Home Sweet Home: Devilettes Host Alabama A&M In Home & SWAC Opener
ITTA BENA, Miss. – The Mississippi Valley State University softball program gets to play at home for the first time in 2022 after a full month (13 games) on the road to begin the season as they welcome the Lady Bulldogs of AAMU for a weekend series.
What You Need to Know
Time and Dates: Friday, March 11 (1 p.m. & 3 p.m.) | Saturday, March 12 (1 p.m.)
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Records: Mississippi Valley State (2-11, 0-0 SWAC) | Alabama A&M (5-10, 0-0 SWAC)
Location: Itta Bena, Mississippi – MVSU Softball Field
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Last Meetings: April 30 – May 1, 2021 | Alabama A&M Won Series 3-0 (Combined 12-7) | Huntsville, Alabama (Bulldog Field)
Winning Streak: Alabama A&M (W3) | Mississippi Valley State’s Last Win: April 20, 2019 (DH – 1-0 & 8-5)
Mississippi Valley State Overview
The MVSU pitching staff currently sports the second-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio in the conference at 1.59 with the third-best defense behind them courtesy of a .945 fielding percentage. The Green and White also slot among the nation’s top-45 clubs in stolen bases per game (1.62).
Jaylon Davis is the designated speedster in Coach Buckner’s arsenal, averaging 0.58 swipes a ballgame to place top-40 in the country.
The pitching staff has seen A’tajua Wren step up as the unexpected staff ace in the early portion of the campaign, leading the SWAC with a walks allowed per seven innings total of 1.27.
The top hitter in the league regarding two-baggers has been Keisha White who leads her peers with a 0.36 doubles per contest average.
Scouting The Opponent: Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs
AAMU has five wins coming into the opener with four of those coming against fellow HBCUs: Grambling State, South Carolina State and Tuskegee (x2) plus a victory over Nicholls.
Alabama A&M also likes to utilize its speed on the basepaths, slotting just one spot behind the Devilettes in steals a game among SWAC squads at 1.53.
Rachael McKinney has been the big bopper in the middle of the lineup as she leads the Maroon and White with ten runs batted in, four doubles and the team’s only homer.
Allyson Riches and De’Nijah Wade are the two Lady Bulldogs hitting above the .300 mark as the former bats .318 while the latter is right on the line to go along with a team-high eight steals.
A Preseason All-SWAC First Team selection at both pitcher and designated player, Esperanza Coe has had a slow start with only five hits and an ERA over eight but could start to round into form as conference play kicks in.
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