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MSU Softball Heads to Louisiana for Lion Classic

February 14, 2019

By: MSU Athletics Communications
Missouri State at Lion Classic II, Hammond, La.
Dates  Friday-Sunday, February 15-17, 2019
Site | Location North Oak Park, Hammond, La. | Tourney Central
Game 1 Friday (3 p.m.) | vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Game 2   Friday (5 p.m.) | vs. Southeastern Louisiana | Live Stats | Video
Game 3 Saturday (11:00 a.m.) | vs. Prairie View A&M
Game 4 Saturday (3:30 p.m.) | vs. SIU Edwardsville
Game 5 Sunday (9:00 a.m.) | vs. UTSA | Live Stats | Video
Missouri State Softball Home Page | Twitter | Facebook | Season Preview Video

The Prime Nine
  • The Bears (3-2) placed two players on the all-tournament team at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores, Ala., last weekend. Catcher Morgan Greenlee, who batted .500 with 4 RBI on the weekend, and pitcher Steffany Dickerson, who was 2-1 in the circle with a save and 0.43 ERA, were named to the distinct group of opening-weekend standouts. Dickerson was also named MSU's Murney Student=Athlete of the Week.
  • Missouri State's win over No. 16-ranked Auburn on Feb. 9 in Gulf Shores marked the Bears' first win over a ranked team since defeating No. 11 Oklahoma, 3-2, in 2008.
  • MSU is 3-0 on the young season when out-hitting its opponents. The Bears were 25-3 last season when collecting more hits than their foes.
  • Freshman outfielder Rachel Weber batted .286 with 2 RBI and a pair of runs at the Sand Dollar Classic in Gulf Shores. She was 1-for-2 in the opener against Western Kentucky and followed that with an impressive 2-for-3 effort in MSU's win over Auburn with the game-tying base hit in the second inning against the Tigers. She capped the weekend with an RBI double in the team's win over Florida A&M.
  • Among Missouri Valley Conference pitchers with at least 10.0 innings of work, Steffany Dickerson ranks second in the conference in ERA (0.43) behind Loyola's Kiley Jones (0.00). Dickerson is also third in the MVC in strikeouts (16) and third in victories (2).
  • Holly Hesse is in her 31st season as head coach of the Bears. She has a career record of 784-769-2 (.505) and ranks 32nd among all active NCAA Division I coaches in career victories.
  • A year after MSU ranked 37th nationally in double plays per game (0.42) with 22 twin killings, the Bears have picked up where they left off, turning a conference-high three DP's on opening weekend at Gulf Shores.
  • As a team, MSU ranks third in the MVC in team ERA (2.55), just behind Loyola (0.20) and Drake (2.47) in the ten-team league. Likewise, MSU's 28 strikeouts ranks second in the league behind Drake's 43.
  • In her collegiate debut on Feb. 8, Bailey Greenlee (Fr., Snohomish, Wash.) struck out the first batter she faced in her collegiate career in the season opener against Western Kentucky. She is the younger sister of senior catcher Morgan Greenlee.

Head Coach Holly Hesse
  • Bears head coach Holly Hesse is in her 31st season leading the Bears' program as the second-winningest coach in Missouri Valley Conference history with a 784-769-2. She begins the 2019 season ranked 32nd among all active NCAA Division I coaches in career victories.
  • Hesse joined the 700-victory club with a 4-0 win at Illinois State on April 18, 2015, completing a doubleheader sweep in Normal, Ill. She then picked up her 750th win on Feb. 9, 2018 with a 4-0 win over Mississippi Valley State at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Miss.
  • She is the winningest coach in Missouri State history, and her tenure includes two regular-season MVC titles, five MVC tournament crowns and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
  • The most notable program wins under Hesse have come against Michigan (1996), Alabama (2006) and Oklahoma (1995, 1998, 1999, 2008) all of which have gone on to win NCAA DI National Championships.
  • Hesse has coached 34 different first-team all-conference players which have received 49 first-team all-conference honors.  Twenty-one of Hesse's players have gone on to earn NFCA All-Midwest Region honors.  
  • Recent statewide honors for Hesse include induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Staff Excellence in Public Affairs Award, presented to her in 2016 by the Missouri State University Board of Governors for distinctive work and accomplishments in support of Missouri States public affairs mission.

 
Series History
  • Texas A&M Corpus Christi:  TAMU-CC leads 3-1. Last Meeting: TAMU-CC 2, MSU 0 (2/25/05)
  • Southeastern Louisiana: First Meeting
  • Prairie View A&M: MSU leads 1-0. Last Meeting: MSU 4, PVAMU 3 (2/16/18)
  • SIU Edwardsville: SIUE leads 6-3. Last Meeting: SIUE 3, MSU 2 (3/25/15)
  • UTSA: UTSA leads 51. Last meeting: UTSA 4, MSU 3 (9 inn.) (2/17/18)
 

 
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