March 23, 2000
The Missouri Tigers (14-9, 3-3) return to Big 12 Conference play with a Friday-Saturday-Sunday series with the Kansas Jayhawks (16-11, 4-5) in Lawrence. Friday's game at Hoglund Ballpark begins at 7 p.m., while the Saturday and Sunday contests start at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. Missouri won five straight games before it dropped a 6-5 decision at No. 19/20 Wichita State on Tuesday. The Tigers' next home action is Tuesday when the Central Missouri State Mules come to town for a 7 p.m. game at Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field.
Series Record
Missouri leads the series with KU, 191-111-2. The Tigers took four of five games from the Jayhawks last year - winning all three of the conference contests. MU has a four-game winning streak against Kansas, and has won 9 of the last 11 games in the series. MU and KU will meet again later this season in a non-league game, April 18, in Columbia.
The Big 12 Race
What is shaping up as the tightest conference race since the Big 12 began finds nine teams within three games of the lead. Texas leads the standings with a 9-2 record followed by Oklahoma at 4-2. Five teams - Baylor, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas A&M - are tied for third place at 5-4. So it's obvious that Missouri (3-3) and Kansas (4-5) have an opportunity to improve their standing in this weekend's series. Coach Tim Jamieson is pleased with MU's 3-3 start in the Big 12 Conference race - at least as it compares to a year ago. In 1999, the Tigers opened conference play against the same two opponents as this season - Texas Tech and Texas - and went 1-5 in those games. The Tigers were snowed out of their last conference series against Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
Last Time Out
Joey Blue hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning and the No. 19 Wichita State Shockers scored three more runs in the seventh for a come-from-behind, 6-5 victory over the Missouri Tigers, Tuesday night at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Missouri (14-9) led 4-0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning and was riding a one-hit pitching performance by righthander Pete Sansone. The junior had a no-hitter until Wichita State's Pat Magness doubled in the fifth inning. But in the sixth he walked Justin McCarty to start the frame and gave up a single to Koyie Hill. With two outs, Blue blasted his second home run of the season to left field to bring the Shockers within one run, 4-3. Sansone started the seventh inning, but with one out Brian Burgamy singled and Mitch Kiler came in to pitch for MU. Randy Walter popped up to Mike Rallo at first base on Kiler's first pitch before Blake Blasi and Hill doubled and Magness followed with a RBI single. Missouri scored an unearned run in the eighth inning, and had Jayce Tingler at third base with the tying run in the ninth inning when Kurt Propst struck out to end the game. The Tigers were aggressive early in the game as they sought to extend their five-game winning streak against nationally ranked Wichita State (10-4). MU scored in the first after there were two outs and had the bases loaded when Nick Wilfong lined out hard to right field to end the threat. The Tigers scored again in the third on a leadoff single by Ryan Stegall and a double into the left field corner by Propst. Tingler doubled home Dan Bane in the fourth and Propst doubled again to drive home Stegall in the fifth. Wichita State reliever Tymber Lee was the winning pitcher (1-0), working three-and-a-third innings in relief of freshman starter Reuben Kerbs. Shockers closer Greg Bauer worked the eighth and ninth to earn his third save. Kiler took the loss (0-1) for Mizzou. Missouri's eight hits belonged to Tingler, Stegall and Propst. Tingler and Stegall each went 3-for-5, while Propst was two-for-four.
MU's Last Big 12 Weekend
It seems like ages ago since Missouri fought No. 4 Texas tooth and nail at Taylor Stadium and finally came up with a 5-3 victory. That was back on Sun., March 5, and followed 6-4 and 9-6 decisions won by the Longhorns on Saturday. Jayce Tingler drove in three runs in the third game, and Pete Sansone was the first of five Mizzou pitchers who did a masterful job of shutting down the Longhorns. Sansone pitched the first six innings and struckout seven to up his record to 2-0. Ryan Stegall pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. On Saturday, the teams were forced to play two games, after Texas had difficulty arriving on Friday in time to play a schedule 7 p.m. game. Missouri had a chance in the ninth inning of the first game with the tying runs at second and third base with two outs and Stegall at the plate. But UT's Matt Rosenberg made an unbelievable diving catch across the tarp in foul territory to rob Stegall of a life at the plate and ended the game with Texas the 6-4 victor. In the second game, Texas' D.J. Jones fanned 13 Tigers as the Longhorns defeated Mizzou, 9-6. The Tigers made four damaging errors in the contest and also ran themselves out of a couple of scoring threats.
Missouri Coach Tim Jamieson
MU Head Coach Tim Jamieson has firmly established himself as one of the top young coaches in college baseball. In his sixth year, "T.J." has led Missouri to a 176-126 record, which includes three postseason conference tournaments, a trip to the NCAA Tournament, and a regular-season Big Eight title. Jamieson's Tigers are 157-92 since '96, and have won at least 30 games the last 4 seasons.
Injury Report
The Tigers suffered more than some bruised egos with their loss at Southeast Missouri State on March 8. Two infielders also suffered broken bones. Third baseman Landon Brandes has missed Mizzou's last six games with a broken bone in his left hand. He suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning at SEMO. Mick Weiss broke his right thumb in the same game trying to field a hot shot in the first inning. He hasn't missed any time, though. In fact, he hit his first home run of the season against Arkansas State in his first game after the injury.
Stegall Is Having An MVP Type Of Year
Sophomore shortstop/pitcher Ryan Stegall saw his nine-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday, but instead of doing his talking at the plate he did it on the mound. Stegall recorded three saves in MU's weekend series against Bowling Green - the defending Mid-American Conference champion - and upped his season saves total to seven. That's just two off the school record of nine set by Jeff Cornell in 1978. He's pitched seven consecutive scoreless innings and is 7-for-7 in save opportunities in 2000. For his short Missouri career, he's been scored on only once in 14 pitching appearances. Stegall has hit safely in 19 of Mizzou's 23 games this season, including 10 of the last 11. During those last 11 games, he's hit .442 with 17 RBI. He leads the team in batting average (.396), hits (36), doubles (12), triples (2), RBI (27), total bases (58) and slugging percentage (.637). He set a Missouri and Big 12 Conference record March 1 by driving in six runs in the first inning against Western Illinois. The old conference mark was five by Iowa State's Matt Nordby against Northern Iowa last season. His first time at bat, he hit a three-run home run to right-center field. As MU batted around (the Tigers sent 14 men to the plate in the inning), Stegall came up again with the bases loaded and cleared them with a 3-run double.
Propst Making The Most Of His Chance
Third baseman Kurt Propst has taken advantage of his opportunity to get into the lineup since Landon Brandes broke his hand on March 8. Propst has started four times since then and in those games has hit .428, with three doubles, a home run and four RBIs. He had a pair of run-scoring doubles on Tuesday at Wichita State. His overall batting average is up to .353 - third on the club.
Williams Heating Up At The Plate
Catcher Jon Williams, Mizzou's leading hitter a year ago with a .362 average, slumped through the first few weeks of the season, but is regaining his stroke now. He hit.433 clip during a nine-game hitting streak which came to an end on Tuesday at Wichita State. For the season, Williams' batting average is up to .333, and he leads the team with 22 bases on balls and a .519 on-base percentage.
Jamieson Can Rest Easy When He Calls On The 'Pen
Although the bullpen was unable to complete a victory for the Tigers on Tuesday night in Wichita, Head Coach Tim Jamieson and pitching coach Chal Fanning have been able to rely on their relievers during the 2000 season. So far, Missouri's bullpen crew has worked 90.1 innings with a 3.28 earned run average while allowing 83 hits and 44 runs (33 earned), with 92 strikeouts and 42 walks.
Tigers Win The Close Ones
Missouri is now 8-5 in games this season that were decided by one or two runs. MU is 5-2 in one-run games and 3-3 in two-run affairs.
Wilfong Feasts On Big 12 Pitching
Figure this one out. Centerfielder Nick Wilfong is hitting .478 in six Big 12 Conference games and just .185 in non-league action. In league play, he has a .913 slugging percentage with two doubles, a triple and two home runs (both of which game in Game 1 of the Texas Tech series). For the season, though, the left-handed swinger also leads the teams with 22 strikeouts.
Tingler Was Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Player-of-the-Week
Pesky freshman Jayce Tingler (Smithville, MO) was named March 6 as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week in voting by a select panel of media covering Big 12 baseball. Tingler enjoyed the finest week of his young career with a .500 average (11-for-22) as the Tigers went 3-2 and completed the week with a 5-3 victory over the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. The rookie scored six runs, drove in six more, and was 3-for-3 in the stolen base department. He also threw out a Texas runner at home and made a diving, game-saving catch in Sunday's win. Entering the Texas series, he reached base in 11-of-12 at bats - including a streak of nine straight spanning the final Texas Tech contest and both games against Western Illinois. He's got it going again, too. Tingler has hit safely in six straight games, a period during which he is hitting .375. He was three-for-five on Tuesday at Wichita, with a double and an RBI. Earlier this season, MU junior righthander Logan Dale was the Big 12's Pitcher of the Week.
Around The Bases
? Missouri has hit into 26 double plays this season, while turning just nine. The Tigers have not had a game in which they've completed more than one double play.
? MU's pitchers are piling up the strikeouts. Tiger pitchers have fanned 192 opposing batters this season and have issued 92 walks. Ten times this season they've had 10-or-more strikeouts, including six of MU's last eight games.
? J.R. Warner and Jayce Tingler lead MU's defensive efforts in the outfield. Warner has four assists this season and Tingler two.
? Missouri's recent 5-game winning streak was its longest of the season, and longest since the Tigers won six in a row between April 24 and May 8 last year. During the streak, MU hit .292 as a team and posted a 3.60 earned run average.
? Jon Williams has walked at least once in 14 of the 20 games in which he's played this season. He did not walk, however, during the Arkansas State or Bowling Green series.
? Ryan Stegall and J.R. Warner have started all 22 games for the Tigers.
? Wes Fewell started at first base Sunday - his first start at that position and the first time this season that senior Mike Rallo has not been in the lineup. Fewell is on a five-game hitting streak during which he's hit .389.
? Missouri hitters have struck out 59 times in six Big 12 Conference games (9.8 per game) - 80 times in their other 13 contests (6.2 per game).
? Catcher Ryan Pickett was honored at MU's home basketball game against Oklahoma State as one of Mizzou's three Bank of America Community Champions.
? Missouri's first Big 12 Conference series at the new Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field against Texas drew nearly 2,600 spectators to the ballpark.
? Missouri went 3-1 on its trip to Natchitoches, La., in February, beating Nicholls State (3-2), Northwestern State (2-1) and Centenary (10-2) and losing to Arkansas-Little Rock (9-3). The Tigers rode their pitching and some timely hitting to the three wins. MU opponents hit just .160 against the Tigers, who posted a team ERA on the trip of 2.50. Missouri pitchers rolled up 33 strikeouts against 17 walks.