Scouting Mississippi State Softball's opponents in the Palo Alto regional

Mississippi State softball heads out to the West Coast for regional play. Here's what you need to know about their opponents in Palo Alto.

Sanford fans wait for the game to start before a softball game between Stanford and Washington at / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

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4. SMC. . . . . 30-22, 10-6 WCC. . . 2514

4-seed Saint Mary's just put together one of the best seasons in school history. The Gaels won 30 games for just the second time ever, and they're tournament bound for just the second time ever, with their last trip to the postseason coming back in 2010.

Biggest Strength: There's some common themes with these West Coast teams, and Saint Mary's has been good and aggressive about stealing bases. They're 104-119 on the year. But they're also good about preventing stolen bases on defense, holding opponents to just 79%.

Player to Watch: The Gaels don't hit much for power, but shortstop Sam Buckley can provide a spark. She's batting .370 with 33 RBI while slugging at .654.

Key Stat: Saint Mary's has committed just 46 errors on the season. This isn't a team that tends to beat itself.

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