Tuesday, May 22
Hoover, Ala.
8 p.m.
University of Missouri
vs
South Carolina
12-Seeded @MizzouBaseball Opens Postseason Play Tuesday vs. South Carolina
5/21/2018 10:42:00 AM | Baseball
Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema gets the ball in a single-elimination game
- Mizzou Baseball will square off against South Carolina in the 2018 SEC Baseball Tournament this Tuesday at approximately 8 p.m. at Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Ala. Mizzou is making is fifth SEC Tournament since joining the SEC in 2013 and qualifies as the No. 12 seed in this year's bracket after finishing 12-18 in league action this year. South Carolina qualifies as the No. 5 seed after finishing 17-13 in SEC play. Below is a breakdown of Mizzou's seeding in the tourney year by year, and the result:
- 2013 - No. 12 Seed - Lost in opening round to Mississippi State, 2-1 (17 innings)
- 2014 - Did not qualify
- 2015 - No. 7 Seed - 5-1 win over S. Carolina - 7-6 loss to Vanderbilt in 10 innings - 4-3 loss to Alabama
- 2016 - No. 11 seed - Lost in opening round to Vanderbilt, 7-0
- 2017 - No. 10 seed - 12-7 win over Texas A&M - 10-3 loss to LSU - 10-2 loss to South Carolina
- 2018 - No. 12 seed - TBD
- As you can see, Mizzou is the No. 12 seed in the tournament for the first time since 2013. That was the longest game in school history as Mississippi State got an RBI single from Jake Slaughter in the bottom of the 17th inning.
- Mizzou is 2-6 in SEC Tournament action since joining the league for the 2013 season. Mizzou's last win in Hoover was a 12-7 win over Texas A&M to open tournament action last season. Mizzou has qualified for the SEC Tournament every year since joining the league with the exception of 2014. Mizzou is 27-28 in league tourneys dating back to when Mizzou played in the Big 12 Conference (1997-2012). Mizzou's last conference tournament title came in 2012, its final year in the Big 12, as the Tigers went 4-0 to claim the trophy and advance to the NCAA Tuscon Regional.
- Mizzou and South Carolina played earlier this month with the Gamecocks claiming a 2-1 series win in Columbia East. Mizzou won Friday, 5-3, behind a strong pitching performance from starter T.J. Sikkema and reliever Andy Toelken and clutch hits all night. Mizzou then lost 6-3 Saturday before losing on a solo walk-off homer on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, falling 1-0. Junior lefty Tyler LaPlante pitched 8.0 shutout innings, allowing just four hits with a career-high eight strikeouts before surrendering the walk-off homer on his 113th pitch on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning.
- Mizzou and South Carolina have met twice in the SEC Tournament, splitting the two-all-time meetings. Mizzou won the initial matchup between the two in 2015, 5-1. Then a freshman and now a senior, Trey Harris had a second-inning RBI single in that game to give Mizzou an early lead that it never relinquished. South Carolina then won last season, 10-2, ending Mizzou's season.
- Mizzou and South Carolina have met 20 times in the history of the two programs with Carolina leading, 13-7. Below are quick hits on the all-time series:
- Last meeting: May 13, 2018 - 1-0 loss in Columbia, S.C.
- First meeting: March 15, 2013 - 4-1 loss in Columbia, Mo.
- Record at Founders Park: 1-8 (sweeps in both 2014 and 2016, 2-1 series loss this year)
- Record at Taylor Stadium: 5-4 (series wins in 2015, 2017 and a 2-1 loss in 2013)
- Record at SEC Tournament: 1-1 (win in 2015, loss in 2017)
- Mizzou won last year's series, taking two of three in Columbia, Mo.
- Mizzou is coming off a huge series win over Tennessee last Thursday-Saturday at Taylor Stadium. Senior 3B Alex Samples hit a 12th-inning walk-off RBI single in the Thursday opener to help Mizzou claim a 3-2 decision. Mizzou then lost, 2-1, Friday despite a complete game gem by junior lefty Michael Plassmeyer, who allowed just two solo homers while striking out 11 in a tough-luck 2-1 loss. In the Saturday finale, Mizzou fell behind 2-1 before tying the same in the sixth inning with an unearned run. Junior LF Zach Hanna then led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to kick-start a six-run seventh inning that helped Mizzou earn an 8-3 series-clinching win. Senior 2B Matt Berler added a two-run double in the frame and senior RF Trey Harris hit a three-run homer that put the game away.
- South Carolina went down to College Station, Texas, last weekend and took two of three from Texas A&M despite dropping the opener, 6-3. Carolina rallied to win 5-3 Friday and then dominated Saturday to the tune of a 10-1 win.
- Mizzou will send sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema to the mound Tuesday. He is 3-5 on the year in 15 appearances, including nine starts. He has thrown 66.0 innings and has struck out 75 and owns a 3.41 ERA. He is coming off of a 7.0-inning performance vs. Tennessee, allowing just one run on six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Tuesday, he will be 11 days removed from starting at South Carolina. He went 4.2 innings and allowed one run on five hits in that game while striking out six. In his career vs. South Carolina, he is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in two career starts. He has gone 10.1 innings and allowed nine hits with 11 Ks.
- Mizzou Baseball finished SEC play with the best ERA in the 30-game league schedule at 3.99. The staff's 3.72 mark overall is the fifth-best mark in the league. Mizzou also finished ranked fourth in fielding percentage at .981.
PROJECTED STARTERS
- Tuesday: Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema (3-5, 3.41 ERA) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (2-5, 4.93 ERA)
Players Mentioned
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