Columbia, Mo. – A new era in Mizzou Softball begins today as Larissa Anderson has been named the 10th head coach to lead the tradition-rich Tiger program. Anderson, who has spent the past four seasons as head coach at Hofstra University, will be formally introduced at a press conference next month after completing her duties with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) at next week’s NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

“I am thrilled that we were able to recruit Larissa Anderson to Mizzou and am confident that she will build upon the great Tiger Softball tradition that has been established over the last 44 seasons in Columbia,” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk. “She is highly-respected within the coaching community, enjoys an outstanding reputation for player development and has had tremendous success at Hofstra, first as an assistant coach, and then for the last four seasons as head coach.

“From the beginning of our search, our goal was to find a coach who has demonstrated success, academically and on the field, while also sharing our values to Win It Right and I believe we have found that and more in Larissa,” he added. “I look forward to watching Larissa build upon our great tradition and compete for postseason appearances and championships for many years to come.”

In four seasons at Hofstra, Anderson fashioned a 125-69-1 (.644) record with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) titles and four winning seasons. She picked up her 100th career win with the Pride’s 7-2 win over Boston University, March 17, 2018, and posted seven career wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including three in 2018—a 1-0 victory over then-No. 13 Florida State on March 2 and a pair at No. 22 James Madison to claim the CAA Tournament crown.

“I am very proud and honored to be the next head softball coach at Mizzou,” Anderson said. “I want to thank Gina (Fogue) and her staff for their loyalty and dedication to Mizzou Softball. Our future is very bright and I’m ready to get to work to start a new era of Mizzou Softball.”

The 2018 campaign was a historic one for Hofstra Softball, as Anderson led the 24th-ranked Pride to a 41-14 record, the CAA Tournament title and the NCAA Columbia Regional. Hofstra earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by defeating CAA regular-season champion and 22nd-ranked James Madison, 7-4, to claim its 12th CAA title in the sport since joining the league in 2002 and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.

Anderson’s 2018 squad reached the 40-win mark for the 11th time in program history (and first since a school-record 46 wins in 2013), while setting school records for runs scored (334), home runs (70) and RBI (315). Hofstra owned an RPI of 19 against the nation’s 29th-toughest schedule in 2018. Hofstra also garnered a league-high eight CAA postseason honors headlined by Sarah Cornell’s selection as the CAA Pitcher of the Year—the Pride’s 10th such honor all-time and first since 2013, all of which were tutored by Anderson.

In 2017, Hofstra returned to the CAA championship game, as the program registered its 28th-straight winning season (27-23) and earned the No. 2 seed in the CAA Tournament. Anderson picked up her first win over a Top 10 opponent as head coach with a 5-2 victory over No. 10 James Madison. Under Anderson’s direction, Cornell was named first-team NFCA All-Northeast Region as a rookie, while also earning a spot on the All-CAA second team and All-Rookie team.

The Pride posted another winning record in her second season (24-22) and had six student-athletes earn CAA postseason honors and two garner NFCA All-Northeast Region recognition.

In her first season as the storied program’s head coach in 2015, Anderson led Hofstra to the CAA championship and an NCAA Tournament berth, guiding Hofstra to a 38-14-1 record and a spot in the NCAA Gainesville Regional. Anderson and her assistants were named the NFCA Northeast Region’s Coaching Staff of the Year after Hofstra posted a collective 2.05 ERA, smashed 56 home runs and out-scored opponents, 277-129.

Anderson has been part of eight NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year award winners, including seven as an assistant or associate head coach and one as the head coach. In 17 seasons at Hofstra, she helped the Pride to a 610-267-2 (.695) record). Before taking over as head coach from Hall of Famer Bill Edwards, Anderson spent 13 seasons on the Hofstra staff as an assistant, including the last 10 as the associate head coach, helping the program to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and 10 CAA titles. As associate head coach, she helped Hofstra win 24 NCAA Tournament games and make six appearances in the regional finals.

Under Anderson’s guidance, Hofstra hurlers won nine CAA Pitcher of the Year awards in 10 seasons, including four consecutive wins by Olivia Galati from 2010-13 and three from Kayleigh Lotti from 2007-09. Galati was twice named an All-America by the NFCA and was the program’s first-ever first-team pick in 2012 after leading Division I with a 0.95 ERA and a 34-7 record. Anderson helped guide Galati to a NCAA-best 40 wins and 22 shutouts in 2013.

A hallmark of the Hofstra Softball program during Anderson’s tenure was the Pride’s stellar defense. From 2008-13, Hofstra regularly ranked among the nation’s elite in fielding percentage as the Pride was among the Top 20 nationally in five of those seasons. Hofstra ranked first in Division I in fielding percentage during the 2011 season and was fourth in 2008 and 2010, and 16th in 2012 and 2013. Her 2018 team currently ranks sixth nationally with an .979 mark.

An active NFCA member, she chaired its Ethics Committee from 2009-13, and currently serves as its Fourth Vice President on the NFCA executive board and as a member of the NFCA Recruiting Committee and the NFCA Hall of Fame Committee.

Prior to joining the Hofstra staff, Anderson served as an assistant coach for two seasons at LIU Post, where she helped the Pioneers to a combined 75-33 record, including a school-record 42 wins during the 2000 season. She assisted in all facets of the program at LIU Post and was in charge of coaching the pitchers and catchers. Her efforts helped the Pioneers to the 13th-best team earned run average in Division II (1.11) in 2001. She was also part of a C.W. Post staff that received the Northeast Region Division II Coaching Staff of the Year award from the NFCA in 2000.

Anderson spend one season as an assistant coach at Gannon University in 1998, after being named a regional All-American outfielder in 1997. She graduated from Gannon in 1997 with a bachelor’s of science degree in therapeutic recreation.

She is married to former Hofstra Baseball Coach Patrick Anderson, who manages the Washington Nationals Class A affiliate in Hagerstown, Md.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Columbia, Mo. – The University of Missouri has settled a lawsuit brought against its Director of Athletics, Jim Sterk, by South Carolina Head Women’s Basketball Coach Dawn Staley for $50,000. One half of the settlement will be paid to Staley’s non-profit foundation, INNERSOLE, and the other half of the settlement to her attorneys.

“Following a very spirited and intense game I attended in late January between the nationally ranked Missouri and South Carolina women’s basketball teams, I made comments in a local radio interview that were construed to suggest that Coach Staley promoted the negative experiences of racial epithets and spitting,” Sterk said. “I do not believe Coach Staley would promote such conduct, and I sincerely apologize to her for those comments.

“I accept his apology and I appreciate the contribution of $25,000 to INNERSOLE, a not for profit organization I co-founded that provides new sneakers to children who are homeless or in need,” Staley said. “I’m glad we can share in support of this worthy cause and I look forward to moving past this with a continued spirited but positive competition amongst our programs.”

In accordance with University policy, the lawsuit settlement will be paid by the University since Sterk made his comments in good faith while performing his duties as a University employee.

Mizzou AD Jim Sterk Addresses Incidents at MU-South Carolina Women’s Basketball Game

University of Missouri Director of Athletics Jim Sterk addressed his continued concerns about events that occurred at the January 28, 2018 women’s basketball game between the nationally ranked Missouri and South Carolina women’s basketball teams.

“Immediately after the game, several of our student-athletes and staff shared with me experiences they encountered before, during and after our game at South Carolina, including incidents of being spit on, a racial epithet, and other derogatory comments,” he added. “Those actions have no place at any sporting event, and I’m truly sorry that our student-athletes and staff had to endure that type of treatment.

“My concerns about those incidents continue. I appreciate that the Southeastern Conference takes seriously the reports of our student-athletes about inappropriate language and actions directed at them, as well as their efforts to engage in a review of game management issues with South Carolina, which I understand is ongoing.

“All of us, Mizzou and South Carolina included, have obligations to promote a respectful environment for all student-athletes to compete in. It is my sincere hope that we continue to encourage appropriate behavior at all college sporting events. We must condemn that type of negative behavior wherever it might occur and take steps to ensure that no team has to endure type of hostile behavior moving forward. I hope that efforts following the January 28 game will move us toward those goals.”

“Jim and his team have done a great job over the last two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him,” MU Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said. “Additionally, we pledge our support to creating better environments for our athletic competitors and fans, to root for our players and teams, and to end the games respectfully.”

— Mizzou Athletics —

NORMAN, Okla. – Mizzou Softball (30-29) saw its 2018 campaign conclude Sunday after battling throughout four contests this weekend at the NCAA Norman Regional. The Tigers opened their day with a 6-5 triumph over Tulsa, but couldn’t stave off elimination for the third time in two days after falling 7-0 to No. 4 Oklahoma.

#ShowMe Top Performers (vs. Tulsa)

• Lauren Rice: (W) 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K
• Braxton Burnside: 2-for-4, R, HR, 3 RBI
• Brooke Wilmes: 3-for-3, RBI
• Regan Nash: 3-for-4, R, 2B

#ShowMe Top Performers (vs. Oklahoma)

• Madi Norman: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 K
• Danielle Baumgartner: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R
• Amanda Sanchez: 2-for-2

Hear From Coach Fogue

On Sunday’s matchups, 2018 season thoughts…
“Following our first-game loss Friday, we knew we’d be in a battle the rest of the weekend. I’m so proud of our group for showing so much fight these last three games and coming away with two victories. It was a theme for us all year long, as we continually fought until the end in each and every game. It was fitting that our season concluded that way too. While we’re obviously disappointed that we couldn’t advance to the Super Regional round, I’m still so proud of how we played hard and made postseason play. We have a lot of very talented pieces returning in 2019 and I’m excited for what’s in store in the future.”

#MIZ 2018 Season Takeaways

• Following a 2-2 weekend in Norman, Mizzou’s all-time NCAA Regional record now stands at 45-26 (.634).
• With its Sunday victory over Tulsa, the Tigers improved their all-time record against the Golden Hurricane to 6-1.
• The Tigers simply mashed all weekend long at Marita Hynes Field, collectively hitting .324 (36-for-111) with 17 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBI.
• Offensive balance was on display in Norman, as five everyday starters recorded a .300-plus average. Nash paved the way with an outstanding .643 (9-for-14) average, raising her season average from .294 to .321 over the final four games of the year.
• Burnside (.417), Sanchez (.417) and Abby George (.400) also tallied impressive averages this weekend. Perhaps the biggest takeaway was George’s performance, as she tallied starts in centerfield the final three games of the season. Heading into NCAA Regional play, she only had one career start to her credit.
• Mizzou’s offense was its selling point all year long, highlighted by 82 total doubles and 58 home runs. Those season totals rank eighth and ninth all-time in a single-season in program history, respectively.
• Individually, Rylee Pierce turned-in a memorable defensive performance primarily at first base. On the year, Pierce recorded 470 putouts, ranking third-most all-time in a Mizzou single- season.
• Sanchez delivered a typical strong season at the plate in 2018, leading the team in average (.374), home runs (12), RBI (37), slugging percentage (.671) and on-base percentage (.500).
• The West Covina, California, native had an outstanding weekend at the NCAA Norman Regional, hitting .417 with a team-best two home runs and six RBI.
• For her career, Sanchez’s 35 home runs ranks seventh all-time in program history, while her 141 RBI ranks ninth all-time.
• This season, an incredible six individual Tigers finished with 10-plus doubles. Pierce led the way with 12, Wilmes tallied 11 and Sanchez, Cayla Kessinger, Burnside and Callie Martin finished with 10 apiece.— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer threw a complete game in game two of a three-game set against Tennessee, but the Vols hit a pair of solo home runs to earn a 2-1 Friday night win at Taylor Stadium. The loss for Mizzou evens the series at 1-1, resting the postseason fate of both teams on the finale tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.

Plassmeyer’s complete game was just the second of his career, and his first since April 7, 2018, when he fired a complete game shutout vs. Alabama. Plassmeyer recorded 11 strikeouts, his most since February 24 against Northeastern when he had 13. He allowed just five hits and one walk with the two solo homers.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou took the lead early, with a fourth-inning triple by senior RF Trey Harris. Harris’ triple was just the third of his career, and his first since his sophomore year in 2016. Harris was later driven in by senior 3B Alex Samples for the team’s first and only run.

Tennessee got on the board in the next half inning with a solo homer by DH Nico Mascia. It was then Tennessee’s Brandon Chinea who played the role of hero, hitting the go ahead solo home run in the eighth inning on the first pitch of his at-bat. The Tigers threatened in the bottom of the frame, but could not get the run across the plate.

TOP TIGERS

• Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer was sensational in a tough-luck loss, surrendering just two runs on five hits, both via solo homers. He pitched into the eighth inning for the fifth time this season and tossed a complete game, walking just one and striking out 11. It was Mizzou’s first 10+ strikeout performance since T.J. Sikkema had 10 against Vanderbilt on April 19, 2018 and Mizzou’s first complete game since he did so on April 7, 2018, vs. Alabama.
• Senior RF Trey Harris tallied his third career triple and first since hit sophomore season in 2016. He scored Mizzou’s only run Friday. He added a ninth-inning single, giving him his team-leading 18^th multi-hit game of the season.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

“I don’t think we really attacked it worrying about striking out tonight like we did last night. It was more of just we needed to get control of the strike zone and swing at good pitches. Just a poor offensive performance tonight, that’s about all I can say about it.”

NOTES

• Despite the loss, Mizzou still leads the all-time series with Tennessee, 11-6.
• Mizzou falls to 25-9 in night games this season.
• Mizzou falls to 7-7 on Fridays this season.
• Mizzou will now need to win tomorrow to secure a spot in next week’s SEC Tournament.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and Tennessee will play Saturday at 2 p.m. in the regular season finale at Taylor Stadium. The winner will advance to next week’s SEC Tournament while the loser will miss the postseason. It is also senior day as Mizzou will pay tribute to its six seniors.

— Mizzou Athletics —