2026 Baseball Roster
Blaize Ward
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-1 / 185
- Class:
- Freshman
- Hometown:
- Maumelle, Ark.
- High School:
- Maumelle
AWARDS & HONORS
- SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (4/6/26)
- SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (5/11/26)
2026 SEASON
Appeared in 44 games and made 43 starts, putting together one of the best true-freshman seasons in program history … Hit .296 overall (45-for-152) and led the Tigers in SEC play with a .323 average (31-for-96) … Totaled 10 extra-base hits on the season (four home runs, one triple, five doubles) to slug .421 with an OBP of .404 thanks to 15 walks and a team-high 14 HBP … Drove in 33 runs which marked the most by a Mizzou true freshman since Kameron Misner (34) and Chris Cornelius (31) each drove in 30-plus as true freshmen in 2017 … Became just the fifth Mizzou true-freshman since 2010 to tally 30-plus RBI … His 33 RBI marked the second most by a Tiger freshman since joining the SEC (2017, Misner: 34) … Ranked third on the squad in multi-hit games (12) and second in multi-RBI games (9) … Put together a 19-game on-base streak – third-longest on the team … Was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on two occasions (4/6, 5/11) … Got the Opening Day start in left field versus Mount St. Mary’s and went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run in his collegiate debut (2/13) … Went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBI and runs apiece in a win over North Dakota State (2/27) … Helped the Tigers to an SEC win on the road at No. 22 Tennessee, going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored (3/20) … Tallied four-straight multi-hit games from March 28-April 3, including a 2-for-4 effort with bases-clearing, three-run triple versus rival Kansas (3/31) … Went 3-for-3 and drove in a pair of runs in the SEC series-clinching win at No. 24 Kentucky (4/5) … Slugged his first career home run at No. 14 Oklahoma in a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of RBI (4/17) … Homered in back-to-back games versus SIUE (4/21) and No. 24 Arkansas (4/23) to make it three home runs in a five-game stretch … Went 3-for-6 with two RBI in the “Fog Game” SEC win over Vanderbilt (5/8) … Hit his fourth home run of the season at No. 6 Texas (5/16).
HIGH SCHOOL
Joined the Tigers after a standout prep career at Maumelle High School in Arkansas ... Was a four-time 5A Central All-Conference selection and three-time all-state and team MVP honoree ... named to the all-state tournament team three times ... helped lead his team to a 5A conference championship, a state runner-up finish and four state tournament appearances ... also played basketball.
PERSONAL
Born August 25, 2006 ... son of Brodie and Amber Ward ... has one sibling, Layla ... his father, Brodie, and uncle Josh Ward played baseball at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock while his uncle Derek Ward played baseball at the University of Louisiana-Monroe ... majoring in sport management at Mizzou.
