April 25, 2008
Down to the last four games of the regular season, the Missouri softball team is set to host Baylor in its final home series of the 2008 campaign. Entering the two-game set on a three-game win streak, Missouri is 9-5 in the Big 12, and stands third in the conference. Baylor, 4-10 in the league, sits in eighth having dropped four of its last five Big 12 matchups.
Fans attending the games can purchase tickets for $2 and are encouraged to arrive early for the Sunday, April 27 showdown beginning at Noon (CST) on University Field. The Missouri softball team will recognize its two seniors, pitcher Jen Bruck and first baseman Amanda Renth, prior to first pitch. In addition, the first 75 youth, ages 14 and under, that enter the gates on Sunday have a chance to register for a free clinic with Tiger Head Coach Ehren Earleywine and the rest of the Missouri softball staff and team.
Missouri owns a 20-15 lead in the all-time series with Baylor and split the series last season in Waco, Texas. The last time a Missouri softball team swept Baylor on University Field came during the 2004 season during which the Tigers won game one, 1-0, and game two, 4-3.
Four Tigers can find their names atop numerous Big 12 statistical categories. Freshman Rhea Taylor, the nation's leader in stolen bases and Big 12 all-time single season leader, paves the way in hits (77), runs scored (58), triples (4) and stolen bases (51). Senior Amanda Renth owns the Big 12 lead in home runs (17) and total bases (107), while junior Lindsey Ubrun leads the league in RBI (57) and junior Andee Allen stands at No. 1 with 13 doubles.
As a team, the Tigers are averaging .290 on the season and .275 in Conference games. Taylor owns a .535 average in Big 12 games, has recorded 23 hits and 18 runs and is a perfect 12-of-12 on stolen bases.
Allen, 14-for-37 in league games, has hit five doubles and scored six runs, averaging .378 at the plate.
Missouri's three-man pitching staff owns a 2.08 ERA, third best in the league, with all three pitchers recording 10-or more wins. Junior Stacy Delaney continues to mow down her opponents, striking out 163 on the year while notching a 1.60 ERA. 17-3 on the season, Delaney has held her opponents to a .204 average.
Following Missouri's games with Baylor, the Tigers will travel to Lincoln, Neb., and square off with the Cornhuskers Saturday, May 3 at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 4 at Noon in Bowlin Stadium.
Scouting the Bears The 2007 Big 12 Champions returned six starters fot he `08 campaign. Coached by Glenn Moore, now in his 12th season with the Bears, Baylor enters the two-game series with Missouri owning a 22-18 overall record and 4-10 mark in Conference.
Baylor's bats lead the league with a .313 average. Seven members of the Bears' lineup are averaging over .300 on the season with junior infielder Brette Reagan owning a .388 mark. Credited with scoring 32 of the team's 183 runs, Reagan stands second on the team in RBI (29), while senior lefty Jordan Daniels leads the way with 32.
Four Bears split time in the circle, with right-handed junior Jenny Isham owning the best win-loss record at 10-3. Sophomore Kristen Shortridge has thrown the most innings, 85.1 but has allowed 43 eraned runs on 91 hits. Junior righty Brittany Turners owns the squad's best ERA at 1.98, but has thrown only 60 innings this season, allowing 46 hits and 29 runs, 17 earned.
Baylor has split four of its Big 12 two-game series. Earning one win and one loss against Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas and Kansas. Most recently, the Bears suffered back-to-back losses to Texas Tech (4-1 and 4-3) in Waco, but dropping a 6-0 loss to Texas, also in Waco.