No. 14 Softball Hosts No. 17 Mississippi State for Senior Weekend

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 14/14 University of Missouri softball team (35-13, 8-10 SEC) celebrates its five seniors this weekend, as the Tigers host No. 17/17 Mississippi State (30-13, 9-9 SEC) for its final regular-season home series of the season.

The Tigers open the top-25 matchup Saturday evening at 8 p.m., CT at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. Fans are encouraged to wear gold and the opening giveaway is gold t-shirts, while supplies last.

Mizzou will honor Maddie Gallagher, Jenna Laird, Laurin Krings, Alex Honnold, and Chantice Phillips following Sunday’s 5 p.m., CT contest. Fans are encouraged to wear black for game two of the series and black shirts will be given to fans while supplies last.

Head coach Larissa Anderson will participate in Mic’d Up Monday. The giveaway for the series finale is a Truman Sliding Bobblehead sponsored by Coca Cola, while supplies last.

Fans can catch this weekend’s three-game series with Mississippi State on SEC Network. Matt Schumacker and Amanda Scarborough will be on the call for all three games.

Game times for this weekend’s series are 8 p.m. Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday and 6 p.m. Monday.

Mizzou was ranked in all four of Week 11’s polls this week after first appearing following week one (Feb. 13). The Tigers enter the week #14 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Mizzou is also #14 in D1Softball and #13 in Softball America polls, respectively.

SCHEDULE

• #14/14 Missouri vs. #17/17 Mississippi State, Saturday, April 27 at 8 p.m., CT | Mizzou Softball Stadium
• #14/14 Missouri vs. #17/17 Mississippi State, Sunday, April 28 at 5 p.m., CT | Mizzou Softball Stadium 
• #14/14 Missouri vs. #17/17 Mississippi State, Monday, April 29 at 6 p.m., CT | Mizzou Softball Stadium 

VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE

Location: Columbia, Missouri (Mizzou Softball Stadium)

Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Live Video – SEC Network:

Game Notes:

Twitter: @MizzouSoftball

MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES HISTORY

• Mizzou leads the all-time series with Mississippi State, 12-9.
• The two teams last faced off in the 2023 SEC Tournament, as the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs, 3-1, on May 9 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
• In the pair’s last regular-season series in 2022, Mississippi State bested Mizzou, 2-1, taking Game 1 (9-2) and Game 2 (2-0). The Tigers closed the series with an 8-5 win in eight innings (April 8-10).
• The last time the Bulldogs traveled to Columbia, Missouri, the Tigers recorded a perfect weekend to pull off a three-game sweep of Mississippi State (April 17-18, 2021). Mizzou picked up 5-2, 4-3, and 6-5 wins over MSU that season.
• Head coach Larissa Anderson is 5-5 against the Bulldogs in her career.

HAY NAMED SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Abby Hay was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. Hay, a first baseman from Columbia, Missouri, paced the Tigers this past week, batting .636 (1.182 slugging percentage/.692 on-base percentage).
• Hay hit .750 over the weekend SEC series with No. 9/9 Georgia. She posted a hit in each game this week including multi-hit games in all three games of the Georgia series. Hay also recorded an extra-base hit in all three games of the SEC series with Georgia.
• Hay recorded her first career triple in game one of the series with Georgia. She finished Friday with a career-best matching 2-for-2 day with a run and a walk.
• Hay then posted a pair of 2-for-3 outings over Saturday’s doubleheader to wrap the series with Georgia. She notched a double in game two before belting her second homer of the campaign (both in SEC play) in the series finale. 
• Hay has now posted a career-best two hits, five times in 2024 including each of the last three contests. 
• She leads Mizzou in 2024 with a .395 batting average including .423 in SEC play. Hay has started in each of the last 13 games for Missouri at first. 

GEORGIA RECAP

• Mizzou took one of three in its three-game road series at Georgia.
• The Tigers opened the weekend strong, defeating the Bulldogs 4-2 (April 19). Mizzou then dropped a pair of games on Saturday, falling 4-2 in each contest (April 20).
• Freshman Abby Hay led Mizzou over the series, hitting .750 while Alex Honnold followed with a .600 batting average. Kara Daly chipped in a .429 weekend and Kayley Lenger batted .333.
• Laurin Krings put in 5.1 innings of work in the circle, allowing just two runs on five hits, while adding four strikeouts (April 19). With the win, Krings secured her 50th career win as a Tiger (10th of the 2024 campaign).
• Taylor Pannell added her 10th save of the season in game one of the series, as she continues to lead the NCAA in this category. She notched a strikeout over the seventh inning.
• With the win Friday, Missouri matched its overall win (35) total from 2023 and surpassed the Tigers’ SEC win total of seven from last spring.
• Claire Cahalan knocked a single in Game 2 of the series Saturday. The Columbus, Georgia, native, notched her third hit of the season in her home state (April 20).
• Cierra Harrison pitched 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Harrison tallied three strikeouts in Game 1 on Saturday, marking her sixth-straight appearance with three or more punchouts (April 20).
• Kara Daly (2-for-3) posted two hits in the series finale on Saturday, including a double and a solo homer for her sixth home run of the campaign (April 20).
• Marissa McCann opened the day for Mizzou on the rubber (letting up three runs on three hits over 2.0 innings), before Laurin Krings closed out the contest, giving up just one run on no hits to go with four strikeouts (April 20).
• Alex Honnold posted a pair of hits in each of three games at Georgia.
• Kayley Lenger went 1-for-3 in the series finale on Saturday, extending her hit streak to four consecutive games (April 20).

QUICK HITTERS

• The Tigers head into the weekend with a 35-13 record and 8-10 SEC mark.
• The Tigers 35-13 record to open the season is the best start for Missouri since the Tigers began the 2013 campaign 23-3 en route to a 38-14 finish. Prior to that, the 2011 Tigers commenced the season 27-3 en route to a 53-10 finish.
• Missouri matched its overall win (35) total from 2023 and surpassed the Tigers’ SEC win total of seven from last spring.
• Missouri has now registered 35 wins in five of the last six seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).
• Mizzou was ranked in all four of Week 11’s polls this week after first appearing following week one (Feb. 13). The Tigers enter the week #14 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Mizzou is also #14 in D1Softball and #13 in Softball America polls, respectively.
• Abby Hay (.395 batting average, 17 hits, three doubles, two home runs, 8 RBI and a .651 slugging percentage) paces the Tigers at the plate.
• Alex Honnold (.371, 38 runs, 32 RBI, 20 doubles and 4 homers, .609 slugging percentage) is second on the team and one of five Tigers batting over .300. Jenna Laird is third (.340 with seven doubles, 25 RBI, 44 runs), while Kayley Lenger has added 27 runs, 27 hits and 11 RBI (.310 batting average) in the nine-hole.
• Maddie Gallagher is hitting .304, adding 26 runs and 38 hits to go with 10 doubles and 31 RBI.
• Alex Honnold has notched 20 doubles this season (first in the SEC, second in the NCAA), marking a new Mizzou program best. Honnold is now the sole leader in the record books for the category, surpassing Mary Babb (19 in 1995).
• Alex Honnold‘s total career-doubles sits at 49, which is tied for sixth with Nicole Hudson (2010-13) in Mizzou program history.
• Alex Honnold extended her hit-streak to four games, pacing the Tigers with a team-high 17 multi-hit games. She ranks third in the SEC for hits (56).
• Abby Hay and Kayley Lenger are also on four-game hitting streaks.
• Abby Hay recorded her first career triple in Friday’s contest against Georgia (April 19). The freshman has started in each of the last 13 contests in 2024.
• Laurin Krings secured her 50th career win as a Tiger against Georgia (10th victory of her 2024 campaign), allowing two runs on five hits in 5.1 innings of work. She now sits one win away from breaking into the Mizzou program top-10 list for wins.
• Laurin Krings ranks sixth in Mizzou history with 546 strikeouts.
• Laurin Krings is the 11th Mizzou player to reach 500 career innings pitched, notching the feat at Hofstra. She ranks in the top-10 in Mizzou history for innings pitched (527.0 innings).
• Closer Taylor Pannell ranks first in the SEC and in the nation with 10 saves in 2024.
• Kara Daly paces Mizzou with six home runs in 2024. The third baseman is one RBI away from 100 in her career at Mizzou.
• Kayley Lenger extended her hitting streak to four consecutive contests over the Georgia series. Lenger also ranks first in the SEC (seventh in the NCAA) with 16 HBP (0.36, eighth in NCAA) in 2024.
• Jenna Laird moved fourth at Mizzou for career at bats (730) at Mizzou. She also is tied for fifth for runs (186) with Emily Crane.
• The one-two punch of Laurin Krings and Cierra Harrison have combined for 22 wins in the circle with 10-7 and 12-3 records, respectively. The duo has also gone the distance in the circle 11 times (seven and four complete games, respectively).
• Lilly Whitten (5-0), Marissa McCann (7-3) and Taylor Pannell (1-0, 10 saves) have also picked up wins for Mizzou in 2024.
• Head coach Larissa Anderson registered her 200th win at the helm of Mizzou (204-110) during the midweek at Drake. In her sixth season at Missouri, Anderson holds a career record of 334-183-1 over 10 career seasons.

SIUE MIDWEEK RECAP

• Mizzou secured a midweek win over SIUE (14-27), 4-1, April 17 at the Mizzou Softball Stadium.
• With the win, the Tigers completed midweek action with a 9-1 record in 2024.
• Sophomore Lilly Whitten made her first career appearance at home, logging 6.0 innings of work, allowing just two hits and one run, while striking out six in the victory.
• Lilly Whitten picked up her fifth win (5-0) of the season with a career-best matching outing. She has now struck out six or more in all three of her starts after notching eight at South Dakota State (Feb. 17) in her debut and six at George Mason (March 28).
• Senior Alex Honnold notched a third-inning double and sophomore Kayley Lenger finished her day 1-for-2 with a two-run homer (second in 2024).
• Jenna Laird stole her team-leading 13th stolen base of the season, going 1-for-3 with a run.
• Taylor Pannell entered in the seventh to close out the game. The sophomore from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, coaxed three quick outs all via grounders for the save.

FRESHMEN ON FIRE

• The freshmen trio of Abby Hay, Stefania Abruscato and Marissa McCann have combined for four SEC Player of the Week honors. Hay most recently was named SEC Player of the Week while McCann has earned SEC Freshman of the Week twice and Abruscato has earned the laurel once.
• Abby Hay paces Mizzou at the plate with a .395 batting average, while logging 17 hits, three doubles, two home runs and 8 RBI.
• The freshman has started the past 13 straight games for the Tigers.  
• The Columbia, Missouri, native extended her hitting streak to four-straight games on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run in Game 1 before notching her second homer of the season (both in SEC play) in Game 2.
• Hay has also tallied two hits in each of the last three games, marking her fifth multi-hit performance of the season to pace the Mizzou freshmen.
• Stefania Abruscato has also been a force for Mizzou as a freshman, logging a .229 batting average to go with 16 hits, nine RBI, two homers and a pair of doubles. She has started in each of the last eight games.
• Prior to that, Abruscato paced Mizzou the week of April 8, starting in all four games to post a batting .417 average as the Tigers went 3-1 including a series win over No. 9 Florida.
• Marissa McCann has made 20 appearances (six starts) over her freshman campaign, racking up a 7-3 record with a 1.94 ERA over 57.2 innings. She is limiting opposing offenses to a .180 batting average.

DOUBLES QUEEN

• Senior Alex Honnold belted her Mizzou program-best 20th double of the campaign (SEC-leading) in the series finale against Georgia Saturday.
• With the feat, Honnold became the sole leader in the record books for the category, surpassing Mary Babb (19 in 1995).
• The senior has compiled 49 doubles in her career at Missouri, which now ranks tied for sixth with Nicole Hudson (2010-13) in Mizzou program history.
• Honnold also posted a pair of hits (2-for-3) to go with a run and a walk on Friday, before finishing the weekend with a 2-for-3 performance and a 2-for-4 showing on Saturday.
• After the weekend, Honnold extended her hit-streak to four games and has posted two hits in each of the last three games. She also paces Mizzou with a team-high 17 multi-hit games.
• Honnold is one of five Tigers hitting over .300 this year. She is second on the team with a .371 batting average (including 38 runs, 32 RBI, 20 doubles and 4 homers, along with a .651 slugging percentage).

2023 RECAP

• Mizzou made its 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023.
• The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 35-26 mark, including a 7-17 in SEC play. With its 2023 record, Missouri has registered 35 wins in four of the last five seasons (2020 COVID-19 shortened season was the only time the Tigers didn’t meet the threshold in that span).
• During the 2023 campaign, Missouri totaled 51 home runs, while logging 75 doubles to go with 310 runs as a team.
• On the dirt, Mizzou tallied a .978 fielding percentage. The clip ranks second in program history, after the Tigers’ surpassed their previous .976 fielding percentage from 2022.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Mizzou closes out its 2024 regular season with a three-game series at South Carolina.
• Games are set for Friday (5 p.m., CT), Saturday (5 p.m., CT) and Sunday (2 p.m., CT) in Columbia, South Carolina.
• The Tigers then look to postseason play, beginning with the SEC Tournament, which is slated for May 7-11 in Auburn, Alabama.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

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