STARKVILLE – Mississippi State head softball coach Samantha Ricketts is pleased to announce the addition of Kat Wallace to the Bulldogs’ 2023 roster. Wallace, a junior college product out of Jones College, spent the past season as a manger in the Bulldog program.

“We are excited to announce the addition of Kat Wallace to the roster and know she will represent Mississippi State with the same class, work ethic and loyalty as she did this past season for us. Kat has experience at one of the best programs in the country, is a true utility player and can fill many different roles on the field. She is well-respected and a fierce competitor. She will be a great addition to the locker room culture an uphold our standard while representing MSU with pride.”

In 2021, Wallace started in 54 games at Jones College and served as a team captain for the NJCAA DII National Runners-Up. She batted .309 on the year and was third on the team in stolen bases (21) and fourth in doubles (14). As a true freshman in the shortened 2020 season, she played in all 15 games with 14 starts. She hit three doubles and a homer while collecting six RBIs.

“Coach Ricketts and the staff are just getting started,” Wallace said. “The trajectory of the program is limitless. Having seen all the little things that go into what is on the field, these coaches are bought in. There’s no telling what this program could look like in two or three years.”

Wallace is a graduate of Brookhaven High School and a Mississippi native. She earned 18 total letters in high school across fastpitch softball, slowpitch softball and soccer. She was a six-year starter for both softball teams and was a two-time team MVP in fastpitch. She was selected to the MHSAA Fastpitch All-Star Game following her junior season.

She has also excelled academically. In 2021, she became the third Jones College student-athlete in any sport to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors after posting a 4.0 GPA in junior college. She was a Tullos Scholar, which is the highest distinction awarded at Jones, before earning a Presidential Scholarship at MSU.

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