An artist’s rendering of the new Mizzou softball complex looking north. Hearnes Center will be west of the new stadium.

When talk of expansion and improvements to all University of Missouri athletic fields and facilities began, with their entrance into the Southeastern Conference, Mizzou softball coach Ehren Earleywine stressed the importance that softball not be left behind.  His first choice was to have a new stadium built in a high visible area.  His wish will come true very soon.

Back in February, the University of Missouri Board of Curators approved a new $16,000,000 Mizzou softball stadium project to be built by Lempka Edson Architects (L+E), Overland Park, Kansas.  The location of the new complex will be located just off Stadium Blvd and east of Hearnes Center.

The project will be funded from $13,500,000 in private gifts and $2,500,000 in debt financing.

The new stadium will provide Mizzou softball fans with a “full-view” concourse and outfield plaza, with 1,500 to 1,700 seats, plus an outfield berm that can accommodate an extra 500 to 1000 spectators.  New MU and commuter parking lots will be redeveloped and will be completed by November of this year.

More seating and better parking arrangements will make getting into the park easier for more fans.  The overflow berm seating in the outfield will also help during events such as regional tournaments, when the park must accommodate fans from three extra teams.  The positioning of the stadium will also keep most of the warmer afternoon sun out of the eyes of spectators.

The new softball stadium should be completed by December of 2016, ready in time for the spring 2017 season.

Kirsten Mack sees a pitch during the regional final against Kansas

Tigers catcher Kirsten Mack drove in career high five runs on a grand slam and a double to lead the No. 12/13 Mizzou softball team past Kansas and into an NCAA Super Regional with a 7-6 win Sunday at University Field.

Mizzou (42-14) advances to play UCLA next weekend for a spot in the Women’s College World Series.

Tiger sophomore Cheyenne Baxter got the win, giving four runs, all unearned, in 4.2 innings of work. That came after two outs in the sixth.  Freshman P Paige Lowary pitched the final four outs to earn her fourth save of the season.  She was not expected to pitch this weekend as she dealt with illness and a high fever.

Down 2-0 after Kansas scored twice with two outs in the first, Mizzou scored three in the top of the second.  Amanda Sanchez was hit by a pitch and Corrin Genovese drew a walk.  Mack doubled to right center scoring Sanchez and Genovese scored on a bloop single to shallow left by Angela Randazzo. Mack scored on a wild pitch for a 3-2 Mizzou lead.

Mack’s two-out grand slam in the top of the third stretched Missouri’s advantage to 7-2.

Sami Fagan is greeted at home after her first inning home run (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Kelsea Roth hit a two-run double in the fifth inning to help lead Mizzou Softball to the NCAA Columbia Regional championship game after a 5-3 win over Kansas on Saturday.

The Tigers (41-14), 2-0 in the Regional, play again Sunday, May 17, at noon against a team to be determined. The Jayhawks (39-14) will take on either Louisville or Indiana State at approximately 8:30 p.m., Saturday.

Sophomore P Tori Finucane got the win to up her 2015 record to 21-8.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, sophomore RF Emily Crane singled and 2B Sami Fagan walked.  Freshman DP Amanda Sanchez. bounced a single up the middle to score Crane from second tie the game at 3-3.  Roth laced a double down the third base line, scoring both Fagan and pinch runner Kayla Kingsley for a 5-3 lead that the Tigers held onto.

“Well they had me worried for a while, but the surge in the fifth inning – three really good at-bats in a row by Crane, Fagan and Sanchez and then Roth, I guess that’s four with the double down the line. But those were four really good at-bats,” said coach Ehren Earleywine.

Sanchez has now tied Mizzou’s freshman RBI record with her total of 55 matching Micaela Minner’s mark from her 2005 season.

Teammates celebrate Jordan Zolman’s home run

Mizzou softball scored five-runs in the fifth inning to lead the team to a 7-0 win over Indiana State Friday at the NCAA Softball Columbia Regional. The Tigers (40-14) advanced to the winner’s bracket and will face Kansas on Saturday, May 16 at 10 a.m. CT. The Sycamores (26-30) will take on Louisville in the loser’s bracket at 12:30 p.m.

The big inning was highlighted by sophomore Jordan Zolman’s three run blast on a 1-2 pitch that went deep to left center put the Tigers up 6-0 at that point.

“It felt great.  I knew as soon as it came off the bat that it was gone,” said Zolman.

The Tigers known for scoring a lot of runs in bunches, left some opportunities out there through the first four innings.  Head coach Ehren Earleywine took a different approach trying to manufacture runs early.  The Tigers jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first inning. Hits from CF Taylor Gadbois and RF Emily Crane and a walk from 2B Sami Fagan loaded the bases with no outs. DPAmanda Sanchez hit into a double play but drove Gadbois home to earn the RBI.

“I’ve played so many of these games where you’re the top seed and you play the bottom seed, and in the fourth or fifth inning it’s 0-0 because you’re sitting around waiting around for the three-run homer,” said Earleywine.  “I told my dad before the game, I said ‘I’m going to bunt in the first inning if Gadbois gets on, I’m going to steal her, and Crane’s going to bunt her to third,’ and that’s exactly what we did, and thank God, it was 1-0 after four innings just like I said.”

In the circle, P Tori Finucane allowed just two hits, struck out four batters and walked just one over 5.0 innings to earn her 20th win of the 2015 campaign. Over her last 11.0 innings, she has allowed only three hits and no runs in outings against Mississippi State and Indiana State.