May 2, 2008
Missouri's regular season comes to an end when they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in a two-game series beginning Saturday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. (CST) at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. Game two, scheduled for Sunday, May 4, is slated to begin at Noon.
This marks the fifth straight year in which the Tigers and Cornhuskers go head-to-head in the final week of regular season competition. Missouri has secured a third place finish in the Conference standings, while Nebraska enters the weekend series in 10th place. Texas A&M clinched the Big 12 title on Wednesday with a 2-1 win over Texas in College Station, Texas.
Currently on a four-game win streak, Missouri looks to improve on its 10-5 Big 12 record with back-to-back wins over Nebraska. Should Missouri win both of its games, it would give the Tigers their fourth-best showing in Big 12 history.
Nebraska holds a dominating 45-26 lead over Missouri in the all-time series. The last time the Tigers managed a sweep of the Cornhuskers came in 2004 in Lincoln. Missouri put together a 4-3 and 1-0 win over Nebraska for the series win. Since then, Missouri and Nebraska have split two series (2005, 2007), while Nebraska bested Missouri in both games of the 2006 campaign.
The Tigers are tied for the third-best batting average in conference play (.279) with several individuals of the 20-member squad leading the league in numerous categories. Freshman Rhea Taylor (Buford, Ga.) continues to dominate the base paths, stealing 51 bases to tie the Big 12 single-season record while senior Amanda Renth tied the Missouri single season record for home runs at 17 and also leads the Conference. Standing in Renth's shadow are teammates Lindsey Ubrun who has hit 15 home runs this season and is second in the conference and Jen Bruck, with 14 home runs which ranks third in the league.
Following Missouri's two-game series in Lincoln, the Tigers will make a run through the 13th annual Big 12 Softball Championships held at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Tigers will take on the No. 6 seed in a game set for 11:30 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, May 10. The current sixth-ranked Big 12 softball squad is Texas Tech with a 7-9 record. Should Missouri win its Saturday morning game, the Tigers would advance in the championship bracket and play game two on the main field beginning at 4:30 p.m. (CT). The 4:30 p.m. game would be broadcast on the Fox Sports Network. Similar to last year, the Big 12 Softball Championships are of the single elimination format. The Championship game will be played on the main field beginning Sunday, May 11 at Noon and also broadcast on Fox Sports.
Scouting the Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers enter the final home series of the year coming off a doubleheader split against Kansas. The Cornhuskers have racked up a 3-13 record in Big 12 play entering the final weekend.
The friendly confines of Bowlin Stadium have been just that this year as the Huskers have a 12-8 record at home in 2008. All three of Nebraska's wins in Big 12 play have come in Lincoln.
Co-Captain Meghan Mullin leads the team with a .354 batting average on the year. The junior outfielder leads the team with 51 hits, 16 of which came in Big 12 play. Mullin isn't the only Husker slugger to have success at the plate. Junior infielder Crystal Carwile leads the team with 10 home runs on the year, 3 of which came in Big 12 games.
Sophomore Alex Hupp and junior Molly Hill have led the Huskers on the mound. Hupp enters the series with the Tigers with a winning record of 9-8 on the season and a 2.91 ERA. Hill is not far behind with her 11-15 record on the season and 3.15 ERA. Hupp and Hill have combined for nine shutouts on the mound.
Saturday is the first meeting of the year between the Huskers and Tigers. Nebraska holds a 45-26 advantage in the series history.