Mizzou Softball: What Happened, What’s Next

This wasn’t really Mizzou Softball’s play was expected to end.

All nan Tigers needed were six outs against Auburn to unafraid eligibility for an at-large postseason bid hardly surpassing nan .500 people — thing they haven’t done since their 2024 Super Regional appearance.

Then nan wheels fell off.

Within minutes, Auburn had erased a 2-0 deficit, and created a 4-2 lead complete MU pinch clip moving out. The spread turned to 4 runs successful what turned into a full illness by nan Tigers and they couldn’t find immoderate runs to get backmost successful it.

So now, nan Tigers caput into nan offseason pinch a lot of questions to beryllium asked astir what happened, why it happened and who’s responsibility it whitethorn be. But those questions don’t really matter. The existent mobility connected nan table: what’s next?

Despite missing nan NCAA Tournament successful back-to-back years for nan first clip since nan early 2000s, 1 point tin beryllium said astir nan Mizzou team: not only were they knocking connected nan doorway astatine a postseason bid, but they are so young.

Freshman Abby Carr led nan squad successful location runs (12) and RBI (44) on pinch being a staple reliever successful nan circle this season. Freshman Sidney Forrester vanished 2nd successful location runs (10) and vanished nan play pinch a cleanable fielding percentage. Even freshman Addy Waits, who struggled early successful nan season, recovered her measurement precocious and became a awesome leadoff hitter for nan Tigers. Waits and Arkansas’ Brinli Bain were nan only 2 freshmen nationally pinch 40+ walks this season. All these freshmen played major roles connected nan team’s occurrence and could beryllium awesome options for Mizzou adjacent season. But pinch nan existent landscape, who knows if they stay?

While Carr is in-state (St. Louis, Lafayette HS) and apt has a tie to Missouri, what astir apical enlistee Sidney Forrester? She was nan No. 17 enlistee successful nan Class of 2025 and 1 of nan fewer recruits successful nan apical 20 to beryllium eliminated from postseason play. I wouldn’t beryllium amazed if Oklahoma comes knocking astatine nan doorway for nan Miami, Okla. native. Carr sat astatine No. 75 successful nan recruiting rankings arsenic a precocious schooler, but her banal has done thing but rise. She would beryllium a pick of nan harvest transportation for immoderate awesome squad looking for a two-way player.

The talent is undeniable, but successful nan modern era of assemblage athletics, recruiting your ain roster is conscionable arsenic important arsenic hitting nan way for caller prospects. For Larissa Anderson and her staff, nan apical privilege this summertime isn’t conscionable uncovering caller pieces—it’s ensuring that nan instauration built by Carr, Forrester and Waits remains successful Columbia.

Plenty of questions person roseate complete nan past 2 seasons arsenic to whether caput coach Larissa Anderson is fresh for nan occupation arsenic caput coach of nan Missouri Tigers. While she had precocious points — for illustration a 42-17 play successful 2021 that led to hosting Super Regionals, and an moreover amended 48-win play and Super Regional quality successful 2024 — nan caller inconsistency shows that possibly those seasons mightiness person been an outliers alternatively than a caller standard.

For a programme for illustration Mizzou, missing nan postseason is rare. Missing it doubly successful a statement feels impossible. Prior to missing nan past 2 postseasons pinch records beneath .500, nan Tigers hadn’t missed back-to-back tourneys since nan early 2000s. Prior to missing nan playoffs successful 2025, Mizzou made 17 consecutive postseason appearances — excluding COVID, successful which nan Tigers vanished nan play astatine No. 25 — stretching backmost to 2007. This streak explains why nan 2025 and 2026 results are coming nether specified heavy occurrence from nan fanbase.

While nan younker is simply a agleam constituent for Mizzou, numbers are suggesting that nan programme is idling. Under Anderson, Mizzou has dipped beneath a .500 convention winning percent (.453) and vanished astatine aliases adjacent nan bottommost of nan SEC 2 of nan past 4 seasons. In an uber-competitive league, back-to-back seasons without postseason appearances for nan first clip successful 24 years is simply a difficult statistic to ignore.

Anderson has 2 years and $825,000 guaranteed remaining connected her statement that was signed correct aft nan 2024 Super Regional appearance. If Mizzou were to occurrence her, they would beryllium 75% of that remaining money ($618,750). On July 1, that drops to 50% of $412,500. That’s not a batch of money for an SEC school, truthful finances shouldn’t beryllium a problem here. It’s conscionable a matter of whether Laird Veatch believes she is fresh for nan occupation pinch added resources to walk connected recruiting, for instance.

The Tigers are astatine a crossroads. They person (some) of nan talent of a Top-25 programme and nan caller resume of an SEC bottom-dweller. With a manageable buyout, nan ‘wait and see’ attack mightiness beryllium a luxury nan Tigers tin nary longer afford. The modular successful Columbia utilized to beryllium excellence; now, it’s conscionable survival.

Keep an oculus connected nan almanac for July 1. If a alteration isn’t made by then, expect nan management to springiness Anderson 1 last changeable successful 2027.

May 13: On Wednesday, earlier we moreover had chance to station this story, nan first domino fell. Avery Adcock became nan first Tiger to state intentions to participate nan transportation portal this offseason. While nan portal doesn’t technically unfastened until June 8th, and teams aren’t allowed to interaction players astatine this juncture, athletes tin still state their intentions and commencement giving programs an thought of who is available. It will beryllium astonishing if Adcock lone nonaccomplishment this season.