April 28, 2006
Down to the final home series of the 2006 campaign, the Missouri softball team will host Texas Tech in two games beginning Saturday, April 29, at 2 p.m. (CST) with game two slated to begin Sunday, April 30, at 1 p.m. (CST). Live stats for both games will be available through Gametracker at mutigers.com as will live video through All-Access. Fans in the Columbia area can also listen to the games live on 88.1 FM, KCOU.
The second meeting of the season between the two teams, Missouri holds a 14-12 lead in the all-time series with the Red Raiders, a rivalry that dates back to the 1981 campaign. In their first-ever meeting, Missouri recorded a 4-2 victory over the Red Raiders in what was their second game of a season in which Missouri finished 45-12 and finished fifth at the AIAW National Championships.
In more recent history, Missouri is 6-5 over the past five years with the Red Raiders and 5-2 under the direction of Tiger Head Coach Ty Singleton. Missouri suffered an 8-3 loss to Texas Tech earlier in the season at the Worth Wildcat Invitational, Feb. 18, in Tucson, Ariz, although the game did not count towards official Big 12 standings. The loss is one of only six this season in which the Tigers have fallen by more than five runs.
Six-for-six in Missouri's doubleheader against Iowa State, sophomore Jen Bruck leads the team with a .385 batting average. Bruck crushed her 24th career home run in Missouri's first game against Iowa State and moved to third in the Missouri Career Home Run record book.
Prior to the start of Sunday's game, the Missouri athletic department will recognize two Tiger seniors on this year's softball squad. Joanne Loethen (St. Thomas, Mo.) and Janessa Roening (Port Angeles, Wash.) have contributed greatly to the team over the past few years helping the team to three straight NCAA Regional Tournament appearances.
Looking Ahead: The Tigers will travel to Lincoln, Neb., for their final two games of the regular season. Down 29-44 in the all-time series with the Huskers, game one will begin at 2 p.m. (CST) Saturday, May 6, on Bowlin Field with game two scheduled to start at 1 p.m. (CST), Sunday, May 7.
-The annual Big 12 Championships will begin Wednesday, May 10 in Oklahoma City, Okla., with game times determined following the last league regular season game.