COLUMBIA, Mo. – The 2021 Mizzou Softball campaign will begin with the Tigers ranked at No. 23 and No. 24, respectively, in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25 Poll.
This is Missouri’s first appearance in either preseason poll since 2017, when they were ranked in both the NFCA Coaches Poll and USA Softball poll at No. 17 and No. 19, respectively.
Ten SEC programs received a ranking from at least one of the polls, with each program receiving votes. Three Top 25 teams will travel to Columbia to face off with the Tigers in Mississippi State and unanimous Top-10 foes LSU and Florida. Mizzou will travel to face off with Georgia, South Carolina, Arkansas and Tennessee, each appearing in both polls.
At the abrupt ending to the 2020 season, Mizzou was ranked at No. 25 in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, while receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
The Tigers return the vast majority of their offensive production from last year, including outfielder Cayla Kessinger, a 2020 Second-Team All-American, according to Softball America. Kessinger, along with major offensive contributors Brooke Wilmes, Jazmyn Rollin, and Hatti Moore look to lead a potent Tiger offense in 2021.
Mizzou also returns a number of young pitchers, led by Jordan Weber, Emma Nichols and Megan Schumacher, who combined for a 12-6 record and 134.1 innings pitched in 2020. The freshmen accounted for over 75% of the Tigers’ innings pitched in the 2020 season.
Mizzou has yet to release a full 2021 Schedule.
Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Softball. Tiger fans can also follow the program on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@MizzouSoftball).
