August 31, 1998
Head Coach Tim Jamieson is very honest when he says that he has no idea what to expect heading into practice this fall. He really doesn't. The Tigers have assembled a 36-man roster for the fall, a talented one at that. There are many familiar names and faces, and then there are 17 newcomers, all of whom have talent, and all of whom will push for playing time in the spring.
The Missouri coaching staff had a plan going into this past recruiting season. They wanted to add left-handed hitting and accumulate as many talented pitchers as possible. They accomplished both by landing many of the top prospects that the state of Missouri had to offer. The Tigers added seven left-handed hitters and nine new pitchers. The MU pitching staff will go 18 deep heading into the fall.
Despite all of the questions, one thing is for certain, the Tigers will not be lacking talent. Missouri returns two All-Big 12 Conference performers from a year ago, three former First Team All-Big Eight players and a recruiting class that consists of two drafted players, five St. Louis All-Metro selections and four All-State selections in Missouri and Kansas.
The Tigers hope that fall workouts will produce a clearer picture of what is to come in the spring.
Returnees
Rather than talk about who is going to replace the likes of Matt Nivens, Aaron Jaworowski, Bryan Seymour and Jeff Terrell, Tim Jamieson would rather talk about who will be returning to lead the Tigers in 1998.
Senior right fielder Ryan Fry headlines the Tigers and will be one of the team leaders. The honorable mention All-Big 12 performer and former First Team All-Big Eight selection has a career batting average of .322. Fry has a streak of 118 consecutive starts and has been one of the Tigers' most consistant hitters each of the last two seasons. He is also one of the best defensive right fielders in the conference.
Shortstop Griffin Moore also returns as the Tigers' everyday shortstop. The senior All-Big 12 selection led the Tigers in close to every offensive category in 1997 including batting average (.348), home runs (18), RBI (72) and hits (80). Along with returning senior second baseman Torre Tyson, the Missouri double-play combination of a year ago is still intact. Tyson had a break-through year offensively in 1997 and is one of the top defensive second baseman in the conference. Tyson's ability to reach base makes him a strong candidate to replace Missouri's best lead-off hitter of all-time in Matt Nivens.
Senior Nick Schwieder should once again handle the catching duties. Schwieder was as consistant of a hitter as Missouri had last year hitting at a .310 clip. His defense improved as the season wore on. Jake Epstein will battle two new prospects for back-up catching duty. The tall power-hitter will also make a run at the first base job along with fellow sophomore Mike Rallo. Rallo put up big numbers as the Tigers designated hitter clubbing eight home runs and driving in 38 runs. Whoever doesn't win the first base job will see plenty of action as the designated hitter.
Also in the mix this year will be junior outfielder Mike Ketelsen. Perhaps the Tigers most improved player a year ago, Ketelsen will get a shot as the starting center fielder in 1998. Ketelsen provides MU with a strong arm and very good speed.
While the Tigers added nine new pitchers, eight return from last season. All three starting pitchers return including two-time All-Big Eight performer Jeremy Callier. The talented right-hander battled arm problems for much of the 1997 campaign. After finishing the season strong, MU hopes that Callier will return to being the dominant pitcher that he had been his first two seasons.
Missouri's most reliable pitcher, Justin Stine, returns after a very good 1997 season. The former freshman All-American closer became MU's number one starter last year and finished with a 9-7 record and logged an MU record 123.0 innings pitched. Fellow lefty Jay Bell is also back after winning nine games of his own in 1997. Bell put in 90.0 innings of labor last year and is one of the team's toughest competitors.
The Tigers are hoping that a season of experience will help sophomore Ryan Jamison become one of the most dominant pitchers in the Big 12 in 1998. All Jamison did as a freshman was put together a 5-3 record and lead the team in saves with five. Jamison also led the club in ERA. Another year of physical maturity will make Jamison's deadly slider even tougher to hit this year.
Seniors Brian Barnes and Steve Brewster will provide the Tigers with experience out of the bullpen, but will be given the chance to earn spots in the starting rotation. Barnes has started 18 games in his career. Brewster has served as the set-up man in the bullpen each of the last two years and has the stamina to log long innings.
Junior Seth Wright made tremendous progress this past summer and will battle for more innings.
Newcomers
Nine freshman and five junior college transfers make up the Missouri recruiting class. Not only did the Tigers go after left-handed hitting and depth in pitching, MU picked up a lot of versatility and athleticism.
Nine new pitchers highlight this year's newcomers. One of the hottest prospects is right-hander Jeremy Hale, a 6-foot-4, 210 pounder who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves. Hale's fastball has been clocked in the low 90s. In the same mold as Hale are 6-foot-4 righthander Logan Dale and JUCO transfer Chris George.
Dale blossomed late in his high school career and has been clocked in the low 90s. His command of the fastball and breaking pitches have really impressed the MU coaching staff. George was the number one pitcher for Meramec J.C. the last two seasons. A position player in high school, George will provide the Tigers with a good loose arm and will continue to improve with experience.
Right-hander Brian Bax joins the Tigers from Kemper Military Junior College. Bax, who could also see action as a designated-hitter, provides the Tigers with another hard thrower and an extremely competitive attitude. Reshirt freshman Gabe Craighead spent the last year refining his pitching skills and will battle for mound time. John Gamble, another big right-handed JUCO transfer, will fight for a spot if he recovers from shoulder problems that hindered him this past year.
Two freshman left-handers who will try to make their mark are Mike Weiss and Ralph McCasland. Weiss is a pure strikeout pitcher who has been clocked in the low 90s. He once struck out 22 of 24 batters faced in an eight inning game for Clayton High School. McCasland is a tall, lanky left-hander who will get better with experience and physical maturity. He has a great attitude in that he wants the ball with the game on the line.
Rounding out the pitchers and heading into the hitters are two 3-way position players. Heading the list is J.R. Warner, a tremendous athlete who will not only stake his claim on the mound, but could see plenty of time either at first base or in the outfield. The left-handed pitcher throws in the mid 80s and can hit for both average and power.
In the same mold as Warner is freshman Mitch Kiler. Like Warner, Kiler is a left-handed pitcher who throws in the mid 80s and can also play the outfield or first base. Kiler's hitting numbers are self explanatory as he hit .357 in the wood bat Ban Johnson Summer League this past summer against college caliber pitching.
The Tigers are hoping for big things out of Jon Williams, a catcher who will play third base. Williams enjoyed a huge summer where he was the MVP of St. Louis's SLABA League and earned the 'Triple Crown' by leading the league in hitting, home runs, and RBI. He was drafted late by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Also looking to fill a void in the outfield is Nick Wilfong. Wilfong will provide the Tigers with a lot of speed and athleticism and is capable of playing all outfield positions. Coby Campbell, a big, strong catcher with outstanding defensive skills, could also play a prominent role for the Tigers in 1998.
Also providing depth in the outfield are freshmen Matt Bremehr and Paul Couleur. Bremehr is a switch-hitter with tremendous ability to drive the baseball. He has been one the top American Legion hitters in the St. Louis area each of the last three summers. Couleur is a big, athletic outfielder whose main asset is a cannon of a throwing arm.
One other name to throw into the mix is Corby Jones. The Missouri quarterback of the football team will not participate in fall practice. He is a very good defensive outfielder and could see some action as he continues to improve as a hitter.
The Tigers deepended their infield depth with middle infielders Jason Williams and Jonny Mitchell and corner infielder Aaron Wilson. Williams, from Fairfield, California, is athletic and is a solid hitter with good defensive skills. Mitchell, junior-college transfer from Hutchinson J.C., possesses very good defensive abilitities and will continue to grow as a hitter. Wilson, a transfer from Meramec J.C., is MU's most experienced recruit. He brings a solid left-hand bat to the table and can hit for both average and power.
Tigers by the Numbers
Career Numbers of Missouri Returning Hitters:
| Name | AVG. | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | YRS. |
| Ryan Fry | .322 | 146 | 185 | 38 | 8 | 15 | 144 | 72 | 3 yrs. |
| Griffin Moore | .348 | 65 | 80 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 72 | 18 | 1 yr. |
| Torre Tyson | .283 | 112 | 131 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 53 | 101 | 3 yrs. |
| Nick Schwieder | .310 | 78 | 68 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 43 | 39 | 2 yrs. |
| Mike Rallo | .280 | 28 | 40 | 14 | - | 8 | 38 | 19 | 1 yr. |
Career Numbers of Missouri Returning Pitchers:
| Name | G-GS | IP | H | R-ER | BB | K | W-L | ERA | YRS. | |
| Jeremy Callier | 44-41 | 239.2 | 276 | 186-154 | 100 | 159 | 17-12 | 5.79 | 3 yrs. | |
| Justin Stine | 45-17 | 166.2 | 219 | 120-109 | 56 | 117 | 13-8 | 5.90 | 2 yrs. | |
| Jay Bell | 33-28 | 176.1 | 239 | 142-122 | 85 | 114 | 14-11 | 6.24 | 2 yrs. | |
| Brian Barnes | 47-18 | 153.2 | 202 | 120-95 | 58 | 104 | 8-6 | 5.58 | 3 yrs. | |
| Ryan Jamison | 27-1 | 49.0 | 49 | 29-25 | 25 | 47 | 5-3 | 4.59 | 1 yr. | |
| Steve Brewster | 51-1 | 78.2 | 102 | 75-65 | 44 | 59 | 4-3 | 7.48 | 2 yrs. |
Tigers by the Numbers
Award Winning Recruits:
Matt Bremehr: First Team All-Metro (1996, 1997)
Coby Campbell: First Team All-Metro (1997, 1997)
Jeremy Hale: All-State (1997), 3-time All Conference Selection
Mitch Kiler: 2-time First Team Sun Country, First Team Johnson County
J.R. Warner: 1st Team All-Metro Outfielder, 2nd-Team All-Metro Pitcher
Mike Weiss: 1st Team All-Metro, Suburban East Conference Player-of-the-Year
Nick Wilfong: All-State (1997), 1st Team All-Metro, GAC Conference MVP
Jason Williams: Lead team to American Legion World Seires this past summer.
Jon Williams: SLABA Summer League MVP, Triple Crown Winner