STARKVILLE — Kelsi Dunne had so much fun learning from Vann Stuedeman she decided she wanted to keep doing it at a different address.
Dunne and Stuedeman are back together, hoping to lead the Mississippi State University softball team back to national prominence. A four-time All-American at the University of Alabama, Dunne said Stuedeman has been a major influence on her as an amateur player and now working with her as a coach.
Stuedeman, the former pitching coach at Alabama, was more than happy to bring Dunne back as a volunteer graduate assistant in her first season as a Division I head coach with the Bulldogs.
“There was so much I could take from my four years with Vann,” Dunne said. “It was a fun experience. There are so many memories from our time together. She is a great person and a great coach. I learned so much on the field. I leaned so much about the mental aspects of the game.
“As much as I learned on the field, I learned even more about life. I learned life skills. There are so many things I can take with me from my playing career into my professional career.”
Dunne is one of the most decorated softball players in Southeastern Conference history. While leading Alabama to three Women’s College World Series appearances, Dunne was named a four-time All-American by the NFCA.
Now, the dynamic duo has been charged with energizing MSU, which has played in eight regional tournaments but has never advanced to a Super Regional or the World Series.
“The girls are so awesome to be around with,” Dunne said. “They are so competitive and so hungry. The past couple of weeks have been great. We are looking forward to working hard the next couple of weeks and getting the season started.
“Every day the girls are smiling and working hard to get better. You always feel like they come ready to work hard and to get better. You can feel the competitiveness because at every practice, they are ready to compete against with one another.”
A year ago, MSU finished 24-32. The Bulldogs qualified for the SEC tournament, However, pitching problems plagued MSU, which was last in the 11-team league with a 4.90 ERA.
The challenge to fix that has been as much mental as physical.
“I have told the young girls, when you are in high school, you can physically beat your opponents,” Dunne said. “In college, the opponents are just as good or better than you. You have to go out there and be mentally strong. You have to take it one pitch at a time.
“Vann is such a great leader in that aspect. She may be the best coach in the country at teaching the mental aspect of the game.”
Dunne made the most of Stuedeman’s advice, winning 113 games in her four-year career at Alabama.
“Kelsi is such an intense competitor,” Stuedeman said. “We worked well together because of her intense nature. She wants to be the very best. Her mental toughness always set her apart. I am very excited about her sharing her knowledge and experience with the girls on this year’s team.”
While both coaches are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, both acknowledge the chief task is making the most of the moment.
“In this game, you have to play pitch by pitch,” Dunne said. “If the previous pitch didn’t go as you wanted, you have to shake it off or you can become flustered. If an umpire does not give you a call, you have to ready to make the next pitch.
“Vann has always stressed the fact that even at 0-2 a hitter can win an at-bat. At 3-0, a pitcher can still win an at-bat. When you live in the past, your mistakes can affect the next outcome.
“We don’t play an opponent. We play against ourselves and against the game. If you take care of your end, the results will take care of themselves.”
Dunne would like to see the Bulldogs establish a different mentality.
“We want to go out there and be a monster on the field,” Dunne said. “When you watch a horror movie and you think the bad guy is dead, he always comes back for more. That has always been the approach we took. We would not let a batter or an umpire beat us. We were always going to be coming back for more.”
Stuedeman feels the ability to relate to her players will a strong suit for Dunne, who is pursuing a sports management graduate degree.
“She has been through the battles,” Stuedeman said. “I think she can give a unique perspective of what it takes to succeed on this level. Pitching is part mental and part physical. Personally, I think her mind-set and her knowledge will be a major attribute for our program.”
Dunne agrees her time in the SEC and Stuedeman’s coaching experience in the league will be an advantage.
“Being a part of the SEC was such a great experience,” Dunne said. “It is such a competitive league. Vann and I went to battle for four years. Knowing where we will be playing and knowing some of the players we will be facing is a good thing for us, no doubt about it.
“I am excited about being on the other end. I am looking forward to going into battle with these girls and getting the season started.”
While Stuedeman knew Dunne would be a good fit, the feeling was mutual.
“Vann is a great leader,” Dunne said. “She is so competitive. I feel her players will thrive off that. I know I did. Vann not only taught me about pitching, but she taught about the mental aspects of the game and how to become a more complete player.
“Vann expects excellence. If you are not giving 100 percent, she is not going to be satisfied. As pitchers, we always strived for perfection. Since you are never going to be perfect, that means there is always something you can work on. She expects the very best from you and expects you to do everything you can to get there.”
While getting the Bulldogs back to postseason may be a daunting task, there won’t be any lack of effort when they kick off the season Feb. 9 against South Alabama in Mobile, Ala.
“I told the girls at the first team meeting that Mississippi State was always the one opponent which made me nervous,” Dunne said. “They were always good and they always had talent. If the girls will believe in what Vann is saying, they have the talent.
“They have the capabilities to be a special team. We are on the cusp. We just need to believe it.”
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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