COLUMBIA, Mo. – Three University of Missouri Softball players signed professional contracts with the New York Rise, the organization announced Wednesday. Jenna Laird, Alex Honnold and Laurin Krings will all join the team ahead of its inaugural 2024 campaign.
Jenna Laird, who hails from East Meadow, New York, will play professionally just down the road from where she grew up as the New York Rise will play its home games at Bill Edwards Stadium on the campus of Hofstra in Hempstead, New York.
She was second on Mizzou in 2024 with a .346 batting average with 73 hits (fourth in the SEC), 14 doubles, 31 RBI and 58 runs. She stole 20 bases with a .436 slugging percentage (.432 on-base percentage).
Laird earned All-SEC (four-time All-SEC player) and All-SEC Tournament honors in 2024 and finished her career with eight SEC postseason honors. She also earned a Rawlings Gold Glove for her play at shortstop in 2022 to go with NFCA All-Region and SEC All-Tournament honors and was named 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year.
Laird completed her career as the all-time Mizzou consecutive games played leader with 246 career games (all starts). She finished her career ranked in Mizzou’s top 10 for batting average (.351, ninth), at bats (794, second), hits (279, third), doubles (50, fifth), runs (200, fourth) and stolen bases (84, fifth). She also ranks sixth for runs in a single season (58), ninth for hits (73) and third for at bats (211).
Alex Honnold, a West Des Moines, Iowa, native, led the SEC with a Mizzou single season record 21 doubles (sixth in the NCAA) and was fourth in the conference for hits 73 this season.
Overall, the 2024 NFCA Southeast Third Team All-Region and All-SEC Second Team Selection, paced Missouri with a .348 batting average, starting and playing in all 66 games in center for the Tigers. She notched 51 runs, 73 hits, two triples, six homers, 37 RBI with 14 stolen bases and a .552 slugging percentage (.426 on-base percentage).
She finished her Mizzou career ranked in the program’s top-10 for doubles (50, fifth) and walks (98, seventh). In a single season, she is the program leader for doubles (21), along with ninth for hits (73), and fourth for at bats (210).
Honnold appeared in 229 career games (214 starts) at Mizzou and is a career .331 hitter (.435 on-base percentage, .543 slugging percentage). She was named a 2023 NFCA All-American and a Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year.
Laurin Krings, a Loveland, Colorado, native, paced Missouri in 2024 with a 17-10 record to go with a 2.38 ERA over 30 appearances (35 starts) with nine complete games.
Krings, a 2024 NFCA All-Region pitcher, led the Tigers throughout the 2024 NCAA Columbia Regional. She started all four of Mizzou’s victories, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.56 earned run average. Krings also struck out 24 batters over 25.0 innings of work, allowing just two earned runs on 15 hits and five walks.
She was also named to both the SEC All-Defensive and SEC All-Tournament Team in 2024.
Krings finished her Mizzou career ranked in the Tigers top-10 for appearances (136, eighth), innings pitched (604.2, ninth), strikeouts (599, sixth) and wins (56, 10th). She threw two no-hitters and a perfect game over her career.
The New York Rise are a professional fastpitch team competing in their first season in 2024. Based on Long Island, New York, the Rise will participate in regular season games this summer as an independent team in the AFP (Association of Fastpitch Professionals) and compete in the Champion Cup at the end of July 2024.
The New York Rise open their 2024 campaign Wednesday, June 19 against the Oklahoma City Spark in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Rise commence their home slate with a series against the Florida Vibe July 1-3.
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