March 11, 1999
TIGERS, COWBOYS FACE-OFF IN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE SERIES
The Missouri Tigers (10-7, 1-5) and Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-6, 1-5) will meet this weekend at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. for what turns out to be an important three-game conference series. Both Missouri and Oklahoma State are off to slow starts in the conference Both teams will be looking to get back into the Big 12 race this weekend.
Both teams lost two-of-three conference games at their home stadiums this past weekend. Missouri dropped two-of-three to Texas Tech while the Cowboys lost two games to Baylor. Both teams are 1-5 in conference play and are tied for seventh place.
Weather could be a factor in Stillwater this weekend. The series has already been moved back a day and will begin on Saturday at 2:00 p.m due to expected bad weather. Game two will played on Sunday while game three has been moved to Monday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Missouri 115-67. The two teams split four games last season with the Tigers taking two-of-three from the Cowboys in Columbia on the last weekend set of the season. Oklahoma State eventually eliminated Missouri at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City a week later.
In game one in Columbia, the Tigers bombarded OSU Freshman All-American Matt Smith as Missouri defeated the Cowboys 15-3. Smith lasted just 3 1/3 innings allowing eight runs on seven hits. The Tigers clubbed four home runs in the game including grand-slams by Mike Rallo and Jake Epstein. Rallo and Epstein combined for 10 RBI in the game. Epstein hit a two-run homer later in the game.
Justin Stine was brilliant on the mound for the Tigers hurling seven innings allowing just two earned runs on six hits.
Missouri grabbed game two in a barn-burner by a score of 6-5. Ryan Fry drove in three runs for the Tigers while Nick Schwieder had three hits including the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth inning off of Tom Dreier. Kevin Lucas drove in four of OSU's five runs in the contest.
The Tigers could not complete the sweep as Oklahoma State took the final game by a score of 7-5. Jay McCullough had three hits for the Cowboys while Josh Holliday drove in two runs. Missouri managed just six hits in the contest as OSU reliever Stu Hunt hurled four scoreless innings of relief allowing just one hit and striking out six.
The following week, Oklahoma State and Missouri faced off in the Big 12 Tournament elimination game with the Cowboys coming out on top 11-8, thus ending Mizzou's season. Oklahoma State lit up Jeremy Callier and Ryan Jamison for 10 runs in the first three innings to take a 10-1 lead. Chris George came on for the Tigers and stopped the bleeding. George pitched a career-high 6 1/3 innings giving up just one run on three hits while striking out six.
Meanwhile, Missouri picked away at the huge OSU lead. The Tigers collected three runs in the fourth inning and three more in the seventh. They added a single run in the fifth inning. Thom Dreier came out of the bullpen in the seventh and put a hault to Missouri's comeback attempt.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA STATE
As usual, Oklahoma State is loaded with talent both at the plate and on the mound. And like Missouri, a true freshman is leading the Cowboys in hitting. Catcher Ryan Budde is hitting .426 for the Cowboys with eight doubles and 20 RBI. In conference play against Texas A&M and Baylor, Budde is hitting a team-best .364.
The Cowboys have also added another big bat to their lineup in JUCO outfielder Lamont Matthews. Matthews is hitting .383 with 8 HR and a team-high 32 RBI. Matthews has also swung the bat well in conference hitting .333 with 2 HR and 3 RBI.
Oklahoma State also has plenty of veterans at the dish. Leading the way is the son of Head Coach Tom Holliday, Josh, who is hitting .390 with 4 HR and 22 RBI. OSU also looks to veteran infielder Billy Gasparino who its hitting at a .387 clip with a team-high 11 HR and 31 RBI. Gasparino owns a lofty slugging percentage of .968.
OSU heads into the series with a team batting average of .349. The Cowboys have slugged 44 home runs already this season. Oklahoma State has struggled with the bats in their six conference games as evident by their .241 batting average. The Cowboys have hit 11 home runs in the Big 12 play.
Oklahoma State is strong on the mound led by Freshman All-American Matt Smith. The tall, lanky left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Smith has already chalked up 40 strikeouts and has walked just nine. He is 0-1 in two starts in the Big 12 with a 3.60 ERA.
Last year's closer for the Cowboys is now their second starter in junior right-hander Thom Dreier. Dreier is 2-1 on the season with four starts under his belt. He has a miniscule ERA of 1.11. Dreier owns the only OSU victory in Big 12 play with a 1-1 record and an impressive .261 ERA.
Left-hander Stu Hunt, who was very impressive against Missouri last season, is OSU top pitcher out of the bullpen. In four appearances, Hunt owns a 1.29 ERA in seven innings of work.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Missouri battled the elements at Simmons Field this past week as they swept a two-game series from the Western Illinois Leathernecks. On Tuesday, the Tigers pounded out 19 hits and received a solid pitching performance from Logan Dale as they defeated WIU 10-3. Freshman W.T. Hoover enjoyed his best game as a Tiger going 3-for-3 while notching his first career home run. Ryan Stegall also homered for the Tigers, his eighth of the season.
Dale turned in his best outing of the season on the mound going 6 1/3 innings allowing just three runs on seven hits. He had seven strikeouts to his credit.
On Wednesday, Tiger left-hander Justin Stine his confidence back by hurling seven strong innings as Missouri won 6-3. Stine gave up three runs on three hits in the fifth inning while allowing just other hit in the game. The Tigers trailed 3-2 in the seventh when they scored three runs. Dustin Barnes drove in the go-ahead runs with a double down the left field line. Barnes had two doubles on the afternoon. Ryan Jamison collected his third save of the season.
HARRIS TABBED BIG 12 PITCHER OF THE WEEK
As bad as the Missouri starting pitching has been so far this season, JUCO left-hander Jody Harris has been sensational. Harris threw a complete game shutout at No. 18 Texas Tech on Friday night and was named the Big 12's Pitcher of the Week. Harris gave up just three hits while striking out seven and walking just one Tech hitter.
Friday's complete game victory was the second straight for Harris. He hurled an eight inning 13-1 win over Notre Dame in New Orleans where he gave up just five hits and struck out five.
Harris is now 3-0 on the season with a miniscule ERA of 1.38. He has allowed just four runs on 14 hits in 26 innings of work. Harris has 21 strikeouts to his credit and has walked just six.
FRESHMAN STEGALL LEADING THE MIZZOU BATS
Freshman Ryan Stegall continues to be the hottest hitter on the Missouri club. Last week's Big 12 Player of the Week is hitting an even .400 heading into this weekend's series against Oklahoma State. He leads the club in home runs (8), RBI (26), hits (28), runs (21) and slugging percentage (.886). The freshman has started every game at shortstop.
Stegall has 10 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games to his credit this season. After going 0-for-5 in his collegiate debut against Lincoln University, he went 2-for-3 with a home run, triple and 4 RBI in his next game against Truman State. Stegall followed that performance with a 3-for-3 day including his second home run of the year. He homered again the following day vs. Missouri Baptist and went 2-for-4.
In the Tigers four-game weekend in the Bayou, Stegall went 9-for-18 with 4 HR and 12 RBI. He had a 2-for-5 day against Southern Mississippi and a 2-for-3 day with 3 RBI vs. Notre Dame. The freshman really made his mark in a 14-12 come from behind win over Southern Illinois. Stegall led the charge with a 3-for-4 day which included 2 HR and 4 RBI. He homered twice and drove in four more runs the following day against New Orleans.
Stegall currently owns the Tigers longest hitting streak of the season. He has hit in 12 straight heading into the weekend.
MICK WEISS TAKES ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITY
Freshman infielder Mick Weiss has earned an every day job at second base for the Tigers. Weiss was given a chance to see what he could do at the University of New Orleans Classic. In his starting debut against Notre Dame, he went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI including a home run. The dinger was Weiss' first collegiate hit. He went 2-for-4 the next day against Southern Illinois and 2-for-3 in the tourney finale against New Orleans.
Last Friday against Texas Tech, Weiss went 2-for-5 with both hits coming off of All-American Shane Wright.
Weiss is hitting .323 and has an on-base percentage of .488.
WILSON, EPSTEIN, RALLO PROVIDE POWER IN THE MIDDLE
They are big and they are strong. The middle of the Missouri lineup consists of senior Aaron Wilson and junior co-captains Jake Epstein and Mike Rallo.
Wilson, the Tigers everyday third baseman, handles the bat as well as anyone in the Mizzou lineup. He is hitting .381 with 5 doubles, 12 RBI, and an on-base percentage of .474.
After Wilson sets the table, Epstein and Rallo are there to clean it off. The tandem combined for 28 home runs and 95 RBI a year ago. This year, Epstein is hitting 327 with 2 HR and 14 RBI. He had a 23 game hitting streak (dating back to last season) snapped vs. New Orleans at the UNO Classic.
The Tigers are looking for their co-captains to break out of current slumps. Both Epstein and Rallo are 2 for their 16 and have combined for just 1 RBI in the last five games.
Who is W.T. Hoover? Warren Thomas Hoover transferred to Missouri from Fresno State in January and has become an instant fit in the lead-off spot in the Tiger lineup. Hoover has started each of the last 10 games for the Tigers and has done exactly what a lead-off man should do, get on base.
The Brookfield, Mo. native is hitting .294 with a home run and 4 RBI. He currently leads the club in on-base percentage at an even .500. Hoover's biggest asset has been his eye at the dish. He has walked 15 times in 49 at-bats, thus his mark of only 34 official at-bats in 12 games.
JAMISON GETTING IT DONE OUT OF THE BULLPEN
Since Ryan Jamison has been removed from the starting rotation, his confidence has soured back. After getting shelled at Texas, Jamison's last six appearances have come out of the bullpen. The numbers speak for themselves.
He has hurled 15 2/3 innings in his last six outings giving up just 4 runs on 13 hits. He has struck out 19 hitters in that span. His ERA during that time 2.29. He also has three saves to his credit.
WARNER ENTERS THE RECORD BOOKS
Sophomore outfielder J.R. Warner will appear in the annual NCAA record books when it is released next season. Against Notre Dame, Warner performed a rarity in college baseball when he tripled two times in one inning. That inning was an eight-run third frame that helped lead the Tigers to 13-1 win. Warner became just the fourth player in college baseball history to accomplish that feat.
GEORGE HOPES TO RETURN SOON
All-Big 12 closer Chris George looks to be making a speedy recovery from a broken foot suffered three weeks ago in Austin, Tex. against the Longhorns. George took a line drive off of his right foot in the series finale. George has begun rehabilitation and could be back as early as next weekend against Baylor. He is more likely to be back when the Tigers play host to the defending Big 12 champion Texas A&M in two weeks.
COACH JAMIESON LOOKS TO CONTINUE THE WINNING WAYS
Head Coach Tim Jamieson has already established himself as one the top young coaches in all of college baseball. In his fifth year, Coach Jamieson has led Missouri to a 135-105 record. That mark includes three postseason conference tournaments, a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and a regular season Big Eight title.
Jamieson's Tigers are 110-64 since his first season in 1995 when the Tigers went 19-34. Missouri enters the 1999 season with 30 straight 30-win seasons. The Tigers are off to a 6-5 start this season.
TIGERS FACING TOUGH EARLY SCHEDULE
The 1999 Missouri baseball schedule figures to be a tough one. After opening up with four home games against non-division I opponents, the Tigers jumped right into Big 12 Conference play with a trip to Austin, Tex. to face the Texas Longhorns in a three-game weekend series.
The Tigers made a four game trip to New Orleans, La. where they play Southern Mississippi before participating in a round four-team round-robin and the University of New Orleans which includes the likes of preseason nationally ranked Notre Dame.
Missouri just completed a three-game series with Texas Tech and will take on Oklahoma State in Stillwater this weekend before playing a mid-week game with nationally ranked Wichita State. The Tigers will close out the month of March with weekend series' at Baylor and at home with defending Big 12 champ Texas A&M with a solid Southwest Missouri State squad squeezed in between.
The way this year's conference schedule is set up, Missouri's first five opponents are all among the leagues' top seven teams the last two seasons. With the exception of Oklahoma, four of the last five conference series are against teams that have never earned a trip to the Big 12 Tournament.
TIGERS HIT HOME RUNS FOR KIDS
The Missouri Tigers have teamed up with the University of Missouri Children's Hospital to develop a special program called "Home Runs for Kids." The program is geared to raise money for sick children at the Children's Hospital at University Hospital and Clinics.
The fundraising program will recruit baseball fans, individuals, busineeses, clubs and organizations, to pledge 25 cents to $10 or more for every home run the Tigers hit this season. One hundred percent of the money raised by the "Home Run for Kids" program will be used locally to fund equipment, research and programs for patients at Children's Hospital.
In addition, the Tigers will volunteer at Children's Hospital to interact with patients. The team will also dedicate one of its games as Children's Hospital Game Day. During this game, current and former Children's Hospital patients will be invited to attend the game, a patient will throw the first pitch and patients will have the opportunity to interact with the team following the game.
Children's Hospital is mid-Missouri's largest and most comprehensive healthcare facility for children and has the area's only pediatric intensive care unit and Level III neonatal intensive care unit. Specialized care for almost every childhood disease is the hospital's hallmark, along with the area's only pediatric surgeons and more than 30 other pediatric specialists.
Last season the Tigers hit a school-record 110 home run. HOME RUNS FOR KIDS COUNT: 20
1999 RECRUITING CLASS TAKING SHAPE
So far, so good on the Missouri recruiting front for next season. The Tigers have already signed seven talented players that will be in MU uniforms in the year 2000.
Headlining the Tigers recruiting class is Ryan Rallo, the younger brother of current Tiger Mike Rallo. From CBC High School in St. Louis, Rallo is considered one of the top hittters in the midwest. He is already been tabbed a preseason high school All-American by Baseball America. In two seasons at CBC, Rallo has a career batting average of .533 with 11 HR and 68 RBI in 180 at bats.
From the other side of the state comes Rockhurst High School standout Kevin Henry. Henry is a 6-foot-4 sluger with pure power and is also recognized as one of the outstanding hitters in the midwest. This past summer, Henry hit .280 with 19 HR and 69 RBI for the Kansas City Sluggers.
Henry will be joined by Sluggers teammate Jayce Tinger of Smithville, Mo. Tingler is a little spark plug type player who fits the role of a leadoff man. He hit .434 this past summer with 52 bases-on-balls and just 10 strikeouts. He drove in 42 runs with 198 official at bats. Tingler is an outfielder with tremendous speed.
Another member of the K.C. Sluggers this past summer is right-handed pitcher Andy Powers from St. Joseph Central High School. Powers went 9-1 with four saves and struck out 45 hitters in 61 innings.
Missouri also signed a talented infielder in Oakville High School's Eric Errante. Errante hit .508 this past summer with 6 HR an d48 RBI and was the MVP of the 1997 Oklahoma Super Series two years ago. Errante chose Mizzou over Oklahoma State.
Carthage, Mo. product Drew Endicott joins the Tigers as a right-handed pitcher. He recorded a 7-3 record for Carthage High School last season with a 1.95 ERA. He struck out 73 hitters in 64 innings of work while walking just 23. He is believed to have one of the best arms in the midwest.
The Tigers lone out-of-state recruit is catcher Brian Desch of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. The 6-2, 190 pounder hit .452 last summer with 2 HR and 31 RBI.