Bulldogs Host UT Martin in Final Midweek Before Key SEC Stretch

Mississippi State returns home to take on UT Martin in a key midweek matchup before hosting No. 23 South Carolina this weekend.

Mississippi State Outfielder Kinley Keller (#33) during game 2 between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, GA. | Mississippi State Athletics

No. 12 Mississippi State doesn’t get much time to sit with the Georgia series, and that might be a good thing.

After a tough weekend in Athens, the Bulldogs are back home Wednesday night for their final midweek game of the season, hosting UT Martin at 5 p.m. on SECN+.

It’s a chance to reset, settle in, and get back to the version of Mississippi State that has carried them to a 29-6 record.

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— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 24, 2026

A win would also push the Bulldogs to 30 victories faster than any team in program history. They reached that mark in 38 games last spring. Hitting it on March 25 would make it the earliest date they’ve ever done it.

The timing lines up well for a team looking to regain its rhythm before South Carolina comes to town this weekend.

UT Martin brings a very different challenge than Georgia.

The Skyhawks run as much as anyone in the country, already swiping 62 bags and sitting near the top 20 nationally in steals. They lead the OVC in both runs and stolen bases, and they have three players already in double digits on the basepaths.

Mississippi State’s defense has been one of the best in the nation, so this matchup becomes a good test of discipline and execution.

The Bulldogs still lean on what has worked all year. Pitching and defense continue to set the tone.

Mississippi State is one of only four teams in the country allowing fewer than two runs per game, and the fielding percentage sits inside the top five nationally. The staff numbers are even more eye‑catching. They lead the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts looking and strikeout‑to‑walk ratio.

Alyssa Faircloth is up to 152 strikeouts and is closing in on the program’s single‑season top 10.

There are plenty of individual notes trending in the right direction.

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— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 24, 2026

Morgan Stiles has reached base in six straight games. Kiarra Sells snapped out of her slump in Athens with three hits in the series and a game‑tying home run on Saturday.

Taylor Troutman continues to be one of the most productive hitters in SEC play, and Des Rivera has tied the single‑season program record with five sacrifice flies.

Nadia Barbary keeps climbing the doubles chart, now eighth all‑time at Mississippi State.

Even the pinch hitters have been steady. Troutman is hitting .500 in those spots, while Anna Carder and Abigail Stevens have delivered timely swings of their own.

UT Martin arrives at 19-13 and riding a six‑game OVC winning streak. They swept Tennessee State last weekend and sit second in the league standings. They’re 0-3 against SEC teams this season, but they’ve played well against several of the same opponents Mississippi State has already handled.

For Mississippi State, this is about getting back to clean softball.

The Bulldogs have been at their best when they defend well, throw strikes and let the offense chip away. Wednesday offers a chance to do exactly that before a nationally televised series against No. 23 South Carolina.

A long stretch of SEC play is coming. First, Mississippi State gets one more night to reset at home.