Softball Set for First Pitch of 2026 at NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic

Friday, February 6

Clearwater, Fla.

9 a.m.

Missouri

Penn State

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Softball Set for First Pitch of 2026 at NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic

2/5/2026 7:09:00 AM | Softball

Game Notes (PDF)

The Tigers will play in five games over the course of the three-day tournament.

Mizzou softball will open the 2026 season this week at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic this weekend against five other teams at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Fla.

The Tigers will open the invitational against Penn State at 9 a.m., before taking on their highest-ranked opponent of the tournament, No. 5 Oregon, at noon, with both games played on Field No. 3.

On Saturday, MU will have one of its two MLB Network games, taking on No. 21/No. 23 Liberty at noon on Field 8. Following that, the Tigers will take on BYU at 5 p.m. on Field 3.

Sunday, Mizzou will finalize the weekend slate with its second MLB Network game against South Alabama at noon on Field 8.

All games will be available via GameChanger, with live updates provided throughout the weekend.

2026 NFCA DIVISION I LEADOFF CLASSIC

Clearwater, Florida (Eddie. C. Moore Complex)
Tournament Schedule Page

SCHEDULE

Missouri vs. Penn State, Friday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. CT | Field 3
Missouri vs. No. 5 Oregon, Friday, Feb. 6 at 12 p.m. CT | Field 3
Missouri vs. No. 21/23 Liberty, Saturday, Feb. 7 at 12 p.m. CT | Field 8
Missouri vs. BYU, Saturday, Feb. 7 at 5 a.m. CT | Field 3
Missouri vs. South Alabama, Sunday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. CT | Field 8

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Live Stats: Penn State | Oregon | Liberty | BYU | South Alabama

TV: MLB Network (Liberty & South Alabama)

BY THE SERIES

Mizzou is 6-1 all-time against Penn State, and is currently riding a four-game win streak against the Nittany Lions.
Head coach Larissa Anderson is 3-1 when she coaches against PSU, and the Tigers are 1-0 in season openers versus the squad.
The Tigers have a more robust history against Oregon, as they are 8-10 all-time against the Ducks.
Head coach Larissa Anderson is 2-7 all-time versus the Ducks, as MU has won two of the last three matchups with a combined score of 18-6.
The Tigers have established a relatively new history with Liberty, as they are 4-0 all-time against them, with all four matchups happening during the 2020 season and later.
Head coach Larissa Anderson is 4-1 when facing the Flames, with her only loss coming from her time as the head coach of Hofstra.
This will be the fourth time that Mizzou has faced BYU in program history, as it has split the all-time series 2-2.
Head coach Larissa Anderson is 1-1 against the Cougars, as the Tigers won the most recent matchup in 2023, 11-3.
Mizzou and head coach Larissa Anderson are both 4-0 against South Alabama, with the first matchup coming back in 2020.
The Tigers last played the Jaguars at the start of the 2024 season, as they won 6-3.

SOFTBALL AMERICA TOP 100

Senior outfielder Emma Jackson earned her spot as the No. 83 player on the top 100 list and ranked as the 19th-best outfielder in the country according to the outlit.
Jackson is a senior transfer from East Carolina, where she was named to the All-AAC second team in 2025. During her junior campaign, she broke the program's single-season record, slugging 21 home runs. Last season, she finished with a .326 batting average (.453 on-base percentage) and a .730 slugging percentage, as she collected 54 RBIs, nine doubles and 53 runs.

FRESHMAN WATCH LISTS

Three players made their way onto multiple freshman-to-watch lists, as Abby Carr, Sidney Forrester, and Addy Waits were selected to both the Softball America and D1Softball preseason lists.
Freshman RHP, Abby Carr, was the 2025 Gatorade Missouri Softball Player of the Year after posting a 23-0 record with 304 strikeouts and a .242 ERA across 144.2 innings. She was also a two-time Pitcher of the Year and three-time all-state selection in Missouri.
Freshman first baseman/outfielder, Sidney Forrester, was a three-time Oklahoma Class 4A-7 District Player of the Year and earned all-region, all-state accolades in high school. She dominated the level with a .545 batting average (.633 on-base percentage) with 180 hits, 159 RBIs, 46 home runs, 47 doubles, seven triples and 28 stolen bases.
Freshman third baseman, Addy Waits, was a three-time all-conference, all-state and all-district player in her high school career. She set numerous Lee's Summit West High School career records with 180 hits, a .563 on-base percentage, 42 doubles, 70 walks, 49 stolen bases and 157 runs.

IN THE CIRCLE

Heading into the 2026 season, the Tigers bring back 20 wins on the mound, as senior RHP Cierra Harrison, and junior RHP Marissa McCann both return for another season in the Black and Gold.
McCann led the Tigers in strikeouts in 2025, recording 113 in 148.0 innings pitched. She finished her sophomore year with a 3.69 ERA, and limited opposing batters to a .262 batting average. She also notched six complete games in 24 starts.
Harrison is ready for her final campaign; last season, she recorded 10 wins with a 3.94 ERA and 89 strikeouts. Harrison heads into this season with a career of success, having compiled a 2.87 ERA, an overall record of 32- 13, and a no-hitter on her resume.
The Tigers only bolster their pitching staff over the course of the offseason, adding freshman RHP Abby Carr and sophomore transfer RHP Rylee Michalak. As a freshman at Houston, Michalak appeared in 23 games and started 14 of those, and ended up leading the team in strikeouts (35) and wins (6). She was previously the No. 38 player in the class of 2024 according to the final Extra Elite 100 rankings by Extra Inning Softball.
Other returners include senior Courtney Donahue and junior Nathalie Touchet. Donahue transferred to the Tigers ahead of the 2025 season, after being named the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA NJCAA DII Pitcher of the Year. Touchet is the top saves-getter for Mizzou with two, and posted a 2.47 ERA as a bullpen pitcher for the Tigers.

TIGERS ON TV

Mizzou will have 10 national broadcast games, including two on the MLB Network during the opening tournament (Feb. 7, vs. Liberty at 12 p.m. CT; Feb. 8, vs. South Alabama at 12 p.m. CT).
The Tigers will play eight conference ESPN affiliate games, with two on the ACC Network during the Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
The following eight games will be broadcast on the SEC Network, with Mizzou hosting three (Apr. 4 LSU at 2:30 p.m.).

POSITIONAL RETURNERS

Mizzou returns five starters from the 2025 season: junior catcher/outfielder Stefania Abruscato, junior outfielder Claire Cahalan, senior utility player Kayley Lenger, sophomore infielder/outfielder Madison Uptegrove and first basemen junior Abby Hay.
Abruscato started the majority of the games in 2025, playing in 56 and starting 55, primarily as an outfielder. This season, she will take on the role of catcher, as she slashed .244, with an on-base percentage of .328, and led the team in doubles with 15.
Cahalan recorded the highest average amongst the primary starters with a .266 batting average and led the team in both triples (3) and stolen bases (11).
Lenger comes into the season as one of the best defensive players on the squad, having tallied only one error last season and recorded three assists from the outfield. She recorded a .989 fielding percentage and was even featured on SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays for a diving catch she posted against Texas (4/5).
In her second season with the Tigers, Uptegrove will be a player to watch, as she started in 47 games as a freshman and recorded a .361 on-base percentage. She was dynamic from the plate, recording 12 extra-base hits, including five home runs.
Hay will hope to rebound and repeat her first year as she heads into her third campaign. She was named to the All-SEC second team and the NFCA Southeast All- Region Team in 2024, recording a .306 batting average with 16 runs, four doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 23 RBIs. Last season, she compiled 15 runs, seven doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs.

FRESHMEN

The Class of 2025 boasts a wealth of talent, with seven players joining as freshmen. Included in that class was the trio that was selected to the National Watchlists: Forrester, Carr and Waits. Joining them is catcher Jaley James, infielder Avery Porter, infielder Avery Adcock and outfielder Linny Ramsey.
One addition to the Class is catcher/ infielder Gracie Britton, who reclassified from the Class of 2026 to join the Tigers early.
This Class brings together over 17 all-state honors, eight player of the year distinctions and multiple NFCA All-Region accolades.

NOTABLES FROM 2025

The Tigers finished the 2025 season 25- 31 overall and 6-18 in the SEC.
MU hosted one of the toughest schedules in the country, ranking ninth in strength of schedule, and, despite a sub-.500 record, was 42nd in the RPI rankings.
Last season, the Tigers played 32 ranked games and recording nine wins, including two against the No. 1 team in the country at the time (Oklahoma & Texas A&M).

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