April 7, 2003

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri baseball team has earned its first national rankings since early in the 1997 season, as Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball have both placed the Tigers in their polls.

Baseball America has Missouri (23-8) in its final slot of this week's Top 25 poll for the first time since Feb. 10, 1997, while Collegiate Baseball has ranked at No. 20 this week for the first time since the final 1996 poll. In its weekly summation with the release of the poll, Collegiate Baseball called the Tigers "the hottest team in the nation" by virtue of Mizzou's 11-game winning streak, longest since 1998. In addition, the Tigers' 8-3 Big 12 record marks the best start in the seven years of the league's existence.

The nation's two other major college baseball polls, compiled by ESPN/Sports Weekly for the coaches, and by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association, have not yet been released, yet it is those two polls that had Mizzou among the highest teams last week in the "others receiving votes" category.

The Tigers host Western Illinois (10-16 entering a scheduled Tuesday game with Northern Iowa) this Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field. Please note that previous releases may have indicated the game as a 4 p.m. start.