Friday, April 14
Columbia, Mo.
6:30 PM
University of Missouri
vs
Kentucky
SEC East Showdown with No. 10 Kentucky on Tap for @MizzouBaseball
4/13/2017 2:07:00 PM | Baseball
Tigers, Wildcats battle with SEC East standings on the line
| SEC EAST SHOWDOWN ON TAP FOR MIZZOU BASEBALL | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | Listen | Stats | Watch |
| #10 Kentucky | Taylor Stadium | Friday, April 14 | 6:30 p.m. | KTGR | Stats | SEC Network+ |
| #10 Kentucky | Taylor Stadium | Saturday, April 15 | 7:00 p.m. | KTGR | Stats | SEC Network |
| #10 Kentucky | Taylor Stadium | Sunday, April 16 | 12:00 p.m. | KTGR | Stats | SEC Network |
- Mizzou Baseball continues a six-game homestand with a huge, SEC East showdown with nationally-ranked Kentucky this weekend at Taylor Stadium. The series with the 10th-ranked Wildcats begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. The Saturday game is set for a 7 p.m. first pitch on SEC Network and the Easter Sunday finale will be played at noon on SEC Network.
- Mizzou is coming off of a two-game, midweek series sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers scored 28 runs over the two games and pounded out 12 extra-base hits with 11 stolen bases over the two games. Kentucky is coming off of an 8-0 midweek win over UT-Martin.
- Friday night's game will be a special night for Mizzou Baseball. Junior RHP Nolan Gromacki has been heavily involved with Mizzou's "It's On Us" program to help end sexual violence on college campuses. Gromacki and Mizzou have partnered with campus to host "It's On Us Night" at Taylor Stadium. The first 1,000 fans will receive free t-shirts in hopes to raise awareness for the "It's On Us" initiative. Mizzou will also be donning teal shirts during batting practice to spread awareness.
- At 25-9, Mizzou is off to its best start through 34 games since 2008 (26-8). The Tigers are also just one win shy of matching their win total from a season ago as first-year head coach Steve Bieser has orchestrated one the nation's biggest turnarounds this season. With a .735 winning percentage, Mizzou is second in the SEC in win percent, trailing only Arkansas (.765) and Mizzou is also tied for second in the SEC in total wins (25).
- This weekend is a big one in the SEC as 10 teams enter the weekend with at least a 6-6 SEC record, meaning 10 teams are all within two games of first place in the league. Of the seven conference series this weekend, four series pit two of those 10 teams against one another, including Mizzou and Kentucky at Taylor Stadium.
- Kentucky comes to Taylor Stadium with a national ranking in all of the major college baseball polls, ranking as high as No. 10 in the coaches poll. Mizzou has played seven games against top-25 teams this season, going 2-5 in those games. The Tigers have ranked wins over Houston and Arkansas this season. Mizzou is 0-3 against top-10 teams this season with all three meetings coming against Florida, all one-run losses.
- On Friday night, Mizzou will send junior ace RHP Tanner Houck to the mound for his third career start against Kentucky. Houck was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday, marking the third time in his career he has earned that distinction. He is the first Tiger player ever to earn a spot on the list in each of his first three seasons at Mizzou. On the year, Houck is 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched. He is now sixth all-time on Mizzou's career strikeout list with 250, just ahead of Max Scherzer.
- Of his 250 career strikeouts, 19 have come against the Wildcats in two career starts vs. UK. In his career, Houck is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA and has allowed just 13 hits over 16.0 innings while striking out 19 against UK. Last season, Houck was dominant in a must-win game on the road that all but clinched Mizzou a spot in the SEC Tournament. On short rest, Houck tossed a complete game, allowing just three earned runs while striking out 10. As a freshman in 2015, Houck went 7.0 innings against the Wildcats, allowing just five hits and two runs with nine strikeouts. He has walked just two batters in 16.0 innings against Kentucky in his career.
- After Houck, Mizzou will give the ball to sophomore LHP Michael Plassmeyer for his first career outing against the Wildcats. On Sunday, junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca gets the ball in what will be his first career appearance against Kentucky as well.
Pitching Matchups
-
Friday
RHP Tanner Houck (3-4, 3.04 ERA) vs. RHP Sean Hjelle (4-2, 4.53 ERA) -
Saturday
LHP Michael Plassmeyer (4-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. LHP Zach Logue (5-2, 3.22 ERA) -
Sunday
RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (3-1, 2.67 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Lewis (4-2, 3.28 ERA)
Series History
- Mizzou and Kentucky have met 12 times over the years with the two teams splitting those 12 meetings with six wins apiece. Kentucky won two of three last year in Lexington in the final weekend of the regular season. Mizzou won the opener, 9-3, behind a complete game from RHP Tanner Houck before falling, 2-1, in game two and 7-2 in game three of the series. Kentucky also won the series in 2015 at Taylor Stadium, earning a 1-0 win in the series opener. Mizzou rallied for a 6-3 win in game two before falling, 8-2, in the finale that year.
- Kentucky has won four of the last six meetings, but Mizzou won four of the first six meetings when it joined the SEC, claiming a pair of 2-1 series wins in 2013 and 2014.
- In six all-time meetings at Taylor Stadium, the series is tied, 3-3.
- Both teams feature first-year head coaches in 2017.
Offense Explodes Midweek
- Mizzou's offense has been a key to success this season under first-year head coach Steve Bieser. During Mizzou's current four-game winning streak, the offense has got back on track, especially midweek vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Mizzou hit .384 over the two midweek games and scored a combined 28 runs with 12 extra-base hits (seven doubles, two triples, three homers) while walking 14 times against only six strikeouts. Mizzou also stole 11 bases.
- Aggressiveness was the key that Mizzou's coaches stressed with the team and they have responded, pounding strikes and taking balls. The aggressiveness has led to 12 extra-base hits over the last two games while still showing a patient approach with 14 walks. Seven different Tiger batters tallied at least one extra-base hit over the two midweek games.
- A pair of freshmen were impressive midweek as Kameron Misner and Chris Cornelius were arguably Mizzou's top hitters midweek. Misner went 4-for-6 with all four of his hits going for extra bases (a homer, two doubles and a triple). He tallied a team-high six RBI in the two wins and also scored six runs. Cornelius went 3-for-8 with three runs, three RBI a double and a triple.
Brumfield Sets Tone
- Sophomore CF Connor Brumfield has been a tone-setter at the top of the lineup for Bieser and the rest of Mizzou's coaching staff. He has reached base safely in 19 consecutive contests entering the Kentucky series, the longest streak by a Tiger this season. During those 19 games, Brumfield is leading the team in batting (.346), hits (27) and on-base percentage (.459).
- What makes his 19-game stretch remarkable is that he is reaching base at a .500 clip when leading off an inning (14-for-28). Not only is he keying big innings by reaching base and scoring, he is also doing a tremendous job extending innings when hitting with two outs during his 19-game streak. In fact, he is hitting .320 with two outs during those 19 games and leads the team with 11 two-out RBI in that span.
Grand Larceny
- Another key to Mizzou's recent offensive resurgence has been base stealing. The Tigers have 16 stolen bases over the last four games, going 16-for-20 in that span. Senior OF Kirby McGuire leads the team with six in that span.
Houck Named to Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
- Mizzou Baseball ace RHP Tanner Houck was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List, announced Wednesday (April 12) by USA Baseball. Houck has earned a spot on the midseason watch list during each of the last three seasons, making him the first ever Mizzou player to do so in each of his first three seasons.
- On the year, Houck is 3-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 50.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 53 batters in eight starts and is limiting batters to .218 hitting on the year. Houck boasts a career 3.20 ERA in 38 career starts and has amassed 256.1 innings, striking out 250 in his career against only 52 walks. His 250 career strikeouts are the sixth-most in program history, ranking ahead of two-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer, who had 232 from 2004-06. Houck is widely considered one of the top college arms and is expected to be drafted in the first round of this summer's Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.
Harris Has Huge Week In Homecoming to Georgia
- Mizzou is coming off of a series win at SEC East rival Georgia thanks to clutch pitching and the hitting of junior OF Trey Harris, who had arguably the best week of his career to carry Mizzou's offense last week.
- A native of Powder Springs, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, Harris played with a chip on his shoulder all week hitting .400 (6-for-15) with three homers and six RBI while drawing three walks. He drove in the go-ahead runs via the home run ball in the Friday and Saturday games last weekend at Georgia and also launched a solo homer vs. Illinois on Tuesday. Harris' homer on Saturday was the first ever homer hit inside the Atlanta Braves' brand new Suntrust Park. It was a three-run shot that put Mizzou on top for good in the rubber game of the three-game series.
- In all, Harris slugged three homers and also played tremendous defense in right field, saving a run with a diving catch in right field in the series finale Saturday.
- In the three-game Georgia series, Harris hit .455 with five hits, two homers, four runs and five RBI while walking a team-high three times in front of more than 50 family and friends each game.
- Harris is having a great bounce-back year after hitting just .213 as a sophomore a year ago. On the year, he is hitting a career-best .294 while already resetting career-highs in homers (six) and walks (26) and he is just four RBI from matching his career-high in that category (36 as a sophomore a year ago).
- Harris is tied for second in the SEC with 26 walks, which is a clear contrast in approach from his first two years when he drew just 27 total walks in 106 games. He has his 26 walks in just 31 games this year and has struck out just 19 times.
- Harris is 14th in the SEC in on-base percentage (.436) and is tied for eighth with his six homers.
Nice Week for Kirby
- Mizzou entered the season with just one senior on its roster, OF Kirby McGuire. Although his time has been limited this year, McGuire made his presence felt last week, serving as a spark plug for the Tiger offense last week in four starts. McGuire hit .267 but reached base at a .389 clip in four games last week, including a .429 clip in the three games vs. Georgia. He scored a team-high four runs during the Georgia series and scored five on the week with three stolen bases. He also walked twice and was hit by a pitch.
- Over the final two games of the Georgia series, McGuire led off an inning six times and reached base in five of those six plate appearances (two singles, two walks and a HBP). He scored four of those five times.
- Over his last six games (all starts), McGuire is hitting .364 with eight runs, a double, a home, three walks and is 6-for-8 stealing bases as he has been a catalyst for Mizzou's offense.
For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball and missouri_baseball, respectively).
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