STARKVILLE — Mississippi State senior outfielder Amanda Ivy said her team is approaching postseason play with the mentality of “shocking the world.”
First, MSU will get a chance to shock the state.
That opportunity will come at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday (SEC Network) when No. 9 seed MSU (36-19) faces No. 8 seed Ole Miss (36-18) in the opening round of the Southeastern Conference tournament. The 12-team, single-elimination event features four games Wednesday at Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The winner of the game between MSU and Ole Miss will face top-ranked Florida on Thursday in the quarterfinals. The championship game will be at 7 p.m. Saturday. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
“We feel like we can shock the world,” Ivy said. “We have some good wins. On any given day, any team can beat another team. We just have to focus on the process. We have to have good at-bats and make plays on defense. Our pitching will come through. It’s just a shock-the-world mentality.
“For the seniors, this is the time of year you live for. You want to go out making a statement.”
Both schools will face the challenge of winning four games in four days to take the title. Neither school has accomplished that feat. Both can take solace in the fact they acquitted themselves well in the nation’s best conference. Each finished regular season play at 10-14. The teams didn’t play a regular-season SEC series against one another.
Ole Miss earned the higher seed by virtue of beating Auburn during the regular season.
“I think both teams are battle-tested,” MSU sixth-year head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “They have been very hot of late, so have we. You see a lot of similarities in the teams, especially the way we have both played of late. … The rivalry aspect of it simply adds a little intrigue.”
Last season, MSU played host to the SEC tournament for the first time. The Bulldogs were seeded last in the event and had to run the table to make an NCAA regional. They lost their first game and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.
This season, the dynamic is different. The Bulldogs can focus on advancing round by round because they likely have secured an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
“Not making a regional last season really ripped out hearts out,” MSU infielder Olivia Golden said. “It was the worst feeling in the world. We came back in August and worked hard, determined to not let that happen again. The SEC tournament is still a business trip, but we can approach it with more fun this season. It’s reassuring to know we will be in a regional.”
In the latest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), Ole Miss was No. 23 and MSU was No. 31. Multiple regional projections have the SEC getting all 13 teams in a region. No SEC team ranked in the top 35 with a winning record has failed to make the NCAA tournament since the tournament expanded to 64 teams.
MSU will look for its fifth regional berth under Stuedeman. Ole Miss third-year coach Mike Smith led the Rebels to their first regional last season.
“Playing the rivalry in the tournament will be fun,” Smith said. “We should have played (a conference series) during the regular season, but that wasn’t meant to be. I think the kids will be excited about this opportunity. The tournament is already a hyped atmosphere. This will add to that.”
Ole Miss beat MSU 2-0 in a non-conference regular-season matchup March 22 in Oxford. The Rebels have won five of seven meetings against MSU under Smith.
“The biggest concern is making sure we play well in the tournament,” Ivy said. “The SEC tournament helps gets you ready for a regional. Yes, you are playing Ole Miss. At the end of the day, we are just focused on doing what we need to do to play well in a regional.
“This team has a different mind-set than it did a year ago. We are excited about competing and about this opportunity. Last year, we had our backs against the wall from the first pitch. This year, we can relax and play softball. We feel like we have a chance.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.