COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri will have some new faces playing the infield next season in softball.
Junior Rylee Pierce and sophomore Braxton Burnside have both announced they will transfer - Pierce to Arizona and Burnside to Arkansas, both via Twitter. Pierce put in her notice at the end of the season, before the Tigers hired head coach Larissa Anderson.
"Thank you Missouri for giving me 3 years of life lessons, friends, family, memories, and joy," Pierce said. "I am so grateful and honored to have been one of the many to wear 'Missouri' across my chest.
"Coach E (former Missouri head coach Ehren Earleywine) and the softball program were a dream come true. Thank you to the softball staff, fans, boosters, community and University for giving me the opportunity to represent Missouri."
The Visalia, Calif., native played first and third base and caught, and played in all 59 games this past season. She hit .318 in 176 at-bats with a .417 on-base percentage and .523 slugging percentage. Pierce was third on the team in hits (56) and home runs (8) and led the team with 12 doubles and 31 walks. Pierce was named second-team All-SEC this season and was twice SEC Player of the Week in her three years at Missouri. She finishes her career as a Tiger a .306 hitter.
Arizona finished 43-16 and was swept by UCLA at the Los Angeles Super Regional. The Wildcats return every starter from its 2018 infield and designated player positions.
Burnside, a Paragould, Ark., native, played shortstop, and came to Missouri in part because of its journalism school.
"Missouri thank you for all you have done for me," she said. "You gave me all I ever wanted and that was to play college softball in the SEC. You gave me some of the best teammates I've ever had and I'll be forever thankful for that My 2 years at Missouri taught me so much about myself and who I am as a softball player. And I can't forget to mention how big of an impact Coach E had on me from the moment I stepped on campus. To all the coaches, staff and fans, I want to thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Missouri Tiger family. Unfortunately, it's time for me to move on."
Burnside was a 2017 Freshman All-SEC honoree and set a program record and tied an SEC record with 10 RBI in a single game as a freshman. She hit .275 as a sophomore with a .306 on-base percentage and a .406 slugging percentage, and finishes a .287 career hitter with the Tigers.
The Razorbacks made an NCAA Super Regional for the first time in program history this season and shortstop A.J. Belans, who started every game at shortstop in 2018, just wrapped up her senior season.