JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps softball team enters the 2024 season with high expectations under first-year head coach Mark Mulvany.
 
The Majors will be looking to improve upon their fourth-place SAA finish from last season and enter 2024 with one first-place vote in the SAA Softball Preseason Poll. Millsaps also claimed two victories during the 2023 SAA Softball Tournament.

Mulvany takes over after serving as the lone assistant on the Southern Miss staff from 2019-2022. He assisted by Carlee Mullinax (second season) and volunteer Chris Jones (first season).
 
Molli Perry will be returning for her senior season after twice being named All-SAA First Team. The 2022 SAA Softball Player of the Year started in all 38 games last season and was powerful at bat with 36 hits while adding a team-high 30 runs, 23 stolen bases and 22 walks.
 
Classmate Katie Norris who played in 36 games and earned a spot on the All-SAA Second Team. Norris was second on the team with a .333 batting average while adding 31 hits and a team-best nine doubles. She added 18 runs, 18 RBIs and 14 walks.
 
Sophomore Julia Strain was recognized as SAA Honorable Mention in her first collegiate campaign. She 10 RBIs and four doubles while posting a .250 batting average.

Senior Camille Black and junior Alli Nolen started all 38 games alongside Perry. Black recorded 72 putouts from the hot corner and secured 16 hits, 11 RBIs and scored 11 times. Nolen was second with 22 runs scored, third with 30 hits and batted home 16 teammates.

Senior Brianna Newman returns after being a dual infield and pitching threat. She made eight appearances in the circle and struck out 11 batters. As a batter, the Hammond, La., product recorded a team-best .339 batting average in 27 games and registered 14 RBIs, 21 hits and eight walks.

Other returners looking to make an impact include senior Haylie Hoffpauir (18 hits, 18 RBIs), sophomores Tayler Gonzales (12 hits) and Cassidy Cannella (18 games played).
 
The most experienced pitcher to rejoin the staff is senior Abigail Smith. The Florence, Miss., native made 16 appearances with a 3-3 record and 11 strikeouts.
 
Welcoming to the team are freshmen Madeline Black, Kandace Burkett, Kadence Cannon, Lauren Garcia, Victoria Olsen,  Alli Powell, Mya Skinner and Allana Vasquez. The Majors also add two transfers to the roster in sophomore Kinsey Smith (Coastal Alabama CC) and junior Gabrielle Burney (Meridian CC).
 
The Majors will open their 2024 calendar hosting Centenary in a doubleheader on Friday, beginning at 2 p.m. Millsaps concludes its season-opening home stand by welcoming Schreiner on Feb. 16.

The team will then travel to Columbus, Miss. to compete in the MUW Invitational and face MUW and Franklin College for two games each, Feb. 17-18.

Millsaps returns to host Dillard University for a March 2 doubleheader and Huntingdon on March 3 for a second twin bill. Non-conference play continues in Shreveport, La. with a three-game series at Centenary, March 9-10.
 
Conference action gets underway at Rhodes, March 16-17. The team will then face Belhaven in a doubleheader across the street on March 19.
 
Millsaps will continue conference matchups by hosting Birmingham-Southern, March 23-24 and Centre, March 29-30.
 
The Majors follow by battling Belhaven in another pair of games on April 2 at the Millsaps Softball Complex.
 
Millsaps resumes conference action at Sewanee, April 6-7 and later hosts MUW for a final non-conference double dip on April 10.
 
Millsaps concludes their SAA slate at Berry, April 13-14 before hosting Hendrix, April 20-21.
 
The SAA Tournament will take place over two weekends with a double-elimination format, April 26-27 and SAA Championship Series, May 3-4.
 
Games will be live streamed and live stated with links available on the Millsaps softball schedule page.

2024 MILLSAPS COLLEGE SOFTBALL SCHEDULE
 

DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (CT)
Friday, Feb. 9	vs. Centenary (DH)	2 PM
	vs. Centenary (DH)	4 PM
Friday, Feb. 16	vs. Schreiner (DH)	1 PM
	vs. Schreiner (DH)	3 PM
Saturday, Feb. 17	vs. Franklin (at MUW)	12 PM
	at MUW	6 PM
Sunday, Feb. 18	vs. Franklin (at MUW)	11 AM
	at MUW	3 PM
Saturday, March 2	vs. Dillard (DH)	1 PM
	vs. Dillard (DH)	3 PM
Sunday, March 3	vs. Huntingdon (DH)	1:30 PM
	vs. Huntingdon (DH)	3:30 PM
Saturday, March 9	at Centenary (DH)	12 PM
	at Centenary (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, March 10	at Centenary	12 PM
Saturday, March 16	at Rhodes (DH)	12 PM
	at Rhodes (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, March 17	at Rhodes	12 PM
Tuesday, March 19	at Belhaven (DH)	5 PM
	at Belhaven (DH)	7 PM
Saturday, March 23	vs. BSC (DH)	12 PM
	vs. BSC (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, March 24	vs. BSC	12 PM
Friday, March 29	vs. Centre (DH)	12 PM
	vs. Centre (DH)	2 PM
Saturday, March 30	vs. Centre	12 PM
Tuesday, April 2	vs. Belhaven (DH)	5 PM
	vs. Belhaven (DH)	7 PM
Saturday, April 6	at Sewanee (DH)	12 PM
	at Sewanee (DH)	2 PM
Sunday, April 7	at Sewanee	12 PM
Wednesday, April 10	vs. MUW (DH)	4 PM
	vs. MUW (DH)	6 PM
Saturday, April 13	at Berry (DH)	11 AM CT
	at Berry (DH)	1 PM CT
Sunday, April 14	at Berry	11 AM CT
Saturday, April 20	vs. Hendrix	12 PM
	vs. Hendrix	2 PM
Sunday, April 21	vs. Hendrix	12 PM
Friday, April 26	SAA Pod Round 1	TBD
Saturday, April 27	SAA Pod Round 1	TBD
Sunday, April 28	SAA Pod Round 1	TBD
Friday, May 3	SAA Championship Series	TBD
Saturday, May 4	SAA Championship Series	TBD

 
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps softball program follow the Majors on Twitter and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.