Mizzou club softball is a campus organization that brings together athletes of all skill levels through a shared passion for the game. The club features a competitive roster of 19 dues-paying members, alongside a no-cost practice team that offers an inclusive environment for anyone looking to develop their skills on and off the field, no matter the stage of life.
“We’re all on the, like, awkward time in our lives where we’re trying to figure out who we are, who we want to be with, what we want to do for the rest of our lives,” club Vice President Briley Schmittling said. “This is kind of like a good organization, to kind of step aside from all of that, take a deep breath, go back to the sport that you loved throughout growing up.”
The club is a part of the National Club Softball Association, which consists of five different teams. The teams alongside Mizzou are Illinois, Purdue, Arkansas State and Illinois State. So far, Mizzou sits fourth overall with a 5–7 record, while Illinois leads the standings at 10-1.
This semester, the club’s schedule consisted of a home series March 14 against Arkansas State, a canceled series on April 11 against Washington University and a home series against Kansas on Sunday, April 19.
The series against the Red Wolves resulted in a 3-1 loss. However, the Tigers won all three games against the Jayhawks: 13-6, 19-6 and 7-6.
Executive board members include President Chiara D’Antonio, Vice President Schmittling, Treasurer Katie Bardwell, Risk Managers Kami Matthews and Taylor Martin and Social Media Manager Jazzy Fisher.
D’Antonio decided to run for president to restore the level of competitiveness she and her teammates experienced in high school, while also creating a more balanced and enjoyable environment that eases the pressure of playing at the collegiate level.
“I was definitely missing that really competitive, like, aspect of the game,” D’Antonio said. “So when I had the opportunity to run for exec, I shot for the stars. And luckily, my teammates, I think, trusted me enough and knew me well enough, and kind of obviously had seen me play, but also had seen me communicate with other girls; help other girls in practice with whatever they needed.”
For Schmittling, her time with the club started during the spring semester of her freshman year, where she was able to make friendships along the way and decided to take on a leadership role the following year.
Bardwell joined the club in search of a way to stay connected to the sport without the demands of a full-time commitment while still enjoying the game she is passionate about.
In her role, she oversees fundraising efforts, such as the club’s annual bake sale, and manages the club’s finances. This includes handling allocations, which are combined funds raised with member dues to cover expenses such as jerseys and travel.
“This semester, it’s $40,” Bardwell said. “We originally started at around $150, just because we didn’t have that much money already. But with the help of this year and also last year’s treasurer, we’ve really grown our club, because it was a very tiny club, and we finally grown it, and we’ve been able to lower the dues.”
The club continues to build awareness both on and off campus through the efforts of Fisher, who uses platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X to promote the team.
The club held tryouts this semester from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 1. They then selected which players are a part of the competitive team or practice team. The competitive team must attend practices, fundraisers and travel for away tournaments; the practice team has no dues or obligation to attend practice.
For practices, they start with warm-up exercises and stretching, followed by throwing to get loose, with pitchers sometimes breaking off for specific work depending on the schedule. The team also does fielding drills during field practice and focuses on tee work, front toss, machine hitting and live pitching in the cages.
The club engages in team bonding outside of practice, often organizing group dinners, ice cream outings and meetups at Missouri softball games or in downtown Columbia. In addition to these local activities, their away tournaments give players even more opportunities to spend time together, helping strengthen relationships beyond the field.
“We are so comfortable with each other, and we pick each other up, and we’re just all silly and make each other laugh,” Schmittling said.
Mizzou club softball continues to offer its members not only a chance to compete, but a community on campus where their enjoyment for the game can thrive.
