#24 @MizzouSoftball Visits #1 Florida in 2017 SEC Opener

#24 Mizzou Visits #1 Florida in SEC Opener
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
#1 Florida	Gainesville, Fla.	Saturday, March 11	10:30 am	ESPNU	Stats
#1 Florida	Gainesville, Fla.	Sunday, March 12	5 pm	ESPNU	Stats
#1 Florida	Gainesville, Fla.	Monday, March 13	6 pm	SEC Network	Stats

MIZZOU GAME NOTES

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 24 Mizzou Softball opens its Southeastern Conference portion of the 2017 schedule this weekend at No. 1 Florida. The Tigers and Gators will square off for the first time since 2015.

All three games this weekend in Gainesville, Fla., will broadcast live over ESPNU and SEC Network. Saturday's series opener and Sunday evening's matchup will air on ESPNU, while Monday night's contest will mark this year's first SEC Softball showcase on SEC Network.

Florida enters this weekend's SEC season-opening series atop the conference standings with a 20-1 overall record. The Gators have won 12 consecutive games behind stellar pitching, as their 0.70 team ERA ranks second in the SEC and nationally.

Mizzou is coming off a 5-1 victory over cross-state rival Illinois on Wednesday (March 8). The Tigers improved to 11-8 overall this year with their win over the Fighting Illini.

Series Snapshot

Florida leads the all-time series vs. Mizzou, 7-4.
In the teams' last meeting, the Tigers claimed a 3-2 victory (8 innings) on May 3, 2015, in Columbia, Mo.

Tigers Take Down Fighting Illini

In a midseason schedule addition, Mizzou and Illinois met Wednesday (March 8) evening at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. The Tigers tallied a 5-1 victory over the Fighting Illini, improving their record to 8-1 in the teams' all-time series.
Senior Natalie Fleming continued her recent power surge at the plate with a two-run home run in the third inning. Overall Wednesday, Fleming finished 2-for-2 with three RBI.
The Tiger left fielder has now homered in each of her past three games, while recording seven RBI.
In the circle against Illinois, redshirt sophomore Madi Norman and sophomore Danielle Baumgartner limited the Fighting Illini to only one run on three hits. Norman earned her team-leading sixth win.

Baumgartner Fires No-No vs. Butler

RHP Baumgartner entered the Mizzou Softball history books vs. Butler (March 5), following her no-hit outing against the Bulldogs.
Baumgartner stymied Butler hitters all afternoon, as she matched her career high in Ks (6).
Her outstanding effort in the circle marked the Tigers' first no-hitter since 2013, when 3x First Team All-American Chelsea Thomas completed her 10th and final no-no against Tennessee (May 4).
Baumgartner's hitless outing was the 39th all-time no-hitter in Mizzou Softball history.

Mizzou Among Nation's Best in 2B and HR Production

Mizzou's offense has packed quite the firepower through its opening 18 games. In fact, the Tigers' 1.94 doubles per game (5th) and 1.33 home runs per game (9th) rank top 10 in the NCAA.
In the SEC team statistical rankings, Mizzou's 35 total doubles (T-2nd) and 24 total home runs (3rd) each place in the top 5.
The high number of extra-base hits has led to 238 total bases this season. Mizzou's .514 team slugging percentage currently ranks 28th in the NCAA.
Mizzou has recorded at least one double in 15-of-18 games, including multiple doubles in 10 games thus far.
With the long ball, the Tigers have tallied a home run in 11-of-18 games, including multiple trips to #BombCity in six games.

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