Mississippi State - Official Athletics Website (2024)

Samantha Ricketts, one of the rising coaching stars in college softball who has directed the most explosive offenses in Mississippi State history, was named the Bulldogs’ sixth head softball coach on July 22, 2019.

Under her leadership, Mississippi State softball has witnessed historic improvements on the diamond. In her four-year tenure, she has guided the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Super Regional and highest final ranking in program history. Additionally, four Bulldogs have gone on to professional careers since she took over as head coach.

Mississippi State now boasts 23 professional players with the addition of Chloe Malau’ulu in 2023. Of those, 11 were coached by Samantha Ricketts since she arrived as an assistant coach in 2015, and she has mentored seven of Sate’s 13 draft picks.

Since her arrival, MSU has drawn three top-10 recruiting classes, including the No. 10 class in the nation in 2023. She has expanded the Bulldogs’ recruiting reach, signing the first student-athletes in program history from the states of Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia.

MSU has become of the nation’s elite offensive teams under Ricketts’ watch. The top five single-season home run totals in program history have all come under her watch, and MSU has hit at least one home run in 54.6 percent of its games (269-of-493) since Ricketts arrived as an assistant. Ricketts has also coached six of the top 11 players in MSU history in career home runs while seven of the top-10 individual season totals have come under her watch.

Multiple Bulldogs have earned NFCA All-Region honors in every season that she has spent in Starkville. She has seen the Bulldogs collect seven All-American honors and guided Mia Davidson to NFCA Catcher of the Year recognition in 2022.

The 2022 campaign saw the Bulldogs defeat No. 2 national seed Florida State to win the NCAA Tallahassee Regional and advance to the first Super Regional in program history. It also marked the first time in NCAA history that a No. 1 or No. 2 seed did not survive the regional round. The Bulldogs checked in at No. 19 in the final NFCA Coaches’ Poll, which stands as MSU’s highest final ranking on record. Ricketts squad collected 37 victories that year, despite playing the nation’s fourth-toughest schedule.

The 2022 season also saw her coach her 100th game for the Maroon and White, after which she held a 66-34 record, the best mark of any Bulldog head coach through 100 contests.

Following the 2022 season, both Davidson and Annie Willis were drafted to play professionally. The Bulldogs were one of just four programs nationally with multiple players selected in either the WPF or Athletes Unlimited drafts, giving MSU 13 draft picks in its history. Former Bulldog Fa Leilua (2019-21) also signed a free agent contract with a WPF team.

In 2021, Ricketts led the Bulldogs through one of the hottest months in memory as State went 10-3 in May and finished the regular season with seven straight SEC victories, including five ranked wins. It pushed State into the NCAA Tournament, where the Bulldogs reached their third consecutive regional final. The Bulldogs’ strength of schedule ranked eighth in the nation that season, and MSU claimed 10 comeback victories. For the third consecutive season, Ricketts guided three or more players to NFCA All-Region honors.

In her first season at the helm, Ricketts got off to a start many only dream off. She became the first first-year head coach since 1989 to lead the nation in wins, tying with No. 1/1 UCLA at 25 victories, while losing just three games. She is also the only coach in program history to have her team nationally ranked in her first year. State finished No. 20 in the final polls, which was then its highest final ranking in program history.

Ricketts earned her first career coaching victory in first career game on Feb. 7, 2020, against Missouri State en route to a 4-0 opening weekend to win the NFCA Leadoff Classic. State won four of five tournaments that year and was on a 14-game winning streak when the year ended, which was the fifth-longest streak in school history.

In a shortened season, MSU hitters set program records for team batting average (.326) and slugging percentage (.528), and their .399 on-base percentage was second. The Bulldogs were never shut out in 2020, and MSU’s 28-game scoring streak ranked fourth in school history. In the circle, State set records in strikeouts per seven innings (9.27), fewest hits allowed (102) and opponent’s batting average (.158) with the third-best ERA on record (1.36).

Ricketts served as MSU’s assistant coach from 2015-18 focusing on hitting and recruiting before being promoted to associate head coach on July 30, 2018. The San Jose, California, native has been a part of one Women’s College World Series appearance, eight NCAA Regional berths and three NCAA Super Regional appearances during her coaching career.

In her first season of 2015, the Bulldogs set new single-season records for home runs (54), batting average (.312), slugging percentage (.495), RBIs (294) and on-base percentage (.416). State also finished second in the MSU single-season record books for runs scored (326), doubles (84) and hit by pitches (72).

Two of Ricketts’ most-notable protégés are Leilua and Davidson. The dynamic duo shattered program records from 2019-21. Most notably, Davidson broke the SEC’s career home run record and finished her career tied for third in NCAA softball history. Along the way, she also broke Rafael Palmeiro’s mark for the most home runs in a career by a Bulldog baseball or softball player.

In 2019, the pair produced State’s first season with multiple NFCA All-Americans since 2008. Leilua closed 2019 with 22 total home runs, setting a new MSU junior record. The total ranked second in single-season history trailing only Davidson’s SEC-single-season record of 26. Davidson was the lone player in the conference that year to record at least 60 RBIs, 60 hits and 50 runs scored in 2019. Additionally, in her first year under Ricketts, Davidson slugged a then-MSU single-season record 19 home runs and became just the third player in school history to be named SEC Freshman of the Year.

In 2017, Ricketts produced five starters that hit .300 or better to help lead the Bulldogs to an NCAA Regional. Ricketts guided Caroline Seitz to a breakout senior season that earned the Birmingham, Alabama, native first-team All-SEC honors. Seitz was the first Bulldog to earn the laurel since Chelsea Bramlett in 2010.

During the 2016 season, Ricketts’ leadership led Kayla Winkfield to an SEC-leading six triples, which ranked among the nation’s top 10. Winkfield finished in MSU’s career top 10 for triples (10) and stolen bases (75).

Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Ricketts served as assistant coach at Wichita State from 2012-14, working with the team’s hitters and consistently improving their production. Her last spring at WSU was her most successful as she helped the Shockers increase their overall win total by 15 games. WSU finished 21-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014 to win the program’s first regular-season league title. Ricketts was part of the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year, helping to improve the Shockers from the ninth place in 2012, to eighth place in 2013, to MVC champs in 2014.

Individually, Ricketts produced five starters who each hit better than .300 in 2014 after the squad did not have a batter hit over .300 in 2013. The Shockers scored 138 more runs, smashed 26 more home runs, hit 11 more doubles and added seven more triples from the previous season. Overall, the 2014 team established program single-season records for batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, runs batted in and total bases.

Under Ricketts’ guidance, Cacy Williams became the first student-athlete in MVC history to receive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors from the league in the same season. She broke the Wichita State single-season records for batting average (.424), slugging percentage (.812), on-base percentage (.531), total bases (138), runs scored (57), home runs (16) and RBI (47) in 2014.

Ricketts also owns professional softball coaching experience. She served as assistant coach for the USSSA Florida Pride of the NPF League. The squad claimed the regular season championship, and the staff was recognized as Coaching Staff of the Year.

At the conclusion of her four-year Oklahoma playing career in 2009, Ricketts was the record holder in career home runs (48) and runs batted in (239) while ranking third in extra-base hits (97), total bases (444), slugging percentage (.645) and on-base percentage (.461). She started 192 consecutive games and ended her career as the Big 12 career RBI leader.

On the field, Ricketts was a four-time All-Big 12 first team selection, a two-time All-American and a two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree. In 2009, she was named to the NFCA All-America Team and NFCA All-Central Region first team while solidifying a spot as a top 10 finalist for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award.

In 2008, she was named to the Preseason USA Softball National Player of the Year Watch List and ESPN.com’s Preseason All-America second team. Ricketts ended her junior season with All-Big 12 Tournament honors. As a sophom*ore in 2007, Ricketts was a second-team All-American and first team NFCA All-Midwest Region selection. She became the first Sooner to be a top-three finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year award after topping all Division I players in RBI during the regular season. She was the lone freshman in 2006 to earn All-Big 12 first team honors and was selected as a member of the NFCA All-Midwest Region squad.

Ricketts earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Oklahoma in 2009 and her Master of Education in adult higher education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletic administration in December of 2011.

Ricketts began her coaching career at her alma mater as a graduate assistant coach in 2010 and 2011. During that time, she played in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league with the Akron Racers. She was the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NPF Draft.

Ricketts has three younger siblings who played collegiate athletics. Her sister, Stephanie, graduated in 2012 after an All-American pitching career at the University of Hawaii and her sister, Keilani, graduated from the Oklahoma and played for the USSSA Pride of the NPF and Shokki Softball in Japan. Keilani was the 2012 and 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and one of the most decorated players in USA Softball history. Her younger brother, Richard, played football at the Air Force Academy.