A busy day of softball awaits fans in Lubbock at Rocky Johnson as three games will take place on Saturday, first up being the winner's bracket with Texas Tech and Mississippi State squaring off at 1 pm. There are still a limited number of tickets available for purchase online or at walk up at the stadium for those that want to catch the games today in person. Otherwise all games will be aired on ESPN networks or streamed on ESPN+.
PREGAME TAILGATE
Texas Tech Athletics is hosting a pregame tailgate all three days of the NCAA Regional that will feature free food for fans while supplies last. The tailgate will be set up three hours before first pitch and feature a live deejay that fans can enjoy. Fans will not need a ticket to enjoy this event.
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
10 am - Tailgate opens
1 pm - Texas Tech vs. Mississippi State
3:30 pm - Brown vs. Washington (Elimination Game)
6:00 pm - Loser of Gm 1 vs. Winner of Gm 2 (Elimination Game)
KNOW TEXAS TECH'S OPPONENT (in Gm 1....If they Play a Second Game, a Preview Will be Added)
- Texas Tech is set for a rematch with Mississippi State at 1 pm with the winner heading on to the Regional Final on Sunday and the loser getting another chance in an elimination game Saturday evening versus the loser of Brown vs Washington.
- Tech and MSU played earlier in the season in the second game of the season for the Red Raiders in which the Bulldogs won 3-1 in extra innings. The international tiebreaker was put into place in the 8th inning of this game to decide the winner. Raelin Chaffin threw a 8 inning complete game for the win and is a dawg as she overcame cancer in November mere months before this season began. She earned All-SEC honors after a regular season 2.65 ERA and 187 strikeouts across 171.2 IP. She did throw a full seven innings on Friday night versus Washington so it will be interesting to see if they go with her to start versus Texas Tech or hope to use her in a closing role should they get the lead.
- MSU's second best pitcher on the season is solid herself in Delaney Everett who holds a 2.73 ERA with 49 strikeouts. She has only thrown in 69.1 innings on the year however but has been effective when called upon. Will the Bulldogs go with Chaffin versus Texas Tech? Or save her for a potential elimination game later in the day to give her at least a full 24 hours of rest? It's postseason softball and Chaffin is superhuman in my eyes given what she has overcome so nothing would surprise me from her in the circle.
- At the plate MSU has a number of dangerous hitters led by First Team All-SEC Sierra Sacco who hit .462 on the year with 16 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs and 48 RBI. Nadia Barbary was second team All SEC (and all defensive team) at third for the Bulldogs, hitting .353 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 11 home runs and 45 RBI on the year. She had a home run in the teams win over Washington on Friday night.
- This team is seeing red when it comes to NiJaree Canady and wasn't bashful in their media availabilities this week about wanting revenge as Canady, while at Stanford, ended the Bulldogs season last year in postseason play. Sacco had this to say on Thursday following the team's practice: ""We want to end her season, like she did ours last year."
Buckle in for a great day of softball at the Rock y'all and join the conversation below. Wreck 'Em!
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