April 10, 2009

MIZZOU at BAYLOR
APRIL, 10-12, 2009 • COLUMBIA, MO.

COMPLETE GAMENOTES

FIRST PITCH
Mizzou returns to the road this weekend, traveling to Waco, Texas for a three-game series against Baylor. Game one is set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday, with game two scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and the series finale at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Tigers enter the weekend with a record of 16-17 and are 5-7 in the Big 12, while Baylor is 21-9 on the year and 7-5 in league play. The Bears are ranked as high as No. 7 in this week's national polls. Last year, Mizzou swept the three-game series between the two teams in Columbia, outscoring BU 22-2 in the three games. Following this weekend's trip to Baylor, Missouri will host a two-game midweek series with Indiana State before taking on Kansas State in a three-game set next weekend in Manhattan, Kan.

LAST YEAR vs.BAYLOR
Missouri recorded an impressive sweep of Baylor in last year's three-game series at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers did not allow an earned run in the series and outscored the Bears, 22-2. Aaron Crow threw his second-straight shutout to open the series, as the Tigers defeated Baylor, 7-0. Crow struck out 10, allowing just three hits. In game two, Ian Berger followed Crow's lead, by pitching seven shutout innings as MU again blanked the Bears, 3-0. Berger struck out eight. Mizzou completed the three-game sweep with a 12-2 run-rule victory in the finale. Kyle Gibson struck out nine and allowed just two unearned runs. Along with the 0.00 ERA for the weekend, the Tigers struck out 28 batters and Baylor managed just a .098 batting average in the series. The sweep was the first by either team in the all-time series.

GIBSON RECORDS COMPLETE GAME IN 3 OF LAST 4 BIG 12 OUTINGS
Mizzou junior Kyle Gibson has pitched a complete game in three of his last four Big 12 starts. Gibson struck out 15 and allowed two runs on six hits against Oklahoma last Friday, but was handed the hard-luck loss in a 2-1 game. On March 23, Mizzou junior Kyle Gibson was named the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second-consecutive week. He was the first pitcher to claim back-to-back Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors since Texas' Kyle McCulloch in 2006. Gibson picked up a complete game victory over Texas A&M on March 20, as he struck out a career-high 16 batters in the Tigers' 3-2 win. He gave up just two runs on five hits to the Aggies and his only walk allowed on the night was an intentional pass in the eighth inning. Gibson retired the first 10 batters to the plate and 18 of the first 19 he faced. A week earlier, Gibson was named the NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, in addition to Big 12 Pitcher of the Week, after picking up his first career shutout in MU's series opener with Texas on March 14. Gibson struck out 11 batters and gave up six hits in nine innings pitched, as the Tigers defeated Texas, 2-0. The complete-game was the first nine-inning complete game for Gibson, who has had two seven-inning complete games in his career. He leads the conference with 75 strikeouts on the year in 51.0 innings pitched.

MIZZOU ADDS JOHNNY WHOLESTAFF TO THE ROSTER
Missouri has utilized a pitcher-by-committee strategy in 10 games this season. In those 10 games, Mizzou is 8-2 and has a team ERA of 2.83. Opposing batters are hitting just .237 against the Tigers in the pitcher-by-committee games. The Tigers used nine pitchers to beat Minnesota on Wednesday. MU lost for just the second time in the staff games last Saturday against Oklahoma. On April 1, Mizzou used 10 pitchers to defeat SLU at Busch Stadium. That came two days after the Tigers' staff pitched a shutout over Oklahoma State, allowing six hits to the Cowboys. Missouri used nine pitchers in the game against OSU. The first time the Tigers used the staff pitching plan was against Arizona State on Feb. 24. Eight pitchers each pitched one inning against ASU, allowing just three runs on five hits. The Tigers used nine pitchers, again employing one pitcher an inning, against Western Illinois on March 4 and shutout the Leathernecks 8-0, giving up just five hits. A week later nine pitchers each turned in one inning on the mound as Mizzou defeated Western Illinois, 18-4. Missouri utilized a season-high 11 pitchers against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on March 18, defeating the Cougars 4-1. On March 21, Missouri employed the strategy for the first time in a Big 12 Conference game. Nine pitchers teamed up to defeat Texas A&M, 6-2. Each pitcher worked exactly one inning on the mound against the Aggies. On March 25, Mizzou matched its season high with 11 pitchers used as the Tigers defeated UI-Chicago.

JAMIESON NEARS 500 WINS
With Missouri's win over Arizona State on March 1, Head Coach Tim Jamieson moved into second place on Mizzou's all-time wins list. Jamieson is 496-346-2 in his 15th year as the Tigers' head coach. His 496 wins put him ahead of legendary former head coach John "Hi" Simmons. Simmons compiled a record of 481-294-3 from 1937-1973, while Gene McArtor is the all-time winningest coach at Missouri with a record of 733-430-3 from 1974-1994. Jamieson, who served as an assistant coach under McArtor from 1988-94, has led the Tigers to seven NCAA Regionals, including each of the last six and is a two-time Conference Coach of the Year. Last fall, the University of Missouri extended Jamieson's contract, keeping him in the MU dugout through at least the 2013 season. With the retirement of Texas Tech's Larry Hays last summer, Jamieson and Baylor coach Steve Smith are now the longest tenured coaches in the Big 12 Conference, as each is in his 15th year as head coach of the respective programs.

FOLGIA IS MISSOURI'S UTILITY MAN
Junior Greg Folgia is second on the team with a .307 average and he leads the team with 27 RBI. His four home runs are tied for the team lead. Folgia was 3-for-4 in the series finale with Oklahoma last Sunday and hit his fourth home run of the year in game two against the Sooners. He has had three hits in four games this year. Folgia had two hits in each of the Tigers' two games against UI-Chicago, including a four-RBI game on March 25. Folgia homered and tripled in that game to set a new career high with the four RBI. He has had a pair of four-game hitting streaks on the year. Folgia has started in left field, center field and at first base for the Tigers this season and also has made 11 appearances on the mound out of the bullpen. In his two previous years at MU, Folgia has also played second base, third base and shortstop, meaning he has played all positions except right field and catcher during his career at Mizzou.

LOLLIS LEADS THE TIGERS AT THE PLATE
Senior Ryan Lollis has been one the Tigers' most consistent performer this season. Lollis has a .300 average and has 26 RBI. He had six-game hitting streak snapped against SLU on April 1. During that six-game hitting streak, Lollis was 10-for-25 (.400). He had an eight-game hitting streak from Feb. 22-March 6. Lollis has had two three-hit games this season (against Gonzaga on Feb. 22 and against Western Illinois on March 4). He has seven doubles and three triples. His three triples are second most in the Big 12 this season. Lollis has two home runs on the year, hitting his first against Gonzaga on Feb. 22. He hit a two-run home run against UI-Chicago on March 25, going 2-for-4 with three RBI in that game.

UP NEXT
The Tigers will return to Taylor Stadium next week for a two-game midweek series against Indiana State. Game one is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, with game two at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Next weekend, Mizzou will travel to Manhattan, Kan. for a three-game series with Kansas State, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.