How Watch: Mississippi State Softball versus Florida
SEC’s Best offenses square off in three-game series starting Thursday
STARKVILLE – Nine SEC schools were ranked in the latest ESPN.COM/USA Softball Top 25 poll, and the other four all received votes, strengthening the conference’s stance as the best in the nation. And its two best offensive teams meet this weekend at Nusz Park.
No. 17 Mississippi State will host No. 9 Florida in a three-game series starting Thursday at 5 p.m. on SEC Network. Both teams are among the top three in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, RBIs, and walks.
Madisyn Kennedy has been one of the nation’s hottest hitters the past month. She’s hit nine home runs and drove in 29 runs in March and has extended her on-base streak to 18 games. For the season, Kennedy has a .415 batting average, 1.583 OPS, 1.077 SLUG, 12 home runs, and 40 RBIs.
Florida, meanwhile, is led by the reigning NFCA Player of the Year Skylar Wallace, who also was named the SEC Player of the Week this week. Last week, she had six hits, seven RBI, eight runs scored and had her first-career grand slam. Williams, a freshman infielder from Windermere, Fla., batted .714 with five hits, six runs scored, three stolen bases and two RBI in a 4-0 week for the Gators.
What: No. 17 Mississippi State (24-7, 3-3 SEC) at No. 10 Florida (24-6, 2-1)
When: Game 1, Thursday at 5 p.m.; Game 2, Friday at 4 p.m.; Game 3, Saturday at Noon.
Where: Nusz Park, Starkville, Miss.
TV: Game 1 will air on SEC Network. Games 2 and 3 will air on SEC Network+.
Series: Florida leads all-time series, 44-22.
Last Meeting: Florida won last season’s series, 2-1, by scores of 3-0 and 8-4. Mississippi State won 1-0 in the second game.
Last time out, Florida: Florida swept No. 23 Kentucky last weekend by scores of 10-2, 9-1 and 7-1.
Last time out, MSU: The Bulldogs won last weekend’s three-game series against No. 20 Arkansas by scores of 6-3 and 15-7. Arkansas won Saturday’s game 3-0.