| 1996 | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1998 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1999 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2000 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2001 | Jan |
02/28/01 - Two of the best combo junior baseball/football players in the state of Mississippi appear to like MSU.
Bo Baxter - Bo, who is 6-2, 225, is the starting catcher and fullback for Tupelo (MS) HS. According to my source, he has received letters from quite a few of the SEC schools for both sports. He is an excellent student and has grown up as a Bulldog fan.
As far as his baseball talent is concerned, he not only can catch but can also play in the outfield. As a sophomore, he hit at a .370 clip while sharing catching duties with current MSU freshman catcher Reed Hawkins. During the summer, he played on the Junior and Senior American Legion teams, helping lead the Senior team to the national tournament, while hitting .500 in tournament play.
Weather permitting, MSU (1-3) will now meet Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee-Martin (0-5) in a pair of nine-inning games beginning at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The second game with the Skyhawks was added after Tuesday's scheduled game with another OVC team, Austin Peay, became the fourth Bulldog baseball game rained out this season. Season ticket holders should use the Game 6 UT-Martin ticket for Wednesday's doubleheader.
Mississippi State has had three consecutive games washed away by the same Pacific weather system. The storm forced cancellation of two Mississippi State-Southern California games last weekend in Los Angeles before moving eastward and wiping out the opening game of a scheduled 10-game homestand Tuesday with Austin Peay. A fourth MSU game was cancelled Feb. 16 when the Bulldogs' season-opening game with New Orleans in the National Bank of Commerce Classic became a victim of the severe windstorm that swept through Starkville.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to host Samford Thursday (Mar. 1) at 3 p.m. and Jacksonville (Ala.) State Saturday (Mar. 3) at Noon and Sunday (Mar. 4) at 1:30 p.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/27/01
Baseball - With a rain-abbreviated season-first road trip to California behind them, Mississippi State's baseball Bulldogs return to action at Dudy Noble Field Tuesday in a first-ever meeting the Austin Peay State University Governors. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
The game launches a season-longest run of 10 consecutive home games for the Bulldogs, who dropped a 7-3 decision to second-ranked Southern California last Friday in Los Angeles. Thanks to a Pacific storm, it was the only game played of three games scheduled on the West Coast trip.
Mississippi State (1-3) also has midweek battles with UT-Martin (Feb. 28) and Samford (Mar. 1) before entertaining Jacksonville State Saturday and Sunday in the final weekend of non-conference baseball competition. MSU opens its 10-weekend, 30-game SEC schedule at home Mar. 9-11 against longtime Western Division rival Auburn.
Austin Peay State University (3-4), from Clarksville, Tenn., is the first of two consecutive Ohio Valley Conference opponents for MSU this week. The UT-Martin Skyhawks (0-5), coached by former Delta State University standout Bubba Cates, visit Dudy Noble Field for a 3 p.m. game Wednesday.
Freshman DH Brent Lewis, senior outfielder Josh West and junior catcher Jason Burkley pace the Bulldogs at the plate with a .333 average. West and Burkley share the MSU RBI lead with four each while sophomore shortstop Matthew Maniscalco has extended his hitting streak to a team-leading four games. Maniscalco, now 4-for-4 on the basepaths, had a hand in a pair of double plays turned by the Bulldog defense against Southern California.
In a 3 p.m. game Thursday, Mississippi State hosts Samford University, coached by former MSU baseball player and coach Tim Parenton. The Bulldogs close out the week hosting Jacksonville (Ala.) State Saturday at Noon and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Sunday's game has been designated "Scout Day" at Dudy Noble Field for area Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
In its history, very few teams have gotten State's blood boiling. But, in the series history, Michigan has found a knack of playing spoiler for the Dogs at various high points in seasons past. The Wolverines own a 3-0 series advantage, but the games do not come without their drama.
In 1998, State nearly knocked off the then-second-ranked Wolverines at the Speedline Invitational in Tampa, Fla., but were forced to settle with a 2-1 heartbreaker. In 1999, Michigan posted a 9-3 rout of the Bulldogs in round-robin play at the Speedline Invitational, then ended the Dogs' run in the semifinals with a 4-3 victory. In that game, the Dogs loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Michigan put State away on an infield pop-up.
"Without a doubt, this is a highlight on our schedule this season," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "Michigan is a very tough team and will be a very good test for us. They are a well-coached team that does not make many mistakes. (Michigan head coach) Carol Hutchins is a very good coach and will have her team well-prepared to play us."
Albeit owning a .500 record, the Wolverines will be led into Starkville by a very talented pitching staff which has turned in a 2.37 team ERA, but has matchedup with some of the best hitting teams in the country. The staff is aced by sophomore Marissa Young (3-3) who has allowed just 19 hits in 33 innings of work, including a one-hit loss against No. 4 Alabama at the NFCA Leadoff Classic this past weekend.
In retrospect, Mississippi State's bats exploded in its last two showings against Penn State. In the two games with the Nittany Lions, State turned in 19 hits, including six for extra bases, but lost both halves of the twinbill. The Bulldogs are paced by two-time all-american Kellie Wilkerson who currently owns a .453 clip after hitting .529 (11-21) in six games last week.
The Bulldogs will attempt to counter Michigan's bats with a very young pitching staff which has showed signs of maturing through 17 games. The staff is led by ace Jennifer Pursell (3-5) who, although below the .500 mark, has battled in every one of her team-leading 11 appearances this season.
"On paper, we match up very well with Michigan," Arendsen said. "The home field advantage could be a big key in this game, but Michigan will counter that with their discipline."
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/24/01 (6:00 p.m.)
Baseball - For the second consecutive year a Pacific storm has curtailed a West Coast trip by Mississippi State's Baseball Bulldogs.
Rainy weather in Los Angeles forced cancellation of a scheduled Saturday doubleheader between Mississippi State and second-ranked Southern California at Dedeaux Field. The Trojans (9-4) claimed a 7-3 win over the Bulldogs (1-3) Friday in the only game played during the weekend series.
The Baseball Bulldogs faced similar weather problems playing in the inaugural Kia Baseball Bash at Fullerton, Calif., last March, with one game rained out, another game shortened to five innings and a third game stretched over two days due to rain.
Mississippi State returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 27, meeting Austin Peay at Dudy Noble Field. The 3 p.m. game launches a 10-game homestand for the Bulldogs.
The rainouts at USC are the second and third games lost to weather in the early going of the 2001 campaign. A scheduled Feb. 16 season-opening matchup with New Orleans in the NBC Classic at Dudy Noble Field was cancelled when a severe storm system dumped heavy rain and knocked out power as it moved through Starkville.
MSU is expected to add games to its schedule to replace those lost to the weather.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/24/01
Baseball - Mississippi State lost a 7-3 decision to the number two-ranked Southern California team Friday night. USC ace Jason Prior earned the victory. Prior, who is now 3-0 on the season, scattered four hits and struck out nine over six innings before Chad Clark came on to work the final three frames and earn his first save of the year.
Junior Tanner Brock (0-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs on six hits in 4.1 innings. He allowed five of his runs in the second inning. Sophomore pitchers Joey Collums and Chris Young pitched the final 3.2 innings, allowing just one run.
MSU was led in hitting by senior Josh West and true freshman Brent Lewis, both of whom had a couple of base hits each.
Matthew Maniscalco opened the sixth inning with a single to extend his team-best season-opening hitting streak to four games.
Attendance for the game was a miniscule 411.
MSU and USC will play a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m. central time. The Saturday single game was rescheduled to a doubleheader due to a strong Pacific storm that is expected to hit Los Angeles Sunday.
Three different players recorded hits for the Bulldogs who struggled to find a groove at the plate. Starter Jennifer Pursell worked the first five innings virtually errorless, before getting victimized with a pair of doubles in the sixth, including one that nipped the base of the fence in left-centerfield. Pursell (3-4) scattered seven hits, striking out three while surrendering a pair of earned runs, to take the loss.
The twinbill non-conference sweep marked the first for the Bulldogs since late-April 1999 when State dropped a home doubleheader to then-sixth-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette. It was the first time State has dropped both games of a doubleheader to an unranked non-conference opponent since the 1986 season.
State posed an immediate threat in the first inning, getting Kellie Wilkerson to within 60 feet of scoring the go-ahead run, but UNLV ace Geney Orris (3-1) got Cheri Smith on a groundout to end the Bulldog threat. The Bulldogs got Wilkerson to third again in the fourth, but a missed suicide squeeze led to a pickoff, taking the stress off the shoulders of the Rebels.
With two outs showing in the sixth, UNLV got two runners into scoring position on a single by Shawna Koessling and a double by Samantha Kimura, before Linda Garza's two-run double gave Orris all the run support she needed.
In the opener of the twinbill, UNLV took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth and held back a late rally by Mississippi State as the homestanding Rebels nipped the Bulldogs, 3-2, in the opening game of the UNLV Tri-Tournament on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.
Five different players recorded hits for Mississippi State, with Kate Jaspers pacing the Bulldogs with a 1-2 performance with one RBI and a run scored. Starter Iyhia McMichael (3-1) worked the first three and one-thirds innings of the contest, surrendering all three runs on just three hits, to take the loss for State. The two runs in the opening frame marked the first earned runs of the season for the Texas native. The loss also snapped a season-high five-game winning streak for the Bulldogs.
Mississippi State plated a run in the top half of the first on a throwing error by UNLV shortstop Marisa Martinez, but UNLV scored two runs in the bottom of the inning on the shoulders of consecutive RBI singles by Samantha Kimura and Orris.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/23/01
Baseball - Co-Lin CC plays in Mobile Saturday against Bishop State at Lipscomb Field. Gametime is set for 1 p.m. MSU signee Jacob Blakeney will pitch the first game of the doubleheader.
Co-Lin is 2-2 on the season after sweeping a doubleheader against Shelby State (Memphis) and losing a twinbill against Bossier CC out of Bossier City, LA.
On the season, Jacob has pitched in two games while recording a 1-0 record. During those two games, he has pitched 9 innings, allowed 9 hits, struck out 4, walked 3, and allowed 2 earned runs for an ERA of 2.00.
Co-Lin plays again against Shelby State Monday in Memphis but Blakeney won't pitch in those games unless there is a rainout Saturday.
02/22/01 (4:25 p.m.)
Softball - Mississippi State (9-4) will put its five-game winning streak on the line this weekend as the Bulldogs travel to take part in the UNLV Tri-Tournament this weekend on the campus of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
Mississippi State will open up tournament play on Friday when the Bulldogs suit up to face the tournament-host Rebels (7-5) in a 10 a.m. PST doubleheader. State will close out tournament play on Saturday in a 10 a.m. doubleheader with Penn State (2-4).
Unfamiliar to the role, Mississippi State heads into the tournament without a national ranking. The Bulldogs dropped out of the national spotlight on Wednesday in a poll released by USA Today and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. It was the first time in 12 polls that the Bulldogs failed to be listed amongst the top 25 teams in the country. Mississippi State currently has 28 votes for national consideration.
"We know what we have to do to break back into the national rankings," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "We have dropped a couple of close games this season, including one to the 16th-ranked team in the country. This team will bounce back. They are very resilient."
But, to do so, the Bulldogs will have to post four victories against very tough competition here in Las Vegas. UNLV has already posted impressive victories this season against national contenders, while Penn State's record is very deceptive as well. The Nittany Lions dropped a contest to then-winless Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last weekend, but bounced back to put a pair of scares into fifth-ranked Alabama in College Station, Texas. Arendsen is very quick to put her team on alert this weekend.
"UNLV and Penn State are just as hungry for victories as we are," she said. "They know that we were nationally ranked and they will use that as motivation when they play us. We have also posted victories against both of them in the past two seasons and they will also be looking for redemption this weekend."
UNLV is hitting a disguised .258 as a team, but possesses a trio of hitters above the .300 plateau. Third baseman Linda Garza is hitting .398 with one home run and eight RBI. However, UNLV's sixth and seventh hitters Rachel Goodpaster and Samantha Kimura have a combined two home runs and 21 RBI. However, the Rebels' hitting makes up for its suspect pitching. To date, UNLV is maintaining a 2.46 team ERA but is forcing its opponents to a 4.17 mark inside the circle.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/22/01
Baseball - Seven Bulldog pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout Wednesday as 30th-ranked Mississippi State (1-2) blanked Jackson State 10-0 at Dudy Noble Field.
Starter Brandon Medders (1-0) fanned two batters in two innings to pick up the win, the first of the young season for Mississippi State. Four MSU freshmen --- Collins Hughes, Todd Nicholas, Jeff Lacher and Jonathan Papelbon, joined Medders and veterans Ryan Carroll and Josh Wooten on the mound for State. The shutout was the Bulldogs' third straight and fifth in the last six meetings with the Tigers. Five other Bulldogs saw their first career playing time in the game.
State pounded out 11 hits and scored in each of the first four innings to take an 8-0 lead. Josh West tied a school record with two triples, Phillip Willingham singled twice and Jason Burkley drove in three runs to pace the Bulldogs. Left fielder Dewan Day had two hits for JSU, while starter Lavon Lane (0-1), the first of three Tiger pitchers, allowed seven runs in 2-2/3 innings and took the loss.
The Bulldogs travel to Los Angeles, Calif., Thursday in advance of a three-game road series against second-ranked Southern California (8-3). The weekend set begins Friday at 7 p.m. (CST) at Dedeaux Field. All three games will be broadcast on the MSU Baseball Radio Network.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 10, JACKSON STATE 0
Jackson State (3-3) 000 000 000 - 0 4 3
Mississippi State (1-2) 223 102 00x - 10 11 0
WP - Brandon Medders (1-0). LP - Lavon Lane (0-1) Lane, Seaberry (3), K. Smith (7) and D. Jones. Medders, Hughes (3), Nicholas (4), Lacher (6), Carroll (7) and Burkley, Papelbon (8) and Farris, Wooten (9) and Parks.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/21/01 (Noon)
Baseball - Chalk up another preseason honor for Mississippi State pitcher Adam Larson. The junior righthander from Cordova, Tenn., has been named to the 2001 Street & Smith's Preseason All-America Baseball Team.
It's the third such national honor for the former Germantown High School standout, who has already received preseason all-America recognition from the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Larson ranked second in the SEC last year with a team-leading 12 saves and entered his third collegiate campaign with a 6-3 record, 3.67 ERA and 15 saves, third most by a Bulldog pitcher.
Larson is one of six players from the Southeastern Conference on the 27-player honor team.
More MSU baseball news.
Mississippi State has finalized arrangements with FOX Sports Net South and Comcast Sports Southeast to televise three baseball games, bringing to seven the number of TV games announced for the Diamond Dogs in 2001.
Comcast cable systems in the region will broadcast the Friday night Mississippi State-LSU game March 23 and the Wednesday night Mississippi State-Troy State game on April 4. Game times for for contests will remain unchanged at 6:30 p.m.
FOX Sports Net South, already scheduled to televise MSU games with LSU (Mar. 24), the Mayor's Trophy Game in Jackson with Mississippi (Mar. 28) and the Saturday game at Tennessee (Apr. 7), has added the Friday MSU-Kentucky game on Apr. 20 to its college baseball lineup. Game time for that game has been moved to 6 p.m. to accommodate the telecast.
Alabama-based College Sports Southeast (MSU vs. South Carolina, Apr. 13) and the Florida-based Sunshine Network (MSU at Florida, Apr. 28) are also included in MSU's 2001 baseball television schedule.
MSU appeared made a school-record 19 televised baseball games in 2000.
MSU BASEBALL TV SCHEDULE
Date Opponent (network) Time
Mar. 23 (Comcast Sports SE) 6:30 p.m.
Mar. 24 LSU (FOX Sports Net South) 3:15 p.m.
Mar. 28 vs. Mississippi (FOX Sports Net South) 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 4 Troy State (Comcast Sports SE) 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 7 at Tennessee (FOX Sports Net South) 3:15 p.m.
Apr. 13 South Carolina (College Sports SE) 6:30 p.m.
Apr. 20 Kentucky (FOX Sports Net South) 6:00 p.m.
Apr. 28 Florida (Sunshine Network) 6:00 p.m.
All game times are CST or CDT
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/20/01 (9:25 p.m.)
Softball - A three-run dinger by Blaire Brown in the third, coupled with a melee of errors by visiting Louisiana-Monroe (11-3) in the fourth, paved the way for six runs in two innings for #23 Mississippi State (9-4) as the Bulldogs completed the sweep of the Indians with a 8-5 victory in game two Tuesday evening at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Three different players turned in two-hit performances for State, including Brown's 2-4, three RBI performance that paced the Bulldog bats. Starter Jennifer Nelson lasted just one-third of an inning, before giving way to Kasey Whitehead (1-1) in the seventh. Jennifer Pursell came in with bases loaded in the seventh, surrendering no hits while striking out one Indian, to earn her second save of the twinbill.
The sweep of Louisiana-Monroe was the first for State since the 1999 season when the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader in Starkville 9-1 and 3-2. The consecutive losses marked the first for the Indians this season.
Caught in an early 2-0 deficit after the top of the first, Iyhia McMichael's double to left center plated Jennifer Jessup with the Bulldogs first run, but ULM extended their lead back to two runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Casey Goodman. However, with two outs showing and two runners on, Brown smacked a bomb to left center that gave the Bulldogs the first lead of the game and sent the Indians into disarray.
Four errors, coupled with timely hits by the host-Bulldogs, brought three runs across the plate in the fourth to extend the State lead to 7-3, before Whitehead's suicide squeeze in the sixth brought Wilkerson home with the five-run lead. Louisiana-Monroe loaded the bases with its first three batters of the seventh, scoring two runs on a RBI single by Mimi Randolph and a fielder's choice RBI by Goodman, but could not get any closer.
In the opening game of the twinbill, Kellie Wilkerson's walk-off homer to straight-away center in the ninth brought an abrupt end to a defensive battle as Mississippi State rebounded from a minute hitting performance to down the Indians 2-1 in nine innings.
Wilkerson and freshman Kate Jaspers both provided 2-4 hitting performances to pace the Bulldogs and counter a 10-hit showing by the visiting Indians. Starter Iyhia McMichael worked the first five innings of the contest, scattering seven hits but surrendering no earned runs, to earn the victory. Pursell worked the final four innings, striking out three, to earn her first save of the season.
State lit up the scoreboard first in the third inning, taking advantage of a costly error by ULM first baseman Katrina Emerick to plate an unearned run. McMichael held the Indians in check until the sixth inning when Emerick's routine grounder to right field was misplayed, allowing Lori Tande to cross the plate with the game-tying run.
Goodman reached as far as third base in the ULM-half of the eighth, but the Indians' offense could not bring the runner home. State sent just three batters to the plate in their half of the eighth, before the Indians threatened again in the ninth, getting Annie Hancock into scoring position before Pursell retired the side.
Mississippi State will return to action on Friday when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the UNLV Tri-Tournament. State will face tournament-host UNLV in a Friday doubleheader before concluding play in the tournament with a doubleheader against Penn State on Saturday.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/20/01 (8:35 p.m.)
Baseball - Eager to register its first win of the young season, Mississippi State entertains instate non-conference foe Jackson State and wraps up a season-opening homestand Wednesday, meeting Jackson State at 3 p.m.
The Bulldogs (0-2) dropped a pair of closely-contested two-run battles with then-12th ranked Notre Dame in the storm-shortened National Bank of Commerce Classic. State's Classic-opening matchup with the University of New Orleans was cancelled Friday by the severe storm that flooded the field, knocked out power and uprooted trees at Dudy Noble Field.
State is expected to split up pitching duties Wednesday against Jackson State (3-2).
Jackson State (3-2) is riding a three-game win streak after handing first-year head coach Mark Salter his first three at Jackson State in last weekend's JSU Classic. The Tigers topped Savannah State 7-2 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff 15-7 and 9-6.
MSU used 20 players during its first two games, eight of them seeing their first playing time at Mississippi State. Junior catcher Jason Burkley (.429), freshman third baseman Steve Gendron (.375) and sophomore shortstop Matthew Maniscalco (.300) hit safely in both games while rookie designated hitter Brent Lewis (.375) collected three hits and one of the team's three doubles in Sunday's 11-inning battle with the Fighting Irish.
Mississippi State slipped to No. 30 in the latest Collegiate Baseball rankings and received the 28th-highest vote total in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Poll announced Monday.
Following the only scheduled meeting of the year with Jackson State, Mississippi State travels to Los Angeles, Calif., for a three-game series against second-ranked Southern Cal, 8-2 heading into a pair of midweek games. USC becomes the third consecutive 2000 NCAA Tournament team faced by the Bulldogs, following Notre Dame and Jackson State. MSU's scheduled season-opening foe, New Orleans, was also in the 64-team field of last year's NCAA Tournament.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/20/01
Baseball - In the latest baseball polls, MSU is ranked 30th in the Collegiate Baseball poll, down from 21st last week. Baseball America doesn't have MSU ranked in their top 25. Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches' poll has not come out as of Monday. MSU was ranked 16th in their poll last week.
MSU's opponent this past weekend, Notre Dame, is currently ranked 11th in Baseball America and 12th in Collegiate Baseball. Southern Cal, MSU's opponent for the upcoming weekend, is ranked 2nd in Baseball America and 3rd in Collegiate Baseball.
02/19/01 (8:15 p.m.)
Softball - Mississippi State (7-4), fresh off a 3-1 showing at home this past weekend, will complete a six-game homestand Tuesday afternoon when the Bulldogs suit up to host visiting Louisiana-Monroe (7-1) in a non-conference doubleheader at the Mississippi State Softball Field. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
The Bulldogs are currently riding the shoulders of a three-game winning streak after sweeping a pair of non-conference games against Tennessee Tech and Drexel, respectively, on Sunday. Mississippi State wrapped up action in the 2001 MSU Bulldog Classic with a early victory over Tennessee Tech, then wrapped up a perfect Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Drexel in non-conference action.
"We came out sluggish at first, but were successful in the end," said Arendsen of the victories. "I'd still like to see some consistency from our team."
The Bulldogs and Indians have shared a series that has gone back and forth between the two ballclubs. Mississippi State swept a pair of meetings in both the 1998 and 1999 season, but split a doubleheader at Louisiana-Monroe last season. In the opening game of that twinbill, the Indians took advantage of baserunning errors to squeak by with a 3-2 win. State equalled the margin in the second game, defeating the Indians by the same 3-2 score.
However, Mississippi State exhibits a much different flavor this season. Through the first 11 games of the 2001 campaign, seven freshman have seen considerable playing time in the club's 7-4 start. Both clubs should contrast each other's hitting with above average pitching staffs, however. Louisiana-Monroe has tallied a 1.38 team ERA 11 games into the season, led by staff ace Annie VanOosbree's 1.33 ERA and 45 strikeouts through 52.2 innings of work. State will counter with a staff that has turned in a 1.51 team ERA through 11 games.
"We need to come out with high intensity each and every game. That is what successful teams do. Louisiana-Monroe is going to come in here looking to get a pair of wins against us and we need to be both physically and mentally prepared for that."
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/19/01
Baseball - Notre Dame (2-1) took advantage of a pair of 11th-inning Mississippi State errors Sunday afternoon to claim a 4-2 win over the Bulldogs (0-2) in the finale game of the inaugural National Bank of Commerce Classic at Dudy Noble Field.
Left fielder Kris Billmaier reached base on a dropped fly ball at first base and scored when Joe Thamann lined a double to left off MSU relief pitcher Adam Larson (0-1). Andrew Bushey, who singled to advance Billmaier to third base, scored the game's final run on a bases-loaded groundout by Steve Stanley.
The two-run burst made a winner of sophomore righthander Matt Laird (1-0), who earned the save in Notre Dame's 7-5 win over Mississippi State Saturday afternoon.
Brian Stavisky went 4-for-6 with a triple to pace Notre Dame at the plate. Steve Sollmann added three hits and Joe Thamann a pair of doubles as the Irish pounded out 15 hits.
The two teams played five innings of scoreless baseball before Notre Dame tallied two in the sixth. Alec Porzel opened the inning with a double off MSU starter Jeff Hunter and scored when brian Stavisky greeted MSU freshman relief pitcher Paul Maholm with a triple to right-centerfield. Stavisky, 7-for-9 with a pair of walks in two games against MSU, scored on a single by Billmaier.
The Bulldogs answered with a run in the sixth when Jason Burkley doubled, advanced to third on a bunt single by Brent Lewis, and later scored on a double-play grounder to second base. Burkley, Lewis and Steve Gendron singled to score the Bulldogs' game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth.
Mississippi State was positioned to pick up its first win of the campaign in the bottom of the 10th. With runners at first and second, Notre Dame's laird entered the game and got pinch-hitter Brad Hutto to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Lewis, the Bulldog designated hitter, had three hits while Matthew Maniscalco, Burkley and Gendron had two each to pace MSU's 10-hit attack.
Mississippi State closes out its season-opening homestand Feb. 21 at 3 p.m., hosting in-state rival Jackson State. The Bulldogs then make their second West Coast trip in as many years this weekend, traveling to Los Angeles for a three-game series against top-ranked Southern Cal.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/18/01 (10:00 p.m.)
Softball (Sunday's games) - Despite being faced with an early deficit, #23 Mississippi State (7-4) posted a pair of runs in the third to take the lead then rallied behind its defense to take a 4-1 decision from visiting Drexel Sunday afternoon at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Freshman Lindsay Nelson recorded a 2-3 performance at the plate and added a RBI to pace a slow-starting Mississippi State offense. Starter Jennifer Nelson worked a hitless first inning before giving way to Iyhia McMichael (3-0) in the second. Jennifer Pursell worked the final three innings of the contest, surrendering just a lone hit while striking out one, to earn the save.
After a pair of second inning errors gave Drexel a runner in scoring position, Rachel Levinson gave the Dragons the one-run lead when she laced a RBI single down the left field line to score Lori Swanson from second. However, consecutive RBI hits in the bottom of the third allowed the Bulldogs to take the lead for the first time. Kate Jaspers provided the first Bulldog run on a RBI single that plated pinch runner Robyn Schlagheck from second base and Kellie Wilkerson followed with a RBI triple off the centerfield wall to plate Jaspers from second base.
Mississippi State added single insurance runs in the fourth and sixth innings on RBI singles by Lindsay Nelson and Robyn Schlagheck, respectively, to secure the victory.
Three different players recorded hits for the Bulldogs who struggled to get timely hits in the game. Starter Kasey Whitehead worked the first five and one thirds innings before giving way to Wilkerson (1-0) with one out in the sixth. Wilkerson pitched the remainder of the contest, striking out three Golden Eagles, to earn the victory.
Mississippi State sent a trio of players to all-tournament team honors. Shortstop Jennifer Jessup, outfielder Kellie Wilkerson and third baseman Cheri Smith helped the Bulldogs secure the most spots on the team. Texas-Arlington pitcher Katy Cox, who helped the Mavericks secure the tournament championship, garnered tournament MVP honors.
After a handful of missed opportunities for both teams provided a scoreless tie at the end of the regulation seven innings, Mississippi State took advantage of its portion of the eighth. With the international tie breaker rule in effect, which automatically places a runner on second at the start of the inning, Lindsay Nelson's seeing-eye single with two strikes found its way past the shortstop, allowing McMichael more than enough time to score from second base.
Mississippi State will again be in action on Tuesday afternoon when the Bulldogs entertain visiting Louisiana-Monroe in a afternoon doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at the Mississippi State Softball Field. Admission is free of charge.
Redshirt freshman Jennifer Jessup recorded a 3-3 performance at the plate, adding a pair of RBI and two runs scored, to pace the Bulldog bats, while Kellie Wilkerson added a trifecta of hits on a 3-4 performance with a pair of RBI. Starter Jennifer Nelson (1-0) scattered six hits, striking out five while surrendering a pair of unearned runs, to earn the victory in her first appearance of the season.
The victory marked the most lopsided victory in the history of the MSU Bulldog Classic and marked the largest margin of victory for Mississippi State since a 12-0 win at Kentucky on April 17, 1999. The Bulldogs also set a new facility record with 16 hits against the Eagles.
Mississippi State sent its order to the plate twice in the opening frame, using an offensive explosion to score 11 runs on 10 hits and take a sizeable lead into the bottom of the first. The Bulldogs struck again in their next two at bats, using RBI singles by Jessup, Amy Mosley and Cheri Smith to take a 14-0 lead into the bottom of the third. Winthrop used a throwing error and a RBI single by Leslie McAllister in the bottom of the third to plate a pair of runs, but could not inch any closer.
Jessup recorded a 2-3 performance at the plate and scored a run to highlight the Mississippi State offense, with three other players recording single hits. Starter Jennifer Pursell (2-3) scattered six hits in three innings of work, surrendering a pair of runs in the first inning, to take the loss for Mississippi State.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Bulldogs in the State-hosted tournament. Mississippi State's last setback in the Bulldog Classic came on Feb. 21, 1999, when Jacksonville State defeated the Bulldogs 6-3.
Southern Illinois loaded the bases with its first four at bats, then took the lead when Pursell walked designated player Andrea Harris to give pinchrunner Tahira Saafir a free pass home from third. Julie Meier's fielder's-choice RBI plated Maria Viefhaus to give the Salukis a 2-0 lead after the first half inning. State utilized a leadoff triple by Jessup in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly by Kate Jaspers to cut its deficit to a single run heading into the second inning.
Julie Meier's RBI single to centerfield in the top of the third plated Kendra Moore to, again, give the Salukis a two-run lead, but State countered with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame on a RBI single to left field by Blaire Brown.
Mississippi State will continue action in the 2001 MSU Bulldog Classic on Sunday afternoon, when the Bulldogs entertain Tennessee Tech in a 2 p.m. contest at the Mississippi State softball field. Texas-Arlington and Southern Illinois will open up play at 10 a.m. followed by a 12 p.m. contest between Drexel and Winthrop. All games of the 2001 Bulldog Classic will be played at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
Following the conclusion of play in the 2001 MSU Bulldog Classic, Mississippi State will entertain Drexel in non-conference action at the MSU Softball Field. Game time is approximately 4 p.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/18/01 - On Saturday Mississippi State was defeated by Notre Dame 7 to 5 in MSU's first baseball game of the year.
Bulldog reliever Joey Collums took the loss while preseason All-American pitcher Aaron Heilman earned the victory. The Bulldogs could come up with just five hits on the game with Notre Dame getting nine hits. Notre Dame's right fielder Brian Stavisky was the hitting star for the game with a 3-for-3 day and 2 walks. On a very cold, windy day (46 degrees) 4,258 attended the game. The attendance was the 4th largest home opener crowd in Mississippi State history and the largest since 1990.
Quotes from the postgame MSU vs Notre Dame baseball press conference.
MSU Pitcher Joey Collums
MSU Coach Pat McMahon
Notre Dame Coach Paul Mainieri
02/16/01
Softball - Nationally-ranked Mississippi State (4-3), fresh off its first road trip of the young 2001 campaign, returns home this weekend to host the six-team Mississippi State Bulldog Classic.
Five teams - Drexel, Southern Illinois, Tennessee Tech, Texas-Arlington and Winthrop - will make their way into Starkville in hopes of dethroning State from its perch that it has enjoyed in the tournament. Drexel and Southern Illinois will open up tournament play on Friday at 12 p.m., followed by the first of two-straight games for the Bulldogs when the hosts entertain Southern Illinois at 2 p.m.
State will play again at 4 p.m. when it entertains the Dragons to close out its portion of opening day play. All games of the 2001 MSU Bulldog Classic will be played at the Mississippi State Softball Field.
"This is a tournament that we look forward to every season," said Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen. "The Bulldog Classic allows us to display the talents of our team, as well as our outstanding facilities that we enjoy here at Mississippi State. We are excited to get things going."
Since the introduction of the tournament in 1998, the Bulldogs have posted 13 wins, as opposed to just three losses, in the Classic - by far its most successful of any tournament the Bulldogs have played in. The tournament has had its benefits to the players as well. Kellie Wilkerson, last season's Bulldog Classic tournament MVP, hit .615 with three home runs and seven RBI en route to capturing SEC Player of the Week honors the following day.
The Bulldogs hold a 5-2 record against this year's tournament field with its only blemishes coming against Texas-Arlington in 1986 - the Bulldogs' last meeting with the Mavericks. Mississippi State defeated Winthrop 9-3 last season in its only meeting with the Eagles and remains unbeaten in four meetings with Tennessee Tech.
"I think our players have to realize that there are no gimme games in collegiate softball. Anybody can beat anybody," Arendsen said. "That is the way that we have to approach this tournament. After all the success we enjoyed last season, there are no easy games for us anymore. We are now the hunted."
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/14/01 - During the First Pitch Baseball Banquet last night MSU Athletic Director Larry Templeton mentioned that MSU baseball, in the near future, hopes to annouce a $2,000,000 baseball facilities expansion project. Here is his exact quote.
"During the next forty-five days, I hope Mississippi State University is in a position to announce another major athletic expansion that will involve a two-million dollar expansion of Polk-DeMent Stadium that will include an indoor workout area, new offices for our baseball coaches, as well as a Walk of Fame entering Dudy Noble Field/Polk-DeMent Stadium. We already have one of the two lead gifts committed. I hope within forty-five days we can make the announcement to get this project moving."
Larry also mentioned a new ESPN contract with the College World Series.
"Last Wednesday and Thursday I was in Indianapolis at the NCAA Championship Cabinet meeting. We finalized the contract with ESPN to do the College World Series this coming year. For the first time ESPN is going to do a live two-hour opening ceremonies show from Rosenblatt Stadium prior to the first game."
By the way, there was a standing room only crowd last night. According to Coach McMahon, they set up seats for between 400 and 500 people. There must have been between 500 and 600 folks in attendance. Obviously, the banquet was a huge success.
02/12/01
Softball - Unranked Southwest Texas State (8-2) rallied in a four-run fourth inning, using a demonstration of power and key defensive plays, to upset #23 Mississippi State (4-3) on Feb. 11 at the Islander Classic, hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Three different players recorded hits for the Bulldogs, with Iyhia McMichael and Jennifer Waterman going 1-2 with a walk. Starter Kasey Whitehead (0-1) gave up four earned runs on five hits, striking out three Bobcats, to take the loss for State.
The Bulldogs represented the third upset victim this season for Southwest Texas State, who had previously beaten a pair of nationally ranked PAC-10 teams in #16 Oregon State and #20 Oregon.
Southwest Texas State struck first in the second frame, using consecutive doubles by Elizabeth Wissel and Jennie Tomme to plate the first run of the game. After surrendering a walk with the next at bat, Whitehead retired the next two Bobcats before surrendering a hit to leadoff batter Kristen Zaleski to load the bases. However, Stephanie Hughes' soft grounder was easily collected by Brooke Best to end the threat.
Southwest Texas State struck again in the fourth, when after a leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt, the Bobcats used three consecutive hits and a suicide squeeze to plate four runs and take a 5-0 lead into the fifth. Kristy Gandy's RBI single plated Katie Mauldin with the inning's first run before Perri Yarbrough's single through the lef side set the table for Zaleski who laced a triple into the leftfield gap to score both runners. Hughes' used the next at bat to sacrifice Zaleski in on a suicide squeeze bunt to cap the game scoring.
Mississippi State will again be in action on Friday when they return to Starkville to host the six-team MSU Bulldog Classic. The Bulldogs will open their portion of tournament play on Friday at 2 p.m. when they entertain Southern Illinois. Venues for the 2001 MSU Bulldog Classic will be divided between the Mississippi State Softball Field and the MSU RecPlex. The Bulldogs will play all round-robin games in their home stadium.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/11/01
Baseball
Next Tuesday night is Meet the Players Banquet. That has become a nice tradition for us. It is an opportunity for fellowship and a great evening. This year Boo Ferriss, a former Bulldog star and former Delta State University baseball coach, will be our guest speaker. We are very honored to have him speaking. He will also be at practice to share with our guys.
Last Saturday we opened with what I think is one of the great spectacles in all of college sports when we opened the left field lounge. Our players were out there involved with it.
I would like to address is the season tickets. We are very excited about that. I think we are at 4,182 as of Friday. Last year we broke a season ticket record at 4,552. What is really exciting about that is the fact that the previous record was in 1989 when we were preseason number one and last year we were virtually unranked going into the year. That shows an awful lot about the great fans that we have here at Mississippi State. That to me is very special.
We have the finest baseball fans in the country. There are a lot of different ways that our fans make an impression on people. I am going to cite three of them.
The first one came out on a website (after our regional last year). This was Notre Dame baseball coach Paul Mainieri speaking. He said "this crowd is most knowledgeable baseball fans that you would ever want to meet." He talked about the baseball game and the respect and experience that they had.
The second thing was a letter that was in the NCAA News. It talked about the impression that the fans at Mississippi State made. It was from a parent of a Notre Dame baseball player. I'll paraphrase it. It talks about "when our son called to tell us that Notre Dame was in a regional, my first question was where. I was disappointed when he said Starkville and Mississippi State because I had an impression of the Southeastern Conference based on some things that I had seen on tv. After two hours of trying to find a place that was not an hour and a half to two hours away a very kind person at the Starkville Visitors Bureau gave me the name of Shay McDonald. She arranged a room in a resident hall within walking distance. Not only that she put all of us fans in the same area. I will not take the time to tell you all of the kindness that was extended to us by the baseball fans in Starkville and Mississippi State but I want you to know that even if our son is not playing the next time Mississippi State is hosting a baseball tournament, we plan to go. The games were exciting and it was a wonderful experience. Even though we did not win, none of us felt like we were losers."
A third thing was recently in a letter to our editor in our Starkville paper just this week.
"I was both lucky and privilege to witness last year's NCAA baseball regional in Starkville. My son Matt was a tri-captain with Notre Dame and played second base. The games were outstanding and MSU won that regional in one of the most exciting games that I have ever witnessed. All of us in the Notre Dame family that attended the regional were so impressed with the first class atmosphere at Mississippi State University, the Starkville, Mississippi community and all of its loyal baseball fans. At Notre Dame we have been able to witness some special athletic events (he has been at every home game in the last 30 years) but I can honestly say that the Starkville regional was the most exciting and enjoyable sports experience that I have ever had. You have the best atmosphere in all of America. We at Notre Dame appreciate excellence. Thank you once again Mississippi State for an experience of a lifetime and for a chance to do it all over again. I'm sure once again all of the fans will be treated in a first class manner. In a week the Irish are coming back. It will be a great weekend for those of us who were there. Thanks to NBC Bank for making this tournament possible."
When we look at a season we break it down into several stages. The stages are fall practice, the weight training plan over the holidays, the workouts when you come back to school, then setting up your plan for what you are trying to accomplish during the season.
It is going to be a very young and inexperienced ballclub positionally. Because of that, there are some things that concern us. Obviously, when you have to replace your catcher, your second baseman, third baseman, left fielder, center fielder and DH. Those are areas of concern.
From a pitching perspective, we return ten out of fourteen pitchers who had SEC experience. That is good. There are still a lot of rolls that are to be determined on the ballclub.
Now, I would like to entertain any questions that you have.
Do you expect to throw any of your freshmen pitchers this year?
Coach Pat McMahon: Very much so. The incoming class, pitchers and position players, we feel has some outstanding young prospects who will fit in very well.
Do you feel like you have some lefthanded pitchers who will contribute this year?
Coach Pat McMahon: We feel like we have four quality lefthanders, two returners in Steven Dowe and Joey Collums and two outstanding young freshmen in Todd Nicholas and Paul Maholm. You will see those four guys pitch some. That gives us some matchup opportunities that we are excited about.
Talk about the two freshmen, Brad Hutto and Steve Gendron, that you have tentatively listed as possible position starters?
Coach Pat McMahon: Brad (Hutto), who is a redshirt freshman, is a lefthanded hitting outfielder who is an outstanding athlete who has a chance to play a lot for us. He has learned to use the whole field as an offensive player. Steven Gendron is an outstanding young man who was a nice draft by the San Francisco Giants. He has a chance to be an outstanding player for us.
Talk about the third base position?
Coach Pat McMahon: We are having to try and replace Travis Chapman. We have four quality players who we feel can end up playing over there. They are Steven Gendron (true freshman), Brent Lewis (true freshman), Darrin Hope (senior transfer from a four-year college) and Michael Brown (juco transfer).
Normally you have a set lineup at this time but we don't right now.
At first base you have Jon Knott. We may play Jon in left field some. You also have Matthew Brinson, a redshirt freshman, and Robby Goodson, a true freshman.
At second base, you have Chad Henry, a junior college transfer, and J.T. Hardcastle (redshirt freshman), Phillip Willingham and even Steve Gendron.
At shortstop we have freshman All-American Matthew Maniscalco returning. Steve Gendron can also play there.
In left field we have Josh West, Michael Brown, Jon Knott and Brad Hutto.
In center field we have Brad Hutto, Phillip Willingham, Casey Long and Enrico Jones.
In right field, we have Phillip Willingham and Enrico Jones.
Who we will start will be determined by matchups.
Do you expect this team to have more power than the last few teams that you have had?
Coach Pat McMahon: We don't feel that this is a real power-laden club. We will hit a few home runs. We have a chance to be more of a gap-power type club. We are not blessed with a whole lot of power.
Talk about the status of senior Josh West?
Coach Pat McMahon: Josh West is a run producer. He has worked very hard rehabbing his hamstring. For him to stay healthy is going to be a key as to how this club will perform. We feel like he is that good of an offensive player.
Has Brad Hutto adjusted to batting first for you?
Coach Pat McMahon: He has. Right now Matthew Maniscalco has done a really good job hitting. It might be right/left situation depending on who is pitching against us.
Talk about who you have behind starting catcher Jason Burkley?
Coach Pat McMahon: We are concerned about the depth of our catching due in part to the elbow injury suffered by Reed Hawkins during the fall. We felt like he could be the guy who would backup Burkley. He is way ahead of schedule which is very positive. (True freshman) J.B. Tucker, the all-state catcher from the state of Florida has become a factor, as have junior Lee Parks, Jamie Farris (sophomore walkon) and Brad Farley (junior walkon).
What is your opinion about changing the state flag? That has become an issue in Mississippi due to some things said by the NCAA.
Coach Pat McMahon: The (Mississippi) state flag is an issue because the NCAA has taken a position where they are looking at state flags. Having said that, that is a concern to us. I support that changing of the state flag for those reasons.
If you were starting tomorrow who would be your three SEC starting pitchers?
Coach Pat McMahon: Tanner Brock, probably Adam Larson and Jeff Hunter. Not in any particular order.
Do you have certain pitchers who will be your closers?
Coach Pat McMahon: We feel very strongly if we can get five quality innings by starters we will then matchup with our bullpen. I think that we will be closing more by committee at first. In other words we will do it based on who has the hot hand.
What we look for in a closer is the guy who has the swing and miss capabilities. Collins Hughes has a wonderful split in his changeup that really bottoms out. He could be a factor at closer.
Talk about how this club should perform defensively?
Coach Pat McMahon: We pride ourselves on being a solid defensive club. We have a chance to be a good defensive club. It is always a concern in regard to the experience factor; how they will handle the atmosphere is always a concern.
Talk about starting out the season with the National Bank of Commerce Baseball Classic?
Coach Pat McMahon: Having a tournament to start off the season is a treat for our great fans. It also allows Mississippi State to send its message out on a national scale. We are so proud to be able to do that. We would like to make it a tradition.
The National Bank of Commerce will host the 1st Annual National Bank of Commerce Baseball Classic February 16th - 18th at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.
Lewis Mallory, Chairman and CEO of the National Bank of Commerce, will kick off the Classic action Friday, February 16th by throwing out the first pitch of the series.
Throughout the Classic, fans can register to win MSU Season Baseball tickets, a week at MSU Summer Baseball Camp and autographed Bulldog souvenirs.
Saturday afternoon is family day at the stadium and fans can have their faces painted, visit with Bully and receive great giveaways at the bank's tent in right field.
Classic tickets are available on game day at the Dudy Noble Field gate.
Classic Game Schedule:
Friday, February 16th - MSU vs. New Orleans (3 p.m.)
Saturday, February 17th - UNO vs. Notre Dame (10 a.m.)
Saturday, February 17th - MSU vs. Notre Dame(1 p.m.)
Sunday, February 18th - MSU vs. Notre Dame (1:30 p.m.)
02/10/01 (9:00 p.m.)
Softball - Shannon Sorg's hard hit found its way through an otherwise impenetrable Mississippi State (4-2) defense as #16 Oregon State (8-1) overcame a strong defensive showing from the #23-ranked Bulldogs with a 1-0 victory in eight innings on Saturday at the Texas A&M-CC Islander Classic.
Three different players recorded 1-3 performances for the Bulldogs who succumbed to the nationally-ranked Beavers for the second-straight day. Starter Jennifer Pursell (2-2) scattered thee hits through eight innings, but took the loss with the unearned run in extra frames. Pursell threw just 63 pitches, 44 of which were for strikes, and struck out a pair of Oregon State batters.
With a scoreless tie at the end of the regulation seven innings, Mississippi State got the first crack at the international tiebreaker in the eighth, but went down 1-2-3, stranding pinch runner Jennifer Nelson on the second base bag with the go-ahead run. Oregon State utilized just two batters in the bottom of the frame, sacrificing pinch runner Michelle Notaro to third on Cara Maxey's at bat, before Sorg provided the dramatics.
In the opening game of the day, #23 Mississippi State found itself down early, but rallied in a three-run third inning to take a 4-2 decision from upset-minded Southwest Texas State (6-2).
Freshman Blaire Brown paced the Mississippi State offense on a 2-3 performance and added a RBI, while redshirt freshman Jennifer Jessup pitched in with a 2-4 showing at the plate with a run scored. Pursell worked a complete game, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three Bobcats, to earn the victory.
Southwest Texas State jumped on the Bulldogs early, scraping together a pair of runs in the opening frame to take a 2-0 lead into the second inning. Haley Gaddis' RBI double easily scored Kristen Zaleski from second base, while Elizabeth Wissel's RBI single through the left side scored pinch runner Katy Mauldin from the hot corner with the inning's other run.
Lindsay Nelson's RBI single down the left field line in the second inning cut the Mississippi State deficit to just one run, 2-1, before the Bulldogs put together a three-run third inning to give Pursell all she needed. Kellie Wilkerson's RBI single to centerfield scored Jessup with the game-tying run, while Brown's RBI single two batters later plated Wilkerson from third with the go-ahead run.
Jennifer Waterman provided an insurance run for State with two outs showing in the inning, scoring Iyhia McMichael from third with a RB groundout.
Mississippi State will close out its portion of play in the Texas A&M-CC Islander Classic on Sunday when they suit up to battle Southwest Texas State for the second time in as many days. Game time is set for 10 a.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/09/01 (9:30 p.m.)
Softball - Kasey Whitehead's two-run homer put the finishing touches on a three-run fifth inning as #23 Mississippi State (3-1) erupted for three-multi run innings to take care of host-Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (0-10), 8-0 in five innings, in opening day play at the Islander Classic.
Whitehead and two-time all-american Kellie Wilkerson both turned in 2-3 performances at the plate with the former turning in a pair of RBI. Starter Iyhia McMichael (2-0) surrendered just a lone hit in five innings of work, striking out two Islanders, to earn the victory.
Mississippi State score quickly and often, using a Wilkerson triple in the game's third at bat to plate Jennifer Jessup from second base for the 1-0 lead. Cheri Smith gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead two batters later, lacing a RBI single to centerfield to bring Wilkerson home from the hot corner.
A pair of lost at bats for TAMU-CC starter Melanie Drews (0-6), one to a walk and another to a hit batter, loaded the bases for State in the second before a wild pitch brought Whitehead home and gave State a three-run lead with one out showing in the second. A Kate Jaspers' RBI single and a sacrifice fly by McMichael gave State a 5-0 lead heading into the third.
TAMU-CC held down the Mississippi State scoring until the top half of the fifth, when Anna Joyce Lott's RBI single to plate Wilkerson from second, ignited the Bulldogs on the three-run spurt.
In Friday's earlier action, Oregon State plated a run in the second, then added two more in the final frame, as the #16-ranked Beavers (4-1) utilized missed opportunities by the Bulldogs to take a 3-0 decision in the second game of the Islander Classic.
Jessup and McMichael turned in Mississippi State's only hits of the game, with Jaspers finishing as the only other Bulldog to reach base safely, drawing a walk in the bottom of the seventh.
Tracy Feldt's double into left centerfield plated the game's first run for the Beavers in the second, as the gapper brought Clare Burnum safely home from first base. State got its first scoring opportunity in the fourth, but Jessup was thrown out at home attempting to tag up on a deep fly ball hit by Wilkerson.
Michelle Chariton's RBI single in the seventh brought Cara Maxey home from second base for a 2-0 OSU lead, while a double steal with two outs in the inning safely plated Chariton with the contest's final run.
The Bulldogs will continue play in the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-hosted Islander Classic on Saturday, taking on Southwest Texas State in a 12 p.m. contest and concluding its portion of second day play with 2 p.m. rematch against Oregon State.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/07/01
Softball - Mississippi State (2-0) used a three-run fourth inning and a 10-strikeout performance from a trio of pitchers to complete a doubleheader sweep of visiting Belmont (0-2) with a 6-1 victory Tuesday evening at the MSU Softball Field.
Sophomore Nicole Moschetti paced the Mississippi State offense with a 2-2 performance at the plate and a pair of runs scored while three different players recorded RBI for the host-Bulldogs. Starter Iyhia McMichael (1-0) pitched four strong innings, surrendering a lone hit while striking out six, to record her first collegiate victory.
Kellie Wilkerson's RBI groundout in the first inning got things going for State, but Belmont scored its first run in 11 innings against the Bulldogs, utilizing an error to plate the tieing run in the second. The Bulldogs added single runs in the second and third innings to take a 3-1 lead into the fourth, then put the game away.
Jennifer Jessup's double down the right field line plated Moschetti, and Kate Jaspers followed with a bunt single to plate Jessup, who had moved to third on a wild pitch. Jaspers crossed the plate with the game's final run complements of Heidi Lane's third passed ball.
In game one, Mississippi State put together three multi-run innings to rally behind the strong pitching of Jennifer Pursell (1-0) and take an abbreviated 9-0 victory over the Bruins.
Kellie Wilkerson and Blaire Brown both homered for the Bulldogs who were successful in their second-straight season opener with the victory. Wilkerson turned in a 3-3 performance at the plate with three RBI and three runs scored to highlight the State bats. Pursell worked all five innings, surrendering just a pair of hits, to earn the victory in the circle.
Jennifer Jessup led off the season with a single to left field and was plated two batters later on a screamer by Wilkerson that easily cleared the fence in right centerfield for the 2-0 lead. Belmont starter Christy Dukehart gave free passes to the first three State batters in the fourth and the Bulldogs took advantage, scoring four runs in the frame to take a 6-0 lead into the third.
Brown's solo homer in the third upped the Bulldogs' lead to 7-0, and State finished the visitors off in the fourth, courtesy of a RBI single by Brown and a RBI walk by Mosley.
Mississippi State will return to action on Friday when they travel to Corpus Christi, Texas, to take part in the Texas A&M-CC-hosted Islander Classic. The Bulldogs will open their portion of round-robin play on Friday when they take on #16 Oregon State at 12 p.m.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/05/01
Baseball - Mississippi State baseball coach Pat McMahon will serve as head coach of the 2001 USA Baseball National Team of collegiate all-stars that will play approximately 30 games on the USA Baseball Red, White and Blue Tour this summer, the Tuscon-based organization announced Monday. McMahon succeeds Mike Gillespie, who directed the 2000 squad to a 27-3-1 mark.
"Coach McMahon has been through our National Team program in the past, and we look forward to having him guide our team this summer," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. "His repuatation as an outstanding leader on and off the field will certainly be beneficial to our team, as we travel both domestically and overseas in competition."
The Bullddogs' skipper has had two previous coaching stints with the USA National Team. The first came in 1991, when as an assistant under Ron Polk (MSU), he helped lead Team USA to a bronze medal at the 1991 Pan Am Games in Cuba to secure Team USA's berth in the 1992 Olympics. That team finished the summer with a 27-10 record. The second occurred in 1997, when he worked under head coach Bob Milano (California) to help Team USA finish 4th at the Intercontinental Cup in Spain and post a 21-13 overall record.
In June, USA Baseball, McMahon and his coaching staff will select a team comprised primarily of the nation's top freshman and sophomore collegiateplayers. The players will assemble at our training site in Tucson, Ariz., then depart for Japan to play a five-game series against the Japanese Collegiate All-Stars in Tokyo and Okinawa. Upon returning from Japan, the team will play approximately 25 additional games in July in various states on the USA Red, White and Blue Tour, including Alaska, Ohio and New York.
"I consider it among the highest honors and privileges to be selected as a coach of the USA Baseball National Team," said McMahon. "It's difficult to put into words the emotions you feel when you put on the uniform with USA written across the jersey and the tremendous pride you feel representing this great nation and our national sport."
McMahon will be assisted this summer by two colleagues: Paul Stevens, head coach at Northwestern University and Dusty Rhodes, head coach at North Florida University.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
Pat McMahon
Mississippi State University
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Having suffered through its biggest graduation loss in program history, Mississippi State head coach Kathy Arendsen advises that the success of her current squad of Bulldogs will depend on the speed of the maturity process of her young team. The opening day lineup of the 2001 Bulldogs could feature as many as six new faces holding down a starting role.
"Our athleticism is much better in this class that came in as far as balancing out the rest of the team," Arendsen said. "All of the freshmen are versatile athletes and all have different segments of the game that they excel at.
"Our team chemistry is very different now. We have gone from a very veteran and experienced leadership group to a very young and excited group. I think that they see the potential is there."
State's needs may surface quickly, as the Bulldogs must account for a loss of 61 percent of its hit total from last season, as well as 53 percent of its RBI total. However, Arendsen is well aware of the history of the club, and is more than ready to start a new chapter in the lore of her ballclub.
"We have the expectations that we want to go back to NCAA Regionals," she said. "But, we want to take it that next step further and win the regional and go to the College World Series. I can see it, especially in the 11 returning players' eyes, that is what their goals are. That is what they are training for. They believe that we can do that."
The Bulldogs will open its season against a ballclub that it is relatively unfamiliar with. The Bulldogs and Bruins have met just once, with State taking an abbreviated 8-0 win in six innings in round-robin play at the 2000 Bulldog Classic.
"Belmont will be just as anxious to open their season on a positive note as we will be," Arendsen said. "They are a very solid ballclub and are very capable of surprising some teams."
Following Tuesday's action at home, the Bulldogs will again be in action on Friday when they travel to Corpus Christi, Texas, to take part in the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi-hosted Islander Classic. There, the nationally-ranked Bulldogs will take on a pair of Texas teams in Southwest Texas State and TAMU-CC, as well as No. 16 Oregon State.
Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department
02/01/01
Baseball - With Mississippi State Baseball right around the corner, the MSU fans once again prepare for another exciting baseball season. Dudy Noble Field becomes a work zone this week as the 17th-ranked Diamond Dogs hit the field for preseason practice and their fans begin assembling their vehicles in the leftfield lounge in advance of the upcoming baseball season.
Fourth-year Bulldog skipper Pat McMahon, who has a 125-64 won-loss record at Mississippi State, sends the 44-man 2001 squad through its first practice of the year Thursday afternoon at Dudy Noble Field as Mississippi State prepares for battles against New Orleans and Notre Dame in the season-opening National Bank of Commerce Classic Feb. 16-18 on the MSU campus.
"We're eager to get on the field," said McMahon, who returns 17 lettermen and three starting position players from last year's NCAA Super Regional team, a team that . "We've got a lot of work to get done in a short period of time, but you can sense the excitement that's building for the season ahead."
With sixteen days remainnig prior to the first pitch, Mississippi State fans, known for their devotion to the MSU baseball program, are well on their way to another school record in season ticket sales, with orders for more than 3,000 season passes having already been processed by the MSU Athletic Ticket Office. MSU fans purchased a record-shattering 4,555 season tickets in 2000. Season tickets include admission to 34 games, including all four contests in the inaugural NBC Classic as well as fifteen Southeastern Conference games.
The NBC Classic, which kicks off MSU's baseball season this year, will include not only Mississippi State but MSU Regional teams Notre Dame and New Orleans.
Of special note is Super Bulldog Weekend, which will be the weekend of March 23-25. Mississippi State will play 2000 College World Series champion LSU in a three-game series that weekend.
Senior co-captains Jon Knott and Phillip Willingham and sophomore shortstop Matthew Maniscalco, returning starters from last year's 41-20 edition, are among 17 letter-winners back from the 2000 club. A trio of righthanders, preseason All-American junior Adam Larson, senior Jeff Hunter and junior Tanner Brock head up an MSU mound corps that features nine of the 13 hurlers that saw duty a year ago.
No Mississippi State baseball season would be complete without the popular convoy of trucks, trailers, RV's and other assorted contraptions moving into the very popular leftfield lounge area. The ping of baseball bats will be interspersed with the sound of hammering Friday and Saturday at Dudy Noble Field as the seasonal residents of the nationally known leftfield lounge once again begin moving their vehicles into place beyond the outfield fence. The vehicles in the first row are to begin parking Friday at 4:30 p.m. while the remaining vehicles will take their assigned spots Saturday morning.
Ticket sales are also continuing for Mississippi State baseball's fourth annual "First Pitch/Meet the Team Banquet" set Feb. 13 at the Colvard Student Union Ballroom. Former Bulldog standout, major league pitcher and longtime Delta State baseball coach David M. "Boo" Ferriss will be the keynote speaker at this year's banquet. Coach McMahon, his coaching staff and players will be on hand. Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. event cost $20 and are available through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office (662-325-2600). Although tickets have been going briskly, there are still plenty of tickets available.
All practices at Dudy Noble Field, Polk-DeMent Stadium are open to the public.
A portion of this article was supplied by the MSU Athletic Department