| Game | Location | Day/Time (CT) | Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| vs. UALR | Taylor Stadium | Tuesday // 4 p.m. | Live Stats | Radio | SEC Network |
Leading Off - Notables About the Tigers
• Mizzou, at 24-12 and 10-5 in SEC play, continues to be one of the nation's top turnaround stories. The Tigers have seven more wins at this point of the season than they had through 36 games in 2014. That is the fifth-largest turnaround among teams from power-five conferences this season.
• The Tigers are ranked as high as 14th among the five major polls this week. Mizzou checks in at No. 14 in both the D1Baseball poll and Baseball America.
• At 10-5 in SEC play, Mizzou is off to its best start in league play since it opened the Big 12 schedule at 10-5 in 1998. That 1998 team went on to win 36 games and head coach Tim Jamieson was in his fourth year at the helm of the program that season.
• Mizzou is one of five SEC teams to play three of its first five SEC series against top-10 teams at the time of the series. Mizzou won two of those three series (defeating No. 6 South Carolina, No. 4 Florida and losing to No. 1 Texas A&M). The other schools to play three series against top-10 teams are Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Mizzou's strength of schedule checks in at No. 25 nationally according WarrenNolan.com.
• Four of the Tigers' series wins in SEC play have come against divisional foes - Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. Mizzou is 9-3 against the SEC East this season.
SERIES NOTES
• Mizzou and UALR have met just twice in history with the two teams splitting the meetings. Mizzou won 10-5 in 2012. Tuesday's scheduled starter John Miles pitched in that game, tossing 2.2 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with a strikeout. Mizzou entered the seventh inning of that game down, 5-4, but scored three in seventh and three in the eighth to come back.
• The only other meeting came in 2000, a 9-5 win for UALR.
RECAPPING LAST WEEKEND
Mizzou is now 24-12 and 10-5 on the season after winning a three-game series at Tennessee last Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Mizzou lost game one of the series, 5-2, and lost starting catcher Brett Bond to a high ankle sprain in that loss. But Mizzou rebounded with an 8-3 win on Friday, thanks to a six-run fifth inning sparked by Bond's replacement, sophomore Jack Klages who ripped a bases-loaded double off the wall in right center to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. That was one of two three-run hits in the inning, the other being a three-run homer for sophomore Jake Ring. The 8-3 win earned freshman Tanner Houck his sixth win of the season. Mizzou then won the series finale, 10-1, again using a big fifth inning to put the game away. Mizzou scored four runs in the fifth, including back-to-back homers from Case Munson and Klages and triples from Brett Peel and Zach Lavy. Over the last two games of the series, Mizzou was sensational in the fifth inning, tallying 11 hits (six for extra-bases) and scored 10 runs.
BEST CONFERENCE START SINCE 1998
At 10-5 in SEC play, the Tigers are in sole possession of second place in the SEC East, trailing only defending national champion Vanderbilt (11-4). The 10-5 start for Mizzou in SEC play is the program's best 15-game stretch to begin league play since 1998 (also opened 10-5).
BEASTS OF THE EAST
Mizzou is also an incredible 9-3 against SEC East teams this season, going a perfect 4-for-4 in series against East Division foes. The Tigers own tie-breakers over the four SEC East teams ranked below them in the East Division standings. What makes that note even more impressive is that the Tigers are one of just five SEC teams to play three of their first five SEC series against top-10 teams. Mizzou won two of those three series. The four series wins are just one shy of matching the Tigers' SEC series win total from the first two seasons in the SEC combined. Keep in mind that Mizzou was picked to finish last in the SEC East by the league's coaches at the beginning of the year and have already won four series over East teams.
BEST START SINCE 2008
At 24-12, Mizzou is off to its best start to a season through 36 games since 2008 when the team opened 27-9 overall. Mizzou advanced to an NCAA Regional that season. The 24 wins are already the most by a Tiger team since winning 33 in 2012, the Tigers' final season in the Big 12.
RANKED
Following the series win at Tennessee last weekend, Mizzou found itself ranked in all five major college baseball polls. Mizzou's highest rank comes in both the D1Baseball.com poll and the Baseball America poll, checking in at No. 14 nationally. Mizzou is also ranked 17th in the Collegiate Baseball Poll and 18th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25th in the Perfect Game poll.
RPI FUN
According the NCAA, Mizzou ranks 24th nationally in this week's RPI, setting up Tim Jamieson's crew nicely heading into the second half of the SEC season. Mizzou's strength of schedule ranks 25th nationally according to WarrenNolan.com and the Tigers have responded with five wins over top-10 teams and three over top-five teams this season. The schedule also doesn't get any easier as Mizzou will play 17 of its final 19 games against RPI top-50 competition. Eight of those 17 games will be against RPI top-25 teams to go along with six games already against RPI top-25 teams.
TIGERS ONE OF TOP TURNAROUNDS
Heading into the week at 25-12, Mizzou is one of the top turnaround stories in college baseball this season. With seven more wins at this point of the season than they had a year ago, that is the nation's fifth-largest turnaround among schools from power-five conferences. Only Texas A&M (+11 wins), Arizona (+10), USC (+10 wins) and Notre Dame (+10) rank ahead of the Tigers. Mizzou has already surpassed its win total from a season ago, both overall and in SEC play.
SATURDAY'S ARE ALRIGHT
Mizzou claimed the series over Tennessee with a 10-1 last Saturday, a result that should have been expected when looking at the stats. So far this season, Mizzou is a remarkable 11-1 on Saturdays with the only loss coming to Milwaukee back in March. Over the last three Saturdays, Mizzou has knocked off an SEC East team in three games and a top-10 team in three as well. The Tigers are also an outstanding 18-5 in day games this season.
HOMERING IS THE KEY
One of the keys to Mizzou winning games this season is the long ball. The Tigers are 12-2 this season when hitting at least one homer. Mizzou has now homered in five consecutive games, belting eight homers over those five games, all against SEC competition. Mizzou had not homered in five consecutive games since the change of the bats and last did so from April 27-May 7 of the 2010 season, homering in six consecutive games that year.
OFFENSE COMING ALIVE
Over the last five games, Mizzou has begun to show the offense that head coach Tim Jamieson anticipated heading into the season. In fact, Mizzou is hitting .290 as a team over the last five games (4-1 in that span) with nine doubles, eight homers and two triples, slugging .509 as a team. Mizzou also boasts a .348 on-base percentage in those games, good for a team OPS of .857. Along the OPS seven-point scale, that would rate as a 'B' or a 'very good' average for an individual player.
PITCHING, DEFENSE STILL THE KEY
As good as the Tigers offense has been over the last several games, the story of the year continues to be pitching and defense. Below are a few notable SEC ranks:
• 1st - Doubles allowed
• 1st - WHIP (6th nationally)
• 2nd - ERA (14th nationally)
• 2nd - OPP BA
• 2nd - Runs allowed
• 2nd - Walks allowed (17th nationally)
• 2nd - Fielding % (5th nationally)
• 2nd - K/BB ratio
• 3rd - Hits allowed (10th nationally)
Additionally, if the season ended today, Mizzou's staff ERA of 2.81 would be the program's top mark since 1964, a span of 51 years.
PITCHING TO CONTACT
Mizzou is averaging 10.72 ground-ball outs by the pitching staff per game. That mark is the second-most in the SEC This season, trailing only Mississippi State (11.73). Mizzou is also averaging 37.35 batters faced per game, the second-lowest mark in the SEC, meaning Mizzou gets a ground ball every 3.5 batters.
HOUCK ON GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
Freshman righty Tanner Houck was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week. The list is comprised of 60 players from across the nation and Houck is one of just four freshmen on the list. He is the first Tiger to land on the list since Kyle Gibson in 2009. He is one of 15 SEC players on the list as well.
FAIRBANKS QUIETLY PRODUCING
While Reggie McClain and Tanner Houck have stolen the majority of the headlines for the Tiger pitchers this season, junior Peter Fairbanks has quietly been putting together a fine season. He ranks fifth in the SEC and first on the team among starters with his 2.17 ERA and is 11th in the SEC in strikeouts. His 12 earned runs allowed are tied for third in the SEC as well. He is coming off of a seven-inning win at Tennessee in which he allowed just one earned run while striking out a career-high 11, which is also the most by a Tiger this season.
KLAGES SHINES
Mizzou's starting catcher Brett Bond was injured in the Thursday night game at Tennessee, suffering a high ankle sprain. And while most teams would struggle losing their top hitter, Mizzou plugged in back-up catcher Jack Klages and he delivered against the Vols. Klages hit .333 with two doubles, a homer, four RBI and three runs over the final two games of the series. He had a go-ahead, bases-clearing double in the Friday game and then hit a double and scored in the ninth inning. He came back on Saturday and hit his first career homerun.
CAME IN LIKE A BRECKIN BALL
Junior closer Breckin Williams - or Harley as he is more affectionately known by his teammates - is tied for second in the SEC with his eight saves and has been a huge reason shy Mizzou has won so many close games this season. His eight saves this season already rank as the fifth-most in a single season in the program's history. His next save will tie both Jeff Cornell and Keaton Steele for third. He is just four back of Mizzou's single-season saves leader Ryan Stegall (12 in 2000). His 11 career saves are tied for the seventh-most in school history
HOUCK BEATING THE BEST
Over his last four starts, freshman Tanner Houck has been nothing short of sensational. In those four starts (three against top-10 teams), the righty is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 28.0 innings pitched (7.0 per game). He has allowed just 30 baserunners in those four starts (26 hits, four walks) and struck out 21. Keep in mind those four starts were against No. 6 South Carolina, No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 4 Florida and at Tennessee.
HOUCK DRAWING COMPARISONS
Freshman righty Tanner Houck is drawing comparisons to former Tiger greats Max Scherzer, Aaron Crow and Kyle Gibson, all of whom were first round draft picks. But it's Houck who has better numbers than all three at this point of his career.
2015: Tanner Houck: 6-1 | 2.92 ERA | 61.2 IP | 54 H | 20-20 E-ER | 7 BB | 50 Ks
2007: Kyle Gibson: 8-3 | 4.12 ERA | 67.2 IP | 62 H | 34-31 E-ER | 19 BB | 77 Ks
2006: Aaron Crow: 1-4 | 4.06 ERA | 77.2 IP | 94 H | 44-35 E-ER | 20 BB | 60 Ks
2004: Max Scherzer: 0-1 | 5.85 ERA | 20.0 IP | 19 H | 17-13 E-ER | 16 BB | 23 Ks
MCCLAIN PITCHER OF THE WEEK, THRICE
After tossing 8.1 innings of five-hit baseball in a 3-2 win over No. 6 South Carolina on March 20, junior righty Reggie McClain was named Co-SEC Pitcher of the Week.. It is the third time this season that McClain has been named SEC Pitcher of the Week. McClain is the only SEC pitcher this season to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week three times. McClain is the first SEC pitcher to earn the honor three times in a single season since both LSU's Aaron Nola and Mississippi State's Ross Mitchell did so in 2014.
PEEL STEALS
Senior Brett Peel is third in the SEC lead with his 17 stolen bases, trailing only LSU's Alex Bregman (22) and Georgia's Stephen Wrenn (20). Peel is also 10th in the SEC in walks drawn (23) and reached base safely in 30 straight games earlier this season, just two shy of the school record.
WINNING CLOSE GAMES
Mizzou has also won its fair share of close games, winning eight one-run games already this season. Mizzou won five of those variety all year in 2014. Mizzou is also 5-0 when tied after eight innings this season after going 1-7 in such games a season ago. Most recently, Mizzou was pushed to a 2-2 tie after eight in game two vs. South Carolina and Mizzou rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 10th to overcome a 3-2 deficit for its fourth walk-off win of the season.
BECAUSE THREE IS BETTER THAN ONE
Mizzou did something that may have never been done in school history on Feb. 22 against Purdue. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth and 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.
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 hosts Alabama in a three-game series at Taylor Stadium, beginning Friday at 6 p.m.For all the latest on Mizzou baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.
