SIUE COUGARS (20-23, 6-10 Ohio Valley)
VS. MISSOURI TIGERS (29-20, 4-14 SEC)

Tuesday, April 25, 6 p.m.
Columbia, Mo./MIzzou Softball Stadium

Follow the Game
Video: SECN+
Audio: None
Live Stats: SIUEStats.com

THREE STRAIGHT: After a 3-1 win Sunday over Tennessee Tech, SIUE has won three consecutive Ohio Valley Conference series. The Cougars have defeated Tennessee Tech, Southern Indiana and Tennessee State. SIUE has remaining OVC series at Morehead State and at home against Lindenwood.
MOVING ON UP: The Cougars leaped into fifth place in the league standings after an 0-8 start to the OVC season.
HITS FOR KING: Lexi King has recorded 50-plus hits in back-to-back seasons after hitting No. 50 at Evansville. The most hits in a season during the Division I era is Haley Chambers Book who had 69 in 2015. King had 68 hits during the 2022 season.
LEADING THE LEAGUE: Paige Rocha is tied for the OVC lead in hits with 54. She is third in the OVC batting race with a .409 batting average.
RBI LEADER: Emma Neuman added a two-run double that proved to be the difference in Sunday's 3-1 win over Tennessee Tech. That also lifted her into the team lead in RBIs with 22. King is next with 20 followed by Rocha with 19.
IMPROVING PITCHING STAFF: SIUE's pitching staff holds a 3.05 earned run average for the season. However, over the last 10 games, the Cougars' pitching staff has a team ERA of 1.79. Sydney Baalman, Rylie Pindel and Kelsey Ray all are under a 2.50 ERA over the last 10 games.
FIRST TO TEN: Baalman won her 10th game of the season Sunday. That matched her previous best in a season set two seasons ago as a freshman.
LOTS OF SAVES: Baalman, Pindel and Ray all have recorded a save this season. Ray leads the team with three, which is tied for the OVC lead. Baalman and Pindel each have one. Baalman recorded the final out last Tuesday at Evansville.
SWIPING BASES: Ten different players have recorded at least one stolen base. King leads SIUE with 14, which leads the OVC.
SERIES VS. MISSOURI: SIUE is 1-5 all-time against the Tigers. Missouri has won four straight games. SIUE won the second game of a doubleheader back in 2009.
START OF AN ERA: After spending nearly the last decade as an assistant coach in the Big Ten Conference, Ben Sorden was tapped as the new leader of the SIUE softball program. Sorden comes to SIUE after holding positions at Michigan State and Indiana, helping the pitching staffs to national honors and top-notch results. The Lone Tree, Iowa, native most recently spent five seasons at Michigan State, where the Spartans sported a 2.38 earned run average and a 1.11 WHIP over 350 innings of play.