HI NOTES: 2013 SEC Schedule, Busch game details, 15-1

SEC BASEBALL

♦ SEC Releases 2013 Conference Spring Sport Schedules (SECdigitalnetwork.com)
Home Games Bold

3/15-3/17 South Carolina at Missouri
3/22-3/24 Missouri at Tennessee
3/29-3/31 LSU at Missouri
4/5-4/7 Missouri at Georgia
4/12-4/14 Missouri at Vanderbilt
4/19-4/21 Florida at Missouri
4/26-4/28 Auburn at Missouri
5/3-5/5 Missouri at Texas A&M
5/10-5/12 Missouri at Alabama
5/16-5/18 Kentucky at Missouri

• 2 of the 3 teams the farthest distance from MU (South Carolina and Florida) are coming to Taylor Stadium.
  
  
• 6 of the games are against SEC East teams, which MU will play each year:  Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.  The way the schedule is now set up, MU will play 4 SEC West teams each season.  In 2013 those will LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M.  MU will not play either Ole Miss or Mississippi State, nor Arkansas, in 2013, but presumably will do so in 2014.  Apparently MU's reported permanent cross-division rival of Arkansas only applies in football.
  
  
• The non-conference portion of MU's schedule will be set up by the Mizzou Baseball office and will likely not be announced until some time this fall.

♦ SEC Baseball Q&A: Dave Neal (secdigitalnetwork.com)

Dave Neal, the longtime voice of the Southeastern Conference, is in his second season calling SEC baseball games as part of the ESPNU Thursday Night SEC Baseball Game of the Week, which begins this Thursday, when Florida and South Carolina square off at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday in Columbia in a rematch of last season’s College World Series Championship Series.

Neal sat down with the SEC Digital Network on Wednesday to offer his thoughts on SEC baseball.
. . .
What do you think the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M does for baseball in the SEC?

Dave Neal: “It certainly improves the reputation of a league that is already solid one through 12. Now, you can say that it’s solid one through 14 and that’s pretty good. Texas A&M is a loaded baseball club. They have taken baseball seriously for years and I think they fit right into the fold of SEC baseball. I think Missouri is going to have to learn to play in some of these hostile environments. It’s not often that you go and play in front of 6,000 fans every weekend, but that could be the case in the SEC. Both of these teams are a great addition to what is already a talented league. And teams in the SEC had better be ready because these aren’t two cupcakes that are being added.”

BUSCH TICKETS

♦ The Tigers play the Illini at Busch Stadium on April 11th at 6:30 PM. Tickets are just $15 and include $5 in Cards Cash to spend throughout the stadium! Details and ticket purchase at stl.cardinals.mlb

GAME DAY

♦ Mizzou blown out by Indiana State, 15-1: Rain holds off but Mizzou may wish it hadn’t (KBIA Sports Extra)

Two days before its first Big 12 game of the year Missouri was blown out by Indiana State 15-1 on Wednesday. The Tigers fell behind early to the Sycamores and never recovered.

♦ Missouri baseball team trounced by Indiana State (Columbia Missourian)

"We responded poorly as the game went on," Missouri coach Tim Jamieson said. "I think they were ready to play. One mistake led to another which led to another, and that's disturbing."

With Eric Anderson injured, freshman pitcher Brett Graves was in contention for the open Sunday starting spot, however, he failed to impress his coaches, giving up five runs in one and two-third innings in his start Wednesday.

"If I had to guess, we probably would use a variety of different people," Jamieson said of the open Sunday spot. "We'll have to have a starting pitcher but not with the thought of him going particularly long."

MU BASEBALL RECRUITS

♦ MHS Bulldogs make 3 debuts (Mexico Ledger)

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Missouri recruit Hunter Haynes got the starting call for the Bulldogs at Green Field against NCMC rival Marshall.

The senior retired the side in order to open the contest, then helped his own cause with an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the first, only to give way to three relievers after five innings in a 5-4 Mexico varsity setback.

“He had a pretty solid first outing. I heard there were maybe five major league scouts on hand, but Hunter’s used to situations like that,” MHS coach Keith Louder said. “He fell behind in the count a little more often than usual, but I’ll take his numbers any time.”