Feb. 22, 2007

MIZZOU AT THE SERVICE ACADEMY CLASSIC

Schedule: Friday vs. BYU 1 p.m.
Friday vs. Akron 7 p.m.
Saturday vs. Memphis 4 p.m.
Sunday vs. Navy 11:30 a.m.
Stadium: Friday-Saturday: USA Stadium
Sunday: Nat Buring Stadium
Records: Mizzou: 5-2
BYU: 3-2
Akron: 0-0
Memphis: 0-1
Navy: 6-1
Series History: MU is 0-1 vs. BYU, 1-0 vs. Akron, 4-6 vs. Memphis, 1-0 vs. Navy
Coaches: MU- Tim Jamieson (404-292-2/13th year at MU and overall)
BYU- Vance Law (291-185-2/8th year at BYU and overall)
Akron- Pat Bangston (15-36/2nd year at UA and overall)
Memphis- Daron Schoenrock (45-71/3rd year at Memphis; 70-123/5th year overall)
Navy- Paul Kostacopoulos (38-22-1/2nd year at Navy; 542-354-1/18th year overall)
Radio: KTGR 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Gametracker: mutigers.com

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FIRST PITCH
Missouri will wrap up its three-week, 11-game road trip to open the season with this weekend's Service Academy Classic in Millington, Tenn. The Tigers are 5-2 on the season and will open this weekend's action with two games on Friday, taking on BYU at 1 p.m. and Akron at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Mizzou will take on Memphis at 4 p.m. before a Sunday matchup with Navy. Sunday's game time has been moved up to 11:30 (from its originally scheduled Noon start) and will be played at Nat Buring Stadium on the Memphis campus, while the other games of the weekend will take place at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn.

LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou was 2-2 last weekend in Arizona. The Tigers opened the trip West with a game at Arizona State, where the Sun Devils took a 7-1 win over MU. The Tigers then joined Arizona State, Gonzaga and Oregon State at the Coca-Cola Spring Training Classic in Surprise, Ariz. Missouri won it first two games of the Classic, avenging its loss to Arizona State with a 3-2 comeback win over the Sun Devils on the first day of the tournament. The Tigers trailed 2-0 in the eighth inning when senior John McKee delivered a three-run double to score the eventual winning runs. Mizzou then defeated Gonzaga, 10-3, behind the pitching of sophomore Aaron Crow, who did not allow an earned run on just two hits in seven innings work to earn the victory. Freshman Trevor Coleman added three hits, including two doubles and sophomore Ryan Lollis was 3-for-5 against the Bulldogs. The weekend concluded with Mizzou falling 9-2 to defending National Champion Oregon State. Four Tigers were named to the All-Tournament Team, including Crow, who was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher. Lollis, senior Gary Arndt and freshman Greg Folgia were also selected to the All-Tournament squad.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
BYU brings a 3-2 record into the Service Academy Classic, having won a series against Sam Houston State, then splitting two games with Portland. Steve Parker lead the Cougars with a .438 batting average through the first five games, while three other BYU players are hitting at least .300. Akron will open its 2007 season with this weekend's tournament in Millington. The Zips return all six of the team's top offensive performers and half of the pitching rotation from the 2006 squad that finished 15-36. Memphis opened its 2007 season with a 12-9 loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday. The Tigers finished 32-28 last season, a 19-game turnaround in the win column from the previous year. They return 11 seniors and seven position starters this year. Navy is making its 16th-consecutive appearances at the Service Academy Classic this weekend. The Midshipmen are off to their best start in 18 years with a 6-1 record heading into this weekend and have won their last five games.

SERIES HISTORIES
Missouri is 6-7 all-time against this weekend's opponents. The Tigers dropped its only all-time meeting with BYU in a 3-1 contest in 1977. In 2005, Mizzou defeated Akron by a score of 11-0 at the Winthrop Tournament in the first and only meeting between the two schools. 2005 was also the only year MU and Navy faced off, as they met at that season's Service Academy Classic, with MU taking a 25-2 win. Mizzou and Memphis have met 10 previous times, with the Tigers of Memphis holding a 6-4 edge over the Tigers of Missouri. The last meeting with Memphis came in 2005, with Memphis taking a 7-6 win. The year before that, 2004, it was Missouri taking a one-run victory, 3-2. The two teams meet a total of eight times between 1959 and 1978. Missouri actually won five of those meetings, but later had to forfeit its two wins in 1959.

MILLINGTON IS TITLETOWN FOR MIZZOU BASEBALL
In 2005, the last time the Tigers traveled to Millington for the Service Academy Classic, Mizzou took home the tournament title. MU opened the tournament that year with a 25-2 win over Navy, pounding out a school record 26 hits in the victory. The 25 runs scored set a new Service Academy Classic record. The offense continued to pile up runs the following day, as the Tigers picked up a 10-1 win over Indiana State. The Tigers closed out the Classic in 2005 by falling to Memphis, 7-6, as a run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Memphis the victory. However, Mizzou held all tiebeakers and was declared tournament champions. The Tigers also claimed a tournament title in 2004 in Millington, taking the Easton/USA Challenge championship. Missouri was 4-0 defeating Wake Forest, Indiana State, Memphis and Tennessee-Martin.

CROW NAMED TOP PITCHER AT COCA-COLA CLASSIC
Sophomore Aaron Crow was named the Most Outstanding Pitcher at last weekend's Coca-Cola Spring Training Classic in Surprise, Ariz. Crow picked up the win in the Tigers' 10-3 victory over Gonzaga on Saturday. He did not allow an earned run and gave up just two hits in seven innings on the mound. The two hits were the fewest hits Crow has allowed in his 15 starts at Missouri. Senior Gary Arndt, sophomore Ryan Lollis and freshman Greg Folgia joined Crow on the All-Tournament Team in Surprise.

JAMIESON JOINS THE 400-WIN CLUB
Missouri's win in the season opener marked the 400th career victory for MU Head Coach Tim Jamieson. He enters the trip to Millington with a 404-292-2 record in his 13th season at the helm. Jamieson joins legendary Mizzou coaches Gene McArtor (733 wins) and John "Hi" Simmons (481 wins) as the only coaches in MU history to reach the 400-win mark. McArtor and Simmons both have their numbers retired at MU and are members of the Missouri Athletics Hall of Fame. Jamieson took over as head coach of the Tigers in 1995. During his tenure, Missouri has recorded at least 30 wins 10 times and has made five trips to the NCAA Tournament, including the last four. Last year he took the Tigers to the first Super Regional in school history. He has coached five players to All-America honors and eight to Freshman All-America recognition.