The frigid, biting weather that enveloped fans as they trekked their way to Mizzou Arena is finally gone as spring arrives and softball season comes back to life.
After reaching the NCAA Super Regional last season, the Missouri softball team looks to make some noise in the Southeastern Conference under the guidance of coach Ehren Earlywine and senior pitcher Chelsea Thomas. The Tigers, who finished seventh in the preseason polls, hope to challenge last season’s champions Alabama Crimson Tide and other top-notch SEC teams.
Last season, the Tigers went 47-14 overall, finishing second in the Big 12. They advanced to the Columbia Super Regional but fell 1-2 to LSU. Last year’s team was guided by the team’s leading hitter, Ashley Fleming, a 2012 Second Team All-American, and relief pitcher Kristin Nottelmann, who racked up a 12-5 record and a 2.41 ERA. Losing both of them to graduation, the Tigers will have to rely on Thomas and others such as fellow returnees senior fielder Nicole Hudson and senior catcher Jenna Marston to attack strong in a new conference.
Thomas has been seen as a pillar of the team and will need to continue that way if the Tigers wish to succeed in the SEC. Two-time first team All-American and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, along with a multitude of other honors, Thomas will be a vital part to the team’s success. She has a 1.16 ERA, ranked fifth in the nation, along with a 27-9 record last season and was recently selected for the USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year’s watch list.
Hudson and Marston will back up Thomas in the hitting department. Last season Hudson had a slugging percentage of .497, showing she has the ability to hit for extra bases. Marston can also chip in runs and hits — she hit .295, the third best on the team last season, and produced a team-best 54 runs.
Other notable players include sophomore pitcher Bailey Erwin, who can relieve some pressure on Thomas. Erwin earned a perfect 8-0 record last season and pitched a 1.12 ERA, the second-lowest among all Big 12 pitchers. On the defensive side, the Tigers have sophomore shortstop Corrin Genovese, who earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors her freshman year, and sophomore Kelsea Roth, a second team All-Big 12 first baseman. Last year, Roth had a 12-game hitting streak in which she hit .533 with two home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored.
In addition to returning players, Mizzou welcomed two incoming freshmen, Emily Crane and Sarah Moore. Crane, who played shortstop and outfield in high school, was named Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and St. Louis All-Metro Player of the Year. Moore, an outfielder, was ranked No. 21 of all softball seniors in the national by ESPN and helped her high school team win the 2010 California Interscholastic Foundation championship. Crane and Moore can provide fresh, talented arms for the Mizzou squad.
Leading the players is Earleywine, who, in six years, has transformed the softball program from a losing record to a top 20 school to winning two Big 12 Titles, reaching five super regionals and three College World Series appearances.
The Tigers will kick off the season with the annual Black and Gold game at 3 p.m. Saturday at University Field.