Analysis: MU softball has big shoes to fill
Missouri has struggled without pitcher Chelsea Thomas.
Published April 6, 2010
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Missouri junior outfielder Rhea Taylor slides into third base between the legs of Wichita State senior third baseman Lauren Coleman Wednesday at University Field. Taylor and Missouri have struggled since the start of conference play.
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The No. 4 Tigers experienced many highs over the first half of the season. With conference play in action, those highs are slowly evaporating.
Missouri (25-6, 1-3 Big 12) started the season extremely strong with wins against Alabama and Arizona, two nationally ranked teams. The Tigers then went on to win 17 consecutive games, the third-longest streak in the program's history.
The Tigers’ pitching carried the bulk of the load over those winning stretches, with the offense never seeming to string together consistent success.
Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Thomas racked up 12 wins despite getting little run support. With Thomas potentially out for the season with a stress fracture in her forearm, the offense must produce for the Tigers to succeed.
Thomas was injured throughout Missouri's first four conference games, and the void definitely showed. After splitting with No. 12 Oklahoma, the Tigers were swept by No. 15 Oklahoma State this weekend. The Tigers need to bear down with upcoming conference games against Kansas and Texas to get back into the Big 12 race.
Although the Tigers’ offense has struggled, junior outfielder Rhea Taylor has continued her dominance at the top of the order. Along with leading the team with a .425 batting average, Taylor also leads the Big 12 in stolen bases with 18. Taylor set a career milestone March 31 when she became the all-time stolen base leader in Missouri history, swiping her 111th career base.
Two freshmen have also been impressive for the Tigers and should be major contributors for years to come. Third basemen Nicole Hudson and shortstop Jenna Marston have played major roles at the top of the lineup and have been top producers for the Tigers. Marston is batting .349 on the season, and Hudson has provided the power, belting four home runs on the year.
With Thomas out, the Tigers will look to sophomore pitcher Kristin Nottelmann to step up, but she has big shoes to fill. Nottelmann is 7-4 on the season with a 2.04 ERA but has struggled to find consistency as of late. Missouri will also look to senior pitcher Jana Hainey to eat up innings. Hainey will need to regain her confidence after being very inconsistent for the first half of the season. Hainey has the highest ERA on the team at 3.06.
Thomas' injury also opens up opportunities for yet another underclassman to contribute. Freshman Lindsey Muller has been successful this year, logging a 4-1 record and a 1.62 ERA in only seven appearances. Her sole loss came in a tough 1-0 battle with Oklahoma State, yet another example of the stagnant offense.
Texas and Oklahoma State sit atop the Big 12 conference with 4-0 records, with Oklahoma right behind at 3-1. The Tigers need to regroup quickly to have a chance at the Big 12 title.
Missouri will look to get back on track as they square off at home against Kansas in a doubleheader April 7. The Tigers then head to Texas on April 10.