@MizzouBaseball Ranked No. 15 in Preseason PerfectGame Rankings
1/13/2016 9:05:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball checked in at No. 15 nationally in PerfectGame.com's Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced Wednesday (Jan. 13) by the national baseball publication. This is Mizzou's highest preseason ranking since 2009 when it checked in at No. 10 nationally in the Baseball America poll.
Mizzou returns five position players and two weekend starters and brings in a talented crop of newcomers in 2016. The weekend rotation features both Mizzou's Friday and Saturday starters from a season ago returning in 2016, including consensus Freshman All-American and Preseason All-American Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.). Houck is the No. 1 prospect for the 2017 MLB Draft and put together one of the best freshman seasons in Mizzou history in 2015. Houck spent the summer playing with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team where he led the team in innings, strikeouts, strikeout-to-walk ratio and starters ERA. He tossed four perfect innings in a combined no-hitter against Cuba as well.
Not only does Mizzou bring back plenty of firepower on the mound, but the Tigers are loaded up and down the lineup as well. Highlighting that group is SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.), who spent his summer with Houck on Team USA as the starting SS. He bolsters a lineup that features breakout stars Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) along with CF Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.). Harris was an All-SEC Freshman Team and All-SEC Tournament performer last year while Bond earned SEC Freshman of the Week after Mizzou's series win over Ole Miss. Ring led the team in extra-base hits in a breakout sophomore season and Lavy is a two-year starter for Mizzou that brings power and great defense to the fold.
Mizzou opens the season on Feb. 19 in Fort Myers, Fla., against Seton Hall at City of Palms Field. Mizzou opens its home slate on March 2 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Taylor Stadium.
For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouBaseball and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball).
