STARKVILLE — Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman has worked feverishly to build her pitching staff in three seasons as coach.
Stuedeman feels like she is almost there.
MSU will open a six-game fall home schedule at 1 p.m. Sunday with a doubleheader against Shorter College Sunday at the MSU Softball Field.
“The expectations have not changed around here,” said Stuedeman, who has led MSU to NCAA regional appearances in each of her first two seasons. “What changes each year is how you go about reaching those expectations. I think there is a process in place and the girls understand that. It is all about building to a certain point.”
Senior right-hander Alison Owen will anchor the team in the circle. Last season, Owen went 17-13 with a 1.98 ERA. In 198 1/3 innings, Owen struck out 249 batters. The Bulldogs lost the other anchor of last season’s staff — Stephanie Becker.
Senior right-hander Shana Sherrod is expected to take a larger role without Becker. Sophomore right-hander Jacey Punches also returns. MSU has added freshmen left-handers Alexis Silkwod, of East Alton, Ill., and Mackenzie Taylor, of Fayetteville, Ga.
“We will have some pitchers who can step in an immediately contribute right away, and that is huge,” Stuedeman said. “We approach things a little differently. It is more of a baseball mentality. We will pitch certain pitchers due to matchups and lineups. I like to have starters, middle relievers, and closers. It is a different process than others. However, it has worked well for us in the past.”
The Bulldogs also return a lot of power. Senior infielder Logan Foulks and senior catcher Sam Lenahan combined to hit 23 home runs last season, but Stuedeman is looking for more balance. Last season, the Bulldogs averaged 3.3 runs per game in Southeastern Conference play.
In the circle, the pieces are there to build on last season’s strong finish. The Bulldogs were sixth in the SEC with an ERA of 2.66. That is marked improvement for a team that allowed close to five runs per game before Stuedeman arrived.
“The players are not doing anything differently than we were doing two years ago,” Stuedeman said. “The goal is excellence on every rep.”
As part of Homecoming activities, the MSU softball team will hold a pitching-and-catching demonstration in The Junction prior to the 6:30 p.m. kickoff of the Mississippi State-Bowling Green football game Saturday. Autographs and schedule cards also will be available.
The home fall schedule concludes next weekend with a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Wallace State College-Hanceville on Oct. 19 and a 3 p.m. doubleheader against Itawamba Community College on Oct. 20. The regular season begins Feb. 7 with the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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