Samantha Ricketts, Mississippi State Announce Bulldogs 2024 Schedule

The following release information was issued by Mississippi State and information and photo courtesy of Mississippi State…

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts has released the full 2024 softball schedule with the addition of 30 non-conference contests. The Bulldogs’ 24-game SEC slate was announced in September, giving MSU a 54-game schedule with 28 home games.

The Bulldogs will open play on Friday, Feb. 9, when they host IUPUI and UAB at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial tournament. State then hosts Louisiana for a doubleheader on Feb. 13 to wrap up a season-opening homestand.

MSU will play 32 games against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last year, including eight non-conference opponents in February. The Bulldogs are also set to play 20 games against nine teams that finished the season ranked in the NFCA Coaches’ Poll.

Following its opening homestand, State will return to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on Feb. 16-17 where the Bulldogs are set to play UC Davis and UC San Diego to open the tournament. MSU then faces a stiff test with games against Utah and Clemson, which finished No. 8 and No. 9 in the Coaches’ Poll last year, to close the event. State is 5-3 all-time in Puerto Vallarta, having played in the 2019 and 2017 editions of the event.

The Bulldogs will return to Cathedral City, California, for the first time since Ricketts’ inaugural campaign in 2020, to compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Feb. 22-24. State is scheduled to play four of its five games against NCAA Tournament teams, including a matchup with reigning national champion Oklahoma for the fourth year in a row. The Bulldogs will also play UCF, Notre Dame, Fresno State and Cal State Fullerton.

After two weeks on the road, MSU returns to Nusz Park to host the Bulldog Invitational on Feb. 29-March 1. State will welcome Southern Miss, Troy, Alcorn State and Samford for the four-day event.

Conference play begins on March 8-10 at Ole Miss, but the Bulldogs will have multiple midweek games to break up the SEC schedule. State hosts Memphis for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 12, followed by a game with ULM on Wednesday, March 13. MSU will travel to Alabama State for a doubleheader on March 20.

In April, State will travel to UAB (April 3) and Samford (April 23) and play a neutral-site contest against Southern Miss (April 17). South Alabama will come to Nusz Park for the month’s only home midweek on April 10.

The SEC Tournament will be hosted by Auburn this year on May 7-11. The NCAA Tournament is slated to begin on May 17-19 with Super Regionals taking place the following weekend. The 2024 Women’s College World Series will again be held in Oklahoma City beginning on May 30.

Game times and television assignments will be announced at a later date. The schedule is subject to change, including the move of some conference series weekends to Saturday-Monday dates. Full schedules for The Snowman and the Bulldog Invitational will be released once finalized.

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