March 18, 2008
Columbia, Mo. -Currently on a 19-game win streak that dates back to the Tigers' 10-0 shutout of St. Louis, Feb. 27, the Missouri softball team looks to tie the longest win streak in program history by taking a victory over Bradley in game one of a doubleheader set to begin at 3 p.m. (CT), Wednesday, March 19. Both games will be played on University Field, with the second contest slated to begin at 5 p.m. (CT).
Improving to 27-6 on the season, the Tigers are averaging .289, while the Missouri pitching staff holds a 1.75 ERA. Both of Missouri's Big 12 Player's of the Week for the 2008 campaign are averaging above .300, with junior Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) standing at .394 and freshman Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) batting .383. To date, the Tiger team has tallied 37 home runs, 10 shy of the total collected all of last season, 47 and one away from the total hit in 2006 (38).
Missouri's two-game series with Bradley marks the sixth meeting with the Braves and first in 12 years. The Tigers own a 5-0 lead in the all-time series with the Braves, and first battled Bradley in 1982, shutting out their opponent, 1-0. Missouri has recorded two shutouts over Bradley, the first, as mentioned, in 1982, 1-0, the second coming in their most recent meeting, 8-0 in 1996. Interestingly enough, it was Missouri's win over Bradley in 1995 that set the Tigers off on the program's longest win streak, 20 games.
Bradley owns an 8-4 record on the season and will take on Kansas in a doubleheader Tuesday, March 18 before traveling to Missouri. Playing in 11 of Bradley's 12 games this season, Jess Boeger owns the highest average of her teammates at .400. Boeger has been credited with two home runs, six RBI and has scored eight of Bradley's 47 runs on the season. Owning a 2.32 ERA, Ashley Birdsong stands at 6-2 in the circle and has struck out 67 of the 206 batters she has faced.
Following Missouri's midweek doubleheader, the Tigers will take on Oklahoma State, Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22. The two-game series kicks off the Big 12 season for Missouri.