STARKVILLE — Mississippi State junior Cassady Knudsen always has believed she could pitch in the Southeastern Conference.
Hearing the high expectations of her coach Vann Stuedeman only helps reinforce that belief.
“Playing for Vann has been the best experience of my life,” Knudsen said. “She knows pitching. When she tells you you have what it takes to pitch on this level, you take it to heart. It gives you a lot of confidence before you step in the circle.”
The Bulldogs will look for confidence in the pitching circle as they try to return to the postseason this season after seeing a string of four-straight regional appearances snapped in 2016.
MSU open this season with against Georgia State at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10. It will be the first of five games the team will play in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic at Nusz Park.
A year ago, MSU finished 26-31. The pitching staff had a decent showing with a 2.87 ERA, but the Bulldogs averaged only 3.6 runs per game.
Stuedeman feels this year’s squad will hit better. She also believes in Knudsen, a native of Altoona, Iowa.
“Cassady has a chance to be one of our breakout players this year,” Stuedeman said. “I think you are going to see a big difference in her in the circle. She pitched in some key spots for our team last season, and I think that experience will help her. She had a great fall and I think her potential is fixing to be on full display.”
Entering her sixth season with the Bulldogs, Stuedeman always has taken a baseball-type approach to building a pitching staff. The Bulldogs don’t feature one or two pitchers and get multiple players involved, with starters, middle relievers, and closers.
“It takes a lot of pressure off of us,” MSU junior pitcher Holly Ward said. “You might be asked to get one batter in a certain position or you might be asked to work an inning. Other games, you are out there as the starter and you feel like you are in control of the outcome of the game. The only reason why it works is because all of the pitchers are close.
“We are like in a team inside the team. We do everything together. I think we do a great job of pushing each other in the circle. During games, we will share our knowledge, maybe something we see that someone else doesn’t see.”
A longtime pitching coach at Alabama before coming to MSU, Stuedeman said she can’t remember the last time she had an entire pitching staff return from the previous season. The Bulldogs will work with that luxury this season.
“It’s a huge advantage,” Ward said. “Everyone goes into the season knowing their roles. The team grew a lot last season, and I think we can build on that. We faced a lot of adversity last season and I think that made us a lot tougher. We are looking forward to starting the season and putting last year behind us.”
Senior Alexis Silkwood will anchor the pitching staff. Silkwood won four games last season after winning 26 her sophomore season. A minor injury and lack of run support hurt the cause. Stuedeman also brought Silkwood along slowly last season feeling like she was overworked and fatigued by the end of the 2015 season.
Silkwood threw 117 1/3 innings last season after throwing 235 2/3 innings in 2015.
“She is the elder statesman,” Stuedeman said. “We believe she has beaten every team in the conference at least once. That’s quite an accomplishment. There were a lot of things that went against her last season, and hopefully those things do not happen this year. I really like where she is mentally. She is ready to lead a deep pitching staff.”
Typically, Stuedeman adds a pitch from season to season for her veteran pitchers. She said she spent this offseason working on the mental aspect of the game.
“I think our pitchers have good enough stuff to get outs in this league,” Stuedeman said. “The question becomes do you believe in a pitch enough to throw it in a certain spot to a certain hitter. We have worked hard on the confidence approach to pitching. We have stressed believing you belong in that position and having the mental makeup to get the job done.”
Ward said she developed her mental outlook in high school.
“Whether you believe you can do it or not do it, you are right,” Ward said. “If you don’t believe you can do it, you are destined to fail. This league is such a grind. The one thing I have learned is you can’t lose confidence. No matter how bad things get, you have to believe you are going to get the next batter out. If you are struggling, we have others who can come in behind you. That’s a good feeling.”
While Stuedeman works new offensive players into the equation, she hopes her veteran pitching staff can take the lead. Sophomore Regan Green and senior Mackenzie Toler also pitched some last season.
Freshman Emily Mitchell, who is from Calhoun, Georgia, is the lone newcomer to the circle.
“Emily has been slowed by illness here so far in our early practices,” Stuedeman said. “She is going to be able to help us this season, too. Our depth is really good. It’s great working with this group every day. They will play a big role in getting us back (in the postseason).”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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