Rather than go through the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad weekend for Mizzou Softball again, you can just read my very thorough recap that came out Monday night?. That sounds like a TERRIFIC idea.

One thing to remember about Ole Miss before we move on to today’s game; I saw a lot of people thoroughly disgusted that Mizzou would lose to Mississippi of all teams:

Ole Miss is not a bad team. They are undefeated at home (14-0) and only have 7 losses on the season. They also, if you read my preview, matched up pretty evenly with the Tigers, so I wouldn’t consider losing these games to be as bad as losing to say, Ball State. They returned 11 starters from a team that made the tourney last year.

Now, let’s get on with it.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 at 5pm

WHERE: Arrocha Ballpark, Lawrence, Kan.

TV/STREAMING: ESPN+,live stats on StatBroadcast

HISTORY BETWEEN MIZZOU/OPPONENT:

Mizzou leads the all-time series over the Jayhawks 70-44, but the Tigers’ 13-game win streak was snapped during the 2021 season in a 4-3 defeat, when the Tigers were ranked no. 18 nationally.

First up, YOUR MISSOURI TIGERS!

2021 RECORD: 42-17 (ranked #8 nationally)

2022 RECORD: 19-12 (last in SEC)

PROJECTED CONFERENCE FINISH: 5th in SEC

RANKING: #25 (ESPN.com/USA Softball), #26 (D1 Softball), #22 (Softball America), #24 (USA Today/NFCA), #30 (RPI)

LAST 8 GAMES: @ Ole Miss (L 5-1, L 5-3, L 5-1), no. 27/29 Stanford (W 5-0, L 7-4 in 8 inn.), Ball State (L 4-3), no. 6/9 Northwestern (L 9-6 in 10 inn.)

2022 TOP PERFORMERS:

• Casidy Chaumont, OF**: .441 BA / 1.231 OPS / 18 R / 26 H/ 5 2B / 1 3B / 4 HR / 17 RBI / .763 SLG%
• Jenna Laird, SS: .350 BA / .862 OPS / 20 R / 35 H / 6 2B / 1 3B / 1 HR / 9 RBI / .460 SLG% / .402 OB% / 16-17 SB
• Kim Wert, DP: .333 BA / 1.067 OPS / 17 R / 29 H / 4 2B / 8 HR / 25 RBI / .655 SLG% / .412 OB%
• Kendyll Bailey, 2B: .330 BA / .997 OPS / 9 R / 30 H / 3 2B / 7 HR / 19 RBI / .593 SLG% / .404 OB%
• Alex Honnold, RF: .321 BA / .984 OPS / 15 R / 27 H / 7 2B / 3 3B / 2 HR / 13 RBI/ .548 SLG% / .436 OB%
• Laurin Krings, SP: 2.76 ERA / 1.21 WHIP / 83.2 IP / 9-5 record / 7 CG / 73 H / 33 ER / 28 BB / 107 SO / 21 XBH / 10HR / 6 WP / 4 HBP / .232 Opp BA
• Jordan Weber, SP: 2.90 ERA / 1.17 WHIP / 67.2 IP / 6-3 / 3 CG / 50 H / 28 ER / 29 BB / 64 SO / 16 XBH / 6 HR / 5 WP / 8 HBP / .209 Opp BA
• Megan Schumacher, RP: 3.18 ERA / 1.42 WHIP / 33 IP / 3-2 record / 35 H / 15 ER / 12 BB / 23 SO / 7 XBH / 1 HR / 3 WP / 1 HBP / .261 Opp BA

**Casidy Chaumont has not played since Game 1 of the Mizzou Classic/Northwestern game

And, because we have to, let’s go in-depth on that team, shall we? Because it’s kU, they don’t get a pretty handmade graphic from me, lol.

kANSAS JAYHAWKS

2021 RECORD: 22-26 (2-16 in Big XII)

2022 RECORD: 10-18 (4-9 at home)

LAST 7 GAMES: Texas (L 11-2, L 9-2, L 7-6), Tulsa (L 3-2, L 6-5), South Dakota (W 6-1, W 14-6)

PROJECTED CONFERENCE FINISH: 7th in Big XII (last)

RANKING: #96 (RPI)

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• L. Moore: .405 BA / 17 R / 30 H / 10 2B / 1 3B / 1 HR/ 10 RBI / .608 SLG% / .450 OB% / 2-4 SB
• A. Anderson: .371BA / 23 R / 33 H / 11 2B / 1 3B / 8 HR / 26 RBI / .787 SLG% / .472 OB%
• S. DesRochers: .313 BA / 9 R / 21 H / 3 2B / 1 3B / 4 HR / 18 RBI / .567 SLG% / .333 OB%
• S. Espy: .301 BA / 12 R / 22 H / 7 RBI / .301 SLG% / .393 OB% / 3-5 SB
• K. Brooks, SP: 4.48 ERA / 3-5 record / 1 CG / 61 IP / 54? H / 39 ER / 27 BB / 35 SO / 19 XBH / 4 HR / 4 WP / 5 HBP / .317 Opp BA
• K. Hamilton, SP: 4.67 ERA / 5-8 record / 3 CG / 63 IP / 83 H / 42 ER / 31 BB / 54 SO / 16 XBH / 3 HR / 3 WP / 8 HBP / .301 Opp BA
• O. Bruno, RP: 3.79 ERA / 2-3 record / 24 IP / 24 H / 13 ER / 8 BB / 6 SO / 7 XBH / 6 HR / 2 WP / .258 Opp BA
• S. DesRochers, RP: 4.53 ERA / 0-1 record / 29 IP / 38 H / 19 ER / 18 BB / 15 SO / 11 XBH / 4 HR / 6 WP / 4 HBP / .299 Opp BA

NOTES/ACCOLADES:

• Starting pitcher Kasey Hamilton was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman team in 2021. She appeared in 24 games last season, making 11 starts, and led the Jayhawks with 59 K through 78.2 innings pitched. She had a CG against no. 23 Wichita State last year, in which she also had a career-high 9 K.
• Notable Roster Losses: Morgyn Wynne, NFCA All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 Second team in 2021, transferred to Oklahoma State; Brittany Jackson, NFCA All-Midwest Region in 2021, transferred to NC State. Wynne posted a .355 BA, 17 HR, 49 RBI, 9 2B while Jackson posted a .365 BA, 46 H, 10 2B, 10 SB, 21 RBI, 29 R, 81 PO in cf.
• The Jayhawks opened up Big XII play over the weekend against Texas, and were subsequently swept. In the first game of the series, they actually were on track to win the ranked Longhorns after storming back from a five run deficit over two innings after giving up a big inning in the third (sound familiar, Tiger fans?).
• While the Jayhawks have yet to beat a ranked team this season— they’ve faced Texas and UCLA — they beat a bunch last year, according to kuathletics.com, including Oklahoma State, Missouri (ranked 18th at the time), and Wichita State.
• Kansas is led by Jennifer McFalls, who is in her third season with the Jayhawks. Prior to coming to Lawrence, McFalls served as a defensive coach and recruiting coordinator for the Texas Longhorns for eight seasons (2011-18), helping to lead the team to a SuperRegional in 2012 and WCWS in 2013.
• FUN FACT: McFalls was a member of the gold medal winning Olympic softball team in Sydney in 2000. That’s super cool, even if she is a Jayhawk.

TEAM COMPARISONS:

LINEUP:

GAME THREAD:

FIRST

T1: Nothing for the Tigers in the first despite getting two runners aboard on a Laird HBP and Bailey single.

B1: Espy and Anderson are on board with a pair of lead off walks. Adouble brings a run home and that school is up 1-0. Gayre doubles and two more runs score. DesRochers’ sac fly brings in another run and it’s... (ew) 4-0 kU. Tigers end the inning (finally) on two groundouts, but the unfortunate damage is done this inning. I HATE BIG INNINGS FOR OTHER TEAMS!

MIZZOU 0, kANSAS 4

SECOND

T2: Kara Daly walks on four straight pitches. Alex Honnold lines out to SS and Emma Raabe strikes out. Gabi Deters, in for Hatti Moore, strikes out, and the Tigers strand a runner. Still 4-0, and Nichols is in to pitch for Krings.

B2: Nichols goes 1-2-3.

THIRD

T3: Tigers on the board! Snider strikes out, but a walk to Laird and a single to Wilmes paves the way for an RBI double by Bailey. Wert lines out and there’s two away. Mizzou TIES IT UP on what is basically a comedy of errors for the fake birds. Two errors on back to back plays lead to four Tiger runs, basically.

MIZZOU 4, kANSAS 4

B3: Anderson grounds out and Lyric Moore is on base again, this time with a solidly hit ball to left. Gayre gets on base as a grounder up the middle gets under Laird’s diving attempt, and there’s two aboard the bases. An RBI double off the wall scores a kU player, and they’re back up in front, 5-4. Olivia Bruno hits a three run shot into the wind and kansas is up 8-4. A fly out ends the disaster.

MIZZOU 4, kANSAS 8

FOURTH

T4: Snider strikes out. Laird singles and Wilmes reaches on a FC. Bailey reaches on a single, but Wert flies out to end the threat. Mizzou still down by 4. Tigers are getting things going on the bases, now just have to capitalize.

B4: Omli grounds out but Espy singles. That was a CLOSE play at first and really was a good grab by KB, but not in time. OMG. A ball goes into left and there’s a super bloopy terrible throw by Snider and it’s an inside the park homer. It’s 10-4 with two outs and a runner on second after a double into no-woman’s land in right center. Schumacher is in to pitch for Nichols and induces a fly out. Tigers are going to need to score often and a lot to salvage this thing.

MIZZOU 4, kANSAS 10

FIFTH

T5: Kara Daly gets a lead off single to left, then scores on a single up the middle from Alex Honnold. Kara Daly gets a lead off single to left, then scores on a single up the middle from Alex Honnold. After Raabe strikes out, Deters singles up the middle, scoring another run. Snider redeems that error from earlier by gutting out a single and there’s runners at the corners with one out. it’s 10-6. Laird reaches on a FC, and while Snider is out at second, Gabi scores and suddenly it’s 10-7. Wilmes fouls out to end the inning, but the Tigers aren’t out of this thing.

MIZZOU 7, kANSAS 10

B5: Bruno singles (she’s a wrecking ball today), Harper flies out, and a wild pitch advances the runner. Omli singles and there’s runners at first and third, but Schu ends the threat.

SIXTH

T6: KB leads off the inning with a flyout, and Wert singles out to left. Kendal Cook takes over on first for Wert, and Daly, who’s been great today both offensively and defensively, strikes out for the second out, and Honnold flies out to left center. Tigers running out of time here.

B6: Lyric Moore, who’s had her way with the Tigers today, singles up the middle as Laird’s diving attempt doesn’t work. Gayre walks and DesRochers hits a grounder right past Laird. Bruno, who I wish would disappear from this game, is up to bat. Thankfully, she gets out this time, but a run comes in and it’s 11-7. Harper flies out to center and the inning is over. Time to score at least four, ladies!

MIZZOU 7, kANSAS 11

SEVENTH

T7: Megan Moll comes in for Raabe and strikes out with a checked swing on a pitch that appeared to be right down the middle. Gabi Deters also strikes out, and the Tigers are down to their final out. Maddie Snider, who’s struck out twice and reached on an error, could be the Tigers’ last hope. Snider walks and Laird grounds out to third. That’s all from Lawrence, and Tigers fall 11-7. ICK.

FINAL: MIZZOU 7, kANSAS 11