Mizzou Baseball: 2010 Schedule

The MU Baseball office has posted the official 2010 schedule, which is not much changed from the 2010 schedule we previously posted here at SimmonsField.com.

The only change to the schedule is a match-up with Illinois at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, scheduled for April 7th at 7PM.

Now that it's official, we can take a look at that schedule and ask the question: How tough is MU's 2010 schedule?

Boyd Nation, at Boyd'sWorld.com, annually produces a list of Intended Schedule Strength, based on the final RPI or ISR numbers of each team on the upcoming schedule, averaged out to an intended average RPI.

Using that formula, and using the Boyd'sWorld.com final RPI numbers, I've compiled a list of the final 2009 RPIs of the teams on the tentative 2010 schedule, and averaged them out for an intended schedule strength of .540.

So what does that really mean, in terms we can understand? Two teams (UCLA and Sam Houston State) finished 2009 with an RPI of .540, placing in a tie for 70th place in Division 1 of the NCAA out of a total 300 teams.

Tim Jamieson's Intended Schedule Strength has been moving slowly upward over the past few years. This year sees a dip of just .001, a statistical blip that shows the Tigers are maintaining their level:

2010: .540
2009: .541
2008: .537
2007: .534
2006: .532
2005: .528
2004: .528

Part of this steady rise to the current level is due to the overall gradual strengthening of the Big XII conference from top to bottom. But it also reflects a willingness to schedule multiple contests against teams like TCU, Boston College, Auburn - and that extra game against the Longhorns.

The final 2009 RPI for the teams on MU's 2010 schedule (and Missouri's) 2009 RPI for comparison. Multiple games in (parentheses); 2009 Regional participants marked with *:

.629 Texas (x4)*

.607 Texas Christian *

.586 Texas A&M (x3) *

.586 Oklahoma (x3) *

.578 Kansas State (x3)*

.575 Oklahoma State (x3)*

.570 Boston College *

.570 Baylor (x3)*

.568 Auburn

.567 Missouri *

.554 Kansas (x4)*

.553 Gonzaga (x2)*

.546 Xavier (x3)*

.545 Eastern Illinois

.543 Missouri State (x2)

.540 Illinois

.532 Florida Atlantic

.530 Texas Tech (x3)

.520 Nebraska (x3)

.519 Houston

.508 New Mexico State

.508 Washington

.490 Purdue (x2)

.440 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (x2)

.428 North Dakota (x4)

.418 Southern Illinois Edwardsville

.410 Western Illinois