HI NOTES: Big Cats vs. Little Cats

AT THE BALLPARK


♦ It's been a rowdy week on the All Sports Board at Tigerboard.com.  Some of the regular posters there (including me), who are among the most faithful local Mizzou Baseball fans, were taken aback by attacks on our loyalty and attitude (in this post and others surrounding it).  To be specific, we were accused of :

• "ragging on the team"
• "crossing the line with personal attacks" against players
• being "usually negative"
• getting their information from "the radio and box scores" and not going to games
• "rely on a box score for their analysis"
• "whine on message boards"
• being "pathetic fans"
• "complaining about the height of the players"
• DON'T "actually support the team, win or loose
• DON'T "cheer them on"
• DON'T "actually attend games"
• DON'T "have some baseball IQ"
• AREN'T "considered a competitive advantage for their team"
• NOT "travelling" to away games  .

We plead guilty to the last one.

This is me, Trripleplay.
Section E, Row 4, Seat 1

I'm posting this here so that no one will think I'm trying to be one kind of fan on Tigerboard.com and another kind here at SimmonsField.com.  I also want to invite anyone to come and talk to me directly who has a problem with the way I or any of my friends conduct ourselves as fans.

I sit in Section E, Row 4, Seat 1 for nearly every home game.  I won't be there on Saturday (there are some things more important than baseball), but plan to be there tonight and Sunday.  I look forward to talking to you.

♦ It will be interesting to see what's up with two special features at the ballpark this weekend:

• Promotions:  This weekend, there will be plenty of promotions offered at Taylor Stadium. The series will serve as decades weekend as each game will be themed around past decades, beginning with the 1970s on Friday. Also on Saturday, a sign contest will be held for the Tigers' televised game. The best signs in the stands will win a variety of different prizes including Mizzou gear and gift cards. (mutigers.com)

• The new student fan section, Tigers on Deck, makes its debut this weekend.  Details at mutigers.com

TIGERS

♦ Junior college transfer provides stability for Missouri baseball team's pitching rotation (Columbia Missourian)

The top two starting pitchers on the Missouri baseball team, Eric Anderson and Rob Zastryzny, spent their senior years of high school racking up wins, striking out batters and earning all-state honors. In his senior year, Blake Holovach stepped onto the pitching mound for the first time. . 

♦ Holovach energizes depleted Tiger pitching (The Maneater)

Holovach’s key to fulfilling his potential, Jamieson and Hobbs said, is to develop a strong secondary pitch. Holovach throws a slider and change-up, but not at a level of consistency typical of a star pitcher. He has put in extra time to work on those pitches, but Hobbs said the process is still ongoing. “I think Blake’s ceiling is a little bit higher than anyone we have, but it’s going to take him some time,” he said.

♦ Tigers trying to ignite offense (Columbia Tribune)

Scoring has been in short supply in Big 12 play. Missouri is scoring 4.2 runs per game while allowing 5.3 — which makes the Tigers feel like they're a bounce or two from being on the winning end of these games. Seven of the Tigers' losses against league opposition have come by two runs or fewer. Last season, Missouri hit .237 in the first 11 league games, averaging two runs. After a lineup switch put Mach at the top of the order for the last 15 regular-season league games, Missouri scored 6.5 runs per game and hit .279 as a team.

WILDCATS ♦ Cats sweep Bears with 7-5 victory (Manhattan Mercury)

Hill said K-State's leading batters, Davis and Fisher — who played third base for the first time Wednesday — were instinctual at the plate. "They were just being aggressive and swinging the bats," he said. "Not a lot of thought process with those two guys. I think you can see the guys that have thought process are thinking too much and their swings aren't real good right now. "They guys that aren't thinking... there's something to be said with just being happy to be out there playing. When aren't really putting a lot of pressure on yourself, good things will happen."

♦ K-State players head to Missouri to take on the Tigers (kstatecollegian.com)

K-State will send Matt Applegate to the mound on Friday against Zastryzny. The senior righty is 2-4 with a 5.37 ERA in nine starts. Junior Joe Flattery, a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, leads the weekend starters with a 4.57 ERA in his nine starts, accumulating a 4-2 record. Senior Kayvon Bahramzadeh leads the team with 48 strikeouts, and has a 4-1 record with a 5.19 ERA. The Wildcats have been led at the plate all season by sophomore center fielder Jared King and senior first baseman Wade Hinkle. K-State’s three and four hitters have been hot all season and are a big reason the team is hitting .294 this season. King has a .384 batting average and leads the team in doubles with nine and total bases with 75. King also carries a .459 on-base percentage and a .543 slugging percentage. Hinkle leads the team in home runs with seven, RBIs with 33, a .554 slugging percentage and a .494 on-base percentage and is hitting .355 so far. Junior infielder Tanner Witt and sophomore second baseman Ross Kivett have given K-State some speed on the base paths, combining for 36 steals.