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@MizzouBaseball Looks for Big SEC Tournament Win vs. No. 2 Seed LSU
5/23/2017 10:51:00 PM | Baseball
Tigers look to pad NCAA Tournament resume in second round
| MIZZOU LOOKS FOR FIRST WIN OVER VANDERBILT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | Listen | Stats | TV |
| #2 LSU | Hoover Metropolitan Stadium | Wednesday, May 24 | 4:30 p.m. | KTGR | Stats | SEC Network |
- Mizzou Baseball will play No. 2 seed LSU in the second round of the SEC Tournament Wednesday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network. Wednesday will mark the second time that Mizzou will play in the second round of the SEC Tournament and first since 2015. The game will air live on SEC Network and KTGR in the Mid-Missouri area.
- Mizzou is coming off of a 12-7 win over seventh-seeded Texas A&M during which the Tigers homered three times and scored their most runs in a conference tournament game since 2012 when they run-ruled kansas, 12-2, en-route to a Big 12 Tournament title. Junior INF Robbie Glendinning hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the fourth inning and Mizzou never looked back. Junior RHP Andy Toelken earned the win, going 4.2 shutout relief innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five.
- Wednesday's game will match two of the nation's hottest teams against one another. Both teams have won seven in a row while LSU is 9-1 in its last 10 games and Mizzou is 7-3 in its last 10.
- Mizzou is obviously looking for a signature win to cement its NCAA Tournament resume. The Tigers came into the week at No. 50 in the RPI ranks but have won more games since any Mizzou team since 2008. In fact, the last Mizzou team to win 36 or more games and miss the NCAA Tournament was the 1999 team which won 37 games and was left out of the field. That was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams. Mizzou is looking for its first NCAA Regional berth since 2012.
- Mizzou will send freshman LHP T.J. Sikkema to the mound. Sikkema is a Freshman All-SEC selection and is the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week. In his last start, Sikkema threw a complete-game shutout over Tennessee, scattering just five hits while striking out seven. He leads the SEC in WHIP (0.80), opponent batting (.169) and hits per nine (5.28). He is fifth in the SEC in wins (eight) and ERA (2.28).
- Mizzou and LSU have met 11 times and Mizzou has never won a game vs. the Bayou Bengals. The two teams have met in each of the last two season with LSU winning all six games. LSU swept Mizzou in 2015 at Alex Box before coming to Columbia last year and sweeping Mizzou in 2016. LSU won 7-5 Friday night, 9-5 Saturday and then 15-2 on Sunday.
- Of the 11 meetings between Mizzou and LSU, nine have come since Mizzou joined the SEC for the 2013 season. LSU swept Mizzou in 2013 before sweeping in 2015 and 2016. Mizzou and LSU also met back in the 1980s when legendary Mizzou coach Gene McArtor patrolled the Tiger dugout. LSU claimed the first meeting, 5-1, in 1986 before winning, 8-5, in 1987.
- LSU will send RHP Caleb Gilbert to the mound to face Mizzou. He is 3-1 on the year in 23 appearances and Wednesday will be his fourth start. He has thrown 35.0 innings and allowed 27 hits and just seven walks while striking out 41. He is limiting batters to .213 on the year and has allowed seven extra-base hits on the year. He also has three saves.
- On the year, Mizzou is 25-17 in games against right-handed starters.
Pitching Matchup
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LHP T.J. Sikkema (8-1, 2.28 ERA) vs. RHP Caleb Gilbert (3-1, 3.09 ERA)
For all the latest on Mizzou Baseball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouBaseball) and like the team on Facebook and Instagram (Mizzou Baseball and missouri_baseball, respectively).
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