2023 was a rough year for Missouri softball. The team finished 35-26 and 7-17 in SEC play. It was the first year Missouri finished below .500 in conference play since 2018. In a press conference on Feb. 6, head coach Larissa Anderson commented on the 2023 season. 

“Last year we underachieved,” Anderson said. “We didn’t reach our goals.”

But things have changed thanks to a plethora of returners and new faces. As a result, Anderson and the rest of the Tigers are ready for a bounce-back season. 

Welcome back, Tigers

Of the 22 players on the softball roster, 13 players are returning to the field for the Tigers. Of those 13, one key player to watch out for is the top hitter of 2023, senior outfielder Alex Honnold. 

Last season, Honnold led the team in batting average (.396), home runs (14), runs batted in (49), along with several other categories while earning Second Team All-SEC Honors. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Honnold is in her fourth year at Missouri. She has been a staple in the outfield, starting 148 games in the past three years. Honnold ranks No. 47 on the D100 player rankings released by D1 Softball and is the highest-ranked Missouri player on the list.

“[For Alex] it’s really just becoming more of a student of the game and understanding how people are going to pitch her, and her being able to counterattack,” Anderson said.

The other Tiger returner making the list is senior shortstop Jenna Laird, clocking in at No. 61. 

During her junior year, Laird started all 61 games while leading the team with 70 hits and hit .354, the only other Tiger above .300 besides Honnold. From East Meadow, New York, Laird is primarily known for her defensive skills with 104 assists, 11 double plays turned and a .978 fielding percentage. As a result, the shortstop won the 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove award, along with making the 2023 All-SEC Team.

An area of focus this year is pitching, and leading the charge is senior Laurin Krings. While Krings’ ERA decreased from 2022, the Colorado native fell short of her previous numbers in wins, starts and strikeouts.With the departure of Jordan Weber, Krings will have the most starts of any returning player. As a result, she will likely be the number one option on the bump.

“We have great leadership with Laurin Krings,” Anderson said. “She’s gonna probably do a lot of the workload.”

Welcome, newcomers

While this team is filled with experience, there are plenty of newcomers ready to make an impact in their first season with Missouri. 

Perhaps no one is more exciting than junior outfielder Mya Dodge. In her sophomore season at Northern Iowa, Dodge was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Dodge batted .396 with 17 home runs and a team-leading 68 runs batted in. She finished as the No. 75 player in the 2023 on D1 Softball’s top 100 players of 2023. 

Alongside Honnold, Dodge will be a consistent member of the outfield while providing high-end hitting skills.

“She knows what she needs to do in order to be successful,” Anderson said. “That’s really what she adds to our lineup.”

On the pitching end, Missouri brought in freshman Marissa McCann from Surprise, Arizona. McCann won two 5A state championships and was the back-to-back 5A Player of the Year. McCann lived in Columbia until the age of 13, before moving to Arizona.

“She’s got great movement,” Anderson said. “She’s got a screwball that I haven’t seen for quite a while on that level.” 

McCann’s possible partner in crime is freshman catcher Stefania Abruscato. Abruscato was Missouri’s highest-rated recruit at No.13, winning the 2022-23 New York Gatorade Softball Player of the Year. Abruscato earned 2022 Extra Inning Softball First Team All-American Honors with a .667 batting average, a .805 on-base percentage and 34 steals.

Missouri softball will hit the field for the first time this season in Florida at the NCFA Division I Leadoff Classic from Feb. 9-11.

Edited by Grace Ainger | gainger@themaneater.com 

Copy edited by Natalie Kientzy and Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com 

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com