April 1, 2009
MIZZOU vs. SAINT LOUIS
APRIL 1, 2009 • ST. LOUIS, MO.
First Pitch: 7:15 p.m.
Series History: MU leads 71-17
Last Meeting: MU def. SLU, 19-1;March 14, 2007 in Columbia
Stadium: Busch Stadium
Capacity: 46,000
Radio: KTGR 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Gametracker: mutigers.com
FIRST PITCH
On Wednesday, Missouri will take on Saint Louis University at Busch Stadium, the home of the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. Tickets are available for $10. All seating is general admission in the Infield Field Box seats. Gates to Busch Stadium will open at 6:15 p.m. It will be the first of two games Mizzou will play in a Major League Baseball stadium this year. On April 22, the Tigers will face Kansas at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. MU enters the game with a record of 13-14 on the season, while the Billikens are 14-12. Missouri leads the all-time series with SLU, 71-17 and won the last meeting between the two teams, 19-1, in 2007 at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers will return to Columbia this weekend, hosting Oklahoma in a three-game series at Taylor Stadium. That series will open Friday at 6:30 p.m.
TIGERS TO PLAY IN BOTH OF MISSOURI'S MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STADIUMS IN 2009
Among the highlights of the Tigers' 2009 schedule are games to be played at both of the Major League Baseball stadiums in the state of Missouri. Tonight, Mizzou will take on Saint Louis University at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. In three weeks, MU will return to Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals, to face Kansas at 6:30 p.m. on April 22. This will mark the third year that Missouri and Kansas have been scheduled to meet at Kauffman Stadium, however the 2007 game was cancelled due to rain. The game is considered a non-conference contest and will be played in addition to the three-game conference series between the two teams May 8-10 in Columbia.
GIBSON THROWS BACK-TO-BACK COMPLETE GAMES
On March 23, Mizzou junior Kyle Gibson was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second-consecutive week. He was the first pitcher to claim back-to-back Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors since Texas' Kyle McCulloch in 2006. Gibson picked up a complete game victory over Texas A&M on March 20, as he struck out a career-high 16 batters in the Tigers' 3-2 win. He gave up just two runs on five hits to the Aggies and his only walk allowed on the night was an intentional pass in the eighth inning. Gibson retired the first 10 batters to the plate and 18 of the first 19 he faced. A week earlier, Gibson was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, in addition to Big 12 Pitcher of the Week after picking up his first career shutout in MU's series opener with Texas on March 14. Gibson struck out 11 batters and gave up six hits in nine innings pitched, as the Tigers defeated Texas, 2-0. The complete-game was the first nine-inning complete game for Gibson, who has had two seven-inning complete games in his career. Gibson has an ERA of 2.63 on the year, which is 11th best in the Big 12. He is second in the conference with 57 strikeouts on the year in 41.0 innings pitched.
MIZZOU ADDS JOHNNY WHOLESTAFF TO THE ROSTER
Missouri has utilized a pitcher-by-committee strategy in seven games this season and found it to be a success. In those seven games, Mizzou is 6-1 and has a team ERA of 2.18. Opposing batters are hitting just .215 against the Tigers in the pitcher-by-committee games. On Monday, the Tigers' staff pitched a shutout over Oklahoma State, allowing six hits to the Cowboys. Missouri used nine pitchers in the game against OSU. The first time the Tigers used the staff pitching plan was against Arizona State on Feb. 24. Eight pitchers each pitched one inning against ASU, allowing just three runs on five hits. The Tigers used nine pitchers, again employing one pitcher an inning, against Western Illinois on March 4 and shutout the Leathernecks 8-0, giving up just five hits. A week later nine pitchers each turned in one inning on the mound as Mizzou defeated Western Illinois, 18-4. Missouri utilized a season-high 11 pitchers against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on March 18, defeating the Cougars 4-1. On March 21, Missouri employed the strategy for the first time in a Big 12 Conference game. Nine pitchers teamed up to defeat Texas A&M, 6-2. Each pitcher worked exactly one inning on the mound against the Aggies. On March 25, Mizzou matched its season high with 11 pitchers used as the Tigers defeated UI-Chicago. Four pitchers (Brad Buehler, Ryan Clubb, Ryan Gargano and Kelly Fick) have pitched in at least six of the seven games and have not allowed an earned run in those games.
LOLLIS LEADS THE TIGERS AT THE PLATE
Senior Ryan Lollis has been one the Tigers' most consistent performer this season. Lollis is hitting .313 and has a team-best 20 RBI. He has six-game hitting streak heading into Wednesday's game with SLU. During this six-game hitting streak, Lollis is 10-for-25 (.400). He had an eight-game hitting streak from Feb. 22-March 6. Lollis has had two three-hit games this season (against Gonzaga on Feb. 22 and against Western Illinois on March 4). He has six doubles and three triples. His three triples are tied for the most in the Big 12 this season. Lollis has two home runs on the year, hitting his first against Gonzaga on Feb. 22. He hit a two-run home run against UI-Chicago on March 25, going 2-for-4 with three RBI in that game.
TIGERS ON TV
Mizzou's game against Oklahoma this Saturday (April 4) will be televised by the Mizzou Sports Network. The game can be seen on FS Midwest, except in Kansas City where it will air on MetroSports. KOMU Sports Director Chris Gervino and former Mizzou Baseball Coach Gene McArtor will serve as the broadcast team for the game.
UP NEXT
Missouri will return to Taylor Stadium this weekend to host Oklahoma in a three-game series that will open at 6:30 on Friday. Game two is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday with the third game scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday's game will be televised on the Mizzou Sports Network.