Starkville Notebook: Newcomers shine, Florida wins third straight SEC series, Bulldogs show fight

STARKVILLE, MISS. – Nusz park was hoppin’ for the three-game series between the Florida Gators and Mississippi State Bulldogs. In fact, DJ Kujho was spinning beats on Saturday down the first base line for the 13th largest crowd in program history (1,302). After squeezing out a game one victory in a wild 13-12 slugfest, the Bulldogs lost back-to-back games to the Gators.

Florida’s third-straight SEC series win didn’t come easy. The newcomers – on both respective squads – continued to shine in the SEC with Jocelyn Erickson delivering the final blow on Saturday afternoon with a two-run home run in the top of the seventh.

WATCH: JOCELYN ERICKSON DISCUSSES 8-5 WIN OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Starkville series provided several key takeaways:

Newcomers Making Waves: Florida’s lineup has benefitted from the infusion of new talent, with the likes of Jocelyn Erickson making an immediate impact. Despite being a lefty catcher —a rarity in softball— Erickson has an uncanny ability to get strikes for her pitchers. She also contributes at the plate, going 5-for-11 with three home runs and nine RBIs on the weekend. Alongside Erickson, rookie pitchers Keagan Rothrock and Ava Brown have emerged as key components of the Gators’ pitching staff, which boasts a 1.85 ERA, .92 WHIP and limits opposing batters to a .169 average. They possess 88% of the innings and a combined 28 wins on the season. The addition of Louisville transfer Korbe Otis has further bolstered Florida’s offensive firepower, adding depth and consistency in the middle of the lineup.

On the Road with @notarabledays 🚘

Hear from Coach @timwalton after @GatorsSB 7-6 comeback win over Mississippi State to clinch the series ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pF8ROk5OLh

— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) March 30, 2024

Youthful Energy of Mississippi State: While Mississippi State may have dropped the series at home, the Bulldogs displayed promise, particularly with their young talent up the middle. Rookies Kylee Edwards, Salen Hawkins, and Ella Wesolowski showcased their athleticism, softball IQ, and defensive skills throughout the series, hinting at a bright future for the program. The rookies went a combined 13-for-27 (.481) with eight RBIs in the series.

Wesolowski smacks a 2 RBI double to deep center to tack on a pair. Let me tell you, increasingly impressed with the @HailStateSB rookies.

Thanks @SwingRxHitting for the video using @PocketRadar 😉 pic.twitter.com/E9neGNjrJg

— Tara Henry (@notarabledays) March 30, 2024

Aspen Wesley spins it. Wesley may have suffered the loss in game three but it’s clear the right-hander has all the tools to hold down a potent offense. Here are a few clips from the top of the sixth inning. Wesley retired the side with a flyout and a pair of strikeouts by mixing speeds with a rise ball, screwball off-speed and off-speed rise at various parts of the zone.

The graduate senior is so effective because of her ability to throw through the zone, or more importantly out of the zone/a ball off the plate. Our friends at Synergy help illustrate how Wesley accomplishes this feat. With 650 out of 1,130 pitches thrown out of the zone and one ball off the zone, it’s harder to square up a ball against the Mississippi ace. Interestingly, Wesley throws the changeup just 12% of the time but it induces nearly a 50% miss rate because of her ability to tunnel pitches. With less than half of her overall pitches actually in the zone, at a 64% called strikes rate.

The Softball Fieldhouse is legit. The 12,700-square foot, $7 million facility was completed on August 2023 and provides the student-athlete with a one-stop shop for all things softball.

The facility includes a team’s locker room and lounge along with a film room, athletic training facility, equipment room, showers and indoor training facility with five hitting lanes and three indoor pitching lanes.