April 25, 2006
Entering Wednesday's doubleheader in Ames, Iowa, both the Missouri and Iowa State softball teams own 4-8 records in Big 12 competition and look to move up in the league's standings after playing two games, Wednesday, April 27, beginning at 2 p.m. (CST) at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Tied for seventh in the league, both teams are 20-22 on the season, prior to Iowa State's Tuesday afternoon doubleheader with South Dakota State.
Down to the final six games of the regular season, Missouri needs to snap its five-game losing streak in order to finish among the top-six teams in the league. Schools finishing seventh through 10th in the league will be forced to play play-in games at the Big 12 Championships, beginning Wednesday, May 10, at 5 p.m. (CST). Missouri's next Big 12 opponent, Texas Tech, currently sits at 10th in the league with the Tiger's regular-season finale played in Lincoln against the 15th ranked Huskers of Nebraska, who sit at third in the Big 12.
Iowa State marks Missouri's second Big 12 North opponent of the season. Over the past two weeks the Tigers managed a split with Midwest Border Showdown opponent Kansas, earning a 4-0 win at home before suffering a 5-1 loss in Lawrence last Wednesday.
Up 40-28 in the all-time series, Missouri is 7-3 in its last 10 games with the Cyclones, but holds a 3-5 record when playing in Ames over the past 10 years. Missouri Head Coach Ty Singleton is a perfect 6-0 in games against Iowa State since beginning his Tiger career in 2003. When looking into the Iowa State dugout Tiger fans may see a familiar face. 2001 Missouri graduate Stacy Gemeinhardt is in her first year with the Cyclones and fifth year as a Head Coach. During her time as a player with the Tigers, Gemeinhardt was named a 2000 National Softball Coaches Association (NSCA) All-American and three-time Midwest Region honoree.
Looking Ahead: Missouri's final two home games of the season will be played against Texas Tech. Currently 10th in the league's standings, the Tigers and Red Raiders will play a Saturday, April 29 game at 2 p.m. (CST) followed by a Sunday, April 30 game at 1 p.m. (CST). Prior to first pitch of the Sunday afternoon game, Missouri's two seniors, Joanne Loethen and Janessa Roening will be honored for their commitment to the team over the past few years.