single to the shortstop. State finished off the Bruins in the sixth with a RBI double by Karrie Rider and a RBI single by A.J. Lott.

In the early game, Mississippi State strung together multi-runs in the first and third innings and relied on late-inning defense to defeat Chattanooga, 7-5, and move to 3-0 in Bulldog Classic play.

Wilkerson turned in a 2-3 performance with one RBI, including her fourth home run of the 2000 campaign, to pace the Mississippi State bats. Michelle Gates (2-3), Jenny Hehnke (2-5) and Nichole Henry (2-4) also collected two hits apiece.

Starter Jennifer Pursell (3-3) worked a complete-game seven innings, striking out five Chattanooga batters, to notch her third consecutive win this season. The win was the fifth-consecutive victory for the Bulldogs this season.

The Bulldogs used a RBI groundout by Gates and a RBI single by Rider to plate two runs in the first.After a 1-2-3 second inning, Henry sparked Mississippi State on a three-run rally with a two-run double that plated both Gates and Wilkerson. McCallum drew a bases-loaded hit by pitch to bring home the final run of the inning.

Single runs in the fourth and sixth innings on the shoulders of a Wilkerson homer and a Henry RBI single, respectively, upped the State lead to 6-0, before a three-run, four-hit rally by Chattanooga was snuffed out by the Mississippi State defense.

GAME 1 - Mississippi State 7, Chattanooga 5
Mississippi State...203 101 0 - 7 11 2
Chattanooga.........000 110 3 - 5 8 2
WP - Pursell (3-3). LP - Alexander. HR - Wilkerson, MSU (4). 2B - MSU Henry (2), Wilkerson (2). Time - 2:12. Att - 467.

GAME 2 - Mississippi State 8, Belmont 0 (6 Innings)
Mississippi State....320 102 - 8 15 1
Belmont...............000 000 - 0 4 2
WP - Nelson (1-0). LP - Day. 3B - MSU McCallum 2 (3), Wilkerson (3). 2B - MSU Nelson (1), Rider 2 (4). Time - 1:37. Att - 425.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department media relations department

02/19/00 - The Mississippi State Bulldogs take on the UAB Blazers today at 3:30 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Classic in Mobile, Ala. The game will take place at Eddie Stanky Field. The first game of the day is USA vs. Mercer at 12:30. General Admission tickets are $5 per day (2 games daily) or $8 for a 2-day general admission ticket. Reserved tickets are $10 for a 2-day 4-game ticket and $7 for a 1-day 2-game ticket. Children 5-and-under get in free.

02/19/00 - Mississippi State (4-3) put together a pair of four-run innings and relied on its defense to keep Winthrop (0-2) at bay, as the Bulldogs completed a day one sweep in the 2000 Mississippi State Bulldog Classic with a 9-3 win over the Lady Eagles Friday evening.

Keri McCallum turned in a 3-4 performance with one RBI and two runs scored to pace a quartet of Bulldog players with double-digit hit performances. Starter Kasey Whitehead (1-0) worked 4.1 innings, striking out one Winthrop batter, to earn her first victory as a Bulldog.

"I thought we showed today what we can do as a team," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "We hit the ball well today and I thought we played very good defense in both games. We now have to build on this success and take it into tomorrow and Sunday, as well as the rest of the season."

Mississippi State sent eight batters to the plate in the first inning and nine in the second, using a combination of extra-base hits to plate eight runs in the opening two frames. Winthrop appeared to have slowed the State bats in the second, but a couple of untimely errors by the Lady Eagles allowed the hosts to plate four unearned runs.

Belmont plated single runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings, but a the combination of Whitehead and reliever Jennifer Nelson, who entered the game with one out in the fifth, snuffed out any hopes of a Lady Eagle comeback.

In the early game, Kellie Wilkerson hit 3-3 with two home runs and three RBI to account for the entire Bulldog offense as State used an early lead to take the wind out of the Northwestern State (6-3) sails with a 3-2 victory.

After a leadoff single by McCallum to start the bottom of the first, Wilkerson crushed a ball over the right field fence to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead after one. The sophomore All-American struck again in the fourth, taking a two-ball, two-strike offering from Demon starter Jessica Holaway (2-1) over the centerfield fence to give State a 3-0 cushion.

Northwestern State attempted a comeback late in the game, using a two-run homer by Erin Mancuso to cut the deficit to one, before Mississippi State starter Jennifer Pursell (2-3) retired the last four batters in a row to end the game.

Play in the 2000 Mississippi State Bulldog Classic will resume Saturday morning at 10 a.m. when Austin Peay and Belmont resume a postponed game from Friday evening at the MSU RecPlex. The Bulldogs will again play two on Saturday, suiting up to take on Chattanooga (4-5) at 1:30 p.m. and Belmont (0-1) at 3:30 p.m. Both games will take place at the Mississippi State Softball Field.

GAME 1
Northwestern State..........000 002 0 - 2 4 0
Mississippi State............200 100 x - 3 7 1
WP - Pursell (2-3). LP - Holaway (2-1). T - 1:28. A - 349.
HR MSU - Wilkerson 2 (3)
HR NWSU - Mancuso

GAME 2
Winthrop............010 110 0 - 3 10 4
Mississippi State...440 100 x - 9 13 1
WP - Whitehead (1-0). LP - Hirsch. T - 1:58. A - 468.
HR MSU - Henry (2)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department sports media relations department

02/18/00 - MSU head baseball coach Pat McMahon press conference:

02/18/00 - Mississippi State, fresh off a mildly successful opening to the 2000 season last weekend in Phoenix, makes its regular season home debut this weekend as it hosts the Mississippi State Bulldog Classic for the third consecutive season. The Bulldogs will be one of six teams (Austin Peay, Northwestern State, Belmont, Chattanooga, Winthrop) that will participate in the round-robin tournament which features 15 games at either Bulldog Diamond or the MSU RecPlex.

Mississippi State (2-3) will open up its portion of tournament play on Friday when it faces Northwestern State (5-2) at 2:30 p.m. inside the comfy confines of Bulldog Diamond. The Demons opened up their 2000 campaign last weekend at the Texas-Arlington Pepsi Classic positing five wins, including an impressive one-run, 10-inning victory over the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks.

Following its matchup with the Demons, Mississippi State will continue play at Bulldog Diamond with a contest against the Winthrop Lady Eagles at 4:30 p.m. Winthrop will make its 2000 debut in Starkville after closing out 1999 with a 26-24-1 record and returns nine starters off of last year's team.

"None of the games in this tournament are easy games," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "Northwestern State has shown us in the past that they are very capable of beating us. We need to build off what we learned last weekend in Phoenix and use it throughout this tournament."

Last weekend, Mississippi State opened its season in style, defeating Texas A&M in the opening game of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament to claim its first-ever season-opening victory. Just two hours later, the Bulldogs took nationally-ranked and 1998 national champion Fresno State to the wire before giving up a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to seal a loss for State.

"We played very well defensively in both of those games," Arendsen said. "I thought that we played very well against Fresno State and we came very close to beating them. That game, no doubt, will give us confidence heading into this tournament."

All six teams present at the Bulldog Classic will play a pair of games Friday, barring weather delays.

FRIDAY'S BULLDOG CLASSIC GAME SCHEDULE
12:30 p.m. - Winthrop vs. Northwestern (LA) State (Bulldog Diamond)
2:30 p.m. - MSU vs. Northwestern State (Bulldog Diamond)
2:30 p.m. - Chattanooga vs. Austin Peay (MSU RecPlex)
4:30 p.m. - MSU vs. Winthrop (Bulldog Diamond)
4:30 p.m. - Chattanooga vs. Belmont (MSU RecPlex)
7:00 p.m. - Belmont vs. Austin Peay (Bulldog Diamond)

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department media relations department

02/16/00 - I received a call from the U. of South Alabama media relations department yesterday. This weekend's U. So. Ala./Coca-Cola Classic is being played at Eddie Stanky Field. MSU plays at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, and depending on whether they win or lose Saturday, they will play at either 12:30 p.m. (if they lose) or 3:30 p.m. (if they win) on Sunday.

02/16/00 - Several of you wanted to see a centerfield shot of the expanded grandstand. Click here to see it......

02/14/00 (12:05 p.m.) - Michelle Gates' RBI single with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh brought home Keri McCallum with the winning run as Mississippi State (2-3) halted a three-game skid by defeating Utah State 5-4 in the final game of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix.

Gates and Jenny Hehnke both turned in 2-3 performances to pace the Bulldog offense while reliever Jennifer Pursell (1-3) was dominant on the mound, striking out three batters and giving up a lone hit in the final three innings of work.

Utah State took a quick lead in the opening frame, using a two-run home run down the left field line by Stephanie Vaserhely to take a 2-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the inning, however, when Gates laced a bullet to left center that plated McCallum from second base.

A sacrifice fly by Heather Curtis and a RBI single by Sandy Taylor increased the Aggie lead to three in the next inning, but a RBI double by Kendell Kimbrough and a wild pitch in the bottom half of the inning brought the State deficit back to one heading into the third.

Mississippi State tied the score at four apiece on a Karrie Rider RBI single in the fifth before Gates provided the dramatics in the final at bat in the seventh.

The Bulldogs will again be in action on Friday when they return home to host the six-team Mississippi State Bulldog Classic this weekend at Bulldog Diamond.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU athletic department media relations department

02/14/00 - Here are pictures from inside two of the baseball skyboxes.

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6

02/13/00 (2:25 p.m.) - Despite an early four-run lead, Utah used flashes of power, complete with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, to steal a 8-6 comeback-win from the clutches of Mississippi State (1-3) and send the Bulldogs reeling to its third-straight loss Saturday night in Phoenix.

Kellie Wilkerson keyed the Mississippi State bats, turning in a 2-3 performance with three RBI, but the Bulldogs could not recover from three costly errors that, ultimately, brought five unearned runs across the plate for Utah. Starter Courtney Frank worked three innings before being chased by a Utah grand slam in the fourth. Jennifer Pursell (0-3) came on in relief of Kasey Whitehead in the seventh and gave up two runs on two hits to take the loss for the Bulldogs.

State struck first in the opening frame, using RBI singles by Wilkerson and Gates, along with untimely errors by the Utes, to take a 4-0 lead into the second inning. Molly McLean's sacrifice fly in the third inning brought Michele Larsen across the plate with an unearned run for Utah.

A pair of errors allowed Utah to load the bases in the fourth and, as if on cue, Larsen belted a grand slam to left-centerfield to give Utah a 5-4 lead. A Trevis single a handful of batters later gave Utah a two-run lead, 6-4.

Keri McCallum drew a leadoff walk to start the fifth and, two batters later, Wilkerson tied the game up with a dinger to straight-away center that knotted the score at six.

In Saturday's early game, Mississippi State committed three errors and could only watch as Cal State Fullerton scraped together two multi-run innings to give the Bulldogs their second-straight loss, 5-1.

Three different Mississippi State players recorded lone hits with Chris Bushby providing the dramatics with a RBI double in the sixth inning. Starter Jennifer Pursell (0-2) worked three complete innings, striking out two Titans while giving up three earned runs, before giving way to Jennifer Nelson with one out in the fourth.

With the help of Bulldog errors on consecutive batters, Fullerton plated two unearned runs in the second to take a 2-0 lead after two. Jessica Maloney extended the Titan lead to four with a two-run double in the fourth inning before Bushby's RBI double in the top half of the next inning plated Keri McCallum from second base with Mississippi State's only run of the contest.

Dara Marzolo's sacrifice fly to right field in the sixth inning brought Gina Oaks across the plate with an insurance run.

Mississippi State will again be in action on Sunday morning when they face Utah State (2-3) in the redeye game at 9 a.m. CST. The Bulldogs will return home on Friday to host the six-team Mississippi State Bulldog Classic at Bulldog Diamond Feb. 18-20.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/13/00 - Here are a couple of short interviews with a couple of our baseball pitchers.

Jeff Hunter (junior righthanded pitcher) interview after the Saturday scrimmage:

GS: How is your arm feeling after resting it this past fall?
Jeff Hunter: It feels good.

GS: Percentage-wise, where do you feel your arm is?
Jeff Hunter: I threw 100% yesterday, including throwing curveballs. About a week ago, I was throwing 75% with just a fastball and changeup but yesterday (Friday) was the first time for full speed.

GS: How do you feel that you threw yesterday?
Jeff Hunter: I did OK. The curveball takes time to get back in order.

GS: How is your control? You have always been a great control pitcher.
Jeff Hunter: It's good but it will get better. I think that I have walked two guys since I have been pitching again. That's not good for me.

GS: For you that's not good but most pitchers would love to walk only two in the same number of innings that you have pitched since coming back.... GS: How close do you feel you are to the Jeff Hunter of old?
Jeff Hunter: Not real close.

GS: How do you feel on the mound?
Jeff Hunter: I feel fine but I think that I am kind of mentally worried about it. It's fine, though. My arm doesn't hurt physically.

GS: How they told you when you will start pitching in games during the regular season?
Jeff Hunter: Coach mentioned that I would pitch 3 to 4 innings max during the first month or so. I won't be starting I would imagine.

GS: How does it feel to finally be wearing the Mississippi State maroon and white uniform?
Jeff Hunter: It's nice. It has always been a dream of mine. It has always been a dream.

GS: You are coming back from an injury to your pitching arm. How is your arm physically?
Steven Dowe: I think that I am back to full-speed. It took me a whole year to get back but I think that I am back.

GS: Sometimes the hardest part of coming back from an injury is the mental part. Are you OK with that?
Steven Dowe: I think so. I feel like I haven't missed a beat. Hopefully, I will be able to come back and contribute to the team this year.

GS: How do you feel that you have performed in your pitching outings so far?
Steven Dowe: I think that I have done pretty well. I feel that I can do better.

GS: Have the coaches told you how much they feel you will pitch this year?
Steven Dowe: They sure haven't.

02/11/00 - If you are going to the South Alabama Coca Cola Baseball Tournament in Mobile, Alabama next weekend, our Bulldogs are staying at The Clarion Hotel at Bel Air Mall. The phone number for reservations is 800-252-7466 or 334-476-6400.

02/11/00 - If you are a baseball coach in the state of Mississippi this will be of great interest to you. New Hope HS head baseball coach Stacy Hester and his wife Ann have just mailed over 350 letters to every baseball coach (college, junior college and high school) in the state. The letters are in reference to the newly formed Mississippi Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA) that they are organizing. It is something that they have talked about for a long time and things have finally started to fall into place. Almost every other state has an association similar to this. This organization will be an excellent way to promote baseball in Mississippi. If you are a Mississippi baseball coach and would like to contact the Hester's about joining this new association (dues are $10 per year), you can contact either Stacy or Ann by way of email. Their email address is hester6@tilc.com.

02/11/00 - Don't forget that MSU baseball will have a 10 a.m. scrimmage Saturday. Come on out and watch the Diamond Dogs in action prior to going to the Arkansas/MSU basketball game which is set for a 2 p.m. start.

02/11/00 - For head coach Kathy Arendsen and the Mississippi State softball team, the offseason has been quite good.

The Bulldogs brought in one of their best recruiting classes - complete with three new pitchers - and took home the 1999 MSU Fall Fest championship with a come-from-behind victory over MUW in the championship game. Just last weekend, Mississippi State again, this time more convincingly, defeated MUW in an exhibition, 4-0, to kick off the 2000 season.

However, as rousing as it was to win a couple of games here and there, Arendsen and her team know that the real season begins today as the Bulldogs begin their 2000 regular season in the Arizona State Fiesta Bowl Classic here in Phoenix.

"We are ready to play," Arendsen said. "We've had a good week of practice. Everyone is ready to get things going. Our players are very focused and ready to play Texas A&M."

Mississippi State (0-0) begins its portion of tournament play Friday afternoon when they take on 1999 NCAA Regional team Texas A&M at 2:30 p.m. CDT at the Rose Mofford Complex. Following their contest with the Aggies, the Bulldogs earn a date with 1999 Women's College World Series participant and third-ranked Fresno State, who also happen to carry the tag of 1998 National Champions.

However, Mississippi State enters the tournament with its heads held high on the shoulders of a three-game winning streak at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament coming into this weekend's play. The Bulldogs dropped their first two games of tournament play in 1999, but rebounded to win their final three games, including a very convincing 9-1 victory in five innings over UNLV, before exiting the tournament with a 7-2 victory over Utah State, whom the Bulldogs will play on Sunday morning.

"There is no doubt in my mind that our success in this tournament last year will give us confidence," Arendsen added. "We play two very tough teams on Friday. Everyone of our players know that we can be successful the next three days."

Overall, Mississippi State holds a 35-26 (.573) record in games played in a tournament or invitational format. However, the numbers may be deceiving. The Bulldogs achieved national demeanor last season at the Speedline Tournament in Tampa, Fla., advancing to the semifinals before falling to No. 14 Michigan. All in all, the Bulldogs have reached five tournament championship games and have made appearances in the semifinals of two others.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/09/00 - Since the end of the 1999 season, the parking area beyond the outfield fence at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium has remained empty and quiet. But come this weekend, one of college baseball's most unique attractions will come to life as Mississippi State fans begin moving their vehicles into the area in advance of the upcoming 2000 baseball.

Holders of the nearly 75 reserved season parking spaces in the "outfield terrace" are set to move into the outfield parking area this weekend, beginning Friday (Feb. 11) at 5 p.m. with the front row vehicles. The remaining trailers, trucks, cars and other vehicles will be parked beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday.

In conjunction with move-in day activities in the outfield, MSU will conduct a 10 a.m. scrimmage Saturday. Afterwards, members of the team and coaching staff will meet and greet the fans during an autograph/photo session in the outfield, concluding in advance of the 2 p.m. start of Saturday's Mississippi State-Arkansas basketball game at Humphrey Coliseum.

"Our fans in the leftfield lounge are a huge part of the Mississippi State baseball tradition," said third-year Bulldog head baseball coach Pat McMahon. "We want to give them a chance to meet this year's team and give our players an opportunity to get to know our great fans."

Mississippi State launches its 110th season of baseball Feb. 19-20 in Mobile, Ala., at the Coca-Cola Classic, hosted at Eddie Stanky Field by the University of South Alabama. The Bulldogs meet UAB at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 19 and then take on either Mercer or host South Alabama Feb. 20 at 12:30 or 3:30 p.m.

State meets Southeastern Louisiana Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. to open a 29-game home schedule at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium. MSU returns 19 lettermen from last year's squad that posted a 42-21 record and advanced to the finals of the 1999 NCAA Columbus (Ohio) Regionals.

The MSU Athletic Department Ticket Office (662-325-2600) is continuing to fill baseball season ticket orders for the coming season. The 2000 baseball season ticket sales total, through Feb. 8, stands at 3,472.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/08/00 - A few notes from yesterday's MSU baseball scrimmage (complete info and box score on the premium site):

02/07/00 - For those of you who will be attending the South Alabama Tournament that MSU will be playing in in a couple of weeks, here is something that you may want to attend.

You're invited to join the Mobile Alumni Chapter of the MSU Alumni Association for a seafood dinner with the baseball team after their game with UAB on Saturday, February 19th. The game will start at 3:30 at Stanky Field and the dinner will be immediately following at Christ United Methodist Church on Grelot Rd. The cost will be $15 per person (children under 10 can get a chicken finger dinner for $6.50). You may also sponsor a player's meal to help defray our costs.

Reply by e-mail to davef@zebra.net or the chapter address msudog@msn.com no later than noon Friday, February 11th to make your reservation. Include the number in your party (and number of children) and if you would like to sponsor a player. Please remember: A reservation made is a reservation paid.

The menu includes:
gumbo, fried jumbo shrimp, fried jumbo crab claws, fries, potato salad, cole slaw, dinner roll, tea/lemonade, assorted desserts, chicken fingers (available for children and folks with food allergies).

02/06/00 - Mississippi State took advantage of costly errors to string together a two-run second inning as the Bulldogs used dominant pitching and timely hitting to blank visiting MUW, 4-0, in an exhibition Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Diamond.

Kellie Wilkerson provided two RBI on a 1-3 hitting performance, while Chris Bushy (1-2) and Michelle Gates (1-2) accounted for the rest of the Bulldog offense with a RBI each. Starter Jennifer Pursell struck out four batters and surrendered a pair of hits in three innings of work to get the win, while Kasey Whitehead highlighted work in the sixth and seventh innings with three strikeouts and a lone hit.

"I was pleased with the way we played, but we lost some of our focus in the later innings," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "I thought everyone, including our new players, looked very comfortable out there today. We will be a very deep team this season and that will be key for us. We still can't afford injuries, but we know that, if they do happen, we will have quality people ready to step in for us."

The Bulldogs lit up the scoreboard first when Michelle Gates hit a two-out single through the right side to bring home Keri McCallum and give State a 1-0 lead after one. Mississippi State built its lead in the third when, after two costly errors by MUW with two outs showing put two State runners aboard, Wilkerson smacked a double to left field to plate both Nichole Henry and McCallum for the 3-0 lead.

Bushby's fifth-inning triple into left field brought home Kendell Kimbrough with the game's final run.

"MUW is a very good ball club," Arendsen said. "They are going to be a very good team this season. I thought that we played very well today. This is going to be a very exciting team to watch this season."

Mississippi State will again be in action on Friday when it travels to Phoenix, Ariz., to open its 2000 regular season in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament hosted by Arizona State. The Bulldogs will open up with three-straight 1999 NCAA Regional teams in Phoenix, including 1998 National Champion Fresno State in Friday's nightcap.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/05/00 - The Mississippi State softball team will get its first taste of the 2000 season Saturday morning when it hosts Mississippi University for Women in an exhibition game at Bulldog Diamond. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. The game will consist of a live-action, nine-inning game format.

Despite having just three weeks of practice under its belt heading into its preview of the upcoming season, Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen knows that her team is ready for a change of scenery. However, Arendsen warns that the Bulldogs will face an improved Blues team that watched a 2-0 lead over the Bulldogs slip away in the MSU Fall Fest championship game just four months ago.

"They know that MUW can come in here and beat them," Arendsen said. "MUW certainly proved that to us in the Fall Fest. We're not looking ahead to Texas A&M next week in Phoenix. I don't think they would do that. They are ready to play and I think that they are very anxious to play the game tomorrow."

Mississippi State will use the exhibition game as a tuneup for its 2000 regular season schedule which includes the likes of 13 teams ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association preseason poll. The Bulldogs will get their first taste of a very challenging schedule next weekend when they travel to Phoenix, Ariz., to take part in the 18-team Fiesta Bowl Tournament hosted by Arizona State.

Following its opener with 1999 NCAA Regional team Texas A&M to lead off its tournament play, the Bulldogs will follow up with a contest with 1998 National Champion and 1999 College World Series participant Fresno State.

"he experience that this exhibition with MUW provides us is invaluable heading into next weekend," rendsen said. "It gives us a game-type situation with umpires and the whole atmosphere to get us prepared for next week."

PROBABLE MISS. STATE LINEUP FOR SATURDAY

1. Keri McCallum, RF
2. Jennifer Nelson, LF
3. Kellie Wilkerson, CF
4. Michelle Gates, 3B
5. Jennifer Pursell, P
6. Jenny Hehnke, 2B
7. Karrie Rider, SS
8. Nichole Henry, C
9. Kasey Whitehead, DP
Cheri Smith, 1B/DEFO

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU sports media relations department

02/04/00 - I received this email from Richard Flight, Samford Assistant Athletics Director.

Greetings from Samford University. We are excited about our baseball game vs. Mississippi State, April 12th. (6 PM) I am sure it will be a well-played and well-attended game. Since it is still early, I wanted to contact you with various ticket and field information. The gates will open at 4 PM. Individual tickets are $5 a piece. With new field/stadium upgrades we now seat 1,000, with standing room available. We have some space for lawn chairs, etc. Tailgating is possible, however, space would be reserved at an auxiliary lot southeast of the football field. If your organization is planning an outing, group rates are available for $4 per ticket, when purchased in advance. Otherwise, tickets are general admission, first come, first served. Please e-mail me at rlflight@samford.edu if you have any questions or would like to make advance ticket reservations.

02/04/00 - On another baseball note. MSU's baseball team will be staying at the Sheraton-Four Points, 1500 South Raymond, Fullerton, CA. during the Cal-State Fullerton Tournament (March 3rd-5th). If you are planning on attending the tournament, you may call the Sheraton at 714-635-9000. They still have quite a few rooms available as of last night.

02/02/00 - Notes from yesterday's MSU baseball scrimmage:

02/01/00 - MSU is ranked 34th nationally in Baseball America's 2000 Pre-Season College Review. In the SEC West, MSU is picked to finish 4th. They are also projected as a regional selection. Shortstop Travis Chapman is ranked as the 14th best senior draft prospect.

In other polls MSU is 33rd in the USA TODAY Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches' Top 25 Pre-Season Poll and unranked in the Collegiate Baseball Pre-Season Poll.

The MSU softball team is ranked 43rd in the USA TODAY/NFCA Division I Top 25 Pre-Season poll.

Weather permitting, MSU baseball will have its first practice Wednesday. A scrimmage is planned. Practices are open to the public.

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