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Softball

No. 23/24 Mizzou Softball Hosts Kansas City on Wednesday

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mizzou Softball will host Kansas City with first pitch at 4 p.m. CT

Opens in a new window Game Notes Opens in a new window Game Notes
Opponent Location Time Live Stats Watch Tickets
Kansas City Mizzou Softball Stadium 4 p.m. CT StatBroadcast SEC Network+ Tickets

LEADING OFF

  • Mizzou Softball will continue the program's 10-game homestand with a midweek game against in-state rival Kansas City, Wednesday at 4 p.m.
  • The Tigers lead the all-time series against the Roos 51-1. The Tigers have won 27-straight over their western rival, with the last loss coming in 1997.
  • Mizzou is coming off of a 3-1 showing at the Mizzou Tournament this past weekend. The Tigers won both contests against Wichita State (7-3, 5-4), while splitting the two games to Nebraska (7-1, 2-10).
  • The Tigers have been ranked for the last three weeks after opening the season just outside of the top 25 in the receiving votes category.
  • Wednesday will mark the final game before conference play. Mizzou will host Ole Miss this weekend, March 6-8.

EFFICIENCY IN THE CIRCLE

  • Under the direction of Larissa Anderson, the Mizzou pitching staff has developed a crop of four newcomers to a strong start to the season.
  • The duo of Emma Nichols and Eli Daniel is one of seven teammates to rank in the top 60 nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
  • Daniel is fourth in the country with 11.67 strikeouts per walk, while Nichols is 57th with a 5.00 average.
  • Mizzou's 3.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks 36th in the country as a staff.
  • Daniel is also one of two pitchers in the country with at least six wins and four saves this season.
  • The senior has already exceeded her previous season high for wins in a season. She picked up her sixth win against Wichita State on Sunday, March 1.
  • The Tigers were the only team in the country to have five different pitchers pick up a win in the first weekend of the season.

MOON SHOT

  • Mizzou has utilized the long ball to be the driving force of its offense during the program's 15-6 start to the season.
  • The Tigers are tied for seventh in the nation with 28 home runs on the year, and their per game average of 1.33 ranks 10th in the country, and second in the SEC.
  • Hatti Moore leads the team with seven home runs on the season, while Jazmyn Rollin is second with six.
  • They are one of two pairs of teammates in the Southeastern Conference to both have at least six home runs on the season. Mallory Peyton (10) and Alex Martens (7) of Kentucky are the only other pair of teammates in the conference to have at least five home runs.
  • Mizzou has posted nine multi-home run games this year.

THE CARDIAC TIGERS

  • Despite having only one senior on the roster, Mizzou has displayed the pose to win close games on the season.
  • The Tigers have gone to extra innings on four occasions through the first three weeks of the season — one shy of matching the total from a season ago.
  • Mizzou is 3-1 in extra-inning games this season, grabbing wins against Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and Oregon State. The lone loss came on a sacrifice fly against James Madison.
  • The Tigers are 5-1 in one-run games on the year.
  • In eight of Mizzou's 15 wins this season, they have scored the go-ahead run in the final two innings (sixth or seventh in seven inning games, or extra innings).

WELCOME BACK, CAYLA

  • Already returning an absolute murderer's row of hitters from 2019, Mizzou added another weapon at the plate with the return of Cayla Kessinger — a NFCA All-Southeast Region selection as a sophomore in 2018 who missed 2019 with a right shoulder injury.
  • Kessinger is currently riding a 10-game hitting streak, dating back to Feb. 20 (Arizona).
  • Against Baylor, Kessinger hit a grand slam with no outs in the bottom of the fourth inning — her first home run since May 4, 2018 (Florida).
  • Her 24 RBI on the year are tied for seventh in the Southeastern Conference.
  • Her 24 RBI is a new single-season high in her career. She eclipsed her previous high of 21 against Nebraska on March 1.

WILMES' WORLD

  • A year after ranking in the upper echelons of the nation in toughest to strike out, junior Brooke Wilmes is still proving to be one of the toughest outs in Mizzou's lineup.
  • Wilmes has not struck out in her previous 42 plate appearances.
  • She is second on the team in batting average (.362) and third in on-base percentage (.443).
  • Her 25 hits are tied for the team lead.