This history-making Mississippi State softball team already has written a fascinating story, lifting an often largely ignored sport in the Magnolia State\u2019s headlines. Win or lose at the Women\u2019s College World Series, which begins today in Oklahoma City, that story is about to get all the more intriguing. At this point, State is playing with house money. Nobody expected this.<\/p>\n
Problem is, Texas Tech, the Bulldogs\u2019 first opponent, is playing with real money \u2013 West Texas oil money. Millions. We\u2019ll get to that.<\/p>\n
First, what the Bulldog softballers have achieved: State, which entered the NCAA Tournament with a 38-18 record (just 9-15 in the murderous SEC), traveled cross-continent to Eugene, Oregon, and swept through an NCAA Regional there, winning three straight games while allowing only two runs. The Bulldogs blanked host Oregon, the nation\u2019s 12th ranked team, 4-0 behind pitcher Alyssa Faircloth\u2019s no-hit, 10-strikeout performance, They were just getting started.<\/p>\n
Next, State traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the second ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a best-of-three Super Regional. It appeared a mismatch: No. 2 vs. unranked, 20-4 in the SEC vs. 9-15. Furthermore, Oklahoma has tradition as a softball powerhouse, having played in the previous nine Women\u2019s College World Series. This will be State\u2019s first.<\/p>\n
It gets better. State trailed the Sooners 5-1 early in the opener before storming back for nine runs over the last two innings for an 11-9 victory. It was Oklahoma\u2019s first Super Regional loss since 2015.<\/p>\n
Understand: The Sooners play in a softball Super Regional every year. After dropping a 7-1 decision in Game Two, the Bulldogs shocked the Sooners and their packed stadium of 4,250 fans by winning Game Three 6-0 on Delaney Everett\u2019s three-hit shutout. Get this: It was the first time proud Oklahoma had been shut out in 399 games.<\/p>\n
You want some added spice? State coach Samantha Ricketts is a former Oklahoma softball All American and graduate assistant coach. Nobody knows better than she what her team had achieved winning a Super Regional at Norman.<\/p>\n
Now then, let\u2019s jump ahead to what the Bulldogs face Thursday at Oklahoma City. This is where a good story becomes captivating. State plays Texas Tech in the eight-team, double elimination tournament\u2019s first game at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n
And I know what many non-softball fans are thinking: Hmmm, Texas Tech softball, where have I heard about them before?<\/p>\n
Well, it was probably on July 24, 2024, when Texas Tech made front page news, the lead story on ESPN Sportscenter, signing former Stanford pitching star NiJaree Canady to a $1 million contract to switch schools and lead Tech to college softball\u2019s promised land.<\/p>\n
Canady, a phenomenal talent, had led Stanford to two straight Women\u2019s College World Series as a dominating pitcher. She had achieved a 41-10 overall record, a 0.66 earned run average, 555 strikeouts and 9 saves in her freshman and sophomore seasons. But she also wanted to hit. She wanted to become softball\u2019s Shohei Ohtani. That was Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco\u2019s recruiting pitch to her \u2013 that she could play first base and hit when she wasn\u2019t pitching if she came to Tech. Glasco also enlisted Patrick Mahomes, the NFL superstar and Tech alum, in the recruitment of Canady, a native Kansan and a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan.<\/p>\n
And, oh yes, there was the NIL deal, and this is where West Texas oil money comes into play. Tech offered a one-year, $1,050,024 contract (a million for Canady, $50,000 for living expenses, $24 for her jersey number). She apparently is a smart young lady. She took it. Who pays a cool million for a softball player, you ask? Billionaire couple John and Tracy Sellers, both former Texas Tech athletes, that\u2019s who. John played football. Tracy played softball. They have donated millions upon millions to Tech, including to Canady\u2019s NIL deal.<\/p>\n
Softball, you see, is different from other sports. One player \u2013 one great pitcher \u2013 can make a mediocre team a national contender. In softball, a pitcher can pitch nearly every game. We saw it in Mississippi back in 1999-2000, when Courtney Blades transferred to Southern Miss from Nicholls State and proceeded to take the Golden Eagles to two consecutive Women\u2019s College World Series. Blades had a two-year record of 95-13 for USM. She was the national player of the year. She is the only softball player in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Alas, Blades did not get millions playing college softball. Not back then.<\/p>\n
But this is now. Texas Tech is getting their money\u2019s worth. Canady took Texas Tech, which had never been much good at softball, to the Women\u2019s College World Series last season. The Red Raiders advanced to the championship game before losing to Texas in the finale. She then signed a $1.2 million contract to return to Tech in hopes of winning it all.<\/p>\n
And now the first obstacle to Tech\u2019s multi-million dollar dream is Mississippi State. I have no way of knowing what State\u2019s total NIL package for softball is, but I know it\u2019s probably not even 20% what one player makes at Texas Tech.<\/p>\n
But I also know the Bulldogs have three quality pitchers to throw at Tech, including Californian Delaney Everett, the Super Regional hero. You talk about a Cinderella story. Everett pitched a three-hit shutout in Game Three of a Super Regional in her first start of the season. And I know that, despite losing, Florida scored 34 runs against Texas Tech in last week\u2019s three-game Super Regional, including 12 runs against Canady.<\/p>\n
State was highly competitive in a three-game series at Florida back in early April, losing 2-0 and 5-4, sandwiched around a 9-5 victory over the Gators. What\u2019s more, State is playing much better softball now than the Bulldogs were then. This should be fun.<\/p>\n
These Bulldogs are surely underdogs, but they have proven they can play against top level teams winning at Oregon and at Oklahoma. Besides, money isn\u2019t everything, although, as we\u2019ve seen at Texas Tech, it sure does make it easier.<\/p>\n
Rick Cleveland joined Mississippi Today in 2016 as its sports columnist.<\/p>\n
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