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@MizzouBaseball’s Houck, McClain Honored by PerfectGame.com

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball starting pitchers Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) and Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) were both honored by PerfectGame.com this week as the national baseball publication released its top collegiate players by class this week. Houck checked in as the No. 1 college sophomore nationally while McClain was rated as the eighth-best college senior.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball starting pitchers Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) and Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) were both honored by PerfectGame.com as the national baseball publication released its top collegiate players by class this week. Houck checked in as the No. 1 college sophomore nationally while McClain was rated as the eighth-best college senior.

Houck put together one of the best freshman seasons in Mizzou baseball history. His eight wins are the most by a Tiger freshman since Kyle Gibson (a former first-round draft pick) in 2007 and his 100.2 innings are the most ever by a Tiger freshman under Tim Jamieson. At the end of the regular season, he had thrown more innings than any other freshman in the country. He compiled a 3.49 ERA on the season, striking out 91 batters over 100.2 innings while walking just 12 in 15 starts as a freshman.

Houck was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and was an All-SEC Freshman Team honoree as well. He helped Mizzou defeat three top-five teams - No. 6 South Carolina, No. 4 Florida and No. 1 Texas A&M - earning wins in two of those three starts. Houck spent his summer with USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team, where he led the team in innings pitched, strikeouts and starts while boasting an 11-1 strikeout-walk ratio and a .159 opponent batting average. He threw 4.0 perfect innings in a combined no-hitter against Cuba as well.

McClain, Mizzou's Friday night starter last season and is a three-time SEC Pitcher of the Week honoree. He finished the season with a 7-7 record and a 3.56 ERA over 101.0 innings pitched in his first year as a Tiger. He began his Mizzou career with a 22.1-inning shutout streak, the longest by a Tiger since Aaron Crow in 2007.  McClain finished the regular season ranked second in the SEC in innings pitched (101.0), third in shutouts, third in complete games and 11th in strikeouts (80). He teamed with Houck to become the first Tiger duo to throw more than 100 innings each since 2007.

Houck and McClain open the season on Feb. 19 in Fort Myers, Fla., against Seton Hall at City of Palms Field. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on twitter @MizzouBaseball.