3 Takeaways from Mizzou Softball in the Shocker Invitational

Season-Long Inconsistencies Persist Through Streaky Weekend

Missouri pitcher Cierra Harrison (17) on the mound during a game between Tennessee and Missouri in Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, March 16, 2024. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Missouri Softball traveled to Wichita, Kansas for this past weekend's Shocker Invitational, looking to prove it is better than its inconsistent start to the season suggests. Instead, the weekend mirrored the Tigers' start to the year —momentary flashes of brilliance often overshadowed by costly mistakes.

The Tigers opened their season with an impressive run of victories, including dominant wins over top-25 teams in Northwestern and Duke at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, setting a high standard for the team. Since then, they have struggled to sustain that level of play.

Despite outscoring its opponents 33-17, Missouri finished the Shocker Invitational with a 3-2 record, highlighting the team's ongoing inconsistency. The Tigers maintained a strong offensive output throughout the weekend, but defensive lapses left the Tigers to questioning how they can return to their peak form.

Season Defined By Streakiness

After a tough 4-3 loss to No. 14/15 Oklahoma State in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, Missouri briefly returned to its early-season form. The Tigers responded with a commanding10-1 win over Wichita State to close out Day 1, then carried that momentum into Saturday, crushing South Dakota State 10-1. Riding the wave, they capped off the stretch with a statement 7-1 victory over No. 16/18 Nebraska.

Missouri found its stride and looked poised for a strong run with conference play approaching, but the Tigers were quickly brought back down to earth. On Sunday, in the final game of the Invitational, they suffered a defensive disaster, falling 10-9 to the same Nebraska squad they had just beaten.

Batting Below Average

Missouri holds the worst record among Southeastern Conference teams, a trend reflected in its batting average, which ranks last in the SEC at .262. The disparity with the rest of the conference is noticeable—Auburn, a distant second-to-last, is batting .290.

With run totals of 4, 10, 10, 7, and 9, it seemed the Tigers might finally be breaking through the hitting slump that has plagued their season. However, key players have lacked consistency all year, and that was evident once again in Wichita.

Senior Julia Crenshaw has been the Tigers' most reliable bat this season, hitting .348 at the plate. However, she disappeared in the opening matchup against Oklahoma State, going hitless in three at-bats. In contrast, she had a standout performance against Nebraska on Sunday, recording three hits, one RBI, and three runs scored in the loss. While Crenshaw played her part, the rest of the team faded into the background, with sophomore Madison Walker the exception—she posted three hits and a remarkable six RBIs.

Tired Arms Take a Toll

While this weekend highlighted some of the Tigers' best offensive performances, the pitching staff peaked and faltered just as quickly. The Tigers’ pitchers shouldered a demanding pitching load across three days.

Sophomore Marissa McCann pitched a complete game against Oklahoma State, allowing four runs in the loss. In Friday's nightcap against the Shockers, junior Cierra Harrison threw six innings, but junior Taylor Pannel closed out the game for the win. Pannel followed up on Saturday with a strong complete game performance, surrendering just two hits across five innings against the Jackrabbits. McCann returned to the mound in Saturday's second game, giving up four hits and one run to help secure a win over the Cornhuskers.

The strong individual outings were overshadowed by a team collapse. Each of the weekend’s three starters, along with sophomore Nathalie Touchet, got a chance to take the mound in Sunday’s rematch with Nebraska. No pitcher lasted more than three innings during the meltdown, as nobody could find an answer to stop Nebraska, which scored 10 runs to secure the win.

Mizzou will next take the field against Kentucky at 5:30 p.m. on March 7 for a three-game series in Lexington.