Good morning! EA Sports’ announcement of the College Football 25 video game has taken the college football world by storm. As if there were any doubt, come this summer fans will be able to play as their favorite teams, including the Mississippi State Bulldogs!

What else did we throw into today’s Bulldog Brew?

🥎 Softball claims two wins on opening day of Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
🎾 Clemens finds the perfect fit in Starkville
🐶 And much, much more!

🎙️ ROUNDING THIRD

Rounding Third: Salen Hawkins. Fresh off a winning trip to Mexico, freshman infielder Salen Hawkins joins Rounding Third to discuss her unique recruiting journey and her first trip out of the country.

🎥 ONE

One: Support (S.1 E.13). In the 13th episode of "One," the spotlight shifts from the women's basketball team to the unsung heroes behind the scenes – the dedicated support staff. Tune in to hear the stories and the "whys" of managers, graduate assistants, and even practice players. This episode celebrates the often-overlooked individuals who play a pivotal role in the triumphs of the women's basketball program.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Comeback Dawgs. Mississippi State softball earned two hard-fought victories on the opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. State defeated UCF, 2-1, before overcoming a three-run deficit to down Notre Dame, 7-4. State (10-1) opened the day with a pitcher's duel against UCF. The Bulldogs scored in the third and fifth to jump out to a 2-0 lead on a Nadia Barbary double and a Paige Cook ground out, and Josey Marron came in with two outs to retire the final batter for her first save of the season. In game two, the Bulldogs fell behind 3-0 before scoring four unanswered runs in the third and fourth innings to secure the second win of the day. State's road gets tougher tomorrow as the Bulldogs will face No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday night.

🔼 Strikeout Stephen. Mississippi State baseball’s Khal Stephen was voted as having the Golden Spikes Award Week 1 Performance of the Week following his 11-strikeout performance last weekend against Air Force. In game two against the Falcons, Stephen struck out a career-high 11 batters through seven innings of work and allowed just three hits and one earned run against the 23 batters he faced.

📚️ Read about how the Bulldog softball coaching staff has played a role in the early success on the field

🔼 Final From The Hump. Bulldog women’s basketball fell late to Kentucky, 78-68, at home to move to 20-8 on the season and 7-6 in the SEC. Center Jessika Carter finished with a team-high in points, rebounds and blocks with 20 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. Her performance marked the first 20-plus point and 20-plus rebound performance since Teaira McCowan did so in 2019. Lauren Park-Lane added 13 points and a team-high six assists in 30 minutes, while forward Erynn Barnum turned in 12 points and four rebounds. Mississippi State will be back in action on the road at Alabama on Sunday.

🔼 A Perfect Fit. Starting at the age of eight, Bulldog women’s tennis student-athlete Jayna Clemens picked up a racket and then never put it down. Clemens' notoriety climbed as she hit high school, rising to a five-star prospect and a top 30 recruit nationally. Colleges from around the country reached out but she was set on competing in the SEC.

🗣️ "I really wanted to be in the SEC. I visited a couple of places but when I came to MSU, I just fell in love with the facilities, the girls on the team and the college town aspect. I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm so thankful that I have such great coaches and great teammates who are always supporting each other. They're always ready to come out here and work hard and support each other no matter what, win or lose on match days. I got very lucky with my school." - Jayna Clemens

Clemens has started to round into form this spring for the Bulldogs, compiling a 5-1 singles record during dual-match play. She has been a fixture in State's singles and doubles lineup and was even named the SEC's Freshman of the Week earlier this month, the first Bulldog to win that honor since 2021.

🔼 Top Talent. Following the performances at the Nexus Collegiate, two State women’s golfers cracked the top 100 individuals in the Clippd Rankings. Julia Lopez Ramirez came in at No. 10 on the list while Avery Weed was ranked No. 96 following her SEC Freshman of the Week honors. Lopez Ramirez, Weed and the rest of the Bulldog women’s golf team will return to the tee boxes on March 4 at the Darius Rucker Invitational in Hilton Head Island, SC.

🔼 Dear Ol’ State. Make it four straight. With a big home win over Ole Miss, Mississippi State men's basketball has now won four straight games and the Bulldogs seem to be getting stronger as March nears. On the latest episode, Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery celebrate the win over the Rebels, talk about what the victory means and share exclusive interviews with Shakeel Moore, KeShawn Murphy, Cameron Matthews and Tolu Smith III.

🎧️ Listen to Dear Ol’ State: Make It Four Straight

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

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📬 STICK WITH US

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🐶 DAWG DAILY

Today’s Dawg Daily: Bounce Back Weekend Opportunities. There's a multitude of games coming up this weekend, and that means there's a multitude of chances to get back in the win column. Tune in to hear the weekend rundown from Joey and Jalyn

✅ Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Spotify

🍎 Listen to today’s Dawg Daily on Apple Podcasts

📆 LOOKING AHEAD

Friday, Feb. 23

👟 Track and Field @ SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, AR | Watch | Live Results

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. Tulane @ 1:00pm in New Orleans, LA

⚾️ Baseball vs. Georgia Southern @ 4:00pm in Starkville, MS | Tickets | Live Stats

🎾 Women’s Tennis vs. New Orleans @ 4:00pm in New Orleans, LA

🥎 Softball vs. Oklahoma @ 7:30pm in Cathedral City, CA | Tickets | Watch

Saturday, Feb. 24

👟 Track and Field @ SEC Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, AR | Watch | Live Results

⚾️ Baseball vs. Georgia Southern @ 2:00pm in Starkville, MS | Tickets | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

🥎 Softball vs. Cal State Fullerton @ 4:30pm in Cathedral City, CA | Tickets | Watch

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. LSU @ 7:30pm in Baton Rouge, LA | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

🥎 Softball vs. Fresno State @ 9:30pm in Cathedral City, CA | Tickets | Watch | Live Stats

Sunday, Feb. 25

⚾️ Baseball vs. Georgia Southern @ 1:00pm in Starkville, MS | Tickets | Watch | Listen | Live Stats

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Tulane @ 1:00pm in New Orleans, LA

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Alabama @ 4:00pm in Tuscaloosa, AL | Listen

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🐶 Have a great weekend, y'all!