Friday, May 10
Columbia, Mo.
6:00 p.m.
University of Missouri
vs
Auburn
Baseball Concludes Home Slate With Key SEC Set Against Auburn
5/9/2024 4:04:00 PM | Baseball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball opens its final home series of the 2024 season Friday (May 10) evening, when the Tigers open a three-game Southeastern Conference set with Auburn at Taylor Stadium.
With two weekends left on the regular-season schedule, Mizzou will be looking to gain ground in the SEC standings in its quest to secure one of 12 spots in the conference's postseason tournament in Hoover, Ala. (May 21-26). The Tigers (21-28, 7-17 SEC) enter the series two games behind LSU and Ole Miss, who currently hold the final two spots in the SEC Tournament field with matching 9-15 league records.
Each of this weekend's contests will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Nate Gatter and Noah Reed calling the action. Additionally, each of this weekend's games will be produced by the Tiger Radio Network for broadcast locally in Columbia via KTGR AM/FM (105.1 FM/100.5 FM/1580 AM) and streaming via the Varsity Network app (by searching 'Missouri'), with Tex Little and Matt Michaels once again handling broadcast duties.
TICKETS
- Single-Game Tickets (half-price general admission seats - $4) – bit.ly/42VxrsJ
PROMOTIONS
- Military Appreciation Night/Trucker Hat Giveaway (Friday) – Mizzou trucker hat giveaway (first 200 fans)
- Senior Day/Truman Bobblehead Giveaway (Saturday) – Pregame Senior Day ceremony/Sliding Truman bobblehead giveaway (first 500 fans)
- Family Day/Mizzou Tervis Tumbler Giveaway (Sunday) – Kids run the bases, postgame autographs and Mizzou Tervis Tumbler giveaway (first 100 fans)
PITCHING PROBABLES
- Game 1 (Friday, May 10 – 6 p.m.) – RHP Logan Lunceford (Mizzou) vs. LHP Tanner Bauman (Auburn)
- Game 2 (Saturday, May 11 – 3 p.m.) – TBD (Mizzou) vs. RHP Chase Allsup (Auburn)
- Game 3 (Sunday, May 12 – 1 p.m.) – TBD (Mizzou) vs. TBD (Auburn)
SERIES HISTORY
- Mizzou and Auburn will meet for the 25th time Friday to open the series.
- MU holds a 13-11 series edge over AU, including a 5-4 advantage in Columbia.
- Last spring Auburn claimed all four meetings, sweeping the Tigers in Auburn (May 19-20) to close the regular season, before eliminating Mizzou from the SEC Tournament with a 10-4 decision in the opening round in Hoover (May 23).
- Mizzou has claimed two of the previous three series in Columbia, taking two of three games from AU in 2013 and 2016, before dropping two of three to the Tigers in 2021.
- MU claimed 12 of the first 17 meetings with Auburn but has dropped six of the last seven contests to AU since 2021.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
- Missouri posted a 30-24 regular-season finish last spring, including a 10-20 SEC mark.
- Kerrick Jackson was named the 15th head coach in Mizzou history in June, returning to Columbia to lead a program for which he served as an assistant coach from 2011-15 under Mizzou Hall of Fame head coach (and current pitching coach) Tim Jamieson.
- The Tigers return three regular starters from last season, led by senior INF/OF Trevor Austin, who batted .311 with eight homers and 10 steals to help bolster the MU offense.
- Senior INF Matt Garcia turned in a solid debut season with the Tigers, providing clutch hitting and lock-down defense on the MU infield.
- MU should also receive a lift from sophomore INF Jackson Lovich and junior OF Juju Stevens, who each made key contributions in limited duty in 2023.
- Several newcomers could also make early contributions, including junior INF Danny Corona, who helped Wake Forest to a 2023 College World Series berth, C Jedier Hernandez, a standout behind the plate for Seton Hall the last two seasons, and sophomore OF Jeric Curtis, a Texas Tech transfer who brings significant speed to the Tiger outfield and batting order.
- On the mound, sophomore RHP Logan Lunceford is back to help anchor Mizzou's weekend rotation after posting 68 strikeouts to lead all SEC freshman hurlers last spring.
- Junior LHP Javyn Pimental also contributed mightily to the Tigers' mound efforts in 2023, making eight starts for the Tigers.
- Mizzou should also benefit from the potential return of a pair of veterans who missed significant time last spring; left-hander Ian Lohse and RHP Carter Rustad missed significant portions of 2023 due to injury following promising starts to the campaign.
- New arms like RHP Xavier Lovett and RHP Bryce Mayer could compete for starting rotation spots, while RHP Jacob Peaden may give the back end of the Tigers' bullpen a strong presence.
MIZZOU BY THE NUMBERS
- Mizzou hit .283 as a team in its four games last week, led by OF Jackson Lovich's .400 average and .733 slugging percentage.
- On the mound, the Tigers posted a 4.50 ERA while limiting the opposition to .263 hitting last week.
- Lovich shares the top spot on the SEC triples leaderboard after recording his fourth three-base hit of the season on Sunday vs. South Carolina.
- As a team, the Tigers' 11 triples this season rank second in the SEC, trailing only Texas A&M (15).
- In their last 10 contests, the Tigers have averaged 8.4 runs per outing, paced by the duo of INF/OF Trevor Austin and INF Danny Corona, who have combined to bat .393 (24-of-61) with 14 runs scored, four home runs and 14 RBIs.
- Corona logged three multi-hit performances over the course of his Mizzou career-best five-game hit streak, April 23-30.
- Corona launched his first home run as a Tiger — a fourth-inning solo shot — April 23 vs. Missouri State, then went deep for the second game in a row in MU's series opener at Tennessee (April 25).
- Austin registered his team-leading 14th multi-hit game of the season and the 32nd of his Mizzou career last Saturday vs. South Carolina.
- Austin belted his club-leading 10th home run of the season at UT (April 26) hiking his career total to 26 round-trippers.
- Austin has been hit by 17 pitches so far this season, ranking second in the SEC; additionally, his total of seven sacrifice bunts ranks fourth in the conference.
- Austin leads the Tigers with a .381 batting mark at home this season.
- In 80 career games at Taylor Stadium, Austin has batted a blistering . 360 (90-for-250) with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs.
- Freshman C Mateo Serna has enjoyed a streak of recent success at the plate as well, hitting .300 with two homers and seven RBIs while reaching base safely via a hit, walk or hit by pitch in 10 straight games (since April 9). Serna has reached safely in each of his last 12 starts (since March 26).
- Serna powered the Tigers in their season sweep of Missouri State, clubbing home runs in each of the two games and driving in a career-best five runs April 23 in a 10-6 victory over the Bears.
- Another MU rookie, SS Drew Culbertson, has been successful on 10 of his 12 steal attempts this spring, becoming the first Tiger true freshman to reach double digits in steals since Kameron Misner swiped 17 bags in 2017.
- INF/OF Brock Daniels was Mizzou's most consistent hitter in the month of April, batting .343 (24-of-70) with 22 RBIs and seven steals.
- The Tigers are batting .288 and averaging 8.3 runs per game at Taylor Stadium this spring.
- LHP Ryan Magdic has proven to be a valuable weapon out of the bullpen, securing either a save or a victory in each of his last three relief appearances (April 6-20).
- Magdic has drawn a pair of starting assignments over the last two weekends as well, including a career-long 4.0 inning out vs. South Carolina (May 5), over which he fanned four and allowed just one run on three hits.
- LHP Ian Lohse has logged four consecutive scoreless outings on the mound, including 3.0 innings April 21 vs. LSU in his first start since March 25, 2023.
- The Tigers are 9-7 in one-run contests this spring, including a 6-3 mark in SEC play.
SCOUTING AUBURN
- Under the direction of ninth-year head coach Butch Thompson, Auburn enters the weekend 23-24 overall and 4-20 in SEC play, despite winning its last two contests.
- The Tigers salvaged the final game of their series with Ole Miss on Sunday, claiming a 10-9 victory over the Rebels, before securing a 7-2 road win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday.
- Auburn brings a .268 team batting mark into the series, led by INF Cooper McMurray's .318 average. McMurray shares the team lead with 12 home runs on the season, while co-leader C Ike Irish paces the Tigers with 50 RBIs.
- On the mound, Auburn has posted a 5.90 ERA, led by RHP Chase Allsup's 60 strikeouts over 50.2 IP.
- RHP Parker Carlson (3.18 ERA) and RHP John Armstrong (3.41) have been the Tigers' top arms out of the bullpen, combining for 36 total appearances and three saves.
SENIOR SENDOFF
- Mizzou will honor eight graduating student-athletes as part of Senior Day festivities prior to Saturday's contest.
- The Tigers will recognize Trevor Austin, Jackson Beaman, Ian Lohse, Xavier Lovett, Ryan Magdic, Jacob Peaden, Javyn Pimental and Carter Rustad in an on-field ceremony commencing at 2:30 p.m.
- Austin enters the weekend as the Tigers' active leader in hits (157), doubles (30), homers (26), walks (82) and runs scored (130).
- Rustad has compiled 17 career mound victories, which is tied for ninth among all active SEC pitchers.\
HOME COOKING
- Mizzou has found the friendly confines of Taylor Stadium much to its liking, not only throughout the 2024 season, but extending a full calendar year to including the last seven home games of 2023.
- In 26 games at Taylor this season, the Tigers have batted .281 as a team, which is 62 points higher than their road batting split.
- Since May 2 of last year, the Tigers have hit .297 as a team while homering 56 times and averaging 8.6 runs per outing in their 33 games at Taylor.
- Over the same stretch, Mizzou has scored in double-digits 14 times and registered at least 10 hits 18 times in going 20-13 at Taylor.
- INF/OF Trevor Austin, who has batted .381 in 25 home games this spring, has been the key linchpin in the Tigers' power surge at Taylor, clubbing eight of MU's 56 home runs over the 33-game span.
- For his career, Austin has hit .360 with 15 of his 26 career home runs in his 80 games at Taylor Stadium.
MIZZOU MILESTONES
- Several Tigers have reached or are approaching significant career milestones this season.
- 3B Trevor Austin sits atop the Tigers' leaderboard for career hits with 157 entering Friday's contest.
- Austin, who played in his 150th career game April 7 vs. Florida, ranks third all-time at Mizzou in HBP (46) to go along with his 26 career homers, the latter of which is just six shy of cracking the Tigers' all-time top 10 list.
- 2B Matt Garcia sits right on Austin's tail with 153 career hits, combining his two Division I years at Bethune-Cookman and his last two seasons as a Tiger.
- RHP Logan Lunceford surpassed the 100-strikeout milestone for his career April 12 at Georgia; the sophomore enters the week with 117 punchouts to his credit.
- LHP Ian Lohse enters the week within striking distance of the 100-K plateau as well with 98 K's on his resume.
- C Jedier Hernandez's game-winning hit vs. Florida on April 5 marked the 100th hit of his collegiate career.
- Mizzou's April 2 contest with UT Martin marked Kerrick Jackson's 200th career game as a Division I head coach. The Tigers first-year bench boss enters the weekend three victories shy of the 100-career win plateau.
- INF Danny Corona recorded the 100th hit of his collegiate career March 19 vs. Kansas at Kauffman Stadium. The junior transfer also belted his first home run as a Tiger April 23 in MU's win over Missouri State and needs two more RBIs to reach the 100-mark for his career.
TIGERS AT THE TURNSTILES
- For the second season in a row, Mizzou baseball fans are leaving their mark on the Tigers record book.
- Entering the final home series of the regular season, MU has drawn a total of 34,641 fans to Taylor Stadium.
- The Tigers' per-game average of 1,385 fans ranks second all-time in Mizzou history, trailing only last season's 1,614 average on the program's single-season attendance chart.
- Mizzou shattered its all-time record for total home attendance last spring, drawing 37,133 fans over 23 dates to eclipse the previous program mark of 31,450.
- MU would need to draw 2,492 total fans — or an average of 831 per game — over the remaining three home dates, to eclipse last year's record mark.
FRESH LOOK
- Mizzou has received contributions from up and down its roster, and the Tigers' talented crop of freshmen have been some of their most consistent performers.
- MU's four primary freshman position players — SS Drew Culbertson, DH Thomas Curry, OF Tucker Moore, OF Kaden Peer and C Mateo Serna — have each made significant contributions this spring.
- Culbertson logged hits in six straight games (April 7-16), including three consecutive two-hit performances.
- For the year, Culbertson has recorded eight multi-hit outings to date, swiping 10 bases (in 12 attempts) to become the first MU freshman to reach double digits in steals since 2017.
- Curry has hit four homers, which is good for fourth on the club, and notched four multi-RBI efforts, while drawing 18 walks.
- Curry, who has logged time as the Tigers' cleanup hitter while starting 24 contests to date.
- Moore has spent time in the leadoff spot in the MU batting order, recording four multi-hit performances and reaching base safely in 21 of the 27 games in which he has recorded a plate appearance.
- Peer heated up in April, reaching base safely in six straight SEC games (April 5-13) with a pair of three-RBI games in 10 conference contests this month.
- Serna has drawn 21 starts as a rookie. The Floridian has recorded 14 of his 16 RBIs in nonconference play and has at least one hit in 14 of his last 17 starts.
- The Tigers have received contributions from a trio of freshman hurlers as well, with RHP Charlie Miller logging 12 strikeouts over 10.2 innings and RHP Josh McDevitt making three starts. Additionally, RHP Ben Smith has made a pair of relief appearances for MU.
TERRIFIC WITH TWO
- The Tigers have been clutch this season with two out, both at the plate and on the mound.
- Mizzou's offense has recorded 116 two-out RBIs in just 49 games, while hitting .291 (166-for-571) after the second out has been recorded in an inning.
- MU went 6-for-12 with two out, producing seven two-out RBIs in its 13-1 win over Lindenwood (April 30).
- In its three games vs. LSU, MU went 10-for-33 (.303) with two out, scoring seven two-out runs in its 8-7 victory in game two of the series.
- The weekend of April 11-13 at Georgia, the Tigers hit .325 (13-for-40) with two out, producing 11 RBIs.
- Against vs. No. 6 Florida, Mizzou recorded eight two-out RBIs, including all four of its runs in its game two victory (April 6).
- INF/OF Brock Daniels and INF Danny Corona have been MU's most consistent two-out threats, hitting .444 (12-for-27) and .412 (14-for-34) in such situations, respectively.
- Additionally, INF Jackson Lovich and INF Matt Garcia have combined for 33 two-out RBIs this spring, accounting for 28-percent of the Tigers' two-out RBIs.
- Mizzou pitchers have been equally dominant, holding the opposition to a collective .229 (123-for-538) two-out batting average this spring.
TICKETS
Mizzou baseball 2024 single-game tickets are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the ticket office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS or by visiting MUTigers.com/Tickets.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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