COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou baseball dropped its series finale to South Carolina, 6-4, on Saturday afternoon at Taylor Stadium.  

Former Gamecock Jase Woita slugged a two-run home run in the fourth, and the Tigers (20-17, 3-12 SEC) rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was ultimately not enough for the come-from-behind win. 

USC (18-19, 5-10 SEC) got on the board first after stringing together a pair of singles, followed by a two-run double to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead in the second. 

Righty Sam Rosand started the game on the mound for the Tigers, tossing 2.2 innings and giving up two runs on four hits, before being relieved by lefty Ian Lohse in the third. 

A solo homerun from South Carolina's Dawson Harman stretched their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth. Woita responded against his former team in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer to right field – his seventh of the season – to trim the Gamecocks' lead to a run. 

RHP Luke Sullivan entered for Lohse in the top of the fifth, where he retired the first batter he faced and limited the Gamecocks to a quick ground out and fly out. However, the Gamecocks tagged Sullivan for a pair of solo home runs in the sixth to grow their lead back to three runs. 

With two outs in the top of the seventh, LHP Juan Villarreal entered the game for Sullivan and posted 1.1 scoreless frames (one hit) with a pair of strikeouts. 

USC extended its lead in the top of the ninth as leadoff hitter Will Craddock connected for a solo shot to deep left field to make it a 6-2 advantage for the Gamecocks. 

Mizzou responded in the bottom of the ninth as Keegan Knutson doubled down the left field line to put a pair of Tigers in scoring position. An infield single from defensive replacement Jamal George brought Woita home and Knutson to third before Donovan Jordan delivered a clutch, two-out double to left center, bringing in a run and sending George to third to make it a 6-4 game and bring the winning run to the plate. However, that was all the Tigers would get as the Gamecocks hung on for the 6-4 victory. 

NOTEBOOK 

• Woita notched his seventh home run of the season against his former team – a two-run shot (365 ft.) in the fourth inning. He ended the day 1-for-2 with the home run, two RBI, two runs scored and a pair of walks. 
• Today's matchup marked Rosand's second career start on the mound, going 2.2 innings and recording three strikeouts.  
• Knutson ripped his fourth double of the season in the ninth inning. 
• George drove in his seventh run of the season with his ninth-inning single. 
• Jordan, who pinch hit to enter the game in the eighth, went 1-for-2 with an RBI double – his fourth extra-base hit of the campaign. 
• Kam Durnin, Blaize Ward, and Pierre Seals all reached base via walk in the loss. 
• With the walk, Ward extended his on-base streak to 17 games.

The Tigers travel to Springfield to take on Missouri State on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. CT for its midweek slate before heading to Norman, Oklahoma, for an SEC weekend series with No. 16 Oklahoma next weekend. All Mizzou baseball games can be streamed on the Varsity Network by Learfield, with longtime play-by-play announcer Tex Little on the call and Matt Michaels providing color. 

FOLLOW THE TIGERS 
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

ATHENS, Ga. - Mizzou softball's (22-21, 6-8 SEC) two-out rallies spurred it to victory over No. 16/14 Georgia (30-11, 8-6 SEC) 4-3, on Saturday, April 11, at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.

Junior starting pitcher Marissa McCann earned the victory in this one, as she went 4.0 innings pitched and allowed two earned runs, as she is now 7-8 this season. Freshman Abby Carr recorded her fourth save of the season and recorded two of the four two-out RBIs in this one.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the opening frames, both pitchers settled in, as each team went scoreless through the first three innings. In that time, McCann struck out two and allowed two hits, as she held the Bulldogs' offense stagnant.

Once the fourth rolled around, the Tigers found their momentum with a two-out double from Carr. Carr later scored, after redshirt freshman Saniya Hill successfully converted on a pinch-hitter situation with a single to right field. Georgia posed its threat in the bottom half of the inning, as three batters reached base with two outs. McCann navigated the situation by stranding all three on a flyout to centerfield.

Mizzou's two-out rally continued in the fifth, as Carr converted with bases loaded to score two and freshman Sidney Forrester followed with an RBI single – ending in a MU 4-0 lead.

McCann's day came to an end in the bottom of the fifth, as Georgia loaded the bases with no outs. The junior finished her day by throwing four innings, with two runs allowed and six hits given up. In relief, Carr found her way to the mound and walked in two runs, as the Bulldogs cut the lead in half – Tigers leading 4-2.

Besides the two walks, Carr thrived in the first two innings on the mound, as she struck out five of the nine batters faced heading into the bottom of the seventh.

The Tigers ran into some trouble in the ninth as UGA scored one run on a sacrifice fly, but in the end, Carr closed the door with her sixth strikeout to finish the game, 4-3.

GAME NOTES

• Larissa Anderson moves to 394-239-1 all-time and 8-9 against the Bulldogs.
• The Tigers are 14-18 all-time against Georgia, and 5-9 in Athens, Ga. 
• In the second inning, Marissa McCann recorded her 250^th career strikeout with her second of the game.
• Abby Carr recorded a career-high six strikeouts and added two RBIs to her team-leading total, 39.

NEXT UP

The Tigers wrap up their series against Georgia with the rubber match starting at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 12 at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou baseball dropped game two of its three game Southeastern Conference set with South Carolina by a final score of 1-0.

Lefty Brady Kehlenbrink was strong on the mound for the Tigers (20-16, 3-11 SEC) in his ninth start of the season, tossing a career-high 7.1 innings while giving up just one run (unearned) on two South Carolina (17-19, 4-10 SEC) hits while punching out 10 Gamecocks.

South Carolina was able to plate a run in the fourth with a triple and a two-out error by the Missouri defense, giving the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead, which proved to be costly.

Mizzou presented its best threat in the home half of the fifth thanks to a pair of base hits by Kaden Peer and Mateo Serna, but a failed bunt attempt with runners at the corners and one out sent the scoring bid wayward.

Kehlenbrink had a great outing and gave the Tigers a chance, throwing 7.1 innings and giving up one run (unearned), two hits and sat down 10 South Carolina batters via the punchout. Kehlenbrink had his career long outing and has now recorded 10 or more strikeouts without giving up a walk in a game twice this season.

Righty Trey Lawrence came out of the bullpen for the Tigers with one out in the eighth and Missouri trailing 1-0. He managed to throw 1.2 scoreless innings where he gave up just one hit and punched out three Gamecocks, twice stranding a runner in scoring position.

With Mizzou down 1-0 in the ninth, Blaize Ward led off the inning with a single to left center and Kam Durnin followed up with a bunt down the left field line for a single to give the Tigers runners on first and second with nobody out, but they were unable to find the equalizer.

NOTEBOOK

• Kehlenbrink was dominant on the mound, throwing 7.1 innings where he gave up just one run (unearned), two hits and punched out 10 Gamecocks. The lefty set a new career high with 7.1 innings pitched and has now recorded seven or more strikeouts in five of his nine outings this season.
• With 102 pitches this evening, this marks the second time in his career that Kehlenbrink has thrown 100-plus pitches, with the first occurrence coming earlier this season against Auburn where he threw 103 pitches.
• This was also the second outing this season where Kehlenbrink has recorded 10 or more strikeouts and zero walks.
• Durnin led the Mizzou offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
• Lawrence was solid out of the bullpen, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings where he gave up just one hit and struck out three batters.

Missouri returns to Taylor Stadium tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. CT for the series finale against South Carolina. All games can also be streamed on the Varsity Network by Learfield, with longtime Mizzou play-by-play announcer Tex Little on the call and Matt Michaels providing color.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers onTwitter, Instagram and Facebook.

OXFORD, Miss. - Mizzou tennis faced Southeastern Conference opponent No. 4 Auburn on the road, dropping its match 4-0.

The Auburn Tigers claimed the first point of the match by clinching doubles. Freshman Lara Quaglia and sophomore Gian Octa fell 6-2, followed by freshman Alex Ackman and sophomore Zoe Lazar losing 6-1. Doubles duo sophomore Korina Roso and senior Andrea Artimedi were down 4-3 before their match went unfinished.

Transitioning into singles, Roso lost first against No. 49 Ekaterina Khairutdinova, 6-2, 6-2. Octa fell next in the No. 1 spot, battling No. 37 DJ Bennett, 6-0, 6-3. Lazar followed, dropping her match, 6-2, 6-2 against No. 55 Ava Esposito.

Artimedi, Ackman, and Quaglia's matches went unfinished as Auburn clinched the match.

UP NEXT
Mizzou heads to Gainesville, Florida, on Sunday, April 12, and is up against the No. 17 Florida Gators at 12 p.m. CT.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Tennis. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Mizzou Tennis) and following us on X (@Mizzou_Tennis) and Instagram (Mizzou.Tennis).

FULL RESULTS
MIZZOU 0, AUBURN 4
Doubles

1. DJ Bennett/Ava Esposito def. Lara Quaglia/Gian Octa, 6-2

2. Angella Okutoyi/Merna Refaat vs. Korina Roso/Andrea Artimedi, 4-3 (UF)

3. Ashtown Bowers/Ekaterina Khairutdinova def. Alex Ackman/Zoe Lazar, 6-1

Order of finish: 1, 3

Singles

1. DJ Bennett def. Gian Octa, 6-0, 6-3

2. Ekaterina Khairutdinova def. Korina Roso, 6-2, 6-2

3. Angella Okutoyi vs. Andrea Artimedi, 7-6 (7-5), 1-0 (UF)

4. Merna Refaat vs. Alex Ackman, 6-4, 4-1 (UF)

5. Ava Esposito def. Zoe Lazar, 6-2, 6-2

6. Eva Ionescu vs. Lara Quaglia, 6-3, 4-3 (UF)

Order of finish: 2, 1, 5

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou's 2026 football game at Kansas has been moved up a day to Friday, September 11, the Big 12 Conference announced Friday.

Originally slated for September 12, the game between the Tigers and Jayhawks will be broadcast nationally from David Booth Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, with a game time and television network announced at a later date.    

It will be the Tigers' first visit to Lawrence since 2005. Mizzou holds a 58-54-9 lead in the series having won five of the last six Border Wars, including a 42-31 victory in Columbia last season.  

The Tigers return home the following week to play host to Troy on September 19, followed by games against Florida (Oct. 3), Texas A&M (Oct. 10), Texas (Nov. 7), Kentucky (Nov. 21) and Oklahoma (Nov. 28) during the 2026 home slate.  

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For all the latest information on Mizzou Athletics, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Missouri football (@MizzouFootball) and Coach Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) on X. You can also find the Tigers on Instagram and Facebook.

– MUTigers.com –

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou baseball dropped its series opener, 5-1, against South Carolina Thursday night at Taylor Stadium.

The Gamecocks (16-19, 3-10 SEC) silenced the Tigers' (20-15, 3-10 SEC) bats and were able to convert on defensive miscues to grab the first of three games.

Right-hander Josh McDevitt tossed seven-plus strong innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs (five total). McDevitt fanned eight Gamecocks, his second most in an outing this season. Outfielder Pierre Seals notched his 10thmulti-hit game of the season, including his third-career triple.

A leadoff, ground-rule double put Carolina in an early scoring opportunity that was quickly put out by McDevitt as he punched out two of the next three batters. Later, USC was able to grab the game's first lead on a two-run homer to left in the top of the third.

As for Mizzou, its offense posed a two-out threat in the bottom of the first after Seals' base hit and Blaize Ward was hit by a pitch but had its next seven batters retired from that point through the end of the third inning. 

Mizzou put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on a leadoff triple by Seals. Woita was responsible for bringing him home on an RBI groundout.

The Gamecocks were able to muster up a response, however, as a leadoff double resulted in two runs. Mizzou committed a pair of errors as both South Carolina runs came across unearned to make it a 4-1 lead after six innings.

USC starting pitcher Brandon Stone exited after six innings, and after getting to the bullpen Mizzou was able to concoct another threat in the bottom of the seventh after a two-out walk was followed by a HBP. South Carolina was forced to go back to the bullpen where the Gamecocks called on righty Zach Russell to get the final out of the inning.

McDevitt took the mound to start the eighth before handing it over to RHP Eli Skidmore, and USC proceeded to post an insurance tally. 

Southpaw Isaiah Salas retired the side in the top of the ninth, but MU would go quietly in the bottom half.

NOTEBOOK

• Blaize Ward extended his on-base streak to 16 games. 
• Seals went 2-for-4 with a triple and single. It marked the third triple of his career and first as a Tiger.
• McDevitt threw his longest outing (by innings) as a Tiger with 7-plus innings pitched and 8 strikeouts, his second most in an outing. The righty threw triple-digit pitches for the second-straight start and just the second time of his career.

UP NEXT

The Tigers are back at Taylor Stadium Friday night and will aim to even the series against South Carolina. Game two of the three-game set is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. CT (SECN+). All games can also be streamed on the Varsity Network by Learfield, with longtime Mizzou play-by-play announcer Tex Little on the call and Matt Michaels providing color. 

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri volleyball will host a youth clinic – kindergarten thru 6th grade - ahead of the home spring tournament starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 25 at Hearnes Center. 

Mizzou will host a free youth clinic (kindergarten-sixth) prior to the Tigers home spring tournament on Saturday (April 25) at 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Check-in will be held on the East Side of Hearnes beginning at 8 a.m. with parking in Lot K. Signup for the free clinic is currently available online.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

8:30-9:30 a.m. // Kids Clinic

10 a.m. // Missouri vs. SIUE – Court One (East Side)

10 a.m. // Kansas City vs. St. Louis – Court Two (West Side)

11 a.m. // Missouri vs. Kansas City – Court One (East Side)

11 a.m. // SIUE vs. St. Louis – Court Two (West Side)

1 p.m. // Missouri vs. St. Louis – Court One (East Side)

1 p.m. // SIUE vs. Kansas City – Court Two (West Side)

2 p.m. // Autographs

SPRING TOURNAMENT:

Admission to the spring tournament is free for all fans; no ticket is required. Doors will open 60 minutes before the event.

Fans in attendance can grab post-match autographs from the team following the scrimmage.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

• For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

In January of 2017, a 12-year-old Keyler Gonzalez took a walk around his new but small apartment while his mother was searching for jobs. He instantly inspected his Southern Florida surroundings so he didn't even bother changing the clothes he had on at the airport. After walking a couple blocks, he saw kids playing baseball, his passion in Cuba.

"I walked in, and I asked the coach, 'Hey, can I take some swings?,'" Gonzalez said. 

The team practicing on the field was a local travel team called the Metros. After the coach agreed to throw him some batting practice, it didn't take long for Gonzalez to make an impression, as a couple balls landed on the other side of the fence. The coach for the travel team not only offered him a spot on the roster, but he also paid for all of the playing expenses.

"A kid that nobody knows coming from Cuba … doing good at that young age was a good turning point," said Gonzalez, a first-year member of the Mizzou pitching staff. 

This was just the spark for what Gonzalez's future held in the United States. From the very first day he arrived, he noticed all the opportunities that were available. From there on out, he didn't let one of them go to waste.

On April 7, Gonzalez found his first opportunity to really make a mark at the DI level against in-state rival Missouri State. The righty hadn't seen three-consecutive innings with the Black & Gold entering the evening, but the junior found himself in a high-pressure scenario walking into a tied game with two Mo State (No. 11 RPI entering April 7) runners on-base in the third.

The Cuban junior was lights out in relief, tossing six scoreless innings and racking up a DI career-high nine strikeouts while allowing just two hits.

KEYLER GONZALEZ ?? ?? ??

He's sat down five of the last six on strikes and eight total K. #MizzouNOW pic.twitter.com/ZHJyu8XdZV

— Mizzou Baseball (@MizzouBaseball) April 8, 2026

"When we recruited him, we knew he was a strike-thrower," Mizzou coach Kerrick Jackson said. "We knew he was a competitor."  

Humble Beginnings

Born in Santa Clara, Cuba, Gonzalez started from humble beginnings. Growing up, Gonzalez and his family didn't have very much money, which meant he had to use makeshift items to play baseball. 

"Sometimes we didn't have any baseballs," Gonzalez said. "It was just tape…we had a rock and we will tape them."

With bats and gloves, he oftentimes had to share one with the rest of his team. However, at the age of 10, he came back home from school to find his first glove and pair of cleats on his bed because his dad had saved enough money to surprise him with the new gear.

When he wasn't playing baseball, Gonzalez and his mother tried to find new beginnings by immigrating to the United States. On their first attempt, they were rejected, but Gonzalez's half-brother Ramses Machado made it to the United States through a family petition with his father. Gonzalez and his mother knew at that point that there was a chance they could cross the border via family petition if Machado earned full-citizenship. 

Planting New Roots

While Gonzalez and his mother were trying to make things work in Cuba, Machado was working hard with his job in the United States in hopes to earn full-citizenship status. However, it was a mental hurdle for Machado to leave his closest family behind.

"It's hard," Machado said. "My goal was being able to bring them here."

Through years of working, saving money and grinding through the rigorous U.S. citizenship process, Machado eventually accomplished his goal of getting his mother and younger brother to the United States via a family petition.

"I remember when they arrived at the airport. I told them how things are here, and all my best advice and everything," Machado said. 

On January 29, 2017, Gonzalez and his mother accomplished their dream of making it to the United States. While they flew into Miami, a different city than the home of "The Most Magical Place on Earth," Gonzalez still felt the magic three and a half hours south of Orlando.

"Even when I was in the plane, seeing all the lights…I was impressed seeing that many cars," Gonzalez said. "It was something new for me. It was literally like a Disney movie."

Mirroring a Legend

Just a block down from where Gonzalez grew up in Santa Clara, Cuba, lived two-time All-Star pitcher and 2013 NL Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez. Their family roots run way before the two prominent pitchers were born.

"His grandpa was a barber, and he cut my grandpa's hair and my dad's hair," Gonzalez said.

Not only that, Gonzalez had the same coach and trained in the same facility in Cuba that helped lead Fernandez to success in the big leagues. The coach that mentored both athletes was Nedel Turino, who trained them both at "Natilla" Jimenez Children's Stadium.

They also mirrored their latter parts of their childhood with both of them living in the Miami area through their high school years. While they never officially met, Gonzalez followed in similar footsteps to the late-great MLB pitcher, which earned Fernandez the title of Gonzalez's all-time favorite pitcher. Unfortunately, on September 25, 2016, the young phenom Fernandez died tragically at the age of 24 in a boating accident. 

Hearing stories about the journeys that Gonzalez and Fernandez made to their eventual success in the United States leads to the question of how many other prominent Cuban prospects didn't get the chance to live out their dreams in the United States.

"There's a lot of good players over there, but it's hard for them to show the world who they are," Gonzalez said.

Time to Shine

Gonzalez learned independence quickly once he got to the United States, as he didn't have any of his close family traveling with him to tournaments. 

"I feel super proud of him, because he made it by himself," Machado said. 

His travel team, the All-Stars, traveled all over the United States. This team also covered all of his expenses in order for him to play and train. While his expenses were covered, his family couldn't afford to travel to games, because they were busy supporting themselves with their jobs. 

This led to him having to rely on his teammates and their families to make him feel comfortable while he was on the road playing baseball. He had one familiar face around, as current Mizzou teammate Mateo Serna also played with Gonzalez on the All-Stars.

Through a connection with his pitching coach, Williams Durruthy, Gonzalez transferred to Doral Academy and played high school baseball there. Doral Academy is widely considered one of the top high schools in Florida for baseball. 

"He played a huge role in my career from the beginning. He helped me develop my pitching and really taught me how to compete and understand the game better," Gonzalez said. 

Gonzalez experienced plenty of success with the Firebirds, winning a state championship his junior year as well as making a final four appearance his senior year. He earned First Team All-Miami Dade honors in 2022.

"[Durruthy] brought about 10 guys to the team, and we ended up winning," Gonzalez said. "It was a really important season in my journey."

However, a serious blood clot injury in his arm during his senior year stalled his dream of playing at the Division I level out of high school. He then turned his eyes to Division II schools that also expressed interest during his prep years. He ultimately made the decision to attend NOVA Southeastern, a local Division II school in Southern Florida that would give him ample opportunities to show his skills on the mound.

"It's a great place," Gonzalez said. "The coaching staff is amazing. The people there were super welcoming. They were always trying to help."

Gonzalez left a strong impression on NOVA Southeastern Head Coach Adrian Morales from the start.

"He was a guy who was really good in the classroom, really good in the weight room, really good in the community," Morales said.

Gonzalez was brilliant his freshman year at NOVA Southeastern, as he had a 2.68 ERA through 43.2 innings pitched. His first collegiate appearance was what really set him apart from the rest of the players on the team. Gonzalez had bases loaded against a top-5 team in the country and he was behind in the count 2-0. 

"I call timeout, and I run out to him, because I know it's a big moment for him," Morales said. "I told him, 'Hey, you need to just trust yourself and be the bulldog that you are, and punch out a guy.'"

A couple pitches later, he got a ground ball to shortstop for a double play to end the inning. That instantly led to a great first-game impression to the coaching staff and teammates. 

"He was a bulldog and a fireman, and he was very special that freshman year," Morales said. 

Gonzalez stayed at NOVA Southeastern his sophomore year but after another successful season, he knew it was time to accomplish his original goal of playing Division I baseball. 

Gonzalez credits Coach Morales for where he is today, performing against top-tier college talent in the Southeastern Conference. Morales is familiar with the SEC, having played two seasons and winning two national championships at South Carolina. 

"I was behind him once he made the decision, and I was very happy for him that he landed in the SEC," Morales said.

As a result of his stellar performance on Tuesday, Gonzalez earned a game ball and the right to take part in the team's new tradition of placing a black brick on their stack, representing a non-conference victory. For a kid who grew up dreaming of pitching in the United States at the highest levels, this is almost a dream come true for the young righty.

"Pitch by pitch, that's the mentality," Gonzalez said following the win, "And it worked."

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball is back at home Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT for a nationally-televised matchup on ESPNU versus Southeastern Conference foe South Carolina to begin a three-game series with the Gamecocks at Taylor Stadium. Game two of the series is set for Friday night at 6 p.m. CT (SECN+) followed by Saturday's finale, set for a 2 p.m. CT (SECN+) first pitch.

The Tigers (20-14, 3-9 SEC) followed last weekend's SEC series win over No. 24 Kentucky up with a 5-2 victory over in-state rival Missouri State (No. 11 RPI) at Taylor Stadium on Tuesday night behind a dominant bullpen performance by RHP Keyler Gonzalez (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 9 K). Birthday boy Donovan Jordan slugged a three-run shot in the third inning to give the Tigers a three-run lead they would not relinquish.

Freshman Blaize Ward was named Co-SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday after hitting .615 (8-for-13) for the week with three multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort with a pair of RBI in Sunday's series-clinching win at 24^th-ranked Kentucky.

The Tigers will shift their attention to the Gamecocks (15-19, 2-10 SEC), who have lost three-straight games after dropping an SEC series to No. 2 Texas last weekend and a midweek defeat at the hands of College of Charleston on Tuesday. South Carolina pulled off an upset and took down the second-ranked Longhorns in game one of last weekend's series, 9-1.

All Mizzou baseball games are available via audio stream on The Varsity Network app by Learfield with longtime play-by-play voice Tex Little on the call alongside Matt Michaels providing color.

Expected Pitching Matchups vs. South Carolina

• Thursday, April 9 (7 P.M. CT) – ESPNU – "Thirsty Thursday" $1.99 beer
  • Mizzou – RHP Josh McDevitt (3-2, 3.66 ERA, 52 K, 26 BB)
  • South Carolina – RHP Brandon Stone (3-1, 3.11 ERA, 36 K, 13 BB)
• Friday, April 10 (6 P.M. CT) – SECN+
  • Mizzou – LHP Brady Kehlenbrink (3-4, 7.78 ERA, 49 K, 16 B)
  • South Carolina – RHP Amp Phillips (2-4, 2.59 ERA, 46 K, 21 BB)
• Saturday, April 11 (2 P.M. CT) – SECN+
  • Mizzou – TBD
  • South Carolina – TBD

SCHEDULE

• Mizzou vs. South Carolina, Thursday, April 9 @ 7 P.M. CT
  • Taylor Stadium | Columbia, Mo. | LIVE STATS | TV
• Mizzou vs. South Carolina, Friday, April 10 @ 6 P.M. CT
  • Taylor Stadium | Columbia, Mo. | LIVE STATS | TV
• Mizzou vs. South Carolina, Saturday, April 11 @ 2 P.M. CT
  • Taylor Stadium | Columbia, Mo. | LIVE STATS | TV

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS

• Through 34 games, South Carolina is 15-19 overall and 2-10 in SEC play.
• The Gamecocks are slashing .253/.349/.446 with 44 home runs, five triples and 73 doubles.
• As a pitching staff, USC holds a 4.51 ERA over 289.2 innings, striking out 314 batters and walking 164.
• Thursday's starting pitcher RHP Brandon Stone is now 3-1 on the year with a 3.11 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched.
• Stone pitched seven innings of relief against Texas on April 3. He allowed just two runs while striking out six Longhorns in a no-decision.
• Friday's starter RHP Amp Phillips has two wins on the season to go along with a 2.59 ERA and a .189 opponent's batting average.
• Saturday's starter is to be announced.

SERIES HISTORY vs. SOUTH CAROLINA

• This weekend's series will mark the 37^th, 38^th and 39^th all-time meetings between the two programs, with South Carolina leading the series, 22-14.
• In Columbia, the Tigers hold an 11-7 advantage in the series.
• The two teams last played in 2024, with the Gamecocks taking two of three games.

RANKED ROAD SERIES WIN

• After taking down No. 24 Kentucky last weekend, the Tigers earned their first road series win over a ranked opponent since 2021 at No. 3 Mississippi State.
• The series win also marked the first SEC series win of the season for the Tigers as they matched their conference win total from last season through the first dozen games of this year's conference slate.
• The Tigers handed the Wildcats just their second and third home losses of the season, respectively, as Kentucky slipped to an impressive 15-3 at Kentucky Proud Park after Sunday's defeat.

BLAIZE-ING FRESHMAN

• Freshman infielder Blaize Ward has been on a tear as of late, earning SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors after hitting .615 last week and helping the Tigers win the series at No. 24 Kentucky.
• He hit .667 in the series at Kentucky with a pair of multi-hit games, including a 3-for-3 effort in Sunday's series-clinching win in which he got on base all five times he came to the plate.
• In SEC play, Ward has led the Tigers with a .500 batting average (15-for-30) to go along with seven RBI and four runs scored, collecting five multi-hit games in nine league games.
• The Maumelle, Arkansas, native has knocked multiple hits in five of his last seven games overall.
• For the season, Ward leads the squad with a .360 average (27-for-75) with five doubles, a triple, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored, getting on base at a .453 clip.

OFFENSE CONTINUES TO ROAR

• The Tigers are No. 26 nationally and tied with Kentucky for the SEC lead in triples (10).
• In addition, MU is No. 21 nationally in HBP (67), No. 47 in runs (255), No. 64 in hits (316) No. 68 in on-base percentage (.404) and No. 87 in batting average (.287).
• With the Tigers' 15-1 victory over UAPB on Feb. 24, they became the fastest team in program history to reach 100 runs (8 Games).
• Mizzou reached the 150-run milestone in game 14, also becoming the fastest team in program history to that mark.
• The Tigers' run-rule victory over UAPB on Feb. 24 marked the first time Mizzou has recorded four-straight run-rule wins in the 56-game regular season era (1997).
• MU earned its fifth run-rule victory of the season on March 8 in a 10-0 win over UIC.

MAKING STRIDES ON THE MOUND

• Under first-year pitching coach Drew Dickinson, the Tigers have made impressive strides on the mound through the first 34 games of the campaign.
• As of April 6, the Tigers rank 33rd nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.77) and 47th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.8).
• Over 150.0 innings of work, the starting rotation has combined for a 9-8 record, a 5.04 ERA, 159 strikeouts to 78 walks and opponents are batting just .229 against the unit.
• The bullpen has worked 137.1 innings while pitching to a 5.57 ERA with 155 strikeouts while opponents are hitting .241 off the unit.
• The Mizzou bullpen was dominant in the series win at No. 24 Kentucky, tossing 13.2 innings and allowing just one earned run (two total), for an ERA of 0.66 for the weekend.
• RHP Keyler Gonzalez was dominant in Tuesday's 5-2 win over Mo State, throwing 6.0 scoreless innings of two-hit relief out of the pen while striking out nine Bears and walking just two. He set DI career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts to earn his second win of the campaign.

CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUTS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2017

• The Tigers recorded consecutive shutouts for the first time since May 18-19, 2017, after defeating UIC 7-0 and 10-0, respectively, March 7 and 8.
• Those shutouts accounted for 16 innings within a 22-inning stretch of consecutive scoreless frames by Tiger pitchers.

WAITER, BRING ME WOITA

• South Carolina transfer Jase Woita has made an immediate impact in the Mizzou lineup this season after hitting .300 with six home runs in 45 games for the Gamecocks in 2025.
• The physical left-handed slugger is batting .325 with an OPS of .984 thanks to a team-leading six home runs in 31 games played.
• He's driven in 35 runs to lead the squad and rank 12th in the SEC in that department.
• He drove in a career-high eight runs in the record-breaking 34-3 win over Mount Saint Mary's on Feb. 15 - one shy of the program record for RBI (9) in a game.
• Woita saw his 12-game hitting streak come to an end vs. No. 6 Auburn but extended his on-base streak to 29 games after reaching safely in the 5-2 win over Mo State.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD

• The Tigers have scored 255 runs through 34 games (7.5 per game) to rank 47^th nationally and seventh within the league.

PASS THE TORCH

• The Tigers have hit consecutive home runs on three occasions this season:
  • Sam Parker / Chris Patterson (Feb. 15 vs. Mount St. Mary's, 8^th inning)
  • Eric Maisonet / Isaiah Frost (March 5 vs. UIC, 7^th inning)
  • Kaden Peer / Cameron Benson / Pierre Seals (March 8 vs. UIC, 3^rd inning)
• In the series finale vs. UIC on March 8, the entire starting outfield (Peer, Benson, Seals) went back-to-back-to-back in a matter of five pitches – all solo shots.
• It marked the second time of Benson's career being a part of back-to-back-to-back home runs, the first coming April 11, 2023, as a member of the Kerrick Jackson-coached Memphis Tigers in an 11-9 win at Ole Miss.

GOING STREAKING!

• Mizzou had a 13-game winning streak snapped by No. 6 Auburn on March 13 – its longest since rattling off 20-straight victories in 2017.
• South Carolina grad transfer Jase Woita is riding a 29-game on-base streak into Thursday's matchup – the longest by a Tiger this season.
• Center fielder Kaden Peer has been on base in all 22 games since returning from injury.
• Freshman Blaize Ward has been on base in 15-straight games and has hit safely in seven straight contests. Overall, he has a hit in 13 of his last 14 games.

ON LIKE DONKEY KONG

• Mizzou ranks 68th nationally with a .404 on-base percentage.
• The Tigers rank 64th nationally in hits (316) and 87th in batting average (.287).
• In addition, MU ranks No. 21 in the country and third in the SEC with 67 HBP.

WEAR IT!

• The Tigers are averaging 1.97 HBP per game to rank 21st nationally and third in the SEC, being plunked 67 times so far this season.
• Kentucky leads the nation with 87 HBP.
• Mizzou has been hit four-plus times on six occasions and has been hit at least twice 16 times.
• The Tigers were plunked a season-high seven times on Feb. 15 vs. Mount St. Mary's.

KEEP STACKING BRICKS

• The Tigers and head coach Kerrick Jackson have developed a new winning ritual: stacking bricks.
• After each win, the Tigers add a brick to the wall, each of them resting on three black cinder blocks at the base of the wall that each display one of the team's three core values: accountability, respect and connection.
• The bricks themselves have a color-code black are non-conference victories, gold are SEC victories and tiger-striped brick signifies a series-clinching victory.

DEFEND THE TURF

• Mizzou is in its first season of a brand-new turf surface at Taylor Stadium, and the Tigers are off to an 11-7 start on the new digs.
• With their 10-0 shutout of UIC on March 8, the Tigers clinched having more home wins this season than they had all of last season, going 8-20 at Taylor Stadium in 2025.

NON-CON DOMINANCE

• After concluding the 2025 season with a 13-11 record against non-conference opponents, the Tigers are off to a 17-5 start in 2026.
• Last year's Tigers clinched a winning non-con season slate for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons; only MU's 2021 squad (7-14) failed to reach the .500 mark vs. non-SEC foes over that span.
• Over the last 13 seasons, the Tigers' dominance has been equally impressive, with MU winning 116 more non-conference games than it has lost (209-93).

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
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Game #42 • Friday, April 10 • 5 p.m. CT
Mizzou (21-20, 5-7 SEC) vs. No. 16/14 Georgia (28-10, 7-5 SEC)
Turner Softball Stadium • Athens, Ga.
SERIES HISTORY: Georgia leads 17-13 • STREAK: W1
LAST GAME: W, 1-0 (May 3, 2025 • Columbia, Mo.)
LIVE STREAM: SEC Network+
OPPONENT WEB: georgiadogs.com

Game #43 • Saturday, April 11 • 1 p.m. CT
Mizzou (21-20, 5-7 SEC) vs. No. 16/14 Georgia (28-10, 5-7 SEC)
Turner Softball Stadium • Athens, Ga.
SERIES HISTORY: Georgia leads 17-13 • STREAK: W1
LAST GAME: W, 1-0 (May 3, 2025 • Columbia, Mo.)
LIVE STREAM: SEC Network+
OPPONENT WEB: georgiadogs.com

Game #44 • Sunday, April 12 • 1 p.m. CT
Mizzou (21-20, 5-7 SEC) vs. No. 16/14 Georgia (28-10, 5-7 SEC)
Turner Softball Stadium • Athens, Ga.
SERIES HISTORY: Georgia leads 17-13 • STREAK: W1
LAST GAME: W, 1-0 (May 3, 2025 • Columbia, Mo.)
LIVE STREAM: SEC Network+
OPPONENT WEB: georgiadogs.com

BY THE SERIES

• Georgia leads the all-time series 17-13, and head coach Larissa Anderson is 7-8 against the Bulldogs.
• The Tigers are 4-8 in Athens, Georgia against Georgia.

LAST TIME UP

• Mizzou split last week, going 2-2 after winning its midweek game against Missouri State and dropping two games in the three-game series against No. 22/20 LSU.
• The Tigers' two wins this week were an 8-5 slugfest against the Bears and a 1-0 pitchers' duel against their Tiger counterpart. Senior Cierra Harrison threw a gem, allowing four hits and no runs, as Mizzou scratched against the lone run of the ballgame.

STEFANIA THE UNSTOPPABLE

• In the last 25 games (since Feb. 27), junior Stefania Abruscato is hitting .408, with a .489 on-base percentage and is second on the team with 26 RBIs.

NO-HITTER HISTORY

• Senior RHP Cierra Harrison tossed her second career no-hitter against SIUE on Tuesday, March 24. In the five-inning victory over the Cougars, she struck out six, while allowing two walks.
• This is the 48th no-hitter in Mizzou history, as Harrison threw the last one against Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 16, 2024. The Tigers ended up winning that game 1-0, as both teams no-hit each other with Mizzou scoring the lone run in the first inning.

WEEKLY WINNER

• Freshman Abby Carr was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, March 31, after recording two saves and batting .500 for the week. Against Auburn, the freshman hit the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning of the series finale to complete the sweep.
• Freshman Abby Carr was named the Softball America Freshman of the Week on Tuesday, March 24, after she pitched 4. 2 scoreless innings against No. 4/6 Alabama and recorded a save. She also finished the week with a .300 batting average, as she hit three home runs over the course of the weekend against the Crimson Tide. She blasted two of those in the series finale to give her, her first career multi-home run game.

NEAR PERFECTION - FIELDING

• The Tigers rank second in the country and second in the SEC in fielding percentage at .986.
• Only Georgia ranks ahead of Mizzou with a percentage of .987.

BY THE RANKINGS

• The Tigers rank 25th or higher in three categories: fielding percentage (2nd; .986), double plays (21st; 19), and sacrifice bunts (24th; 26).
• Out of those three categories, Mizzou leads the SEC in one of them, as it has the most sacrifice bunts in the league.

FRESHMAN SUCCESS

• Freshmen Sidney Forrester and Abby Carr secured the first two multi-home run games for any Tigers hitters this season. Forrester recorded two in the second game against Illinois, while Carr hit two in the series finale against Alabama.
• Carr and Forrester rank first and second on the team in home runs, as Carr has 10 and Forrester has nine this season.
• Against Alabama, Carr secured three RBIs in the rubber match, as she added to her team-leading 29 RBIs. Forrester is fifth on the team with 20.

SHOWING OFF OUR STRENGTH - OF SCHEDULE

• The Tigers currently rank No. 27 in the country for toughest schedule, after playing 14 ranked matchups - 5-9 in those games - this season.

POWER MOMENTS

• Against Illinois, the Tigers hit five home runs in the second game of the doubleheader. Mizzou's five home runs were the most this season, and the first time the Tigers have hit five home runs in a game since 2022.

ONE CLASS AHEAD

• Freshman catcher Gracie Britton reclassified after her fall season in high school and joined the Tigers for their spring campaign.
• In her first career at bat Britton legged out a single against UCF (Feb. 11).

SHOW ME MANAGEMENT

• The Tigers' roster consists of 25 players, of whom nine are from the state of Missouri.
• Boone County is well represented with freshman Gracie Britton (Ashland, Mo.), sophomore Madison Uptegrove (Columbia, Mo.) and junior Abby Hay (Columbia, Mo.).

DOUBLE TIME

• Against Liberty the Tigers excelled in putting the ball into the gap as they had seven doubles as a team. This is the first time MU has posted that many in a game since records began to be tracked.

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.

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).

SECURE YOUR TICKETS

• You can purchase tickets for the upcoming home series via Ticketmaster with this link.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

• For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (X, Instagram, Facebook).