MOBILE, Ala. | South Alabama will open up a seven-game road swing Wednesday night when it travels to No. 17 Mississippi State. First pitch versus the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. at Nusz Park.

Live stats will be available and the game can be seen on SECNetwork+.

South Alabama (23-15-1, 7-5 SBC) comes into the midweek game at Mississippi State (29-12, 9-9 SEC) after taking two of three from Georgia Southern in Mobile over the weekend, while the Bulldogs dropped two of three at home to No. 4 Tennessee. MSU is scheduled to face Memphis on Tuesday night before hosting the Jaguars.

The two clubs were originally scheduled to face each other last week, but that game was postponed due to inclement weather.

Mackenzie Brasher leads the club at the plate with a .319 batting average, while also leading the team in hits (43), runs scored (26) and stolen bases (21). Brasher's 21 steals lead the Sun Belt Conference and are tied for 25th-most nationally.

Gabby Stagner (.310) ranks second on the roster in batting average and her .690 slugging percentage is sixth-best in the Sun Belt. Stagner is tied for fourth in the league in home runs (9), tied for fifth in doubles (11) and tied for the SBC lead in triples with three, while she sits just outside the Top 10 in RBI (31). Of the junior's 36 hits on the year with 23 of those going for extra bases.

Stagner also has eight multi-RBI efforts to lead the club, while Brasher leads the team with 11 multi-hit games.

Olivia Lackie (17-6, 1 SV) holds a 1.44 earned run average, has struck out 163 batters and held opponents to a ,177 batting average. The senior is tied with Texas State's Jessica Mullins for the SBC lead in strikeouts, while ranking second in the SBC in ERA, opponent's batting average, strikeouts looking (48) and innings pitched (160.1). Lackie is tied for seventh nationally in strikeouts, tied for ninth in shutouts with six and her 17 wins are tied for 12th most in the country. As a staff, South Alabama holds nine shutouts this spring, tied for third-most in the Sun Belt

GAME INFORMATION
Site: Nusz Park (Starkville, Miss.)

SCHEDULE
Game 1: April 17, 2024 | 5 p.m.

South Alabama JAGUARS
NFCA: -- | USA: -- | SA: -- | DI: -- | RPI: 36
Record: 23-15-1, 9-6 SBC

Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .251 / .371 / .315
Team ERA: 2.88

Mississippi State BULLDOGS
NFCA: 17 | USA: 17 | SA: 15 | DI: 17 | RPI: 17
Record: 29-12, 9-9 SEC

Team Slash Line (AVG / SLG / OBP): .328 / .521 / .435
Team ERA: 3.07

THE SERIES
vs. Mississippi State: Series tied 6-6
In Mobile: MSU leads 2-3
In Starkville: USA leads 4-3
At Neutral Site: --
Current Streak: MSU 2

NOTES
•    South Alabama and Mississippi State have met 12 previous times in the all-time series with the series even at 6-6
•    The Jaguars hold a 4-3 record in the series in games played in Starkville,
•    The six wins versus the Bulldogs are the most versus any SEC opponent
•    South Alabama has faced six teams ranked at the time in the Top 25 this spring and holds wins over South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas State, and a tie over Arizona
•    The game marks the sixth this spring versus an opponent from the SEC, as they are 3-2 in those five previous contests this spring 
•    Brasher (215) is one game played shy of moving into a tie for second with former Jag Kamdyn Kvistad (2018-22) with 216
•    The center fielder (135) is one run scored shy of matching Blair Johnson (136, 2012-15) for fourth, and two multi-hit games away from moving into a tie with Emily Messer (55) for third place at South
•    Brasher (209) is four hits shy of matching Brittany Fowler (213, 2010-13) for second
•    Stagner (30) is one double shy of moving into a tie for eighth all-time in the career category at South - Amanda Minahan (31, 2014-17)
•    Stagner comes into the midweek contest at Mississippi State with at least one hit five of her last six and at least one RBI in four of her six

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