SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball dropped the first of its annual two-game, midweek series at No.16 Missouri State, 16-1, on Tuesday night (April 12) at Hammons Field. MSU tallied two runs in the second inning off of Mizzou starter Ryan Lee (Grandview, Mo.) and three more in the fourth without a hit to open a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The two teams will meet again at Taylor Stadium in Columbia on April 26 at 6 p.m.

Mizzou falls to 20-15 on the year while MSU improves to 26-6. Lee was charged with the loss, dropping him to 2-2 on the season while MSU’s Austin Knight earned the win, improving to 3-0 on the year. Mizzou was led at the plate by senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) who tallied his SEC-leading 21st extra-base hit with his team-leading 12th double of the season. He had a pair of hits as did junior SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.).

After a solid first inning, Lee ran into trouble in the second. He issued a leadoff walk followed by a double and single as MSU jumped on top, 2-0, without Mizzou recording an out. MSU could have added more runs, but Mizzou played tremendous defense, including a nice play at first by Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) and a diving catch in left from Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.). Those two plays likely saved three runs.

MSU struck again in the fourth as Mizzou reliever Ty Shoaff (Akron, Ohio) loaded the bases on a hit batter, a walk and an error as he tried to field a sacrifice bunt. He then hit a batter to drive in MSU’s third run. The Bears tacked on two more runs on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error by Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.).

Mizzou got a hit to lead off the fifth inning from freshman OF Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) but he was caught stealing and Mizzou went quietly again. The Bears then tacked on three more runs in the bottom part of the fifth and eight more in the eighth inning. Mizzou’s lone run was driven in by Jack Klages (St. Louis, Mo.) on an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning.

Mizzou will be back in action this weekend, hosting No. 9 LSU in a three-game series at Taylor Stadium beginning Friday at 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball sophomore RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) has been named SEC Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday (April 11). This is the second SEC Pitcher of the Week honor for Houck this season and the third of his career. The honor comes on the heels of a dominating performance against the SEC’s top offense Auburn. Houck tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits in a 2-0 Mizzou win on Friday night. It was his second complete game shutout this season.

Houck was absolutely dominant on one day short rest as two of the four hits he allowed were infield hits  and only one runner advanced into scoring position through the 9.0 shutout innings as Houck needed just 105 pitches to get the complete game shutout. His 10 strikeouts were the second-most of his career and he also induced 14 ground balls to go along with his 10 strikeouts and just four balls all day were hit out of the infield against Houck. Four of the groundouts were 1-3 putouts on slow dribblers hit back to him as Auburn struggled to square up Houck all day. In the ninth inning, Houck retired the side on just five pitches, displaying his dominance throughout the game.

Houck faced just four batters over the minimum in his start and earned an 88 game score, his second-best of the season. As of Sunday, only four pitchers in the nation had posted a better game score than Houck and only one of those games came against a team from a power conference while Houck’s came against the SEC’s top offense. The next-best game score by an SEC pitcher through Saturday was Mississippi’s Brady Bramlett, who tallied an 82 against Arkansas.

Batters are now hitting just .176 against Houck in SEC play and he has 30 Ks in 30.0 IP with just eight walks while pitching against elite offenses like Florida, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Arkansas. It was the first time Auburn has been shutout in SEC play since May of 2014.

Houck and the Tigers head to Missouri State on Tuesday (April 12) for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch at Hammons Field.

— Northwest Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball (20-14, 4-8) took the lead early and was able to hold on to earn a 4-3 victory over Auburn (15-17, 3-9) on Saturday (April 9) to take the series, Mizzou’s second consecutive SEC series win.

Freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned the win with the strongest start of his career, allowing no runs on only three hits through 5.2 innings. He tied his career-high with five strikeouts while only walking one batter.  Freshman Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo) came into the game in the ninth inning to earn his team-leading fifth save of the season to strand a pair, striking out both batters he faced.

Junior CF Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill) went 2-4 at the plate and scored a run to continue an impressive six-game stretch in which he has scored and reached base in each game. Sophomore catcher Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) hit his fourth home run of the season in the second inning, giving him two RBI in the game.

Ring stole his SEC-leading 20th base of the season in the first inning, which set him up to score on a single from senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) to give the Tigers the lead.  The two-run shot from Bond in the second inning extended the lead to 3-0.  After Mizzou conceded runs in the seventh and eighth innings, sophomore LF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) drove in his 26th run of the season on a single past the first baseman in the bottom of the eighth to bring the score to 4-2.

Auburn managed to score another run with one out in the ninth inning, leading Sharp to come into the game with Mizzou’s lead at 4-3.  He struck out both batters he faced to secure the victory, bring his ERA down to a team-best 1.56 on the season.

Mizzou will visit Missouri State on Tuesday (April 12) for a game at 6:35 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou sophomore RHP Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) tossed his second complete-game shutout of the season as Mizzou Baseball defeated Auburn, 2-0, on Friday night at Taylor Stadium.  Houck tallied 10 strikeouts while walking only one batter and allowing only four hits against the SEC’s top hitting offense. Auburn hitters struggled to get solid contact as Houck induced 14 groundouts to go along with his 10 strikeouts. Two of the four hits he allowed were infield knocks. Mizzou’s victory tied the series at one game apiece as Mizzou is now 19-14 on the year and 3-8 in SEC play.

Sophomore 3B Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) went 2-for-4 with a double to continue his hot streak at the plate.  He has reached base in nine consecutive games, hitting two home runs and three doubles in that stretch.  He also had an impressive diving stop at third base, making the throw to keep the runner out of scoring position.

Mizzou’s first run of the game came in the first inning.  OF Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) moved up to second base after leading off the game with a single.  A throwing error on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) grounder allowed McGuire to cross the plate to get the lead. The team was then able to tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) scored from third on a passed ball.

But Houck needed just the run in the first inning as Mizzou recorded its fourth shutout of the year and the second with Houck on the hill. Both of his outings were complete-game shutouts.

Mizzou will finish the series on Saturday at 12 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – A seven-run fourth inning was not enough for Mizzou Baseball (17-14, 2-8) as it fell to Auburn (15-15, 3-7) 11-9, Thursday night at Taylor Stadium. Every Mizzou hitter either got a hit or an RBI in the fourth inning as the team mustered seven hits, including a pair of back-to-back triples. Auburn battled back into the game late and ended up handing Mizzou its eighth SEC defeat.

Sophomore OF Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) had a monster game at the plate, going two for five with three RBI and the second triple of his career. Harris now has seven multi-hit and six multi-RBI games this season. Harris is batting .400 with seven RBI during his current five game hitting streak. His three RBI tonight give him 24 this season, second most on the team.

Sophomore OF Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) went 2-for-4 with a walk, RBI and two runs scored. McGuire has now scored in eight straight games and pushed his hitting streak to seven games.

Senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) continued his excellent season, driving in his team-leading 30th RBI of the year in the fourth inning by tripling to right field. The triple was his sixth of the season, the most in the SEC.

Freshman 2B Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) collected a career-high three hits to pace Mizzou at the plate. He notched his eighth RBI of the year in the fourth inning. Nelson’s double paired with the double from McGuire gave Mizzou its eighth straight game with at least two doubles.

Mizzou continues its three-game series with game two on Friday (April 8) at 6:00 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou baseball (18-13, 2-7) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on its way to a 9-6 victory over SIUE (4-21) on Tuesday (April 5). The team scored in each of the first four innings for the first time this season to build a 9-0 lead after four. Mizzou held on with solid defensive play to put away the Cougars.

Senior 1B Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo) drove in three of the first seven runs with a triple in the first inning and a sacrifice fly in the third, giving him a team leading 29 RBI this year. Lavy now has a team-leading eight games with multiple RBI.

Freshman RHP Grant Macciocchi (West Chester Township, Oh) earned the win in his first career start and in his first career appearance on the mound for Mizzou. He pitched two innings allowing no runs, no hits and only one base runner. Macciocchi needed only 14 pitches, 11 strikes, to get through two innings.

Sophomore third baseman Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo) had an excellent game defensively, collecting a career-high five assists without committing an error. Benes made one of those assist ranging over to his left and throwing a strike to first to nab SIUE’s Brock Irwin in the fifth inning.

The Mizzou infield turned three double plays tonight for the second time this season. It was the third time this year that the team has turned three or more double plays in a single game. Mizzou turned a season high five against St. Louis University March 29 at Kauffman Stadium.

Senior LHP Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo) earned his second save of the season tonight, getting the final out on a three-pitch strikeout.

Mizzou welcomes Auburn of a three-game series beginning Thursday (April 7) at 6:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Mizzou Women’s Basketball head coach Robin Pingeton will be inducted into the Quad-City Sports Hall of Fame, it was announced Sunday. Pingeton is a former NAIA All-American in basketball and softball at St. Ambrose University. She also was the women’s basketball head coach for the Fighting Bees from 1992-2000, going 192-76 (.716) and twice leading the program to the NAIA Elite Eight.

As a basketball standout, Pingeton established a school record with 2,502 points that still stands. Following her college career, she spent three seasons playing professionally in the Women’s Basketball Association.

After taking over the program as head coach in 1992, Pingeton led St. Ambrose to five NAIA national tournament appearances in eight seasons, including the Elite Eight in 1995-96 and 1999-2000.

Pingeton will be inducted at the 35th annual Salute to Sports banquet at Bettendorf (Iowa) High School on May 4. A plaque highlighting her induction will be added to the suite level at Modern Woodmen Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits, a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Pat Angerer and NBA veteran Ricky Davis are also part of the induction class.

— Mizzou Athletics —

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mizzou Baseball scored four runs in both the fourth and eighth innings to earn a 10-1 win over No. 15 Arkansas on Sunday afternoon (April 3) to claim its first SEC series win of the season. The series win is Mizzou’s first road series win over a top-20 team since March 29, 2014, when Mizzou took two of three at Auburn. The Tigers improve to 17-13 overall and 2-7 in SEC play.

Mizzou scored four runs in the fourth inning, sending nine batters to the plate, to gain the early lead. Arkansas attempted to rally with one run in the seventh but it could have been more. With runners on second and third, Carson Shaddy roped a ball into right center, but Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) made the catch of the season, diving and back-handing the ball inches above the grass for out No. 3. Mizzou then used that momentum to score four in the top of the eighth, highlighted by Kirby McGuire’s (Round Rock, Texas) first Division I homer, a three-run shot to left, to put the game away.

Freshman Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his second career win and Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) earned his fourth save of the season. Arkansas starter Barrett Loseke was tagged with his first loss of the season after allowing three runs over 3.1 innings. Senior Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) turned in his team-leading fourth three-hit game of the season with two RBI and two runs while sophomore SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Those two, along with McGuire’s homer guided Mizzou’s offense.

Plassmeyer escaped trouble in the first inning after a leadoff infield hit and a sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position. But he picked up a pair of strikeouts swinging to leave a runner in scoring position. Plassmeyer again had tough luck in the second inning as a bloop single and a balk put a runner on third, but Howard made a sparkling play to save a run a short as neither team could scratch anything across through the first two innings.

After Plassmeyer worked around another hit in the third, Mizzou got its bats going in the fourth inning. Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) led off the frame with a walk, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Howard singled him in and then Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) tripled him in. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) legged out an infield hit to the left side to score another run and Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) doubled in the fourth run. The inning could have been bigger as Mizzou had runners on second and third with one out but struck out twice to strand a pair.

Plassmeyer breezed through the first two Arkansas batters in the fourth, but allowed a four-pitch walk and a single to end his day. Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) came on and pitched out the jam as Plassmeyer posted the first shutout outing in his career while striking out a career-high five over 3.2 innings, scattering four hits.

Bartlett pitched a shutout fifth inning with a pair of strikeouts as he worked around a leadoff walk. He came back out for the sixth inning and pitched a shutout frame. He did not get into trouble until the eighth when the first two men singled, ending his day in favor of Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.). He walked the first man he saw to load the bases and Arkansas scratched a run across on a groundout. The Razorbacks nearly added two more on a ball roped into right center by Carson Shaddy, but Ring’s diving catch limited the damage for out No. 3.

Mizzou kept that momentum going in the top of the eighth as a safety bases-loaded safety squeeze by Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) tacked on a fifth run and McGuire’s homer extended the lead to 8-1. That put the game out of reach as Mizzou tacked on two more in the ninth to extend the lead to 10-1.

Mizzou will be back in action on Tuesday against SIU-Edwardsville at 6 p.m. at Taylor Stadium in Columbia.

— Mizzou Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball (15-12, 0-6 SEC) defeated Saint Louis 5-3, on a windy Tuesday evening at Kauffman Stadium. The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, capitalizing on a RBI from freshman Brian Sharp [Liberty, Mo.] and an RBI double from Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.). The defense played a crucial role in Mizzou’s victory, turning a season-high five double plays, the most in a game since April, 26, 2014 against Florida.

Mizzou’s double play in the seventh inning halted a Billiken’s rally as freshman Ian Nelson [Lake St. Louis, Mo.] stopped a one-hop ground ball up the middle to start the double play. Benes snagged a liner at the hot corner and caught a runner off first base to cap the game in the ninth for Mizzou’s fifth and final double play.

Ryan Lee [Grandview, Mo.] got the start for the Tigers, allowing four hits to earn the Billikens two runs in the top of the first. Zach Lavy [Auxvasse, Mo.] returned the favor with a RBI to score Ryan Howard [St. Charles, Mo.] at the bottom of the first.

In the fifth, the Mizzou bats woke up. Benes hit his second double of the game to drive in Lavy. Sharp continued the streak, scoring on a wild pitch.

SLU returned the favor in the sixth inning with a RBI to score its third run. To little avail, Mizzou scored again in the bottom of the eighth with Lavy singling to left side to score in run number five – it was Lavy’s team-leading sixth multi-RBI game this season.

Liam Carter (Highland Park, Ill.) earned his first career save, tossing a pair of shutout innings with just one hit and a walk.

Mizzou will be back in action on the road to face Arkansas in a three game series over the weekend, the first being Friday evening at 6:35 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball sophomore righty Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) was named one of Louisville Slugger’s National Players of the Week, as announced by Collegiate Baseball on Monday.  He was also named the SEC Pitcher of the Week, which is the second time in his career that Houck has earned the honor.

The honors come after a flat out dominant start against No. 4 Vanderbilt last Saturday. He tossed 9.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits with a career-high 14 strikeouts and only two walks against a Commodore team that leads the SEC in runs scored. He earned a no-decision after Mizzou lost, 2-0, after 11 innings.

Houck, a preseason All-SEC Second Team selection, tossed an absolute gem in a no-decision that earned a 95 in game score. To put that mark into perspective there were only nine games in Major League Baseball with higher than a 95 last season (three by former Mizzou pitcher Max Scherzer). Houck’s 95 game score was the best in the nation last weekend and the next-best mark in the SEC was 72 by Vanderbilt’s Kyle Wright (who squared off against Houck Saturday). Houck’s career-high 14 strikeouts on Saturday were the most by any SEC pitcher this season and he allowed just two hits (one was an infield hit – his no-hitter was broken up in the sixth inning).

Houck allowed just two fly balls over the entire nine innings that he pitched Saturday and only one of those fly balls left the infield (the other was a pop-up to shallow second base). In all, just one ball hit by Vanderbilt in the air or on the ground reached the outfield safely. The Preseason All-American retired the first 12 Vanderbilt batters he faced before a leadoff walk in the fifth and did not allow a fly ball until a shallow bloop to center field that was caught for out No. 2 in the sixth inning. In all, he had 14 strikeouts, 10 groundouts, two pop outs and another out on the base paths for the 27 outs.

Houck’s 14 strikeouts are the most by a Tiger since former Mizzou first round draft pick and current Minnesota Twin Kyle Gibson struck out 15 on April 3, 2009, vs. Oklahoma. He earned tough-luck no-decision as his team went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position while he was on the mound while likely needing just one run to earn the win.

Mizzou will be back in action Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., home of the World Series Champion Royals, as it hosts St. Louis at 6:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —