April 9, 2008
MIZZOU vs. MISSOURI STATE
APRIL 9, 2008 • SPRINGFIELD, MO
First Pitch: 7 p.m.
Series History: Tied 18-18
Last Year: MU def. MSU, 3-1 in Springfield
Stadium: Hammons Field (8,000)
Radio: KTGR 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Stats: missouristatebears.com
FIRST PITCH
Missouri will step out of conference for a midweek matchup with Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Springfield, Mo.
The Tigers are 22-8 on the year, while MSU enters with an 18-10 record.
MU-MSU SERIES HISTORY
Missouri took a 3-1 win in the only meeting between the two teams last year to even the all-time series at 18-18.
Mizzou has won its last two games against Missouri State, after losing two in a row.
Wednesday's meeting is the first of two scheduled for this season. The two teams will also face of at Taylor Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on May 7.
MIZZOU HOLDS EIGHTH SPOT IN BASEBALL AMERICA POLL
Mizzou is ranked No. 8 in this week's Baseball America poll, released on Monday.
The Tigers climbed to No. 2 in the March 24th poll, its highest ever mark.
MU finds itself ranked 12th in the NCBWA poll and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll and is 16th in Collegiate Baseball's Top 30.
LAST TIME OUT
After taking game one of last weekend's series against Oklahoma State, the Tigers dropped the next two games to lose the series.
Junior Aaron Crow recorded his third shutout of the season and extended his scoreless innings streak to 42.2 in MU's 3-0 win on Friday. Crow struck out seven and did not walk a batter to improve to 7-0 on the year.
The shutout was the fifth of the season for the MU pitching staff.
OSU evened the series with a 6-2 win on Saturday. The Cowboys' Tyler Lyons went the distance, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out six.
Mizzou junior Steve Gray homered twice in game three of the series, but a two-run top of the seventh inning for OSU was the difference in an 8-6 win for the Cowboys.
Gray was 2-for-5, hitting his first two home runs as a Tiger, while sophomore Aaron Senne had three hits.
With the score tied at six, Oklahoma State plated a pair of runs in the seventh, which turned out to be the difference.
LAST YEAR VS. MSU
Missouri picked up a 3-1 win over Missouri State last year in Springfield, Mo.
Ian Berger turned in his longest outing of the season, pitching six scoreless innings and earning the win to improve to 3-1 on the year. He gave up just three hits and struck out five, also a season best for Berger.
Kyle Gibson pitched the ninth inning and recorded his sixth save of the year.
After five and a half scoreless innings, Mizzou struck first, putting two runs on the board in the top of the sixth. Aaron Senne drew a walk and was followed by Brock Bond, who singled and advanced to second on an error by the Bears' leftfielder.
Senne, who moved to third on Bond's single, scored the game's first run when Kyle Mach delivered a base hit through the left side. Bond also scored on the play as the MSU shortstop, Tanner Mattson, was called for fielder's interference, obstructing Bond's path to third base. Bond was awarded home, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Senne finished the game 2-for-4, while Mach was 3-for-4.
Missouri State scored its lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Matt Lawson led off with a double and later scored on a ground out by pinch hitter Shane Elenz.
The Tigers added a run in the ninth, as Evan Frey doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Lollis.
The Tigers and Bears were scheduled to meet a second time last season, but their contest in Columbia was rained out.
UP NEXT
This weekend, the Tiger will host the Tigers will host Texas in a three-game conference series at Taylor Stadium, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.