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in the field are guaranteed at least three matches in the event which culminates with the championship match on Monday.

“Our four seniors have worked their tails off for a chance to play in this amazing event,” MSU head coach Matt Roberts said. “We have a great opportunity this weekend to continue growing as a team and play against the best teams in the country. TCU is an outstanding team that always competes for championships in the Big 12 and is consistently in the top 16 in the nation every year. They’re going to give us a great challenge,

and I know our guys are excited and ready for it.”

Softball

PUETO VALLARTA, Mexico - A three-run sixth inning proved too much to overcome as No. 25 Mississippi State fell to Southern Illinois 4-1 in the opening contest of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge at Nancy Alvarez Field on Thursday.

The Bulldogs (4-2) and SIU (4-2) were locked in a tied battle until the sixth inning when the Salukis hung up three runs against State’s pitching staff.

At the plate senior second baseman Emily Heimberger led the Bulldogs as she went 3-for-2 with a run scored.

Junior pitcher Alyssa Loza (1-1) started the game for State as she tossed 5.1 innings. The right-hander gave up six hits and two walks while allowing all four runs. She struck out five in the contest. Both junior pitcher Candace Denis and sophomore pitcher Emily Williams toss a third of an inning for State in the game.

Women’s Basketball

Mississippi State’s Anriel Howard is one of 10 remaining candidates for the 2019 Katrina Mcclain Award, the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday. The finalists will be announced in

early March.

The award is presented to the nation’s top power forward in NCAA Division I. Five finalists will be presented to Katrina Mcclain-pittman and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.

The Atlanta, Georgia, native is second on the team in scoring (15.5 points

per game) and rebounding (eight rebounds per game). She is fourth in the Southeastern Conference in field goal percentage (52 percent) and seventh in the league in rebounding. Howard has turned in six games with 20 or more points and scored a career-high 30 at then-no. 7 Oregon.

She holds Texas A&M’S career rebounding record with 1,002 in three years as an Aggie (2016-18). Howard

is currently sixth among active Division I players, and second in the SEC, with 1,186 rebounds in her career. Her 38 career doubledoubles rank 13 among active players nationally, and her 1,287 points are eighth among active league players.

MSU travels to College Station on Sunday to face Howard’s former school in Texas A&M. State and the No. 22 Aggies will tip off on SEC Network at 1 p.m.