HI NOTES: Schedule Change, Future Foes, Another One That Got Away

GAME DAY

♦ Wednesday's game between MU vs. UND has been moved to 6:00 PM.

The Mizzou baseball game scheduled for March 14 against North Dakota has been moved to a 6 p.m. start in order to take advantage of the anticipated nice weather in the Mid-Missouri area, as announced by the Mizzou Department of Athletics on Tuesday (Match 13). The game was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. on Simmons Field at Taylor Stadium. (mutigers.com)

♦ Missouri baseball overcomes hit-by-pitches to outlast North Dakota (Columbia Missourian)

In reality, the nine plunked batters were more representative of the sloppy performances of each team rather than the feelings they have for each other.

In addition to the nine hit batters, the teams combined for six errors leading to four unearned runs. But Missouri coach Tim Jamieson couldn't help but be a little optimistic after the game.

"I'd rather win a game ugly than lose a game pretty," he said about the Tigers' seventh straight victory.

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

A look at a few of Mizzou's future opponents:

• Arkansas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas Tech, Missouri State, and Texas are all in the Perfect Game Top 50.  6-8 Texas is apparently grandfathered in because they are Texas.

• High Point, 12-7:  Riding a 4-game winning streak coming into Taylor Stadium this weekend

• Illinois, 7-6:  The Illini could be prepping to give Purdue a run for the Big Ten title, especially after going 3-1 at the Nike Showcase in Eugene, Ore., this weekend. Kevin Johnson threw a complete-game four-hitter to down host Oregon 2-1 for Illinois' second win over a ranked team this season. (espn.com)

• Texas A&M, 13-3:  The Aggies finally had a true test, but couldn't hold three-run leads in the two losses to Fullerton at home. Meanwhile, the offense had a wee bit of trouble figuring out the Titans' bullpen, going just 2-for-19 in the final three innings of those two losses. (espn.com)

• Arkansas, 14-2:   This is still a mystery team. I mean, really, what can we glean from three wins over Binghamton? The talent level hints that the Razorbacks will be Omaha-caliber this year. But the No. 229-ranked strength of schedule and losses to Valparaiso and Houston tell us to hold our horses for now. (espn.com)

ALMOST A TIGER
♦ St. Louis product Lucas May chasing major-league dream with New York Mets (RobRains.com)

Lucas May was a year behind Freese at rival Parkway West, a star shortstop who made the Post-Dispatch all-Metro first team after hitting .493 as a senior in 2003. The Saturday before the amateur baseball draft that June, May had a workout for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium and thought there was a real possibility he would be chosen by them in the draft.

He went to the Dodgers instead, in the eighth round, as the 241st overall selection. Even though he had a scholarship waiting to play baseball at Missouri, he quickly signed a pro contract and took aim at becoming a major leaguer.

May was drafted as a third baseman, then became an outfielder and finally was converted to a catcher in 2007. His journey through the minor leagues has not been smooth, including two trades, first to the Royals, then to the Diamondbacks, and now has taken him to the Mets, where he is a non-roster invitee to camp this spring after signing in December as a free agent.