HI NOTES: One Great Game, Tepesch OK

GAME DAY

@mutigerbaseball coach Tim Jamieson confirmed that freshman pitcher Gerrion Grim will leave the team, transfer. More to come. #Mizzou #SEC

— Alex M. Silverman (@AlexMSilverman) April 21, 2013

♦ Mizzou's RPI ranking (according to BoydsWorld.com, rose from  149th to 117th over the past week.  The Tigers' Strength of Schedule rose from 12th toughest to 8th in the nation.  Missouri is one of two SEC teams in the top 10 of Strength of Schedule.  The other is Florida.

Strength of Schedule Top 10

1. Washington
2. Florida
3. Southern California
4. Hawaii
5. Loyola Marymount
6. Oregon
7. UCLA
8. Missouri
9. Miami
10. California

♦ 'Iron Man' Jake Walsh propels Missouri baseball to Sunday victory (Columbia Missourian)

The Tigers hit the ball hard all day Sunday, recording two more hits in nine innings than they had the day before in 15.

But even with the offense clicking, the focus was on Walsh after the game. Missouri junior catcher Dylan Kelly even had a nickname for the weekend warrior.

"The Iron Man, I guess you guys can call him or whatever, because he pitched Friday, Saturday and Sunday," Kelly said. "I thought today was his best day. He came out firm with the fastball, mixed pretty well, we got out when we needed to and he forced contact. He’s a great pitcher we have.” ...

♦ MU baseball wins finale vs. Florida (Columbia Tribune)

Missouri is tied with Tennessee (5-13) for 12th in the SEC standings — though the Volunteers own the tiebreaker — and are one game ahead of Georgia (4-14). Auburn (6-12), which visits Simmons Field for a three-game set beginning Friday, is one game ahead of Missouri. Kentucky and Texas A&M — who both remain on Missouri’s schedule — are two games ahead at 7-11. The bottom two teams do not make the SEC Tournament.

“I think everybody’s starting to calm down a little bit, starting to settle into some roles,” said Pearson, who was 6 for 13 with four RBI in the series. “We understand what it’s like to be in the SEC now and face all this top-notch competition. I think we’re starting to settle down and play a lot better ball than we have been playing.” ...

The Tribune article has several great photos from the game, including a shot of Keaton Steele's great 5th inning catch

♦ Missouri snaps Florida’s eight-game winning streak (The Independent Florida Alligator)

Florida fell behind for the third straight game against Missouri. Unlike the previous two contests, Sunday’s series finale ended in UF’s first loss in two weeks.

The Tigers (12-23, 5-13 Southeastern Conference) plated two runs off right-hander Tucker Simpson in the first inning on Sunday afternoon at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo., to snap the Gators’ (22-19, 10-8 SEC) eight-game winning streak...

MISSOURI BASEBALL IN THE MAJORS

♦ Nick Tepesch expects to make next start Thursday at Minnesota (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Nick Tepesch felt a little soreness in his right wrist the morning after taking a liner off it, but he expects to make his next scheduled start Thursday at Minnesota.

The 24-year-old right-hander planned to play catch before Sunday’s game, but the big test will come Monday when he throws a bullpen session in Anaheim. If that goes well, the Rangers won’t have to skip his turn in the rotation.

“It feels all right now,” said Tepesch, who was diagnosed with a contusion on his right wrist...

♦ Tepesch’s injury scary in more ways than one (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Montero’s liner through the box appeared to skip off Tepesch’s arm and barely lost any momentum as it bounced into the outfield. Washington and medical chief Jamie Reed all but sprinted to the mound to check on their pitcher.

“He really wasn’t saying anything,” Washington said later. “He wasn’t showing any emotion at all. He’s a tough kid. ‘He said, ‘Let me finish the inning,’ but there was no way I was going to let him do that.”

In the clubhouse later, under prodding, rookie Tepesch showed the damage the ball had done.

“I’m all right,” he announced. “It’s a little sore, but not too bad. I think it scraped me a little more than made solid contact, I guess.”

Scraped would be one description, but a more accurate one might be that the back of Tepesch’s wrist looked as if something had bitten a small, bloody chunk from it...

SEC Weekend: LSU @ Missouri

♦ Be sure to check out Sam Nasci's Mizzou Matchup preview of the South Carolina Gamecocks here at SimmonsField.com

♦ Also check out our off-season South By Southeast posts about South Carolina Baseball:

• Geaux Tigers: LSU Baseball traditions
• Paul Mainieri's Tigers
• LSU Baseball History

♦ And for you LSU fans coming into Columbia, MO, for the weekend, check out The SEC Fan's Guide to Mizzou Baseball for everything you need to know

♦ Be sure to take a look at Missouri Baseball Lookalikes at TigerDroppings.com.  Some of the links are broken, but its still funny.  Ed Harris as Tim Jamieson?

♦ Freshman pitcher Mitch Sewald inspires team with speeches (LSU Reveille)

Mitch Sewald is the only LSU baseball player that hasn’t seen an inning of play this season.
For now, the freshman right-handed pitcher’s words are stronger than his pitch — he has the prominent role of delivering postgame speeches to the Tigers.
. . .
The team coined the Twitter hashtag #SpeechbyMeech to celebrate the weekly dialogue. After LSU’s 2-0 victory against Nicholls on March 3, Twitter was abuzz with shout-outs to Sewald. Bregman tweeted, “Big Meech was incredible today. Purely #Inspirational.”

But content of the speech — like the rules of Fight Club — cannot be spoken of.

It’s for team ears only. Sewald disclosed that he sometimes discusses the team’s upcoming matchups, but that’s all he’ll say...

♦ New trio has LSU baseball team on fire (The Town Talk)

...Freshman shortstop Alex Bregman of Albuquerque, N.M., freshman center and right fielder Mark Laird of Monroe and junior college transfer third baseman Christian Ibarra are three reasons why LSU has such a glimmering look to it early on as they complement crusty senior left fielder Mason Katz and senior first baseman Raph Rhymes, who are performing like Brandon Larson and Eddy Furniss in '97...

♦ LSU Impressive In Sweep of Auburn (And The Valley Shook)

LSU did just about everything well this weekend. They outscored Auburn 22 to 7 and racked up 34 hits in the process. LSU made just one error on the weekend, which was a booted grounder by Jacoby Jones on Sunday. On the very next batter, Jones turned a double play to wipe out his mistake. Lastly, LSU's starting pitching went a combined 21 innings and allowed a total of just five earned runs.
...
Next weekend, LSU travels to Missouri to face a pretty weak team. Missouri has managed to win their Sunday game against both South Carolina and Tennessee for a 2-4 conference record. LSU has a great opportunity to have seven or eight wins in their first nine conference games before the schedule really toughens up.

NOT THE NY YANKEES, JUST A BUNCH OF COLLEGE GUYS

I feel like a loner going to Red Box to get a movie to watch by myself
— Jared Foster (@JFoster_1317) March 28, 2013

@l_pain225 who has the pelican outfit on?
— Joey Bourgeois (@Jbou25) February 18, 2013

This is what I find when I go to get in the shower. Rooming with @rreynolds45 is weird. twitter.com/nateyfu123/sta…
— Nate Fury (@nateyfu123) March 15, 2013

MIZZOU & THE SEC

♦  Current SEC Rankings:  Missouri is 2-4 in the SEC, putting them tied for 4th in the SEC East; tied for 9th overall

♦ According to the latest Division 1 Baseball Attendance Report from Sportswirters.net, LSU has averaged 10,713 in attendance for their first 20 home games so far this season.  That puts them in 1st place on the list.

Missouri's average attendance at Taylor Stadium in 2012 was 824.

Taylor Stadium attendance in 2013 is not at all a clear picture at this point.  Mizzou had 15 home games on their schedule to-date.   4 of those were cancelled outright, one of those replaced by a D-II game. 5 were rescheduled (some were rescheduled more than once), resulting in no less than 3 double headers (all three in chilly conditions).  The end result is that the records for attendance at the 12 home games are incomplete at this time.  The all-time record attendance of 3,145 for that Friday game against South Carolina is less than one third of LSU's average attendance.

HI NOTES: Eagles and Tigers and Tweets, Oh My

MISSOURI TIGERS VS. SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GOLDEN EAGLES

Be sure to check out Mizzou MATCHUP: #23 University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles for a detailed look at the Tigers' opening series in Hattiesburg.

♦ Southern Miss Baseball: The Breakdown (Everything MSU Sports)

The University of Southern Mississippi baseball team looks to have a promising 2013 spring season ahead of them this year. They have a strong starting rotation returning, a good closer, and a number of talented position players returning at the plate and in the field...

♦ Southern Miss baseball player Travis Creel: Tornado in Hattiesburg was 'scary as hell' (GulfFive.com)

Southern Miss baseball player Travis Creel lost his childhood home in 2005's Hurricane Katrina, but even that didn't prepare him for what he experienced on Sunday afternoon....

♦ Three Golden Eagles gain C_USA baseball honors (Sun Herald)

Three Southern Miss baseball players -- senior pitcher Andrew Pierce, sophomore outfielder Mason Robbins and relief pitcher Bradley Roney -- were named to the Conference USA preseason baseball team...

♦ Baseball Eagles prepared to open season versus Missouri (Hattiesburg American)

The ace of arguably one of the deepest pitching staffs in Southern Miss baseball history, right-hander Andrew Pierce is well aware of the high expectations for him and the Golden Eagles this season...

WORD ON THE TWEET

Just got into Hattiesburg, MS. Ready to take the first series of the season. #MIZ
— Ryan Phillips (@Ryan_Phillips23) February 14, 2013

Just landed in New Orleans, now the drive to Hattiesburg #YeYee
— Shane Segovia (@Sego_OneFour) February 14, 2013

Drew breez mizzou alumni meeting us at the airport in nola! @robbybaseball_8
— Breckin Williams (@BreckinW) February 14, 2013

We are inside 48 hours till first pitch at "The Pete". Come see us take on Mizzou Friday at 4pm, Sat at 2pm and Sun at 1pm. #bringafriend
— USM Baseball (@somissbaseball) February 14, 2013

Check out the new baseball jerseys for this weekend @somissbaseball @baseballmng almost gametime twitter.com/SouthernMissEQ…
— SouthernMissEquip (@SouthernMissEQU) February 14, 2013

PRESEASON SEASON (FINAL EDITION)

♦ Baseball America wades into the deep end of the Fortune Telling pool with their version of Preseason Predicted Field of 64. And, no, you don't even need to ask.

♦ Not to be outdone, PerfectGame presents their equally absurd Postseason projections: Field of 64. No, not on this one either.

WHATNOT

♦ College Baseball Daily presents Ugliest Baseball Helmet Ever? Indeed.

SEC Coaches Poll: Mizzou Baseball Dead Last

Embrace the Underdog

♦ Coaches Select Arkansas To Win SEC Baseball Crown (SECDigitalNetwork.com)
Points were compiled on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for each division. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion....

Eastern Division
1) Vanderbilt 89 (12)
2) Florida 67
3) Kentucky 59 (1)
South Carolina 59 (1)
5) Georgia 41
6) Tennessee 29
7) Missouri 23

Western Division
1) Arkansas 90 (12)
2) LSU 75 (1)
3) Mississippi State 59 (1)
4) Ole Miss 54
5) Texas A&M 51
6) Alabama 26
7) Auburn 24

HI NOTES: Super Recruits & The Outlier

FIRST PITCH

Don't forget: the annual First Pitch Celebration is this Saturday evening. It's worth checking out, if only to get a first live look at the new baseball uniforms. There's also a buffet, an intro to the team by Coach Jamieson, plenty of time to mingle and talk to players, former players, their families, the coaches, and fellow fans.

Oh, and some guy named Andy Benes is the featured speaker.

Details HERE

RECRUITING

♦ Prep Baseball Report talks about some Mizzou recruits in the coverage of the recent Super 60 showcase:

Jake Ring: Ring ran a 6.64 60 at the Super 60, and has been as low as 6.60 at a previous PBR event. More importantly, his speed translates in the field...Offensively, he has a lead-off hitter approach – simple, quiet, line-drive swing. He has extremely quick hands at the plate...

Jordan Getzelman: He creates loft and carry; couple that with high-level bat speed and natural strength, and you have the makings of a true power hitter at the next level....

Ryan Howard: He particularly impressed on his backhand deep in the hole. Offensively, continued to open eyes with a balanced and aggressive plate approach, highlighted by quiet swing mechanics and advanced bat speed...

PRESEASON SEASON

♦ Most everybody has beenpicking the Tigers to finish 6th in the SEC East, ahead of Tennessee.  But not Baseball America: 2013 Southeastern Conference Preview. Freshman Alec Rash is listed as one of ten Top Newcomers in the SEC this season, but apparently he'll be playing for the last place team.

Missouri and Texas A&M join the Southeastern Conference for baseball, and the Tigers decided to make the jump with junior-college players, penciling in four in their everyday lineup and another at closer. They are hoping 6-foot-5, 228-pound Sr. RHP Eric Anderson can bounce back from a pair of arm surgeries to contribute a veteran presence; he had shoulder surgery in 2010 that sidelined him for half of 2011, then had Tommy John surgery in May 2012...

♦ College Baseball Daily also comes out with their Conference Preview: SEC East, which slots Mizzou at the usual 6th in the East, but does it with a little more accurate and up-to-date information about the team than most of the national previews. Maybe because one of their stringers happens to be a Mizzou Student, who also works in the Athletic Department.

Ace Rob Zastryzny looks to be on the cusp of first-round draft status, and Eric Anderson has recovered nicely from Tommy John surgery in May. Logan Pearson and Keaton Steele are players to watch for offensively for the Tigers, as both newcomers have high upside and will get a shot to show what they’re made of...

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE


Ole Miss Baseball 2013 Promotional #2 from Ole Miss Rebels on Vimeo.

HI NOTES: SEC Underdogs, Poll-ish Sausage, Miami Vice

POLICE BLOTTER

Photo by Mike Licht flickr.com

♦ The big news coming out about the Tony Bosch list of PED customers isn't just about MLB players. This articles says a lot of the key figures had close ties to the University of Miami Baseball program: A Miami Clinic Supplies Drugs to Sports' Biggest Names (Miami New Times)

Indeed, there are two patterns to the names of athletes in Bosch's records: (1) Most have direct ties to Miami and often to the UM Hurricanes baseball program, and (2) a number have already been caught doping — which suggests that either Bosch isn't particularly gifted at crafting drugs that can beat performance tests or his clients aren't careful
...
At least one UM coach makes an appearance as well: Jimmy Goins, the strength and conditioning coach for the Hurricanes baseball team for the past nine seasons. Goins is recorded in multiple client lists; in one detailed page dated December 14, 2011, Bosch writes he's selling him Anavar, testosterone, and a Winstrol/B-12 mix and charging him $400 a month. Another, from this past December, includes sales of HGH and testosterone...

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

♦ Mizzou isn't the only SEC Baseball team with something to prove: Baseball out to prove critics wrong (Bama Online)

Alabama, which opens the season Feb. 15th when it hosts VMI, went 21-34 last season, 9-21 in league play and missed out on the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Hoover. It’s not one of the eight SEC teams to be ranked in the national preseason coaches’ poll that had Arkansas first, LSU third and South Carolina fifth.

“I think we’re capable of a lot, more than people are giving us credit for,” Moore said. “We have a lot of guys coming back who went through the crap. We don’t want to do that again, so we’re really motivated and we have a great freshmen class, with a couple of guys who are going to come in and help right away. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”...

PRE-SEASON SEASON

♦ Another day, another poll. The National College Baseball Writers Association has their say: Arkansas Tops 2013 Preseason NCBWA Poll (sportswriters.net)
Arkansas leads the Top 25, which includes 9 SEC teams not located in Missouri (plus Southern Mississippi, MU's opening weekend opponent).

♦ And no pres-season season would be complete without the poll of polls: Arkansas claims top spot in CBI Preseason Composite Poll (College Baseball Insider)

After tying for third place in the 2012 College World Series, Arkansas begins the 2013 campaign at No. 1 in the CollegeBaseballInsider.com Preseason Composite Poll.

In previous seasons, CBI has used four rankings in its composite poll: Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. This year CBI will add a fifth ranking to the composite poll, the Perfect Game poll.
. . .
The CBI Preseason Composite Poll contains seven teams from the SEC. There are five from the Pac-12, four from the ACC, two from the Big 12 and single entries from the Big East and West Coast Conference...

HI NOTES: Poll to Poll Coverage, Good Wood

PRE-SEASON SEASON

♦ Baseball America released their Pre-Season Top 25 today, which of course includes no mention of the flagship school in the state of Missouri among the 8 SEC teams on the list (plus Southern Mississippi, Mizzou's opening weekend opponent, at #23). But if you're interested in their "illuminating way" of ranking teams, check out 2013 Preseason College Top 25 Scouting Reports (Baseball America)

Baseball America OFP: 55. The Eagles spent last year breaking in their third-ranked recruiting class, and they went through their share of growing pains. But they should reap the rewards of that acclimation period this year. Southern Miss is a balanced club that should contend for the Conference USA title and could make a deep postseason run if it stays healthy and gets hot at the right time.

♦ Not to be outdone, USA Today released their 2013 College Baseball Coaches Poll, featuring SEC rival Arkansas at #1.

With seven other SEC teams — No. 3 LSU, No. 5 South Carolina, No. 8 Vanderbilt, No. 13 Florida, No. 15 Kentucky, No. 18 Mississippi State and No. 24 Texas A&M — in the preseason poll, Van Horn is anticipating a challenging season but feels his team is up to the task.

The USA Today poll is the one that always gives you a list of non-top-25 teams that also received votes.

Nope.

WORD ON THE TWEET

Doesn't get much prettier than this. #bigleaguewood #Kinsler lockerz.com/s/279138853

— Dan Pietroburgo (@CoachPietro) January 24, 2013

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

♦ ESPN talks about South Carolina baseball and other college baseball stuff in Chad Holbrook's latest chase (ESPN.com)

Holbrook says he doesn't feel any pressure to become what Tanner was, to live up to the 738 wins, the six trips to Omaha, the legendary status.

"I'm not Ray Tanner and I won't try to be Ray Tanner," Holbrook says. "I can't try to follow his success."

Sure, he won't try to.

But Chad Holbrook has always licked his lips at the thought of a chase. This is just the next one...

Mizzou Ranked #1 in Perfect Game Pre-Season Poll

♦ Preseason College Top 25 (Perfect Game)

OK, so maybe not.

There are 8 SEC teams on the list, with Arkansas coming in at #2, after #1 North Carolina.

College Baseball: Ballpark Expansion & Pre-Season List Season

♦ Perfect Game heralds the beginning of the Pre-Season List Season with their Preseason College All-Americans (perfectgame.org) The First Team includes no one on Mizzou's 2013 schedule, although a pair of Arkansas players are listed. The 2nd team includes 7 SEC players, plus Nick PEtree of Missouri State, who the Tigers will not likely face in their mid-week match-ups with the Bears.

♦ Take a look at this video Tour of Louisville’s Jim Patterson Stadium Expansion, showing what a decent college ballpark upgrade can look like without over-reaching.

HI NOTES: Top coaches, Minor moves

COLLEGE BASEBALL

♦ Baseball America has a list of the Top up-and-coming Coaches Under 40, plus a list of the Top Assistant Coaches.

It should come as no surprise, then, that gifted recruiting coordinators dominate our updated list of up-and-coming assistants. We asked current Division I head coaches to list three prospects among the ranks of current assistants, excluding their own staffs. Seventy coaches responded, and we list the top 10 vote-getters here. We also consulted more than a dozen scouts because they make their living observing amateur baseball and offer valuable perspective.

Coaches and scouts alike weighed in on our second, more informal poll: Who are the best current head coaches under 40? Most coaches in this category currently lead mid-major programs, but they constitute the next wave of marquee coaches in college baseball, along with the assistants on our first list...

MU IN THE MINORS

♦ Included in Baseball America's list of the latest Minor League Transactions:

Miami Marlins Signed: RHP Doug Mathis (Lotte (Japan))

SxSE: Where does Mizzou Baseball rank in the SEC?

Since MU's move to the SEC became official in July, we've been working our way through two series that look at this historic change from two sides of the same coin.

South by Southeast:  A Virtual Road Trip Through SEC Baseball took a look in detail at each of our new SEC rivals.

The SEC Fan's Guide to Mizzou Baseball has taken a detailed look at the new kid on the block, MU Baseball.

Both of those series finished up this past week, and now it's time to combine the two by taking a shot at answering the question on the mind of everyone.

Where does Mizzou Baseball rank in the SEC?

Much has been made of the superhuman feats of SEC Baseball and Mizzou's supposed role as the new 99 pound weakling in the neighborhood.

Mizzou Underdogs?

The facts simply do not support that story line.

The following rankings are based on the history posts for each team over the past several months, with my estimate of where each program stands.

1. South Carolina has become not only a College World Series program, but a College World Series finals program over the past few years.  Ray Tanner has developed this program to the point where a trip to the College World Series is expected annually, and the only surprise would be if they don't make it to the finals.  Trending steady.
   
   
2. Florida has clearly become a College World Series program, one that everyone expects to reach Omaha every year.  They are not yet a CWS Finals program, like South Carolina.  You have to wonder, though, whether they have the patience to stick with Kevin O'Sullivan if he keeps making it to Omaha without winning it all.  Trending steady.
   
   
3. Arkansas is currently a Super Regional baseball program. They have reached a level where most seasons they are expected to at least reach a Super Regional - and occasionally beyond.  They made it to Omaha in 2012, but will have to prove they can maintain that level of success.  Trending up.
   
   
4. LSU baseball is currently a Super Regional program.  They have the history and reputation to be expected to at least make it to a Super Regional each year.  Paul Mainieri's challenge, after a short tenure that has swung from twice failing to reach the NCAA Regionals all the way up to winning the national championship, is to make sure the program stays at that level or moves up to a perennial CWS program,  rather than falling back.  Trending steady.
   
   
5. Vanderbilt, after nearly a hundred years of futility on the diamond, has become a solid NCAA Regional program: They can be reasonably expected to go to a Regional each season, and could go beyond.  As long as they continue to keep Tim Corbin happy, he could move them up to the level of a perennial Super Regional program or better. Trending up.
   
   
6. Mississippi State has seen good success over the years.  They are currently an NCAA Regional program.  They can be expected to have a good shot at reaching the Regionals each year, and may go even farther.  But there have been enough seasons in the past decade when they did not get into the tournament at all that they still have something to prove in terms of being a highly  successful program.  Trending up.
   
   
7. Texas A&M is currently an NCAA Regional program.   The program has shown can be expected to at least reach the NCAA Regionals each year, possibly farther.  Their challenge is to maintain that level of success in the SEC, and improve upon it.  Trending steady.
   
   
8. Ole Miss is historically a good but underachieving program.  Currently I would rank them as an NCAA Regional program.  They can be expected to qualify for the Regionals nearly every year, but they can also be expected to usually not make it any farther.  Trending steady.
   
   
9. Georgia baseball has a history of frequent stretches of being highly competitive, with brief slumps mixed in.  All of that success has resulted in only 1 College World Series championship, though.  In the past decade, under Dave Perno, UGA has been an NCAA Regional team, one that is expected to reach the Regionals each year.  Well, actually they can be counted on to reach a Regional about every other year.  Trending uncertain.
   
   
10. Alabama has been an NCAA Regional program in recent years.  They can be expected to make the Regionals most years, but haven't proved themselves able to consistently move beyond.  They faltered badly in 2012, though, and unless they right the ship, they risk falling into being a Conference Tournament team at best.  Trending down.
    
    
11. Kentucky has yet to prove that they are a reliable NCAA Tournament program.  The 2012 season notwithstanding, they've been more of a hit-and-miss SEC Tournament program.  Based on their success this past season, I'll tag them as an  SEC Tournament program  and we'll all cross our fingers that Gary Henderson can build on 2012 and keep the momentum going.  Trending up.
    
    
12. Auburn was once a solid NCAA Regional team, expected to reach the Regionals most years, and occasionally made it farther. But now they would have to be considered an SEC Tournament program.  The next 2-3 will reveal whether they are in a short slump or on a downward slope.  Trending uncertain.
    
    
13. Tennessee, after a century of ups and downs and mostly squandered potential, have struggled with mediocrity over the past several years.  They would, at this point, not even be considered an NCAA Regional team, but an SEC Tournament team at best.  Hope is on the horizon, though, as the Vols have hired one of the top coaches in college baseball, Dave Serrano, who they hope can not just rebuild the program but take it to a level of consistent success Vols fans have never known.  Trending uncertain.

And where does Mizzou fit into that list?

In the past 10 years, from 2003 through 2012,  the Tigers have been to an NCAA Regional 8 of those years (7 consecutively, from 03-09).  They advanced to a Super Regional once.

Based on that record, Tim Jamieson's Missouri team could fairly be classified as an NCAA Tournament Team.  Like Texas A&M, though, the challenge and the question is whether the Tigers can maintain that level and improve upon it now that they're playing in the SEC.  But I'd say that at this point MU is Trending steady.

That would slot Mizzou around 7th or 8th, along with A&M and Ole Miss.  In the SEC East, that puts the Tigers 4th or 5th out of 7, acknowledging that Kentucky is riding a crest of talent right now, and Tennessee is making noise about moving up from the cellar.

10 Year Average W-L Records, 2003-2012

Even if you want to quibble with my rankings above (and I'm sure several will), raw numbers tell a similar story.  The following ranking of the SEC teams in order of their average wins over the past 10 years supports the idea that MU comes in at 8th in the SEC overall, 4th in the SEC East.

47-20, .701, South Carolina
45-23, .662, Florida
42-21, .667, LSU
41-22, .651, Arkansas
41-22, .651, Vanderbilt
40-24, .625, Ole Miss
40-21, .656, Texas A&M
35-25, .583, Missouri
35-26, .574, Alabama
34-26, .567, Mississippi State
34-26, .567, Tennessee
34-27, .557, Georgia
33-24, .579, Kentucky
32-26, .552, Auburn

The nay-sayers will say (or neigh) that MU's 10-year W-L record didn't include them having to play a full SEC schedule each year.

This goes to the whole question of just how superior the SEC is overall to the Big 12.

Take a look at BoydsWorld.com's listing of Conference ISRs over the past 10 seasons (I had to use SECBaseball.com's numbers for 2011, since Boyd's 2011 listing is missing):

2012: SEC 2nd, Big 12 6th
2011: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2010: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2009: SEC 2nd, Big 12 1st
2008: SEC 7th, Big 12 4th
2007: SEC 3rd, Big 12 2nd
2006: SEC 4th, Big 12 3rd
2005: SEC 3rd, Big 12 4th
2004: SEC 2nd, Big 12 4th
2003: SEC 5th, Big 12 2nd

The average ranking over the past 10 years:

3.2 SEC
3.4 Big 12

While the SEC has had the clear advantage in the past 3 years, the two conferences have been quite close over the past decade.

The truth will only be reconciled by playing the game, of course. Winning is what counts in the end.

The numbers clearly say that Mizzou is not likely to be among the SEC leaders quite yet. But they won't be left in the dust, either.

Collegiate Baseball Preseason Poll

The College Baseball Preseason has officially begun! Collegiate Baseball newspaper is always the first to come out with a preseason ranking of teams, always the week before Christmas. The 2013 Preseason Poll was released today. And SEC Baseball is well represented.

The University of Arkansas has been ranked No. 1 in Collegiate Baseball's Fabulous 40 NCAA Division I pre-season baseball poll...

Ten SEC teams are in the Top 40, including five in the top 10. Mizzou is NOT in the Top 40 listing, but are the 59th team in the listing, putting them ranked 14th among the 14 SEC schools.

EMBRACE THE UNDERDOG

Mizzou Baseball ranks high in recruiting and academics

♦ Baseball Recruiting Class Ranked 24th by Baseball America (mutigers.com)

As the Mizzou baseball team transitions to the SEC this season, it will be bolstered by a 2012 recruiting that ranks 24th nationally according to Aaron Fitt at BaseballAmerica.com. The Tigers ranked one spot ahead of defending NCAA National Champion Arizona, the same team that eliminated Mizzou from the NCAA Tournament last year. The class, put together by the Mizzou coaching staff includes 19 student-athletes.

Headlining the class is Baseball America's No. 72 overall recruit Alec Rash, a right-handed pitcher from Adel, Iowa. Rash was drafted in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies but elected to enroll at Mizzou rather than take a big payday from the Phillies, making him the highest-drafted player to enroll in school this year. Fitt said this of Rash: `Long and lean, Rash works downhill with a 91-95 mph fastball with heavy life at his best, and he flashes a wipeout power slider, but he's still learning to repeat his delivery and command his stuff consistently.'

Fitt goes on to describe the rest of the Tiger signing class as a group `gritty, heady ballplayers' that should help make an immediate impact for the Tigers during their first season as members of the SEC. Fitt singles out utility man Keeton Steele, a 29th-round selection by the Tampa Bay Days in the MLB Draft, as another headliner. A utility infielder and right-handed pitcher, Steele could help the Tigers in a variety of ways this season. Fitt was also very high on Hutchinson Community College product Jace James, a 5-11 righty that, according to Fitt, could earn a spot as a starter for the Tigers this season.

Fitt identifies Kendal Keeton, an infielder from Walters State Junior College, as a potential starter up the middle and was high on Middle Georgia Community College catcher Dylan Kelly. He also listed Ryan Phillips of Columbia's own Rock Bridge High School as a potential utility player for the Tigers in the infield or a `fearless' pitcher that `attacks the zone with an 85-87 fastball and a slider.'

Shane Segovia, a third baseman from Northeast Texas Community College, was identified by Fitt as someone who could figure into the mix at third base for the Tigers while he predicted that Logan Pearson from Crowder Community College could make a huge impact for the Tigers in the outfield. Fitt was also high on Peter Fairbanks of Webster Groves, Mo., as someone who `works downhill with an 89-91 fastball and promising slider.'

♦ Missouri Fares Very Well in New NCAA Academic Report (mutigers.com)

The University of Missouri has a graduation success rate (GSR) of 84% for all sports, as announced today by the NCAA, up from 81% a year ago. That rate ranks Mizzou third in the Southeastern Conference, behind only Vanderbilt (1st – 91%) and Alabama (2nd – 85%).

Missouri led the SEC in five different sports, including men’s golf (100%), women’s golf (100%), women’s swimming & diving (100%), tennis (100%), and wrestling (67%). Mizzou’s football team had a 73% rate, while the men’s basketball team came in at 67%, both of which ranked as fifth-best in the SEC. This is the sixth consecutive year that MU’s overall GSR rate has increased, and it also marks the third straight year in which Mizzou had at least four programs with a perfect GSR.

“We are very pleased with our numbers in the latest report,” said Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services Dr. Joe Scogin. “We take great pride in the academic experience we provide to our student-athletes at Mizzou. They are expected to perform at a very high level in the classroom, just as they are in their sport, and the numbers show that they are doing exactly that,” he said.

The overall GSR standings for SEC schools includes: 1. Vanderbilt (91%), 2. Alabama (85%), 3. Mizzou (84%), 4. Florida (82%), 5. Georgia (81%), 6. Mississippi State (80%), 6. LSU (80%), 8. Kentucky (79%), 9. South Carolina (78%), 10. Ole Miss (76%), 11. Texas A&M (74%), 12. Auburn (74%), 13. Tennessee (73%), 14. Arkansas (72%).

Specific GSR rates/SEC rankings for each of Mizzou’s sports include:

Baseball – 71% (6th)

HI NOTES: The Numbers Game, MU Past & Future

♦ Big 12:  Only the top 8 teams in the conference will qualify for the Big 12 Tournament.  Mizzou has clinched a spot in that tournament.  MU cannot finish 8th and will be either 6th or 7th.  Either 6th or 7th place will put them in the 2nd Division of the bracket (2nd vs. 7th; 3rd vs. 6th), which would mean they would not have any chance of playing #1 Baylor until a possible Championship Game.

Next weekend, MU can reach .500 in the conference with a sweep of KU.  Kansas will be playing to avoid dropping to 9th and being left out of the Big 12 Tournament.

Current standings, next weekend series and possibilities:

• #1 Baylor (18-3) 
• plays @ Texas; cannot finish lower than 1st
• #2 Texas A&M (13-8) 
• plays @ Oklahoma State; could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th
• #2 Oklahoma State (13-8)
•  plays Texas A&M; could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th
• #2 Texas (13-8) 
• plays Baylor; could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th
• #5 Oklahoma (13-10) 
• no more Big 12 games; could finish anywhere from 2nd to 5th
• #6 Missouri (9-12)
• plays @ Kansas; could finish 6th or 7th
• #7 Texas Tech (6-15)
• plays Kansas State; could finish 6th or 7th
• #8 Kansas (5-15)
• plays Missouri, could finish anywhere from 7th to 9th
• #9 Kansas State (5-16)
• plays @ Texas Tech; could finish 8th or 9th.

♦ Missouri's RPI is now .533, ranked 84th, according to BoydsWorld.com (KU is ranked 181st).

Missouri's only realistic hope of making it to the NCAA Regionals is to win the Big 12 Championship Tourney.

♦ Two more wins by the Tigers and Tim Jamieson will reach 600 career coaching wins. And he could reach that milestone in the Tigers' final Big 12 series against Kansas.


MU RECRUITS

♦ Mexico High School Baseball (Mexico Ledger)

University of Missouri recruit Hunter Haynes, a senior pitcher, is the only Mexico High School player on the all-NCMC baseball honor roll chosen by league coaches and released today.

♦ Rock Bridge's Ryan Phillips Hits the Right Note, On & Off the Field (KOMU BOTB VIDEO)

For Phillips, that next level is playing college baseball for the Missouri Tigers. He expects to play second or third base, with the possibility of picking up some relief pitching in the Tiger bullpen.

"It's something I was hoping for actually," Phillips said. "Not a lot of people get to do that."

Phillips will graduate from Rock Bridge as the school's single-season and all-time leader in hits and wins. But baseball is just one of his many talents. The talented athlete learned how to play acoustic guitar three years ago without taking a single lesson. He says he "just kind of learned it from playing."

"I just did what sounded right with certain chords. Started being inventive with different things," Phillips said.

MU IN THE MINORS

♦ Promoted from - Class A? (TidesStringer.com)

Because of injuries, extra-inning games, and roster rules, the Baltimore Orioles left the Tides shorthanded as the Tides moved on from Louisville to Indianapolis. So, the Tides had three new players in their lineup in Sunday’s game. Those three players — infielders Bobby Stevens and Ty Kelly, and pitcher Rick Zagone — were promoted not from AA Bowie, but from High-Class-A Frederick. Why would the Orioles promote players from High-A to AAA, instead of from AA?

There are several possible reasons. A couple of those reasons relate to the Bowie team itself. . .

HI NOTES: Tigers in the chase?

♦ Mizzou in the Current Big 12 Standings

The top 5 teams play each other over the final two weekends, and the bottom four play each other to finish our the season. Whoever made out theschedule has to be feeling good about himself.

#1 Baylor (18-0) has swept everyone so far, with Oklahoma and Texas left to play in the final two weekends

Tied for 2nd (13-8): Texas A&M, Oklahoma State & Texas. A&M and OSU play each other after a non-conference series next weekend; Texas plays Baylor after a non-conference series next weekend.

#5 Oklahoma (10-10) plays Baylor next weekend to finish out their conference schedule.

#6 Missouri (9-12) plays Memphis next weekend before finishing out their final Big 12 season against Kansas

#7 Texas Tech (6-15) has a finals-week layoff followed by a final series against Kansas State

#8 Kansas (4-13) plays Kansas State and then Missouri

#9 Kansas State (3-15) plays Kansas and then Texas Tech.

♦ Missouri is ranked 91st with an RPI of .532 according to BoydsWorld.com, which is exactly the same ranking the Tigers had going into the series. The Longhorns, however, dropped from 42nd to 50th. Mizzou is 86th in the BoydsWorld.com ISR rankings.

The official NCAA RPI rankings are usually updated sometime on Tuesday.

♦ Opinions and predictions:

• Missouri has clinched a berth in the Big 12 Tournament.  Even if MU were to be swept by Kansas and if last-place Kansas State were to sweep Kansas and Texas Tech, the Tigers would still win the tourney invite over KSU by virtue of having swept the Wildcats earlier in the season.
  
  
• I'm too lazy to figure out the precise statistics of what the highest or lowest seed Missouri is capable of in the Big 12 Tournament.  It would appear MU could statistically drop to the 8th seed, and they could rise no higher than the 5th seed.
  
  
• "The series victory over Texas moves Missouri to 25-22 overall and 9-12 in the Big 12 Conference and brings the team one step closer to its goal of winning its final three series. Jamieson said he felt the team would need about five more wins to reach the NCAA Tournament." (Columbia Missourian)
  
  
• MU is no longer listed on the BoydsWorld.com RPI Needs Report, which indicates he no longer considers Mizzou to have a statistical chance of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
  
  
• On the other hand, Boyd's RPI Needs Report only takes into account the remaining regular season games. If MU were to finish their final seven games strong and then ride momentum deep into the Big 12 Tournament, that could get them into "bubble" status for the final at-large slots in the bracket.
  
  
• This comment from College Baseball Today's Eric Sorenson tells you not only what he thinks about the Longhorns' chances (after Saturday's loss), but says even more about what he would think of the Tigers' chances:
  
  "Lost 5-4 to Missouri to fall to 27-17. Even though they are still a very positive 13-7 in the Big 12, the Longhorns entered the day with an RPI of No. 44, which is not a comfortable position to be in. A few more losses like today and the UT Orange could get Burnt by the selection committee.
  
  
• From Twitter:
• Blake Holovach: I don't think I'd be where I am today if I didn't have people tell me I couldn't
• Kyle Barbeck: Big time series win for us today against Texas. Thanks to all the people who stuck around
• Ryan Clubb: It's awesome having @mizzoudrumline @marchingmizzou play at our games. Place gets loud. We are 3-0 when they show up. #winkwink

Where MU stands, What MU needs

Aim High

♦ NCAA Division I Baseball -- RPI Needs Report (boydsworld.com)

This report lists the record each team would need for the rest of their schedule to finish higher than the team currently in the shown key RPI positions, those that correspond to the various seeding or at large thresholds, assuming that all other teams maintain their current winning percentage. It's highly speculative, since those RPI levels will move up or down, and the committee is highly unlikely to just take the top 8 in RPI for the national seeds, for example, but it can be useful as a rough guide. The report is updated daily around 8:30 AM CDT.

Mizzou is currently ranked 118th.  Mizzou's needs: 

• To reach the top 8, 16, or 32 RPI ranking:  Not statistically possible 

• To reach the Top 45: MU needs to go 18-1 through the rest of the season

♦ After 35 games, MU is 18-17 (.514); 3-9 in the Big 12.

Missouri is in a 4-way tie for last place in the conference, along with Texas Tech, Kansas, and Kansas State.  All three of those teams are on MU's upcoming schedule, as is #3 Texas (ranked #21 PG Top 50).

MU's remaining schedule also includes a pair of games against Missouri State (27-10, #30 RPI, ranked 37th PG Top 50), 2 against Arkansas (25-10, #9 RPI, ranked 16th), and three games with Memphis (16-20, 96th RPI, unranked)

In 2001, after 35 games, MU was 14-21 and 2-8 in the Big 12.  That team rallied to finish the regular season at 24-30 and 11-15 in the Big 12.  If the 2012 Tigers finish this season at the same pace they did last year, they would finish at 28-26.

HI NOTES: Bears, Predictions, Rankings

MIZZOUTUBE


♦ Now that's going all out to promote Mizzou Baseball:

♦ Updated and expanded version of a video posted earlier:

MU & COLLEGE BASEBALL

♦ Baseball America has come out with their first predictions of the field of 64 for the NCAA Regionals, which earns them a brownie point for waiting until the season is at the halfway point, rather than starting the predictions before the season even started, like many other college baseball sites do.

And yes, Missouri is listed, in a Purdue-hosted Regional in West Lafayette, IN.

1. Purdue
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Missouri

Missouri ranks 97th in the NCAA's official Ratings Percentage Index report, and Oklahoma is 93rd. Both teams have considerable work to do in order to boost their RPIs into at-large range, but we expect Missouri to have more success in that endeavor, partly because the Sooners still have three RPI-killing games on their schedule . . . Missouri has series remaining against Kansas State (also outside the top 100) and Kansas, but the Tigers also have home series against Baylor and Texas. Those games are paramount for Mizzou, but because they are at home, we'll give the Tigers the benefit of the doubt by awarding them one of the final at-large spots.

♦ BoydsWorld.com maintains a 2012 College Stats Leaderboard. Only two Tigers are on the list. Jake Walsh is tied for 7th with 8 saves and Blake Holovach is tied for 1st with a lot of other pitchers for fewest home runs given up: 0

♦ Weekend Wrap-Up (espn.com)

Best series: Missouri - Texas A&M

It must be some unwritten rule that the Tigers give the Aggies fits, because once again this series was a panic down to the final out just like last year's Big 12 tournament championship game. Saturday's 4-3 Missouri win was decided when A&M's Jace Statum was thrown out at home plate by Brannon Champagne. Sunday's rubber match saw Mizzou rally to tie it with five runs in the ninth inning, only to see the Aggies come back and win it on a Krey Bratsen RBI single, 7-6

Mizzou Baseball 2012 A-Z at the Halfway Mark

A week before the 2012 season began, I posted a season preview entitled Mizzou Baseball 2012 A-Z.  Now that the Tigers have played 27 of their 54 scheduled games, it's a good time to see how the season is progressing as compared to the pre-season prognostications.

Anderson

Eric Anderson was expected to be the Tigers' Friday night ace in 2012, but that plan hit a couple of speed bumps.  In his first three starts he pitched well enough, but not well enough to compensate for the slow start of the offense, and found himself quickly at 0-3.  Then in his 4th start he was removed in the 5th inning with arm troubles.  The MRI came up negative with any actual damage, so the plan is to let him rest.  For 10-14 days.  Or 30 days.  Or whatever it takes.

Big 12

Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma were the only Big 129 teams in any of the pre-season polls.  Everyone expected a down season from the Big129, and that prediction seems to be holding mostly true so far.  Texas started out really slow but is in several of the polls at this point just because they're Texas, I guess.  A&M is in everyone's top 10, and Baylor has come on strong in the past couple of weeks to sneak into the lower end of the polls.  Mizzou managed only 1 win against the Aggies this past weekend, but fought them tooth and nail,s threatening to upset them right down to the final out of each game.  The Tigers play Baylor at Simmons Field this week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).  If they can play with the same zeal and determination as they did this past weekend, the Bears are beatable.

Ben Turner
Missouri Baseball on Facebook

Catcher

Senior Ben Turner was expected to be the starting catcher, and that he has been, for most of the games so far in 2012.  Turner has been a tough and gutsy leader on the field, enduring backsinging bats to the helmet, full-on tackles at the plate, and other numerous aches and bruises.  But his leadership on the field continues to inspire the Tigers.   Patrick Quintanilla is the heir apparent, and made good use of his starts, both defensively and offensively.

Defense

In some ways Missouri  has been noticeably improved defensively in 2012.  On the other hand, there have been some notable problems.  Eric Garcia has made some amazing plays while also setting a pace to break the MU single season record for errors (29).  And there was a two-game defensive slump by the team that began with 4 errors in the final High Point game on 3/19 and gained steam in the Indiana State game with 6 errors on 3/21.  Not surprisingly, the Tigers lost those two games by a combined score of 28-8.

Edge

As predicted, the Tigers' EDGE in 2012 has been good pitching.  Even with Eric Anderson's injury, solid performances by starters and relievers have kept MU in the games, even when the offense has struggled to get going.  Take a look at Baseball Performance Through March (RockMNation.com):  "There's no Scherzer, Gibson, or Crow here, but developing a third option on par with the first two could give them the depth to grind out their share of series wins through the Big 12 season."

Myles Smith
njcaa.org

Gone

Ryan Gebhart is having a great year as the team leader at Florida Gulf Coast U,  Brian Carr  is having a good season both pitching and hitting with William Woods U, Jeff Lusardi and Garrison McLagan are having decent years with San Diego Christian College, Myles Smith is 7-1 with a 1.64 ERA at Miami Dade Community College.  

Home Stand

19 games in 27 days produced a 13-5 record, with one game cancelled.  That's an improvement on 2011's March home stand, which resulted in a 10-7 record (and 3 rain-outs).

Infield

Dillon Everett (2B), Eric Garcia (SS) and Conner Mach (3B) have become fixtures at their positions.  First base has been shared by Gavin Stark (15 starts), Andreas Plackis (5) and Landon Lucansky (5). Mike McGraw (1), and Ben Turner (1).  Stark has been struggling at the plate, so it remains to be seen who will be the go-to guy at first.

JuCo Transfers

LHP Blake Holovach has established himself as a dominant weekend starter.  His complete game shutout against High Point on St. Patrick's Day brought he Tigers' luck and some hope after the injury to Eric Anderson. His Saturday performance against Oklahoma State earned him the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week award.  And his incredible performance against A&M on Saturday got him a lot of attention.

Blake Holovach 

Jeff Cline and Kyle Harbeck have both seen mixed results in their mound appearances.

Mike McGraw and Gavin Stark have both seen playing time, but have struggled offensively.

Kauffman Stadium

The only Tiger at Kauffman Stadium is Aaron Crow, who made the big-league Royals' roster again, but his chances for a spot in the starting rotation were sidelined by an injury to Joakim Soria.

 Line-up

Blake Brown and Brannon Champagne have switched back and forth between the 1st and 2nd slots in the lineup; Conner Mach has been a fixture at #3; Dane Opel had settled into the cleanup spot until he began to struggle in the past week or so; 5-8 have been a constant re-mix between several different players; and Dillon Everett has nailed down the #9 slot in the batting order.

Microphones

Tex Little and Hunter Mense have perfected their Abbott and Costello routine in the broadcast booth, pestering one another with their personal eccentricities and the unique and semi-pertinent points they choose to emphasize (e.g., foul area size matters, statistical W-L performance per uniform style, etc.)

The new "voice of Taylor Stadium" is drive-time DJ turned PA Announcer James Abey.  Abey (aka Jim Shorts) struggled early on to raise his name-pronunciation batting average, but he has steadily lowered his opposing-batters-name-intro-clarity ERA by mixing in a variety of levels of boredom and apathy about their relative importance to the matter at hand.  All in all an entertaining change-up for the ballgame experience. 

NCAA Tournament

The words "NCAA Tournament" still leaves a bad taste for many Mizzou fans following the basketball season, but in regard to baseball, the Tigers had a better March home stand than in the past couple of years, which could help their RPI and record at the end of the season.  It the Tigers play the rest of the season like they did in College Station, that will increase their chances for an NCAA invite.  

Outfield

Allow me to quote myself from the pre-season preview:  "Dane Opel is the key. . .
if Opel can return to the level of offensive and defensive excellence he once showed, he can be the key to giving depth to the Tigers both offensively and defensively. " 

Mr. Opel has indeed been the key.  When he's productive at the plate, the Tiger offense is productive.  And when he's not, the whole lineup seems to suffer.  

Pitching Rotation

The weekend pitching rotation is still in flux, due to the sidelining of RHP Eric Anderson.  If EA makes a successful return to the mound, then the weekend staff will likely settle into some version of Anderson-Zastryzny-Holovach.  Rob Z and Holovach have been impressive and productive. 

If EA is not able to return to the weekend rotation, then someone is going to have to step up and show some consistency as a Sunday starter, whether that be Emens or Platts or Cline or Graves or someone else.

Questions

• Will the Tigers be able to mount an effective offense with an everyday lineup made up almost entirely of returning players who struggled offensively with the new BBCOR bats in 2011?
• Early in the season the answer seemed to be a resounding "NO!".  But following the disastrous San Francisco weekend, the bats have picked up.
• Will the pitching staff live up to the high expectations that are being set for them?
• Yes and no.  EA's injury has thrown a wrench into the expectations, and freshman starters Platts and Graves have yet to demonstrate consistency.  
• Will Tim Jamieson and Matt Hobbs be able to rely on their bullpen past the top 3 or 4 workhorses?
• The bullpen has been impressive.  Jake Walsh has stepped forward as a dominant closer, Jeff Emens is the reliable long relief man, and Dusty Ross, John Miles and Ryan Yuengel have been reliable.
• Will Dane Opel's junior year be the one where he plays up to the potential everyone has seen since he was in high school?
• Yes, most definitely.  If he can keep the slumps shortened, he will end up with a very good yar.
• Will Rob Zastryzny show more consistency and stamina deep into the 2012 season than he did in the 2011 campaign?
• Robby Z has been mostly steady and effective.  His longevity won't be answered until May is well under way.
• Will the Big 12-to-SEC transition be a distraction for the team?
• It doesn't appear to be a factor at all.  The rest of Mizzou seems to have moved on, but sports like Baseball and Softball are facing Big 12 opponents every weekend now, so thoughts of Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, et al, aren't even on the radar.
• Will MU be able to build a superior record on the road, in order to take advantage of the new weighted RPI formula?
• MU hasn't been on the road much yet.
• Will KU continue to suck?  
• Always.

Relief

Jake Walsh has shown the attitude and effectiveness to be the Tigers' closer.  When he comes out to the mound to the semi-sanitized sounds of Eminem's "Cinderella Man", Tiger fans grin wide with anticipation.  His last 2 or 3 outings have been less than perfect, but I doubt anyone expected perfection from the "Junkyard Dog". 

Walsh is not alone in the bullpen.  It's pleasant to not feel the need to cringe when the middle relievers (Emens, Ross, Miles, Yuengel) take the mound.

Senior Conner Mach
Missouri Baseball on Facebook

Seniors

Conner Mach is having a solid year, as is BenTurner.  Both are leaders on the field and off. Jeff Emens and Dusty Ross are steady leaders on the pitching staff.  And without Ryan Clubb, how would we know what to do during a rain delay?

TV

TV is what you watch when you get home from the ball game.

Underestimated

The Tigers are still unranked, but that's OK.  The only ranking that matters numbers 1 through 64 at the end of the regular season.  Mizzou broke in to the top 100 in the boydsworld.com RPI after their weekend series with Texas A&M.

Versus

• Auburn 2-1
• San Francisco 0-3
• Ball State 2-1
• Nebraska-Omaha 1-0
• Charlotte 3-0

• North Dakota 2-0 
• High Point 2-1 
• Indiana St 0-1
• Oklahoma State 2-1
• Central Arkansas 1-1
• Texas A&M 1-3

Weather

I have never sat through an entire week of ballgames at Simmons Field in the middle of March wearing no jacket or coat.  Until this year.  The weather has been incredible.  The Ball State series at the beginning of March was typical Taylor Stadium weather:  An average game-time temp of 42.  But for the remaining 13 games of the home stand, the average game-time temperature was 71.  And three games were in the 80s.

X marks your vote

Followers of SimmonsField.com expressed their opinions in the You Make the Call poll.  They think Mizzou can win the Big 12 (or at least be in the top half), and they overwhelmingly expect the Tigers to return to the NCAA tournament in 2012.  Time will tell.

Year of the Big 12 finale

Ho hum.   Let's get it over with already. 

Zastryzny

@Robbyball_Z has been thrust into the bright lights of Friday nights while Eric Anderson recovers from his arm problems.  He has been more effective than his Friday night record would indicate, holding his own against other teams' Friday aces.

HI NOTES: #47, #43, 1500, 5336

GREAT DANE

♦ Big 12 Player of the Week (big12sports.com)

Opel hit .500 (6-for-12) with four RBI, two home runs,12 total bases and a pair of runs as Mizzou won its season-opening series at Auburn over the weekend. The junior opened the series by posting two hits in four at-bats on Friday. He followed that performance by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and two home runs in a 6-4 win in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday. With the pair of home runs, he became the first Tiger since Eric Garcia to hit two long balls in a game (March 30, 2010). Opel also drove in four runs in the contest, scored twice and drew a walk, reaching base safely in four of his five plate appearances. He closed out his weekend with a base knock in MU's 5-4 win in game two.

POLLS & RANKINGS

♦ Mizzou is ranked 43rd in the Perfect Game Top 25

♦ Mizzou gets a mention in ESPN.com's Weekend Wrap-up/Rankings:

Biggest disappointment: State of Alabama

Not only did Alabama lose all three games at home to Florida Atlantic (more on that below), but future SEC member Missouri took two of three games at Auburn . . .

MIZZOUTUBE


♦ Tim Jamieson is on the Mizzou Network , talking about the Tigers' series win against Auburn.

• "We won 2 out of 3 at an SEC school and we played far from out best baseball, so there's room for improvement."
• "The University of San Francisco has a #1 pitcher who's going to be a first round pick in the draft."

BIG 129


♦ Whole new ballgame (Charleston Gazette)

On Monday, West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck visited Charleston, home to one of the nation's finest small baseball parks.

And he revealed he's working on getting one of those parks for WVU and Morgantown.

"We have a number of challenges [moving to the Big 12]," Luck told a rather large Rotary Club of Charleston gathering. "There are some very good sports in the Big 12 and one of the sports we have to massively upgrade is baseball.

"We've had a relatively modest record of success with our baseball program. I don't need to tell baseball fans how good Big 12 baseball is. We have to massively upgrade our baseball program and that includes our infrastructure."

♦ WVU wants to use tax increment plan for new baseball stadium (Charleston Daily Mail)

Hawley Field currently seats about 1,500 people. The field also does not have locker rooms and the visiting teams typically have to suit up at the hotel, Luck said. This is not the first impression Mountaineers are hoping to make on Big 12 baseball teams visiting the Mountain State for the first time, he said.

Therefore, the developer of the property is hoping to raise funds through the creation of both a sales tax increment financing district set up at the University Town Center complex and a property tax increment financing district, said Jason Donahue, owner of FEOH Reality.

SOUTHERN EXPOSURE

♦ Nine Innings:  Gators and Titans (sebaseball.rivals.com)

Folks, Friday evening the Florida fans did their baseball program proud. They drew 5,336 decked in blue and orange - and unlike other large crowds that were packed with fans from nearby opponents or football rivals, this was all Gators. While the crowds dwindled as the weekend continued, Florida drew a respectable three-day attendance of 14,389.

Fans in Columbia, Fayetteville, or Baton Rouge may scoff, but the number one ranked Gators finally had a crowd worthy of a top-ranked club.

There is a baseball buzz in Gainesville this Spring. Many long-time observers say they have not seen anything similar. Maybe it was last season's postseason run or all the preseason pub. Others deadpanned it was all the money the fans saved ignoring a football bowl trip.