March 2, 2004

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Mizzou concludes its five-game homestand with two games with Western Illinois this week at Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field. The Tigers and Leathernecks will open the series at 6:30 p.m on Tuesday, with game two set for 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Last weekend, MU opened up the home portion of the 2004 schedule by taking two of three from Youngstown State. The Tigers are now 8-2 on the year. Western Illinois enters this week's two-games set with a 4-4 record. Last season, Missouri took the only meeting between the two teams by a score of 16-3 at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers lead the all-time series with WIU 16-4. Mizzou is back on the road this weekend, traveling to Seattle, Wash. for a three-game series with the University of Washington.

Last Time Out
Mizzou opened its 2004 home slate by taking two of three games against Youngstown State last weekend at Taylor Stadium. After dropping the opening game of the series, 3-2, on Friday, the Tigers rebounded to take the next two games. Senior Lee Laskowski hit his first home run of the season on Saturday and picked up his second in Sunday's game. Senior Ryan Rallo homered on Saturday, his second of the year. Junior Cosme Caballero's bat came alive on the weekend as he had a hit in each of the three games, extending his hitting streak to five games. Caballero drove in three runs in Saturday's win and added four more RBI on Sunday. The Tigers' pitching remained strong as juniors Erik Dessau and Garrett Broshuis each picked up his third win of the year last weekend. Dessau turned in another brilliant performance on Saturday, allowing just three hits and no runs in 7.0 innings of work. Senior Mark Alexander came on for the final two innings, giving up just one hit and preserving the shutout. Broshuis picked up his third win in as many starts on Sunday. He allowed just one run on eight hits in 6.0 innings against YSU.

From the Department of the Obvious
For pitchers, strike outs are better than walks. That is obvious and the Mizzou pitching staff is well aware of that. In the three games against Youngstown State last weekend, the Tigers struck out 29 batters and walked only three (an average of 9.7 K's and 1 BB per game). For the year, MU pitchers have recorded 91 strike outs, while allowing only 21 walks.

Dessau Sits 'em Down
A transfer from Forrest Park Community College, junior RHP Erik Dessau has stepped into the Tigers' pitching rotation and been dominate this season. In his three starts, he has three wins and has allowed just one run in 20 innings for a team-leading 0.45 ERA. The Tigers have had two shutouts this season and both have come in games that Dessau has started. He has pitched at least six innings in each of his three starts and allowed only 15 hits, while striking out 12 and walking only one. Dessau joins junior Garrett Broshuis as the only three-game winners for the Tigers this season, both are 3-0 on the year.

The Hits Keep on Coming
Six Tigers have multi-game hitting streak in tact heading into the two games against Western Illinois, led by Senior Ryan Rallo's seven-game hit streak. During the seven-game stretch, Rallo is hitting .391 with nine hits, two doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. Rallo's streak is the longest for any Tiger this season, ahead of senior Cody Ehlers' six-game streak Ehlers recorded a hit in each of the first six games of the season, before having the streak snapped against Albany. After a slow start to the season at the plate, junior Cosme Caballero's bat has come alive, as he has put together a five-game hitting streak. Sophomore James Boone has a four-game hitting streak on the line while a trio of Tigers (Ehlers, senior Lee Laskowski and sophomore Tyler Williams) carry a two-game streak into the Western Illinois series.

Hello Rallo
Mizzou senior Ryan Rallo leads the Tigers with a .353 batting average and carries a seven-game hitting streak into this week's two-game set with Western Illinois. Rallo is also second on the team with 13 RBI and tied for second with two home runs and 12 hits. During the seven-game hitting streak, Rallo is hitting .391 with two home runs and 11 RBI. Rallo had a nine-game hitting streak at one point during the 2003 season and opened the 2002 season with hits in the first five games of the year.

No Runs For You
Mizzou has shut out two of its first 10 opponents this year. In each of the two shutouts, junior RHP Erik Dessau has started on the mound and senior RHP Mark Alexander has relieved Dessau and preserved the shutout. Mizzou's shutout of Portland (13-0) on Feb. 14 in Phoenix, Ariz. was the first shutout by a MU team since April 29, 2003 when the Tigers defeated St. Louis in the "Wood Bat Classic" by a score of 9-0. Dessau started and pitched six inning, allowing seven hits to record the win. Alexander came on in relief, giving up just one hit and striking out five in three innings of work to record the save. Last Saturday, Dessau pitched seven innings of shutout work, giving up just three hits and striking out eight. Alexander came on for the final two innings and allowed just one hit in the 7-0 MU victory.