April 14, 2008

Coming off of back-to-back wins over Big 12 opponent Texas Tech, the Missouri softball team is set to host Border Showdown rival Kansas in a Wednesday, April 16 doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. (CT) on University Field. Students will receive a special ticket price of $1 for the games and are encouraged to help pack the stands as Missouri battles Kansas for bragging rights.

The Tigers enter the two-game series with a 37-12 overall record and 4-4 mark in league games. Missouri opened its Big 12 season March 21 and swept Oklahoma State, 9-1 in five innings and 3-0 in game two. This past weekend, Missouri shutdown the Texas Tech offense, 5-3 and 10-6.

Freshman Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) continues to hold the highest batting average of her teammates at .388. The nation's leader in stolen bases, Taylor is 42-of-45 and stands third in the Missouri single season stolen base record book. 1989 graduate Julie Link currently holds the mark for stolen bases in a single season with 46, set during her junior year (1988). Taylor's 42 stolen bases leads the league and is 20 more than Baylor's Kirsten Shortridge, who stands in second with 22. In addition, Taylor leads the conference in hits (64), triples (four) and runs scored (47).

Having hit a combined 53 home runs this season, the Missouri softball team's mark ranks second-best in program history behind the 2005 squad's staggering total of 82. Seniors Jen Bruck (St. Peters, Mo.) and Amanda Renth (Mascoutah, Ill.) as well as junior Lindsey Ubrun (Riverside, Calif.) are tied for the lead in the Big 12 conference for single season home runs. Each has hit 14 this year, with Renth crushing six in her last five starts.

Missouri's pitching staff owns a combined 2.06 ERA and has struck out an even 300 batters. Junior Stacy Delaney (Freeland, Mich.) continues to dominate in the circle. With a 15-3 record, Delaney owns a 1.58 ERA and has retired 142 batters by way of strikeout. Bruck, now 12-6 on the season, recorded three of Missouri's four wins this past week, good enough for a 1.47 ERA. Sophomore lefty Jana Hainey (Raymore, Mo.) has thrown 84 innings and struck out 78 batters. Hainey is 10-3 on the year.

Missouri owns a 54-42 lead in the all-time series with Kansas and has taken seven wins in the past 10 meetings. The Tigers are currently up five points in the annual Border Showdown competition, leading the Jayhawks, 15-10.