Feb. 16, 2000
The University of Missouri baseball team (1-2) has a long trip ahead for the second straight week, when it journeys to Natchitoches, La. to play a single game against Nicholls State and three games in the Ken Moran Trucking Demon Baseball Classic, hosted by Northwestern State University. The Tigers open play on Thursday, at Northwestern State's Brown-Stroud Field, against the Nicholls State Colonels (2-2). First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tournament play runs Friday through Sunday, with the Tigers facing the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans (4-2) on Friday at 1 p.m., the Northwestern State Demons (4-3) on Saturday at 12 p.m., and the Centenary Gents (5-6) on Sunday at 11 a.m. Nicholls State and Northwestern State were to play tonight. Missouri is back home on Tues., Feb. 22, for a 3 p.m. contest at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field against the Lincoln University Blue Tigers.
Series Records
Missouri trails the series with Nicholls State, 0-3, and leads the series with Centenary, 2-0. This weekend's games will be the first ever against Northwestern State and Arkansas-Little Rock.
Familiar Faces
The coach of the homestanding Northwestern State Demons is former Missouri assistant coach John Cohen. Entering this season, Cohen had compiled a 78-41 record at Northwestern State, including a Southland Conference championship in his first year with the Demons - 1998. Prior to that, the former Mississippi State star was an assistant coach at Missouri for seven years. Missouri's Thursday matchup with Nicholls State could be for bragging rights in the home of Tigers left fielder Wes Fewell. His dad, Kent, played at Nicholls State during his collegiate days. Currently the head coach at Columbia's Hickman High School, Kent Fewell won a state championship with the Kewpies in 1990.
Missouri's Pitching Rotation
The Tigers are likely to go with the following rotation for this week's games in Louisiana. Junior transfer Jon Harris will start Thursday's game. His scheduled Mizzou debut was rained out on Sunday at Pepperdine.
? Game 1 - Jon Harris, 6-1, 192, Jr., RHP, Kansas City - 18-5 w/ 2.79 ERA in JUCO career.
? Game 2 - Ralph McCasland, 6-5, 181, Jr., LHP, Jeff City - 0-1, lasted just 2/3-inn. in 1st start.
? Game 3 - Logan Dale, 6-5, 219, Jr., RHP, KC - 0-1, 7.11 ERA, got MU to the 7th at Pepperdine.
? Game 4 - tba
While Tigers Are Away, 'Select-A-Seat' Underway At Taylor Stadium
Missouri baseball fans are invited out to Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field to pick their season-ticket location this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18-19. MU sports marketing and ticket office personnel will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., each day, to assist fans in identifying and purchasing their season tickets. Season tickets are $60 for adults, $30 for youths 18 years of age and under, and $150 for a family plan pass that includes two adult and two youth season tickets. Mizzou's new stadium has a seating capacity of 2,200 of which 537 are prime-location, chair-back seats. For more information, contact the Athletic Ticket Office at 573/882-2386, or the Sports Marketing Office at 573/882-0710.
Start The Season Right
Mizzou's No. 4-5 hitters, Ryan Stegall and Jon Williams, got the Tigers off to a flying start in the season opener, last Friday at Pepperdine. Each of them clubbed home runs in their first at-bats in the second inning to stake the Tigers to a 2-0 lead. In fact, MU scored first in both games against the Waves, but fell by respective scores of 6-5 and 10-8. In the Tigers' other game on Tuesday, at home against William Woods, they started the other way ... spotting the Owls two first-inning runs, then coming back to win, 15-5.
So Far, So Good For Mizzou Bullpen
Head Coach Tim Jamieson and pitching coach Chal Fanning have used their bullpen for a total of 16 innings so far in 2000, with good results. Mizzou's bullpen brigade has posted a 3.93 earned run average while allowing 13 hits and seven runs (all earned), with 24 strikeouts and 10 walks.
Patience At The Plate
In Missouri last two games, at Pepperdine and Tuesday night against Williams Woods, the Tigers have walked 26 times - 14 against the Waves and 12 against the Owls. So, far the season, although the Tigers are hitting just .232 as a team, they have an on-base percentage of .405.
Stegall Off To A Red-Hot Start
Sophomore shortstop Ryan Stegall, a Freshman All-American a year ago, is off to a quick start, much like a year ago when on the Tigers' early-season trip to Southern Mississippi and New Orleans, he went 9-for-18 in a four-game span with four home runs and 12 RBI. That performance netted him Big 12 Conference "Player-of-the-Week" honors. This season, he's the only Tiger hitting over .300 - with a .455 average. Four of his five hits have been for extra bases - 2 doubles, a triple and a home run, and with just 11 at bats, he's scored eight times. Also slated to be the Tigers' closer this season, Stegall made his first appearance and pitched a scoreless ninth inning. In four career pitching performances, he's allowed only one batter to reach base.
Next For Mizzou
Following Tuesday's home game against Lincoln University on Tues., Feb. 22 - one of only three non-Division I games on the 2000 Missouri schedule -- the Tigers get into Big 12 Conference action when they play a three-game set at Texas Tech, in Lubbock, Texas, Feb. 25-27.