June 11, 2007

Columbia, Mo. -The Missouri softball team closed the book on its 2007 campaign with a 40-24 record, third place Big 12 finish and 19th place ranking in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball national poll. Announced following the conclusion of the 26th annual Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, Okla., Missouri's top-25 showing marked only the third time in 10 years that a Tiger softball team finished the season among the nation's elite. Missouri's last top-25 showing came at the end of the 2005 season when the Tigers were ranked 20th.

2007 Big 12 Coach of the Year Ehren Earleywine led Missouri to its 11th NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in his inaugural season with the Tigers. Advancing to the title game of the regional tournament for the second time in three seasons, Missouri fell to sixth-ranked DePaul, 3-0, at the Carbondale Regional in Illinois. DePaul was one of eight teams to advance to the WCWS.

Four Tigers, Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.), Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.), Micaela Minner (Sanger, Texas) and Julie Silver (Chesterfield, Mo.) earned All-Big 12 honors while Renth, Minner and recent graduate Leanne Bowers (Arnold, Mo.) were named to the annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region team. In addition to accomplishments on the field, seven Tigers received Academic All-Big 12 Awards including All-District and All-America honorees Bowers and Kathy Masterson (St. Louis, Mo.).