Joplin, Mo. - The 25th ranked Missouri Southern softball program is set to begin the 2023 MIAA Softball Tournament against Emporia State on Wednesday, May 3rd at 5:30pm from the Envista Softball Complex on Field One.

Southern (36-11, 21-5 MIAA) finished second in the MIAA regular season standings while being ranked second in the latest NCAA Regional rankings and in the NFCA poll is 25th as announced by the organization on Tuesday, May 2nd. This season the Lions had nine earn All-MIAA honors with selections in the first-team, second-team, honorable mention and gold glove. 

As a team Southern was one of the better offenses in the MIAA and Division II with a .314 average and per game had 5.9 runs, 8.6 hits, 1.7 doubles, 0.9 home runs, 3.7 walks and 1.7 stolen bases. The pitching staff has a 2.61 ERA and 1.30 WHIP from 318.2 innings to strike out 5.6 batters per game and hold opponents to a .252 average. 

Yazmin Vargas is a first-team outfielder after hitting .415 with 39 runs scored, 49 hits, 14 walks drawn and 30 stolen bases. Leighton Withers a second-team second basemen is hitting .403 with 25 runs scored, 52 hits, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs, Adrianna Young who was named to the Gold Glove team is hitting .339 with 28 runs, 40 hits, four doubles, 13 RBIs and stolen 10 bases with a 1.000 fielding percentage recording 69 putouts and five assists. In conference play Young was second in the MIAA for batting average .450 and on-base percentage .548 while stealing eight bases. Emily Perry an honorable mention outfielder hitting .338 with 34 runs, 47 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBIs and nine stolen bases. Josie Tofpi an honorable mention short stop hit .326 with 28 runs, 46 hits, nine doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs. Ashlynn Williams an honorable mention catcher hit .297 with 27 runs, 41 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs and 28 RBIs. Kara Amos an honorable mention utility/pitcher hit .297 with 30 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 22 RBIs. Katie Gray an honorable mention first basemen is hitting .263 with 20 hits, five doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs.

Bailey Lacy leads the pitching staff with a 12-2 record, 2.06 ERA and 1.27 WHIP from 27 appearances, 12 starts with four complete games, three shutouts and two saves. In 98.1 innings of work Lacy has struck out 96 and is holding opponents to a .230 average while in conference games posted MIAA bests in ERA (1.33), opponent batting average (.204), WHIP among qualified pitchers (1.02) and fewest runs allowed (18) with the second fewest earned runs allowed (13) fourth most strikeouts (72) in the 13th most innings (68.1) for the third best strikeouts per seven innings rate (7.40). Avery Tallman an All-MIAA honorable mention selection is 15-2 with a 2.22 ERA, 1.21 WHIP from 27 appearances, 18 starts for six complete games and a save. In 107.0 innings Tallman has stuck out 55 and is holding opponents to a .252 average. Natale Bates is 7-4 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.45 WHIP from 20 appearances, 11 starts, two complete games and a save. In 70.1 innings Bates has stuck out 74 and is holding opponents to a .272 average. Amos is 2-3 with a  3.91 ERA and 1.37 WHIP from 19 appearances, six starts, two complete games and two saves. In 43.0 innings Amos has struck out 36 and is limiting opponents to a .267 average.

Emporia State (33-21, 13-13 MIAA) finished the MIAA regular season in seventh and had one lone All-MIAA performer.

As a team the Hornets are hitting .277 and per game had 4.9 runs, 6.9 hits, 1.0 doubles, 0.4 home runs, 2.8 walks and 2.9 stolen bases. The pitching staff has a 3.80 ERA and 1.53 WHIP from 346.2 innings to strike out 3.6 batters per game and hold opponents to a .283 average.

Ari Cordova was a second-team designated player with a .378 average, 21 runs scored, 37 hits, nine doubles, three triples, two home runs, 32 RBIs and has stolen 21 bases. Emma Furnish is the other hitter to average better than .300 at .302 with 28 runs scored, 49 hits, four triples and 26 RBIs. Abbey Ward (.287), Alexis Dial (.264) and Lexi Williams (.259) round out the hitters stealing 20 or more bases this season with Ward leading the MIAA with 36, Williams had 29 and Dial finished with 22.

Gracie Rabe is 14-8 with a 2.58 ERA, 1.25 WHIP from 24 appearances, 19 starts with 10 complete games and two shutouts. In 125.0 innings Rabe has stuck out 62 batters and is holding opponents to a .260 average. Josie Harrison is 6-4 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.52 WHIP from 17 appearances, 10 starts with four complete games, two shutouts and a save. In 64.1 innings Harrison has struck out 52 and is holding opponents to a .259 average. Sydney Righi is 4-5 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.56 WHIP from 23 appearances, 14 starts, six complete games and two saves. In 78.2 innings Righi has struck out 38 and is holding opponents to a .300 average. 

Following the matchup between the Lions and the Hornets the winner will advance to play the winner of the Rogers State vs. Missouri Western game on Thursday, May 4th at 6:30pm with the losing teams squaring off at 4:00pm with those games being played at Field One.