Blue Raiders return home Wednesday to host SEC opponent Mississippi State

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee Softball (15-18, 2-4 C-USA) returns to the 'Boro this week as they host SEC opponent Mississippi State (22-10, 4-2 SEC) for a Wednesday clash at Blue Raider Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

The game will be livestreamed on CUSA.TV and will be available through live stats here.

Quick Hits

The Blue Raiders are coming off their first C-USA road series of the season against Marshall. The Blue Raiders fell in three tough contests over the weekend against the Thundering Herd.
Freshman Anyce Harvey led the Blue Raiders this weekend, batting a .333 with three hits, including her second career home run, and knocking in three RBIs this weekend.
The Blue Raiders conference-opening series win over Southern Miss marked the Blue Raiders first series win against the Golden Eagles since the 2016 season, the last time the two programs met.
Head coach Jeff Breeden holds an all-time record of 205-287 and won his 200^th career game as a head coach against UT Martin during the Blue Raiders' MTSU Invitational. Coach Breeden is in his 10^th season as the head coach of the Blue Raiders.
Senior Corrina Dodd and junior Kelci Hill were named to the preseason C-USA All-Conference Team on Tuesday, February 8.
The Blue Raiders were selected sixth in the C-USA preseason coaches' poll, behind Charlotte, North Texas, WKU, UAB, and Marshall, which placed first through fifth, respectively.
The Blue Raiders return 13 starters, while adding seven impressive freshmen to bolster the Blue Raiders' 2022 lineup.
Despite losing seven starters, the Blue Raiders add plenty of talent, from a solid seven-player freshman class, to build a solid lineup for the 2022 season.

The Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders opened C-USA play 2-1 against Southern Miss but are coming off their first C-USA road series of the season, in which the Blue Raiders fell 0-3 against the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Freshmen Harvey and Laura Mealer, and sophomore Amaya Harris have led the Blue Raiders offense so far this season. Harvey is batting a team-leading .361, tying for third on the team with 26 hits, including tying for the C-USA lead with 10 doubles, and has brought across a team-leading 25 RBIs. Mealer leads the Blue Raiders with 35 hits this season, including a team-high four home runs, six doubles, and a team-leading two triples, batting .354 and scoring a team-high 22 runs. She also places second on the team with 16 RBIs. Harris has connected on a team second-best 34 hits, with three doubles and tying for second on the team with a pair of home runs. She has also scored a team second-best 17 runs and knocked in nine RBIs this season.

In the circle, the Blue Raiders are led by Dodd. Dodd boasts a team-best 6-4 record, while also posting a team-low 2.79 ERA in 12 appearances this season. Dodd has worked 62.2 innings and has allowed 26 runs, 25 of which were earned, on 44 hits and has fanned a team-high 39 batters this season. Dodd has pitched five complete games, including a complete-game shutout against Murray State on February 25.

Scouting the Competition
Mississippi State Softball is in its third year under head coach Samantha Ricketts, who has led the Bulldogs to an 82-38 record during her time in Starkville.

Mississippi State enters Wednesday's contest with a 22-10 overall record and a 4-2 mark in SEC play. The Bulldogs are also currently on a six-game winning streak, which includes a sweep of Ole Miss, a run-rule win over Memphis, and a pair of wins against Samford.

Mia Davidson and Chloe Malau'ulu have paced the Bulldogs offense during the 2022 season. Davidson leads Mississippi State batting .395 with a .975 slugging percentage. She's tied for the team lead with 29 RBIs and 29 runs, while ranking second on the Bulldogs with 32 hits, including a team-leading 13 home runs and eight doubles. Malau'ulu has hit a team-leading 36 hits, including five home runs, four doubles, and a team-best two triples, and is batting a team second-best .371. She is second on the team with 27 runs scored and has knocked in 13 RBIs so far this season.

In the circle, the Bulldogs have produced a 2.40 ERA as a pitching staff. Kenley Hawk has led the Bulldogs this season. Hawk leads the team with an 8-2 record and has posted a season-low 1.50 ERA in 15 appearances. She has pitched a team-leading 56 innings and has pitched two complete games, including a complete-game shutout in an 8-0 run-rule victory over Alabama State.

Series History
Mississippi State leads the all-time series against the Blue Raiders, 6-1. Although, the series remains even, 1-1, between the two programs for contests played at Blue Raider Softball Field. The Bulldogs have won the last five meetings between the two programs, with the Blue Raiders last win, 6-5, coming on March 17, 2005, at Blue Raider Softball Field. The last meeting between the two programs was on February 8, 2019, which the Blue Raiders fell 8-2 against the Bulldogs.

Up Next
The Blue Raiders continue C-USA play this weekend as they host the FAU Owls for a three-game series on Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday's first pitches are schedule for 6 p.m., 4 p.m., and noon, respectively.

FOLLOW THE BLUE RAIDERS
Follow Middle Tennessee Softball on social media on Facebook (/BlueRaiderSoftball), Twitter (MT_Softball) and Instagram (MT_Softball).

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Players Mentioned

Corrina Dodd

Amaya Harris

Anyce Harvey

Kelci Hill

Laura Mealer

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics