COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou softball has signed Jaylynn Brown (Centralia, Mo./Centralia HS), Emily Souders (Flower Mound, Texas/Marcus HS), Jenna Mannon (West Jefferson, Ohio/West Jefferson HS), Adelle Metz (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell HS), Cyarah Dotts (Springdale, Ark./Har-Ber HS) and Zhana Guenther (New Berlin, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran HS) as part of its 2027 freshmen class, head coach Larissa Anderson announced on Wednesday, November 11.

Jaylynn Brown // 5’ 7” // RHP // Centralia, Mo. // Centralia HS

Jaylynn Brown joins the Tigers after being named the 2026 MHSFCA Class 3 Player of the Year and coming off a state title at Centralia High School during a senior season that saw her win Cahokia Conference Co-Player of the Year, her third time taking home the award, in addition to being named First Team All-District, First Team All-Region and First Team All-State.

Brown ranks second in strikeouts per season and sixth in total strikeouts in Missouri state history. Her team won the conference each year from 2023-26 and finished as the Class 3 state runner up in 2024.

She was a member of Iowa Premier Fastpitch, ranked Top 15 in the final national 18U club rankings by On3. She also participated in the Little League World Series in 2022 and was named to the Triple Crown Sports TU National 16U Champion Bracket All-Tournament Team.

Premier Girls Fastpitch also named her a 2026 All-American Finalist.

“We love keeping talented Missouri players home, especially those who understand the pride that comes with representing the Show-Me State. Jaylynn brings another talented right-handed arm to our pitching staff, but what excites me just as much is that she's already experienced what it feels like to be a champion. She loves Mizzou, she's proud to be a Tiger, and we can't wait for her to bring that winning mentality to our program,” said Anderson.

Jaylynn was born to mother Janet and father Doug. She has one brother, Hunter.

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Emily Souders // 6’ 0” // C-1B-3B // Flower Mound, Texas // Marcus HS

Emily Souders heads to Mizzou after being the ninth-ranked catcher in the 2027 class and earning multiple awards for her work during her senior season at Marcus High School.

Souders was named to the SportsDay High School All-Area First Team this year and showed her all-around skill by being tabbed as the Star Local Media All-Area Hitter of the Year as well as the District 5-6A Defensive Player of the Year.

She was named to the All-Dallas-Ft. Worth First Team by Gray Wolf Promotions and was listed as the Dallas Morning News 2026 UIL Playoff Player to Watch.

She played club softball with the Texas Glory and was named the No. 44 overall prospect in 2027, per Softball America.

"Her ability to contribute behind the plate and anywhere in the infield gives us valuable options defensively, and we believe she has the potential to make an impact on both sides of the ball. Just as important, Emily has embraced everything about Mizzou and what it means to be a Tiger. She's excited about the challenge of competing in the SEC, and we're equally excited to have her in Black & Gold,” said Anderson.

Emily was born to mother Andrea and father Nick. She has one sister, Callie.

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Jenna Mannon // 5’ 10” // UTL-RHP // West Jefferson, Ohio // West Jefferson HS

A two-way athlete, Jenna Mannon joins the program as the No. 3-ranked infielder and the No. 32-ranked pitcher in the 2027 class.

At West Jefferson High School she was named the Ohio Heritage Conference Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026 and was named to the All-District First Team three times. Additionally at the district level, she was named Player of the Year this past June.

Mannon was a three-time All-State honoree and played club ball with the Indiana Magic Gold. She was ranked as the top infielder in the Midwest by Extra Innings.

"We love recruiting athletes who can impact the game in more than one way, and Jenna fits that mold. She has an exciting future ahead of her, and we look forward to helping her continue to develop. Jenna has a genuine love for Mizzou, and that pride in becoming a Tiger makes her a great addition to our softball family,” said Anderson

Mannon was born to mother Joanna and father Kevin. She has two siblings, Brooke and Colton. Her mother and father both were on the track and field team at Wyoming and her sister, Brooke, played softball at Arizona and Indiana.

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Adelle Metz // 5’10” // C-OF // St. Peters, Mo. // Francis Howell HS

Ranked as the No. 16 catcher in the 2027 class, Adelle Metz is staying in the state after graduating from Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Mo., where she was a two-sport athlete.

As a softball player, she was named 2026 First Team All-Conference, All-District, All-Region and All-State as a catcher in the Gateway Athletic Conference. Metz is a three-time honoree of both the All-Region and All-District team and was an all-star in the classroom, being named to the honor roll every year from 2023-26.

As a track and field athlete, she was the GAC South Javelin and High Jump Champion in 2025 and was a State Qualifier in discus and was the Class 5 Javelin State Champion in 2026.

A member of Select Fastpitch 18U Jones/Byrn, Metz was ranked eighth on the 2027 Line Drive Hot 100 for Softball.

"We see tremendous upside in her development and believe her versatility will be a real asset as she transitions to the college game. Adelle understands the pride and responsibility that come with wearing Mizzou across her chest. We're excited to keep her in the Show-Me State and watch her grow into the player she's capable of becoming,” Anderson said.

Adelle was born to mother Heather and father Cory. She has one brother, Myles.

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Cyarah Dotts // 5’ 11” // RHP // Springdale, Ark. // Har-Ber HS

Ranked as the No. 28 pitcher in the 2027 class, Cyarah Dotts comes to MU after finishing as a three-time state runner-up in Arkansas.

She was named to the All-Conference team in 2025 and 2026, and was a three-time honoree of the All-State and All-Tournament teams while playing at Har-Ber High School in her hometown of Springdale, Ark.

For her club career, she was with Texas Bomber Gold 18U where she was named to the AFCS National All-Tournament Team in 2025 and 2026 and was named to the Super Cup All-Tournament Team.

"Pitching in the SEC requires competitiveness, preparation and a willingness to embrace the biggest moments, and we're excited to help Cyarah prepare for that opportunity. She has shown tremendous enthusiasm about becoming a Missouri Tiger, and we believe she's going to be a great fit within our program,” Anderson said.

Cyarah was born to parents Stephanie and Chad Niccum and has six siblings: Caetlyn, Connor, Sierra, Breanna, Casydi and Adeline.

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Zhana Guenther // 5’ 6” // OF-UTL // Ner Berlin, Wis. // Wisconsin Lutheran HS

Zhana joins Mizzou softball after a career at Wisconsin Lutheran High School where she earned First Team All-Conference and All-District honors in 2025. She added All-State honors in 2026.

A utility player, she spent her club career with the Beverly Bandits 18U Lewis/Slaon, where she was a Professional Girls Fastpitch Premier National Champion in 2026.

"We're excited about her potential and the opportunity to develop her skills within our system. What makes Zhana such a great addition is her excitement about being part of Mizzou Softball. She wants to be a Tiger, she wants to compete, and she's eager to be part of something bigger than herself. That's exactly the type of commitment we want in our program,” Anderson said.

She was born to mother Nissa and father Jeff. She has one brother, Kai. Her father previously played soccer at UW-Whitewater.

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Per D1 Softball, the Tigers recruiting class ranks 13^th in the nation and seventh in the Southeastern Conference.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome these six young women to the Mizzou Softball family,” said Anderson.

“This class brings a combination of pitching depth, athleticism, versatility and talent at key positions that will help shape the future of our program. But what excites me most is that these young women have chosen Mizzou because they genuinely want to be Tigers. They understand the expectations of competing in the Southeastern Conference, they embrace the challenge, and they want to be part of building something special here. We're not just recruiting talented softball players; we're recruiting young women who believe in our mission, want to represent the University of Missouri and are ready to invest in something bigger than themselves. We can't wait to get them on campus.”

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