Wow! What a great start the MSU Softball team is having at 5-0 coming into this weekend’s home opener! We hope you saw Part 1 of our feature on the team last week. We had the opportunity to visit practice in late January and got a great glimpse of the Bulldog talent as well as a tour of the facilities. All MSU Softball home games are FREE and open to the public. They are a great opportunity to see some top 15 teams in action this Spring as well as introduce the little ones to a taste of the maroon and white!

Before our visit to practice, first-year Head Coach Vann Stuedeman (above center) gave us some insight into the buzz surrounding the season and what’s great about playing (and coaching) softball in Starkville!

You’re relatively new to Starkville. What attracted you to Mississippi State softball and the Starkville area?
Scott Stricklin first and foremost. His vision for where our softball program is going is outstanding. Secondly, the great fans of Mississippi State. Not a day that goes by where I walk around Starkville and don’t hear the words “Hail State” or “Go Dawgs.” Starkville has so many different things to offer, from great food (and I mean GREAT) to good shopping and the people are just so darn nice.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in MSU Softball right now?
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! Fans can find out everything they need to know about us on Twitter @MStateSB and Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateSB. We just hired a new volunteer assistant who was a four-time All-American. We just had a pitcher with College World Series experience transfer here. We have over $60,000 of renovations going up at the stadium before the season starts to improve the fan experience. We’re doing more fan promotions and giveaways than ever. It truly is a NEW ERA of Bulldog softball, and the best thing is that with free admission everyone can enjoy MSU softball. It’s going to be VANNTASTIC!

We’ve heard the 2012 home schedule may be one of the best in the country with lots of top 15 opponents. What kind of atmosphere do you expect at the stadium this season?
We expect them to be the 10th man! They ARE the difference maker that help us finish games. When we’re tied with our opponent in the last inning, they’re going to be the reason why we get it done.

Kyle Nibblett tells us Right Field Lounge is going to be a happening place this Spring. What kind of tailgating foods can we get you after a Bulldog win?
Any great ballplayer loves a good ole fashion Bulldog Dawg. Personally, like any of our players, I love chocolate! I am obsessed with Stromboli’s cookie dough bites, but we love just about anything: Stromboli’s sausage and mushroom pizza, Little Dooey’s smoked turkey sandwich, the Chipotle Glazed Pork Porterhouse from Harvey’s, a hamburger and potato salad from Brian Michael’s Meat Market or a classic Sunday Brunch at Old Venice Pizza Co.

Time to make your picks…
Your favorite place to eat in Starkville? Stromboli’s
Favorite place to shop? Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Mississippi State University Official
Favorite spot on campus? Chapel of Memories
Team you’d most like to beat this season? We play the game, and not the opponent, but I can tell you the team we’d least like to beat is ourselves.

What’s your best advice for the young Bulldogs in Starkville who may be training for future women’s athletics?
My best advice is to play softball here locally with Starkville Parks and Recreation (Sheila Runnels at Sheila@starkvilleparks.com). The other way is to attend our camps in the summer and winter. Our next camp is June 11-14 here on campus, and fans can check that out on our website (HailState.com). The goal though is to play with the best competition possible. If you’re the best on your team, find a group where you’re no longer the best. Always be playing against people better than you, so that you will become better.

A special thanks to Coach “VANNtastic” for taking some time to talk softball. It’s clear she knows her stuff and is proud of what’s happening with the program so far this year. MSU Softball opens its first home stand THIS Friday, February 17 at 5pm for the Bulldog Round Robin. The schedule includes a double header on Saturday with games at 3pm and 5pm, and Sunday at 1pm. Come out and SAVOR some great innings as the 12th man!