MSU season anticipated with NCBWA ranking
Anticipation continues to build for the 2023 Mississippi State baseball season.
With another ranking released on Tuesday, the prospects of the Bulldogs being
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Legendary Mississippi State softball alumna Iyhia McMichael was selected by USA Softball to serve as an assistant coach for Team USA's U- 15 national team. McMichael, who played at State from 2001- 04, now serves as a high school coach in Texas. potentially one of the best teams in the nation are good once again.
The National College Baseball Writers Association came out with its preseason poll and MSU is listed at No. 31 out of 35 spots.
Despite the Bulldogs fin
The U- 15 team is set to play in the Pan American Championship in Lima, Peru, on April 1- 8 and the Utsugi Cup in Takasaki, Japan, on June 2- 4.
While the Nacogdoches, Texas, native is making her Team USA debut as a coach, she is no stranger to the Red, White and Blue. McMichael played with the USA Softball Women's National ishing last year with a 26-30 overall record and missing out on the Southeastern Conference Tournament, the rankings felt they were worthy of being one of the top 35 teams in the nation.
MSU head coach Chris Lemonis and his staff added a strong signing and transfer portal class that each ranked inside the top five nationally by D1Baseball. It may be enough to get the Bulldogs back in the mix of being an NCAA Tournament team again this season.
“We brought in a lot of tal
vered her purpose for giving ack to the community through er outreach and mission with Elite Team in 2003 and was arkville Strong, Brandi Hera USA Softball Collegiate ngton has been in charge Player of the Year finalist in f the nonprofit organization 2004. She was a three- time nce 2020.
All- American and two- time For this week's program for Southeastern Conference e Starkville Rotary Club on Player of the Year while at Monday, Herrington and her MSU and earned Academic sistant director Cate Van All- American honors as a alsema both spoke to the senior. She closed her career ub about what Starkville as the No. 1 overall pick in rong does in the commu
ty in addressing its needs. the inaugural National Pro
When she stepped up to Fastpitch draft. e podium, Herrington first ared with the Rotarians at she was glad to be in their esence on Monday because assion drives us all.” “Whether it's in your per
“It starts in practice,” Purcell said. “We've got to turn it up and we've got to get our mojo back. You don't just walk in the SEC and beat somebody. You've got to be tough and we've got to get tougher. It starts with me as the coach. I've got to change the practices and we've got to bring the intensity.” ented guys – freshmen, juco, transfer portal guys,” Lemonis said. “We're in such a different world right now. They have a lot of talent. (It's about) getting them to play on one page, play as a team, handle playing at the The Dude, in this environment and in the SEC.
y p life, if you're not passionate, you can become complacent. So passion within myself, every single team member, volunteer, and everyone who is with us, that is what continues to drive us,” Herrington said.
In March of 2020, Starkville
There's a real learning curve for us. We have a lot of work to do. Getting our guys out here and getting them comfortable is huge.”
The first pitch of the season for MSU will take place February 17 against VMI at Dudy Noble Field.
g yJ Redd, geared towards helpin small businesses going throug the trials and tribulations of th pandemic.
Two months later, the o ganization's Facebook grou grew to around 6,000 mem bers to the point where Red could not successfully mana Starkville Strong. Luckily, h knew someone who was ab to do such.
“If you know Jimm Redd, you know that he h about 10 different jobs and couple extra side hustles o top of that. So he offered to me, and I am glad eve day that I said yes,” said He rington. “Whenever I took over, we changed the missio The mission went from help