Good morning! Eight home games, four SEC battles including the Battle for the Golden Egg, and one opportunity to see it all live and in-person. Secure your seats inside Davis Wade Stadium for a soon-to-be unforgettable 2023 football season.

What else did we toss into the Brew today?

🥎 Spark Plug
🧐 Going Pro
🐶 and much, more more!

🎥 HAIL STATE PLUS

In this episode of Dear Ol’ State, part of the HailState+ Podcast Network, listen in with Bulldog baseball great Matt Ginter as he discusses his career at MSU and his time spent in the Big Leagues. As a member of the 1997-1999 State baseball squads, relive some of the best moments during that stretch with Ginter, and hosts Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery.

With HailState+ you get to watch wherever you want to watch. Web, mobile, and (later this year) all major OTT streaming apps like AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, Roku, and Android. We got it all.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Spark Plug. One of our newest Bulldog alums has officially signed a contract to play professional softball with the newly formed OKC Spark in the Women’s Professional Fastpitch League. Her name? Chloe Malau’ulu.

The highly-energetic, captain of this past season’s team balled out this season, leading the Bulldogs in hits (45), doubles (8), triples (4), total bases (85), multi-hit games (15) and multi-RBI games (10). The definition of a treu tone-setter at the plate. Her collegiate career saw her earn Second Team All-SEC honors last spring along with an SEC All-Defensive Team selection in 2021.

“It means a lot,” said Malau’ulu after being selected to the Spark. “…to have this opportunity to keep playing is really special. I want to use it to my advantage.” The WPF (founded by USA Softball) will begin its second season later this month.

🔼 Family Ties. As if being drafted to play professional sports wasn’t enough, Chloe Malau’ulu will have the opportunity to be reunited with her former teammate of three years, Fa Leilua, and head coach Samantha Ricketts’ sister, Keilani.

The duo, coined as the Starkville Samoans, will be teammates once again after Leilua was moved from the Smash It Sports Vipers to the OKC Spark roster after the WPF’s expansion draft. “It’s people I know and am comfortable with already, so it’s like leaving home to go home,” said Malau’ulu about joining her newest pro team.

While these two teammates will get to be on the field for the same team, State’s 2020 and 2021 rosters produced two additional pro softballers in Annie Willis (Smash It Sports Vipers) and Mia Davidson (Athletes Unlimited). Coach Ricketts will have sent four players to the pros in four years, and shows just how well oiled of a machine Bulldog softball can be for development.

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

Going Pro. Producing pro-level players is nothing new to Bulldog softball. In total, the program has had 23 go on to continue their softball career, but more have been moving on to that next level as of late.

Our question today — do you know how many softball players have gone pro since Coach Samantha Ricketts joined the Maroon and White in 2015?

Think you know the answer? Scroll on down to the bottom to find out.

📬 STICK WITH US

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 11!

Since Coach Ricketts arrived on the scene in Starkville in 2015, the Bulldogs have produced 11 pro softball players. Goes to show that one quality mentor can make all the difference in your career!

Have a great Tuesday, y'all.