April 14, 2004

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team travels to Lawrence, Kan., today for the second game of the season against the Jayhawks set to begin at 5 p.m., at Arrocha Ballpark. Exactly one week ago on April 7, Missouri took a 7-0 victory over Kansas while playing at home on University Field.

Coming off of a two-game loss to Oklahoma on Saturday, (5-0, 1-0) Missouri is currently 18-21 on the season and 5-2 in the competitive Big 12 Conference (fourth). Kansas, 24-20-1, is 2-6 in the Big 12 and stands seventh in the league.

Missouri enters the game leading the all-time series record 49-37, having swept the Jayhawks in last season's doubleheader in Lawrence on April 21 (8-4, 13-1).

Pitching a full game in their last pairing, Missouri junior Erin Kalka is expected to return to the mound for tonight's 5 p.m. game. Kalka holds a 1.95 ERA (.97 against Big 12 opponents), and has tallied 207 strikeouts to her name through 152 innings pitched. Missouri faced all three Kansas pitchers in last Wednesday's game, with Kara Pierce taking the loss after giving up four runs on three hits in two innings of play.

Playing for Border War bragging rights, the winner of tonight's game will walk away with one-and-a-half points for their school.