BASE Recap 4-23-19BASE Recap 4-23-19
Baseball

No. 24 @MizzouBaseball Erases Seven-Run Deficit Sunday, Stuns No. 23 Tennessee to Clinch Weekend Series

No. 24 Mizzou Baseball (33-16-1, 12-11-1 SEC) recorded its most stunning victory of the 2019 campaign Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, erasing an early seven-run deficit en route to a 10-8 triumph over No. 23 Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 24 Mizzou Baseball (33-16-1, 12-11-1 SEC) recorded its most stunning victory of the 2019 campaign Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, erasing an early seven-run deficit en route to a 10-8 triumph over No. 23 Tennessee.

The host Volunteers jumped out to a commanding 7-0 lead through two innings of play, roughing up a pair of Mizzou hurlers. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers showed amazing resiliency with a seven-run top half of the third inning. Senior OF Connor Brumfield, sophomore C Chad McDaniel and senior 3B Paul Gomez each delivered two RBI hits to highlight the frame.

After falling behind by a run in the seventh inning, the Tigers once again responded with a three spot in the top half of the eighth. Gomez smacked his second two-run home run of the game to cap off Mizzou's thrilling comeback. Junior LHP TJ Sikkema closed the door Sunday in relief with 2.1 no-hit shutout frames.

#ShowMe Top Performers at Tennessee

  • Gomez: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI
  • Brumfield: 1-for-3, R, 3B, 3 RBI
  • Sikkema: (W) 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
  • Art Joven: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Hear From Head Coach Steve Bieser

On coming from behind after the big early deficit…

"I definitely knew we weren't going to give up. We gave up seven early but knew there was a lot of game left and a lot could happen. We had to stay the course and hang in there tough. We had to find a way to scratch some runs. These Sunday special games we've played the last couple of weeks take a lot out of a coaching staff. It says a lot about this club. Their resiliency, toughness and never say die attitude. They don't give in and they just keep playing."

On Joven stepping up in relief…

 "It was just a great effort by Art (Joven). You saw his stuff today. It really plays well in this conference and he was competing in the strike zone. That's what we have to continue to see down the stretch run here."

On Gomez's big day at the plate and in the field…

"We always don't know who's going to come up big. Paul (Gomez) all season long has been a clutch guy and has found a way to get it done. I'm really proud of the ballplayers he has become his senior year. He epitomizes what Mizzou Baseball is. I'd take a full roster of guys like him. He's such a good, heads-up ballplayer. Just a calm, cool and collected kid."

#MIZ Takeaways

  • Sunday's win marked Mizzou's fifth overall Southeastern Conference series win this season, including its first on the road.
  • The Tigers have now accumulated seven, top-25 victories versus nationally ranked opponents this year, as well as seven triumphs against current top-25 NCAA RPI foes.
  • Mizzou made some program history Sunday in Knoxville, as its two stolen bases marked its 95th and 96th swipes this year. The 2019 Tigers now surpass the 2011 squad's total of 94 for the most single-season stolen bases in program history.
  • The Tiger pitching staff also made some history Sunday, racking up their combined 500th strikeout this year. The 2019 staff now joins the 2018 and 2017 Tigers as the only squads to produce 500-plus strikeouts in a single-season in program history.
  • Mizzou's offense was fantastic over its three-game stretch in Knoxville, recording a .311 (33-for-106) average with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases.
  • Individually, four Tigers racked up a .400-plus batting average this weekend, led by Brumfield's fantastic .500 (4-for-8) mark at the plate. The Columbia, Missouri, native enjoyed one of his best series' this season, recording three runs scored, one triple, one home run and five RBI.
  • Junior UTIL Peter Zimmermann (.455), sophomore 2B Mark Vierling (.455) and sophomore C Chad McDaniel (.417) also had exceptional stretches at the plate against Volunteers pitching.
  • Over this past week's four-game stretch overall, the Tiger offense hit an eye-popping .362 (54-for-149) with 42 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 40 RBI and eight stolen bases.
  • Coach Bieser saw production from a variety of Tigers, as 12 individuals produced an RBI over this past week of play.
  • Joven enjoyed arguably the most success on the mound, tossing 6.0 shutout frames over three total appearances. The Bakersfield, California, native allowed only three hits while striking out four batters. The opposition only managed a .150 batting average against Joven in his work.

Up Next

  • The Tigers hit the road again next weekend at No. 2 Vanderbilt (May 10-12). Mizzou then hosts Florida for their home finale at Taylor Stadium (May 16-18).
  • Fans can purchase tickets by visiting MUTigers.com/Tickets or by calling the Mizzou Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

Visit MUTigers.com for the latest information on all things Mizzou Baseball. You can also find the Tigers on social media by liking us on Facebook (Mizzou Baseball) and following us on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and Instagram (Missouri_Baseball).