March 18, 2002
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Tigers Look to Extend Winning Streak vs. UCONN and UT
The University of Missouri softball team (18-16) looks to extend its current winning streak to 10 on Tuesday when it takes on the Connecticut Huskies 3-13) at 4 pm at University Field. The match up is Mizzou's final tune up before it embarks on its voyage through the Big 12 this weekend in Austin, Texas against the Texas Longhorns (25-9). Tuesday also marks a changing of the guards in the Tigers radio coverage as 1180 KTGR AM will take over for KCOU. Veteran mid-Missouri sports icon and broadcaster Tex Little will call of the action against the Huskies and throughout the rest of the season. The Tigers are coming off of a 6-0 weekend having won its own tournament, the Missouri Invitational. Mizzou is now 18-16 overall, the first time it has been two games over .500 this season.
Don't Call It a Comeback
Entering last week, the MU softball team was on the brink of watching the 2002 season slip away from them at 9-16 and losers of three of their last eight. That was then...this is now. Since March 10th, the Tigers have won nine straight games including a sweep of Evansville last Thursday and a 6-0 in the Missouri Invitational last weekend to improve to 18-16. Leading the offense charge during the streak has been seniors Mary McGrane and Erin Erickson. They have hit .444 and .423 respectively during the streak. McGrane has been great in the clutch recording eight hits while driving in six RBI while drawing six walks.
The pitching staff has also been outstanding over the past eight games recording a 1.27 earned run average while holding opponents to under two runs per game. Freshman Erin Kalka and junior Ingrid Werner have been especially impressive recording ERA's of 0.68 and 0.70. Both have went 3-0 during the streak and have worked just over 20 innings. However, Werner has been earning her stripes as a starter while Kalka has provided valuable innings in a reliever role recording two saves in the Tigers last eight contests.
Tiger Tid Bits
The University of Missouri softball team has currently won nine straight contests heading into their Tuesday matchup with UCONN...the streak is the longest of 2002 and the longest since last Mar. 10-18 of 2001...The Tigers have raised their team batting average 16 points while the MU pitching staff has shaved .57 runs off of its ERA during the winning streak...Of the Tigers eighteen wins in 2002, eight have been of the shutout variety...Senior Erin Erickson had a great week leading the Tigers to eight wins in four days while hitting .423 with a double, triple and homerun and five RBI's...Senior Mary McGrane also had a big week recording a .444 batting average with eight hits, six RBI and a .583 on-base percentage...The Tiger are now 18-16 on the season and open Big 12 conference play on Tuesday when they take on Texas in Austin on Saturday and Sunday.
A Look at the Huskies
The Huskies are 3-13 heading into the Tuesday tilt with the Tigers. That mark is very deceptive, though, as six of UCONN's 15 opponents in 2002 have been ranked in the USA Today NFCA Coach's Top 25. Mizzou has faced UCONN three times already this season in the second round of bracket play at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga on Feb. 24. Junior Ingrid Werner and freshman Erin Kalka combined for the four hit shutout as the Tigers took the game, 2-0. The Tigers also swept two games this weekend from UCONN to extend their lead in the all time series to 4-0.
A Look at the Longhorns
The Tigers open the Big 12 portion of their schedule on Saturday when they face the 25-9 Texas Longhorns in Austin. Game time both days is set for 1pm CST. The UT pitching staff is one of the best in the nation and is led by freshman standout Cat Osterman, who is 17-6 overall and weighs in with a 1.09 ERA. Osterman has pitched 141 innings this season with nine shutouts and an astounding 255 strikeouts.
Offensively, the Longhorns are paced by Wynter Turner (.398 BA, 3 HR, .548 SLG %) and Lindsay Gardner (.389 BA, 10 2B, 60 total bases) and are averaging 3.8 runs per game. The Lonhorns are coached by sixth year head coach Connie Clark and trail the all-time series against Missouri, 6-4.
Lots of "Mo" mentum Attention Morgan LeCluyse: You owe Evansville University and the University of Missouri $1,673.89 for the light bulbs you broke out on the schools scoreboards last week in your power packed week at the place. Mo, as her teammates call her, went yard three times last week, two of which bounced off of the scoreboards at both Collins Field in Evansville and at University Field in Columbia. Morgan has hit .381 over the past eight contests and has led the team in total bases (18) and slugging percentage (.857) during that period.
You're a Daisy If You Do
The Tigers received a great surprise off of the bench in their contest against Columbia on March 9th. Sophomore Daisy Mettlach, who led the Tigers with three home runs in the fall but had only made three starts this season, went 2-for-3 with two home runs. Mettlach's first home run was of the inside-the-park variety as she slammed a laser to deep center and used her excellent speed to motor around the base paths. Her second ding-dong was an opposite-way shot to deep right field that hit 3/4 the way up the Devine Pavilion Wall.
The Last Time Out...
Tigers Take Championship of Missouri Invitational
Mizzou extends winning streak to nine games
Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri softball team had several goals in mind entering Sunday's action of the Missouri Invitational. 1. Win its first tournament of the season. 2. Finish the tournament and the week undefeated. And 3. Extend it's season-best winning streak to nine. Mission accomplished. The Tigers took games from Loyola, 4-2 and Iowa State, 5-3 to finish the weekend at 6-0 and take the championship of the Missouri Classic.
The Tigers also raised their overall record to 18-16, the first time Mizzou has been two games over .500 this season, with one final tune up before they begin the Big 12 portion of their schedule. Head coach Jay Miller said he is pleased with the Tigers continued improvement.
The Tigers faced Loyola for the second time of the tournament in their first game on Sunday and fell behind early when LU's Natalie Martin drove in Ashley Gibbons to make the score, 1-0 in the top of the first. However, the Tigers would put together a major rally in the bottom of the second scoring four runs on three hits to grab a 4-1 lead. The Ramblers would tally one more run on a solo home run by Sue Stanley, but the Tiger defense would squelch the LU comeback attempt and take the game, 4-2. Freshman Veronica Flournoy earned her fourth win of the season going 5.0 innings allowing two runs and four hits while striking out four. Freshman Erin Kalka earned her third save of the season working 2.0 innings of two-hit ball allowing no runs while striking out two. Junior Sara Vassmer led the Tigers in hits with two while sophomore pinch hitter Daisy Mettlach went 1-for-1 with a single in the fourth driving in a run while also scoring a run.
Mizzou jumped out to 2-0 lead on the ISU Cyclones in the second game of the day. Senior Mary McGrane crushed her third double of the season to right center that scored Rachael McGinnis which was followed by a single by fellow senior Lindsey Jacoby that drove in McGrane to give the Tigers the advantage after three innings. However, after cruising through the opening three stanzas, junior Ingrid Werner gave up two runs and three hits in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 2. Kalka would enter in relief of Werner with no outs in the inning and induce shortstop to first base to third base double play and then strike out Molly McNertney to close out the Cyclone threat in the fourth. Mizzou would then reclaim the lead producing three runs in the bottom of the fourth taking a 5-2 lead. Kalka was brilliant the rest of the way going 4.0 innings giving up only one hit, a solo home run by Erica Martinez to lead off the sixth, while striking out four to earn the 5-3 win. She is now 6-5 on the season.
Miller Looks To Join the 700 Club
Head coach Jay Miller is the all-time winningest coach in MU softball history with 546 career wins. Coach Miller was honored last season for his 500th win at Mizzou on Feb. 18 when the Tigers grabbed a 2-1 win over Northern Illinois. Miller now has a very good shot to pass yet another milestone this season. With just four more wins, he will have registered the 700th win of his 20-year career. Coincidentally, when Miller does earn his 700th, it will also be his 550th win at Mizzou.
This Just in From the Department of the Obvious
At risk of sounding like a complete moron, I would like to present the following note. The University of Missouri softball teams wins when it scores runs and loses when they struggle at the plate. First, the good news. Mizzou is averaging 4.8 runs per game and is limiting their opponents to 1.6 runs per game in contests that they win.
Conversely, the Tigers are allowing opponents to score 4.2 runs per losing contest while plating only 1.9 runs per. Thanks for bearing with me on that one.
It Just Keeps on Getting Better Man
The Tigers have faced six ranked opponents and are 3-4 against those opponents. And the fun has just begun. Mizzou will face five more opponents in 2002 that are currently either ranked in the top 25 or are receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, which was released last Wednesday.
If You Smell, What the Rock, Is Cooking.
Sophomore Rachael McGinnis, who head coach Jay Miller referred to as the "rock" of the Tigers line up has been all that and a bag of Wavy Lays (or really good in laymans terms) for Mizzou so far this season. The native of Overland Park, Kan., is off to an All-American like start recording a team-best .455 batting average on 45 hits, six doubles, three triples, five homeruns and 72 total bases.
Flournoy Kept the Wolverines Wondering
Freshman pitcher Veronica Flournoy definitely picked a great time to have the best outing of her career. Last Saturday, the Queen City, Ariz. native gave up only one run on four hits while striking out four in 5 2/3 innings of work against then No. 12 Michigan. Junior Ingrid Werner came and put the finishing touches on the game picking up her first save of the season as the Tigers took the win, 2-1.
Missouri's McGinnis Named Big 12 Softball Player of the Week
DALLAS- The Big 12 softball player and pitcher of the week for the past two weeks were announced by the conference office Tuesday. For the week of Feb. 24-March 5, Big 12 Player of the Week honors for March 5 goes to Missouri sophomore Rachael McGinnis. At the Strawberry Cup in Plant City, Fla., McGinnis hit .500 in six games with two home runs and nine runs batted in. McGinnis also scored three runs at the event and had a 1.000 slugging percentage.
McGinnis currently leads the team in batting average (.480), home runs (4), doubles (6), slugging percentage (.773) and RBI (22). This marks the second time she has received the honor during her career, the other time being during the week of Mar. 26 through Apr. 1.