University of Missouri
Tennessee
No. 15/16 Mizzou Softball Closes Regular Season at No. 17/15 Tennessee
5/6/2021 6:35:00 PM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 15/16 Mizzou Softball (35-13, 13-8) will take on No. 17/15 Tennessee (38-10, 11-8) in their final series of the regular season. The Tigers are looking to secure a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament and the first-round bye.
Game one of the three-game series is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m. CT. On Saturday, the teams will face off at 1 p.m. CT before closing the series on Sunday at Noon CT. Each game will be broadcast on SECN+.
The Tigers are closing out the regular season with nine-straight games against ranked opponents. Mizzou has gone 3-3 in those games, taking the series over Arkansas and winning one of three against Florida.
Mizzou is looking to capture the program's top finish in SEC play since 2014, when the Tigers finished third.
Tennessee has won five of the last six games against the Tigers. The last time the two faced off in Knoxville, the Volunteers swept the series.
The Tiger bats have been hot during the 2021 season. Mizzou has smashed 84 doubles and 72 home runs while leading the SEC with a .334 team batting average. Hatti Moore and Kimberly Wert are tied for the team lead with 15 home runs apiece while Cayla Kessinger has reached double-digit home runs for the second time in her career. Additionally, Brooke Wilmes has moved into third in Mizzou history with 52 doubles in her career.
The series will be a contrast in style, as the Volunteers lead the SEC in ERA and the Tigers lead in many offensive categories. Tennessee leads the SEC in stolen bases with 89 and Mizzou has only allowed 16 stolen bases on the season.
