LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball dropped game two of its series at Kentucky, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Field. The Tigers lost despite a masterful start from senior RHP Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) who went 8.0 innings and scattered just six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in a loss. Two infield hits came around to score in the bottom of the sixth inning and that backed UK starter Dustin Beggs, who went 8.0 innings shutout innings, scattering just six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his ninth win of the year.

The loss means Mizzou will need to do scoreboard watching on Friday as it looks to secure a spot in next week’s SEC Tournament. Mizzou can still clinch a berth to the tournament on Friday with losses by both Tennessee and Georgia.

McClain and Beggs matched each other inning for inning as each pitcher kept throwing up zeroes quickly and efficiently. Mizzou threatened in multiple innings to begin the game but had two runners picked of and hit into a 6-4-3 double play as the Tigers stranded four runners through six.

After retiring nine in a row with two down in the sixth, McClain surrendered two straight infield hits. SS Riley Mahan then roped a 1-2 pitch past Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) at second to plate a run and put runners on the corners with two down. UK then pulled off the double steal to plate another run to extend the lead to 2-0 after six.

Mizzou’s offense was quiet in the seventh and eighth innings as Beggs held the Tigers at bay. UK brought in closer Sean Hjelle for the top of the ninth inning. SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led off the frame with a double and scored on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) groundout. But pinch runner Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) was picked off to end the game.

The rubber game of the series is slated for a 12 p.m. (CT) start Saturday.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Kim Anderson has announced the addition of Nick Michael to his staff in the role of Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance.

Michael joined former Virginia Commonwealth assistant coach Mike Rhoades’ new staff at Rice as strength and conditioning coach in April 2014, where he developed and implemented new athletic performance programs for the Owls for the 2014-15 season. He previously spent the 2013-14 season assisting Shaka Smart’s VCU program as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant coach.

“Our Mizzou program is excited to add someone like Nick Michael to our staff,” Anderson said. “His energy and passion for developing student-athletes is unquestioned. Add in the fact that he was an accomplished professional basketball player, and you have someone who we feel can connect with our guys and help them make the right choices, both in the weight room and nutritionally speaking. We feel he will help our players develop the strength and toughness that is necessary to be successful in the SEC. We cannot wait to have Nick and his wife, Keeley, join us in Columbia.”

Michael played four seasons of professional basketball in Europe, spending time with Belfast Star in Ireland (2007) before suiting up for three German squads: TSVE Dolphins (2008-09), Giro Live-Ballers (2009-10) and Bayer Giants (2010-11).

“This is such an incredible opportunity, and I sincerely want to thank Coach Anderson, Mack Rhoades and Mizzou’s administration,” Michael said. “My passions are basketball, fitness, and figuring out how to be stronger, faster and mentally tougher. Being able to work at such a high level of college basketball with a staff that is high level themselves is a perfect situation.

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Anderson during the interview process and the comfort level is very high. But my main purpose is with the team. I’m so excited to work with them. It’s about building relationships. It’s extremely gratifying to watch student-athletes grow, learn and graduate. They’ll know when we get after it in the weight room, it’s about building mental toughness. It’s more than building muscle strength. Mental toughness and creating great work habits.”

Currently the head coach at Texas, Smart praised Michael’s expertise and passion when told of his hire at Mizzou.

“Nick is a terrific strength coach and was a huge asset to our program at VCU,” Smart said. “He will do great things for the athletic department at the University of Missouri and their student-athletes. His blend of technical knowledge, basketball experience and enthusiasm makes him one of the best.”

The Rams finished 26-9 on the season and powered their way into the NCAA Tournament with a second-place showing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Prior to his work at VCU, Michael served two seasons as an assistant coach at Elmhurst College (Illinois), his alma mater.

As a player at Elmhurst (2003-07), Michael left his mark. He was a three-time all-conference selection at center for the Bluejays, finishing his career ranking in the Division III program’s top 10 in points scored (1,199) and rebounds (588).

Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Elmhurst before departing on his professional career in 2007, then returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science in 2013 during his stint as an assistant coach. While at VCU, Michael earned a Master’s of Education in Sport Leadership in 2014.

Michael spent the 2015-16 season working in private athletic performance coaching in the Houston area.

Michael has attained several certifications, including Strength & Conditioning Coach Certified (CSCCa), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting Level 1 Performance Coach.

— Mizzou Athletics —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball used a barrage of two-out hits to defeat Kentucky, 9-3, in the series opener Thursday night (May 19) at Cliff Hagan Field. After going on top, 1-0, with a two-out RBI single in the fourth, Mizzou tallied five two-out hits to score four more runs in the fifth inning to break the game open. That was all the run support that Mizzou starter Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) needed as he tossed a complete game with eight hits and three earned runs while striking out nine with just one walk to earn his fifth win of the year. He did all of that on just four day’s rest.

Kentucky’s Zack Brown took the loss, his 11th of the season, as Mizzou tagged him for 12 hits over 7.0-plus innings with eight runs (all earned) while walking three and striking out four. The Tigers pounded out 14 hits, their most in SEC play as five players tallied multi-hit games. Mizzou moves to 26-27 on the year and moves closer to an SEC Tournament berth as its SEC record now stands at 9-19 on the year.

Mizzou had a chance to score off of Brown in the first inning as a one-out walk by Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) and Ryan Howard’s (St. Charles, Mo.) 12th double of the year put runners on the second and third with one out. But Brown got Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) to pop up and then Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) bounced out to strand a pair.

After Brown appeared to settle in, Mizzou got to him in the fourth inning as a two-out double to right center by C Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) scored Lavy all the way from first to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead. It likely would have been more runs, but Howard was caught stealing after a leadoff single, his second hit of the day. The double was Bond’s second hit of the day as well.

Mizzou then continued its trend of two-out hitting in the fifth inning. After Brown got the first two outs, Kirby McGuire (Round Rock, Texas) ripped a single into right field to get the rally started. Ring doubled, Howard singled, Lavy doubled and Harris knocked a single up the middle and those five hits led to four runs as Mizzou broke the game open in the top of the fifth.

Houck responded with an easy 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth while picking up his third strikeout of the game. Mizzou added another run in the top of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly by Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) after Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) tallied his first extra-base hit of SEC play with a double to lead off the inning. Sharp advanced to third on a wild pitch before Nelson’s sacrifice fly.

Mizzou then added three in the eighth inning, two coming on a base-loaded double into right center by McGuire. UK tagged Houck for three runs in the eighth inning, two on a homer by Zach Reks, but he was lights out in the ninth, picking up two more strikeouts to end the game.

Mizzou and Kentucky will be back in action tomorrow at 11 a.m. (CT). That game time was changed due to forecasted inclement weather tomorrow evening.

— Mizzou Athletics —