COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball will square off with Big East power Xavier next season at Mizzou Arena on Dec. 18, 2018, as announced by the programs on Thursday. The Tigers are scheduled to travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, in a return trip on Nov. 12, 2019.

The two schools will meet for the eighth and ninth teams in their program histories. Mizzou and Xavier faced each other three times in three seasons from 2014-16, including a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015 and most recently, an overtime thriller in the opening round of the 2016 Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

“We’re always searching for ways to put together a nonconference slate that challenges us and helps spread the Mizzou brand, and this series will do that,” head coach Cuonzo Martin said. “The matchups will give us an opportunity to compete, improve and grow as a group heading into Southeastern Conference play.”

Xavier leads the all-time series 5-2, but the Tigers are 1-1 against the Musketeers at Mizzou Arena. Four of the seven meetings in the all-time series have been decided by single digits, including the last two.

The 2018-19 matchup in Columbia, Mo., will feature a pair of teams who won at least 20 games and made the NCAA Tournament a season ago. The Musketeers earned a No. 1 seed while the Tigers secured a No. 8 seed.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball downed Indiana State, 8-7, Tuesday night at Taylor Stadium to cap a perfect midweek schedule at 12-0 on the year. It is the first time since the turn of the century that Mizzou has gone undefeated in midweek games. Mizzou improves to 32-21 on the year while Indiana State, an RPI top-100 team, falls to 26-22 on the year.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou hit into a double play in each of the first three innings and Indiana State grabbed a 1-0 lead after 3.0 innings. That all changed in the bottom of the fourth inning. Leading off the fourth, senior RF Trey Harris thought he walked on a 3-1 pitch, but instead the pitch was called a strike and he returned to the batter’s box. Two pitches later, he hit a game-tying solo homer, his 10^th of the season. That sparked a three-run Mizzou fourth that gave Mizzou the lead.

Indiana State loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning and scored on an RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou reliever Cameron Dulle then came into the game and induced a 5-3 double play to help Mizzou escape the jam. Mizzou then scored two in the sixth and one in the seventh and it needed every one as Indiana State plated five runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game.

It stayed that way until Brian Sharp trotted home on an eighth-inning wild pitch. Reliever Jordan Gubelman then pitched a perfect ninth to earn his first Division I save.

TOP TIGERS

• Junior P/DH Brian Sharp extended his on-base streak to 13 games with his eighth double of the season. He tallied his 17^th multi-hit game of the season Tuesday, most on the team and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Sharp also started the game on the mound and went 4.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits with a strikeout.
• Senior 2B Matt Berler turned in his seventh multi-hit game of the season Tuesday. It was his first three-hit game of the year.
• Senior RF Trey Harris hit his 10^th homer of the year in the fourth inning. He is the first Mizzou player with back-to-back seasons of 10+ homers since Jacob Priday in 2007-2008. He added a double in the seventh inning.
• Junior C Isaiah Cullum tallied an RBI single in the fourth inning.
• Senior RHP Andy Toelken earned his sixth win of the season after getting the final out of the top of the eighth inning.

NOTES

• Mizzou completed a perfect 12-0 midweek schedule and finishes its nonconference schedule with a 22-3 mark. Mizzou is perfect in the midweek for the first time since the turn of the century. Mizzou’s previous best mark in midweek games this century was 11-1 in 2001.
• Mizzou is now 29-2 at home against nonconference opponents under second-year head coach and undefeated this season, including a 15-0 mark this season.
• Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Indiana State, 13-6.
• Mizzou earned another win over an RPI top-100 team Tuesday as Indiana State ranked No. 80 in this week’s rankings. Mizzou has 17 RPI top-100 wins this season and 14 vs. the RPI top-50, seventh-most nationally.
• Mizzou improves to 7-0 on Tuesdays this season.
• Senior 3B Alex Samples hit his first Division I triple in the bottom of the fourth inning.
• Senior RF Trey Harris hit his 10^th homer of the year in the fourth inning. He is the first Mizzou player with back-to-back seasons of 10+ homers since Jacob Priday in 2007-2008.

UP NEXT

Mizzou hosts Tennessee in its final regular season series of the season this Thursday-Saturday at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou must win two of three over the Vols to qualify for next week’s SEC Tournament.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, as announced Monday. The committee, which features approximately 12 voting members and four nonvoting members, is comprised of coaches and administrators from across the nation.

“I’m honored to represent both the University of Missouri and the Southeastern Conference on the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee,” Martin said. “It’s an important time for our sport after the hard work and recommendations put forth by the Commission on College Basketball. I’m looking forward to helping improve our game and working diligently to put young men in the best situations for success on and off the court.”

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will ensure that appropriate oversight of men’s basketball is maintained, will enhance the development and public perception of the sport and make recommendations related to regular-season and postseason men’s basketball. The committee will prioritize enhancement of the student-athlete educational experience (academically and athletically), and in doing so, promote student-athletes’ personal growth and leadership development.

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will supervise qualifications and/or selection procedures for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The committee will review recommendations from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and process other issues related to the administration of the championship. The committee will assume many of the duties of the former NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee and will provide direction to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Rules Committee regarding playing rules. The committee will be comprised of representatives from each divisional subgroup.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball was named to its 12th-straight NCAA Regional, announced Sunday (May 13) by the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee. The Tigers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 12 years, beginning with their 2007 campaign.

Sunday evening’s selection show placed Mizzou in the Norman Regional as the No. 2 seed. Joining the Tigers in Norman, Oklahoma, will be host and No. 4 national seed Oklahoma, No. 3 seed Tulsa and No. 4 seed Boston.

Mizzou will meet Tulsa in its opening matchup Friday, May 18 inside Marita Hynes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou junior lefty Tyler LaPlante turned in 8.0 shutout innings but South Carolina’s Carlos Cortes hit a walk-off solo homer on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Gamecocks claimed a 1-0 win Sunday at Founder’s Park. The walk-off win for the Gamecocks clinched the weekend series as Mizzou falls to 31-20 and 10-17 in SEC play.

LaPlante struck out a career-high eight and allowed just the one run on five hits with only one walk in a tough-luck loss as he falls to 4-3 on the year. Carolina’s Eddie Demaruis earned the win, improving to 5-0 after throwing the final 2.0 innings.

Mizzou had its chances in the game, stranding seven runners. The Tigers also lost a run at the plate in the first inning.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou had a chance to take an early 1-0 lead, getting a pair of men on in the first inning. Five-hole hitter senior 3B Alex Samples roped a single into right field, but a strong throw from Gamecock RF Cortes gunned a sprinting Brian Sharp at the plate for the third out in the inning. Both LaPlante and Carolina starter Cody Morris then engaged in a pitcher’s duel until, each pitcher throwing up zero after zero.

The stalemate was finally broken in the bottom of the ninth as Cortes roped a solo homer to right field on the first pitch of the frame.

TOP TIGERS

• Junior 1B Brian Sharp walked to lead off the game. He has reached base safely in 12 straight contests this season. He added an eighth-inning single as he hit safely in all three games over the weekend.
• Junior lefty Tyler LaPlante was tremendous in his ninth start of the season Sunday. He tossed 8.0 innings, allowing just five hits with a walk while matching his career-high with eight strikeouts. He threw more than 100 pitches for the second time in a Mizzou uniform. He threw a career-high 113 pitches on a 95-degree day.

NOTES

• Mizzou now trails the all-time series with South Carolina, 13-7.
• Mizzou falls to 3-5 on Sundays
• Mizzou falls to 18-18 in three-game series this season and 2-4 in SEC rubber games.

UP NEXT

Mizzou opens its finale homestand of the season Tuesday with a 6 p.m. start vs. Indiana State

— MWSU Athletics —

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou Baseball scored five runs over the fifth and sixth innings as it rallied to defeat South Carolina, 5-3, Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Carolina’s Founders Park and Mizzou’s 14^th over an RPI top-50 team this season. The Tigers snap a three-game skid and improve to 31-18 and 10-15 in SEC play.

Mizzou senior reliever RHP Andy Toelken earned the win, his fifth of the season. He entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning as Mizzou was clinging to a 3-1 lead. He struck out the first batter he faced and wound up pitching 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Junior RHP Nile Ball earned his sixth save of the season.

South Carolina starter Logan Chapman took the loss as he falls to 3-1 on the year. The Gamecocks fall to 28-21 on the year and 13-12 in league games.

TURNING POINT

It was a typical Friday night SEC pitcher’s duel for the first South Carolina took advantage of a two-out RBI single by L.T. Tolbert as he dropped a 0-2 pitch into left center to score Jonah Bride from second base. Bride hit a one-out double earlier in the frame, also on a 0-2 pitch. Mizzou starter LHP T.J. Sikkema limited the damage by stranding a pair, but Carolina took the lead after that frame.

Mizzou countered in the next half inning as the bottom of the order got a rally going. Connor Brumfield walked to open the frame and Alex Samples singled. After a sacrifice bunt from nine-hole man Chris Cornelius, leadoff man Brian Sharp roped a two-run single on the first pitch thrown by reliever Eddie Demurias to put Mizzou on top, 2-1. Brett Bond added another RBI single as Mizzou took a 3-1 lead at the midway point.

South Carolina countered by getting the first two men on aboard vs. Sikkema in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Mizzou starter then struck out two-hole man Carlos Cortes and three-hole hitter Madison Stokes. He walked the bases loaded and head coach Steve Bieser went to the bullpen for senior RHP Andy Toelken. He struck out Justin Row on the 10^th pitch of the at-bat to strand the bases loaded.

Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius hit a two-run single in the next inning as Mizzou pulled away.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

Opening Statement…

“Well played game on both sides. Very competitive. Just like we thought on Friday night. A couple guys battling, the whole teams battling back and forth. Just really proud of the way our team kept the confidence and kept battling. They did an outstanding job of competing all game long.”

TOP TIGERS

• Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.
• Junior 1B Brian Sharp tallied two RBI and a run while extending his reached base streak to 10 games. He is hitting 19-for-38 with 14 runs and 11 RBI over his last nine games. He posted his team-leading 15^th multi-hit game of the season Friday, going 2-for-4 with a walk, one run and two RBIs.
• Senior 3B Alex Samples posted his 11^th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-2 from the eight hole while scoring a run.
• Sophomore CF Connor Brumfield scored a pair of runs, walking twice in the game.
• Senior Matt Berler extended his hitting streak to four games with a single in the seventh inning. He also walked and scored a run Friday.
• Mizzou senior RHP Andy Toelken

NOTES

• Mizzou cut South Carolina’s lead in the all-time series 11-7 with the win. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Founder’s Park.
• Mizzou improves to 10-9 in road games and handed South Carolina just its fourth home loss during SEC play (9-4 on the year).
• Mizzou improves to 14-13 against teams ranked in the RPI top-50. The 27 games played against RPI top-50 this season are the fifth-most games nationally.
• With a first pitch temperature of 93 degrees, it was Mizzou’s warmest game since 2012 NCAA Tucson Regional against Louisville.
• With a walk in the second inning, senior 2B Matt Berler has now reached base safely in four straight contests.
• Junior 1B Brian Sharp extended his reached base streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
• Mizzou played its 27^th errorless game of the season Friday.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and South Carolina will play game two of the series Saturday at 3 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Game matchups and start times for the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam were released Thursday, the tournament announced. The 19th annual Paradise Jam will be held Nov. 16-19 at the University of the Virgin Islands’ Sports and Fitness Center in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. All games for the upcoming Paradise Jam will stream online at FloHoops.com.

Mizzou will face off with Kennesaw State in the opening round on Friday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. CT. The winner faces either Oregon State or Old Dominion in the semifinals on Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. CT. The other side of the bracket features Kansas State, Eastern Kentucky, Northern Iowa and Penn.

Losing teams will compete in their second game on Saturday, Nov. 17. Winning teams will have a one-day respite, before facing off in the semifinals, Sunday, Nov. 18. All teams will return to action Monday, Nov. 19 for the final round with the championship game slated for a 6:30 p.m. CT tipoff.

Tournament directors are in the process of evaluating the feasibility of offering official fan travel packages for the 2018 Paradise Jam. More information will be made available in the future. For more information about the 2018 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, please visit www.paradisejam.com.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball lost its series finale to No. 20 Georgia, 7-1, Saturday afternoon (May 5) at Taylor Stadium. The Tigers fall to 30-18 with the loss and 9-15 in SEC play. Senior utility man Matt Berler had a hit and an RBI Saturday and junior lefty Tyler LaPlante allowed just one earned run over 6.0 relief innings, setting a Division I career-high with eight strikeouts.

Mizzou RS junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca took the loss, allowing five runs over 2.0+ innings, walking four and scattering four hits. He struck out one and fell to 6-4 with the loss.

TURNING POINT

Georgia manufactured single runs in both the first and second innings, taking advantage of walks in each frame to plate runs. However, the game was put out of reach in the top of the third inning as UGA 1B Adam Sasser hit his fourth homer of the series, a three-run shot to right field, extending Georgia’s lead to 5-0. Mizzou did not tally its first hit until an Alex Samples single in the fourth as the offense struggled to get anything going.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

On Georgia getting to Mizzou starter Bryce Montes De Oca early…

“The biggest thing I saw was that he just didn’t have a put-away pitch. When guys got to two strikes, he couldn’t put them away. He could jump ahead and just couldn’t finish the guys. There just wasn’t much there for him to work with. We were hoping he could go 3.0 innings for us and then go to the bullpen from there and divide the game up that way. You expect after he works out of the first couple innings, which weren’t very good, I was hoping for a better fate in the third inning, and we just got caught too long with him. Big blow there and that took the wind out of our sails.”

TOP TIGERS

• Junior lefty Tyler LaPlante struck out a career-high eight, allowing just one earned run on six hits without a walk over 6.0 relief innings.
• Senior Matt Berler had an RBI single in the sixth inning.
• Senior RHP Andy Toelken pitched a shutout ninth inning.

UP NEXT

Mizzou will be off during the midweek before heading back on the road for the final SEC away series of the season at red-hot South Carolina next weekend.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball dropped game two of its weekend series with No. 20 Georgia, 5-3, Friday night (May 4) at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou battled back from down 3-0 to tie the game at 3-3 but missed a chance to take the lead in the sixth inning, failing to score after putting runners on the corners with no outs. That proved costly as Georgia DH Michael Curry hit a go-ahead, two-out solo homer in the top of the eighth inning to seal the win for Georgia.

Mizzou junior RHP Nile Ball took the loss, surrendering the two-out blast to Curry on the first pitch of the at-bat. He falls to 1-1 on the season. Georgia’s Emerson Hancock earned the win after going 7.0 innings and allowing just three runs (two earned) on three hits with seven strikeouts.

Mizzou falls to 30-17 and 9-14 in SEC play while Georgia improves to 33-14 and 15-9 in league play.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou had a chance to break the tie in a 3-3 game during the top of the sixth inning, putting runners on the corners with no one out. After a sacrifice bunt, senior C Brett Bond struck out looking and RF Tony Ortiz flew out to center to strand a pair. That proved huge as Georgia took the lead in the top of the eighth inning, getting a two-out solo homer from Michael Curry off Mizzou reliever Nile Ball.

After Mizzou had a chance to tie the game in the eighth, stranding a pair, Georgia added an unearned run for some insurance in the top of the ninth inning. That put the game away as Georgia added an insurance run in the ninth.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

Opening Statement…

“I think a lot of people feel the pressure of where we’re at right now. There’s a lot riding on this series, there’s a lot in front of us and there is still a lot in front of us. What we can’t do is panic at this time. We understand that we’re playing with a short deck right now. There’s very little moves with the guys that are injured right now.  Cade going down, we basically only have two outfielders on our roster right now. We’ve got to find a way to put a lineup out there and the good thing is we have some versatile guys, but we don’t have a lot of guys who are experienced playing in the outfield or hitting in the middle of the lineup. When you hit in the middle of the lineup, it’s a tough go. You’re going to get pitched different by hitting in the middle of the lineup and we’ve got guys who are just being thrown into the fire right now at a crucial time of the year.”

TOP TIGERS

• Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius hit his first homer of the year in the third inning, a two-run shot to center field that cut the lead to 3-2. It was his first since May 23, 2017, against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
• Junior LHP Michael Plassmeyer was good in a no-decision, going 6.0 innings and allowing just three runs (two earned) on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
• Junior 1B Brian Sharp extended his hitting streak to eight games, matching his longest this season. He added a double in the eighth inning, giving him 14 multi-hit games this season, tied for the second-most on the team this season.  Over his last seven games, Sharp is hitting 17-for-31 with 13 runs, nine RBI and three homers.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and Georgia will play the series finale Saturday at 2 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Despite jumping out to a 4-3 lead after three innings, Mizzou Baseball dropped its series opener against No. 20 Georgia, 10-6, Thursday night at Taylor Stadium. Junior Brian Sharphomered to lead off the game, his sixth of the season and third in the last six games, as he continued his hot play as of late, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia got its bats going from the fifth inning on, outscoring Mizzou 7-2 in that span.

UGA 1B Adam Sasser hit three homers, including a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning off Mizzou starter T.J. Sikkema, who took the loss, falling to 3-5 on the year. He surrendered eight runs on 11 hits over 4.0+ innings of work.

Georgia starter Chase Adkins earned the win, his fifth of the year. He went 6.0 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits.

The night featured a scary moment as Mizzou freshman RF Cade Bormet slid head first into the wall in right field while chasing a foul ball. He was carted off the field by the medial staff and taken to University Hospital where he is in stable condition. Bormet will be kept overnight for more tests and evaluation and has some bumps and bruises, but he is going to be okay.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou grabbed a 4-3 lead with a three-run third inning, thanks to RBI singles from Brian Sharp, Trey Harris and Tony Ortiz. Sikkema pitched out of a runners-on-the-corners, no-out spot in the fourth inning, but after he put himself in the same situation in the fifth, Georgia made him pay. After an RBI single by Michael Curry, 1B Adam Sasser hit a go-ahead grand slam, putting the Dawgs on top, 8-4.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

On regrouping the team after Bormet’s injury in right field…

“I think it really is tough get back focused after something like that. I don’t want to make any excuses for our team, but I know that some guys were shaken based on the fact that it was a serious incident. Some guys took it pretty tough – T.J. was probably one of those guys.”

TOP TIGERS

• Junior 2B Brian Sharp continued his hot play, going 2-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and his sixth homer of the year. Over his last six games, Sharp is hitting 15-for-27 with 13 runs, nine RBI and three homers.
• Junior 1B Tony Ortiz tallied his second multi-hit game of the season and tallied a go-ahead RBI. He has RBIs in three straight games.
• Junior LF Zach Hanna hit his sixth homer of the year and has homered in back-to-back games.
• Freshman RHP Cameron Pferrer was good over 1.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. He inherited a bases-loaded jam and pitched out of it as well.
• RHP Cameron Dulle tossed a shutout eighth inning, his second consecutive shutout inning after doing the same at Iowa.
• Senior Trey Harris had an RBI single in the third inning and not has 12 RBI in his career against Georgia.

NOTES

• Despite the loss, Mizzou still leads the all-time series with Georgia, 9-7.
• Mizzou falls to 1-1 on Thursdays.
• Mizzou falls to 17-15 in three-game series this season.
• Mizzou falls to 19-5 at home this season.
• With Brian Sharp’s homer to open the game, Mizzou got its first leadoff homer since Trey Harris on March 30, 2018, at Auburn off Casey Mize.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and Georgia will play game two of the series Friday at 6:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —