Columbia Super Regional Preview: How Missouri Softball Can Take Down Duke

Two wins over the Blue Devils will mark MU's first Women's College World Series Appearance since 2011.

Missouri Athletics

For No. 7 Missouri softball, the road to Supers was all but super.

In order to get there, they had to fight. After becoming the only host to drop its first game, the Tigers needed to win four straight elimination games in order to make Super Regionals. In their way were iron pitching arms, dangerous offenses and the knowledge that only one loss would end what'd been a spectacular season for Larissa Anderson's crew.

But, like they had several times this season, Missouri kept finding ways to win.

Some of the contributions made were unexpected. For example, against Washington, Jenna Laird hit her first home run since Apr. 29, 2022. Madison Walker, who hadn't recorded a hit since Mar. 26, lifted Missouri to Supers with a pinch-hit, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth in the second of Sunday's two games against Omaha.

But for the most part, many of Missouri's brightest stars shined when their team needed them the most. In the day's first game against Omaha, Alex Honnold's heroic two-run home run in the seventh inning spurred a five-run frame that kept the Tigers alive. Throughout the weekend, the top of Missouri's lineup carried the offensive load, as Laird (seven hits, two RBIs, one home run) Honnold (six hits, two RBIs, one home run), Maddie Gallagher (one hit, two RBIs, three walks) and Abby Hay (six hits, four RBIs, one home run) were all instrumental in their team's success last weekend.

However, no one put together a more Herculean effort than Laurin Krings, who kept Missouri afloat while its bats were dormant over the final two games against Omaha. Not including the five-run seventh inning in the first game, the Tigers registered nine hits and one run in 13 innings. Kamryn Meyer and Sydney Nuismer had MU in a straitjacket offensively...but Krings had an even tighter hold on the Mavericks. After allowing just one hit in five innings in the first game, Krings put Missouri on her back amidst a nine-inning marathon, registering a 15-strikeout masterclass that was only rivaled by her 17-pitch no-hitter last season against North Texas.

Her dominance also included the two previous games against Indiana and Washington. Over a 48-hour span, Krings appeared in four games, compiling 364 pitches in 25 innings of work. Considering the stakes as well, it was one of the most legendary pitching stretches in program history.

Now, Missouri gets a date with No. 10 seed Duke, who steamrolled through the ACC and the Durham Regional for its third consecutive appearance in Super Regionals. The Blue Devils also probably feel like they should be hosting, as they entered Selection Sunday with just six losses and ranked third in RPI. However, they were dinged for a softer strength of schedule, as they had the third-worst SOS of the top-16 teams in RPI). Duke enter Columbia riding high, but so will its opponent.

Here are two keys to Missouri punching its first ticket to Oklahoma City since 2011:

Support the pitcher

Seemingly every NCAA Softball Tournament has been littered with shutdown pitchers, but this one seems especially crowded with talented arms.

Next round's opponent, Duke, is no different. The Blue Devils have a lethal one-two punch at pitcher in Jala Wright and Cassidy Curd whose contrasting pitching styles could push Duke to its first WCWS appearance in program history.

Statistically, Wright is one of the top pitchers in the nation. The ACC Pitcher of the Year is third in ERA (1.51) and hasn't given up more than three earned runs in any start since May 28, 2022 against UCLA. In Regionals, neither Morgan State nor South Carolina could really touch Wright; she finished the Durham Regional allowing just six hits and no earned runs while striking out 17 batters in 13 and two-thirds innings pitched.

On tape, Wright presents another difficult challenge for Missouri's batters. Unlike Kamryn Meyer, who leaned primarily on fastballs and riseballs, Wright's strongest pitches are her dropball and changeup. It's not just any off-speed pitch; it's mean. The ball drops in a split-second; it's mean, nasty and, most of all, Missouri's kryptonite. All season long, the Tigers have struggled against off-speed pitchers; Wright is one of the best, if not the best off-speed pitchers in the nation.

Curd, on the other hand, deploys a big three of fastball, curveball and riseball. The menacing lefty has bamboozled most batters in her path over her first two years at Duke en route to a 29-6 record and an ERA of just 1.53. She also improved her strikeout-to-walk ratio dramatically from her freshman to sophomore year; last season, it was around 3.06:1. This season, it's skyrocketed to 5:1.

Plus, Duke has a reliably third option in Lillie Walker out of the bullpen in case one (or both) of Wright and Curd are struggling at any point. Unlike Omaha, the Blue Devils don't need to rely super heavily on their top two starters, which is a gift that not too many programs have.

This weekend will be MU's toughest mountain to climb offensively; considering how inept it was in three games against Omaha, Anderson's squad will likely have to take a big jump this time around if they want to keep playing softball into June. While Missouri has proven they can win low-scoring games (the Tigers combined for just eight runs in their three SEC Tournament wins), elite pitching can only take them so far. They haven't scored more than five runs in a game since Apr. 12; while there's a chance that the winner of the Columbia Super Regional scores less than 10 combined runs, Missouri will put itself in a far better position to win if it can gave its pitchers more run support then it has been.

Remain resilient

At some point this weekend, Missouri will likely have its back against the wall. It might not just be because of Duke's incredible pitching; DU is also exceptional at the plate.

The Blue Devils rank 12th in the nation in batting average (.331), ninth in on-base percentage (.412) and are adept at scoring late. They're 4-1 in extra-inning contests and have propelled themselves to wins right before or during the seventh inning in close games numerous times.

That charge is led by right fielder and ACC Player of the Year Claire Davidson. The smooth-swinging lefty is one of the most prolific hitters in the country; she's ninth in batting average (.440), eight in OBP (.539), sixth in RBIs (67), has hit 18 home runs and, like Honnold, is a doubles queen, as she has 19 to her name this season (Honnold has 21). Davidson also enters Columbia white-hot; she's on a nine-game hitting streak and went a ridiculous 8/12 during the Durham Regional.

Essentially, Duke is a very complete team. While their schedule wasn't as hard as other top teams, schedule difficulty isn't often that team's fault. Besides, the Blue Devils played extremely well against Quadrant I opponents, going 16-4. Their only other two losses this season were to Quadrant II teams. They took care of business, and oftentimes, they did it in dominant fashion.

But Missouri has a bunch of quality players themselves on both sides of the ball that have not only been on big stages before, but have also shown up in those crucial moments, too. Earlier in the season, they were no-hit by Texas A&M Commerce, but won because Cierra Harrison also threw a no-hitter. Several batters have delivered in the clutch, and they have arguably the best closer in the nation in Taylor Pannell to shut the door on close games. Speaking of close games, the Tigers, like the Blue Devils, also know how to win tight contests, as they're 11-5 in one-run games and are 3-1 in extra-inning games.

Missouri was built for this moment. Now, the Tigers have the opportunity to prove that statement true.

First pitch is set for Friday at 1 p.m. CST. The second game is scheduled for Saturday noon CST.