After taking two of three from the No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies, the No. 16 Kentucky softball team enters the final weekend of regular season play with much to play for, as the Wildcats travel south for the three-game set with the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nusz Park (2016) starting Friday night at 7:30 p.m. ET from Starkville.
Friday night’s game will be part of the SEC Network’s “Bases Loaded” coverage, which similar to the NFL Red Zone Channel, will use whip-around coverage hosted by Beth Mowins to show the most exciting action from around the SEC and all six series that will be in action. Fans can watch the full game uninterrupted on the SEC Network+, ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app Friday night.
On Saturday, the game will air in its entirety on the SEC Network at 4 p.m. ET with Sunday’s series finale on the SEC Network+ at 2 p.m. ET.
Kentucky is playing for seeding at the Southeastern Conference Tournament and NCAA hosting this weekend, as UK has already clinched postseason eligibility for the ninth-straight season under Rachel Lawson. Kentucky can not get a bye, but with wins and help, can move up to the #5 seed in the tournament. The lowest the Wildcats can fall is the 10 seed. One win this weekend would guarantee that Kentucky is at least a top-seven seed in next week’s championship.
The top 16 teams in the selection committee’s eyes will be host sites for the NCAA Tournament. UK is currently ranked No. 16 in the polls and has an RPI of 14 nationally. The Wildcats have hosted an NCAA Regional at John Cropp Stadium three of the last four seasons.
Mississippi State leads the all-time series with Kentucky 28-25. UK has won the last four meetings in a row, including a sweep on Senior Weekend last year at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington. The last time UK played at Mississippi State, the Wildcats won the series, two games to one.
Mississippi State enters the weekend in a good spot to make the postseason, having already clinched a spot in next week’s SEC Tournament, and with a 33 RPI, should be in position to make the NCAA Tournament sporting a 34-18 overall record and 8-13 within the SEC. The Bulldogs are led offensively by Bevia Robinson, who is hitting .345 on the season with 10 RBI and 51 base hits. The power numbers for the Bulldogs come from the bat of Caroline Seitz who is hitting .316 on the season with eight home runs and a whopping 41 RBI. Four Bulldog hitters are hitting over .300 on the season who meet the statistical minimums.
In the circle, Alexis Silkwood is the go-to player, with 17 starts on the season and a 1.77 ERA with 14 wins and six losses to her name in over 140 innings pitched. Silkwood is backed up by Holly Ward, who has a 2.32 ERA in just over 100 innings of work, and a 7-8 overall record in 24 appearances.
No. 16/18 Kentucky at (RV) Mississippi State
Nusz Park – Starkville, Mississippi
Friday, May 5 – 7:30 p.m. ET – SEC Network (Bases Loaded), SEC Network+ (Full game uninterrupted)
Saturday, May 6 – 4 p.m. ET – SEC Network
Sunday, May 7 – 2 p.m. ET – SEC Network+
For the latest on the Kentucky softball team, follow @UKSoftball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as well as on the web at UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Chris Shoals