STARKVILLE – Over the weekend, Mississippi State honored its softball seniors playing their final Southeastern Conference games at home.
Wednesday night, MSU boasted another celebration as sent out its present softball stadium on a high note.
Behind four RBIs from Amanda Ivy and a complete-game pitching performance from Cassady Knudsen, MSU knocked off Memphis 11-3 in five innings in the final home game of the season and the final game scheduled to be played at the MSU Softball Field.
Construction on a $7M renovation to the softball complex and the adjacent A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre is set to begin next week.
“Nineteen years of SEC softball was played at the park,” MSU fourth-year head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “To usher in the 20th season with a new stadium, it was a long time coming and it is a great thing. I tip my hat to (former coaches) Kathy Arendsen and Jay Miller and to all of the former players who played here. They all helped this day happen. We are really excited. This was a great game and we played well. To send this facility out on a good note and to usher in a new $7M facility, I am not sure what could feel much better.”
Wednesday’s night attendance of 742 gave MSU a new school-record total attendance of 17,954 for the season. Postgame, Stuedeman and Senior Associate Athletic Director for Women’s Sports Ann Carr took part in a ceremony designed to close the old stadium. Stuedman addressed the crowd and told them the growth of the softball program would not be possible without them.
“A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this day,” Stuedeman said. “It has been a long time coming. The upgrades are something we badly needed to compete in the best conference in the nation. (Director of Athletics) Scott Stricklin, Ann Carr and I share the same vision for our program. It is a testament to them for getting this pushed through.”
MSU is slated to host the 10-team SEC tournament in 2016. The new stadium, which will feature all chairback seating and a press box equipped to handle the new demands of the SEC Network, is expected to be ready prior to the start of the 2016 season.
“This was an exciting night for all of us,” said Ivy, a sophomore outfielder. “The seniors have meant so much to this program. I feel bad they aren’t going to get to play at the new place. However, they are a big reason why we are here today. It really felt good to get a win so that we could send the seniors and the field out the right way.”
Postgame, MSU players were each given a jar so they could collect dirt samples from the playing surface. This came after a much-needed bounce-back win, which snapped a five-game losing streak.
“All of the time we talk about focusing on the process,” Stuedeman said. “You really test your mental makeup when you have five straight losses. Of those five, three certainly could have gone the other way. We were in a position in the last at-bat but could not get one more key hit. We really needed something positive to happen. It was good to see smiles again and generate some positive momentum.”
With the regular season winding down, Stuedeman is trying to give a little more rest to ace pitcher sophomore Alexis Silkwood, who did not bat or pitch Wednesday night. Silkwood leads the league with 192 innings pitched and 22 victories. Against Memphis, the Bulldogs got a strong lift from the freshman Knudsen, who threw her first complete game. Memphis was held to six hits.
After a two-run home run by Katie Brignac brought the Tigers within a run at 3-2 in the fourth inning, the Bulldogs responded with five runs in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth inning. A three-run double by Caroline Seitz was the big blow in the fourth inning.
“Everybody is a little tired at this time of the year,” Stuedeman said. “We are real fortunate that this is when our off weekend in conference play fell. While other teams will be duking it out in our league, we are still playing big games but it’s not quite the same. Plus, we are playing two games instead of three. With exams coming up, everybody is going to be a little drained. Hopefully, this is a time to refocus.”
MSU (32-16) has five regular season games remaining. This weekend, MSU will play single games against Georgia Southern Saturday and Sunday. Next weekend, the Bulldogs close the regular season with a three-game conference series at South Carolina.
With MSU No. 30 and South Carolina No. 32 in the latest Rating Percentage Index, the three-game series in Columbia, South Carolina will be huge for regional seeding and SEC tournament seeding.
“Everybody is excited about a big finish around here,” Ivy said. “We talk all the time about late season being our season. The last five games are on the road and we know they will be tough. We just have to keep working hard, getting some wins along the way, while getting ready for the postseason.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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