March 28, 2006

MIZZOU AT SE MISSOURI STATE
CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO.
MARCH 29, 2006
First Pitch: 6 p.m.
Stadium: Capaha Field (Capacity: 2,000)
Records: Mizzou: 15-8, 5-1 Big 12
SE Missouri State: 6-14, 0-3 OVC
Series History: MU leads series 20-7
Last Year: Mizzou and SEMO split last year's series
4/6 in Cape Girardeau- SEMO def. MU, 8-5 (10 innings)
4/13 in Columbia- MU def. SEMO, 10-2
Coaches: MU- Tim Jamieson (379-270-2/12th year at MU and overall)
SEMO- Mark Hogan (338-279/12 year at SEMO and 715-535/25th year overall)
Radio: KTGR 1580-AM, flagship
Also on 900-AM in Fulton and 950-AM in Jefferson City
Live Audio: KTGR.com
For more information: mutigers.com
On Tap: March 31-April 2 at Kansas
Hogland Ballpark, Lawrence, Kan.
Friday- 6 p.m. / Saturday- 2 p.m. / Sunday- 1 p.m.

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LEADING OFF...
Missouri will travel to Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Wednesday for a non-conference matchup with Southeast Missouri State. The Tigers are 15-8 on the season and lead the Big 12 Conference with a 5-1 record after taking two wins in last weekend's three-game series with Kansas State. The Tigers have climbed back into the rankings, coming in at No. 29 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30. Southeast has lost six-straight games and is 6-14 heading into Wednesday's game. Last year, MU and SEMO split the season series and Missouri has a 20-7 lead in the all-time series. Mizzou's 5-1 Big 12 record is just ahead of Texas (4-1), while Nebraska and Oklahoma are 2-1. The Tigers will take their conference lead into Kansas this weekend for a three-game series in Lawrence, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Mizzou pitching staff's ERA of 2.81 is fourth best in the Big 12 Conference and it's 2.53 ERA in Big 12 games leads the conference. Senior Taylor Parker leads the Big 12 with four saves through just six conference games. Sophomore Evan Frey enters Wednesday's game with a 11-game hitting streak in tact, which ties for the longest streak of any Tiger this season, matching senior Zane Taylor's streak earlier this season.

QUICK HITS
• For the second-consecutive season, Mizzou has opened 5-1 in the Big 12 Conference.

• Sophomore Evan Frey carries an 11-game hitting streak into Wednesday's game, which matches the longest streak by a Tiger this season. Senior Zane Taylor had an 11-game streak earlier in the year.

• Missouri's 2.53 ERA in conference games is the best in the Big 12.

• Senior Travis Wendte is one of four pitchers in the Big 12 Conference with an ERA of 0.00 in conference games.

• Senior Taylor Parker has recorded saves in four of Missouri's five Big 12 Conference wins this season.

• The Tigers are 7-0 on the road this season.

• Mizzou is 13-0 on the year when leading after the seventh inning and 14-0 when it holds a lead after eight innings.

• Senior Zane Taylor's .417 batting average ranks third in the Big 12 Conference.

• Heading into Wednesday, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 174-89.

• With his 12 appearances this season, senior Taylor Parker has pitched in 86 games as a Tiger, which places him in a tie for second in the Mizzou record books with Bunky Moeller. Scott Black holds the record with 108 appearances on the mound.

• Mizzou swept Texas A&M for the second-straight season, wining the last six games against the Aggies. The sweep over Texas A&M was the first three-game sweep for the Tigers since sweeping the Aggies last year in Columbia.

• This is the second-consecutive season Missouri has opened the Big 12 schedule 3-0. Last year it swept Kansas State in the conference opening series.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Southeast Missouri State is 6-14 on the season and enters Wednesday's game having lost its last six games. The Redhawks are 0-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference after dropping three games to Tennessee-Martin last weekend. All three losses to Tennessee-Martin were by one run, falling 3-2 in 10 innings on Friday, 2-1 on Saturday and 1-0 on Sunday. Aaron Rave is hitting .369 to lead the Redhawks, adding a team-best 10 RBI. As a team, SEMO is hitting .220, while its pitching staff has an ERA of 4.97. Southeast is 5-5 at home this season, including two wins over Jackson State and a pair of victories over South Dakota State.

SERIES HISTORY
Mizzou holds a 20-7 lead in the series with Southeast Missouri State. Last season, the teams split the two games series as each team picked up a win on its home field. Prior to last year's 8-5 defeat to SEMO in the first matchup of 2005, Missouri had won the four previous meetings.

LAST SEASON VS. SEMO
Last year's season series between the Missouri and SEMO was split as each team won on its home field. Southeast won the first contest, taking an 8-5 win over Mizzou in Cape Girardeau on a 10th inning walk-off home run by SEMO's Ernie Bracamonte. Trevor Helms, who was 4-for-6 in the game, scored a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at five, where it would remain until Bracamonte's homer in the 10th. One week, later, the Tigers earned a split in the series with a 10-2 win at Taylor Stadium. Missouri jumped out to an early lead with a 6-run bottom of the second inning. It would add a run in the sixth and three more in the seventh to score in double digits for the 18th time in 2005.

ON TAP
Missouri will take its 5-1 Big 12 Conference leading record into Lawrence, Kan. for a three-game series with Kansas which gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday. Game two will be 2 p.m. on Saturday with the final game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Last season, the Tigers took two of three from the Jayhawks in Columbia. KU is 2-4 in the Big 12 after the first two weekends of conference play.

LAST TIME OUT
Despite dropping game one of the three-game series with Kansas State last weekend, Mizzou managed to take the final two games of the weekend and move to 5-1 in the Big 12 Conference. Missouri led 3-1 in the sixth inning of game one, but KSU scored the final four runs of the contest to take the victory. In game two, senior Travis Wendte allowed just two hits in 4.1 scoreless innings in relief to record the win and snap the Wildcats' 16-game winning streak. Junior Hunter Mense was 3-for-4 and sophomore Evan Frey had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Mizzou scored five runs in the first two innings on Sunday and went on the defeat Kansas State 6-3 to win the series. Frey had a single in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

TGI-PRIDAY
On Friday, Feb. 24, sophomore Jacob Priday turned in a 5-for-6 performance to help lead Mizzou to a 14-5 win over then-No. 1 Florida. It was Priday's second career five-hit game. Ironically, his second career five-hit game came nearly a year to the day after his first. He was 5-for-6 against Navy on Feb. 25, 2005, driving in four runs and scoring four times. On Feb. 24, 2006, Priday was again 5-for-6, driving in three runs and scoring twice. For the weekend at the Pepsi Baseball Classic, Priday was 7-for-12 (.583), with three doubles and four RBI, earning him a spot on the All-Tournament Team. On March 14, Priday was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, after he hit .533 with two home runs and 11 RBI in the four games last week. Priday was 3-for-4 and drove in a career-high six runs in the Tigers 22-2 win over Purdue in the second game of the three-game series.

TAYLOR MADE HITTING
Senior Zane Taylor leads the Tigers and is third in the Big 12 Conference with a .417 batting average heading into this weekend. He had an 11-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 outing in the series finale against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Taylor's career long hitting streak was a 13-game streak coming in 2004. After opening the year with a 0-3 outing in the season opener against East Tennessee State, Taylor had a hit in each of the next 11 games, including eight games in which he has had multiple hits. He was 4-for-5 and scored three runs in Mizzou's win over Florida.

PLAYING THE HITS
Sophomore Evan Frey carries an 11-game hitting streak into Wednesday's game at Southeast Missouri State. The 11-game hitting streak is a career best for Frey and ties the longest streak by a Tigers this season. During the streak, Frey is hitting .463. He had driven in nine runs, had two triples and a double. He is also 3-for-4 in stolen base attempts. He has five multi-hit games during the streak, including four games in which he has three hits.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
The excitement level on Friday nights this season will be high as junior Max Scherzer is slated to take the mound on Fridays again this season. However, injuries has forced Scherzer to miss three starts this season, including starts in each of the first two weekend's of Big 12 action. Scherzer made his first appearance under the Taylor Stadium lights on Feb. 3. He struck out nine batters in five innings pitched and recorded the win, his third in as many starts. Scherzer was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 28 after leading the Tigers to a victory over No. 1 Florida on Feb. 24. In the win against Florida, he struck out eight in seven innings, allowing just one run on only three hits to record his second victory in a many starts. Scherzer, who was the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year and a second team All-American last year has already begun to receive honors this year. Scherzer was named a first team preseason All-American by all major collegiate baseball publications. He has also been named to the watch lists for the Roger Clemens Award, which is awarded to the nation's top pitcher. Scherzer was one of 10 semifinalists for the Clemens Awards in 2005. Scherzer is also on the Wallace Award watch list, which recognizes the nation's top player and is another award he was a semifinalists for last season. Last season, he led the Big 12 with 131 strikeouts and a 1.82 ERA. The 131 strikeouts is a new school record, passing John Dettmer's 127 K's in 1991. He spent last summer with Team USA, where he had pitches clocked as high as 99 miles per hour.

MIZZOU IN THE POLLS
The Tigers climbed back into the polls this week, coming in No. 29 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30. They are also receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Mizzou received its highest ever preseason ranking, when Baseball America picked the Tigers No. 10 in its poll. It marked only the second time MU had appeared in the preseason poll and the first since it was No. 19 in 1983. Missouri was No. 21 in the final Baseball America poll last year.

TAKING DOWN NO. 1
Mizzou defeated No. 1 Florida on Feb. 24 in Gainesville, Fla. 14-5, knocking off a No. 1 team for the first time since it defeated then-No. 1 Texas, 8-0 on May 1, 2004. The win over Texas was actually the second-straight victory over UT for the Tigers, who recorded a 4-1 win the night before. In the win over the Gators, Missouri pounded out a season-high 22 hits, the most since it recorded 26 hits against Navy (2/25/05). Sophomore Jacob Priday was 5-for-6 against UF, and the top two in the Tiger lineup (Trevor Helms and Zane Taylor) were a combined 8-for-11. Helms 4-for-6 and Taylor finished 4-for-5. Junior Max Scherzer kept Florida in check all night, striking out eight in seven innings pitched. He allowed one run on just three hits to the top-ranked Gators. Mizzou led 14-1 before UF scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth and added a pair of runs in the ninth inning.

MENSE NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAMS
Junior Hunter Mense was named to preseason All-American teams by Baseball America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. He also was named to the watch list for the Wallace Award, which is given to the nation's top college baseball player. Last year, he was a second team All-Big 12 Conference selection after hitting .327 on the year, which was second best on the team. Mense was also second on the squad in runs scored (62) and stolen bases (10) and was third in hits (67) and slugging percentage (.473).

TIGERS SELECTED THIRD IN THE BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
The Big 12 Conference Baseball Coaches selected Missouri to finish third in the conference this season, according to the preseason poll. The Tigers received 66 points, including one first-place vote. Texas (56-16 in 2005), the defending National Champion, has been selected to win the conference crown, garnering 79 total points in voting with nine points for first place, eight for second, seven for third, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Nebraska (57-15) was No. 2 in the balloting with 70 points and one first place vote. Missouri (40-23), ranked in the top 15 in the pre-2006 national polls, was selected as the third team with 66 points and one first-place vote. Baylor (46-24) nailed down the fourth spot while Oklahoma (35-26) was fifth. Oklahoma State (34-25) nabbed sixth position, and Texas A&M (30-25-1) pulled up in seventh. Kansas (36-28) and Texas Tech (34-25) tied for eighth while Kansas State (30-25) was 10th.

MIZZOU WELL REPRESENTED ON TEAM USA
Mizzou Head Coach Tim Jamieson was selected to serve as an assistant coach on the USA Baseball National Team last summer and was joined by two of his Tiger players. Juniors Max Scherzer and Hunter Mense were also selected to the squad, marking the first Team USA selections for MU since 1991. The National Team went 16-4 over the summer, playing games in Japan and Taiwan, along with hosting teams from around the world stateside. Scherzer made four appearances, including two starts, and was 2-1 for Team USA with a 2.70 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. Mense made the team after a very impressive showing at the trials. He played in 17 games for Team USA, hitting .259 with a home run, two triples and two doubles.

TIGERS ARE THREE FOR THREE
Mizzou is one of just two teams in the Big 12 Conference that has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons. Texas, the defending National Champions, is the only other team out of the powerful Big 12 Conference to reach the postseason in the last three years.

WHAT'S RETURNING
Mizzou is loaded with experience in 2006, as all but one position starter, its top two pitchers and three of its most experienced relief pitchers return for the Tigers. Only All-Big 12 selection James Boone is gone from Missouri's starting lineup of 2005. The infield of senior Derek Chambers (1B), senior Trevor Helms (2B), junior Gary Arndt (SS) and junior John McKee (3B) remains in tact from Junior Hunter Mense will anchor the outfield, returning for his third season with Mizzou after hitting .327 last year. Senior Zane Taylor has been a valuable asset to Missouri because of his ability to play numerous positions. He has played third base, shortstop and second base during his first three seasons and will move to the outfield in 2006. Jacob Priday, who was a Freshman All-American last season, returns for his sophomore campaign where he will likely split time between the outfield and catcher. J.C. Field had the most starts of any Tiger behind the plate last year and is back for his senior season. Senior Bryson LeBlanc and sophomores Evan Frey and Dan Pietroburgo saw their first playing time as a Tiger last year and add more experience to this Mizzou squad. On the mound, MU has one of the top 1-2 combinations as the front of its rotation with juniors Max Scherzer and Nathan Culp. Scherzer was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year in 2005 and is a preseason first team All-America selection. He led the conference in strikeouts with a school record 131 K's in 2005. Culp tied Scherzer with a team-best nine wins a year ago and was a second team All-Big 12 Conference selection. He tied for the team lead with 16 starts last year, compiling a record of 9-2 for a .818 winning percentage. Three seniors add a wealth of experience to the Tigers pitching staff. Taylor Parker, Nick Admire and Travis Wendte have made a combined 179 appearances for Missouri. Parker was second on the team last year with 28 appearances and earned All-Big 12 second team honors. Admire has started in 13 of his 47 career appearances, recording six wins for the Tigers over the past three years. Wendte, who missed the 2004 season due to injury, is in his fifth year at Missouri. His 14 career saves, eight of which came in his freshman campaign, is tied for third most in Mizzou history.

KTGR, MIZZOU BASEBALL RENEW RADIO AGREEMENT
The University of Missouri and the Zimmer Radio Group have extended their partnership that will keep Mizzou Baseball on Zimmer through 2009. Mizzou Sports Properties, the multi-media rights holder of the University of Missouri Department of Athletics, announced a four-year renewal of the radio rights agreement for Tiger Baseball. All of Mizzou's regular season and postseason games will air on KTGR 1580 in Columbia. In addition, a majority of the games will be simulcast on KWOS-AM 950 in Jefferson City and KFAL-AM 900 in Fulton. Tex Little will return for his 16th season of calling Tiger Baseball

HE STOOD TALL
He Stood Tall is the story of former Mizzou coach John "Hi" Simmons as told by the men who knew him best. Dozens of players from the 1930s to the 1960s share their stories about their former coach in the recently released book. There are also chapters dedicated to Simmons' theories about the game, his colorful vocabulary and his enduring legacy at the University. To order the book, visit mutigers.com or call 913-219-0338. The book can also be purchased at the Tiger Team Store. All proceeds from the book sales will go the Tiger Bullpen, benefiting Mizzou Baseball.

ALL-ACCESS
Video webcast for all Mizzou Baseball home games in 2006 will be available at mutigers.com as part of the new All-Access. New to mutigers.com this year, All-Access is the Tiger fans home to live and archived games for Mizzou Athletics, along with coaches' shows, press conferences and much more. For more information, visit mutigers.com and click on the All-Access icon.