Mizzou softball gets more time to prepare for SEC opener, as midweek matchup gets postponed for weather

COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)

Although the Mizzou softball team would've loved to open up their home stadium to fans on Tuesday evening, the inclement weather expected to hit Columbia didn't provide ideal conditions. As a result, the Tigers' first game at the Mizzou Softball Stadium will have to wait, but it does gift head coach Larissa Anderson and company four days to prepare for their SEC opener.

"You know, it's a different mindset. The cliche, 'it just means more,' and it does. We have to prepare differently and it's a different part of the season, but facing the same opponent three times is tough. It's extremely tough. So, we have to make those adjustments, Anderson said.

You can watch the full press conference with Coach Anderson in the video player below.

Anderson said there has to be a mentality shift when you enter Southeastern Conference play. The preparation and play is different. Over the years, she's hammered home that every series in this league is the equivalent to an NCAA Regional.

"It's a dog fight," she said. "It's punch-for-punch. If they're punching you, you've got to be able to punch back and defend. You can't stay there and keep taking the hits."

11 out of the SEC's 16 teams find themselves in the Top-25 this season. Needless to say, it's an absolute gauntlet.

On Friday, MU will kickoff the action against Kentucky. It'll be a battle of two teams who are sitting just on the outskirts of the Top-25 polls, but are still receiving votes. Anderson said the Wildcats are very well-coached team and will come into this three-game set with a deep bullpen, which comes with a lot of versatility in the circle.

"They are always aggressive. I mean, they're an extremely aggressive team," Anderson said. "Their ballpark is very fun to play in. It's a hitter's ballpark, so we know that there's going to be a lot of balls in play and we just have to continue to make plays behind them. The big thing for our pitchers is just to keep the ball in the ball park. Let's allow our defense to make plays."

Following an up and down start to the season from the pitching staff, Anderson saw quite a bit of improvement from sophomore Marissa McCann at the Shocker Invitational over the weekend. Mizzou went 3-2 in that tournament, facing two Top-25 teams. The weekend was highlighted by a dominant upset over the No. 16 Nebraska Cornhuskers, where McCann pitched a complete game and allowed just one run on four hits.

McCann also pitched a complete game against No. 15 Oklahoma State, on Friday. Although MU did end up losing that game by one run, the sophomore gave her team a chance with her work on the mound. She allowed four earned runs on eight hits, but started the game with four shut-out innings of softball.

"She has so many tools and she doesn't live on one pitch. That was really interesting coming in [Sunday] against Nebraska for her second time. I mean, she threw one way in game one and really dominated them and Nebraska made great adjustments and then she's able to get people out throwing different pitches in different parts of the zone," Anderson said. "She has to learn how to be an ace. She wasn't an ace last year and she has the ability. You know, some of these outings, we're throwing her against the best competition that we're facing. She's realizing that she can beat anybody in the country."

Junior pitcher Taylor Pannell, who is typically a closer for the Tigers, got another start in the circle over the weekend. She notched her third win of the season, in a complete-game effort against South Dakota State. In that game, the Lee's Summit native only allowed one run on two hits, while striking out seven batters.

Coach Anderson said she is impressed with Pannell's ability to go the distance and is now working the balance of using her as a starter and a closer.

"Her conditioning level is extremely strong for someone who's only thrown one or two innings in their spots. I think that's the most impressive thing, that I'm not seeing a drop-off in her endurance and her pitching endurance," she said. "I know what the potential is of every, single pitcher on our staff and I want it to be the best matchup. Putting Taylor in those situations, it's watching the opposing team and [knowing] Taylor would be the best pitcher in that situation, based on what the hitters' strengths and weaknesses are. Then, being able to set it up for someone else to be able to come in. It also saves our bullpen. It also saves our two starters that we've had, so we're not wearing them down throughout the course of the year."

In addition to that progress from McCann and Pannell, Mizzou also saw the offensive outburst they were looking for out in Wichita. The Tigers plated 39 runs over the course of five games, highlighted by a three-home run weekend for sophomore Madison Walker.

The Olathe, Kansas native has cranked nine home runs in the 2025 campaign, which ranks in the top portion of the country. Coach Anderson said Walker is a player that has figured it out.

"She came in mentally prepared. She's worked extremely hard on her mental game. When she faces our own pitchers in practice, she has such a great game plan. She knows exactly what she's trying to do and she's taken that familiarity of our own pitchers to our opponents. She studies film, she understands what the pitchers throw, what pitches she's looking for, what she's trying to eliminate and she just stays composed," Anderson said.

Up next - Mizzou and Kentucky will kick off SEC action on Friday, March 7 in Lexington. First pitch is slated for 5:30 p.m.