Mizzou Takes on Missouri State in Midweek Matchup
4/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 17, 2007
MIZZOU at MISSOURI STATE
First Pitch: Tuesday, April 17, 7 p.m.
Series History: Missouri State leads 18-17
Last Meeting: Mizzou defeated Missouri State,2-1, in Springfield (5/2/07)
Stadium: Hammons Field
Capacity: 8,000
Radio: KTGR 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Stats: missouristatebears.com
MISSOURI TIGERS
Overall Record: 25-11
Big 12 Conference Record: 7-5
Last 10/Last 5: 5-5/3-2
Streak: Lost 1
Head Coach: Tim Jamieson
Career Record: 424-301-2 (13th year)
Record at MU: 424-301-2 (13th year)
Website: mutigers.com
MISSOURI STATE BEARS
Overall Record: 19-16
Missouri Valley Conference Record: 4-5
Last 10/Last 5: 4-6/1-4
Streak: Won 1
Head Coach: Keith Guttin
Career Record: 860-518 (25th year)
Record at MSU: 860-518 (25th year)
Website: missouristatebears.com
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FIRST PITCH
Mizzou will travel to Springfield, Mo. on Tuesday to face Missouri State at 7 p.m. at Hammons Field.
The Tigers will try to play their first midweek game in three weeks after they have had games cancelled due to rain the past two Tuesdays.
Heading into Tuesday's game, Missouri is 25-11 on the year, while Missouri State enters the game with a 19-16 record.
QUICK HITS
- Missouri was handed its first series loss of 2007 last week by dropping two-of-three games to Texas A&M. The Tigers had won their first six three-game series of the season.
- Sophomore Aaron Crow recorded his second career complete game against Texas A&M last Saturday. He allowed just three unearned runs on three hits, but took the loss.
- Crow is one of four Tigers ranked in the top 20 of the ERA rankings in the Big 12. Crow's 2.55 ERA is fourth best in the conference, while freshman Kyle Gibson (3.12) is 10th, sophomore Rick Zagone (3.92) is 16th and freshman Greg Folgia (4.19) is 19th.
- Missouri's team ERA of 3.69 ranks fifth in the Big 12 Conference.
- Zagone was named Co-National Pitcher of the Week and Co-Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week last week after recording a one-hit shutout on April 7 at Kansas State to improve to 6-0 on the season. His six wins rank fifth in the conference.
- Zagone's shutout was the first in a Big 12 game this season. There have been eight complete games in Big 12 games this year, with two recorded by Zagone.
- Gibson has five saves on the year, fifth most in the Big 12. His next save will put him into the top 10 for saves in a season at MU.
- Opponents are hitting just .209 off of Gibson, which ranks fourth in the Big 12.
- In MU's four games during the week of March 26-April 1, junior Evan Frey hit .550 with two home runs and nine RBI. Frey is tied for fifth in the Big 12 Conference with 39 runs scored on the year.
- Mizzou is 19-6 in its last 25 games. Included in that stretch is a 14-game winning streak from March 2-23, which was the longest for the Tigers since a 15-game streak in 2005. In 2006, the longest winning streak was six games.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Missouri State is 19-16 on the season heading into Tuesday's matchup with Mizzou. The Bears are 4-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
MSU has lost four in a row, including both games of a doubleheader at Dallas Baptist last Saturday. Both of the losses to DBU were by one run and all of the Bears' last four losses have been by two or fewer runs.
Kyle Paul and Nolan Keane are each hitting .336 on the season to lead the team. Keane also has a team-best seven home runs, while Paul leads the team with 27 RBI. Keane has driven in 25 runs, which is tied for second most on the team with Matt Lawson, who has a .290 average.
The Bears' probable starter on Tuesday is freshman Tim Clubb, who brings a 4-1 record into the matchup with Mizzou. Clubb recorded a complete game shutout against Arkansas State on March 20.
SERIES HISTORY
Missouri snapped a three-game losing streak to Missouri State with a 2-1 win over the Bears in Springfield last year.
MSU currently leads the all-time series by a slim margin of 18-17.
LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou was handed its first series loss of the season last weekend, dropping two of three games to Texas A&M.
After Friday's game was postponed due to rain in Columbia, the Tigers and Aggies split a doubleheader on Saturday.
Texas A&M took game one by a 3-1 score. Missouri sophomore Aaron Crow stuck out five and did not allow an earned run, in recording a complete game, but was handed the loss. All three runs, including two runs scored on a squeeze bunt in the top of the ninth inning, were unearned.
The Tigers took game two by scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. With the score tied and one out in the ninth, junior Jacob Priday grounded into what looked to be a double play. But the Aggie shortstop had difficulty handling the ball and Priday was able to beat the ball to first base, allowing sophomore Ryan Lollis to score from third with the game-winning run.
The Aggies took the series win with a 5-2 victory in Sunday's finale. The Aggies score two runs on back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning and added three runs in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead.
Mizzou loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning, but could get just one run across the plate. It added a run in the eighth, but took its third loss at home this season.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will take on Baylor in Waco, Texas this weekend with games at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Next Tuesday, MU will face Kansas at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium at 7 p.m. before returning home to host Texas Tech April 27-29.
