March 22, 2011
By Cassandra Novy, Mizzou Media Relations Student Assistant
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Starting this week, MUTigers.com will begin to take a look back at the top performers from each week as the season moves on. Each week, a pitcher and position player will be honored as the Mizzou Baseball Players of the Week. The Tigers took three of four games from Central Michigan last weekend and have now won eight of their last 12 games. The Tigers were able to win the series due in large part to contributions from catcher Ryan Ampleman and starter Matt Stites, who earn the first honors of 2011.
Pitcher of the Week: Matt Stites
Junior right-handed pitcher Matt Stites earned his first Division I win this past weekend against the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Festus, Mo., native struck out a career-high eight batters in his seven innings pitched on Saturday, bringing his total to 23 strike outs on the season.
Stites allowed just two runs and five hits during his stint , while walking just one. He's had five appearances this season so far facing Cal-Poly, UNC-Charlotte, UIC-Chicago, Le Moyne, and Central Michigan. The righty has thrown for 28.2 innings, which ranks as the second highest on the team.
Stites is a junior-college transfer from Jefferson College. He posts a 4.71 ERA and a 1-1 record on the season.
Player of the Week: Ryan Ampleman
Ryan Ampleman is finding his swing as Missouri's leadoff batter. The senior catcher/designated hitter had an impressive weekend against Central Michigan, where his big bat helped the Tigers snag three wins in the four-game series over the Chippewas.
Ampleman started all four games, after only starting one in the previous 16 contests. Serving as the designated hitter in the first and third games, while catching in the second and fourth, Ampleman went 6-16, posting the second best batting average of .375 for a Tiger over the weekend.
Ampleman's biggest game of the series came on Sunday morning when he got the game rolling by driving in two runs with an RBI double in the second inning to put the Tigers on the board. He went 3-5 in the game, adding another double in the fourth and led Missouri with three RBI.
Being one of only two Tigers to get at least one hit in all four games, Ampleman led the team in RBIs (four), doubles (four), runs (five), slugging (.625) and total bases (10) on the weekend. He also raised his batting average from .167 to .318 over the weekend. If he keeps up his hot bat, he'll certainly be a force to be reckoned with for the Tigers.