Mississippi State softball is ready for regional play once more. The Bulldogs are off to West Texas for the Lubbock Regional, hosted by Texas Tech, as the 2-seed, looking to spring the upset and reach a Super Regional for just the second time in program history. What do you need to know about the teams making up the Lubbock Regional? Here's a breakdown of the host Red Raiders, State's Friday night opponent Washington, a sneaky Brown Bears squad, and, of course, the Bulldogs...
Year one for HC Gerry Glasco in Lubbock has been an overwhelming success. The former Louisiana-Lafayette HC has led the Red Raiders to a program-record 45 wins, their first ever Big 12 regular season and Big 12 tournament titles, and their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019. On top of that, they're hosting a regional for the first time ever as the No. 12 national seed.
A huge key to that success has been all-world ace pitcher NiJaree Canady. After leading Stanford to consecutive WCWS appearances, Canady made the move to Lubbock and has maintained her dominance with a national-best 0.81 ERA. She's pulling her best Shohei Ohtani impression too, batting .309 with eight HRs and a team-leading .667 slugging percentage. As a whole, Tech fields a potent lineup, headlined by Big 12 hits leader Mihyia Davis. With dominance on the mound and plenty of production at the plate, this is a scary team in the postseason.
Is this the year the Bulldogs break through for a deep run? Sam Ricketts' program has been steadily building, and the 2025 regular season was the best of her tenure. Their 37 wins was their most under Ricketts, and it was the first time since 2001 the program posted a winning SEC record. And though they still couldn't reach hosting status, they're certainly a 2-seed that could make some noise in this tournament.
State is a solid all-around ball club. They're a good offensive squad, specializing in power hitting with four players posting double-digit homers. Leadoff hitter Sierra Sacco is one of the best in the SEC with a .461 average and 1.335 OPS. On the mound, the Bulldogs won't blow you away from an ERA standpoint at 3.40 as a team. But they'll pile up strikeouts, won't issue walks, and do a great job of throwing out baserunners. Ace Raelin Chaffin was tied for the SEC lead with 21 wins. This team had quite a few impressive wins this season, including against Texas Tech. At their best, they're dangerous.
2025 was somewhat of a rebuilding season for Washington, but one of college softball's proudest programs, they were still competitive in their first season in the Big Ten and reached a regional for the 30th consecutive postseason. When it comes to the Huskies, pitching is the name of the game. They were fourth in the Big Ten with a 2.83 ERA and posted a WHIP of just 1.16. Sophia Ramuno leads the way with a 2.16 ERA, recording 138 strikeouts to just 22 walks on the year. Batting on the other hand hasn't been much of a strong suit overall, but freshman Alexis DeBoer has been sensational with a .369 average, 54 RBI, and 20 HRs. With HC Heather Tarr's track record postseason success in mind, you can't rule out this team.
It's been a special year for Brown. The Bears posted their first winning season since the mid-90s and won the Ivy League tournament to propel themselves into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997. And they've got a pair of stars that could make them a tough out as a 4-seed. Ivy League Player of the Year Laurel Moody bats .436 with 15 HRs and 42 RBI, and Alexis Guevara has been outstanding on the mound this season with a 1.75 ERA.