April 25, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri softball team moved into the ESPN.com/USA Softball national poll for the first time in the 2007 campaign Tuesday afternoon, ranking 21st with a 33-19 record. Missouri's softball program is the 11th Tiger athletics team this season to rank nationally in their respective sport and marks the fourth straight year in which a Tiger softball squad has been ranked at least once throughout the course of the season.

The Tiger softball team gained the attention of the nation after sweeping then-ninth ranked Texas in a two game home series March 31 and April 1. Most recently, the Tigers split back-to-back weekend series' with No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 5 Texas A&M. Currently 9-2 in Big 12 play, the Tigers stand second in the league behind No. 8 Baylor, who owns an 11-15 mark.

Missouri is one of five Big 12 schools to rank among the top-25 in the nation with Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor all ranked among the top 10. Texas, with a 29-15 overall record, has dropped to No. 23.

Missouri's upcoming weekend series with No. 8 Baylor, which begins Saturday, April 28, at 2 p.m. (CT), in Waco, Texas, will mark the Tiger's 11th top-25 opponent of the season.

Local fans have four remaining opportunities to see their nationally ranked Tigers in action. Missouri will host a Thursday, April 26 makeup doubleheader against Iowa State beginning at 3 p.m (CT) on University Field, followed with the regular season finale against Nebraska, May 5 and May 6 at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. The Tiger's ISU doubleheader was originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, but a forecast for heavy rain in the mid-Missouri region postponed the Big 12 meeting.