April 7, 2006
Back on the road, the Missouri softball team (18-15, 2-2) will take on its highest ranked opponent of the season in Big 12 competitor and No. 1 ranked Texas. The Longhorns are 38-4 on the season, 5-1 in Conference action and 22-1 at home.
Up two games (10-8) in the all-time series with Texas, Missouri Head Coach Ty Singleton has been credited with four of the Tigers' victories against the Longhorns, suffering only two losses, both last season and both by two runs or less. Nine of Missouri's games against the Longhorns have been decided by one run, with the Tigers securing five wins.
Missouri looks to snap it's longest losing streak of the season (four games) in Texas. The Tigers are knotted at 4-4 when playing at McCombs Field and won their last two games in Austin, 3-0 and 6-2, in 2004. Redshirt sophomore Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) is Missouri's only native of Texas on the Tiger's 18-member squad. Minner is 2-for-8 against 21-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week Cat Osterman including a first inning double in last season's April 17 game in Columbia and a fourth inning triple to right center in the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game, May 14, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Sophomore Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) is the only other remaining Tiger on this season's squad that has managed a hit off Osterman. Bruck notched Missouri's game-winning 13th inning hit, a double to left field, on April 16. Bruck currently leads her teammates with a .368 batting average, while Minner stands close behind with a .367. Both Bruck and Minner hold .500 batting averages against Conference opponents, the highest in Big 12 play.
Missouri enters its two-game series against Texas with the league's highest batting average against in-conference opponents. Averaging .311 with a .380 on-base percentage, the Tigers are 33-for-106.
Looking Ahead: The Tigers continue Big 12 play with the first of two Border Showdown games against Kansas set for Wednesday, April 12, at 6 p.m. (CST) on University Field. Continuing the homestand, the Tigers will take on Oklahoma State, Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15 at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m. (CST), respectively.
Of Note: Missouri's game against Southern Illinois has been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 18, at 2 p.m. (CST). Missouri's game against Missouri State, originally scheduled for March 21, has been cancelled.