Thursday, February 13
Clearwater, Fla.
Noon CT
University of Missouri
vs
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Kansas
No. 19/18 Mizzou Softball Returns to Florida for ESPN Elite Invite
2/11/2020 6:00:00 PM | Softball
Tigers to play four teams appearing in the polls
| Loaded Field Awaits Mizzou Softball in Florida | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Location | Day | Time (CT) | Watch | Stats |
| Kansas | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 13 | Noon | ESPNU | StatBroadcast |
| Liberty | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 14 | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN3 | StatBroadcast |
| No. 16 Oklahoma State | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 14 | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN3 | StatBroadcast |
| Virginia Tech (RV) | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 15 | Noon | ESPN3 | StatBrodacast |
| No. 20 James Madison | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 15 | 5 p.m. | ESPN3 | StatBroadcast |
| No. 14/13 Minnesota | Clearwater, Fla. | Feb. 16 | 8:30 a.m. | ESPN3 | StatBroadcast |
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Riding a 5-0 start to the season, Mizzou Softball enters week two at the ESPN St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational, Feb. 13-16.
This weekend will mark Mizzou's second-straight weekend in Clearwater, Fla. The Tigers competed at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, Feb. 7-9, at the same complex as this weekend's action.
SUCCESSFUL WEEK ONE
- Mizzou is off to one of the best starts in program history, opening the season 5-0 at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic.
- It is the fifth time since 1999, as far back as gameday records are available, Mizzou has gone undefeated over the first weekend, and the first since 2016. It is also the first time Mizzou has gone undefeated with at least one win being over a ranked team since 2013.
- Mizzou's longest undefeated stretch to open a season were 12-0 starts in both 2009 and 1983.
- The Tigers are one of 24 teams in the country without a loss after the first weekend, and were the lone team at the NFCA Leadoff Classic to go 5-0. Mississippi State claimed the tournament title based on its lone loss coming in an exhibition to the US National Team — and claimed the tiebreaker over Mizzou with a higher run-differential per game.
- Mizzou defeated No. 8/7 Minnesota, 7-4 in eight innings, for the upset of a top 10 program. It was the seventh win over a top 10 team under head coach Larissa Anderson in 21 tries.
- The Tigers also run-ruled Baylor in five innings, 9-1. Mizzou hit four home runs for its first run-rule victory over a Power-5 program since an 8-0 win in five innings over Texas A&M last season (April 19).
- The team's success at the NFCA Leadoff Classic pose the Tigers to 19th in the NFCA Coaches' Poll and 19th in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll — the highest ranking of any team who opened the season in the receiving votes category.
THE BORDER WAR RETURNS
- One of the more storied rivalries in college athletics will return with the Border War between Mizzou and Kansas heading south to Florida this weekend.
- When Mizzou left the Big 12 for the SEC for the 2012-13 season, the annual Border War rivalry between the two schools in all sports was lost.
- Mizzou Softball is the only program in the department to have met Kansas in the regular season, as the two faced off at the Kajikawa Classic last season — a 3-2 Tigers win (Feb. 10, 2019).
- The two schools' men's basketball programs faced off in a charity exhibition in 2017, while women's soccer, softball and volleyball have met on seven occasions in the postseason.
- Mizzou leads the all-time series, 69-43.
DEEPEST ROTATION IN THE NATION
- Mizzou used five different pitchers in the opening weekend — Sophie Dandola, Eli Daniel, Emma Nichols, Megan Schumacher and Jordan Weber. Each of the five pitchers picked up a win during week one.
- Mizzou is the only school in the country to have five different pitchers pick up a win during week one.
- Nichols (Baylor), Schumacher (Louisville) and Weber (Notre Dame) each picked up their win in a starting appearance, while Dandola (South Alabama) and Daniel (Minnesota) became the pitcher of record during a relief appearance.
- Despite welcoming three newcomers to the circle, Mizzou put together one of the most dominant pitching performances on any team in the country in week one. The Tigers allowed only seven walks on the weekend.
- Mizzou's 5.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks 12th in the country as a staff, while the quintet combined for a 2.06 ERA.
- Against Baylor, freshman Emma Nichols struck out six batters without allowing any walks in the five-inning, complete game victory.
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 made her return in triumphant fashion, recording a hit in all five of Mizzou's games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. She hit .294 with two extra-base hits, batting in a team-high seven runs.
- 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).
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
RHP
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OF
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LHP
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RHP
/ Softball
RHP
/ SoftballGeorgia Recap
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