Wednesday, April 4
Columbia, Mo.
6:30 p.m.
University of Missouri
vs
SIU-Edwardsville
No. 18 @MizzouBaseball Returns Home vs. SIU-E Wednesday
4/3/2018 11:14:00 AM | Baseball
Tigers and Cougars play at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+
- Mizzou Baseball will host SIU-Edwardsville Wednesday (April 4) at 6:30 p.m. in a midweek game at Taylor Stadium. The game will air live on SEC Network+ with Ben Arnet and Tim Jamieson on the call. KTGR will have the game on the radio waves with Tex Little and Matt Michaels on the call.
- Mizzou enters the week at 21-7 and 5-4 in SEC play, earning a national-rank in the majority of the major college baseball polls. Below is a look at Mizzou's national ranks:
- D1Baseball.com: No. 18
- Perfect Game: No. 20
- USA Today Coaches Poll: No. 22
- Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: No. 23
- NCBWA: No. 24
- Baseball America: Unranked
- Mizzou and SIU-E are meeting for the 21st time Wednesday. Mizzou has won 16 of the 20 all-time meetings. The series dates all the way back to the 1973 season when Mizzou split two meetings with the Cougars. The most recent meeting between the two teams came in 2016 when Mizzou earned a 9-6 win at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou scored four runs in the first, three in the second and tacked on single runs in both the third and the fourth inning for all of its runs.
- With the last meeting between the two coming in 2016, several players have stats against SIU-E in their careers. Below is a snapshot:
- OF Trey Harris: 2-4 | R | RBI | 2B | 2 SB
- INF Brian Sharp: 0-2 | R | 2 BB | SB
- C Brett Bond: 1-4 | RBI
- RHP Nolan Gromacki: 1.0 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 2 K
- Mizzou is coming off a series win at No. 16 Auburn. Mizzou lost Friday night to projected top-five pick Casey Mize and Auburn, 5-2, despite Mizzou tagging Mize for two runs, including a leadoff homer from Trey Harris. Mizzou then gutted out a 2-1 win Saturday thanks to great pitching from starter Michael Plassmeyer and senior RHP Andy Toelken, who allowed just one run over 9.0 innings of work, striking out 10. In the Sunday rubber game, Harris hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the fifth inning as Mizzou won, 5-0, on Easter Sunday. RS junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca tossed 6.0 shutout innings, scattering just one hit while fanning five. Mizzou pitching combined for a one-hitter.
- Mizzou will send junior LHP Tyler LaPlante to the mound Wednesday vs. SIU-E. The junior college product has been tremendous as Mizzou's midweek starter this season. He has gone 3-1 in four appearances this season, posting a 1.74 ERA. As a starter, he is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA and has defeated Northeastern, which is an RPI top-50 team, and nationally-ranked Wichita State.
- SIU-E is sending LHP David Llorens to the mound. He is 0-2 in four appearances (three starts) this season. He has a 3.86 ERA in 7.0 innings, striking out 15 while walking eight. He has allowed seven runs but only three have been earned. He is limiting batters to a .192 clip this season.
- Mizzou has now won two of three SEC series this season, marking the first time since 2015 that Mizzou has won two of its first three SEC series.
- Mizzou has now won four of its last five SEC weekend series dating back to last season.
- Mizzou earned its first road series win over a ranked team since downing then No. 15 Arkansas from April 1-3, 2016.
- Mizzou earned its first SEC shutout since May 19, 2017, in a 5-0 win at Tennessee. It was Mizzou's fifth shutout this season.
- Mizzou has now played 17 errorless games – one more than it played all of last year – and has just five errors in its last 15 games with 12 errorless games during that span.
- All four of Mizzou's starting pitchers have ERAs under 3.00 this season. Tuesday's starter Tyler LaPlante leads the group with a 1.74 mark. Saturday starter Michael Plassmeyer has a 2.38 ERA while Sunday starter Bryce Montes De Oca checks in a 2.40. Friday night starter T.J. Sikkema checks in a 2.88 on the year.
- Mizzou allowed just six runs last weekend and is now third in the pitching-heavy SEC in team ERA at 2.91, just four points behind defending national champion Florida. Mizzou is also third in the SEC in fielding at .984 as runs have been tough to come by for opposing teams. Mizzou is one of just four teams nationally to rank in the top 20 nationally in ERA (17th) and fielding (fifth). Mizzou is 10th nationally in runs allowed per game (3.21).
PROJECTED STARTERS
- Junior LHP Tyler LaPlante (3-1, 1.74 ERA) vs. LHP David Llorens (0-2, 3.86 ERA)
Players Mentioned
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