Bratton, Bulldogs accomplish big moment in program history
While Tyler Bratton was sitting in his hotel room around 1 a.m. on Monday morning and his phone burning up with congratulatory texts and tweets, the Mississippi State softball assistant coach had one in particular grab his attention.
MSU head football coach Mike Leach had popped into his messages to wish him and the Bulldog team a big congratulations on history that had been made earlier that night. That helped him realize, if he hadn't already, just how big of a moment his players had just accomplished.
Bratton is a lifelong Bulldog. When he was younger, the West Point native made annual trips to coach Ron Polk's baseball camps. He was sitting in the stands to watch Burke Masters hit a grand slam to get a win over Florida State in the Starkville Regional in 1990. When he finished his baseball career at East Mississippi Community College, Bratton was able to play ball for Polk and he eventually got a chance to coach on John Cohen's staff.
The longtime fan, player and coach of the maroon and white knew what the culture of winning for MSU baseball was all about and he's been working to help break barriers for softball. A super regional berth for the first time in school history was a huge moment.
“It's in my veins,” Bratton said. “Mississippi State is in my blood. I have two degrees here. To be able to come through and make a statement like this in front of all of these fans… It's special when our kids know that the 6 a.m. workouts are paying off. The long days staying in the Templeton Center studying are paying off.
“We've been so close for a while. We've got a good group of girls here that are tough. They're gritty, they persevere, they fight, they love each other and they have each other's back. It hasn't been easy and hasn't been pretty all the time, but they found a way to get it done. We've got to really tip our caps to them and the level of toughness they have day in and day out.”
There might not be anyone that this history making moment means more to than Bratton.
The assistant coach came on to the softball program in 2014. He was here a full season before head coach Samantha Ricketts had arrived as an assistant and together the two have been as big a part as anyone at building the roster over the years and instilling a culture. Bratton has left his mark on every player in recruiting and/or in development and the brick has been laid.
Bratton has been a part of just one losing season in his nine years and seven regionals and the team has never been able to get over the hump until now. The coaches and their players finally get to see history made with the first super regional and also the first NCAA postseason event hosted at Nusz Park. Seeing the crowd of people gathered outside of the gates on Monday for the return only
Mississippi State assistant softball coach Tyler Bratton gives a hug to pitcher Annie Willis after the NCAA Tallahassee made the coach's heart swell even more.
“It's pretty special,” Bratton said. “The one thing about Mississippi State is it's a true college town and with that comes a big group of friends and family. There was a hundred or two hundred people here supporting this team. We're making history in the state of Mississippi and putting Mississippi on the map in terms of the softball world.
“These folks have been with us all year long and it sure is great to see the texts and the tweets and all the congratulations (Sunday). It was a pretty special day (Sunday) for our program and it makes us feel great to see this kind of reception.”
The Bulldogs will host the best of three series this weekend in Starkville. Game one is Friday at 11 a.m., game two
is on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a game three on Sunday if necessary. Tickets were sold out in the first day they went on sale and the athletic department reported on Monday that they will notify fans of any returns and further availability to purchase.