April 28, 2006

BAYLOR at MIZZOU
COLUMBIA, MO
APRIL 28-30, 2006

First Pitch:
Friday- 6:30 p.m. / Saturday- 2 p.m. / Sunday- 1 p.m.
Stadium:
Taylor Stadium/Simmons Field (Capacity: 2,200)
Records:
Mizzou: 19-20, 7-11 Big 12 Conference
Baylor: 26-17, 9-9 Big 12 Conference
Series History:
Baylor leads the all-time series with Mizzou, 22-15-1
Last Year:
MU took 2-of-3 from BU last year in Waco. (GM1: BU 7-5 / GM2: MU 7-3 / GM3: MU 10-4)
Coaches:
MU- Tim Jamieson (383-282-2/12th year at MU and overall)
BU- Steve Smith (444-275-1/12th year at BU and overall)
Radio:
KTGR 1580-AM, flagship;
Also on 900-AM in Fulton and 950-AM in Jefferson City
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Stats: Gametracker on mutigers.com
Live Video: Mizzou All-Access on mutigers.com
For more information: mutigers.com
On Tap:
at Missouri State- Tuesday May 2, 7 p.m.
at Illinois State - Wednesday May 3, 3 p.m.

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LEADING OFF...
Mizzou returns to Taylor Stadium this weekend to host Baylor in another Big 12 Conference series. The three-game set will get underway at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and will continue with games at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. All games can be heard on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia and on ktgr.com. Live video will also be available through Mizzou All-Access on mutigers.com. Live stats for all three games will be provided through Gametracker on mutigers.com. Missouri enters the weekend with a 19-20 overall record and is seventh in the Big 12 Conference with a 7-11 league record, while Baylor is in a tie for fourth in the conference with a 9-9 Big 12 record. The Bears are 26-17 overall. Last year, Mizzou took two-of-three from Baylor in Waco in the final series of the regular season. Following the weekend series, the Tigers will have back-to-back midweek road contests, traveling to Missouri State on Tuesday night, before taking on Illinois State on Wednesday afternoon. Next weekend, MU is back at Taylor Stadium for a non-conference three-game series with Mississippi Valley State.

MIZZOU'S PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: Nathan Culp (Jr., LHP): 7-4, 2.96 ERA, 76.0 IP, 47 K
Nathan Culp leads the team with seven wins on the year, which is tied for second most in the Big 12 Conference. He picked up a win last Friday against Oklahoma State, matching his second longest outing of the season with 8.0 IP. It marked the sixth time in his 11 starts he has pitched at least seven innings. That includes a three-hit, complete-game shutout over Kansas on March 31. Culp earned Big 12 Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week following that performance. He opened Big 12 Conference play by taking a win over Texas A&M on March 17. In that game, Culp matched a career-high with eight strikeouts, as he allowed just one unearned run on four hits in 7.2 innings pitched.

Saturday: Aaron Crow (Fr., RHP): 0-4, 4.83 ERA, 54.0 IP, 45 K
Aaron Crow has been the recipient of some hard luck losses this year, the most recent coming last Saturday against Oklahoma State. In that game, Crow allowed three runs in 7.0 innings pitched, but took the loss. A week earlier, Crow was in line for the win against Oklahoma when he left the game after 6.0 innings on the mound, but ended up with a no decision. Against OU, he allowed just two runs and struck out five. Crow stuck out a career-high eight batters in his first start of the year, against Kennesaw State on Feb. 11.

Sunday: TBD
Possible starters on Sunday include junior righthander Max Scherzer and freshman lefty Rick Zagone. Scherzer pitched two innings last Wednesday against SEMO, striking out five. That was his first appearance on the mound since April 8 against Nebraska. Scherzer has been fighting injuries most of the season. He is 3-1 on the season with a 2.52 ERA and has struck out 41 batters in 35.2 innings pitched. He was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week after leading MU to a win over then-No. 1 Florida on Feb. 24. In his last Big 12 outing against Nebraska, he allowed one run on two hits and struck out three in 4.2 innings. He won his first three starts of the year. Zagone has made six starts for MU this season, including five in Big 12 Conference play. He recorded a win in his first Big 12 start, against Texas A&M on March 19. In that game, Zagone gave up just two hits in 5.1 scoreless innings of work. Last week against Oklahoma State, Zagone allowed just two hits in six innings on the mound and struck out a career-high seven batters. He is 3-2 on the year with a 3.73 ERA and has struck out 24 batters in 31.1 innings on the mound.

QUICK HITS
• Sophomore Evan Frey leads the Big 12 with 30 hits in conference games. His .429 batting average in Big 12 games is second best in the league and his overall average of .400 is fifth best.
• Mizzou's team ERA of 3.66 is third-best in the Big 12 Conference.
• Freshman David Cales' ERA of 3.22 in Big 12 games ranks eighth in the Conference. Big 12 opponents are hitting just .215 against Cales, which is tied for third in the conference..
• Junior Nathan Culp has an ERA of 2.96, which is fifth best in the Big 12 Conference. Culp is also tied for second in the Big 12 in wins (seven) and is fourth in innings pitched (76.0). .
• Sophomore Brock Bond hit his first career home run in last Friday's win over Oklahoma State. Bond's .346 average in Big 12 games ranks 19th in the league..
• Junior Max Scherzer needs just five more strikeouts to reach 200 Ks for his career. .
• With his 23 appearances this season, senior Taylor Parker has pitched in 97 career games at MU, which places him second in the Mizzou record book behind Scott Black (108)..
• Parker has recorded four saves in Big 12 play, which places him in a tie for fifth in the conference. His five saves overall this year places him in a tie for 11th in the Mizzou record books for saves in a season. .
• Sophomore Jacob Priday had a 14-game hitting streak snapped last Sunday against Oklahoma State. The streak was a career best for Priday and was the longest streak of the season by a Tiger..

SCOUTING THE BEARS
Baylor is currently tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference with a 9-9 league record. The Bears are 26-17 overall on the year after picking up a split in their midweek games. BU defeated Texas Southern 11-1 on Tuesday, before falling to McNeese State by a score of 7-0 on Wednesday. Last weekend, the Bears took two of three from Texas A&M, winning the final two games after dropping the series opener. Zach Dillon leads BU with a .385 batting average, which ranks seventh in the Big 12 Conference. He has a Big 12 leading .443 average in conference games and his 36 RBI also leads the team. Seth Fortenberry is third on the squad with a .303 average and has a team-best seven home runs. His 32 RBI is second to Dillon. Ryan LaMotta, Friday's projected starter, is eighth in the Big 12 with a .3.09 ERA. He is 5-3 on the year, with two complete games, including one shutout. Cory VanAllen is slated to start on the mound on Saturday. He carries a 5-4 record into the series with a 4.45 ERA. Jeff Mandel has seven saves on the season, which is fourth most in the Big 12 Conference. Steve Smith is in his 12th season as the Baylor Head Coach and has compiled a record of 444-275-1. Last summer, Smith served as the Head Coach for Team USA, which featured MU players Max Scherzer and Hunter Mense. Mizzou Head Coach Tim Jamieson was as an assistant coach on that squad.

LAST YEAR VS. BAYLOR
Missouri ended the 2005 regular season by taking two of three from Baylor in Waco in the final series of the year. Baylor took game one of the series 7-5. The Bears scored three runs in the first inning and built a 7-1 lead until Missouri put up four runs in the eighth to make it a two-run margin. The Tigers evened the series with a 7-3 win in game two of the weekend. MU jumped out to a 4-0 lead, scoring a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. Hunter Mense had a pair of hits in the game, including a solo home run in the ninth inning. Missouri closed out the regular season with a 10-4 win in the weekend finale to win the series. The Tigers trailed 3-1 after seven innings, but scored nine runs in their final two at-bats, including a six-run eighth inning, to claim the win.

LAST TIME OUT
MISSOURI 14, SE MISSOURI STATE, 3
April 26, 2006
Community America Ballpark -- Kansas City, Kan.
Leading Southeast Missouri State by two, Mizzou scored nine runs in the ninth inning and took a 14-3 win at the Best of the Midwest Tournament in Kansas City on Wednesday. Three Tigers homered in the game as the Tigers, including sophomore Jacob Priday, who had two home runs in the victory. Junior Max Scherzer started for the Tigers, making his first appearance on the mound since April 8. He struck out five of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work. He hit the first batter of the game, but struck out the next three in the first inning. Scherzer then gave up a lead off walk in the second inning before striking out the next two batters and picking off the baserunner to end the inning. After neither team managed a hit through the first three innings, Southeast Missouri State put the first hits and runs on the board with a two-run bottom of the fourth. The Redhawks opened the inning with a single by Levi Olsen and a double by Andrew Graham. Both would score in the inning to give SEMO the 2-0 lead. The lead would be short-lived as Missouri junior Gary Arndt connected for his third home run of the season, with a three-run shot with one out in the top of the fifth. Arndt is second on the team with three homers this season and now has five for his career. For the second-straight inning, SEMO (15-24) had back-to-back hits to start the fifth, getting a lead off double from Jordan Payne. He would score later in the inning to tie the game at three. The Tigers would quickly regain the lead, as Priday led off the top of the sixth inning with a home run that easily cleared the left field wall. Missouri added a run with an RBI single by freshman Ryan Lollis in the eighth inning. The Tigers then exploded for nine runs in the ninth inning, seven of which scored before an out was recorded in the inning. Priday hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that followed a two-run triple by senior Zane Taylor. Lollis also added a three-run homer in the ninth for his first home run as a Tiger. Missouri's game against Creighton, scheduled for Tuesday night, was cancelled because of rain.

ON TAP
Next week, Mizzou will play a pair of midweek contests, traveling to Springfield, Mo. on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game against Missouri State followed by a Wednesday afternoon matchup with Illinois State in a game that was rescheduled because of a rain out on March 22. Missouri will then host Mississippi Valley State in a three-game non-conference series next weekend with game one of the series at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

TGI-PRIDAY
Sophomore Jacob Priday had his 14-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-4 outing last Sunday against Oklahoma State. The streak was a career long for Priday and is the longest streak by a Tiger this season. Zane Taylor and Evan Frey each had 11-game streaks this year. 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 the previous 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.

SUPER SOPHOMORE
Sophomore Evan Frey is flirting with the .400 mark, as he his hitting exactly .400 heading into the weekend series with Baylor. On Wednesday against Southeast Missouri State, Frey had a career-high four hits to take his average back to the .400 mark. His average leads the team and is fifth best in the Big 12 Conference. He has had a hit in all but five games in which he has played this season. Frey leads the Big 12 Conference with 30 hits in conference games this season. He had an 11-game hitting streak snapped, as he went 0-for-2 against SEMO on March 29. During the streak, Frey hit .463, drove in nine runs, had two triples and a double. He had five multi-hit games during the streak, including four games in which he had three hits.

CULP SHUTS DOWN JAYHAWKS
Missouri junior lefty Nathan Culp was named the Big 12 Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week on April 4 after he pitched a complete-game three-hit shutout against Kansas the previous week. Culp faced the minimum through 7.2 innings against KU, as the only two baserunners to reach up to that point were erased on double plays. He struck out five and walked just one, picking up his team-leading sixth win of the season, which is third most in the Big 12. Culp did record a seven-inning shutout over North Dakota State in 2005 in a game that was called after seven innings due to a run rule in effect. This year, Culp has walked just nine batters in 76.0 innings pitched and has 40 strikeouts. He recorded his 20th career win with the victory over Oklahoma State last Friday.

DID I CATCH A NINER IN THERE?
In Mizzou's win over Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday, the Tigers held a 5-3 lead heading into the ninth inning. Nine runs later, MU had blown the game wide open. Missouri scored nine times in the ninth inning, with seven of those runs coming before the first out of the inning was recorded. Below is the play-by-play for MU's half of the ninth:
• Frey singled to left field.
• Bond singled, bunt; Frey advanced to second.
• Taylor tripled to right field, 2 RBI; Bond scored; Frey scored.
• Priday homered, 2 RBI; Taylor scored.
• Chambers doubled, ground-rule.
• Mach walked.
• Lollis homered, 3 RBI; Mach scored; Chambers scored.
• Pietroburgo struck out.
• Arndt walked.
• Frey singled through the right side; Arndt advanced to third.
• Bond singled through the right side, RBI; Frey advanced to second; Arndt scored.
• Bond advanced to second on a wild pitch; Frey advanced to third on a wild pitch.
• Taylor singled, RBI; Bond advanced to third; Frey scored.
• Cales flied out to cf.
• LeBlanc lined out to cf.

TAYLOR MADE HITTING
Senior Zane Taylor has had a hit in all but eight games for the Tigers this season and is hitting .323 on the year. Last Friday, he was 3-for-5 with a career-high four runs batted in against Oklahoma State. He recorded his 200th hit as a Tiger against Southeast Missouri State on April 12. Taylor had an 11-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 outing in the series finale against Wisconsin-Milwaukee on March 5. His 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. Taylor also has drawn 26 walks this season, which is tied for sixth best in the Big 12.

MAX TRAX
Injuries have forced All-American Max Scherzer to miss four starts this season, including four in Big 12 Conference play. In his first appearance of the year under the Taylor Stadium lights, he struck out nine batters in five innings pitched and recorded the win against UW-Milwaukee, 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
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.

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).

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.

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.

KINSLER DEBUTS RANGERS
Former Missouri Tiger Ian Kinsler made his first major league appearance on opening day this season with the Texas Rangers. Kinsler, who played at Missouri in 2003 and hit .325 for the Tigers, was named the starting second baseman for the Rangers at the start of the year. His first career major league hit came off Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox on opening day and he homered against Detroit on April 6. He dislocated his left thumb in the Rangers' game on April 11, sliding into second base on an attempted steal and is currently on the 15-day disabled list. Kinsler was a 17th round draft pick by Texas in 2003.

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.