VANNTASTIC! Softball Headed To Oregon For NCAA Eugene Regional
STARKVILLE, Miss. - With hundreds of eyes
glued to dozens of televisions inside Starkville's Buffalo Wild Wings, the
words "Mississippi State" appeared on ESPNU's broadcast of the 2012 NCAA
Softball Tournament Selection Show, putting the Bulldogs in the Big Dance for
the first time since 2009. The Maroon and White will travel to Howe Field in
Eugene, Ore., to take on BYU on Thursday, May 17, at 5 p.m. CT.
"We are thrilled to be selected to the NCAA
Tournament," Head Coach Vann Stuedeman said to the reporters in attendance at
Buffalo Wild Wings. "The girls have worked extremely hard for this opportunity.
It is a testament to their commitment and diligence. We want to collectively
thank the administration and fans that supported us since the second the season
started."
Stuedeman, the winningest first-year coach in
school history, is taking the Bulldogs to the tournament in her first season at
the helm in Starkville. Before joining the Maroon and White, MSU's coach helped
guide Alabama to six Women's College World Series appearances in her previous
11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Crimson Tide.
The Bulldogs are a perfect 2-0 all-time vs.
BYU, with the last win being a 1-0 shutout victory on Feb. 15, 2007, in the UNLV
Desert Classic. The first time the two squads met was Feb. 28, 2004, when the
Maroon and White edged the Cougars by a 2-1 margin at the Hyatt Regency Cougar
Classic in Houston, Texas.
Oregon is hosting its first
NCAA Regional, and will take on in-state foe Portland State in the other game
at Howe Field Thursday. While the Bulldogs have never faced Portland State on
the diamond, they shut out Oregon in MSU's 2008 opener, 3-0, at the Cathedral
City Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
Starkville's Team is 9-16 all-time in the
field of 64, with its last showing being in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional in
2009. There, the Bulldogs were edged by No. 14 California, 3-8, before being
eliminated by host No. 16 Florida State, 5-0. In the 2009 tournament, current
redshirt senior Brittany Bell went 2-for-4 with a run, run and two sacrifice
bunts. Lifetime in the NCAA Tournament, Bell is 7-for-13 (.538) with five runs,
two walks, a double and a solo home run.
State's selection to the Big Dance
was part of an NCAA-best nine selections from the Southeastern Conference,
setting a league record. Regional play begins May 17-20, followed by the Super
Regionals on May 24-27. The Women's College World Series is May 31-June 6 in
Oklahoma City, Okla. at ASA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium. For more
information on the MSU softball program, follow the team on Twitter at
@MStateSB and like the team on Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateSB.
MSU All-Time In NCAA
Tournament
Appearances: 8 (2000, 2002-05,
2007-09)
Overall Record: 9-16
In First Game: 5-3
Vs. Ranked Teams: 0-13
MSU All-Time vs. Eugene Regional Opponents
Vs. Oregon: 1-0
Vs. BYU: 2-0
Vs. Portland State: Never Met
MSU All-Time in NCAA Tournament
|
YEAR |
OPPONENT |
RESULT |
DATE |
LOCATION |
|
2000 |
Chattanooga |
W, 6-1 |
May 18 |
Seattle, Wash. |
|
2000 |
Utah |
W, 11-3 (6) |
May 19 |
Seattle, Wash. |
|
2000 |
#1 Washington |
L, 1-4 |
May 20 |
Seattle, Wash. |
|
2000 |
Utah |
L, 1-4 |
May 20 |
Seattle, Wash. |
|
2002 |
#4 Arizona State |
L, 1-4 |
May 16 |
Lafayette, La. |
|
2002 |
Northwestern State |
W, 9-6 |
May 16 |
Lafayette, La. |
|
2002 |
#19 Louisiana-Lafayette |
L, 3-10 |
May 18 |
Lafayette, La. |
|
2003 |
Florida International |
W, 4-2 |
May 15 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2003 |
#8 Washington |
L, 0-8 (6) |
May 16 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2003 |
#11 Nebraska |
L, 0-8 (6) |
May 16 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2004 |
Iowa |
W, 2-1 (8) |
May 20 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2004 |
#2 California |
L, 1-2 |
May 21 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2004 |
Florida Atlantic |
L, 0-1 |
May 21 |
Lincoln, Neb. |
|
2005 |
Texas A&M-CC |
W, 1-0 |
May 20 |
Austin, Texas |
|
2005 |
#5 Texas |
L, 0-2 |
May 21 |
Austin, Texas |
|
2005 |
Texas A&M-CC |
W, 2-1 |
May 22 |
Austin, Texas |
|
2005 |
#5 Texas |
L, 0-2 |
May 22 |
Austin, Texas |
|
2007 |
Pacific |
W, 7-1 |
May 18 |
Tucson, Ariz. |
|
2007 |
#4 Arizona |
L, 0-8 |
May 19 |
Tucson, Ariz. |
|
2007 |
Pacific |
L, 10-12 |
May 19 |
Tucson, Ariz. |
|
2008 |
#23 Hawaii |
L, 7-9 |
May 16 |
Tempe, Ariz. |
|
2008 |
Stony Brook |
W, 8-3 |
May 17 |
Tempe, Ariz. |
|
2008 |
#23 Hawaii |
L, 4-7 |
May 17 |
Tempe, Ariz. |
|
2009 |
#14 California |
L, 3-8 |
May 15 |
Tallahassee, Fla. |
|
2009 |
#16 Florida State |
L, 0-5 |
May 16 |
Tallahassee, Fla |
