The Oklahoma softball team hasn’t played a game in almost a week, but the Sooners are rolling into Cathedral City, California, for an exciting doubleheader Friday night at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
With them, the Sooners are bringing a record 62-game winning streak that extends more than a calendar year and includes a 9-0 start to the 2024 season. Their last loss came against Baylor on Feb. 19, 2023. It was followed by a 53-game winning run that ended with Oklahoma’s third consecutive national title.
The next obstacles in Oklahoma’s quest to become the first team in history to win four straight national championships will be Mississippi State (Friday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern) and Wisconsin (Friday at 11 p.m. EST). Both games will be played at Big League Dreams Cathedral City’s Wrigley Field.
- Subscribe To FloSoftball To Watch The 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
- Oklahoma Softball Schedule 2024: What To Know
- THE Spring Games Division I Preview: What To Know
- 2024 USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top 25
- Mississippi Softball Schedule 2024: What To Know
Rest assured, Mississippi State is going to be ready for Oklahoma on Friday night.
The Bulldogs wasted no time getting acclimated to the time change from Mississippi to California and already have collected two victories at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
MSU helped kick off the first day of competition at Big League Dreams Cathedral City by beating the University of Central Florida and Notre Dame by scores of 2-1 and 7-4 respectively.
The Bulldogs now are 10-1 on the season, with their lone loss coming against UC Davis at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico on Feb. 18.
Obviously, how they perform against the No. 1 team in the nation will give the Bulldogs a reading of where they are in the young 2024 season.
On paper, in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, Mississippi State landed in the No. 25 spot, after not being ranked in the previous edition.
Friday’s meeting between Mississippi State and Oklahoma will mark the eighth time in history the two teams have faced each other. Oklahoma leads the series 7-0, including a pair of wins in March 2023.
As two of the 30 teams that have converged on Big League Dreams Cathedral City to compete in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic from Feb. 22-25, there will be plenty of additional action for Oklahoma and Mississippi State over the weekend.
Oklahoma will end Friday against Wisconsin and take a meeting with San Diego State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern. The Sooners will wrap up their 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a doubleheader Sunday, facing Seattle at noon Eastern and Loyola Marymount at 2:30 p.m. EST.
Mississippi State also will play five games in California. The Bulldogs’ event will conclude with a pair of games Saturday – Cal State Fullerton (5:30 p.m. Eastern) and Fresno State (10:30 p.m. EST).
Will the Bulldogs roll over and let Oklahoma’s winning way continue? Can OU go all the way again in 2024, or is it too soon to predict?
Follow the action live, as FloSoftball provides news and notes from the Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State game at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
New OU Softball Pitcher Keeps Mississippi State Quiet
After a walk to start the top of the fifth inning, Oklahoma replaces starting pitcher Nicole May. She went four full innings, giving up seven hits and three runs, while striking out four and walking three.
Freshman left-hander SJ Geurin comes in to pitch for the Sooners with one on and no one out.
Geurin gives OU a quiet inning. Sooners lead 7-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
Oklahoma Piles On Two More Runs Against Mississippi State
Matalasi Faapito comes on to pitch for Mississippi State in the fourth inning. Starter Aspen Wesley went three innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, while striking out four and walking none.
Faapito issues a one-out walk to Jayda Coleman, and the Sooners make her pay. Tiare Jennings hits a double to score Coleman. Oklahoma leads 6-3.
Alyssa Brito follows with a single that scores Jennings. Oklahoma leads 7-3.
Cydney Sanders walks. OU has runners on first and second with two outs.
Freshman left-hander Delainey Everett takes over the pitching responsibilities for Mississippi State. She strikes out Ella Parker to end the inning.
Mississippi State Softball Threatens In Fourth Inning Against Oklahoma
A two-out double and a walk give Mississippi State a chance to cut deficit against Oklahoma.
The Bulldogs have runners on first and second, but they're stranded there as the inning ends.
Oklahoma leads 5-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Oklahoma Softball Highlight
In case you missed it, here's a look at Kinzie Hansen's game-tying first-inning home run against Mississippi State on Friday night:
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 24, 2024A 🚀 from 𝐊𝟗 ties us at two 👊
↑2 | OU 2, MS 2#ChampionshipMindset | @FloSoftball pic.twitter.com/eN3Lxll0ek
Oklahoma Adds To Lead Against Mississippi State At Mary Nutter
Alyssa Brito delivers a one-out double to left field. She scores on a two-out base hit from Ella Parker. Oklahoma leads 5-3.
Inning over.
Mississippi State Quiet In Third Inning Against Oklahoma
Nothing happening for the Bulldogs in the third inning. Oklahoma leads 4-3.
Oklahoma Has More Answers For Mississippi State In Bottom Of Second Inning
Freshman Ella Parker opens the second inning for Oklahoma with a single.
Sophom*ore Avery Hodge adds a one-out infield single to advance Parker and put runners on first and second with one out.
Senior Rylie Boone doubles to right field to score Parker. Game tied 3-3. Runners on second and third with one out.
Senior Jayda Coleman scores Hodge with a sacrifice fly. Oklahoma leads 4-3.
The inning ends with a strikeout.
Mississippi State Back On Top Against Oklahoma
Mississippi State opens second inning against Oklahoma with back-to-back base hits to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Riley Hull is thrown at home on a ground ball to third base for the first out of the inning.
Sierra Sacco gets an opportunity for redemption and delivers for the Bulldogs, knocking a base hit off the glove of a diving Tiare Jennings. Kiarra Sells scores on the play. Bulldogs lead 3-2.
A Look At Jessie Blaine's Home Run For Mississippi State
Check out this blast from Mississippi State's Jessie Blaine:
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) February 24, 2024Her name is Jessie Blaine.
State strikes first 💣
💻 https://t.co/IzZjX4v3gp@JessieBlaine22 | #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/NA3Re45gpg
Oklahoma Ties Contest With Mississippi State With First-Inning Home Run
Jayda Coleman kicks things off for Oklahoma with a single.
Kinzie Hansen blasts her own home run to left field to even the score a 2-2.
Oklahoma Starting Lineup To Face Mississippi State
See who's starting for the Sooners against Mississippi State:
— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) February 24, 2024We’re underway in game ☝️
📺 https://t.co/9sEThfK9iM
📻 https://t.co/y0UQf9b1bT
📊 https://t.co/BYv6n9mIsO#ChampionshipMindset pic.twitter.com/nkaqdi7mBM
Mississippi State Opens Scoring Against Oklahoma In Chaotic First Inning
Mississippi State was able to capitalize on a game-opening walk from Oklahoma's Nicole May.
Sierra Sacco was able to score on a one-out hit from Paige Cook, but Sacco ended up getting called out for leaving first base early.
Cook is forced to hit again, and the run is erased.
Cook ends up with a base hit.
Jessie Blaine makes up for all the chaos with a two-run home run to left field. Mississippi State leads 2-0.
Mississippi State's Starting Lineup To Face Oklahoma
See who's starting for the Bulldogs against Oklahoma on Friday at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic:
— Mississippi State Softball (@HailStateSB) February 24, 2024We've waited long enough 😤
📊 https://t.co/dhCh6A0Ey5
💻 https://t.co/IzZjX4v3gp#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/2ytw4YC4JX
Oklahoma And Mississippi State Are Underway At The Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
Nicole May is in the circle for Oklahoma, the home team, and she'll be looking to secure her team's 63rd consecutive win.
When Is The Oklahoma Vs. Mississippi State Softball Game?
Oklahoma will take onMississippi State at Wrigley Field, part of Big League Dreams Cathedral City in Cathedral City, California, on Friday, Feb. 23 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
How To Watch The Oklahoma Vs. Mississippi State Softball Game
Watch the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on FloSoftball and the FloSports app.
FloSoftball is streaming several NCAA Division I college softball tournaments, including the 2024 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge,THE Spring Games and the recent Candrea Classic.
This And That: Mississippi State Softball
Mississippi State entered 2023 with 989 wins in program history. The Bulldogs are 10-1 this season, so their next victory will be a huge milestone – No. 1,000!
In 2023, Mississippi State was 28-25 overall and 7-16 in the stacked Southeastern Conference. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs’ season ended before the NCAA Tournament, so they may be fighting through 2024 with something to prove.
Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts enjoyed a record-setting career at Oklahoma. She started 192 consecutive games and ended her career in 2009 as the Big 12 career RBI leader.
This And That: Oklahoma Softball
During their 62-game winning streak, the Sooners have scored 495 runs, while allowing just 57. OU has averaged 7.98 runs per game during the streak.
Speaking of streaks, senior shortstop Tiare Jennings comes into the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on a team-leading six-game hitting streak. She’s also climbing her way up the Oklahoma career RBIs list. She’s one shy of second place (with 253) and eying all-time leader Jocelyn Alo, who tallied 323 in her career.
Oklahoma head coach leads all active NCAA coaches in career wins with 1,464. She is third overall. Carol Hutchins tops the all-time list with 1,707.
USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll
The latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll came out this week, and Oklahoma continues its stranglehold on the top spot.
The Sooners, who entered the 2024 on a 53-game winning streak, are 9-0 to start the new campaign.
Mississippi State opened the year at 8-1 and landed at No. 25 in the most recent poll, after not being ranked in the previous edition. The Bulldogs have since added a pair of wins at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Click HERE to see the complete rankings.
About Big League Dreams Cathedral City
The Big League Dreams Sports Parks are scattered throughout the United States and provide recreational and tournament players of all ages the chance to compete on world-class fields, often built as replicas of famous stadiums from the storied history of Major League Baseball.
Along with the nostalgic fields, the Big League Dreams venues include a restaurant and bar, batting cages, play area for children, stadium seating and space for other sports (hockey, soccer, sand volleyball), events and competitions.
Big League Dreams Cathedral City was the first of the eight BLD properties to open, doing so in 1998. The park includes five fields. Among them, Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and New York’s Yankee Stadium.
2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic Schedule
All times Eastern
Thursday, Feb. 22
Wrigley Field
- Rutgers vs. Hawaii, 3 p.m.
- Oregon vs. Central Florida, 5:30 p.m.
- Oregon vs. Baylor, 8 p.m.
- Notre Dame vs. Baylor 10:30 p.m.
Yankee Stadium
- Bethune Cookman vs. BYU, 3 p.m.
- Bethune Cookman vs. Oregon State, 5:30 p.m.
- San Diego State vs. Missouri, 8 p.m.
- Wisconsin vs. Missouri, 10:30 p.m.
Fenway Park
- Oregon State vs. Wisconsin 2:30 p.m.
- Notre Dame vs. Mississippi State, 5 p.m.
- UC Riverside vs. Rutgers 7:30 p.m.
- UC Riverside vs. BYU 10 p.m.
Des Moines Field
- Mississippi State vs. Central Florida 2 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 23
Wrigley Field
- San Diego State vs. Nebraska, 1 p.m.
- UCLA vs. Nebraska, 3:30 p.m.
- UCLA vs. Northwestern, 6 p.m.
- Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m.
- Oklahoma vs. Wisconsin, 11 p.m.
Yankee Stadium
- Hawaii vs. Fresno State, 1:30 p.m.
- Hawaii vs. California, 4 p.m.
- Notre Dame vs. Oregon, 6:30 p.m.
- Long Beach State vs. Oregon, 9 p.m.
- Central Florida vs. Oregon State, 11:30 p.m.
Fenway Park
- Rutgers vs. Loyola Marymount, 1 p.m.
- Tennessee vs. Loyola Marymount, 3:30 p.m.
- Tennessee vs. CSU Fullerton, 6 p.m.
- Missouri vs. Central Florida, 8:30 p.m.
- Missouri vs. CSU Fullerton, 11 p.m.
Des Moines Field
- Seattle University vs. CSU Northridge, 1 p.m.
- Utah vs. CSU Northridge, 3:30 p.m.
- Bethune Cookman vs. San Diego State, 6 p.m.
- University of San Diego vs. Wisconsin, 8:30 p.m.
- University of San Diego vs. Utah, 11 p.m.
Pawtucket Field
- Illinois vs. California, 1:30 p.m.
- Cal Poly vs. Rutgers, 3 p.m.
- Long Beach State vs. BYU, 6:30 p.m.
- UC Riverside vs. Seattle, 9 p.m.
- UC Riverside vs. Baylor, 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24
Wrigley Field
- Oregon vs. Nebraska, 1 p.m.
- Oklahoma vs. San Diego State, 3:30 p.m.
- UCLA vs. Illinois, 6 p.m.
- UCLA vs. Baylor, 8:30 p.m.
- Missouri vs. Baylor, 11 p.m.
Yankee Stadium
- Seattle vs. California, 12:30 p.m.
- Oregon State vs. Notre Dame, 3 p.m.
- Oregon State vs. Tennessee, 5:30 p.m.
- Central Florida vs. Tennessee, 8 p.m.
- Central Florida vs. University of San Diego, 10:30 p.m.
Fenway Park
- Northwestern vs. Loyola Marymount, 10 a.m.
- Northwestern vs. University of San Diego, 3:30 p.m.
- Notre Dame vs. Utah, 6 p.m.
- Wisconsin vs. Utah, 8:30 p.m.
- Rutgers vs. BYU 11 p.m.
Des Moines Field
- Cal vs. Illinois, 12:30 p.m.
- CSU Fullerton vs. Utah, 3 p.m.
- CSU Fullerton vs. Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m.
- Cal Poly vs. BYU, 8 p.m.
- Mississippi State vs. Fresno State, 10:30 p.m.
Pawtucket Field
- CSU Northridge vs. Bethune Cookman, 12:30 p.m.
- Wisconsin vs. Long Beach State, 3 p.m.
- CSU Northridge vs. Rutgers, 2:30 p.m.
- Loyola Marymount vs. Bethune Cookman 8 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25
Wrigley Field
- Seattle vs. Oklahoma, noon
- Loyola Marymount vs. Oklahoma, 2:30 p.m.
- UCLA vs. Tennessee, 5 p.m.
Yankee Stadium
- Nebraska vs. Utah, noon
- Nebraska vs. CSU Fullerton, 2:30 p.m.
- University of San Diego vs. UC Riverside, 5 p.m.
Fenway Park
- Oregon State vs. Northwestern, noon
- Tennessee vs. Hawaii, 2:30 p.m.
- Fresno State vs. Cal Poly, 5 p.m.
Des Moines Field
- Illinois vs. Hawaii, 11:30 a.m.
- Fresno State vs. Long Beach State, 2:30 p.m.
Pawtucket Field
- California vs. Long Beach State, noon
- California vs. Cal Poly, 2:30 p.m.
Who Was Mary Nutter?
Mary Nutter was an All-American softball player and a pioneer in the sport.
She was a coach at Pittsburgh State and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997.
Nutter died in 2012.
Watch 2024 College Softball On FloSoftball
FloSoftball is your home to some of the top college softball tournaments in the country, as well as conference softball games from a varsity of conferences. Some of the tournaments streaming live on FloSoftball include:
- Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
- 2024 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
- 2024 FAU Paradise Classic
- 2024 Elon Phoenix Tournament
- 2024 Candrea Classic
- 2024 Mark Campbell Collegiate Invitational
- 2024 THE Spring Games Opening Weekend
FloSoftball Archived Footage
Video footage from past seasons is archived and stored in a video library for FloSoftball subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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