March 20, 2014
| Opponent | Location | Day/Time (CT) | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Ball State | Columbia, Mo. | Fri./4:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Twitter | Video | KTGR |
| vs. North Dakota State | Columbia, Mo. | Sat./2:15 p.m. | Live Stats | Twitter | Video |
| vs. Oklahoma State | Columbia, Mo. | Sat./4:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Twitter | Video |
| vs. North Dakota State | Columbia, Mo. | Sun./2:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Twitter | Video |
|
KTGR: Will Palaszczuk (PxP), Chad Moller (Color) Game Notes: Mizzou Tournament Central |
| TIGER TALES- No. 18 Mizzou Softball (18-7, 2-4 SEC) hosts the Mizzou Tournament from Friday, March 21-Sunday, March 23, welcoming Ball State, North Dakota State, Oklahoma State and UMKC to University Field. The Tigers enter the event coming off a doubleheader sweep of Illinois State on March 19, winning 4-2 and 5-0.
• Head coach Ehren Earleywine's squad was powered to the opening win (4-2) over Illinois State by redshirt sophomore 2B Ashtin Stephens, who batted 3-for-3 with a career-best four RBI. The second game shutout (5-0) was pitched by freshman P/OF/1B Casey Stangel, with standout hitting coming from junior IF Corrin Genovese (3-for-3) and freshman 3B/2B Natalie Fleming (2-for-3). Fleming hit her first collegiate home run in the win.
• The Tigers defeated their first Top 10-ranked opponent and third Top 25-ranked opponent of the season in then-No. 9 Kentucky on Friday, March 14, using another strong pitching performance from freshman P Tori Finucane in the 7-2 win. Redshirt sophomore OF Taylor Gadbois, sophomore 2B/OF Emily Crane and senior OF Mackenzie Sykes each recorded two hits in the victory. Finucane tossed the complete game (7.0 IP), striking out five batters and walking four.
• Mizzou was edged in the final two games of the Kentucky series, with both played on Saturday, March 15, due to anticipated weather conditions. Mizzou has only dropped games to ranked competition in 2014, with six of the seven games decided by just one run.
• The story of the UK series may have been Gadbois recording a hit in all three games to extend her hitting streak to 19 games, topping Mizzou three-time All-American Rhea Taylor's program-best 18-game hitting streak from 2010. Gadbois went 1-for-3 in both wins over Illinois State to run her streak to 21 games. She has produced a multi-hit game in 11 of the 21 games. Redshirt sophomore SS Sami Fagan was recently halted at an impressive 14-game hitting streak, coming up short of a hit in the initial game of the Illinois State doubleheader.
• The Tigers were led to a doubleheader sweep at Evansville (March 11) by standout two-game performances from junior 1B Kelsea Roth, Gadbois and Crane. Roth batted 2-for-4, both home runs in the initial win (7-3). Gadbois batted 4-for-7 with three stolen bases, while Crane hit 3-for-6 with two stolen bases. Additionally, freshman C Kirsten Mack and Fagan both had two RBIs in the game two win (6-2).
• Speed. Mizzou is showing plenty of it through the team's first 25 games, totaling 49 stolen bases for a clip of 1.96 successful steals per game. It's a stark improvement from last season in which Earleywine's group averaged 1.1 steals per game (59 SB, 52 games). The major contributor, of course, is Gadbois' 22 steals, which currently ranks second-best in the SEC. Crane has been more aggressive, as well, going 9-for-10 in steal attempts thus far. Crane finished her freshman season in 2013 with 13 steals in 52 games.
• The top of Mizzou's lineup has continued its dynamite impact on opponents, with Gadbois, Crane and Fagan combining for 97 hits through 25 games (an average of 3.88 hits per game).
• Night games against ranked competition have been smooth sailing for Finucane so far in her first season at Mizzou, with the Tiger hurler earning her second complete game shutout of a ranked foe at No. 13 Texas A&M on March 7. Finucane pitched 7.0 innings of heat to the Aggies, recording seven strikeouts while allowing just three hits and two walks. With plenty of run support, the team effort equaled a 7-0 Mizzou victory.
• Earleywine is in his eighth season leading Mizzou and 11th season as a head softball coach with a major milestone within reach. The former Georgia Tech head coach (2004-06) went 146-55 in Atlanta before returning to his home state to lead the Tigers, winning 344 games to run his career total to 490.
• Earleywine's crew was given preseason rankings of 14th and 17th by the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 polls, respectively, marking the fifth-consecutive season that the Tigers begin their season ranked in the Top 15. Mizzou is currently 18th and 20th in the two polls.
THE OPPOSITION- Ball State (15-9) is led at the plate by Briana Evans, who sports a .426 average with two doubles and two triples to her credit. The Cardinals primarily call upon Kelsey Schifferdecker in the circle (67.1 IP), a Belton, Mo., native who has a 7-3 record with a 4.16 ERA.
• North Dakota State (16-9) has six batters swinging above .300, with Jackie Stifter leading the way with a .387 average (six doubles). Krista Menkle has thrown 97.2 of NDSU's innings (157.2) this season, compiling a 11-3 record with 1.94 ERA.
• Oklahoma State (17-10) enters the Mizzou Tournament hitting .304 as a team, including a stout .370 mark from Shelby Davis. Simone Freeman holds a 1.38 ERA in 116.2 innings pitched for a 12-5 record in the circle.
• UMKC (9-16) has a top batter in Cinda Ramos, who holds a .386 average at the plate with five doubles and two home runs. Ramos has split time in the circle (56.0 IP) with Katie Kelley (64.1 IP) pitching more often with a lower ERA (3.26 vs. 4.12).