No. 15 LSU softball will take on No. 18 Mississippi State in its second-to-final week of conference play before the postseason.
Just like the Tigers’ previous matchup against Ole Miss, the series between these two programs will be a chance for another Tiger to face their former team.
Kylee Edwards, the junior shortstop who transferred after her two seasons with the Bulldogs in 2025, will now get to face her former teammates and coaching staff for the first time since the decision.
For the LSU coaching staff, the opportunity to gain Edwards from the portal was an effort to bring in more right-handed players and add that depth to the roster. Head coach Beth Torina knew from the beginning that the junior would be in the opening day lineup, and at the same time, would be someone that everyone had circled on their papers, she said.
“Adding Kylee Edwards, [who] played two complete seasons in the SEC [and] every game of [her] career, to this defense – also to this offensive lineup – has been a huge deal in the offseason,” Torina said about the transfer during the pre-season media day.
For Edwards, the decision to transfer was an opportunity to challenge herself for her last few years of eligibility. Edwards’ goal was to go to a program that had the ability to win a national championship, and LSU would end up being that destination for her in the end.
In terms of Mississippi State’s performance, even before Edwards transferred to LSU, the Bulldogs had found themselves in a rough spot when competing against the opposing program.
In all 78 matchups between the two programs, the Bulldogs have dropped 66 games to LSU overall and have gone 2-6 in the past eight matchups. The home and away records don’t favor the Bulldogs either, the program having a 9-31 record at Nusz Park and a 2-32 record in Baton Rouge.
With the Bulldogs, Edwards concluded her two seasons with a .280 batting average and 59 runs. She completed her time in Starkville with 83 hits and 60 RBIs, contributing 14 home runs.
While at LSU so far, she has set a record and even hit for the program’s first cycle. Edwards currently boasts a .328 batting average across all 46 games started.
In her 137 at-bats, Edwards has scored 50 runs and driven in 30 RBIs on 45 hits. She has the second-most home runs on the roster behind sophomore Tori Edwards, hitting nine out of the park.
With her success, Edwards will have a chance to take on her former team and display the progress she has made since her transfer.
The first game of the series versus the Bulldogs will begin Friday in Starkville, Mississippi, at 6 p.m. CT.
