NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the rubber game of a three-game series, 14-5, to Vanderbilt Sunday afternoon at Hawkins Field. Mizzou rallied from down 4-0 to take a 5-4 lead, but Vanderbilt hung three runs in the fourth, two more in the fifth and five in the sixth to put the game away. Mizzou falls to 29-20 on the year and 9-15 in SEC play while Vanderbilt improves to 29-18 and 12-11 in SEC play.

Mizzou junior starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) took the loss while Vandy freshman LHP Zach King earned the win after settling things down for a Vanderbilt staff that walked seven and hit three more batters through the first four innings. Junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied his 13th multi-hit game of the season and drove in three of Mizzou’s five runs, notching a pair of bases-loaded singles on the day.

After a three-pitch strikeout, Jeren Kendall tagged Montes De Oca for a one-out triple in the bottom of the first, just past a diving Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) at first base. Montes De Oca nearly escaped the jam, getting Julian Infante on strikes and working a 0-2 count on Reed Hayes. But Hayes lined a 1-2 pitch back up the middle to give Vanderbilt and early 1-0 lead.

Mizzou put the first two men on in the second and moved them over on a sacrifice bunt as it looked to even the game. Vandy starter Chandler Day then struck out Sharp and got Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) to fly out to center field to strand a pair.

The wind factored into a tough second inning for the Tigers. Ethan Paul popped up to open the frame, but the wind hung it up and LF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) couldn’t get under it and that got the inning started. Vanderbilt loaded the bases with one out for the All-American Kendall. Montes De Oca struck him out for the second out of the inning as he looked like he may get out of the jam. Infante then popped up to shallow left center and Mizzou couldn’t get under it as the wind hung it in the perfect spot, allowing all three runs to score on a double.

Mizzou got a pair of runs in the third, one on a Bond bases loaded single and another on a Misner sacrifice fly to the cut the lead to 4-2. Mizzou got into the Vanderbilt bullpen in the third and that paid off in the fourth. Mizzou tallied three hits and drew three walks off reliever Colin Snyder to score three in the inning. Junior OF Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) tallied an RBI single and Bond roped a two-run, bases-loaded single to score two more, giving Mizzou its first lead at 5-4.

Vanderbilt tied the game in the bottom half of the fourth though, taking advantage of a walk and an error in front of a Hayes double. Mizzou went to the bullpen from there and brought in Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.). He struck out JJ Bleday for the second out by C Jason Delay ripped a two-run, two-out single to give Vanderbilt the lead back at 7-5.

Mizzou then went quietly in the fifth and Vanderbilt broke the game open with the two-spot in the bottom half before exploding for five runs in the sixth, capped by Infante’s sixth and seventh RBIs of the game as he ripped a double off the wall in left center. That was all that Vanderbilt needed to earn the series win.

Mizzou will be off midweek as it takes its final exams. South Carolina comes to Columbia next weekend for a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball has signed one of the country’s top shooters in graduate transfer guard Kassius Robertson (Toronto, Ontario) of Canisius College, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Thursday. The 6-3, 180-pound guard sank 41.0 percent of his three-point field goal attempts as a junior for the Golden Griffins in 2016-17, averaging 16.1 points per game.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Kassius Robertson into our Mizzou Basketball Family,” Martin said. “Kassius is an experienced leader and someone who knows what it takes to be successful at this level. His skillset goes beyond shooting the basketball, as his overall ability to impact the game will be a huge benefit to our program. Best of all, Kassius has an undergraduate degree in hand, and we look forward to him being an outstanding role model and teammate.”

Experienced from his days at Canisius, Robertson started 66-of-67 games for the Golden Griffins over the past two seasons. For his college career, he has averaged 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game from 2014-17.

Robertson has shown off his excellent marksmanship through three seasons tormenting the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), hitting on 44.8 percent (405-of-904) of his overall field goal attempts and 40.3 percent (213-of-528) of his three-point field goal attempts. Playing a crucial role for Canisius, Robertson averaged a team-best 34.0 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2015-16 and 33.4 minutes per game this past season.

“I really appreciated the vibe I got from the Mizzou coaching staff,” Robertson said. “Coach Martin’s level of realness was unmatched, really. He and I have already had so many conversations. Coach told me wasn’t going to be a salesman and bombard me, which is what happens a lot. This was about an opportunity and what he saw in me. And he was right.

“Mizzou’s campus was so nice. I was really impressed with that. So many people around and so many different buildings and facilities. Best of all, Mizzou Arena is beautiful. I got so excited walking around in there, and I really can’t wait to play in front of Mizzou’s fans.”

Robertson’s 16.1 points per game as a junior were a team-best as he led Canisius to an 18-16 overall record. He vaulted forward as a scorer during his sophomore season in 2015-16, with his 14.4 points per game coming in as a 68 percent improvement from his freshman campaign.

As a freshman in 2014-15, Robertson earned All-MAAC Rookie Team honors after averaging 6.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game over 33 games. He shot an impressive 47.4 percent (74-of-156) from the field in his initial collegiate campaign, joining the roster after a redshirt season in 2013-14.

Robertson played his final high school season for Thornlea Secondary School as a senior in 2012-13, averaging 22.0 points, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. He previously had played two seasons at Vaughn Secondary School.

The son of Shannon Robertson and Wadsworth Walters, Robertson earned a bachelor’s degree in health & wellness from Canisius College and will join Mizzou as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining.

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

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball got another stellar midweek start from junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) as it snapped a six-game skid with a 11-0 win over Murray State Tuesday night (May 2) at Taylor Stadium. Mizzou also got a solo homer and three hits from junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) as the Tigers improve to 28-18 on the year. Head coach Steve Bieser is now tied for the most wins ever by a first-year Mizzou head coach, matching the mark set by the 1974 team under legendary Mizzou head coach Gene McArtor.

Toelken pitched 7.0 innings and allowed just five hits and no runs for his first shutout appearance of the season. He struck out five batters and walked just two. He now has a 2.12 ERA in his last five starts and has surrendered just 21 hits in 34.0 innings while striking out 29 during those five starts. He improves to 3-3 on the year.

Mizzou took advantage of an error to score three runs in the bottom of the second. Junior Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) reached on a throwing error by the MSU shortstop and Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) hit an infield single to put two men on. Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) then singled through the right side to plate a run. Mizzou tacked on another on a sacrifice fly and a two-out double by Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) to take a 3-0 lead after two.

Senior Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth inning after singling, stealing a base and taking third on a passed ball. He was knocked in by a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) groundout to short to extend Mizzou’s lead to 4-0. Bond then hit his ninth homer of the year to push the lead to 5-0.

Mizzou broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh inning. After an RBI double by Misner, SS Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) hit a single into right field and it got past the right fielder and all the way to the wall. That scored two runs and Cornelius came all the way around to score to complete the little league home run. That extended the lead to 9-0. The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth inning.

Sophomore RHP Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) took over on the mound in the eighth and pitched a shutout frame and got the first out of the ninth. Junior RHP Nolan Gromacki (Smithville, Mo.) then got the final two outs.

Mizzou will be back in action this weekend as it heads to Vanderbilt for a three-game series.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the final contest of a weekend series with Texas A&M, 7-2, Sunday afternoon at Taylor Stadium. Junior starter Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) pitched an absolute gem as he worked 6.2 innings and struck out nine while allowing only one run on two hits. His impressive start was the longest of his career and he set career-bests in strikeouts, hits allowed and runs allowed. Montes De Oca’s nine punch-outs were the most by a Mizzou pitcher in conference play this season.

Montes De Oca took the loss despite pitching brilliantly, falling to 3-4 on the year. A&M starter Stephen Kolek earned his third win of the year. Mizzou falls to 27-18 and 8-12 in SEC play while Texas A&M goes to 32-13 and 13-8 in SEC play. Junior INF Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) hit his fifth homer of the year in the loss, a two-run shot in the ninth.

Montes De Oca worked efficiently early as he worked an 11-pitch, 1-2-3, first inning. In the top of the third, he pitched around a runner on second with only one out. He sat down A&M’s Walker Pennington on strikes and then induced a groundball to third to escape the threat. Montes De Oca allowed the first Aggie hit with one out in the fourth.

After A&M notched the game’s first run in its half of the fifth on an RBI groundout, Montes De Oca worked another scoreless inning in the sixth as he tallied his sixth and seventh strikeouts, surpassing his career-high. He recorded two more punch-outs in the seventh before being relieved by freshman lefty T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa), who threw one pitch to get an out and get Mizzou through the seventh.

Mizzou’s offense found life in the bottom half of the seventh when senior OF Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) recorded Mizzou’s first hit. McGuire’s single was his fifth of the weekend, a team-high. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) then reached on a hit by pitch but Mizzou did not scratch across a run, stranding McGuire and Harris. Following the inning the game went into a rain delay that lasted for 1:15.

Mizzou loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but McGuire struck out swinging to strand three runners. A&M then broke the game open with six runs off three Mizzou pitchers in the top of the ninth inning. Glendinnng hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead to 7-2.

Mizzou will be back in action Tuesday vs. Murray State at 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Mizzou junior defensive end Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) was selected tonight with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2017 National Football League Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

Harris becomes the eighth Mizzou standout since 2009 to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, with five of those being defensive linemen – joining Harris were Shane Ray (No. 23 to Denver in 2015), Sheldon Richardson (No. 13 to New York Jets in 2013), Aldon Smith (No. 7 to San Francisco in 2011) and Ziggy Hood (No. 32 to Pittsburgh in 2009). Mizzou’s other first-rounders since 2009 include QB Blaine Gabbert (No. 10 to Jacksonville in 2011), LB Sean Weatherspoon (No. 19 to Atlanta in 2010) and WR Jeremy Maclin (No. 19 to Philadelphia in 2009).

Overall, Harris is the 20th Tiger in history to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first round.

Harris chose to bypass his final year of eligibility and enter the Draft, after turning in an outstanding junior season that saw him lead Mizzou in quarterback sacks (9.0), tackles for loss (12.0) and quarterback hurries (10), while also finishing second on the team with 61 total tackles. Despite playing just three years for the Tiger defense, Harris ended his career ranked seventh all-time at Mizzou in sacks, with 18.0.

Several other Tigers hope to hear their name called during the remainder of the 2017 NFL Draft. The second and third rounds take place Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. central time, while rounds four through seven will be held Saturday with an 11 a.m. start time.

— Mizzou Athletics —

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State got solo homers from Justin Paulsen and Hunter Steinmetz and a three-run shot in the eighth to earn a 5-1 win over Mizzou Baseball Tuesday night (April 25) at Hammons Field. Mizzou junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) was a tough-luck loser as he was touched for just the two solo homers over 5.0 innings while striking out four and scattering only five hits. MSU’s Austin Knight earned the win after 6.2 innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five against no walks. He retired 15 Mizzou batters in a row at one point. The loss drops Mizzou to 27-15 on the year while Missouri State goes to 28-13.

Freshman OF Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) tallied a one-out hit in the first, but he was erased on a 4-6-3 double play to end the Tigers’ half of the first. Toelken came out and Missouri State leadoff hitter Hunter Steinmetz tallied leadoff infield single to short to start Missouri State’s half of the inning. MSU 2B Aaron Meyer then hit into a groundout to end the inning but appeared to injure his leg on the play. He was carted off to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Missouri State broke the stalemate it in the bottom of the fourth inning as Paulsen hit what looked like a harmless fly out to left, but the wind pushed it just over the 315-foot sign on the wall in left field for a solo homer, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead. The Bears added another run in the bottom of the fifth, again getting a leadoff homer, this time from the leadoff man Steinmetz.

Mizzou finally got to Knight a bit in the seventh after he had retired 15 straight Tiger batters. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) was hit by a pitch with one out and Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) doubled to right center to put runners on second and third with one out. But the Tigers came up empty after a pair of strikeouts, stranding the tying runs in scoring position.

That was the best chance for Mizzou as it went quietly in the eighth. MSU then added a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Mizzou got a two-out RBI single from Bond in the ninth for its only scoring.

Mizzou will host Texas A&M at Taylor Stadium for the first time since 2011 this weekend. First pitch for the opener of the three-game series on Friday is at 6:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

OXFORD, Miss. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the series finale at Ole Miss, 9-6, on a chilly Sunday afternoon (April 23) at Swayze Field. Ole Miss scored three runs in the first, one in the third and five more in the fourth to put the game away. The big hit came from 3B Colby Bortles, a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. That was part of a six-hit, five-run inning that put the game away. Mizzou made things interesting late, but couldn’t overcome the 9-1 deficit.

Mizzou RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) took the loss, falling to 3-3 on the year while Ole Miss’ Houston Roth earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the year. Mizzou falls to 27-14 and 8-10 in SEC play while Ole Miss goes to 25-15 and 9-9 in league games.

Walks haunted Montes De Oca in the first inning as he issued free passes to the first two batters he faced. Leadoff man Tate Blackman came around to score on a sacrifice fly by CF Ryan Olenek. Ole Miss 1B Nick Fortes then hit a two-out double to score a run and the Rebels tacked on another on a wild pitch to take a 3-0 lead after one.

Mizzou got a tough break in the top of the second inning as Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) appeared to put Mizzou on the board with a single into right center. But Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) was gunned down trying to go first-to-third before Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) could cross home plate, costing Mizzou a run. The call was confirmed after a lengthy review by the umpire crew.

Ole Miss tacked on another run thanks to a leadoff error by Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) in the second inning. Glendinning almost made a tremendous play on a grounder up the middle, but the throw skipped into first base and Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) couldn’t pick it, allowing the runner, who reached on the Samples error, to score. That gave Ole Miss a 4-0 lead.

Cornelius tallied another clutch hit in the top of the fourth, roping a two-out double off the wall in right field to score Glendinning, who doubled with one out in the inning. That got Mizzou on the board. But just as quickly as Mizzou got back in the game, Bortles lifted a three-run homer off of Mizzou reliever Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) to extend the lead to 7-1. Ole Miss tacked on two more runs in the inning to take a 9-1 lead.

Mizzou responded with three runs in the top of the fifth inning, one on a Samples single and two more on Glendinning’s second double of the game. The Tigers looked to get more in the sixth inning as Cornelius roped his second double and third hit of the game to leadoff the frame. Kameron Misner (Poplar Bluff, Mo.) then laid down a bunt single to put runners on the corners with no outs. But Misner was caught stealing and the next two batters were retired to end the threat.

The Tigers added two more runs in the top of the eighth on a Cornelius sacrifice fly and another on an error. Pinch hitter Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) sent a ball deep into right center with a runner on, but it was hauled in near the track to send the game to the ninth with the Rebels on top, 9-6. Mizzou then went 1-2-3 in the ninth to give Ole Miss the series.

Mizzou head to Missouri State Tuesday night for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.

— Mizzou Athletics —

OXFORD, Miss. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the middle game of a three-game series at Ole Miss, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon (April 22) at Swayze Field. Mizzou junior RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) was very good again on Saturday, tossing 8.0 innings, allowing just three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. But Ole Miss’ pitching staff limited Mizzou to just three hits on Saturday as a solo homer from junior RF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) supplied all the scoring for Mizzou. Harris is now third in the SEC with his 12 homers, the most by a Mizzou player since Aaron Senne hit 22 in 2010.

Mizzou falls to 27-13 on the year and 8-9 in SEC play while Ole Miss moves to 24-15 and 8-9 in SEC play. The rubber game of the pivotal three-game series will be played Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Houck took the loss, falling to 3-6 on the year, while Ryan Rolison earned the win, going 6.0 innings and allowing just one hit with nine strikeouts. He did walk five but moved to 5-2 on the year. Dallas Woolfolk earned his eighth save, but Mizzou made it interesting, bringing the winning run to the plate twice.

After Mizzou stranded a pair in the first, Houck struggled with his command in the first, issuing a walk and hitting two batters. An RBI groundout to first scored a run as Ole Miss gained a 1-0 lead after the first. Freshman SS Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) made a great play on what looked to be a two-run single up the middle to end the frame.

Houck settled in from there, tallying a pair of strikeouts in the second during a 1-2-3 frame. He then threw up another zero as Ole Miss went three-up, three-down in the third. Ole Miss’ Ryan Olenek led off the fourth inning with a double, but Houck pitched around that as he continued to look sharp.

Cornelius tallied Mizzou’s first hit with a single through the left side with one out in the top of the fifth, but Mizzou didn’t score. Ole Miss then put together a two-out rally in its half of the fifth inning. Will Golsan tallied a two-out single after a Tate Blackman walk and Blackman took third while Golsan moved to second on the throw. With two runners in scoring position, 3B Colby Bortles came up and hit a bouncing ball up the middle for a two-run single to extend the Ole Miss lead to 3-0.

Junior C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) drew a two-out walk in the sixth, but Ole Miss’ pitching staff retired the next seven Mizzou batters, taking a 3-0 lead into the ninth inning. Woolfolk took over from there and Harris launched his team-leading 12th homer of the year to get Mizzou on the board with no outs in the ninth. Bond then hit a double off the wall in right and Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) drew a walk to bring the winning run to the plate. But Woolfolk got the last two men to cap off his eighth save.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri State scored two runs on an error in the eighth inning to escape Taylor Stadium with a 5-3 win over Mizzou Baseball Tuesday night (April 18). Junior RHP Andy Toelken (Green Cove Springs, Fla.) turned in an impressive start, going 7.1 innings while allowing just three earned runs while striking out six in a tough-luck loss as a two-out, eight-inning error allowed the Bears to escape with a win. Mizzou falls to 26-12 on the year while Missouri State moves to 24-13.

Mizzou got multi-hit games from five different players and sophomore OF Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) reached base safely for the 23rd consecutive game, the longest streak by a Tiger this season. But Mizzou struggled with runners in scoring position, stranding nine men on the night while going just 2-for-10 as a team with runners in scoring position.

Mizzou took an early 1-0 lead on a Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) sacrifice fly in the first inning. MSU answered thanks to a walk and back-to-back hits in the second. All-American 3B Jake Bruger then launched a go-ahead, two-run homer to left field in the third inning to give MSU a 3-1 lead.

Mizzou got those runs back on RBI singles from Nelson Mompierre (Miami, Fla.) and Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) in the bottom half of the third inning. Both pitchers seemed to settle in from there. Mizzou had a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) rolled out to second base to strand a pair.

Mompierre tallied a two-out single through the right side in the seventh inning. Pinch runner Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) stole second base to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Glendinning struck out swinging to strand the runner.

Missouri State loaded the bases in the eighth inning with one out after an intentional walk and a hit batter followed a leadoff single. Mizzou brought in sophomore LHP Ty Shoaff (Akron, Ohio) to try to get out of the jam. He struck out the first batter he faced and looked to get out of the jam on a slow roller to first, but a throwing error allowed two runs to score, giving MSU a 5-3 lead.

Mizzou then put two men on in the eighth with one out, but Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) hit into a 6-4-3 double play as the Bears escaped the jam. In the ninth, Missouri State brought in closer Bryan Young, who picked up his fourth save against the top of the Mizzou order, retiring the side in order.

Mizzou will hit the road this weekend for a three-game series vs. Ole Miss.

— Mizzou Athletics —