2012 (Redshirt Junior): Thomas followed up her record breaking 2011 campaign with another incredible season in 2012, becoming the first player in Missouri history to be named a two-time First Team All-American. She was also named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year, becoming just the second player in Big 12 history to win the award more than once. Additionally, Thomas became the second Big 12 pitcher ever to be named Pitcher of the Week on 10 separate occasions, as she won the award four more times in 2012. She finished the year ranked in the top-10 nationally in earned run average (5th - 1.16), strikeouts per seven innings (7th - 9.3) and hits allowed per seven innings (4th - 3.91). She also finished 11th in shutouts (12), 13th in strikeouts (306) and 19th in victories (27). She was second in the conference in saves (3), shutouts and opponent batting average (.162). Her season ERA was third-best in the Big 12, while she also finished third in wins, innings pitched (229.1), strikeouts, starts (35) and complete games (23). In conference play, Thomas led the league with a 1.08 ERA while also recording the most strikeouts (16), saves (3) and opponent batting average (.168) in Big 12 games. Her 11 wins was third-best in the league, while her four shutouts in Big 12 games was tied for second-most. Thomas opened 2012 with a complete game shutout over Troy, giving up just two hits in the win. In her next start, Thomas tossed the ninth no hitter of her career, doing so against No. 5 Washington at the Cathedral City Classic. The only blemish against Thomas was an infield error by the Tigers, and she struck out eight without issuing a walk. Career no hitter No. 10 came exactly one week later, as she threw a perfect game against Saint Louis on March 3. Thomas struck out eight in the 8-0, five inning victory that marked Thomas' fourth career perfect game. The next day, Thomas struck out 13 UMKC batters in a complete game shutout. From March 3-23, Thomas recorded 46.0 consecutive scoreless innings, a new career high that bested her 2011 mark of 43.0 straight scoreless frames. On the year, Thomas had 13 double-digit strikeout performances and did so in back-to-back games in late March. Against Texas A&M on March 25, Thomas struck out 11 batters in 7.1 innings of work and matched that total in just 4.1 innings against Evansville on March 28. She helped Mizzou sweep Baylor with a complete game shutout on April 1, striking out 10 while giving up just two hits and two walks. Despite giving up 12 hits to Texas on April 5, Thomas worked through it to pick up the win, striking out 12 batters in the team's 11-4 victory. She threw seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts the following day to help Mizzou claim the rubber match over the Longhorns. She had three straight games with double-digit strikeouts the following week, setting down 11 in consecutive games against Texas Tech, while striking out 15 batters - a season high - in 9.2 innings of work in the opener with Oklahoma. Against Iowa State, Thomas struck out 11 batters in just four innings in Mizzou's 9-0 win on April 27. On May 11 against Oklahoma State, Thomas threw Mizzou's first no hitter against a Big 12 opponent since 1991, striking out 12 Cowgirls while walking two in the 4-0 win. The next day, Thomas came out of the pen for 2.1 hitless innings, striking out five while registering her third save of the year. In the regular season finale, Thomas and the Tigers defeated Oklahoma State by a 1-0 score in 10 innings. Thomas threw a complete game shutout with 13 strikeouts to complete the sweep for Mizzou, breaking the 29-year-old school strikeout record in the process. The following week, Thomas tossed two more shutouts to start the NCAA Regionals, which included a 10 strikeout performance in a nine inning win over DePaul to send Mizzou to the finals. The only run she gave up in the NCAA Regionals came to Illinois State in the sixth inning of the championship game, snapping a streak of 41.1 consecutive scoreless innings. In Mizzou's lone win over LSU in the Super Regionals, Thomas threw all 11 innings, working past four walks while striking out eight to force a decisive game three. Her 306 strikeouts on the season are second-most in a single year at Missouri, as she became the second Tiger to cross the 300-strikeout barrier, doing so for the second straight year. She tied for ninth in a single season with 12 shutouts, while her 27 wins tied her for fifth-most in a year. She enters her senior year third in career wins with 87 and third in career shutouts (38). Honors: NFCA First Team All-American, Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, USA Softball Player of the Year Top 25 Finalist, First Team All-Midwest, CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-District, First Team All-Big 12, First Team Academic All-Big 12, Four-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 28, April 3, April 10, May 15)
2011 (Redshirt Sophomore): Posted one of the most impressive pitching seasons in the history of Missouri softball, as Thomas was one of three finalists for USA Softball's National Player of the Year Award, a First Team All-American and a six-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honoree. She led the entire country with a 0.95 earned run average, and finished in the top-10 in hits allowed per seven innings (7th, 3.77), shutouts (T-8th, 13), strikeouts (fourth, 397), strikeouts per seven innings (9th, 10.4) and wins (T-6th, 32). Along with ERA, Thomas led the Big 12 Conference in wins, opponent batting average (.155) and saves (3), while finishing second in the league in strikeouts, shutouts (13) and starts (40). Her 31 complete games were fourth-best in the conference. She tied the school record for wins in a season, and shattered the previous record for strikeouts in a year by more than 100. She posted top-10 single-season records in appearances (T-7th, 44), complete games (T-6th, 31) and solo shutouts (T-6th, 13). Over the course of the season, Thomas posted 18 double-digit strikeout performances. On March 2, she recorded Missouri's first seven inning perfect game since 2002, shutting down Drake with an 11 strikeout performance. After tossing a complete game, three-hitter against SEMO two days later, Thomas threw her second perfect game of the week, this one against Missouri State. In the six inning victory, Thomas struck out 15 of Missouri State's 18 batters. The two perfect games helped Thomas earn both USA Softball National Player of the Week and NFCA National Player of the Week recognition. After tossing a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts over Minnesota, Thomas opened Big 12 play with a win over Kansas, striking out 11 while allowing just two unearned runs in seven innings of work. She shut down Texas Tech twice in Lubbock, throwing 12.1 innings over two days with 17 strikeouts, no walks and just two earned runs while scattering four hits. In mid-April, Thomas put herself on the map nationally with two dominant performances on television against ranked conference rival Oklahoma. In game one, Thomas threw all nine innings, allowing two runs - one earned, and striking out 17 in the win. The following day, the two teams battled into extras again, with Missouri coming out ahead once again, this time in 11 frames. Thomas went the distance again, didn't allow a run, walked just one batter and struck out 17 batters for the second consecutive day. A week and a half later, Thomas combined with Kristin Nottelmann for her third perfect game of the year, throwing four of the five innings against SIU-Edwardsville with 10 strikeouts, the third time this season that Thomas had recorded double-digit strikeouts in just four innings of work. Against Oklahoma State, Thomas flirted with another perfect game but gave up one lone hit to the Cowgirls, their only base runner on the day, while striking out 13. Despite falling to DePaul in game two of the NCAA Regionals, Thomas was brilliant again, allowing just two runs on five hits in 10.2 innings pitched while striking out 11 and issuing zero walks. In game six of the regionals, Thomas helped the Tigers force a decisive final game, as she gave up just one run in seven innings of work against the Blue Demons in Mizzou's 7-3 win. She followed that up with a no-hitter in the Regional Championship game, striking out four DePaul batters in Missouri's 8-0 six inning victory. To open the Super Regional round, Thomas dominated the Washington Huskies, giving up two hits while striking out 13 to put the Tigers one game away from returning to the Women's College World Series. In game two, Thomas worked around 10 hits by the Huskies and gave up only three runs - two earned - while striking out nine to help send Mizzou back to the WCWS. In the first elimination game, Thomas met up with the Sooners for the third time this season, and helped the Tigers to their first WCWS victory since 1991. Thomas took a shutout into the seventh inning and finished the game with six strikeouts and just one run allowed for her 32nd win of the season. The season ended with Thomas taking a heartbreaking loss to the Baylor Bears, as Mizzou fell 1-0 in 13 innings, but Thomas put on one of the top WCWS performances of all time. In 12.2 innings of work, Thomas worked around eight hits, allowed just one run and struck out 19 batters, the second-most in a single game in the history of the Women's College World Series. She finished the year at 32-8 and now owns four of the top-five single game strikeout performances in Missouri history. Honors: USA Softball National Player of the Year Top Three Finalist, First Team All-American, First Team All-Midwest Region, First Team All-Big 12, First Team Academic All-Big 12, NFCA National Player of the Week (March 8), USA Softball National Player of the Week (March 8), WCWS All-Tournament Team, Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Six-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Week (March 8, March 29, April 12, April 19, May 3 and May 17)
2010 (Sophomore): Went 12-1 on the year for a .923 winning percentage, the highest in a single season at Missouri. Opened the season with a dominating performance against No. 2 Alabama, throwing all seven innings, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out 11. Followed that up the next day with a five inning complete game shutout over the Crimson Tide, where she allowed only one walk and struck out 12. Thomas pitched all eight innings against Michigan at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, giving up one run on three hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. Threw her first no hitter of the season in a seven inning complete game against SLU, allowing only one base runners while recording nine strikeouts. Struck out 14 Illinois State batters on March 14, a personal best. Second no hitter of the year came at the Demarini Invitational against Eastern Michigan, as she struck out 10 in six innings. Won her 12th game of the year against Northwestern in another complete game effort, scattering four hits and four walks as she allowed only one run and struck out 13. Thomas struck out 123 batters in 77.1 innings, blowing away the number she put up last year. In 2009, Thomas struck out 116 batters in 148.2 innings. Received medical hardship waiver after suffering a stress fracture injury that put her out for the season. Honors: First Team Academic All-Big 12, Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, NFCA Leadoff Classic Most Valuable Pitcher, USA Softball College Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.
2009 (Freshman): In her first year with the Missouri softball team, Chelsea Thomas helped the Tigers to their first Women's College World Series appearance in 15 years. Managing a 16-7 record, the Tiger freshman made 27 appearances, 24 starts and threw 148.2 innings, striking out 116 of the batters she faced. Managing 10 solo shutouts on the year, a mark that stood 19th in the nation and ties for 10th best in the Missouri single season record book, Thomas tallied a 1.65 ERA, good enough for third best in the Big 12 Conference, and combined with her teammates for a 10-year squad low 1.47 ERA. Thomas made her first career start in the circle Feb. 14 against Virginia Tech. Missouri's right-handed ace threw a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit in five innings of work. Later in the campaign, Thomas was credited with two no-hitters, the first coming March 7, against SEMO in five innings, the second March 8, against Missouri State in seven innings. Throughout the year, Thomas held her opponents to a .185 batting average, a mark that led the league. Competing in her first Big 12 Conference Tournament, Thomas was credited with two of Missouri's three wins, recorded a combined shutout of Oklahoma State on May 9 and managed a solo shutout of No. 9 Oklahoma, May 10, giving the Tigers their first softball crown since 1997. For her work at the tournament, Thomas was named the Big 12 Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament, the first Missouri player since 1997 to earn the annual award. Thomas earned three wins in NCAA postseason play, besting Illinois in the NCAA Regional opener in Columbia, Mo., and holding off DePaul to advance to the NCAA Super Regional series. Taking on No. 1 seeded UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif., Thomas collected Missouri's first win of the tournament throwing a complete game and allowing the Bruins only one earned run. Honors: Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Big 12 Player of the Week.
Pleasantville: A 2008 graduate of Pleasantville High School, Thomas was a three-sport varsity athlete throughout her high school career. As a pitcher for the Trojans, under the direction of her father, Coach Rich Thomas, Thomas was a four-year letterwinner, all-conference and academic all-conference player, and all-state pitcher. She also earned all-district honors her sophomore (2006), junior (2007) and senior (2008) seasons. The Trojans placed sixth in the 2A State Softball Tournament in Thomas' junior season and seventh her senior season. Thomas holds the State Tournament record for strikeouts (35 in 14.2 innings). Playing on the Trojans basketball team, Thomas was a four-time letterwinner, all-conference player, and team Most Valuable Player. She was also a three-year captain, academic all-conference member, Pride of Iowa Conference Champion, and all-district player, and was the first five-on-five girls' basketball player from Pleasantville to be an all-state selection (2007 and 2008). Thomas also earned three varsity letters with the Trojans' track team (2005, 2006, 2007).
Personal: Chelsea Thomas is the daughter of Rich and Dana Thomas and was born Jan. 26, 1990, in Des Moines, Iowa. Thomas' father played football at Central College. The eldest of two children, Thomas has a younger brother, Collin, and is majoring in biology with plans to work as a physical therapist following graduation.
