Tuesday, April 12
Springfield, Mo.
6:35 p.m.
University of Missouri
at
Missouri State
@MizzouBaseball Heads to In-State Rival #16 Missouri State
4/11/2016 3:59:00 PM | Baseball
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY // TIME | LIVE STATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| at #16 Missouri St. | Hammons Field | Tuesday, April 12 // 6:35 p.m. | Stats |
- Mizzou Baseball, winner of five of six and six of eight, will resume its annual series will in-state rival Missouri State this Tuesday (April 12) at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., at 6:35 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KTGR 100.5 FM/1580 AM in the Mid-Missouri area while Bears All-Access will carry a live stream of the game for subscribers.
- Mizzou and Missouri State have met 50 times over the years with the Bears holding a 26-24 edge in the all-time series. Missouri State has won three of the last four meetings with Mizzou, winning both meetings a year ago, including a 13-8 win at Hammons Field. Mizzou led the meeting in Columbia, 7-3, before falling 9-8.
- After opening SEC play 0-7, Mizzou Baseball has won five of its last six games and six of its last eight games, winning a pair of SEC series along the way, improving to 20-14 and 4-8 in SEC play through eight weeks of play. Mizzou went 3-1 last week, topping SIU-Edwardsville, 9-6, on Tuesday before taking two of three from Auburn over a Thursday-Saturday series at Taylor Stadium last weekend. Mizzou lost the Thursday game, 11-9, despite a seven-run fourth inning but came back to win 2-0 behind a dominant start from RHP Tanner Houck who threw his second complete game shutout of the season, allowing just four hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts facing just four batters over the minimum. Two of his four hits allowed were infield singles and his start earned a game score of 88, the fifth-best nationally this weekend and the second-best among a pitcher from a power conference, and he did it all against an Auburn team that led the SEC in batting and runs coming into the game. Mizzou then won 4-3 on Saturday behind a great start from freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer as Mizzou got three early runs – two on a homer by C Brett Bond – and tacked on an insurance run in the eighth inning to hold on for the 4-3 win. Freshman closer Brian Sharp struck out the final two batters of the game to strand two inherited men on base to earn his fifth save of the season.
- Junior CF Jake Ring stole five bases last week and now leads the SEC with 20 steals this season. He is just the seventh Tiger to steal 20 bags in a season and it is the second consecutive season Mizzou has had a 20-base stealer after Brett Peel stole 22 a year ago.
- Senior 1B Zach Lavy leads the SEC and is second nationally with six triples after slugging two last week. His six triples rank seventh in Mizzou history in a single season and they are the most by a Tiger hitter since 1994. Lavy's 20 extra-base hits this season also lead the SEC.
- Mizzou leads the SEC with 178 walks this season – Vanderbilt is the next-best in the conference with 167. Mizzou is batting just .252 on the year but boasts an OBP of .368, which is the largest jump in batting average to OBP in the SEC at 116 points as Mizzou is still finding ways to get on base.
- Mizzou's offense is beginning to come to life, averaging 6.9 runs per game over the last seven contests (six SEC games). Mizzou has clubbed 26 extra-base hits in those seven games (3.7 per contest).
- Tanner Houck earned SEC Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season and third time in his career following his dominant outing vs. Auburn last Friday. He is now seventh in the SEC in ERA, fourth in opponent batting average, first in innings pitched, fifth in strikeouts and seventh in strikeouts looking. He also leads the SEC in shutouts and complete games (two).
- Mizzou has seemed to find a Sunday starter with the emergence of freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer who has been sensational in his first two SEC weekend starts. He is 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA in 9.1 innings, allowing just seven hits with a 10-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Batters are hitting just .206 against him and he tossed 5.2 stellar innings last Saturday vs. Auburn on short rest, striking out a career-best five while allowing just three hits and a walk to the SEC's top offense in Auburn.
- Mizzou has been sensational at getting to the opposing team's starting pitcher over the last nine games. In fact, opposing starters have thrown just 31 innings against Mizzou in those nine games (average of just three-and-half innings) while only two starters in that span have gone more than 4.0 innings. Mizzou has scored 33 runs off of those starters in 31.0 IP. Mizzou has scored in the first inning in seven of those nine games (seven of the last eight), four straight games and five of the last six SEC games.
- Mizzou will send RS sophomore RHP Ryan Lee to the hill on Tuesday at Missouri State. He is 2-1 on the year with 4.18 ERA in six appearances (five starts). In his four midweek starts, Lee owns a 3.32 ERA in 21.2 innings, surrendering 22 hits with 13 strikeouts and six walks. Missouri State has not named a starter as of Monday.
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