Tiger Softball Opens 2009 Season
2/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 12, 2009
The 17th- ranked Missouri softball team is set to begin its 2009 season this Saturday, Feb. 14, in the Georgia State First Pitch Classic held in Atlanta, Ga. The Tigers open up play with a doubleheader against teams from the University of Evansville and Virginia Tech, and will face Georgia State the following day, Sunday, Feb. 15.
The Tigers have a lot to look forward to this season, as they return 18 members of last year's team that advanced to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time in program history. Leading the way this season is All-American and reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Rhea Taylor. Taylor looks to improve upon a stellar 2008 campaign in which she set the Big 12 record for stolen bases with 57 and won the Adidas Golden Shoe Award, presented to the nation's best base runner. Senior Andee Allen, one of four returning Tigers to earn All-Midwest Region honors, will provide leadership from second base as well as behind the plate, where she finished last season leading the Big 12 in triples.
The Tigers are riding the arms of freshman Chelsea Thomas, senior Stacy Delaney and junior Jana Hainey this season. Delaney and Hainey are coming off strong 2008 campaigns. Delaney was a rock for the Tigers, finishing 20-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 178 strikeouts. For her efforts she earned All-Midwest Region honors and was selected to the All-Big 12 second team. Hainey finished 10-3 for the Tigers and racked up eight strikeouts in two separate games last season. Thomas, one of four newcomers this year, will showcase her pitching skills at some point during the tournament.
The Tigers have the task of starting the season against the University of Evansville Purple Aces, a squad that finished the 2008 season with a 25-21 record and went 9-3 in games played on neutral sites. The player to watch for the Aces is catcher Krista Price, who led the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in stolen bases and was second on the team with nine home runs. The Tigers stand 9-0 against Evansville all-time.
In their second matchup of Saturday's doubleheader, the Tigers will take on the Hokies of Virginia Tech, a team that finished 49-19, won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and earned a berth in the Women's College World Series. The Hokies bring back senior third baseman Charisse Mariconda, who hit .340 last season to lead the team while also compiling 37 RBI and 36 runs scored. Missouri is 1-1 against Virginia Tech, whom they met for the first time in last year's FIU Invitational.
Missouri will close the opening round of the tournament against the host Georgia State Panthers, against whom they are 2-2 all-time. The Panthers finished last season 37-18 and are relying heavily on senior pitcher Madi Gore, who finished 2008 with a 14-8 record and is one of three returning pitchers who combined for 37 wins for the Panthers.
The Tigers' game against Evansville is set to begin at 9 am (CST), followed by a 1:30 p.m. (CST) first pitch against Virginia Tech.
