Associate head coach Pete D'Amour begins his seventh season in charge of pitchers and catchers and is the program's recruiting coordinator, which includes the scheduling of official and unofficial visits. Mizzou's success on the recruiting trails in recent years has quickly increased D'Amour's reputation as one of the nation's premier recruiters. In-game, D'Amour manages Mizzou's pitch-calling, with a total of 11 no-hitters tossed by Tiger pitchers since the beginning of the 2009 season. In past seasons, D'Amour has also had oversight of the managers on staff and helped put together the team's schedule.
Over the past eight years, Missouri's pitching staff has seen rapid improvement and become one of the top units in the country, aided in part by D'Amour. In her first season of collegiate softball in 2014, freshman Tori Finucane earned SEC Freshman of the Year recognition and pitched to a 21-6 record with a 1.73 ERA. She additionally received First Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors, as well as NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team distinction.
The 2013 season was the final campaign for Mizzou standout Chelsea Thomas, the first player in program history to be named a three-time First Team All-American. Thomas pitched to a 24-6 record as a senior, including an incredible 1.16 ERA that ranked fifth in the country and No. 1 in the SEC. Thomas earned her third conference pitcher of the year award after taking the honor from 2011-12 in the Big 12 Conference.
The 2013 Tigers were also sound behind the plate with First Team All-SEC catcher Jenna Marston, who converted to the position from shortstop before the 2012 campaign. Marston posted a .989 fielding percentage and threw out seven attempted stealers on the year. She also received SEC All-Tournament honors and Second Team All-Southeast Region recognition.
Mizzou's 2011 pitching staff put together a 1.40 team ERA, the lowest for Missouri since 1998, while also striking out 539 batters, which shattered the old school record. A then-redshirt sophomore, Thomas led the nation with a 0.95 ERA, tied the school record with 32 wins and broke the school record for strikeouts with 397. She was named one of three finalists for USA Softball's Player of the Year award.
Catcher Megan Christopher brought home the 2011 Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year award, as she posted a .992 fielding percentage and threw out 44 percent of attempted stealers on the base paths. Kristin Nottelmann, who stepped in as the ace after Thomas' injury in 2010, enjoyed a strong season with a record of 17-1 and a 1.92 ERA. Her .944 winning percentage is the best ever in a single-season at Mizzou.
In 2012, Mizzou's pitching staff followed up its impressive season in 2011 with a 1.53 ERA and 460 strikeouts, the second-most in a single-season at Mizzou. Thomas went 27-9 with a 1.16 ERA and 306 strikeouts in 229.1 innings pitched, on her way to her second of the three First Team All-America nods.
A native of Monrovia, Md., D'Amour graduated from Mizzou in 2008 with a degree in general studies. D'Amour started throwing underhand at the age of four while serving as batboy for his father's fast pitch team. He has played shortstop and pitched men's fast pitch for the past seven seasons, including three in the ISC Travel League and was the MVP of the NSA World Series in 2007. During his last ASA National Tournament, D'Amour hit .500 (7-for-14) with three home runs. D'Amour also played two years of college baseball - one under head coach Ehren Earleywine - at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he was an infielder.
D'Amour currently lives in Columbia with his dog, Jackson. D'Amour's parents, Peter and Beverly D'Amour, live in Hedgesville, W.Va. D'Amour continued his studies into post-graduate work at the University of Missouri, earning a master's degree in sports psychology.
