Three takeaways from the Florida tournament
Missouri freshman center fielder Nevaeh Watkins holds up a sign reading “GOLD STINKS” while she waits for her turn to bat during the Black vs. Gold Game on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, at the Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Watkins came to Missouri from Rowlett, Texas where she earned a place on the 9-6A First Team All-District and Defensive Player of the Year at Sachse High School.
After Missouri softball played in its first tournament of the season, the NFCA Leadoff Classic, here are three takeaways from the team’s trip to Clearwater, Florida.
Sophomore players leading the field
In Florida, the underclassmen Tigers were given a chance to shine and they did not disappoint.
During Missouri’s faceoff with Northwestern, sophomore Claire Cahalan knocked a two-out triple and scored off a single from senior infielder Julia Crenshaw. Fellow sophomore Marissa McCann proceeded to pitch five innings in the game against Marshall, only giving up one run.
Madison Walker hit a two-run shot to left field during the match against Duke, sealing the game for a Missouri win.
Throughout this season, the sophomores have often taken charge — particularly McCann, standing out as a regular pitcher. She played the majority of the tournament except against UCF where she only pitched in the seventh inning.
The flame of consistency
While the Tigers left Florida with four wins and two losses, faults in the team were still present. The Tigers’ biggest struggle seems to be keeping a consistent play for a full game. The Tigers can go toe-to-toe with anybody when their fire is burning, but the flame of consistency can be put out quickly.
This was seen in the loss to UCF. The Tigers started the game off strong with a 5-0 lead in the first inning, but didn’t score for the rest of the night, letting UCF win 6-5.
While the Tigers seemed consistent against Notre Dame in the fourth through sixth inning, late game woes struck once again, resulting in a 4-3 loss.
While the Tigers pulled off an impressive comeback 10-3 win over Duke, Missouri’s offense struggled, only scoring one run through the first five innings. A sixth inning explosion for nine runs allowed the Tigers to take home the victory..
Larissa Anderson is utilizing her players talents
Head coach Larissa Anderson is well aware of the talent of the team. This tournament, Anderson set out a line up that was bound to succeed.
In the first game against Marshall, Anderson took a risky move. Putting in sophomore McCann as the starting pitcher would usually be seen as odd as it is rare for younger players to have bigger responsibilities. Those who have kept up with the Missouri Tigers know that it was no surprise McCann was running the field.
Andersons clever coaching only resulted in more successes for her. After the Duke win, Anderson earned her 350th career victory and was inducted into the Gannon University Athletics Hall of Fame.
This will be Anderson’s seventh season with the Missouri Tigers. She’s collected a rich history of success in the program, including finishing her first season with 35-25 record, which is the most wins for the Tigers in a single season since 2016.
Anderson has a promising group this season, and after the Leadoff Tournament, it’s clear that she has big plans for the team. If the Tigers can keep up the stellar sophomore play, have a consistent offense and play their cards well, Missouri will be primed for success.
Edited by Killian Wright | kwright@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Maggie Atkinson and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com
Edited by Annie Goodykoontz | agoodykoontz@themaneater.com