April 9, 2013

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou softball team (23-4, 8-3 SEC) was ranked eighth and ninth in the country by the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 polls, respectively, the organizations announced on Tuesday.

The two rankings match the Tigers' all-time best of 10-straight polls in the national Top 10. Mizzou has appeared in the Top 10 dating back the 2013 preseason polls.

Head coach Ehren Earleywine also led the Mizzou squad to a 10-poll stay in the Top 10 rankings from the final poll of the 2009 season (June 9 - No. 8/8) to the Week 8 poll of the 2010 season (April 6 - No. 7/8).

Mizzou went 1-2 at No. 4 Alabama from Friday, April 5-Sunday, April 7, winning the Saturday, April 6, game by a score of 9-4. Senior pitcher Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) started all three of the Top 10 matchups in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Multi-hit games in the series were recorded by sophomore SS Corrin Genovese (East Amherst, N.Y.), freshman 2B Emily Crane (Troy, Mo.), sophomore CF Kayla Kingsley (Oklahoma City, Okla.), senior catcher Jenna Marston (St. Louis, Mo.) and redshirt freshman OF Carlie Rose (Nixa, Mo.).

Mizzou previously swept their doubleheader at Missouri State on April 3, winning a five-inning, 12-0 game before taking a 7-0 result from the Bears.

The Tigers reside in the USA Today/NFCA poll's top 10 with four fellow SEC schools: No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 10 Texas A&M. The entire poll can be viewed here.

Mizzou is joined in the top 10 of the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll by three of the same league opponents: No. 3 Tennessee, No.4 Florida and No. 5 Alabama. The entire poll can be viewed here.

Fans are encouraged to check MUTigers.com and the softball team's social media outlets, @MizzouSoftball and Facebook, for updates and information throughout the season.