University of Missouri
Arkansas
@MizzouBaseball Continues SEC Play at #15 Arkansas
3/31/2016 9:13:00 AM | Baseball
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY // TIME | LIVE STATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| #15 Arkansas | Baum Stadium | Friday, April 1 // 6:35 p.m. | Stats |
| #15 Arkansas | Baum Stadium | Saturday, April 2 // 7:30 p.m. | Stats |
| #15 Arkansas | Baum Stadium | Sunday, April 3 // 12 p.m. | Stats |
Leading Off
- Mizzou Baseball resumes SEC play this weekend as it heads to No. 15 Arkansas for a three-game series, beginning Friday (April 1) at 6:35 p.m. at Baum Stadium. Alex Perlman and Troy Eklund will have the call. The Saturday and Sunday games will air to a national television audience on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. Perlman and Gabe Gross will be on the call.
- Arkansas is Mizzou's third consecutive top-15 opponent to open SEC play in 2016. Mizzou started the SEC schedule at No. 1 Florida and then hosted No. 4 Vanderbilt last weekend.
- Mizzou and Arkansas have played just one series since Mizzou joined the SEC prior to the 2013 season as the Razorbacks earned a sweep in the only meeting, coming in 2014 at Taylor Stadium. Arkansas outscored Mizzou, 20-9, in that series, winning 9-4 in game one, 4-0 in game two and 7-5 in game three. It was the final SEC series of the season for both teams. In all, Mizzou leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 28-23-1. However, Mizzou is 0-9 vs. Arkansas under Coach Tim Jamieson. The two teams met in a midweek series prior to Mizzou joining the SEC in 2012 with Arkansas claiming both at Baum Stadium. The two also played in NCAA Regional action in 2004 with Arkansas ending Mizzou's season with a 10-7 win.
- With Mizzou heading to Arkansas this weekend, it is worth noting that current Arkansas assistant coach Tony Vitello used to patrol the dugout at Mizzou for eight seasons as an assistant under head coach Tim Jamieson. In his eight seasons at Mizzou, he helped the Tigers to seven NCAA Regionals as the pitching coach while also helping with hitters. Under Vitello, the Tigers' ERA was consistently among the best in the Big 12 Conference, highlighted by a 3.17 mark in 2005 and a 3.36 ERA in 2006. The 2006 ERA led the Big 12 and was 11th-best nationally. Vitello coached at Mizzou from 2003-2010 before leaving for TCU and ultimately ending up at Arkansas under Dave Van Horn.
- Mizzou is coming off of arguably its toughest stretch of schedule this season, playing at No. 1 Florida and at home vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt in back-to-back weekends to open SEC play. Mizzou and Georgia are the only teams in the SEC scheduled to play Vanderbilt and Florida in back-to-back weekends this season. Arkansas is the third consecutive ranked SEC opponent for Mizzou.
Houck Earns Weekly Honor
Mizzou sophomore RHP Tanner Houck earned SEC Pitcher of the Week and Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week following his sensational start last Saturday against Vanderbilt. The honors come after a flat out dominant start against No. 4 Vanderbilt last Saturday. He tossed 9.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with a career-high 14 strikeouts and only two walks against a Commodore team that leads the SEC in runs scored. He earned a no-decision after Mizzou lost, 2-0, after 11 innings.
Houck, a preseason All-SEC Second Team selection, tossed an absolute gem in a no-decision that earned a 95 in game score. To put that mark into perspective there were only nine games in Major League Baseball with higher than a 95 last season (three by former Mizzou pitcher Max Scherzer). Houck's 95 game score was the best in the nation last weekend and the next-best mark in the SEC was 72 by Vanderbilt's Kyle Wright (who squared off against Houck Saturday). Houck's career-high 14 strikeouts on Saturday were the most by any SEC pitcher this season and he allowed just two hits (one was an infield hit – his no-hitter was broken up in the sixth inning).
Houck allowed just two fly balls over the entire nine innings that he pitched Saturday and only one of those fly balls left the infield (the other was a pop-up to shallow second base). In all, just one ball hit by Vanderbilt in the air or on the ground reached the outfield safely. The Preseason All-American retired the first 12 Vanderbilt batters he faced before a leadoff walk in the fifth and did not allow a fly ball until a shallow bloop to center field that was caught for out No. 2 in the sixth inning. In all, he had 14 strikeouts, 10 groundouts, two pop outs and another out on the base paths for the 27 outs.
Houck's 14 strikeouts are the most by a Tiger since former Mizzou first round draft pick and current Minnesota Twin Kyle Gibson struck out 15 on April 3, 2009, vs. Oklahoma. He earned tough-luck no-decision as his team went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position while he was on the mound while likely needing just one run to earn the win.
Dynamic Duo
Mizzou's top two pitchers - Reggie McClain and Tanner Houck are arguably the top 1-2 punch in any pitching rotation in the SEC, which makes them one of most feared in the nation. So far this season, the duo is a combined 5-2 with a combined 1.90 ERA in 90.0 innings, allowing just 70 hits and 12 walks with 91 strikeouts. Since each came to Mizzou last season, they have pitched more innings than any than any duo in the SEC (291.2 IP) and have a combined 3.02 ERA and a combined 262-43 strikeout-walk ratio. They are a combined 21-14 in wins and losses as well.
Lavy On Fire
Over the last 17 games, the leader of Mizzou's offense has been senior 1B Zach Lavy, who is batting a team-best .354 with six doubles, three homers, two triples and 20 RBI while scoring 15 runs. He has also walked five times in those 17 games and leads Mizzou in batting, slugging, OBP, hits, doubles and homers in that span. He has also been exceptional defensively, fielding at a .994 clip despite leading the team in chances. His resurgence in the Mizzou offense comes after he hit just .231 with two RBI in the first 10 games of the season. On the year, Lavy leads the team in runs (25), doubles (nine), extra-base hits (15), slugging and is second in hits. In that span, he had a five-RBI game vs. YSU on that Friday, becoming the first Mizzou player with five RBI in a game since Josh Lester drove in five against Truman State on March 10, 2015.
Up Next
Mizzou returns home to face SIU-Edwardsville in a midweek, Tuesday contest on April 5 before hosting Auburn for a Thursday-Saturday series from April 7-9 at Taylor Stadium. Tex Little and Trevor Coleman will have the call on KTGR. For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter @MizzouBaseball.
