March 26, 2010
MIZZOU at TEXAS A&M
Date: March 26-28, 2010
First Pitch: 6:35 p.m. / 2:05 p.m. / 1:05 p.m.
Series History: TAMU leads 36-28
Last Year's Series: MU took 2-of-3 in Columbia
Stadium: Olsen Field
Capacity: 7,053
Radio: KTGR 100.5-FM / 1580-AM
Live Audio: KTGR.com
Live Video: aggieathletics.com
Live Gametracker: mutigers.com
More Information: mutigers.com
FIRST PITCH
Mizzou will open up its Big 12 Conference schedule this weekend with a three-game series against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The series will begin at 6:35 p.m. on Friday, with games to follow at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday and 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. The Tigers enter the weekend on a five-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine games. They are 12-6 on the year, while Texas A&M is 15-5 on the season and has already begun conference play, standing at 2-1 in the Big 12. Following the weekend series at Texas A&M, Missouri will return home to host Purdue in a two-game midweek set, followed by a three-game series against Baylor next weekend in Columbia.
LAST TIME OUT
Mizzou swept a two-game midweek series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, taking victories by scores of 9-0 and 28-2. Tuesday's game was the Tigers' second-straight shutout. Senior Aaron Senne had two hits in that game, as did a trio of freshmen in Blake Brown, Brannon Champagne and Eric Garcia. On Wednesday, Missouri used a seven-run first inning and a 10-run fourth to blow out UAPB, 28-2. The 28 runs were the most scored by the Tigers since April of 2008 against Texas. Thirteen different Mizzou batters had hits in the game and four had multiple-hit games led by junior Jonah Schmidt, who was 3-for-4 with a career-high six RBI. Senne homered and drove in four runs in the game.
MIZZOU-TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
Texas A&M leads the all-time series between the Tigers and Aggies, 36-28. The two teams met four times last year, including once at the Big 12 Championships. The Tigers won three of the four meetings in 2009. They claimed the series victory, taking two of the three games played in Columbia. Mizzou also won the matchup at the Big 12 Championships, as the two teams met on the opening day of play with MU taking a 5-2 win.
NICHOLAS ADAPTS QUICKLY TO MIZZOU
Junior Brett Nicholas had an eight-game hitting streak snapped last Tuesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. During the streak, he hit .522 with three home runs and 12 RBI. He has recorded a hit in 12 of the 18 games in which he's had an at-bat this year and he has six multi-hit games. Nicholas is hitting .351 with four home runs and is tied for the team lead with 21 RBI. Nicholas hit .444 with a slugging percentage of 1.444 in the three games against North Dakota. He had a home run in Thursday's series opener, then hit two homers in the first game of last Friday's doubleheader. Nicholas hit .625 (5-for-8) in the Xavier series (March 12-14). He opened the series by going 3-for-4 with a double and an 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.
LIBERTO LEADS MIZZOU AT THE PLATE
Michael Liberto, one of just two seniors on the 2010 squad, leads the Tigers with a .458 average after the first 18 games of the season and is the leading hitter in the Big 12 heading into the weekend. 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 nine of the 16 games on the year.
BULLPEN STRONG IN EARLY SEASON ACTION
The Mizzou bullpen has produced several strong outings in the first month of the season. Through 18 games, the bullpen has an ERA of 3.40, picking up eight wins and two saves. The Tigers' relievers have struck out 52 batters in 82 innings pitched and opponents are hitting .250. Junior Kelly Fick leads the team with an ERA of 0.66, as he gave up his first (and only) run of season last Thursday against North Dakota. He has appeared in eight games, pitching 13.2 innings. He turned in 5.2 innings of work in relief on March 13 against Xavier, not allowing a run on three hits. Junior Tyler Clark has made 11 appearances and has 14 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. Junior Phil McCormick has pitched in 11 of Mizzou's 18 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. Sophomore Ryan Clubb picked up wins in back-to-back games, pitching a scoreless inning in each of the first two games of the series with North Dakota.
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 and leads the team with seven homers on the year. He has 33 home runs for his career, which puts him eighth all-time at Missouri. He is two away from moving into a tie with Ryan Stegall (1999-2001) and Dave Silvestri (1986-88) for sixth place. Senne ranks eighth in school history with 174 RBI. He moved into the top-10 in career hits last week, currently standing 10th with 233 career hits, which is 41 behind the career record holder (Jayce Tingler, 2000-03). He is tied for third in the MU record books with 53 doubles, three away from breaking the record (Ryan Fry, 1995-98).
NEWCOMERS MAKE A QUICK IMPACT
The roster for Missouri is loaded with new names in 2010. Through the first 18 games of the season, a total of 18 players have seen their first playing time for Missouri. Freshman Brannon Champagne, Dane Opel, Blake Brown, Kale Gaden and Eric Garcia have combined to make 50 starts and junior college transfer Brett Nicholas has started 17 of MU's 18 games on the year. Garcia is the team's second leading hitter with a .410 average, while Nicholas is fourth on the squad with a .351 average with a team-leading 21 RBI. On the mound, freshman Eric Anderson has started four games for the Tigers and is 1-1 on the season with 19 strikeouts. He 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. Junior Zack Hardoin, a transfer from Blinn College, has made 10 appearances, which is second on the team. He picked up the win on Feb. 20 against Washington with a scoreless inning of work in relief and started the first game of the March 19 doubleheader with North Dakota.
TEPESCH LOOKS TO LEAD TIGER PITCHING STAFF
Nick Tepesch won six games last year, striking out 84 batters in 114.1 innings pitched. He picked up a win against Auburn on Feb. 27, his eighth career victory. He struck out five in 6.1 innings pitched against TCU on March 6, but took a no decision in a 10-inning win by TCU. Tepesch allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits in the game. After allowing a single to open the game, Tepesch retired six of the next seven batters he faced, with the only base runner reaching on an error. In the fifth inning, TCU put one run on the board and had runners on second and third before Tepesch struck out the next two batters to end the inning. In his start against Xavier, he left following just one inning of work after he was hit by a batted ball in the top of the first inning. Tepesch returned last Friday against North Dakota and struck out eight in six innings pitched. He did not allow a run and gave up just three hits to earn the win and move to 2-0 on the year.
JAMIESON STANDS SECOND ON MU'S ALL-TIME WINS LIST
Mizzou Head Coach Tim Jamieson stands in second place on Mizzou's all-time wins list with a career record of 527-362-2 in his 16th year as the Tigers' head coach. His 527 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. In 2008, the University of Missouri extended Jamieson's contract, keeping him in the MU dugout through at least the 2013 season. Jamieson and Baylor coach Steve Smith are now the longest tenured coaches in the Big 12 Conference, as each is in his 16th year as head coach of the respective programs. In addition, with the resignation of Mizzou Swimming Coach Brian Hoffer and the upcoming retirement of MU Track & Field Coach Rick McGuire, Jamieson will become the longest tenured head coach at the University of Missouri.
UP NEXT
After the weekend in College Station, the Tigers will return to Taylor Stadium for a six-game homestand. Mizzou will host a two-game midweek series with Purdue on Tuesday-Wednesday, before Baylor visits Columbia for a three-game conference series next weekend.