Jan. 28, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY - Mizzou Softball has been ranked No. 17 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 preseason poll to start its 2014 campaign, it was announced Tuesday by USA Softball. The ranking marks the seventh-consecutive season the Tigers have earned a preseason top 25 ranking during head coach Ehren Earleywine's eight-season tenure at Mizzou.

Earleywine's squad compiled a 38-14 overall record and 15-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play last season en route to the program's sixth-straight NCAA Super Regional appearance. Mizzou finished the season ranked No. 11 by both the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll and the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll.

The Tigers are joined by seven fellow SEC programs in the Top 25: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 3 Florida, No. 6 Alabama, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 14 Kentucky, No. 19 LSU and No. 21 Georgia. The SEC's eight ranked teams leads the nation.

Mizzou kicks off the 2014 season with its annual Black & Gold Exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. inside Devine Pavilion. The Tigers officially open the year at the Jacksonville Tournament, hosted by Jacksonville (Fla.) University, from Feb. 14-16. The Tigers' first home contests of the 2014 season will be against SEC foe Kentucky from March 14-16 at University Field.

The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll can be viewed in its entirety here.

Season ticket renewals are currently ongoing, along with additional season ticket requests being taken. For ticket information, please call the Mizzou Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (573-884-7297 in Mid-Missouri).