Jan. 24, 2001

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The mere presence of All-America shortstop/relief pitcher Ryan Stegall gives the 2001 version of the University of Missouri baseball team national attention.

Stegall, a junior, was named to the 2001 preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers and Louisville Slugger All-America teams. He recorded a school-record 12 saves last season to go with a .353 batting average. He also hit eight home runs, drove in 57 runs and scored 52 times. Stegall, the first-team all-Big 12 shortstop, led MU in the following eight categories: saves, RBI, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, games started and total plate appearances.

But the 2001 team features more than Stegall as he is one of 15 letterwinners returning for MU head coach Tim Jamieson, who enters his seventh season.

Jayce Tingler was named to Collegiate Baseball's Freshman All-America team and will be a fixture at the top of the Tigers' lineup and in center field. Jon Williams is back for his senior season at catcher. An all-conference selection in 1999, Williams hit .295 with six home runs last season. Also back as seniors are a group of four pitchers. Logan Dale, Jon Harris, Mitch Kiler and Pete Sansone combined for 18 wins in 31 starts last season. Sansone and Kiler will switch roles this season as Sansone will move to the bullpen and the left-handed Kiler becomes a starter after an impressive showing in the 2000 Big 12 Tournament.

Jamieson, who will record his 200th career win this season, will count on these veterans to lead the Tigers as they aim for another conference tournament berth and other possible postseason appearances. However, MU will again face a difficult path on its way to accomplishing those goals.

The Tigers open the season with four consecutive weekend road trips, starting with three games in California. San Jose State, a College World Series team in 2000, is first on the slate. Missouri follows that trip by traveling to New Mexico to face three Mountain West schools in the Baseball Fiesta.

After the home opener against Creighton, conference action opens at Oklahoma State. Another non-conference opponent, Lincoln, visits Taylor Stadium before Mizzou travels to Waco, Texas, to meet Baylor. Missouri then plays nine of its next 10 games at home. That stretch of games is the start of a series of games which sees the Tigers at home for 29 of 42 dates.

"It'll be a challenging road for us," said Jamieson, about the start of the season. "We're going to need solid performances from our veterans and some others to step up during that opening month.

"But there are some good things about being on the road, too," continued Jamieson. "We'll have time to develop team chemistry and bond after spending that much time together. If we get through that stretch, we'll have a number of home games where I hope we can show what kind of team we can be."

Potential Lineup
The 2001 Tigers will feature a deep lineup. Tingler, who will lead off, provides speed indicated by his team-high 14 stolen bases last season. W.T. Hoover could hit in the number two spot, providing another speedster at the top of the lineup. "We have the potential to score more runs," said Jamieson. "We have a chance to be as good offensively as we've been during my years as head coach. But we have to go out and prove that on the field." In the three through seven slots, Missouri could have the following players: Stegall, Williams, Mick Weiss, Wes Fewell and Kevin Henry. Each player provides the ability to hit for power and average. Rounding out the lineup could be Kurt Propst and Luke Cassis. While both players are better known by their defensive abilities, they will also be counted on for offensive production.

Position Breakdown

Catcher
Williams could see himself in a number of roles this season but, first and foremost, he will serve as the squad's starting catcher. The left-handed hitting Williams has a career batting average over .300 and can also hit for power. Brian Desch, a redshirt freshman, could work his way into the lineup. Andy Runyan, a freshman, provides another left-handed bat and consistency behind the plate.

First Base
Weiss is set to have a breakout year offensively. After spending two years in a reserve role, Weiss is ready for the starting role. He appeared in 37 games a year ago and drove in 14 runs. Cody Ehlers, the 2000 Oklahoma High School Player of the Year, impressed the coaches in the fall with his prowess at the plate. The left-handed hitting Ehlers could also see action as designated hitter or possibly in the outfield.

Second Base
Cassis returns after appearing in 46 games last season. A solid defensive player, Cassis will switch to shortstop when Stegall comes in as a relief pitcher. Shaun Marcum, who also could see action on the mound, Felipe Tetelboin and Tony Vitello will get opportunities at a number of infield spots.

Shortstop
Stegall, a two-time All-American, headlines the list of players here. He started every game last season and provides an outstanding bat and a steady glove in addition to leadership.

Third Base
Propst, who set three weightlifting records during winter conditioning, is the leading candidate to start at the hot corner. He appeared in 21 games last season and hit .255. Williams could also play here in addition to Marcum, Tetelboin and Vitello.

Left Field
Henry, a sophomore, was impressive in fall workouts and is the top candidate to start. The 6-foot-5 Henry will be pushed for playing time by Hoover, who also could serve as the designated hitter. Center Field Tingler moves to center after playing left last season. The speedy Tingler covers a lot of ground and will be the catalyst for the offensive lineup.

Right Field
Fewell, who has seen playing time at several positions during the past two seasons, has the starting nod here. He has shown the ability to hit and also has a strong throwing arm. Dan Bane, Lee Laskowski and Ryan Rallo all could see playing time, depending on the opposing pitcher and situation.

Designated Hitter
Hoover leads the way here but Bane, Laskowski and Rallo provide right-handed bats while Ehlers will be a left-handed hitting candidate.

Pitchers
With four seniors, MU plans to use that experience to its advantage.

"We've got potential to be good on the mound, too," said Jamieson. "We have a number of veterans and a number of younger players pushing for spots, too. It'll be interesting to see what happens as the season unfolds."

Dale led the team in innings pitched (81.1) in 2000 and has been among the team's leaders in strikeouts all three seasons. Harris was impressive in his first year at MU and had a team-high 75 strikeouts. Kiler led the team in appearances in 2000 and had an outstanding strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.78 to 1. Sansone went 5-1 in his first year at MU.

But the list does not stop with those four pitchers. Matt Hobbs, a left-handed junior, threw well in the fall and could crack the starting rotation. Drew Endicott, who threw 56.2 innings last season, could see action as a spot starter or middle reliever. Marcum also threw well this fall season and might see most of his playing time on the mound. Mike Mitchell and Mark Alexander will get opportunities to start or throw in relief. Both have good velocity and are strong competitors. Garrett Broshuis had an impressive fall and will see time.