| Game | Location | Day/Time (CT) | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Iona (DH) | Cary, N.C. | Friday // 11 a.m. (CT)/3 p.m. (CT) | GT - Game 1 | GT - Game 2 |
| vs. Iona (DH) | Cary, N.C. | Saturday // Noon (CT)/4 p.m. (CT) | GT - Game 1 | GT - Game 2 |
Leading Off - Tweetables About the Weekend
• Mizzou kicks off the 124th season of baseball this weekend with a four-game series vs. Iona in Cary, N.C.
• The Tigers own a 12-7-1 all-time record in season-openers under Tim Jamieson and 74-38-2 all-time. Mizzou has won eight of its last 12 season openers, dating back to 2003.
• The neutral-site series will be at the USA Baseball Complex. Mizzou was 5-5 at neutral sites last year.
• The Tigers get to test out their nationally-ranked recruiting class this weekend. The class ranked as high as 12th nationally by Baseball America.
• Mizzou is 150-136 all-time against teams scheduled in 2015. Mizzou and Iona have never met.
• Mizzou will start Peter Fairbanks in his second career Friday night start. His last Friday night start was at Ole Miss on March 22 in emergency action, replacing an injured Brett Graves.
• Freshman Tanner Houck and junior Reggie McClain will both be making their first Division I starts this weekend against Iona. They will start in games two and three of the series, respectively.
• Junior righty Alec Rash is making his first weekend start since April 21, 2013, when he tossed 3.0 shutout innings against Florida in an 8-2 win over the Gators at Taylor Stadium.
• Iona has not announced starters for the weekend.
RECAPPING LAST SEASON
Mizzou is coming off of an uncharacteristic year for what has been a very competitive program under Tim Jamieson. The Tigers compiled a 20-33 overall record including a 6-24 mark in SEC play. Mizzou did however post series wins on the road over two ranked opponents - at Auburn and at Kentucky - marking the first time since 2009 that the Tigers had won a pair of series over ranked opponents on the road. Mizzou was very good on the mound in 2014, ranking in the top 15 nationally in both walks per nine and strikeout-walk ratio, leading the SEC in the former. Mizzou had a pair of pitchers - Brett Graves and Keaton Steele - drafted in the spring and begin their professional careers. Graves was a third-round pick by the Athletics and Steele was taken by the Twins in the eighth round.
SCOUTING IONA
Iona is coming off of a 2014 season in which it went 13-31 with a 9-15 mark in MAAC play. The Gaels hit .255 as a team last year while posting a 5.37 staff ERA, allowing opposing batters to hit .284.
Offensively, the Gaels bring back their top hitter from a year ago in Jimmy Guiliano, who hit .336 in 33 games a season ago. He was also second on the team with 15 RBI. The Gaels bring back their top four hitters from a season ago, all four checking in with batting averages above .300. Iona averaged 4.06 runs per game last season and slugged just .308 as a team with just 61 extra-base hits in 1,431 at-bats.
On the mound, reliver John Daddino is the Gaels' top returning pitcher by ERA as he went 2-0 with three saves and a 1.04 ERA a season ago. Junior lefty bullpen arm Andrew Pucillo is also back after posting a 3.76 ERA in a team-high 17 appearances. His 3.76 ERA was second on the team. Bill Maier, a sophomore righty who started 12 games as a freshman, is also back. He was 3-7 with a 4.15 ERA last year, tops among Gael starters.
WHAT THE TIGERS BRING BACK
Mizzou brings back plenty of depth both on the mound and at the dish in 2015. The Tigers bring back four starting position players and a fifth, Jake Ivory, who started 29 games a season ago. Throw infielder Zach Lavy into the mix and the Tigers will have plenty of experience coming back.
Primed for a breakout season, sophomore shortstop Ryan Howard is back after emerging as a consistent bat for the Tigers a year ago, tallying nine extra-base hits while driving in 20 runs as a freshman. He had an outstanding fall and is penciled in as a middle-of-the-order bat at shortstop.
All-SEC Freshman honoree in 2013 Josh Lester also enters his junior year draft eligible and looks to return to form this season. He hit .237 a year ago but hit .260 as a freshman and led the Tigers in extra-base hits. He hit .280 over the summer with the Y-D Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, guiding his team to a League Championship. He turned his summer into a great fall and is another guy that the Tigers will count on in 2015. In the outfield, Jake Ring and Logan Pearson are back after combining for 76 starts in the outfield a year ago. Pearson hit .263 with seven extra-base hits despite an injury-filled season. Look for Lavy to start at first for the Tigers on opening day and expect Ivory to be in the Tiger outfield as well.
On the mound, Mizzou brings back closer Breckin Williams, who has been tabbed as one of the top draft prospects in the Midwest this season. In all, 11 Tiger ptichers a year ago played primary roles and Mizzou returns seven to this year's roster, including opening-day starter Peter Fairbanks. Also back is junior Alec Rash (2.04 ERA in 10 apperances in 2015), Griffin Goodrich (2.66 ERA), John Miles (13 starts) and Austin Tribby (31 appearances).
WHAT THE TIGERS NEED TO REPLACE
The glaring voids for the Tigers heading into the season will be replacing argubaly the three best pitchers from the 2014 roster in Brett Graves (draft), Eric Anderson (senior) and Keaton Steele (draft). But, a talented crop of newcomers - highlighted by Tanner Houck and Bryce Montes De Oca - will be up to the task. Also, the strides that Peter Fairbanks and Alec Rash have made should make that burden an easier one to shoulder.
As for position players, Mizzou will need to replace two-year starter at catcher Dylan Kelly. Kelly led the team in batting, slugging, OBP, extra-base hits, doubles and total hits a season ago. He also caught 49 games for Mizzou. Ready to take his place is sophomore Jack Klages, who hit .200 in reserve action last season. Also look for Brett Bond to make an impact behind the dish this season.
RECRUITNG CLASS IS GOOD
The 2014 Mizzou baseball freshman class earned a pair of top-25 national rankings as Baseball America tabbed the class 12th nationally while Perfect Game slotted the Tigers at No. 22. Mizzou now ranks in the top 31 in all of the major recruiting rankings after being ranked No. 31 by Collegiate Baseball with an average rank of No. 22 nationally. The No. 12 ranking in Baseball America is the best for the Tigers since 2007, when the team checked in at No. 11.
In the Baseball America rankings, the Tigers check in at 12th nationally and fifth in the Southeastern Conference. The 14-player class has two players - Bryce Montes De Oca (72) and Shane Benes (400) - that ranked among the top 400 recruits according to the publication. Montes De Oca was the third-highest ranked prospect to enter Division I this season. Baseball America described the class as `a frontline SEC-caliber class' and the publication goes on to tout the the pitchers in the 2014 class as all very projectable at the next level. In the Perfect Game rankings, Mizzou checks in at No. 22 nationally and ninth in the SEC.
NEW COACHES
Mizzou head baseball coach Tim Jamieson announced that Mizzou graduate and former Tiger All-American Hunter Mense has been promoted and will serve as the program's full time hitting coach. Mense, one of the brightest young minds in college baseball, had a very successful playing career both collegiately and at the next level. He has served as an undergraduate and graduate assistant over the last four seasons while completing his undergraduate degree and working towards his Master's degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology at Mizzou.
During his last four years with Mizzou baseball, Mense established a great rapport with the Tiger hitters and also used his schooling in the field of sport psychology to work as a positive coach, assisting in the mental side of the Tigers' approach. With a pair of degrees and an All-America honor, Mense is a truly Mizzou Made addition to the Tiger coaching staff.
Coach Jamieson will now handle the pitchers, a role that has been a specialty for the Tiger skipper, who has mentored the likes of American League Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and other current Major Leaguers Aaron Crow (Royals), Kyle Gibson (Twins), Nick Tepesch (Rangers) and Matt Stites (Diamondbacks). Scherzer, Crow and Gibson were all first-round draft picks under Jamieson's tutelage. Crow was an All-Star pick for the Royals and Gibson was been one of the best pitchers for the Twins last season.
Additionally, former Tiger catcher Trevor Coleman has returned to Mizzou to serve as a graduate assistant manager. He was a freshman All-American and Big 12 Freshman of the Year during his playing days with the Tigers and will work with the Tiger hitters and catchers.
A LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION
Mizzou has put together a very competitive schedule in 2014. Most of that is due to the Tigers' SEC slate, which should bring plenty of excitement to Taylor Stadium. In fact, Mizzou plays 19 games, including six weekend series against teams that qualified for NCAA Regional action a season ago. Mizzou will also play weekend series against College World Series qualifiers Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Of course, Vanderbilt won the NCAA Championship a season ago.
Looking deeper into the schedule, Mizzou is 150-136 all-time against this year's scheduled opponents.
LESTER, BONE WIN SUMMER LEAGUES
Two Mizzou baseball players - Josh Lester and Logan Bone - won championships with their respective Summer League teams last summer. Lester and the Y-D Red Sox won the Cape Cod League, which is often recognized as the top summer ball league on Aug. 15. Bone and the Quincy Gems also won the 2014 Prospect League Championship on Aug. 13.
Starting in the Cape, Lester hit .280 over eight games in the playoffs, notching a double, five runs and an RBI. He helped the Red Sox to a 10-4 win over Falmouth in game two of the championship series, completing the sweep. Lester hit .279 in 40 regular season games as well, notching four doubles while driving in 14 and scoring 16 runs. He also was second on the team with 15 walks.
Moving to the Prospects League, Bone played in 33 games from the Gems and hit .239 with a pair of doubles and a homer while scoring 13 runs and driving in 13 more. He had three runs and an RBI in the playoffs while playing in all six games.
Ks FOR K9s
The Mizzou baseball team has partnered with the Puppies With Purpose program for the 2015 season in an effort to help raise money for Columbia service dogs. The initiative, dubbed "K's for K9's," will allow fans to pledge a donation amount to be paid per strikeout during the 2015 season.
"I'm a dog lover," head coach Tim Jamieson said. "I've read more and more about dogs and actually researched whether or not there were places in Missouri that train dogs for this purpose and ironically find out that there's one in Columbia and one on Mizzou's campus. So it seemed like it was a really good fit and I introduced it to our players and they are really excited about it."
DETTMER INDUCTED INTO MIZZOU HOF
Former Mizzou standout John Dettmer will be inducted into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame this year. Mizzou's all-time career strikeout leader who was durable in addition to his flame-throwing achievements for hall of fame Coach Gene McArtor...Won honorable mention All-American honors in 1991 when he turned in one of the top individual pitching seasons in MU history... Won nine games that year, and struck out 127 batters in 120.0 innings while leading the team with a 2.63 earned run average in a time where bats were very lively... Finished his Tiger career with 374 strikeouts, which stands still as the most in program history, while his 332.0 career innings pitched ranks second to this day, and his 23 career wins are also eighth-most... Won All-Big Eight first-team honors in 1990, 1991 and 1992, as he led the Tigers in strikeouts each year, with 99, 127 and 123, respectively... Turned in 15 complete games during his career as he was a durable and dependable presence on the mound... Went on to become an 11th-round draft pick in the 1992 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers, and eventually pitched in 12 games in the Majors.
LLWS CONNECTION
For most little league players, the Little League World Series is the pinnacle. No Mizzou player knows that better than junior Josh Lester. Lester's team won the Little League World Series in 2006. He was even interviewed by Erin Andrews after winning the whole thing. His team kept that core group of players intact and went on to win three Georgia State Championships in high school.
TV SLATE
Mizzou baseball will be televised nine times through the Southeastern Conference and ESPN's television package this season, including three contests at Taylor Stadium. The television slate was announced Tuesday (Jan. 20) by the SEC league office. The nine games are more than double the amount of Mizzou games that were slated for national television last season. In all, the Tigers' nine TV games will all air on SEC Network with 38 additional SEC Network+ games on the schedule. All nine Mizzou games featured on the SEC Network will be against preseason top-25 competition.
ON THE AIR
Once again this year, KTGR ESPN Radio is the radio home of the Tigers, with all of the game being broadcast on 103.1-FM, 100.5-FM and 1580-AM. The games can also be heard online at KTGR.com. Tex Little is in his 25th season of calling Tiger Baseball and is joined in the booth by SID Shawn Davis for road games and Sean Hamel for home games.
FRANCIS HOWELL CONNECTION
This year, the Mizzou baseball roster features three players that have played together for quite sometime. Case Munson, Jake Ivory and Brett Peel all played high school ball for Francis Howell in St. Charles, Mo., winning a state championship together during their senior season.
NEW FACILITY FOR TIGERS
As the Mizzou baseball program continues its transition into the SEC, the Mizzou Department of Athletics made a major commitment to the program by spending $4 million on a new facility, including a new locker room, coaches offices and improved seating at Taylor Stadium. The new facility is one of the best baseball facilities in the nation and will give players all they need to succeed on site. A state-of-the-art lockerroom, modeled after many big league lockerrooms, along with a team room, an auditorium and training room have been added on site at Taylor Stadium. Also, increased bleachers have been added down the LF line and the old bucket seats have been replaced with new seat-back stadium seats in order to help with the comfort of fans. It officially opened to the public last May in a grand opening ceremony.
UP NEXT
Mizzou heads to Corpus Christi, Texas for a four-game tournament next weekend. For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTiger.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.
