Mizzou Softball adds Power 4 arm in Arizona State’s Mary Peyton Hodge

It’s been a productive offseason for the Missouri Tigers. After South Carolina/Charleston Southern reliever Nealy Lamb committed on June 14 — you can read my post about her here — the Tigers picked up infield depth with the additions of Middle Tennessee shortstop Jana Want on June 21 — read Dylan’s post here — and Georgia infielder Tyah Charlton on June 25— read Dylan’s piece here,

We heard news of a possible commitment on July 1, and on July 18, it became official. Missouri picked up its final portal addition in sophomore Mary Peyton Hodge from Arizona State, who entered the portal on June 18.

As a freshman, Hodge had a bit of a tough go with the maroon & gold, accumulating a 5.88 ERA in 11 appearances (two starts) for the 45-18 Sun Devils that spanned the first two months of the season. In her first collegiate start against Pacific on February 14, the North Carolina native pitched four innings, allowing four hits (one for extra bases) and two runs (one earned), to go with two strikeouts. In her final start, on February 27 against Eastern Illinois, she lasted just two innings, giving up three hits and five runs (four earned), along with a home run, to go with just one strikeout. Nine other appearances were in a relief role.

I’d say Hodge’s best appearance was against UC Riverside on February 26 in which she threw three innings in relief, allowing three hits and one run while working in four strikeouts. She also threw a scoreless inning against Portland State on February 14 and UNLV on February 27.

After being utilized regularly in February, Hodge made two scattered appearances in March — March 7 in her lone Big 12 game against Utah and March 28 against Marist — before being shut down for the season. Why Hodge didn’t play in any of the remaining games on the schedule (including during ASU’s extensive postseason run to Super Regionals), is unknown at this point, but perhaps it was hard for her to carve out a role behind a solid 1-2, one of whom was first team All-American.

Coming into her freshman season, the 5-foot-11 southpaw — I repeat, Mizzou LOVES a tall pitcher — who throws in the low 70s was named to the D1 Softball D100 Freshman Watch List. Hodge earned Pitcher of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025 at Oak Grove High School in Winston-Salem and was named the 2025 Mid-Piedmont Female Athlete of the Year and NC High School OT Pitcher of the Year. Per an article on that Arizona Sun Devils Athletics’ site, Hodge was part of the Birmingham. Thunderbolts 16U and 18U teams, which is notably one of the top travel organizations in the country. While on the Thunderbolts, she sharpened her skills and helped them earn top three finishes at PGF Nationals multiple times, including the top spot in 2024.

“I played for a really hard coach and one of the hardest teams I could possibly play for,” Mary Peyton noted to Arizona State Athletics about her time with the Thunderbolts. N.”Coach Rocky (Thompson) really prepared me to know if I can survive that and all the camps I had to do, then I can survive college.”

“I played for a really hard coach and one of the hardest teams I could possibly play for,” Mary Peyton noted to Arizona State Athletics about her time with the Thunderbolts. N.”Coach Rocky (Thompson) really prepared me to know if I can survive that and all the camps I had to do, then I can survive college.”

I’ll be honest; I was hoping the final roster spot would go to a Cierra Harrison-caliber starter, but judging from her time in Tempe, she may be another addition to the ‘pen. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as at this point they just need MORE ARMS. Let’s hope she gets back to what caught the eye of D1 Softball in the first place, and that she develops under the tutelage of Larissa Anderson and Connor Mammola.