Skip to main content
Cowbell Corner

Where Mississippi State Softball Landed In The 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Mississippi State softball is headed to the Eugene Regional, where the Bulldogs will open NCAA Tournament play Friday against Saint Mary’s.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Infielder Nadia Barbary (#10) during the game between the LSU Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Infielder Nadia Barbary (#10) during the game between the LSU Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

Mississippi State is back in the NCAA Tournament, and once you’re in the bracket, the whole thing opens up.

The Bulldogs are headed west as the No. 5 seed in the Eugene Regional, a spot that gives them a real chance to make noise and maybe even reach their first super regional since 2022.

Mississippi State will open Friday at 6:30 p.m. against Saint Mary’s at Jane Sanders Stadium. Oregon is the host and the No. 14 national seed, with Idaho State rounding out the field.

It’s a tough regional, but it’s also the kind of setup where a team with pitching depth can settle in and stay a while.

If the Bulldogs get through Eugene, they’d match up with the Norman Regional winner, which includes Oklahoma, Kansas, Michigan and Binghamton. That’s a long way down the road, but it’s also the point of this time of year. You survive, you advance, and suddenly the bracket looks a lot smaller.

This group has earned its shot.

Mississippi State won 37 games in the regular season, the most under Samantha Ricketts, and sits at 38-18 overall.

They climbed to their highest rankings ever in multiple national polls and sit at No. 19 in the RPI, matching their best finish since 2008. It’s been a steady climb, even with the bumps that come with SEC play.

The pitching staff is the backbone. Mississippi State has set program records in strikeouts and posted some of the best conference-only numbers it has ever had.

Alyssa Faircloth was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches, and Peja Goold earned the same honor from USA Today Sports while also being selected in the AUSL Draft.

When the Bulldogs are at their best, it usually starts in the circle.

Offensively, Nadia Barbary and Kiarra Sells have carried the load. Barbary leads the team in RBIs and hits, while Sells tops the charts in average, slugging and on-base percentage. It’s not a lineup built on one star.

It’s a lineup that strings things together and gives the pitching staff room to work.

This is Mississippi State’s 20th NCAA appearance, and 12 of those have come in the last 14 tournaments.

The Bulldogs have been here before, and they’ve shown they can make a run. They did it in 2022, winning the Tallahassee Regional and hosting a super regional for the first time.

Now they’re back in the dance. And once you’re in, anything can happen.

Eugene Regional Schedule

Friday, May 16

  • Game 1: Mississippi State vs. Saint Mary's (CA) – 6:30 p.m.
  • Game 2: No. 14 Oregon vs. Idaho State – 9 p.m.

Saturday, May 17

  • Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 4 p.m.
  • Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 6:30 p.m.
  • Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner – 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 18

  • Game 6: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner – 6:30 p.m.
  • Game 7: If Necessary – 9 p.m.

The Opponents

No. 14 Oregon (40-12, 20-4 B1G)

Series History: 1-1 overall, First meeting in Eugene                 
Last Meeting: Feb. 20, 2020, in Cathedral City, Calif. (ORE 7, MSU 2)
Current Streak: Oregon won 1

Saint Mary's (CA) (40-14, 15-3 WCC)

Series History: 0-1 overall, 0-1 at neutral sites
Last Meeting: March 14, 1997, in San Jose, Calif. (SMC 2, MSU 1)
Current Streak: Saint Mary's won 1

Idaho State (37-18, 10-5 Big Sky)

Series History: 0-1 overall, 0-1 at neutral sites
Last Meeting: March 27, 1982, in Bartlesville, Okla. (ISU 8, MSU 0)
Current Streak: Idaho State won 1

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

Home/All Things State