Softball to Host Black & Gold Game Saturday Outdoors at Mizzou Softball Stadium

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri softball team is set to host its annual Black & Gold Game Saturday at 12 p.m., CT, outdoors at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. 

Warmups are slated for 11 a.m. and the game is free and open to the public. 

Open parking will be available around the Mizzou Softball Stadium. Golf cart shuttles from the parking lots will commence at 10:30 a.m.

Initially scheduled for the newly refurbished Devine Pavilion, Saturday’s game will be moved outdoors due to warm weather in the Columbia area. 

2024 Mizzou Softball

Mizzou enters the 2024 season on the heels of its 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Tigers finished the 2023 campaign with a 35-26 mark (7-17 SEC). 

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. 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. 

Mizzou returns senior standouts Alex Honnold and Jenna Laird, who have both earned preseason honors including 2024 Preseason All-SEC Softball Team and USA Softball’s Top 50 Watch List for Player of the Year. Honnold was also named a Preseason All-American by Softball America and D1Softball.

Laird was named to the 2023 All-SEC Second Team as she paced Missouri with 198 at-bats, 52 runs and 70 hits as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter. Laird knocked 12 doubles in 2023, while leading Mizzou on the basepaths, going 30-for-34 on stolen bases.

The East Meadow, New York, shortstop, also registered a .978 fielding percentage with 76 putouts, 104 assists and 11 double plays. 

Honnold, a center fielder from West Des Moines, Iowa, led Mizzou in on-base percentage (.539), slugging percentage (.779), runs (52), batting average (.396) and triples (three) during the 2023 season as she was named a Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year and awarded NFCA Second-Team All-American honors.

The two-hole hitter, was also named to the 2023 All-SEC Second Team, posting 19 multi-hit games, and leading the Tigers with 14 home runs.

Mya Dodge, a junior transfer from Northern Iowa, has also received preseason attention (Softball America’s Preseason Top 100 List) after she was awarded 2023 NFCA First Team All-Region honors.

The Hiawatha, Iowa, native, led UNI in OPS (1.363), slugging percentage (.899), triples (5), home runs (17), and RBIs (68, 16 multi-RBI games) during her sophomore campaign.

The Tigers also return several veterans in 2024, including Maddie Gallagher (senior second base), Julia Crenshaw (junior catcher), Kara Daly (junior third base), Chantice Phillips (senior outfielder), Katie Chester (sophomore first base/third base) and Kayley Lenger (sophomore utility). 

In the circle, the Tigers will be led by senior Laurin Krings, sophomore Cierra Harrison, junior Jayci Kruse, sophomore Taylor Pannell and Lilly Whitten who redshirted in 2023. 

Mizzou also added freshman Marissa McCann and freshman Natalie Touchet to the pitching corps. 

Several new faces have been added to Missouri’s 2024 roster, including freshman Madison Walker (infielder), Danielle Blackstun (outfielder), Stefania Abruscato (catcher), Claire Cahalan (outfielder), Adi Koller (infielder) and Abby Hay (centerfielder). 

Missouri expanded its staff ahead of the 2024 season. Molly Jacobsen McCargar joins the Tigers coaching ranks after spending the past two seasons with Texas. The Tigers also added graduate assistants Mary Haff and Jaycee Ruberti. 

Following Saturday’s Game, fans who have preregistered can head to the Walsworth Family Columns Club at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field for the Black & Gold Banquet at approximately 2:30 p.m., CT. 

LOOKING AHEAD

Missouri will open its 2024 campaign at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Feb. 9-11 in Clearwater, Florida. The Tigers will face #13/16 Utah, NC State, South Alabama, Liberty, and #5/7 Clemson over the three-day tournament. 

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

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

Season ticket renewals and new season tickets are currently available at mutigers.com/sbtix.