3 Takeaways from Mizzou Softball's Non-Conference Slate

Entering their first SEC series of the season this weekend, the Tigers are at the bottom of the conference once again.

Mizzou Athletics

Once again, the SEC looks like the most dominant conference in college softball.

And for the second straight year, Missouri is heading toward the bottom of the conference.

At 7-13, the Tigers have tallied some impressive performances thus far, including wins over previously-ranked Florida Atlantic and Duke. But MU's season has been marred by inconsistencies at the plate and in the circle, and because of that, the Tigers are tied with Minnesota for the second-lowest winning percentage among all Power 4 teams (BYU is 5-14). The gulf is even further in the SEC, as the team with the next-worst record after Missouri is Texas A&M at 16-7.

Here are three takeaways from Missouri's first 20 games of the season, which have featured splashes of hope in a sea of despair.

Multi-faceted struggles

Before the season, Larissa Anderson was blunt about how the offense, which has struggled for a few seasons, needed to improve in 2026.

That hasn't happened yet.

As of Thursday, Missouri is at the bottom of the SEC in batting average (.270), on-base percentage (.374), slugging percentage (.410) and stolen bases (10). MU is tied with LSU for the fewest home runs (14) and is tied with Auburn for the most strikeouts (99). Missouri has scored more than five runs just seven times this season.

Outfielder Emma Jackson, who was MU's crown jewel acquisition in the transfer portal out of East Carolina, is batting just .167 and has 10 strikeouts to just six hits.

A team shackled by a subpar offense can still succeed with Herculean pitching and fielding. Such was the case two seasons ago when the Tigers almost made the Women's College World Series.

This time around has been closer to the opposite. While Missouri has been solid in the field, the pitching has been a different story. The Tigers are second-to-last in ERA (4.02) and have allowed the most home runs in the SEC (23). They're also the only team in the conference that hasn't pitched a shutout.

Through the tough sledding, some silver linings have emerged.

Young players showing promise

Missouri is an extremely young team. Six of the MU's 10 players with at least 20 at-bats are either freshmen or sophomores.

Growing pains were inevitable, and that's shown up throughout Missouri's first 20 games of the season. But a few of the

Arguably the shiniest star of the bunch has been freshman Abby Carr, who's starred as a two-way player. At the plate, she's second on the team in doubles and home runs, while she's tied with first baseman Abby Hay for the team lead in RBIs (14). In the circle, Carr leads Missouri in ERA (2.56 in 27.1 innings pitched).

Elsewhere, freshman outfielder Sidney Forrester leads the team in home runs with four, while sophomore infielder Sophie Smith is second on the team in hits with 19.

Better days are likely ahead for this group. But for now, they've flashed high-level skills against solid competition.

Hay bouncing back from rough 2025 season

After a standout freshman campaign in 2024, Hay endured a sophomore slump last season, recording multiple lengthy stretches without a hit. She batted just .190 in 2025, down over 100 points from her freshman season.

In 2026, the Columbia native seems to have her swagger back. Hay leads Missouri in hits, is riding a five-game hit streak and has yet to go consecutive games without a hit. She's also recorded at least two hits in four of her last five games.