#17 @MizzouSoftball Opens 2017 Campaign at Charleston Southern Tournament

#17 Mizzou Kicks Off 2017 Campaign
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME	WATCH	STATS
#14 James Madison	Charleston, S.C.	Friday, Feb. 10	9 a.m. CT	N/A	Stats
Charleston Southern	Charleston, S.C.	Friday, Feb. 10	11 a.m. CT	Big South Network	Stats
#14 James Madison	Charleston, S.C.	Saturday, Feb. 11	10 a.m. CT	N/A	Stats
Charleston Southern	Charleston, S.C.	Saturday, Feb. 11	12 p.m. CT	Big South Network	Stats
USC Upstate	Charleston, S.C.	Sunday, Feb. 12	12 p.m. CT	N/A	Stats

MIZZOU GAME NOTES

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 17 Mizzou Softball officially begins its 2017 season this weekend (Feb. 10-12) in Charleston, S.C., for the Charleston Southern Tournament. The Tigers will play five games over three days at the CSU Softball Complex.

The Tigers are set for two games each against No. 14 James Madison and host Charleston Southern, while ending their tournament against USC Upstate on Sunday.

Series Snapshots

This weekend will mark the first-ever meetings between Mizzou and James Madison / Charleston Southern / USC Upstate.

Tigers Earn top 25 Preseason Rankings

The USA Today / NFCA Division I Coaches and ESPN.com / USA Softball preseason polls were released on Tuesday, Jan. 31, as Mizzou received No. 17 and No. 19 rankings, respectively.
Since head coach Ehren Earleywine took over the Mizzou Softball reigns in 2007, the Tigers have placed in the nation's top 25 polls at an incredible rate.
In fact, since the final NFCA Coaches and USA Softball polls in 2008, Mizzou has placed in the two respective rankings every time out.
With the most recent 2017 national polls, the Tigers have now ranked in the top 25 for an incredible 130 consecutive times.

Rathburn and Sanchez Lead Powerful Tigers Offense

A season ago, Mizzou possessed one of the top offenses in the nation. The Tigers' team average, home runs per game and runs per game all ranked top 15 in the country.
Mizzou returns six position starters from the 2016 season and will once again be a force at the plate this year.
Senior Chloe Rathburn and junior Amanda Sanchez lead the Tigers' attack in 2017. For the second consecutive year, Rathburn earned NFCA All-Region honors. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native placed second on Mizzou in home runs (15) and RBI (60) a season ago.
Sanchez was one of four Tigers to start in all of Mizzou's 58 games last year and produced her second-straight season with a .345-plus average, 25 runs scored, 60 hits, six doubles, 40 RBI and .430 on-base percentage.

Burnside and Kessinger Headline Freshmen Class

The Tigers continued their strong tradition of successful recruiting, as the Class of 2017 Mizzou freshman ranked among the nation's best.
Two Tiger newcomers this year, freshmen Braxton Burnside and Cayla Kessinger, impressed in Fall 2016 action and will be looked upon to step up immediately in the everyday lineup.
Over eight fall games at University Field this past October, Kessinger hit .538 with 10 runs, three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and two stolen bases.
Burnside wasn't far behind in her fall action, hitting .393 with 10 runs, three doubles, one home run, eight RBI and one stolen base. Recently, Burnside smacked a home run in the Tigers' Black and Gold game on Saturday, Feb. 4.

Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Softball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (University of Missouri Softball Team) and following us on Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouSoftball).

Schedule