Friday, April 25
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
6:30 p.m. CT
University of Missouri
at
15/20 Alabama
Softball Heads to No. 15/20 Alabama for SEC Road Series
4/24/2025 12:05:00 PM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri softball (23-26, 4-14 SEC) hits the road this weekend to take on No. 15/20 Alabama (32-18, 8-10 SEC) in a three-game SEC series Friday through Sunday at Rhoads Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The conference road series is the final one for MU this season.
First pitch for the series opener is set for 6 p.m., CT on Friday. The series will continue Saturday at 8 p.m., CT before wrapping up Sunday at 2 p.m., CT.
Friday and Sunday's games will be available on SEC Network+ while game two will be featured on SEC Network.
Gray Robertson and Kaylee Tow will be in the booth for the non-linear games while Eric Frede and Madison Shipman will be on the call for Saturday's SEC Network game.
Missouri is ranked 30th this week for RPI and has the toughest schedule in the country this season. MU is also second for strength of schedule in 2025.
SERIES SCHEDULE
Missouri at No. 15/20 Alabama – Friday, April 25, 6 p.m., CT | SEC Network+
Missouri at No. 15/20 Alabama – Saturday, April 26, 8 p.m., CT | SEC Network
Missouri at No. 15/20 Alabama – Sunday April 27, 2 p.m., CT | SEC Network +
Live Stats: Alabama G1 | Alabama G2 | Alabama G3
Live Video: SEC Network+ | Friday | Sunday
SEC Network | Saturday
SERIES HISTORY
- Alabama leads the all-time series with Missouri, 20-11.
- The two teams last met in the 2023 season where then No. 14/13 Alabama beat Missouri, 7-2, at the SEC Tournament, May 10 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
- The last series between the two teams came in 2023 at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Missouri. The then No. 17/13 Crimson Tide claimed the first two games, 4-0 and 4-0 (in nine innings), before the Tigers bounced back with an 11-3 run-rule victory in the finale.
- MU last faced the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 6-8, 2022. The Tigers took the opener, 3-2, in eight innings before dropping consecutive 3-1 decisions.
- Missouri last took a series on Alabama in 2017, taking two of three March 31 through April 2 (#9 Alabama, 2-0-win, 9-3 loss, 4-3-win, nine innings).
- Head coach Larissa Anderson holds a 3-8 career record against Alabama.
TEXAS A&M RECAP
- Mizzou took one of three in its home series against No. 1 Texas A&M, highlighted by a historic 9-1 run-rule victory April 18 at Mizzou Softball Stadium. The run-rule victory was the sixth of the season (first in SEC play) for Mizzou and was the second of the week for the Tigers.
- The Tigers dropped April 17's doubleheader, falling 7-5 in the opener and 4-3 in nine innings in game two, before responding with their third-ever win over a No. 1 team (3-21 against No. 1 ranked teams dating back to 1999) in April 18's series finale.
- Madison Walker continued her power surge, homering in back-to-back days Thursday and Friday. She launched a go-ahead grand slam in game one and later tied game two with a two-run single. Over game three, she crushed her 17th home run of the season, tying for third all-time in Mizzou history for a single season.
- Julia Crenshaw led the offense in the finale, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a solo home run–her career-best 12th of the season.
- Kara Daly finished 2-for-3 with a three-run homer and a double for a season-best four RBI. Daly now has 40 career home runs, tied for ninth in program history with Micaela Minner (40 home runs, 2005-09).
- Kayley Lenger capped off the win with a two-run homer, her fourth of the year and second of the week, while Stefania Abruscato and Nevaeh Watkins each turned in multi-hit performances. Watkins notched her first career multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with a run and a walk.
- Taylor Pannell tossed a career-best 8.1 innings in game two over her fifth career start.
- Marissa McCann picked up the win April 18, allowing just one hit over 2.0 shutout innings of relief to move to 9-10 on the year (2-6 in SEC in 2025).
- Abby Hay led the Tigers over the series, hitting .500 while Julia Crenshaw and Nevaeh Watkins both hit .400.
SIUE RECAP
- Missouri opened the week with a 10-2 run-rule win over SIUE April 9 at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
- Freshman Madison Uptegrove and junior Kayley Lenger both turned in perfect 3-for-3 performances at the plate to lead the Tigers offensively. Uptegrove tallied a career-high four RBI with two runs and a home run, while Lenger added a triple, home run, two RBI and a walk. The duo each recorded personal bests in hits and RBI.
- Taylor Pannell earned the complete-game win (fifth in 2025). The junior left-hander allowed just one earned run on four hits with a career-best eight strikeouts. She improved to 3-0 (all complete games) over four career starts (all in 2025).
- Taylor Ebbs went 2-for-4 with a season-best three RBI (fifth time in 2025). She has 11 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI outings this season.
- Stefania Abruscato went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. Claire Cahalan added a 2-for-3 night (seventh time in career with two hits) with two runs and two stolen bases.
- The Tigers swiped a season-best four stolen bases.
RETURN OF CRENSHAW & DALY
- Seniors Julia Crenshaw and Kara Daly both returned to the field over the Texas A&M series after sustaining injuries against Mississippi State and Texas, respectively.
- Crenshaw continues to pace the Tigers offensively, batting .382 with a team-high 52 hits and 44 runs, 13 doubles, 12 home runs, 28 RBI and seven stolen bases. She owns a .743 slugging percentage and .509 on-base percentage this season. Her slugging percentage ranks sixth in MU single-season history.
- Crenshaw launched her career-best 12th home run of the season in the finale against Texas A&M – her fourth leadoff homer of the year and first leadoff homer since at Kentucky on March 9. She finished 3-for-3 in that game, marking her team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season. Crenshaw has reached base in four straight games and leads the SEC with seven runners caught stealing.
- Crenshaw has drawn 33 walks this season, just one away from tying Tiffany Heick (1995) and cracking top 10 all-time for a single season at MU.
- She hit .400 in her return to the lineup over the Texas A&M series.
- Kara Daly hit her 40th career home run on April 18 – a three-run shot in the first inning. The senior is tied for ninth in program history for career homers and has reached double-digit home runs for the third time in her career (10 in 2025).
- Daly is batting .280 with 34 RBI, nine multi-RBI games and nine multi-hit games. Apri 18's win over No. 1 Texas A&M marked her sixth game this season with at least three RBI.
- Daly has compiled 138 RBI in her career, tying Jen Bruck (05-08) for 10th in Mizzou program history.
MADISON WALKER
- Madison Walker leads Mizzou this season with 17 home runs (five in SEC play) and 46 RBI. She is slugging .580 on the year and has started in all 49 games this season. Her home run total ranks second in the SEC.
- She's recorded a team-best 11 multi-RBI games in 2025 and hit a home run in back-to-back days against the Aggies this past week.
- Walker smashed her third grand slam of the season (third of career) in game one of the Tigers' series with Texas A&M and delivered a game-tying two-run single in game two. She hit .300 over the series with seven RBI and two homers.
- Walker is currently tied for third all-time for single season home runs at Mizzou with 17. She is three home runs away from tying Amanda Renth (2008) for first all-time at Mizzou for a single season.
- Walker launched home runs in consecutive games against South Dakota State and Princeton and has hit round trippers in back-to-back games three times this season.
- She has also notched two, two-homer games this season including most recently against Nebraska (March 2).
STEFANIA ABRUSCATO
- Stefania Abruscato is third in the SEC with a team-high 15 doubles (0.31, fifth in SEC). Abruscato also ranks 10th in MU single-season history with 15 doubles and will move into tied for fifth with one more. Alex Honnold registered a program-best 21 doubles in 2024.
- Abruscato has reached base safely in eight-straight games (four-game hitting streak). She has notched nine multi-hit games this season (third on MU in 2025).
- She went 2-for-4 with an RBI in April 18's win over No. 1 Texas A&M, logging her ninth multi-hit game of the season. Abruscato finished the series batting .364.
- Abruscato also had two hits against SIUE last week, posting a 2-for-3 day with a double, run, RBI and a walk.
KAYLEY LENGER
- Junior Kayley Lenger had a personal best 3-for-3 day at the plate against SIUE. She also matched a personal-high two RBI to go with a home run, triple, run and a walk.
- She has posted two or more hits in each of Mizzou's last three midweek games.
- Lenger hit .375 over the Texas A&M series with an .875 slugging percentage (.500 on-base percentage). She extended her hitting streak to four games after launching her career-best fourth home run of the season in game three against No. 1 Texas A&M.
- The center fielder has recorded home runs in two of the last four games.
- Lenger has four multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games in 2025.
- She is hitting .429 (15-for-39) over her last 14 starts in center with an .829 slugging percentage (.524 on-base percentage) and eight RBI.
- The 2024 SEC All-Defensive Team selection (right field) has been stellar defensively this season, registering a .987 fielding percentage. She was featured fifth on SportsCenter's Top-10 for her diving catch against No. 1 Texas on April 5.
QUICK HITTERS
- Missouri is 23-26 overall and 4-14 in SEC play following its home series against No. 1/1 Texas A&M.
- Mizzou has seven ranked wins this season, having taken down No. 20/21 Northwestern, No. 7/8 Duke, No. 16/18 Nebraska, No. 1/1 Oklahoma, No. 19/21 Ole Miss, No. 15/16 Mississippi State and No. 1/1 Texas A&M.
- Missouri is ranked 30th this week for RPI and has the toughest schedule in the country this season.
- The Tigers are outscoring opponents 59-31 in the first inning.
- Overall, Julia Crenshaw paces the Tigers offensively, hitting .382 with a team-high 52 hits and 44 runs, 13 doubles, 12 homers, 28 RBI, and seven stolen bases. She also paces MU with 15 multi-hit games to go with seven multi-RBI games. Crenshaw has reached base safely in each of the last four games.
- Crenshaw leads Mizzou in SEC play, batting .392 with eight RBI and five homers.
- Defensively, Crenshaw, a senior catcher from O'Fallon, Missouri, is first in the league with seven runners caught stealing.
- Stefania Abruscato is third in the SEC with 15 doubles (0.31, fifth in SEC) followed by Crenshaw's 13 (seventh in SEC). Abruscato is 10th in MU single-season history with 15 doubles.
- Abruscato has reached base safely in eight-straight games (four-game hitting streak).
- Madison Walker leads Mizzou with 17 home runs (five in SEC play) and 46 RBI. She is slugging .580 this season. Walker is second in the SEC for home runs (17, 0.35 homers/game, fourth in SEC). She is first on Mizzou with 11 multi-RBI games to go with eight multi-hit games. Walker hit safely in all three games against No. 1 Texas A&M.
- Taylor Ebbs is second on Mizzou with 10 multi-RBI games and 11 multi-hit games. She is batting .290 with nine home runs, seven doubles, 30 RBI and a .581 slugging percentage.
- Ebbs smashed home runs in back-to-back games at Mississippi State and totaled five RBI and four hits across the final two games of the series. She has reached safely in each of the last six games.
- Marissa McCann ranks fourth in the SEC with 21 starts, fifth for innings pitched (127.2, seventh for appearances (30) and 13th for complete games (six). Cierra Harrison is second in the league with 22 starts.
- McCann surpassed 200 innings in her collegiate career and has pitched a career-high 127.2 innings over her sophomore campaign.
- NCAA Division I saves leader Taylor Pannell has 22 in her career. She surpassed 100 career innings and 100 career strikeouts over the MSU series.
- Claire Cahalan has knocked three triples in 2025 to lead Mizzou. She and Crenshaw both went on a team-best 15-game reached base streak this season.
- Missouri sits second for sacrifice bunts in the SEC with 31.
- Kara Daly ranks eighth in the NCAA Division I active career leaders with 230 games.
- Head coach Larissa Anderson picked up her 350th career win with a 10-3 victory over Duke on Feb. 8. Anderson was also inducted into the Gannon University (Erie, Pennsylvania) Athletics Hall of Fame that same day.
- Anderson signed an extension with Mizzou through 2028 over the fall.
- Mizzou is coming off an impressive 2024 that saw the Tigers earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th consecutive year (27 total regional appearances). MU made its 10th Supers appearance in program history in 2024.
- The Tigers totaled 48 wins (48-14, 13-11 SEC) in 2024, their highest total in the program's SEC era and fourth most in program history. Missouri's 13 SEC wins in the 2024 campaign are the most since 15 in 2021.
- The Tigers return six starters from the 2024 NCAA Super Regional team including SEC All-Defensive right fielder Kayley Lenger, NFCA All-Region first baseman Abby Hay along with catcher Julia Crenshaw and third baseman Kara Daly.
- Mizzou added 10 newcomers including seven freshmen and three transfers for the 2025 season.
- Missouri returned the 11th best team ERA (2.03) in 2024 led by starters Cierra Harrison and Marissa McCann along with NCAA saves leader Taylor Pannell.
- Missouri ranked fourth in the NCAA in 2024 with an average attendance of 2,784. In the postseason, MU had the highest home attendance of Regionals (10,016) and Super Regionals (11,608, MU record). Mizzou set single-game (4,021, vs. Duke, May 26, 2024) and single-series attendance records over the postseason weekends.
ROAD WARRIORS
- The Tigers opened their 2025 campaign as the only NCAA Division I institution that competed in the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational Presented by EvoShield and Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
- MU returned home after spending 19 days in hotels and traveling a total of 6,986 miles across the country to start the 2025 campaign.
- Missouri ranks 30th for RPI this week. The Tigers' schedule is ranked as the toughest in 2025. MU is also second for strength of schedule this season.
UP NEXT
- Following their SEC series against Alabama, the Tigers will return home to face No. 24/24 Georgia, May 1-3 over Senior Weekend at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
- First pitch is set for 6 p.m., CT on Thursday, 5 p.m., CT on Friday and 1 p.m., CT on Saturday.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).
- The Diamond Club is accepting new members. Email MAF@missouri.edu or call 573-882-0704 to join.
- Join us in Expanding the Tradition of excellence in Mizzou Softball! This special initiative focuses on building a Rock M at the Mizzou Softball Stadium, a centerpiece of Tiger pride. The Rock M debuted this season at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
Players Mentioned
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DP/INF
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RHP
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UT
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RHP
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LHP
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INF/OF
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INF
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/ SoftballGeorgia Recap
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Thursday, May 01
Mya Dodge Senior Video
Thursday, May 01
