What’s next for Missouri softball after SEC championship loss?

Saturday proved to not be Missouri’s day.

The Tigers, who got here into the SEC event because the seventh seed, earlier than making a run to the championship sport, fell 4-0 to top-seeded Arkansas in a sport held at Florida’s house area. 

“They utterly outplayed us immediately,” Missouri head coach Larissa Anderson mentioned after the sport “Outpitched us, outhit us. Congratulations to them, they had been unbelievable immediately. General, very very pleased with our crew. Clearly disappointing final result, however we competed.” 

Missouri solely managed two hits all through Saturday’s sport, with Arkansas pitcher Chenise Delce incomes 5 strikeouts on the day. The Razorbacks took Missouri’s pitching employees for 11 hits on the day. 

Anderson had excessive reward for Delce, who was named the SEC’s pitcher of the yr. 

“She flat out beat us,” Anderson mentioned. “She’s obtained nasty motion and he or she has unbelievable management and we had been simply by no means capable of get on time and sq. it up.” 

What’s subsequent for Mizzou softball?

Missouri’s consideration now turns to Sunday’s NCAA event choice present. The Tigers, who ranked 18th nationally in RPI going into the SEC championship sport, a bubble crew so far as internet hosting a regional.  

A win in opposition to Arkansas might have propelled Missouri even nearer. After the sport, Anderson tried to not speculate as to the crew’s subsequent vacation spot. 

“I’m not on that committee so I’m not even going to attempt to faux that I do know what they’re considering,” Anderson mentioned. “The entire purpose of this program is all the time to be peaking on the proper time and having momentum carrying into the postseason, which we’re doing proper now.” 

Regionals will probably be held at 16 campus websites, which will probably be revealed Sunday. Every of these will conduct a four-team, double elimination event and the winners will transfer on to the tremendous regionals. 

Regionals will happen Could 20-22. Tremendous regionals will run Could 26-29. 

Anderson mentioned she was hopeful that Missouri could be among the many 16, with the Tigers’ late-season run placing them within the working to host a regional sport.

“I feel we put ourselves within the dialog,” Anderson mentioned. “Which is all we actually wished to do, is to be in that dialog to have a chance to host, so it’d be nice if we did. If not, we’re going to present our greatest effort wherever we do go. The massive factor is, we’re going to be within the present.” 

After tremendous regionals, the remaining eight groups will head to Oklahoma Metropolis for the Ladies’s School World Sequence, which consists of a double elimination event, with the ultimate two groups competing in a three-game collection. 

The WCWS will run from June 2 by June 9 or 10. The NCAA event choice present is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on Sunday and will probably be televised on ESPN2

Matt Stahl is the Missouri athletics beat reporter for the Columbia Every day Tribune. Observe him on Twitter @mattstahl97.