The Southeastern Conference announced the 2021 All-SEC teams on Tuesday. Mizzou Softball placed five players on All-SEC teams. Jenna Laird highlighted the group, being named Freshman of the Year, First Team All-SEC, and All-Freshman Team.

Laird leads all SEC freshmen with a .410 batting average in conference play while also smashing 12 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs with 37 RBI. She has also stolen 11 bases on 11 attempts to begin her career. Laird is Mizzou’s second SEC Freshman of the Year and with the only other being Tori Finucane in 2014. Laird joins Finucane and Rhea Taylor as the only Tigers to be named conference Freshman of the Year. Taylor won the award in 2008 when Mizzou was competing in the Big 12 Conference.

What’s impressive about Laird’s offensive numbers is that coming out of high school, she was primarily a slap-hitter but when she was recruited by Mizzou, head coach Larissa Anderson and hitting coach Chris Malveaux saw her power potential.

Brooke Wilmes and Casidy Chaumont were both named Second Team All-SEC. Wilmes leads the Tigers with 16 doubles on the season and she ranks inside the Top 15 in the SEC in hits, runs, RBI, doubles, total bases, and stolen bases. Wilmes surpassed 200 career hits this season with a double against LSU. She is only the 14th player in program history to reach that mark. Casidy Chaumont has five multi-hit games in SEC play and has recorded nine extra-base hits and 12 RBI over that time.

Sophomore pitchers Emma Nichols and Jordan Weber each earned All-Newcomer Honors. Added for this season only, 2020 freshmen are eligible for the All-Newcomer team. Emma Nichols is tied for first in the NCAA with seven saves on the season. Jordan Weber leads Mizzou pitchers with a .210 opponent batting average with the most innings pitched on the season. She set a new career-high with 13 strikeouts in a game against Auburn, becoming the first Mizzou pitcher to reach that mark since Chelsea Thomas

The Tigers placed two on the All-Defensive Team in Casidy Chaumont and Emma Nichols. Chaumont has wowed with her play in left field, making spectacular diving catches and throwing out runners. Chaumont has made SportsCenter’s Top Ten Plays twice on the season. Emma Nichols has recorded 24 assists on the season.

Mizzou will be in action in the SEC Tournament beginning Thursday on SEC Network with the opponent still to be determined. The estimated start time is 1:35 p.m. CT.