Three Tigers Named to D1Softball’s Preseason D100 Players

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Three University of Missouri Softball players were named to the D100 Player Rankings, D1Softball announced on Thursday. Senior center fielder Alex Honnold, senior shortstop Jenna Laird and junior right fielder Mya Dodge were all listed in the rankings ahead of the 2024 season.

Ranked No. 47 on the preseason list, Alex Honnold 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 West Des Moines, Iowa, 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.

Jenna Laird, ranked No. 61 on the preseason list, 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. 

The East Meadow, New York, Gold Glover, registered a .978 fielding percentage with 76 putouts, 104 assists and 11 double plays. The shortstop led the team on the basepaths, going 30-for-34 on stolen bases and knocked 12 doubles in 2023. 

For Laird, it marks the second-straight season on D1Softball’s preseason list. 

Transferring from Northern Iowa and ranked No. 83 on the preseason list, Mya Dodge 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 outfielder was named the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and tallied the third-most RBIs in the nation and a single-season UNI record (68) in 2023. She slashed .388/.464/.899 as the Panthers’ cleanup hitter in 2023 and recorded the second-best batting average in the MVC on 57 hits.

Following the 2023 campaign, both Honnold (#19) and Dodge (#75) were also listed on D1Softball’s 2023 Top 100 Player Rankings.

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Missouri opens its 2024 campaign at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic Feb. 9-11 in Clearwater, Florida.