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COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Softball program (18-9, 0-3 SEC) will head to Gainesville, Florida, this weekend to face No. 8/11 Florida (20-4, 0-0 SEC) in the Tigers first SEC road series of the season. The three-game series will be contested at Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium.
The series opener is set for 5 p.m., CT Friday followed by 1 p.m., Saturday and 12 p.m. Sunday games.
All three games will be broadcasted on SEC Network+.
Mizzou makes its second trip to the Sunshine State after opening the 2023 campaign with a tour of Florida. The Tigers went 9-2 in their season-opening trip to Florida with stops Clearwater (NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic), Orlando (UCF) and Miami (FIU Panther Invitational). Missouri is 2-0 against Florida schools this season with wins over No. 20/20 UCF and FIU.
Missouri
at No. 8/12 Florida
Dates: Friday, March 17, 2022 – Sunday, March 19, 2022
Venue: Katie Seashole Pressly Softball Stadium
Location: Gainesville, Fla.
Game Times: 5 p.m., CT Friday | 1 p.m., CT Saturday | 12 p.m., CT Sunday
All-Time Series: Florida leads Missouri, 15-5 (3-1 in 2021)
Last Meetings: No. 4 Florida 7, Missouri 6 | 2021 SEC Tournament (May 14, 2021) | Tuscaloosa, Ala.
No. 3 Florida 3, Missouri 2 | May 2, 2021 | Columbia, Mo.
Missouri 10, No. 3 Florida 2 (5 Innings) | May 1, 2021 | Columbia, Mo.
No. 3 Florida 5, Missouri 2 | April 30, 2021 | Columbia, Mo.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
SEC Network+: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Live Stats: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Twitter: @MizzouSoftball
Notes: Missouri | Florida
Series History
- Florida leads the all-times series with Missouri, 15-5 (3-1 in 2021).
- The two teams last met in 2021 with the Gators taking the regular-season series, 2-1, before a win in the SEC Tournament Semifinals.
- Head coach Larissa Anderson is 1-4 against Florida.
Last Time Out
Mizzou swept its midweek Braggin’ Rights doubleheader over Illinois Tuesday at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. Jordan Weber and Laurin Krings, each compiled complete-game wins as the Tigers topped Illinois, 3-2 and 7-0.
Weber held Illinois hitless through five innings in the opener. She allowed just two runs on three hits over seven innings, her longest outing of the season. Weber punched out five batters in Game 1 — her highest strikeout performance of the season. It marked her second complete game of the season.
Alex Honnold went 2-for-3 in Game 1, notching her ninth multi-hit game of the season. She had a double in each game with the Fighting Illini. Chantice Phillips went 1-for-2 in Game 1, her ninth game of the season with at least one hit.
In the finale, Krings struck out a season-high 11 batters, her fifth game this season with five-plus strikeouts. She let up just three hits to improve to 7-4 in 2023 (34-16 in her career).
Kara Daly had two hits in Game 2, her fifth multi-hit performance of the season, including a three-run triple. It marked her 14th two-hit game as a Tiger. She finished with four RBI and a run.
Gallagher Honored on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays
Maddie Gallagher was featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10 on Wednesday for her diving catch in foul territory in the game 2 of the doubleheader with Illinois. Her catch was selected No. 4 in the compilation of Top 10 plays.
.@m1gallagher clocked in at No. 4? on @SportsCenter‘s Top 10 with this spectacular diving ??catch!! #OwnIt #MIZ ???? pic.twitter.com/S8iLkAihpy
— Mizzou Softball (@MizzouSoftball) March 15, 2023
SEC Opening Weekend
Mizzou dropped its 2023 SEC opening weekend series to Kentucky March 10-12.
Jenna Laird led the Tigers with a .500 batting average followed by Alex Honnold (.300) and Payton Jackson (.286). During Sunday’s doubleheader, Laird was 3-for-3 in the opener and concluded the day, 4-for-6.
Vanessa Hollingsworth connected on her first career double in the finale on Sunday.
Laurin Krings pitched a complete game (fourth of the season) in the opener with Kentucky, tallying five strikeouts.
Emma Nichols picked up a season-high three strikeouts in relief over 2.0 innings in the finale.
In the Circle
Four Tigers pitchers have earned two or more wins this season.
Laurin Krings leads the Tigers with a 7-4 mark, throwing five complete games over 62.1 innings. She has registered 50 strikeouts and has an ERA of 2.81. Krings was dominant in a complete-game victory over No. 8/8 Northwestern. She also registered a season-high nine strikeouts against Long Beach State.
Krings has posted five or more strikeouts five times in 2023 including five of her last six starts.
Freshman Cierra Harrison has 45 strikeouts and leads the Tiger starters with a 2.81 ERA. She is 5-1 in 2023 with a complete-game win over Maine and career-best eight strikeouts against Butler. Opposing batters are hitting .203 against Harrison this season.
Jordan Weber is 4-4 this season with a 3.76 to go with 25 strikeouts. Weber threw a no-hitter at FIU with a season-high four strikeouts. She most recently pitched a complete-game, allowing just two runs on three hits.
Megan Schumacher is 2-0 thus far in 2023 with a 3.71 ERA over 17.0 innings (11 strikeouts). Schumacher registered a complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit as the Tigers registered a 10-0 run-rule win over Maine March 4. The start was her first of the 2023 campaign, tallying two strikeouts.
Our Leadoff Hitter
Jenna Laird is second on Mizzou in 2023 with a .414 (10th in the SEC) mark at the dish. The East Meadow, New York, native, is also second in the SEC (17th in the NCAA) with 36 hits this season.
She has compiled a 1.016 OPS and paces the Tigers with 13 multi-hit games (three hits four times) and seven multi-RBI games.
On the basepaths, Laird is first in the conference (ninth in the NCAA) with 19 stolen bases (0.76 stolen bases/game).
She is currently on an eight-game reached base streak (11 hits).
AL PAL
Center fielder Alex Honnold made her return to the starting lineup this past weekend against Kentucky after missing the past four games due to injury.
Honnold leads the Tigers this season, hitting .492 which is second in the SEC and 11th in the nation.
The West Des Moines, Iowa, native, also has an on base percentage of .612 which is third in the league (seventh in the NCAA). She also ranks in the top 20 nationally (12th) for slugging with .915 (fourth in the SEC).
Honnold has belted a career-best five home runs in 2023 to go with 23 RBI, eight doubles and 1.528 OPS. She has compiled nine multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games.
Honnold has posted a hit in each of the last three games entering the series with Florida.
JULIA!!
Sophomore second baseman/catcher Julia Crenshaw leads the Tigers thus far with six home runs, 25 RBI and seven doubles.
Crenshaw is third on the team with a .321 batting average and holds a .641 slugging percentage.
She has registered nine multi-hit games and has five multi-RBI games in 2023.
The Jeff City Kid
Kara Daly has reached base safely in each of the last nine games for the Tigers. Over that stretch, Daly has compiled 13 RBI on 10 hits (five extra base hits).
The sophomore third baseman from Jefferson City, Missouri, is hitting .280 this season with five homers, four doubles, 25 RBI and a .901 OPS.
Daly knocked her first career triple in the doubleheader finale with Illinois. She was 2-for-3 with four RBI, a run, and a double to go with the three-bagger.
Addie Lange’s Journey to Missouri
Redshirt junior Addie Lange has had quite the journey to Mizzou. The Gallatin, Tennessee, native, dreamt of playing for the Tigers and transferred to Missouri after earning 2021 NJCAA First Team All-American honors at Vol State.
Read her full journey in the Gallatin News article.
2023 Preseason SEC Poll
Missouri Softball was selected to finish eighth in the Southeastern Conference in 2023, the league announced Jan. 26. The Tigers received 63 points in the annual preseason poll voted on by the conference’s 13 head coaches.
Jenna Laird Preseason Accolades
Missouri Softball junior shortstop Jenna Laird has been named to five 2023 preseason lists ahead of the season. She was named to the 2023 Preseason All-SEC Team on Feb. 2, to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Jan. 25 and has also been named to D1Softball’s Preseason D100 Players, Extra Inning Softball’s Extra Elite 100 College Player Rankings and Softball America’s 2023 Preseason Top 100.
Laird led the Tigers in 2022 for batting average (.338), doubles (11), triples (3), runs scored (44) and stolen bases (22) as she garnered 2022 NFCA Third Team All-Region honors.
Laird was named to the 2022 SEC All-Tournament Team after she led the Tigers to the Championship Final, batting .500 over the four games. She was also selected to the 2022 All-SEC Second Team after posting a hitting line of .291/.519/.341 in conference play.
In the field, Laird was tabbed a 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove recipient for her play at shortstop. She posted a .975 fielding percentage, turning 10 double plays in total over 163 chances.
Looking Ahead
Following the trip, Mizzou next heads back home to play Drake in midweek action at the Mizzou Softball Stadium Wednesday, March 22.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
- For all the latest on Mizzou Softball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouSoftball (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
- Single game and limited season tickets are currently on sale. Tickets can be purchased online, in-person at the Mizzou ticket office, or by calling 1 (800) CAT-PAWS.
