April 27, 2007

In a battle for Big 12 supremacy, the No. 21 Missouri softball team will take on No. 8 Baylor in a two-game weekend series beginning Saturday, April 28, at 2 p.m. (CT) at Getterman Stadium in Waco, Texas. Game two is set for 1 p.m. (CT) Sunday, April 29, with sellout crowds expected at both contests.

Both ranked teams enter the series with 11-2 records and are tied for the second time of the season for the league lead. Missouri, who completed its fourth conference sweep of the campaign Thursday night, enters Getterman Stadium with a 19-14 lead in the all-time series and is 6-4 over the past five road trips to Waco.

Having won 13 of its last 15 games, the Tigers are 11-8 on the road this season with junior ace Jen Bruck claiming six of the Tigers' victories. Missouri's pitching staff has combined for a 1.54 ERA in the Big 12, good enough for second-best in the conference behind fifth-ranked Texas A&M (0.75). Bruck, 9-2 in league meetings, has been credited with four of Missouri's wins over ranked opponents.

At the plate, Baylor's offense stands second in the league with a .301 average while Missouri is fifth with at .233. Oklahoma, a team that Missouri bested, 5-1 on April 14, leads the conference with a .314 average.

Saturday's game marks the first time of the season in which Missouri will take on a ranked opponent while ranked themselves. Standing at No. 21 in the nation, Missouri is one of five Big 12 schools ranked among the top-25 in the nation jumping ahead of Texas (No. 23 ) in the recent April 23, ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.