Oct. 13, 2000

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The teams have been drafted and the coaching staffs are set. The University of Missouri baseball team is ready to begin its own fall classic. Game one of the Fall World Series is set for Sun., Oct. 15, with the first pitch at 2:00 p.m. at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field.

The Missouri Tigers have been split into two teams, the Bengals and the Tigers, and will be coached by MU baseball assistant coaches, media personalities and local businessmen.

The Bengals, coached by MU assistant Chal Fanning, will wear black uniforms. Fanning's assistants will be KMIZ's Vic Faust, Sean Kelley of KFRU and Craig Brumfield of First National Bank.

Coach Evan Pratte will be the Tigers' skipper. Chris Gervino from KOMU, Tex Little of KTGR and Keith Schawo of Boone County Bank will assist Pratte on the bench.

The Fall World Series will give seventh-year Head Coach Tim Jamieson a chance to evaluate players in game-time situations.

"The Fall World Series, like the Black and Gold game, is as close to a real game as we can simulate," Jamieson said. "We try to put our players in situations that they will encounter during real games."

The Mizzou coaching staff plans to use as many players as possible during the series and will play full nine-inning games. The Fall World Series is best of five.

"We will play four games for sure and all the games are nine innings, but we will play extra frames if needed. We have not gone beyond 10 innings (in the fall), so it would be nice to play an extra inning game to see how our guys react," Jamieson said.

And the prize for the winning team?

"The winners of the series get a steak dinner cooked for them by the losers," Jamieson added.