Mizzou Baseball Recruits update: Hardoin & Brown

■ The Brenham Banner-Press has a great profile of MU recruit Zach Hardoin: Southpaw Hardoin perfect for Bucs in '09:

“He always had good stuff and he always threw strikes but it was teaching him to throw quality strikes, like an 0-2 fastball on the inner half has to be in in, not just a little bit in, and he has learned how to do that. He’s learned how to command both sides of the plate and pitch with a breaking ball. His stuff is about the same but now he’s learned to command the strike zone and throw quality strikes.”
. . .
Hardoin has been so impressive that Missouri signed him, getting the Buccaneer southpaw to choose the Tigers over offers from Texas A&M and Baylor. Missouri had recruited Hardoin out of high school but told him he would be better served developing at a junior college for a few years.

Encouraged by Blinn’s reputation for developing strong pitchers, Hardoin signed with Blinn. Two years later, Missouri was still interested.

■ Blake Brown had a mixed-bag game for Normal West (IL), according ot the Lincoln Courier:

White also walked No. 3-hitter Colton Moore, setting up a situation with runners on first and third for Normal West star centerfielder Blake Brown.

Brown skied a mile-high pop fly that got the best of Lincoln leftfielder Shelden Tibbs, scoring Camp and moving Moore to third, again setting up runners at first and third with only one out.

. . . The score would remained tied at one until the Railers’ bottom half of the fifth. Dylan Eimer and Fleshman got on base to get a rally going for the Railers and scored, giving Lincoln a 3-1 lead, on a single by Cosby, who took second when Brown misplayed the ball in centerfield. Cosby’s hit was followed by another from Neece, who’s single moved Cosby to third. With Tibbs, Lincoln’s No. 3-hitter at the plate, Neece stole second, putting two runners in scoring position with one out.