Scouting Mississippi State Softball's opponents in the Palo Alto regional
Mississippi State softball has found its way back into the postseason. After a disappointing 2023 season in which the Bulldogs missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016, State has dramatically outperformed expectations to get back to a regional.
MSU, who was picked last in the SEC in the preseason, finished sixth in the league with a 33-18 record and a 12-12 conference mark, which was their best since 2007. Ace pitcher Aspen Wesley and first-baseman Madisyn Kennedy have led this squad to a Top-20 record.
After one of the better regular season's in the program's recent history, the Bulldogs earned a 2-seed in the Palo Alto regional hosted by #8 national seed Stanford. Cal State Fullerton is the 3-seed, and Saint Mary's is the 4-seed.
State is travelling all the way across the country out to the Bay Area for a regional featuring three California schools playing in their home state. There's some unfamiliar competition for MSU, so let's take a look at the other three teams in the Palo Alto regional, starting with the host and 1-seed Stanford Cardinal.
517. Stanford. . 43-13, 17-7 Pac-12. . 1. . . .
One year after reaching the semifinals of the Women's College World Series, the Stanford Cardinal find themselves in strong position once again, earning the #8 national seed. This program has seen a steady rise under head coach Jessica Allister, and they're hosting a regional for the second-straight year.
Biggest Strength: The Cardinal are one of the best pitching teams in the country. They boast a 1.68 ERA with 7.5 strikeouts per seven innings and just a 1.03 WHIP.
Player to Know: Pitcher NiJaree Canady has been nothing short of dominant. She owns a ridiculous 0.50 ERA and has 256 strikeouts on the season.
Key Stat: Stanford hasn't been a great hitting team this season, but something they do well is draw walks. The Cardinal were near the top of the Pac-12 in walks on the year. Meanwhile MSU incredibly allowed just 82 walks all season. If these teams meet, this could be something to watch.