Oh wait, so there IS news today.

I thought it was going to be another one of those days where I was just searching for content to write about up here. Thankfully, Mizzou Softball has blessed me with #hotcontent for my Links post. I’m guessing that this is the ‘Larissa signal’ she referenced on social media last weekend.

Rejoice, Tiger fans, for we have a new hitting coach! And it’s a B-I-G one. Big because he looks like just a big dude, but also because this is a get for the Tigers. I mean… this sounds good.

From the release, and Larissa Anderson:

“We are thrilled to have Jeff Cottrill join our staff,” Anderson said. “He brings tremendous experience coming off three consecutive trips to the Women’s College World Series and a Big 12 championship while at Oklahoma State. I know that Jeff will make an immediate impact on our program on the field and also with his depth of experience recruiting. I am looking forward to welcoming Jeff and his wife Casey to Columbia.”

Per ABC17’s Nathalie Jones, who shared some stats that should perk up the ears of Tiger fans, who have lamented the Tigers’ inconsistent office at times.

In 2021, Oklahoma State finished in the top ten nationally in home runs (93, sixth), doubles (88, eighth), runs (356, eighth), hits (488, 10th) and slugging percentage (.556, 10th).

In 2022, the Cowgirls again had six hitters bat over .300 while three batters finished with double-digit homers with one All-American performer.

Also worth noting… Is this is Michael Porter Sr situation? One can certainly hope! But we’ll just have to see, and Oklahoma State returns a good amount of talent to their lineup.

On to the Links!

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Yesterday at Rock M

• Nate’s previews continue, and next up is New Mexico State. From his tweet, which made me chuckle: “I’ll admit that I’ve been looking forward to writing this one for awhile because...my god this team is so bad and I find them so fascinating. “

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More Links:

Football

• USA Today Network’s Blake Toppmeyer & John Adams (via the Columbia Tribune) shared the most important game for every SEC football team during 2022 season.
• According to the Missourian’s Jack Knowlton, Drinkwitz may be adding an offensive analyst to the staff. According to reporting from John Brice of FootballScoop, Brendan Boylan will join head coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s staff. Boylan served as the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Division II side Notre Dame College in Euclid, Ohio.

Other Mizzou Sports

• Soccer released their 2022 schedule on Tuesday, which features an opening weekend with two home games, facing SEMO (Aug. 18) and Ohio State (Aug. 21), and matchups against perennial powerhouse North Carolina (Sept. 1) and kansas (Sept. 4). SEC play starts in mid-September with a matchup against Auburn.
• Congrats to Kendyll Bailey on her award from the KC Tiger Club! EDIT: Dawson Downing was honored, too.

Hoops

• The KC Star’s Nathan Han wrote about new Tiger hoops assistant Kyle Smithpeters, who has his own coaching family tree.
• We see you, Isiaih Mosely!

• PowerMizzou’s Gabe DeArmond touched base with incoming GA Phil Pressey over the weekend, and it’s a really nice story. He and new coach Dennis Gates have some mutual acquaintances and when he decided to retire and get into coaching, he reached out to Gates to see if it could work out. Here’s more from Flip:

“Mizzou basketball has been not where we’ve wanted it to be the last however many years,” he said. “I could have gone many other places or I could have waited a couple more years until something that I liked came along.”

“It seems like it’s forever ago; 12 years ago was my first year out here,” he said. “But I can remember being in their shoes and being thirsty to be a pro, to get to the NBA. But you have to control what you can control and that’s winning at the University of Missouri.”

• Looks like HC Dennis Gates has been confirmed as a speaker at the Rising Coaches Conference in mid-late July in Chicago. He will be joined by former WBB assistant, Ashleen Bracey, who was recently named head coach at UIC. You can read more about the lineup of speakers here (Dennis isn’t listed on there yet).

• Love to see the Tigers giving back. Fun fact: this writer spent a summer working at Fun City when it was over at Douglass High School.

• Another day, another welcome... to someone who we already know is practicing per social media. Anyway, Mabor Majak’s addition to the team is officially official.

“I’m very excited to join Coach Gates at Mizzou,” Majak, the South Sudan native said. “Coach took a chance on me coming out of high school, and I really appreciate that. I want to be a part of building something special here at Mizzou.”

Crootin’ Roundup

• 2024 small forward Travis Branham apparently wants to check out the Zou.

• PowerMizzou’s Mitchell Forde writes, Mizzou is the first high-major offer for 2023 (hoops) guard Isaiah Watts while Gabe talks with Cayden Green (football) after his visit.

Mizzou in the Pros

• The Columbia Tribune’s Matt Stahl caught up with former Tiger captain Paul Adams’ football career in the USFL.
• Looks like former Tiger Karissa Schweizer and volunteer Mizzou T&F assistant Jillian Weir will be heading to the World Athletics Championships at the end of July after their successful weekends at their respective national championships. According to MUTigers.com, Schweizer took the silver in the 5000m and will represent the USA in the 10k as well (qualified in late May), while Weir took silver in the hammer throw (and had a PB) at the Canadian championship. Schweizer also placed 4th in the 1000m, just missing another WC berth, as did Arianna Fisher, who was 4th in the triple jump.
• Sophie Cunningham and the 8-12 Phoenix Mercury beat the Indiana Fever on Monday, 83-71. Soph, in the starting lineup, played 32 minutes and scored 16 points on 5-10 shooting (4-8 from three, 2-2 FT). She also had 3 REB, 3 AST, and 4 PF. She was +14.

On Saturday, the Mercury beat the Dallas Wings, 83-72. Soph started in this one too, and in her 27 minutes, she scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting (2-6 from three, 2-3 FT). She also had 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 TO and 2 PF. She was +9.

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