April 3, 2009
MIZZOU vs. OKLAHOMA
APRIL 3-5, 2009 • COLUMBIA, MO.
| First Pitch | Friday: 6:30 p.m. / Saturday: 2 p.m. / Sunday: 1 p.m. |
| Stadium | Taylor Stadium |
| TV | MSN (FS Midwest/MetroSports) [Saturday only] |
| Radio | KTGR 1580-AM / KTGR.com |
| Live Video | mutigers.com |
| Gametracker | mutigers.com |
FIRST PITCH
Missouri returns to Taylor Stadium this weekend for a three-game series with Oklahoma. Game one of the weekend is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, with games to follow at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Saturday's game will be televised by the Mizzou Sports Network and can be seen on FS Midwest, except in Kansas City, where it will air on MetroSports. The Tigers enter the weekend at the .500 mark, standing 14-14 on the season. They are 4-5 in the Big 12 Conference. OU is 23-6 overall and holds a 4-2 record in Big 12 play. The Sooners are ranked as high as No. 10 in this week's national polls. Following this weekend's series with Oklahoma, Mizzou will host Minnesota in a two-game midweek series starting on Tuesday, before traveling to Waco, Texas for series against Baylor next weekend.
GIBSON RECORDS 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. He leads the conference with 60 strikeouts on the year in 42.0 innings pitched.
MIZZOU ADDS JOHNNY WHOLESTAFF TO THE ROSTER
Missouri has utilized a pitcher-by-committee strategy in eight games this season and found it to be a success. In those eight games, Mizzou is 7-1 and has a team ERA of 2.41. Opposing batters are hitting just .227 against the Tigers in the pitcher-by-committee games. On Wednesday, Mizzou used 10 pitchers to defeat SLU at Busch Stadium. That came two days after 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 leading the team with a .313 average and has a team-best 20 RBI. He had six-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday against SLU. During that six-game hitting streak, Lollis was 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.
TEPESCH TURNS IN CAREER-LONG OUTING AT TEXAS
Sophomore Nick Tepesch set a new career-high in innings pitched in three consecutive outings March 1-15. He pitched 6.1 innings against Arizona State on March 1, giving up just one run on six hits and striking out a career-best eight. The following week, Tepesch picked up his first win of the season as turned in 6.2 innings pitched against Ball State, setting a new career high with 12 strikeouts. On March 15 at Texas, Tepesch pitched eight innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out four. He left the game with the lead, but took a no decision. Tepesch has struck out 42 batters in 38.1 innings pitched this season.
FOLGIA IS MISSOURI'S UTILITY MAN
Junior Greg Folgia is third on the team with a .299 average. He is tied for the team lead with three home runs and his 22 RBI are a team best. Folgia had two hits in each of the Tigers' two games against UI-Chicago, including a four-RBI game on Wednesday. Folgia homered and tripled in that game to set a new career high with the four RBI. He has had a pair of four-game hitting streaks and carries a three-game hitting streak heading into the OSU series. Folgia has had three hits in three games this year. Folgia has started both in left field and at first base for the Tigers this season and also has made 10 appearances on the mound out of the bullpen.
HICKS MOVES UP MISSOURI'S ALL-TIME SAVES LIST
Senior Scooter Hicks picked up saves in three-straight appearances, March 1-8. His three saves on the season give him 14 for his career, which places him in a tie for fourth place all-time at Missouri. Hicks is tied with Jeff Cornell (1976-78) on the all-time career saves list at MU and is two behind third-place Travis Wendte (2002-06). Scott Black holds the MU record with 19 career saves (1987-90). Hicks had six saves in his first year at Missouri (2007), which tied for 10th on MU's single season saves list. He recorded five last year.
TIGER PITCHERS SET CAREER MARKS AGAINST BALL STATE
Missouri had two pitchers set new career highs in strikeouts in the four-game series with Ball State, March 6-8. Junior Kyle Gibson struck out 13 in the series opener. [Gibson set a new career best with 16 Ks against Texas A&M on March 20.] Gibson's previous career best was 11 against Toledo last March. In game four, sophomore Nick Tepesch struck out a career-high 12, picking up his first win of the season. It was the second straight Sunday in which Tepesch set a new career best after he struck out eight against Arizona State on March 1. In addition, senior Ian Berger matched his career high with nine strikeouts against Ball State in game two of a March 7 doubleheader.
FRESHMEN STEP UP FOR MIZZOU
Heading into the week, freshman Conner Mach is second on the team with a .300 average and has 11 RBI. He has played in 19 games, starting 17 times for the Tigers. He had at least one hit in each of the first eight games he played in for Missouri. Mach was 7-for-13 (.538) against Ball State, March 6-8, playing in three of the four games against BSU. Of his seven hits, three were doubles and he hit a home run, his first of his career. He was 6-for-9 in the March 7 doubleheader, then was 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in the series finale. Fellow freshman Ryan Gebhart is hitting .297, fifth best on the team, having played in 18 games for MU this year, starting nine times. In his first career start on March 6 against Ball State, Gebhart drove in the Tigers' first two runs of the game on a bases loaded single to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead. Another freshman, Ben Turner has played in 14 games already this year, starting four times. On the pitching side, Mizzou has seen contributions out of the bullpen from freshmen Jeff Emens (12 appearances), Ryan Clubb (10 appearances) and Brian Carr (four appearances).
JAMIESON MOVES INTO SECOND PLACE ON MU'S ALL-TIME WINS LIST
With Missouri's win over Arizona State on March 1, Head Coach Tim Jamieson moved into second place on Mizzou's all-time wins list. Jamieson is 494-343-2 in his 15th year as the Tigers' head coach. His 494 wins put him ahead of legendary former head coach John "Hi" Simmons. Simmons compiled a record of 481-294-3 from 1937-1973, while Gene McArtor is the all-time winningest coach at Missouri with a record of 733-430-3 from 1974-1994. Jamieson, who served as an assistant coach under McArtor from 1988-94, has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Regionals, including each of the last six and is a two-time Conference Coach of the Year. Last fall, the University of Missouri extended Jamieson's contract, keeping him in the MU dugout through at least the 2013 season. With the retirement of Texas Tech's Larry Hays last summer, Jamieson and Baylor coach Steve Smith are now the longest tenured coaches in the Big 12 Conference, as each is in his 15th year as head coach of the respective programs.
TIGERS ROSTER LOADED WITH DRAFTED PLAYERS
Mizzou has seven players on its current roster that have previously been taken in the Major League Baseball Draft. Senior Ryan Lollis has twice been selected in the draft. He was a 20th round pick of Pittsburgh out of high school in 2005. Last year, Lollis was again taken in the 20th round, this time by the Detroit Tigers. Junior Aaron Senne was taken in the 13th round of the 2006 MLB Draft, while junior Kyle Gibson was the 36th round pick by Philadelphia that year. Also in 2006, Trevor Coleman was a 38th round pick of Cincinnati. In 2007, sophomores Nick Tepesch (28th round by Boston), Brad Buehler (43rd round by Tampa Bay) and Tyler Clark (46th round by Chicago Cubs) were all drafted.
GIBSON LEADS TEAM USA TO UNDEFEATED 2008 TOUR
Missouri pitcher Kyle Gibson picked up his team-best fifth win of the summer for Team USA as the USA Baseball National Team defeated Japan, 1-0, in the gold medal game of last summer's FISU World Championships at Mestsky Stadium. With the game scoreless, Team USA scored in the top of the 12th inning, making a winner of Gibson who had pitched a perfect 11th inning with one strikeout. It was Team USA's third consecutive FISU title. The U.S. squad completed its 2008 tour 24-0 and established a National Team record for lowest staff ERA at 0.88 (the previous mark of 1.29 was set in 2003). Team USA did not allow more than two earned runs in any game and tossed its sixth shutout of the summer in the FISU title game. Gibson finished 5-0 on the summer to lead the team in wins. He tied for the team lead with 13 appearances on the mound and had an ERA of 1.02. He struck out 25 batters in 17.2 innings pitched.
TIGERS TO PLAY IN BOTH OF MISSOURI'S MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STADIUMS IN 2009
Among the highlights of the Tigers' 2009 schedule are games at both of the Major League Baseball stadiums in the state of Missouri. Last Wednesday, Mizzou defeated Saint Louis University, 19-6 at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals. 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.
MIZZOU MAKES IT SIX-STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENTS
Last season, Mizzou advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth-straight season, becoming one of just 16 schools in the nation to qualify for the postseason in the last six years. Only two Big 12 schools (MU and Texas) can make that claim.
ON THE AIR
KTGR 1580-AM is the radio home of the Tigers. All of Mizzou's regular season and postseason games will air on KTGR 1580-AM in Columbia. The games can also be heard online at KTGR.com. Tex Little is in his 19th season of calling Tiger Baseball and is joined in the booth by Hudson Guthrie, who returns for his second year as part of the Tigers' broadcast team.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will back in action at Taylor Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday, hosting Minnesota for a two-game midweek series. Game one is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with the second game getting underway at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Next weekend, the Tigers will travel to Waco, Texas for a three-game series with Baylor.