Thursday, May 3
Columbia, Mo.
6 p.m.
University of Missouri
vs
Georgia
@MizzouBaseball Returns Home for Crucial SEC East Showdown vs. No. 20 Georgia
5/2/2018 5:58:00 PM | Baseball
Tigers and Dawgs play Thursday-Sunday series at Taylor Stadium
- Mizzou Baseball hosts No. 20 Georgia in a crucial three-game set between SEC East rivals this Thursday-Saturday at Taylor Stadium. Thursday's game will air live on SEC Network with Mike Morgan and Todd Walker on the call and the Friday and Saturday games will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Ben Arnet and Tim Jamieson providing the commentary. All three games are set to be on the radio waves on KTGR in the Mid-Missouri area.
- Mizzou is coming off a crazy 17-16 Tuesday win over Iowa, which ranked No. 46 in this week's initial RPI which was released Monday. Mizzou trailed 8-0 after three, 13-6 after six and 14-13 after eight innings and rallied to score 11 times over the final three frames of the 11-inning affair to earn the win. To put the game's wildness into perspective, there are several notes below:
- Mizzou's 24 hits were its most since 2008 - the Tigers have now scored 10+ runs in three straight games for the first time since 2007
- Brian Sharp, who entered the game as a pitcher in the fourth, finished 4-for-4 at the plate with four runs and a walk
- Junior RHP Andy Toelken got a hit in the game, the first of his Division I career, hitting for himself in the 10th
- Mizzou traveled 26 players and used 22 of them, including every position player - Mizzou pinch hit junior LHP Cody Siebenberger in the 11th inning.
- Mizzou pitchers went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in the game
- Head coach Steve Bieser was uncharacteristically ejected in the 11th, marking the first time in his Mizzou career
- Last week Mizzou went 2-2, defeating Missouri State and sweeping the season series with the Bears for the first time since 2012, on Tuesday before losing two of three at No. 13 Kentucky.
- Georgia is coming off of a weekend series win over Tennessee in Athens. Georgia won the first two games, 8-6 and 12-4, before dropping the Sunday finale, 6-5 in 10 innings. Georgia sits at 12-9 in the SEC, second in the east division. Georgia did not play midweek.
- Mizzou leads the all-time series with Georgia, 9-6, and has won three of the five series since joining the SEC, including last year's in Georgia. Mizzou lost last year's series opener on Thursday night after travel issues forced Mizzou to get into Athens just an hour before first pitch. Mizzou then won Friday 8-5 and won the finale at Suntrust Park, the brand new home of the Atlanta Braves, 6-1. That game was played in front of 33,025 fans, the second-largest crowd in college baseball history
- First year Mizzou pitching coach Fred Corral actually came to Mizzou from Georgia for this season as he has plenty of familiarity with the Georgia team and staff. Corral brought 11 years of SEC coaching experience to Mizzou. He had spent the last five seasons at Georgia, coaching 12 pitchers to MLB Draft selections, including 2016 first-round pick Robert Tyler (38th overall to Colorado). The highlight of his coaching tenure at Georgia came last season when the Bulldog staff limited batters to a .241 average, resetting the program record.
- On the year, Mizzou is 8-8 against ranked teams, including a 3-2 mark at home. Georgia is No. 20 in the coaches poll.
- Mizzou has 10 games remaining, all of which are against RPI top-100 teams. The lowest-ranked RPI team that Mizzou plays in it last nine is Indiana State at No. 83. Iowa is Georgia is No. 8. Mizzou is 24th in this week's RPI.
- Mizzou has played 22 games vs. the RPI top-50, tied for the fifth-most nationally. Mizzou is 12-10 in those games. The four teams that have played more games vs. the RPI top 50 this year all come from the SEC.
PROJECTED STARTERS
- Thursday: Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema (3-4, 2.68 ERA) vs. RHP Chase Adkins (4-0, 3.92)
- Friday: Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer (5-2, 2.82 ERA) vs. RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 4.27)
- Saturday: TBA vs. LHP Kevin Smith (5-1, 3.79)
In the NOW - Embrace the Opportunity
Monday, February 10
Inside Mizzou Athletics - Talkin' Baseball with Brock Lucas
Monday, February 03
Mizzou vs. LSU Series Highlights
Monday, April 22
Mizzou at Missouri State Highlights
Friday, April 19
