March 18, 2010
NOTE: Mizzou-North Dakota Adjust Series Schedule
MIZZOU vs NORTH DAKOTA
Date: March 18-20, 2010
First Pitch: Thu.: 6:00 / Fri.: 4:00 (DH) / Sat.: 1:00
Series History: MU leads 3-0
Last Meeting: MU def. UND, 11-0 (1978)
Stadium: Taylor Stadium
Capacity: 2,200
Radio: KTGR 100.5-FM / 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Video: mutigers.tv
Live Gametracker: mutigers.com
More Information: mutigers.com
COMPLETE GAMENOTES 
FIRST PITCH
Mizzou's 10-game homestand continues with a four-game series with North Dakota, which begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Taylor Stadium. The teams will play a doubleheader on Friday starting at 4 p.m., with the series finale set for 1 p.m. on Saturday. The Tigers are 7-6 on the season after picking up a series victory last weekend over Xavier. North Dakota enters the series with a 1-6 record on the year. Missouri and UND have three previous meetings, with the Tigers taking wins in all three. Following this weekend's action, MU will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a pair of games next Tuesday and Wednesday before opening up the Big 12 Conference season at Texas A&M on March 26.
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri won its opening home series of the season, taking two-of-three from Xavier last weekend at Taylor Stadium. The series opened with the Tigers taking a 7-6 win in 13 innings, which was the longest game for MU since a 14-inning contest with Akron in 2007. The winning run in Friday's game crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by redshirt freshman Andreas Plackis in the bottom of the 13th. Sophomore Jeff Emens took the win as he turned in 4.1 innings pitched, in which he did not allow a run and gave up just two hits. The bullpen combined to turn in eight scoreless innings, giving up just four hits. The bullpen was again strong in Saturday's 4-2 win for Missouri. After starter Nick Tepesch left after one inning with an injury, junior Kelly Fick pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless ball, striking out three. Four relievers teamed to allow just one run on four hits in eight innings pitched. With the score tied at two in the bottom of the eighth inning, freshman Dane Opel delivered a pinch-hit singled to drive in two runs and break the tie. Mizzou was unable to complete the series sweep as Xavier took a 5-1 win in Sunday's series finale. The Tigers managed just three hits in the finale, with two of those hits and their lone run coming in the bottom of the ninth inning.
MIZZOU-NORTH DAKOTA SERIES HISTORY
Mizzou and North Dakota have met three times before with the Tigers taking wins in all three by a combined score of 31-0. The teams met for two games in 1976 with MU claiming a pair of 10-0 victories. They faced off again in 1978, when Missouri defeated UND, 11-0.
BULLPEN STRONG IN EARLY SEASON ACTION
The Mizzou bullpen has produced several strong outings in the first month of the season. Through 13 games, the bullpen has an ERA of 3.94, picking up five wins and two saves. The Tigers' relievers have struck out 37 batters in 64 innings pitched and opponents are hitting .265. Juniors Kelly Fick and Tyler Clark have yet to give up a run. Clark has made nine appearances and is tied for the team lead with 12 strikeouts in nine innings pitched. Fick has pitched 10.2 innings, appearing in five games. He turned in 5.2 innings of work in relief on March 13 against Xavier, not allowing a run on three hits. Junior Phil McCormick has pitched in 10 of Mizzou's 13 games this season and has recorded two victories. Sophomore Jeff Emens has one save on the year and picked up the win in the Tigers' 13-inning victory over Xavier on March 12, when he pitched a career-long 4.1 innings out of the bullpen.
A FAMILIAR FACE BACK AT TAYLOR STADIUM
Former Mizzou catcher J.C. Field will be back at Taylor Stadium this weekend, as he is currently the top assistant coach for North Dakota. Field serves as the primary hitting and catching coach for the Fighting Sioux, as well as the team's third base coach. He also oversees the team's west coast recruiting and assists in recruiting the in the Midwest. Field was a catcher at Missouri in the 2005 and 2006 seasons after transferring from Pima Community College. He played in 101 games for Mizzou and was part of two NCAA Regional teams, including the 2006 Regional Champion team. Following his playing days at Missouri, Field spent one season as the color commentator for the Tigers' radio broadcast (2007).
NICHOLAS ADAPTS QUICKLY TO MIZZOU
Junior Brett Nicholas was one of the few Tigers that did not struggle offensively in last weekend's series against Xavier. Nicholas hit .625 (5-for-8) in the three games. He opened the series by going 3-for-4 with a double and RBI in Friday's extra-inning victory, then drove in two runs on Saturday, finishing 1-for-2 with a single and a walk. On Sunday he was 1-for-2 and drew two walks. For the season, Nicholas is hitting .371 with one home run, four doubles and team-leading 14 RBI. His 3-for-4 performance on Friday was his second three-hit game of the year. He went 3-for-6 with a double and two runs driven in on Feb. 27 against Auburn.
SENNE CLIMBING SEVERAL LISTS IN MU RECORD BOOK
Aaron Senne returned to Mizzou this year for his senior year, passing up a chance to join his hometown Minnesota Twins organization. Senne, a native of Rochester, Minn., was drafted by Minnesota in last June's Major League Baseball Draft, but chose to return to Missouri. At the Auburn Classic, Senne hit three home runs in a span of two games. He is tied for the Big 12 with four homers on the year. He has 30 home runs for his career, which puts him ninth all-time at Missouri. He is two behind eighth place Chris Wyrick (1990-93) and five away from moving into a tie with Ryan Stegall (1999-2001) and Dave Silvestri (1986-88) for sixth place. Senne ranks ninth in school history with 164 RBI. He has 225 career hits, which is two out of the top-10 all-time at Mizzou and 49 behind the career record holder (Jayce Tingler, 2000-03). He is tied for fourth in the MU record books with 51 doubles, six away from breaking the record (Ryan Fry, 1995-98).
LIBERTO LEADS MIZZOU AT THE PLATE
Michael Liberto, one of just two seniors on the 2010 squad, leads the Tigers with a .432 average after the first 13 games of the season. Liberto opened up the year by hitting .692 at the Collegiate Cactus Classic in Tucson. He was 9-for-13 in the three games with a double, a triple and three RBI. Liberto matched his career best with four hits in a 4-for-5 performance against Gonzaga in the season opener, with a triple and two RBI. He has had at least one hit in all but three games in which he has had an at-bat this season and has had multiple hits in seven of the 13 games on the year. He is the seventh leading hitter in the Big 12 heading into the series.
NEWCOMERS MAKE A QUICK IMPACT
The roster for Missouri is loaded with new names in 2010. Through the first 13 games of the season, a total of 15 players have seen their first playing time for Missouri. Freshmen Dane Opel, Brannon Champagne and Blake Brown all have regular playing time in the MU outfield and freshman Eric Garcia has started four of the last five games at second base. Junior Brett Nicholas, a transfer from Scottsdale Community College, is Mizzou's second leading hitting with a .372 average. He has one home run and a team-leading 14 RBI. On the mound, freshman Eric Anderson is scheduled to get the start on Thursday for Missouri. Anderson picked up a win in his first collegiate start against Florida Atlantic on Feb. 28 when he struck out five and did not allow a run in five innings pitched. He picked up a no decision after striking out six in five innings last week against Xavier. Junior Zack Hardoin, a transfer from Blinn College, has already made nine appearances, which is second on the team, and picked up the win on Feb. 20 against Washington with a scoreless inning of work.
UP NEXT
The Tigers 10-game homestand to open the home portion of the 2010 schedule will conclude with a two-game series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 23-24. Following that, the Tigers will travel to Texas A&M for a three-game set to open up Big 12 Conference play on March 26-27 in College Station, Texas.