HI NOTES: Game Day Grab Bag

Friday game time photo
 by James Abey, the new
Voice of Taylor Stadium

RANDOM THOUGHTS

• The new Taylor Stadium PA Announcer sounds great - full of enthusiasm.  I expect it'll take a few games to get used to pronouncing the players' names and knowing how to summarize the box score for the inning without making it sound like he's talking about the whole game.  But he perks up the park.
  
  
• If you're watching from the third base side, be sure to take a peek into the Ball State dugout when the Tigers are up to bat.  The Ball State coach (the guy in the red maternity smock and Moe Howard stocking cap - goes through giving signs to his catcher like any coach, except that it's not a smooth touching and swiping of various parts of his upper torso.  This guy looks like he's been infested with an angry swarm of fire ants on each pitch.
  
  
  
• The Tigers have raised their team batting average from .209  up to .216 over the past two games.  At this pace, they'll have it up over .300 by the end of this home stand. #bizarrostatistics

GAME DAY

♦ Missouri piles on the runs, trounces Ball State to end three-game skid (The Maneater)

After managing to score only four runs in its previous four games, the Missouri baseball team wanted offense — in any form — badly entering Saturday's matchup with Ball State at Taylor Stadium.

In a 15-5 win over the Cardinals, the Tigers delivered immediately.

In the first inning, the Tigers hit Cardinal pitchers Nestor Bautista and Miles Moeller for five runs, four before the first out. Missouri scrapped its offensive output through a combination of walks, wild pitches and passed balls. The only hit was a bunt by Conner Mach.

“I don’t think we really did anything that inning,” junior outfielder Blake Brown said. “They gave us that one.”

♦ MU baseball team buries Ball State (Columbia Tribune)

Brown said he felt "a little sense of pride" after his home run incited Overstreet enough to get ejected.

"And a little embarrassment," Brown said, "because it was probably on me that Champ got thrown at. It's good, though."

♦ Sophomore's start highlights Missouri baseball victory over Ball State (Columbia Missourian)

"It's definitely good being home, pitching in front of a home crowd," he said. "I'm used to that mound."

Zastryzny was perfect through five innings before surrendering his first hit and all three of his runs in the sixth. The performance came in the second of a 19-game homestand for the Tigers.

After being named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in 2011, Zastryzny worked on developing his curveball during the offseason. Coach Tim Jamieson said his execution of that pitch was the key to his performance Saturday.

♦ Ball State gets behind early, loses big at Missouri: Two Cardinals ejected in blowout loss (Ball State Daily News)

As Ball State tried to overcome the nightmarish start, things went from bad to worse. In the third inning, Missouri right fielder Blake Brown hit a three-run home run off Ross Overstreet to give the Tigers a 9-0 lead. Overstreet, who had already hit a batter, then threw behind Brannon Champagne and was ejected. Second baseman Mitch Widau also was ejected for arguing.

♦ Tigers never get in the swing: MU homestand starts with dud (Columbia Tribune)

After getting handed a 3-2 advantage, Bowling retired the next 10 Tigers he faced on just 26 pitches.

♦ Cold weather, cold bats spoil first game of weekend series (KBIA Extra)

“They out-pitched us, they out-defended us, they out-hustled us, and they out-hit us. It’s amazing the game was as close as it was,” Jamieson said.

♦ Missouri drops home baseball opener to Ball State (The Maneater)

The loss will go down as Anderson’s third of the season. Perhaps betraying his solid pitching performances, Anderson has yet to record a win. Despite the lack of results, Anderson will continue to perform at a high level, Turner said.

“We need to pick him up offensively, but he’s not a guy that looks at the numbers," Turner said. "He goes out there every Friday night to do his job the best he can and hopefully put us in a place to win."

♦ Mizzou will use 19-game homestand to build confidence (KBIA Extra)

“It’s kind of how you’re feeling at the moment,” Mach said. “Games early in the season are really important for confidence.”

Opel said the Tiger’s 19 game home stand will mean a much needed confidence boost for the team.

“It’s huge for us,” Opel said. “You have the fans on your side, you know the field, you know how it plays, you’re more comfortable.”