After going 1-4 in a three-day stretch from Friday to Sunday – including two losses to McNeese State and a run-rule loss to Louisiana – Missouri softball returns home looking to find its footing ahead of the Mizzou Invitational.

Through 16 games, the Tigers sit at 5-11, marking the first time head coach Larissa Anderson has had a losing record through as many games since she took over the program in 2018.

The team batting average is .248, the worst in the SEC. Only one Tigers player has an above-.300 average (Abby Hay at .304). The Tigers’ team ERA is 3.80, 10th in the SEC, while the team’s most-experienced pitchers, Marissa McCann and Cierra Harrison, sit with 4.11 and 3.65 ERAs, respectively.

A week away from SEC competition, the Tigers are running short on time to find answers. Hosting Miami of Ohio, Wichita State and Drake in its invitational, the Tigers will look to turn things around.

Last season, they found those answers. Missouri entered the home invitational in a similar situation, coming off a four-game losing streak prior to the weekend. They responded well, finishing 4-0, including a 7-3 victory over Michigan.

Anderson has cited a blue-collar mentality in describing the team culture. That mentality carried the team through a similar stretch last season and she’ll be relying on it again.

“We have an unbelievable work ethic, we’re disciplined, we’re self-motivated, we take pride in what we do, we hold each other accountable,” Anderson said at a Feb. 2 news conference. “I love being the underdog because we’re going to outwork everybody and I want our players to believe that no one’s worked harder than a Mizzou softball player.”

Miami will be the Tigers’ toughest matchup this weekend. After making the postseason five seasons in a row, the RedHawks sit at 10-4 and are ranked No. 14 among mid-majors by D1Softball and No. 18 by Softball America.

Led by a group of powerful hitters, Miami comes to Columbia averaging 6.5 runs per game. In the circle, transfer Presley Hosick has emerged as the team ace, pitching to a 1.55 ERA across 54.1 innings and six complete games. The Tigers will face the RedHawks on Friday and Saturday.

Wichita State, entering the weekend 8-5, is another team Missouri will have to worry about. After an offseason left the roster with no returning players with more than one year of experience, the Shockers have responded well.

American Conference co-freshman of the year Ryley Nihart is the Shockers’ ace, with a 2.72 ERA through 36 innings. The batting has picked up around her. They are batting .290 as a team and have hit 14 homers this season. Missouri plays Wichita State Friday before ending the invite against it Saturday.

The Tigers also play Drake (4-6) Saturday. All games, except the final Wichita State game, will be streamed on SEC Network+.