February 12, 2012

Missouri softball ranked in top 10 of preseason polls

The Missouri Tiger softball team was picked 6th in the coaches and 5th in the USA Softball preseason polls. Mizzou is coming off a 53-13 season and they made their third straight trip to the Softball World Series.

Oklahoma and Baylor at 5th and 7th, sandwiched around Mizzou in the coaches poll. Oklahoma State is 11th, Texas A & M and Texas are 17th and 18th respectively. Missouri flip flops with OU in the USA Softball poll with OSU, A & M and Texas in the second half of the poll, but what I paid particular attention to was the number of SEC schools that are in the top 25.

Florida and Alabama are both ranked ahead of Mizzou. Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and LSU also debut in both polls.  Half of the conference is ranked in the top 25.

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Mizzou softball picked #1 in Big 12

The Missouri softball team was picked as the top team in the Big 12 coaches’ preseason poll for the first time in program history.  Mizzou won the program’s first regular season Big 12 Championship since 1997 and qualified for the Women’s College World Series for the third straight year.

Top returners include redshirt junior Chelsea Thomas, 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and one of three finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award, as well as senior Ashley Fleming, an All-American.  Joining the Tigers this season are 10 freshmen in what is considered to be Ehren Earleywine’s best signing class as head coach of Mizzou.

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2011 State softball champions

The 2011 state high school softball championships wrapped up on Saturday in Springfield. Here are the results from all four classes:

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High school softball moves onto the semifinals

Undefeated Norborne has moved to the semifinals of the Class 1 softball state playoffs and will face St. Elizabeth on Friday. Pleasant Hope continues their undefeated season in the Class 2 semifinals after a 13-2 win over Harrisonville this past weekend.

Centralia the only team with a tie and the most wins in Class 3 at 26-2-1 advanced to the semifinals and in Class 4, Troy Buchanan has yet to allow a run in two state game. The updated brackets are here.

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High school softball state tournament brackets

After the conclusion of the first day, here are the results, schedules and brackets for the four classes in the Missouri high school softball state tournament courtesy of MSHSAA.org.

Class 4 bracket

Class 3 bracket

Class 2 bracket

Class 1 bracket