HOOVER, Ala. – South Carolina hit four homers as it eliminated Mizzou Baseball from the SEC Tournament with a 10-2 win Thursday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. With Mizzou trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning, junior Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) just missed a game-tying homer off the top of the wall for an RBI double. South Carolina’s Carlos Cortes then hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to sink the Tigers. Mizzou sits at 36-23 on the year, winning its most games since 2008, and will now await its NCAA Tournament fate. The selection show is Monday (May 29) at 11 a.m.

Mizzou junior RHP Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) took the loss, pitching on short rest. He allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. He surrendered three homers, including the Cortes shot that put the game away. South Carolina’s Will Crowe earned the win, improving to 6-5 on the year. Cortes was the story for the Gamecocks, hitting a pair of three-run homers in the game.

After Mizzou failed to take advantage of a two-base error in the bottom of the first, Carolina drew first blood, getting a solo shot from DH Alex Destino on a 3-2 pitch that went over the home bullpen in right field. It was Destino’s 10th homer of the year. The Tigers then botched a double-play ball with one out, putting runners on second and third after the error. That led to an RBI infield single to give the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead early.

After Crowe retired the first two batters in the third inning, Mizzou mounted a rally that was sparked by a Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) walk. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) singled and Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) walked to load the bases for Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.). Crowe got Bond to go 0-2 and then struck him out two pitches later to strand the bases loaded.

South Carolina carried the momentum from escaping that jam into the fourth inning as Jonah Bride hit a one-out solo homer to give the Gamecocks a 3-0 lead.

Mizzou got on the board and nearly tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as Samples hit a 1-2 pitch off the top of the wall in left field, missing a game-tying three-run homer by inches. It turned out to be an RBI double as Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) scored from third on the play. Brumfield then struck out to strand a pair as Mizzou left six men on base through six.

Cortes then delivered the big blow, a three-run homer to right field, putting the Gamecocks on top, 6-1. That turned out to be the decisive homer as South Carolina hung four more runs in the sixth as it advanced to the next round to face either Kentucky or LSU in an elimination game. Junior Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) hit a ninth-inning pinch-hit homer for the second consecutive game.

— Mizzou Athletics —

HOOVER, Ala. – Mizzou Baseball dropped its second-round SEC Tournament game with No. 2 LSU, 10-3, Wednesday evening at Hoover Met Stadium. Mizzou jumped ahead on a Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) solo homer in the second inning, but LSU took a 4-1 lead with a four-run third inning and never looked back. The loss snaps a seven-game win streak for the Tigers as they fall to 36-22 on the year.

Mizzou will now play an elimination game against South Carolina Thursday at a time to be determined, but it will likely be around 1:30 p.m. Mizzou freshman LHP T.J Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) was charged with the loss after tossing 4.1 innings on short rest, just five days after throwing a complete game shutout at Tennessee. He allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits.

Mizzou drew first blood in the top of the second as Misner hit Mizzou’s fourth homer of the tournament, a solo shot that was a no-doubter to right field. It was his seventh homer of the year. His seven homers are the most by a Mizzou true freshman since 2007.

Sikkema allowed a leadoff single in the second, but picked up a pair of strikeouts and a 5-3 putout to escape the jam. LSU then got to Sikkema in the third inning, hanging four runs on four hits with a walk. The fourth run scored on a two-out pop-up that Mizzou couldn’t haul in.

LSU added another run in the fifth before a one-hour, 22-minute rain delay suspended play with runners on the corners and one out. LSU tacked on another run after the break on an RBI groundout and took a 6-1 lead into the sixth inning.

Mizzou had a chance to get back into the game in the seventh, getting two men aboard with one out, but a pair of groundouts got LSU out of the jam. Mizzou got a run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single by junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) to cut the lead to 6-2. LSU then broke the game open in the bottom of the eighth inning with four runs.

Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) hit a pinch-hit solo homer in the ninth, his third of the year to cut the lead to 10-3. It was Mizzou’s second pinch-hit homer this season.

— Mizzou Athletics —

HOOVER, Ala. – Mizzou junior INF Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) hit a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the fourth inning as he helped Mizzou Baseball topple Texas A&M, 12-7, in the SEC Tournament opener for both teams Tuesday afternoon at Hoover Met Stadium. Mizzou got homers from three different players and scored in six of the first seven innings with multiple runs in three. The win advances Mizzou to the second round of the tournament for just the second time as it will play LSU Wednesday at approximately 4:30 p.m.

The win moves Mizzou to 36-21 on the year, the most wins for a Mizzou team since 2008 (39). Most importantly, it was another RPI top-50 win for Mizzou as it continues to make a push towards an NCAA Regional berth. Junior 1B Matt Berler (Hoover, Ala.) hit a two-run, game-tying homer in his hometown and Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) also homered as Mizzou scored its most runs ever in the SEC Tournament and its most runs in a conference tournament game since 2012 when it run-ruled Kansas, 13-2.

Mizzou sent seven men to the plate in the first inning and scored a pair of runs, one on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch for DH Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) and another on an RBI groundout to first by freshman LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.).

Mizzou starter Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) came to the mound and SEC Freshman of the Year Braden Shewmake blooped an RBI single into center to cut Mizzou’s lead to 2-1. That was just the beginning as the Aggies hung four runs on three hits, taking advantage of a walk and a hit batter as well. The big hit was two-out, two-run single into left by LF Cam Blake to break the 2-2 tie.

Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) led off the second inning with a walk, forcing the Aggies to the bullpen in favor Kaylor Chafin. Berler, a Hoover native, then launched a 0-1 pitch over the wall in left center for his second homer of the year, tying the game at 2-2. Both of his homers have come in the last four games and have either tied the game or given Mizzou the lead.

Mizzou put two men on in the third inning, but lacked the clutch hit to bring in the go-ahead run. Houck again ran into trouble in the third, hitting the leadoff man and allowing a single to Blake Kopetsky to put two men on with no outs. Both those runs came in on a base hit by Blake and a sacrifice bunt by SS Austin Homan to put the Aggies up, 6-4.

Berler was again part of a run-scoring inning in the fourth, drawing a leadoff walk. Mizzou loaded the bases with no outs for Glendinning. He worked a 3-1 count and went the opposite way for a grand slam to give Mizzou the lead back at 8-6. It was the first grand slam in the SEC Tournament since 2011 and Mizzou’s second in four games. It was Glendinning’s seventh homer of the year.

After Houck worked a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, Cornelius hit a solo homer, his second of the year, to give Mizzou a 9-6 lead. The Tigers added another run on an error with two outs to take a 10-6 lead.

Texas A&M got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout to second base, but that was all despite loading the bases with one out. Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) relieved Houck after 4.1 and inherited a runners-on-the-corner jam with just one run.

Mizzou tacked on another run on a Harris RBI single following a Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) double in the top of the sixth inning. After Toelken retired the first two batters in the bottom of the sixth inning, Shewmake hit a double and then rain and lightning delayed the game for one hour and 47 minutes. Toelken retired the first batter following the break to send the game through the sixth.

Glendinning drove in his fifth run of the game in the top of the seventh inning, an RBI single up the middle, as he reset his career-high in RBI. Toelken was masterful after the rain delay as he shut the game down and secured the win for Mizzou.

— Mizzou Athletics —

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou Baseball LHP T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) earned a spot on the 2017 All-Freshman SEC Team, announced Monday by the league office. Sikkema earned a spot as a relief pitcher and is Mizzou’s first Freshman Team selection since Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) and Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) earned a spot in 2015.

Sikkema was arguably one of the top relievers in the SEC before switching to a starting role over the last two weeks, a role in which he has been equally as impressive. Sikkema leads the SEC in opponent batting (.169), hits per nine innings (5.28) and WHIP (0.80) while ranking fourth in ERA (2.28) and wins (eight). His eight wins are the most for a Mizzou true freshman since Houck won eight during his freshman campaign in 2015. He has also posted four saves and has made 21 appearances (two starts) while amassing 75.0 innings.

Since he moved to the starting rotation, he has been even better and is coming off a complete game shutout in which he struck out seven while walking none and scattering just five hits last Thursday at Tennessee. He has just one loss on the year in 21 appearances. He also earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors Monday.

Mizzou opens the SEC Tournament on Tuesday, May 23, at approximately 1 p.m. against seventh-seeded Texas A&M.

— Mizzou Athletics —

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Baseball completed a sweep of Tennessee with a 8-2 win Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium to finish the regular season at 35-21, the most wins for Mizzou since 2009 and the most regular season wins since 2008. With the game tied 2-2, Mizzou scored four runs in the sixth inning to break the game open and secure its second SEC sweep of 2017.

Mizzou closes the regular season by winning the final six games, including the final two SEC series over South Carolina and at Tennessee. Mizzou has won seven of the last 10 games and finishes the regular season with nine RPI top-50 wins and 13 top-100 wins. That sets up a situation where the Tigers can play themselves into the NCAA Tournament at next week’s SEC Tournament. Mizzou will play an opponent at a time yet to be determined. Mizzou will be either the No. 9 or No. 10 seed at the tournament.

Junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) earned the win Saturday to improve to 4-5 on the year. He tossed 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts and two walks. Mizzou broke open a 2-2 game with four runs in the sixth inning and another in the seventh. The Tigers finish the season going 10-5 on the road in SEC play.

After holding the Vols off the board in the first two games while boasting a 21.0-inning team shutout streak, Mizzou finally allowed Tennessee to get on the board in the first inning. Senior 2B Jeff Moberg hit a leadoff homer on a 2-2 fastball from Montes De Oca and then tacked on another on a sacrifice fly, taking a 2-0 lead after the opening frame.

Mizzou got those two runs back in the top of the second inning as the Tigers loaded the bases after singles from Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) and Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) and a walk by Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas). A sacrifice fly by Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) and an RBI groundout from Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) tied the game at 2-2. Mizzou nearly went ahead as nine-hole hitter Matt Berler (Hoover, Ala.) roped a ball up the middle, but Tennessee SS Max Bartlett made a great play moving to his left to save a hit and a run.

Both pitchers settled in from there as Montes De Oca retired 10 straight until a one-out single in the bottom of the fourth. He pitched around that but again ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning as he allowed a leadoff double. A bunt moved the go-ahead run to third, but the big Tiger right-hander got a pair of strikeouts to strand the go-ahead run 90 feet away.

That gave the momentum back to Mizzou as it loaded the bases with no outs in the very next frame. McGuire then dumped a 1-2 pitch into left field for an RBI single and his second go-ahead hit of the series. Mizzou then got an RBI single from Cornelius and a big two-run single by Thursday night’s hero Berler.

Mizzou tacked on another run on an RBI single in the seventh inning by Bond. Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) tossed shutout innings in the sixth and seventh. DH Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) roped a two-out double to score another in the eighth inning. Toelken then threw a shutout eighth inning and Mizzou closed it out from there to seal the win.

— Mizzou Athletics —

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou junior INF Matt Berler (Hoover, Ala.) hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the fifth inning to lift Mizzou Baseball over Tennessee, 5-0, Thursday night in the first of a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Mizzou loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth inning and Tennessee nearly escaped before Berler, the nine-hole hitter, pounded a 2-1 fastball over the fence in left field to clear the bases and break a 0-0 tie.

Mizzou moves to 33-21 on the year and 12-16 in SEC play and it has now won four in a row. The Tigers’ 33 wins are the most during the regular season for the program since 2008 when the Tigers won 37 before entering postseason play. The 33 wins match the most for Mizzou since winning 35 in 2009.

Freshman LHP T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) was brilliant in his second career start, earning his team-best eighth win of the season. That is the most wins for a Mizzou true freshman since current Mizzou junior Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) had eight during his freshman year in 2015. Sikkema tossed Mizzou’s first complete game shutout since Reggie McClain shutout Sam Houston State on Feb. 20, 2015. He struck out seven and walked none while scattering just four hits. The shutout on Thursday was Mizzou’s fifth of the year and first since May 2, 2017, against Murray State. It was Mizzou’s first SEC Shutout since March 17 at Alabama in the SEC opener.

The game was a pitcher’s duel early as Tennessee starter Hunter Martin retired the first 12 Mizzou batters while Sikkema retired 12 of the first 15 batters he faced. Junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) was the first Mizzou batter to get to Martin, dropping in a leadoff single in the fifth inning. That led to a bases-loaded, no-out spot following another infield hit and an error. Tennessee then retired the next two Mizzou batters and looked like it would escape unscathed. But Berler hit his first Division I homer for a grand slam to give Mizzou a 4-0 lead.

Mizzou added insurance as Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) scored on a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh inning, giving Mizzou a 5-0 lead.

From there, Sikkema was brilliant, shutting down the Vols for the final three frames to seal the win.

Mizzou and Tennessee will play game two of the series Friday at 5 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball raced past Eastern Kentucky, 13-4, Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Stadium in its 2017 home finale. The Tiger offense exploded for 11 runs over the first three innings and freshman Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) hit his sixth homer of the year and matched a career-high with four RBI in the win. Mizzou moves to 32-21 on the year with the win. Sophomore LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned the win to go to 5-1 on the year.

Eastern Kentucky got hits from the first three batters in the order with just one leaving the infield and that led to a 1-0 lead for the Colonels in the first. Mizzou turned a big 6-4-3 double play behind Plassmeyer in the inning to escape with just the one run.

That lead was short-lived as Mizzou exploded for six runs in the bottom of the first, getting three hits, three walks and a hit batter. Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) had two RBI, Misner added another and Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) had three RBIs on a two-out double to stretch the lead to 6-1.

Despite the wind and the wild first inning, Plassmeyer pitched around a win-aided leadoff double in the second inning. Misner then hit a three-run homer, his sixth of the year, to extend the lead 10-1 after a sacrifice fly by Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.). Misner had four RBI through two innings.

Mizzou added one more run in the third and two more in the fourth before EKU scored two more in the fifth. Junior RHP Nolan Gromacki (Smithville, Mo.) inherited a bases-loaded jam with one out, but got a 6-4-3 double play to escape the jam in the fifth inning.

EKU got a solo homer in the sixth inning by Brenden Overton to cut the lead to 13-4. Reliever Cameron Dulle (St. Louis, Mo.) came in and did a nice a job, tossing 2.2 shutout innings without a hit. He allowed just one walk and struck out three in a solid outing.

Mizzou closes the regular season this Thursday-Saturday at Tennessee in a three-game series.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball has signed one of the Missouri area’s top talents in forward Jeremiah Tilmon (East St. Louis, Ill.), head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Monday. The 6-10, 235-pound big man was dominant for the Flyers as a senior in 2016-17, averaging 15.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.

“It’s truly exciting to keep a young man like Jeremiah at home with Mizzou Basketball,” Martin said. “Jeremiah, as a player and person, possesses the type of skill and presence we’d like to become a staple of this program. We feel that he has the ability to become a game-changing presence on both ends of the floor. His parents, April and Jeremiah, Sr., raised a son who we feel can really flourish at the University of Missouri.”

Considered a Top 50 recruit nationally by ESPN, Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247 Sports, Tilmon calls East St. Louis home, much like Mizzou’s head coach. Tilmon earned First Team All-State recognition from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and Associated Press following his final high school campaign. He also received an all-state nod from the Chicago Tribune.

Tilmon played one season at The La Lumiere School, a preparatory academy in La Porte, Indiana, before returning home to play for the Flyers during his senior season. As a junior in 2015-16, he averaged 13.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game during the regular season before leading the Lakers to the championship game of the Dick’s Sports Goods High School Nationals.

As a sophomore in 2014-15, Tilmon earned Illinois Class 4A All-State Honorable Mention from the Associated Press. Tilmon averaged 9.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. For his career at East St. Louis High School, Tilmon averaged an outstanding 3.5 blocks per game.

On the Nike EYBL circuit, Tilmon played for the highly regarded St. Louis Eagles program during the summer months.

Tilmon’s signing of a financial aid agreement with the University of Missouri includes him in a developing recruiting class with current signees Blake Harris (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Michael Porter, Jr. (Columbia, Mo.), C.J. Roberts (North Richland Hills, Texas) and Kassius Robertson (Toronto, Ontario).

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou junior RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) turned in his first complete game of the year as he helped Mizzou Baseball even its series with South Carolina with a 5-3 win Saturday afternoon (May 13) at Taylor Stadium. Houck struck out a season-high 10 batters while scattering just five hits and three runs to earn his first win since March 17 at Alabama. He got five runs of support Saturday; the most Mizzou’s offense has given him in SEC play this year.

Mizzou goes to 30-21 on the year and 10-16 in SEC play while South Carolina goes to 30-20 and 12-14 in SEC play. Houck is now eighth on Mizzou’s all-time career innings pitched list with 296.1 while his 288 strikeouts are the fourth-most in program history and second among three-year players, trailing only Kyle Gibson (304). The complete game is Houck’s first since May 19 at Kentucky last year.

After Houck struck out his eighth victim on his 112th pitch to end the eighth inning, Mizzou head coach Steve Bieser had little doubt as he sent Houck back to the mound for the ninth inning. Houck struck out the first two batters he faced in the ninth and got a lazy fly out to right to end the game, capping a memorable Saturday afternoon in what could be his final start at Taylor Stadium.

Houck mowed through the South Carolina order on 14 pitches in the first inning, picking up a pair of strikeouts and pitching around a two-out bloop single. The Tiger offense then gave Houck some early run support, getting an RBI single up the middle by Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) in the bottom of the first.

South Carolina’s Jacob Olson then tagged Houck for a two-out, solo homer on a 1-1 pitch to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning. Houck then walked the next batter and hit the next, but got a 4-3 groundout to send the game to the bottom of the second inning.

Jonah Bride, who had the game-winning homer for South Carolina Friday night, again delivered a go-ahead hit in the third inning, roping an RBI double down the left field line to give the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead. Houck was again victimized by a two-out solo homer in the fifth inning, this time by Carlos Cortes as the Gamecocks had a 3-1 lead halfway through the game.

Mizzou got that run back and more in the bottom half of the fifth inning. SS Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) ripped a double to center to score Matt Berler (Hoover, Ala.), cutting the lead to 3-2. The play was challenged by South Carolina, but after a review, the umpire crew ruled that Berler tagged home before the tag. With two outs, Glendinning then delivered his second RBI single of the game to score Cornelius, tying the game at 3-3.

Freshman Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) hit his fifth homer of the year, and his first since April 12 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, to give Mizzou the lead back at 4-3 to open the bottom of the sixth inning. South Carolina got the leadoff man aboard in the seventh inning on an error by Cornelius, but he was erased on a slick 6-4-3 double play and Houck picked up his seventh strikeout of the game to get Mizzou through the seventh with a 4-3 lead.

Junior Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) gave Houck an insurance run with a two-out, RBI single through the left side in the bottom of the seventh. It was all Houck from there as he dominated the Gamecock order in the eighth and ninth innings.

The rubber game of the three-game series is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Former Mizzou Baseball standout SS Dave Silvestri will be honored as part of the 2017 AT&T SEC Baseball Legends Class, announced Wednesday by the Southeastern Conference. Silvestri and honorees from three other SEC schools are set for recognition at this month’s SEC Tournament, scheduled for May 23-28 at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. One of the all-time Mizzou greats, Silvestri is the second Mizzou Baseball alum to earn SEC Legend distinction after Gene McArtor in 2013.

A two-time First Team All-American, Silvestri was a standout shortstop under Coach McArtor from 1986-88 and guided Mizzou to its first NCAA Regional appearance since 1981 as a junior during his final season with the program in 1988. He is the only player in school history to earn All-America First Team in two separate seasons. Silvestri remains one of the most decorated players to ever come through the Mizzou Baseball program. In addition to earning All-America honors in both 1987 and 1988, he was a two-time All-Big Eight selection, a two-time All-District V selection, and a 1988 All-Big Eight Tournament Team member.

After guiding Mizzou to the NCAA South Regional with 42 wins in 1988, Silvestri played with USA Baseball in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. That team won the Gold Medal as Silvestri played along the likes of Tino Martinez, Jim Abbott, Andy Benes and Robin Ventura. Silvestri was drafted in the second round of the 1988 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros. He played 181 games over eight seasons in the big leagues, including 86 games with the Montreal Expos in 1996. His first National League hit was a run-scoring, pinch-hit single against his hometown St. Louis Cardinals, at old Busch Stadium, in 1995.

One cannot look at the Mizzou Baseball record book without seeing Silvestri’s name all over it. He still holds the school single season records for slugging percentage (.849 in 1988), runs scored (89 in 1988), extra-base hits (47 in 1988) and total bases (186 in 1988). His .379 career batting average is fourth in program history and his .660 career slugging percentage is second all-time. His 18 career triples are a school record.

Silvestri ranks in Mizzou’s all-time career top 10 in 11 different categories: batting (fourth – .379), hits (sixth – 248), triples (first – 18), homers (seventh – 35), RBI (ninth – 167), runs scored (fifth – 206), extra-base hits (four – 96), total bases (fourth – 432), slugging (second – .660), stolen bases (fifth – 47) and on-base percentage (fifth – .465).

A native of St. Louis, Mo., Silvestri was inducted into the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997 and was widely considered the greatest Missouri Baseball player of his era.

— Mizzou Athletics —