Big 12 schedule begins Friday for MU softball

COLUMBIA — Lindsey Ubrun’s season totals have placed her name among the great hitters in MU softball history. The Maryland tranfer’s 13 home runs and 44 RBI both rank in the top 10 single-season totals ever posted by a Missouri player. And she hasn’t even played a conference game yet.

The Tigers will begin Big 12 play against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at 5:30 p.m. Friday at University Field. Ubrun, who is batting .368 this season, has helped lead the Tigers to a 28-7 record to begin the season. The team was picked to finish forth in the 10-team conference by Big 12 coaches before the season began.

But Ubrun sees little point in celebrating her success.

“I don’t think I’m there yet. I set goals in the beginning, and I haven’t reached those yet,” she said, “so I’m still just trying to grit it out and get there by Big 12, which is going to be when the real season really starts. We’re not really worried about what we did up to now because it’s not really that important compared to Big 12.”

In what has become a signature of the team, she also talked about the need for both she and the team to make adjustments and continue to get better.

“I think we’re going to just try to continue to improve,” she said. “We all have stuff that we want to fix.”

MU coach Ehren Earleywine said his team, which had its 19-game winning streak ended by Bradley University on Wednesday, is prepared for the conference season.

“I think we’re ready,” he said. “For the last 20 or 21 games we’ve been a very, very tough team to beat, and regardless of who we’ve played, we’ve put some pieces of the puzzle together and played really well.”

Freshman centerfielder Rhea Taylor who, along with Ubrun, has carried the offense for much of the season has also put her name in the record books already this season. Taylor has stolen 34 bases in 36 attempts while bunting and slap-hitting her way to a .398 average. MU’s single season record for stolen bases is 46.

However, while both newcomers have cooled off for stretches recently, some familiar faces have returned to form.

Seniors Amanda Renth and Jen Bruck, who both missed several games early in the season as the team struggled to a 7-6 start, have both broken out of slumps.

Bruck’s conditioning has been questioned by Earleywine this season, but he was encouraged when the two-time All-Big 12 selection pitched a her first complete-game shutout of the season Wednesday in the second game of the team’s doubleheader against Bradley.

“You’re talking about a kid who potentially can win the Big 12 for you on the mound, and we needed her to be able to go seven innings,” he said. “It looked like today that she’s able to do that strong, so there’s one good outing we’re going to get from somebody this weekend right there.

Bruck was also satisfied with her performance as well as her endurance.

“I feel strong enough to go seven now, and I hope I keep getting those chances,” she said, “and as long as I keep performing I think I will.”

After leading the team in innings pitched the last two seasons Bruck (5-3) is currently third on the team in that category. Michigan transfer Stacy Delaney is 12-3 with a 1.40 ERA while sophomore Jana Hainey is 10-1.

The Tigers started this season with 10 new players, eight freshmen and two transfers. As a result Bruck said she has tried to prepare the new players their first Big 12 game.

“Pitching is the biggest difference,” she said. “We’re going to see a lot more consistently great pitchers. I think that’s something that our hitters need to be aware of, especially the young ones, so they’re not surprised or anything and go right at them.”

MU began the season nationally-ranked but dropped out early in the season. Despite its recent winning streak, the team has not come close to re-entering the Top 25 in either of two national polls. Bruck attributed this to MU not having played many ranked teams.

“I know people keep talking about (how we) haven’t played anybody and this and that, but as a senior I know what’s in the Big 12 and there are some other leaders on this team that know what’s in the Big 12,” Bruck said.

Still, she said the team’s goal is to win the conference title.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that we have the potential and that we’re capable of doing that,” she said.

Oklahoma State is 14-14 this season. The Cowgirls were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12.