Stacy Delaney can flat out pitch. She came into this weekends series with an earned run average less than one. More strikeouts, 88, than innings pitched 81. What makes it more amazing is that the Michigan native is doing it here.

You can say she pitches slow, call her injury prone, just don't ever tell Delaney she can't do something.

"Her ball moves unbelievably. Her rise is always up, it's tricking batters every time. Her drops the same way. She has three really great pitches," said Jana Hainey, Missouri junior pitcher.

But after two seasons playing for her home-state school, the University of Michigan threw a pitch she didn't see coming.

"I was told I couldn't pitch Big 10 games. That's what I've been working to do my whole high school career so that kind of hurt real deep," said Delaney.

So Delaney decided to make the move out of Michigan and into Missouri.

"When she called I knew it was a no-brainer. I know she went through some tough times there at Michigan not getting to play and that was probably very hard on her emotionally and quite honestly I think it was probably hard on her to leave the state of Michigan because her families there," said MU softball coach Ehren Earleywine.

But now she has a new family at Mizzou.

"She has something to prove to the coaches and everybody else from her home town that she was going to do whatever she set her mind to," said Hainey.

"Because I knew that I could play in these big games. You know, I've proved to myself that I could do it," said Delaney.

Mizzou gave Delaney her chance in the regional championship last season.

Games against Iowa, finally, a shot at Big 10 competition. She beat them, twice.

"We actually call her Grandma, because she's been here for two years. She's older than everyone. She has a lot of wisdom about the game," said Hainey.

But the nickname also has double meaning.

"If her body gets off just a little bit she feels it more than anybody I've ever seen," said Earleywine.

"I think it's kind of funny because I'm always hurt. I came in here with injuries and they started calling me Grandma last year because I had back and hip pain," said Delaney.

Although she's miles away, before every inning starts, Delaney shows she still has Michigan on the mind.

As tribute to a former teammate, she toes in the dirt.

"I write number seven. It's just something I started and I link it back to my best friend who is at Michigan," said Delaney.

"Whatever works for you. You got to do what you got to do, right?" said Earleywine.

Success follows Delaney wherever she goes. Her Michigan teams went to super regionals her first two years. The Tigers did the same for the first time in 14 years a season ago.

Delaney chose to transfer to Mizzou because a former coach is friends with Earleywine.