Feb. 4, 2007

The following is the second part in a five-part series previewing the 2007 Mizzou Baseball season. In part two, we take a look at the Tigers' 2007 pitching staff.

On June 4, 2006 in Malibu, Calif., the freshman duo of Aaron Crow and Rick Zagone turned in one of the most memorable days in Mizzou baseball history. Each pitcher recorded a complete game win to help the Tigers remain alive in the NCAA Malibu Regional.

Now sophomores, Crow and Zagone will likely be at the front of the Tigers' pitching rotation in 2007.

Despite several impressive outings in 2006, Crow's only win was the complete game at the NCAA Regional. He was third on the team with 77.2 innings pitched and 60 strikeouts on the year.

Crow struck out seven in the first start of his collegiate career and finished his freshman campaign with the win at the NCAA Regional over Pepperdine, allowing just one run on six hits.

Just hours before Crow sealed the win over Pepperdine, classmate Zagone had finished a complete game of his own, allowing just one run on six hits, striking out seven in a victory over UCLA.

Zagone won six games as a freshman, including three in Big 12 Conference play. He did not allow a run on just two hits in 5.1 innings in his first start as a Tiger against Texas A&M on the road. The victory finished off a three-game sweep of the Aggies.

The third weekend starting spot behind Crow and Zagone will be up for grabs this spring, as will the mid-week starting positions.

Senior Stephan Holst returns after missing much of the 2006 campaign due to injury. He made four starts for Missouri last year, including taking the mound in the season opener, before being sidelined.

Also returning to the Mizzou pitching staff is a pair of juniors, Brant Combs and John Thies. Combs became one of the Tigers' main set-up men last season, making 21 appearances out of the bullpen, the most of all returning pitchers. He struck out 20 batters in 19.1 innings.

Thies made 10 appearances for the Tigers in 2006, including one start on the hill. He picked up the victory in relief against Kennesaw State in his first trip to the mound for Mizzou.

Andrew Mueller redshirted during the 2006 season and will look to find a spot in the Tigers' pitching plans in 2007.

Juniors Lendsey Thomson and Steven Mohr and sophomores Ian Berger, Scooter Hicks and Ryan Gargano are new to the Mizzou program, but bring collegiate experience to the squad.

Thomson was an all-conference and all-region selection for Fort Scott Community College, compiling a 2.01 ERA for FSCC, while Mohr joined the Tigers at the start of the spring semester, transferring from St. Louis Community College at Forest Park.

Berger transfers to MU from Illinois State, where he led the Redbirds in wins (six), strikeouts (69) and innings pitched (84.3), while his ERA of 4.68 was second best on the team.

Hicks, who transferred to Texas A&M prior to the 2006 season from Tulane after Hurricane Katrina, transfers to Mizzou this season. He made two appearances for the Aggies last year after he was a three-time all-state selection at Houston Christian High School in Houston.

Gargano won 11 games with Crowder College in 2006, striking out 69 batters in 94.0 innings pitched.

Missouri's freshman class includes pitchers Travis Crow, Kyle Gibson, Vinny Losorelli and Phil McCormick. All bring impressive prep career resumes to Missouri.

Crow had an ERA of 1.70 with 75 strikeouts for Washburn Rural High School in Kansas last season and will join his older brother Aaron on the Mizzou pitching staff.

Gibson is a 6-5 righthander, who last season had a 0.98 ERA with 140 strikeouts for Greenfield (Ind.) High School, to earn all-state recognition. He had a 1.19 ERA over his high school career and was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft last June by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Losorelli adds another lefthander to the pitching staff, as he joins Mizzou this season after an impressive career at Glendora (Calif.) High School.

McCormick struck out 137 batters for Lafayette High School in Chesterfield, Mo. outside of St. Louis last season.

Along with playing positions in the field, freshmen Ryan Allen and Greg Folgia will also add depth on the mound.

Allen was 7-2 last season for Stillwater (Okla.) High School and was a three-time all-conference selection, while Folgia had a career 0.74 ERA at Christopher Dock High School in Pennsylvania, leading his team to the State Championship.

2007 MIZZOU BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW
PART I- 2006 in Review
PART II- 2007 Pitching Staff
PART III- 2007 Infielders
PART IV- 2007 Outfielders
PART V- A look at the 2007 Schedule