Mississippi State Returns to Midweek Action Against Familiar UAB Squad

The Bulldogs return home to face UAB, aiming to stay sharp and carry momentum into their upcoming SEC series at Georgia.

Mississippi State Infielder Morgan Stiles (#24), Mississippi State Catcher/Infielder Abby Grace Richardson (#2) and Mississippi State Infielder Gabby Schaeffer (#7) during the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

No. 11 Mississippi State closes out its homestand on Wednesday night with a familiar midweek opponent rolling back into town.

UAB is in for a 7 p.m. first pitch on SEC Network, and the Bulldogs are looking to keep things steady before heading back into SEC play this weekend.

The Bulldogs have reached their highest ranking in program history in three of the four major polls this week!#HailState pic.twitter.com/iATVwZqKPt

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 17, 2026

The Bulldogs already saw the Blazers earlier this month, taking a 6-1 win in Birmingham. Since then, the two teams have gone in different directions.

UAB has played seven straight games against teams Mississippi State already faced, going 1-6 in that stretch. The Bulldogs went 4-0 against the same opponents. It’s a small sample, but it gives you a sense of where both programs sit heading into Wednesday.

Mississippi State is coming off its first SEC series of the year, and the pitching staff stole the show.

The Bulldogs pushed No. 1 Tennessee into the ninth inning on Friday night, then shut out the Lady Vols on Saturday to hand them their only loss of the season. It was the second straight year Mississippi State knocked off the nation’s top team at home, and it came in walk-off fashion thanks to redshirt freshman Taylor Troutman.

That weekend also reinforced what the numbers have been saying for weeks. Mississippi State’s pitching is among the best in the country.

Setting records in the RPI as well#HailState pic.twitter.com/9X4XSHVDCA

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 17, 2026

Three Bulldog arms rank inside the top 10 nationally in WHIP and fielding independent pitching, and two sit in the top five in ERA. As a staff, Mississippi State leads the nation in strikeouts, strikeouts looking and strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Bulldogs have a 32-strikeout cushion over second-place Belmont and nearly 10 strikeouts per seven innings.

Alyssa Faircloth continues to be one of the most dominant pitchers in the country, ranking fourth nationally in total strikeouts and striking out nearly half the hitters she faces. She and Peja Goold have both already crossed the 100-strikeout mark, doing it in some of the fewest innings in program history.

The defense behind them has been just as sharp. Mississippi State leads the nation with a .989 fielding percentage and has committed only nine errors in 31 games. The outfielders have combined for just one error all season.

We do it 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑.#HailState pic.twitter.com/jJSxx3pqyA

— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) March 16, 2026

UAB comes in at 12-16 overall and winless in AAC play, but the Blazers do have a few bright spots.

Catcher Abbi Perkins ranks seventh nationally in runners caught stealing and has reached base in all but one game of her career. Shortstop Hannah Dorsett set a Division I high with 11 assists in a game earlier this season.

For Mississippi State, this is the last tune-up before a trip to No. 15 Georgia this weekend.

The Bulldogs have momentum, they have the pitching, and they have a chance to close the homestand with another clean midweek performance.