Baseball

A Postcard From Manhattan

March 30, 2003

Hello from the Little Apple of the Midwest - Manhattan, Kansas.

We're now exactly halfway through the 56-game limit the NCAA allows for baseball teams. Missouri may actually be slightly past that point; the Tigers are currently three games under the limit because of games lost to the harsh weather a few weeks ago, and at the moment it's unclear if and when those games will be made up.

But the focus is on the present with the Missouri baseball team, which won its eighth straight with a 5-4, come-from-behind win at Kansas State on Sunday. The win also did several other things. Among them:

  • It was Missouri's first sweep of Kansas State since 1998;
  • Coupled with the sweep of Kansas last weekend, it marked the first time since the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1997 that the Tigers have swept back-to-back league series;
  • In the same vein, it gave Mizzou a six-game conference winning streak, the longest since the 1996 Big Eight Champions won nine in a row;
  • It gave the Tigers 20 wins faster than any club since the 1998 squad started 20-6; Mizzou is currently 20-8, and 6-3 (tied for third) in the Big 12.

The Tigers won in every possible manner over the course of the weekend. Friday's game was all about offense, as Mizzou bashed a pair of homers among its 17 hits. [Justin James did match the longest outing of his career by throwing eight strong innings, though.]

Saturday's game was about taking advantage of the opportunities your opponents give you: Six of Mizzou's eight runs reached base via a walk, error, or hit batsman.

Sunday's game was about making great plays - count three double plays among them - in difficult situations. Travis Wendte may have made the game interesting by balking a run home - and the tying run over to third - in the ninth inning, but with one of the top hitters in the league in Pat Maloney waiting on deck, Wendte got Brett Williams to ground out to second to end the game. It's no coincidence that Wendte was selected as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American last year, when he posted five saves. It should also not come as a surprise that Wendte has already surpassed that total this year; he's halfway to Ryan Stegall's single-season school saves record.

Just in time for the halfway point of the season. As the song goes, on Wednesday, Meet me in St. Louis.