Feb. 12, 2000
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Head Coach Jay Miller will call on his experienced and talented upperclassmen to earn the Tigers a trip back to the NCAA Regionals and their first trip to the Women's College World Series since 1994.
The road to regionals isn't paved in black and gold. The Tigers will face several nationally ranked teams in their tournament schedule, as well as playing a very competitive Big 12 Conference schedule. Six other conference schools made it to NCAA Regional Tournaments and were consistently ranked in the NFCA Top 25in 1999.
Miller also has some large holes to fill on the field with the loss of first baseman Kim Slover, second baseman Jamie Lowry, left fielder Wendy Harrison and shortstop Shawna Robinson. These four also left crucial spots in the batting order that new and returning players will have to step up to fill.
Missouri returns eight starters and 11 letterwinners. The Tigers also add four freshmen.
The Tigers came out of the 14-game fall season with a strong sense of what they needed to do in the off season to contend for their place in the national spotlight. While Missouri is a young team, it is a team with a lot of potential. Miller will look to the leadership of the five seniors to guide the younger players in what has become a Missouri tradition of softball success.
The Schedule
The Tigers kick off the 2000 season at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn. This season will be the third year in a row Missouri has participated in this tournament. The Tigers are expected to face Alabama and Minnesota, both 1999 NCAA Regional opponents, as well as Louisville, Western Illinois and Northern Iowa.
Missouri will also face Arkansas, Notre Dame and Virginia in the Ladyback Spring Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark. In the Easton Showcase Tournament in Fullerton, Calif., Missouri will play home team Cal State-Fullerton, California, Pacific, San Jose State, Colorado State and Oregon.
The Tigers will also host three tournaments at University Field. The Missouri Round Robin has been added to the annual Mizzou Round Robin and Missouri Invitational. The Tigers won both of their home tournaments last year and look to repeat that performance again in 2000.
Other non-conference opponents Missouri will face outside of tournaments include University of Missouri-Kansas City, Iowa, Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.
The Big 12 Conference has changed its scheduling from previous years. Instead of teams playing two double headers a weekend, they will play a two game, weekend series with most conference opponents. Missouri will play mid-week double headers against Iowa State and Oklahoma.
The Tigers open their conference season March 25 with a spring break road trip beginning in Lincoln, Nebraska with the Cornhuskers. They will then go to Ames for a double header against Iowa State on March 28. Missouri will wrap-up the trip with a non-conference double header against Iowa the next day before heading back to Columbia. Other away conference games include Kansas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
The home portion of the conference schedule will open on April Fool's Day against defending Big 12 Tournament Champion, Texas. Other home conference games include Kansas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor.
The Big 12 Softball Tournament will once again be held in Oklahoma City at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. The dates are May 10-13.
"We go into every year with the same goals: win the Big 12 Conference, get a bid to the NCAA tournament and advance to the College World Series," Miller said. "The Big 12 is going to be tough, as it always is. I expect us to be nationally ranked and would like to see us playing in Oklahoma City in the College World Series at the end of May. We've got the kind of team that can do that. We were only one game away last year."
The Infield
Missouri opens the 2000 season with a very young infield. Miller has the option of starting three underclassmen. The lone senior sure to start for the Tigers in the infield is Christy Skouby. While she has spent the majority of her time in right field, she did fill in for the injured Kim Slover at first base in 1998 and earned All-Big 12 honors. Skouby also adds a strong bat to the Tiger lineup and the Tigers will rely heavily on her leadership.
Senior Linda Swarts or sophomore Erin Erickson will start at third base. Erickson was the starter the majority of the fall season, and played some first base. Swarts and Erickson both add power to the batting order. If Erickson does maintain the starting position in the field, Swarts has the opportunity to serve as the Tigers' designated hitter, and the two will have switched roles from last season. Both players hit well in the fall season. Swarts finished with a .432 average, four doubles, two triples, a home run and nine RBI. Erickson earned a .378 average with eight doubles, two home runs and nine RBI. She led the team in virtually every offensive category in the fall.
Sophomore Lindsey Jacoby was playing the shortstop position like a seasoned pro by the end of the fall season. She started all 14 games and led the team in assists with 30. She is also quick around the bases and adds speed to the offensive line up.
Freshman Dara Throne-burg started 12 games at second base this fall and looks to be the starter at that position in the spring. She also adds quickness on the bases for the Tigers as well as the ability to drive the ball in the gap.
Sophomore Sara McNeal also saw time at second base. She adds needed depth for the Tigers in the infield and will be heavily relied upon as a top base runner.
"We will need people to step up," Miller said. "We're inexperienced and not very deep, but we do have a lot of talent and being young leads to a good future."
The Outfield
The Tigers return senior All-America candidate Stacy Gemeinhardt in center field. She will provide leadership and experience to the younger players in the outfield. Gemeinhardt is also one of the Tigers' best hitters. She had an impressive fall season, batting .372 with two doubles, five triples and seven RBI. She will once again be relied upon to be a catalyst for the Tiger offense in the leadoff position.
Freshman Sara Vassmer looks to fill Wendy Harrison's shoes in left field and in the batting lineup. One of the fastest players on the team, her speed and quickness will be a key to the Tigers' success this spring. She has a quick bat and finished the fall season with a .366 average including 15 hits and six runs scored.
Karen Williams rounds out the outfield in right field. She shared duties there with Christy Skouby last season. Williams has been a role player in past seasons, but has worked hard to earn a starting position. Her ability to get on base will be key, as she is one of the Tigers best base runners and stole six bases in six attempts this fall.
Freshman Kristen Burke also has the potential to see time in the outfield. She will be used as a pinch runner andto come of the bench and add power as a pinch hitter. She stole three bases in three attempts this fall and added two doubles in five hits.
"Karen, Stacy and Sara give us one of the fastest outfields we have ever had," Miller said. "They have the ability to cover a lot of ground out there. The outfield is going to be one of our strengths this spring."
The Pitchers
The Tigers have one of the strongest and most competitive pitching staffs they have had in many years.
Junior All-America candidate Stephanie Falk returns to her starting position on the mound for the Tigers this season. Falk worked hard in the off season to maintain her velocity and improve the accuracy of her pitches. She had an impressive fall season, finishing with a 0.00 ERA and a 5-0 record, including two wins over Arizona State.
While Falk is currently the Tigers top pitcher, they have more depth at this position than they have had in many years. Senior Christy Caccavo is back with the Tigers for the second season, after joining the team last January from Alabama. She is a strong pitcher who complements the power pitching of the rest of the pitching staff. Caccavo finished the fall with a 4-0 record and 0.77 ERA.
Freshman Ingrid Werner rounds out the pitching staff. A strong pitcher with speed and variety, Werner showed maturity beyond her years in the fall season. She finished with a 0.58 ERA and a 4-1 record. Her only loss came in a 10-inning shootout against Arizona State.
"I feel real good about our pitching staff going into the spring," Miller said. "This is the first time we've had three pitchers who can beat anybody in the nation. We have three quality starters and that makes things easier on everybody. When you have a pitching staff that you know is going to shut down the other team, there is not as much pressure on the offense or the defense because they know (the pitchers) are going to keep us in the ball game. The good things is, everybody isn't going to be sharp everyday they step on the mound, and now we have the ability, if someone is struggling, to bring in somebody who can shut the other team down."
The Catchers
Missouri returns both catchers from last season. Both senior Amy Farmer and sophomore Mary McGrane have the skill and patience neccessary to make them great behind the plate.
Farmer has been a four-year starter for the Tigers. She finished last season with a .996 fielding percentage with 203 putouts, 21 assists and only one error.
McGrane started 22 games in her freshman campaign. She earned a perfect fielding percentage with 109 putouts, 11 assists and no errors. Along with her skills behind the plate, McGrane also has a strong bat. Her hitting was much improved this fall. She has the capability to send the ball out of the park and finished the fall in dramatic fashion with a grand slam against Meramac and a last inning two-run homer over the scoreboard against Arizona State.
"Mary and Amy give us two great catchers," Miller said. "We kind of bounced them back and forth this fall and we will continue to do that this spring until one of them emerges as our `go to' catcher."
The Tigers have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season. They have the perfect combination of youth, experience and leadership to help lead them to a top finish in the Big 12 Conference and nationally.