@MizzouSoftball Visits Mary Nutter Classic in Road Non-Conference Tournament Finale

Mizzou Set For Annual Mary Nutter Classic Visit
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	WATCH	STATS
BYU	Cathedral City, Calif.	Thursday, Feb. 22	3 p.m.	FloSoftball	Stats
(#12) Arizona	Cathedral City, Calif.	Thursday, Feb. 22	5:30 p.m.	FloSoftball	Stats
North Carolina	Cathedral City, Calif.	Friday, Feb. 23	12:30 p.m.	FloSoftball	Stats
Wisconsin	Cathedral City, Calif.	Saturday, Feb. 24	11:30 a.m.	FloSoftball	Stats
Bethune-Cookman	Cathedral City, Calif.	Saturday, Feb. 24	7 p.m.	FloSoftball	Stats
(#3) UCLA	Cathedral City, Calif.	Sunday, Feb. 25	11 a.m.	FloSoftball	Stats

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball concludes its 2018 road non-conference tournament schedule this weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, California. The Tigers will compete in six games over four days, including a pair of top 25 matchups against Arizona and UCLA.

#ShowMe Mizzou Game Notes

at Mary Nutter Classic (Feb. 22-25)

Mizzou Ends Michele Smith Invitational on High Note

The Tigers are coming off a solid 4-2 performance at last weekend's Michele Smith Invitational in Clearwater, Florida. Mizzou swept a pair of matchups against host USF, who was receiving votes in each major national poll last week.
Collectively, the Tigers upped their game in both hitting and pitching in Clearwater. At the plate, Mizzou hit .333 with 34 runs, 11 doubles, one triple, nine home runs and 28 RBI. In the circle, the Tigers' pitching staff went 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA over 42.0 IP. In comparison, two weekends ago at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona, Mizzou's pitchers only managed a 2-3 record with a 4.81 ERA over 32.0 IP.
Rylee Pierce (.600), Amanda Sanchez (.579) and Braxton Burnside (.533) all hit the cover off the balls at the Michele Smith Invitational. Pierce launched a team-best three home runs, while Sanchez and Brooke Wilmes posted two home runs apiece. Sanchez led the Tigers with five extra-base hits, as she tallied three doubles and her aforementioned two long balls.

Tiger Offense Among the SEC and Nation's Elite

The Tigers have possessed one of the Southeastern Conference's top offenses through the opening two weekends of play. In fact, Mizzou's 14 home runs (second), 162 total bases (second), 101 hits (third), 17 doubles (third), .513 SLG% (fifth) and 62 runs scored (fifth) all rank top 5 in the competitive conference.
In particular, the Tigers' power numbers have been through the roof so far. Spanning across Mizzou's 11 games played this season, 32 of the team's 101 total hits have gone for extra bases. Four players possess two-plus home runs, while eight total Tigers have visited #BombCity at least once.
Nationally, Mizzou's 14 total home runs ranks ninth in the NCAA, while its 1.27 home runs per game ranks 19th. The group's .513 SLG% and .320 batting average also ranks favorably, sitting at 23rd and 31st in the country, respectively.

Sanchez and Pierce Leading Mizzou's Offensive Firepower

Individually, Sanchez's torrid start at the plate has Tiger fans glowing with happiness. The West Covina, California, native's 18 hits thus far ranks fifth in the NCAA, 32 total bases ranks seventh and her five doubles ranks eighth in the country.
Following a breakthrough weekend in Clearwater, Pierce also ranks among the nation's elite with her offensive production. Entering the Mary Nutter Classic, the Visalia, California, native's 16 hits ranks 18th in the country and her three home runs ranks 31st.
In Clearwater, Pierce was locked in with a team-leading .600 average and 12 hits, three home runs, four RBI, 1.100 SLG% and .652 OBP.

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