| Game | Location | Day/Time (CT) | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. UIC | Millington, Tenn. | Saturday // Noon | Live Stats | Radio |
| UIC | Millington, Tenn. | Saturday // Approximately 4 p.m. | Live Stats | Radio |
| vs. UIC | Millington, Tenn. | Sunday // TBA | Live Stats | Radio |
Leading Off - Tweetables About the Weekend
• Mizzou is off to its best start in more than a decade with a 7-1 record through eight games.
• Mizzou is coming off of a weekend in which it won the Kleberg Bank College Classic, going 3-1, while winning the final three games of the tournament. Mizzou allowed just four runs last weekend and just one over the last three games, posting a pair of shutouts. Junior RHP Reggie McClain was Tournament MVP while C Brett Bond, RHP Tanner Houck and SS Ryan Howard each earned All-Tournament honors.
• Head coach Tim Jamieson is approaching a milestone as he sits just one win shy of No. 650 in his career.
He is of course Mizzou's second-winningest coach behind only the legendary Gene McArtor (733).
FastBalls - Quick Notes About the Pitching
• Mizzou is second in the SEC in ERA (1.43), opponent batting (.174) and leads the SEC in XBHs allowed (five), BBs allowed (16) and Rs allowed (12).
• Tiger pitchers have yet to allow more than three runs in a game and are allowing just 1.5 per game
• Mizzou starters have tallied six of seven wins this season. Mizzou starters had just 13 all of last season.
• Over the last two games, Mizzou starters Tanner Houck and Alec Rash each took no-hitters into the sixth inning. Combining with Reggie McClain's start the previous game, Mizzou's last three starters have allowed just eight hits over 20.2 innings.
• Mizzou's bullpen trio of Breckin Williams, Austin Tribby and Andrew Schwaab has allowed just five hits over 18.1 innings, striking out 15 and walking four.
Series Notes
• Mizzou leads the all-time series with UIC, 4-3.
• The last meeting between the two teams was last season in Little Rock with Mizzou claiming a 4-0 win behind 8.0 shutout innings from Brett Graves, who earned SEC Pitcher of the Week for his performance.
• Tim Jamieson is 3-3 all-time in six career meetings with UIC, dating back to 2009.
• UIC took the last series played against Mizzou, winning two of three in 2011 at Taylor Stadium.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND
Mizzou earned the Kleberg Bank College Classic Championship after going 3-1 at the annual event, winning the final three games of the tournament. After falling, 3-2, on Thursday to host Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Mizzou rallied to blank Sam Houston State, 2-0, on a walk-off, two-run homer by freshman Brett Bond in the bottom of the ninth inning. That backed a complete game shutout by SEC Pitcher of the Week and Tournament MVP Reggie McClain. Mizzou then avenged its Thursday loss to the Islanders with a 5-1 win as Mizzou homered twice (Bond, Case Munson) to back a great start by freshman Tanner Houck, who took a no-hitter into the sixth. On Sunday, Alec Rash took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Tigers turned a5-2-3-2 triple play in the bottom of the sixth inning to get out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam to preserve the 1-0 win over Purdue. Four Tiger pitchers combined for a one-hitter against the Boilermakers. Houck, Bond and junior SS Ryan Howard joined McClain on the All-Tournament Team.
TIGERS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2004
With their 7-1 mark on the young season, the Tigers are off to the best start by a Mizzou team since 2004 when the team won its first six games of that season and seven of the first eight. The 2004 team went on to win 38 games, qualifying for its second consecutive NCAA Regional.
PITCHING IS THE STORY
As much as the Tigers have benefited from timely hitting and good defense early this season, pitching has been the story. Below are a few talking points:
• Mizzou is second in the SEC in ERA (1.43)
• Mizzou also leads the SEC in runs allowed, walks allowed, complete games, saves, shutouts, WHIP, and is second in opponent batting and hits allowed
• Mizzou pitching has allowed an SEC-low five extra-base hits this season. The next closest is seven by Tennessee, which has played just four games.
• Mizzou has pitched three shutouts this year
• The Tigers allowed just four runs last weekend over four games, including just one over the final three games.
• Mizzou's starters have six of seven wins and the last two starters - Tanner Houck and Alec Rash - have carried no-hitters into the sixth inning.
• Mizzou's bullpen has allowed just two runs all season.
BULLPEN TRIO IS LIGHTS OUT
Mizzou's three-headed monster out of the bullpen consists of closer Breckin Williams, Austin Tribby and Andrew Schwaab. The trio has combined to throw 18.1 innings and has allowed just five hits in that span. In more than two full games of work, they have allowed just nine baserunners and have 15 strikeouts. Williams leads the SEC in saves while Schwaab and Williams are limiting batters to .056 and .059 hitting as well.
PLAYING THE FIELD
Mizzou leads the SEC in fielding percentage
through two weeks at .987. The Tigers have committed an SEC-low four errors. To put that mark into perspective, Mizzou had four
errors in the first two games last year and had seven errors through the first eight games as opposed to just four this year. They have yet to commit multiple errors in a game and they have four games without an error.
POWER SURGE
Mizzou blasted three homers in the Kleberg Bank College Classic last weekend, moving the season total to four. While that number standing alone is not that impressive, what is impressive is the increased homer production from a season ago for Mizzou. It took Mizzou 19 games to get to four home runs last year - a feat that took just seven games in 2015. Last year, Mizzou sat on four homers for 26 games, and finished the year with just 10, so the increased homers are a huge positive for Mizzou.
The stat also translates to extra-base hits in general. Mizzou has 18 so far this season through eight games. It took Mizzou 14 games to get 18 extra-base hits last season.
WALKING OFF
Freshman Brett Bond launched a walk-off, two-run homer in Mizzou's 2-0 win over Sam Houston State last Friday. It was Mizzou's first walk-off homer since Ryan Ampleman defeated Kansas in May of 2009. It was also Mizzou's second walk-off win this season after having just two all of 2014.
WINNING CLOSE GAMES
Mizzou has also won its fair share of close games, winning three one-run games already this season. Mizzou won five of that variety all year in 2014. Mizzou is also 2-0 when tied after eight innings this season after going 1-7 in such games a season ago.
THIEVERY
Mizzou leads the SEC in with 16 steals this season, four better than both Mississippi State and Florida. Mizzou had just 40 steals
all of last season and no Tiger finished with more than eight. This season, senior Brett Peel has almost reached that eight-steal mark with his SEC-best six steals. He is 6-for-7 on the base paths this season.
BECAUSE THREE IS BETTER THAN ONE
Mizzou did something that may have never been done in school history last Sunday against Purdue. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth with the Tigers trying to preserve a 1-0 lead, Andrew Schwaab got a ground ball to third to start a
5-2-3-2 triple play. While it may have been done before at Mizzou, it is the first documented triple play in the record books. It turned out to be the play of the game as Mizzou held on to win, 1-0, behind a one- hitter from the pitching staff.
TOP TWO SPOTS GETTING ON BASE
Coach Jamieson has seemed to settle on the top two spots in his order so far, anchoring it with leadoff man Jake Ring and speedster Brett Peel. The two have combined to reach base in 41-percent of their plate appearances and have combined for 11 of the Tigers' 35 runs. Ring has reached base safely in eight straight games while Peel has done so in six. Peel also has three extra-base hits after not having one a year ago while Ring has two after posting just three in 2014.
MCCLAIN EARNS SEC HONOR, AGAIN
Mizzou junior RHP Reggie McClain was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday (Feb. 23) following his complete game shutout of Sam Houston State last Friday. This is the second consecutive week that McClain has earned SEC Pitcher of the Week, making him the first SEC pitcher to accomplish that feat since LSU's Aaron Nola did so in 2013.
McClain was named the Most Valuable Player at the Kleberg Bank College Classic last weekend and he extended his shutout streak to 17.0 consecutive innings in a complete game shutout over Sam Houston State, a team that won 43 games a season ago. The Duluth, Ga., native allowed just four hits and no walks with just two runners advancing to second base, one doing so on a sacrifice hit and the other a steal. He is the first Tiger pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout since April 5, 2013, when former second-round draft pick Rob Zastryzny did so at Georgia. His 17.0 inning shutout streak is the longest by a Tiger since Jace James tossed 19.1 shutout innings to open the 2013 season.
He is the only pitcher in the SEC with a complete game shutout this season and leads the SEC in ERA, IP, wins, earned runs allowed, walks allowed and extra-base hits allowed. He has allowed just seven baserunners in his two starts this season and he retired the final eight batters of the game against Sam Houston State before freshman Brett Bond hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give McClain the win in a pitcher's duel.
Support of how dominant McClain has been is that fact that he has yet to allow an extra-base hit this season and is limiting batters to just .132 hitting. He has also yet to walk a batter this season. Sam Houston State entered the weekend averaging nearly seven runs per game before being shut down by McClain. He faced just three batters over the minimum in the start.
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 will face Central Arkansas in a midweek series next Tuesday and Wednesday at Taylor Stadium.For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTiger.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.
