COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball standout RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) was named a Preseason First Team All-American by PerfectGame.com, announced Monday (Jan. 9). Houck was one of five starting pitchers selected to the first team with three of the five SP honorees coming from the Southeastern Conference. The PerfectGame.com first team selection for Houck comes on the heels of a third-team preseason All-America honor from Collegiate Baseball News last month. Houck was also named the No. 8 MLB Draft prospect by Baseball America earlier this month.

Houck is coming off of a stellar sophomore season during which he posted a 2.99 ERA in 105.1 innings pitched, allowing just 82 hits while striking out a career-best 106 against only 27 walks. He went 5-6 in 15 starts and was twice named SEC Pitcher of the Week while garnering Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors following his start against Vanderbilt. He limited batters to just .209 hitting in 2016.

Houck, who owns a 13-11 career record and 3.23 career ERA, will anchor Mizzou’s pitching staff for first-year head coach Steve Bieser. In two years, Houck has limited batters to .220 hitting and owns a strikeout-walk ratio of 5.1 (197-39). He has thrown more than 100 innings in each of his first two seasons as a Tiger and is expected to be one of the first 10 players selected in next year’s Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft.

— Mizzou Athletics —