Baseball Primed for Key Road Test Against No. 3 Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Missouri baseball returns to the road this weekend with a three-game Southeastern Conference series against No. 3 Tennessee. The Tigers and Vols will open the series with a 6 p.m. (CDT) contest Thursday (April 25), before playing single contests Friday (5:30 p.m.) and Saturday (11 a.m.) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Tigers (19-23, 6-12 SEC) are coming off a 10-6 nonconference victory over Missouri State (April 23), as well as their sixth one-run victory in SEC play with an 8-7 decision over defending national champion LSU (April 20) last weekend.

The first and third games of the series will be televised live on SEC Network with Clay Matvick and Lance Cormier calling the action. The middle contest will be streamed on SEC Network+. Additionally, each of this weekend’s games will be produced by the Tiger Radio Network for broadcast locally in Columbia via KTGR AM/FM (105.1 FM/100.5 FM/1580 AM) and streaming via the Varsity Network app (by searching ‘Missouri’), with Tex Little and Matt Michaels once again handling broadcast duties.

PITCHING PROBABLES

• Game 1 (Thursday, April 25 – 6 p.m.) – TBD (Mizzou) vs. LHP Chris Stamos (UT)
• Game 2 (Friday, April 26 – 5:30 p.m.) – TBD (Mizzou) vs. RHP Drew Beam (UT)
• Game 3 (Saturday, April 27 – 11 a.m.) – TBD (Mizzou) vs. TBD (UT)

SERIES HISTORY

• Missouri leads the overall series with Tennessee by a 17-13 margin, including an 8-7 edge vs. the Volunteers on their home field.
• Mizzou has captured three of its five previous series against UT in Knoxville (2015, 2017 and 2019).
• Last year the Tigers swept the Vols in a three-game set in Columbia (March 17-19), stopping a six-game UT win streak in the series.
• The Tigers outscored UT by a 23-6 margin in last year’s series, as Mizzou starting pitchers Chandler Murphy, Austin Troesser and Ian Lohse combined for 16 strikeouts while allowing just two runs over their 12.2 innings.
• Trevor Austin led the Tigers in their 2023 sweep, going 5-for-9 (.556) with four RBIs and brings a career .333 batting mark against Tennessee into this year’s matchup.

SCOUTING MISSOURI

• Missouri posted a 30-24 regular-season finish last spring, including a 10-20 SEC mark.
• Kerrick Jackson was named the 15th head coach in Mizzou history in June, returning to Columbia to lead a program for which he served as an assistant coach from 2011-15 under Mizzou Hall of Fame head coach (and current pitching coach) Tim Jamieson.
• The Tigers return three regular starters from last season, led by senior INF/OF Trevor Austin, who batted .311 with eight homers and 10 steals to help bolster the MU offense.
• Senior INF Matt Garcia turned in a solid debut season with the Tigers, providing clutch hitting and lock-down defense on the MU infield.
• MU should also receive a lift from sophomore INF Jackson Lovich and junior OF Juju Stevens, who each made key contributions in limited duty in 2023.
• Several newcomers could also make early contributions, including junior INF Danny Corona, who helped Wake Forest to a 2023 College World Series berth, C Jedier Hernandez, a standout behind the plate for Seton Hall the last two seasons, and sophomore OF Jeric Curtis, a Texas Tech transfer who brings significant speed to the Tiger outfield and batting order.
• On the mound, sophomore RHP Logan Lunceford is back to help anchor Mizzou’s weekend rotation after posting 68 strikeouts to lead all SEC freshman hurlers last spring.
• Junior LHP Javyn Pimental also contributed mightily to the Tigers’ mound efforts in 2023, making eight starts for the Tigers.
• Mizzou should also benefit from the potential return of a pair of veterans who missed significant time last spring; left-hander Ian Lohse and RHP Carter Rustad missed significant portions of 2023 due to injury following promising starts to the campaign.
• New arms like RHP Xavier Lovett and RHP Bryce Mayer could compete for starting rotation spots, while RHP Jacob Peaden may give the back end of the Tigers’ bullpen a strong presence.

MIZZOU BY THE NUMBERS

• Missouri is coming off a 30-win campaign last spring, which marked the 20th time the Tigers reached the 30-win plateau in the last 30 seasons, as well as the 35th time overall.
• NF Brock Daniels has been Mizzou’s hottest hitter in the month of April, batting .400 (22-of-55) with 21 RBIs and six steals in helping the Tigers go 9-5.
• Daniels, who ranks fourth in the SEC with four sacrifice flies on the season, brings a career-best 10-game hit streak into Thursday’s game. The sophomore from St. Louis has hit .390 (16-for-41) and driven in 12 runs over the course of the streak (dating back to April 7).
• C Mateo Serna powered the Tigers in their season sweep of Missouri State, clubbing home runs in each of the two games and driving in a career-best five runs in Tuesday’s win.
• Serna belted a critical grand slam in Tuesday’s win, marking the first by a Tiger since Luke Mann’s slam vs. Ole Miss on May 6, 2023.
• Serna also logged his first multi-hit effort as a Tiger in the victory.
• INF Trevor Austin logged his team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season and the 30th of his Mizzou career Tuesday vs. MSU.
• Austin leads the club with nine home runs, topping his previous season high (2023) with a three-run blast April 12 at Georgia, hiking his career total to 25 round-trippers.
• Austin has been hit by 15 pitches so far this season, ranking third in the SEC; additionally, his total of six sacrifice bunts is tied for third in the conference.
• Austin is hitting .370 in day games, with 30 of his team-best 40 hits and seven of his nine homers coming during daylight.
• INF Danny Corona launched a fourth-inning homer vs. Missouri State on Tuesday, marking the first long ball of his Mizzou career and the 19th of the junior transfer’s collegiate career
• The Tigers are batting .281 and averaging 9.4 runs per game in day games.
• 1B Jackson Lovich and 2B Matt Garcia share the No. 2 spot on the SEC triples leaderboard (3).
• As a team, the Tigers’ 10 triples this season rank second in the SEC.
• Lovich recorded a career-best 13-game hit streak, February 24-March 15, batting .388 (19-for-49).
• After a slow start to the conference season, Garcia has been red-hot in SEC play over the last two weekends, hitting a combined .435 (10-for-23) with six RBIs in the Tigers’ six contests against Georgia (April 11-13) and LSU (April 19-21).
• Garcia turned in his best weekend of SEC play to date at Georgia, leading the Tigers with a .500 batting average, including a career-best four-hit performance in the series opener; he drove in a pair of runs in that contest, then went 2-for-5 with three RBIs in the finale, belting his first home run of the season as well.
• For the week of April 8-14, Garcia went 8-of-17 (.474) with a .824 slugging percentage.
• Daniels has hit .359 in conference action to date, while C Jedier Hernandez’s 10 RBIs in SEC play lead the Tigers.
• LHP Ryan Magdic has proven to be a valuable weapon out of the bullpen, securing either a save or a victory in each of his last three relief appearances (April 6-20).
• LHP Ian Lohse turned in a pair of scoreless outings last week, including 3.0 innings April 21 vs. LSU in his first start since March 25, 2023.
• The Tigers rank fourth in the conference in stolen bases (53).
• The Tigers are 9-5 in one-run contests this spring, including a 6-1 mark in SEC play.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE

• Led by seventh-year head coach — and former Tiger Tony Vitello — the Volunteers enter the weekend with a 34-7 overall record and a 12-6 mark in SEC play.
• UT is ranked as high as No. 3 in this week’s national polls after taking two of three road games from Kentucky last weekend in Lexington.
• The Volunteers rely on a potent lineup that features five different players who have hit at least 14 home runs through 41 games.
• UT is hitting .329 as a team with a Division I-leading 115 homers, paced by junior INF Christian Moore’s 19 round-trippers.
• Sophomore INF Dylan Dreiling leads the Vols with 48 RBIs to go along with 15 homers and a .321 average, while junior 1B Blake Burke paces the offense with his .412 batting mark.
• On the mound, RHP Drew Beam leads the weekend rotation with a 5-1 season mark and a 3.40 ERA. Junior RHP AJ Causey leads the club with 65 strikeouts over 48.0 IP.
• As a staff, the Vols have posted a 3.96 ERA, while limiting the opposition to a .238 batting average and posting a 1.24 WHIP, which ranks sixth in the nation.

TARGET: TREVOR

• INF Trevor Austin has made a habit of reaching base throughout his four-year career with the Tigers, particularly when it comes to serving as a target, logging 44 free bases due to hit by pitches.
• Austin, the SEC’s active leader in HBPs, was hit by a pitch in Tuesday’s nonconference win over Missouri State, running his 2024 total to 15 HBPs, which ranks third in the SEC.
• As a result, the Jefferson City native climbed into sole possession of third place on Mizzou’s all-time HBP chart.
• Austin is seven HBPs away from matching John Hay (1989-93) in the No. 2 position on the list.
• John McKee (2004-07) owns the Tigers’ all-time mark of 70 HBPs.

FRESH LOOK

• Mizzou has received contributions from up and down its roster, and the Tigers’ talented crop of freshmen have been some of their most consistent performers.
• MU’s four primary freshman position players — SS Drew Culbertson, DH Thomas Curry, OF Tucker Moore, OF Kaden Peer and C Mateo Serna — have each made significant contributions in their rookie seasons.
• Culbertson logged hits in six straight games (April 7-16), including three consecutive two-hit performances.
• For the year, Culbertson has recorded seven multi-hit outings to date, swiping nine bases (in 11 attempts), while making 32 starts for the Tigers.
• Curry has hit four homers, which is good for fourth on the club, and notched four multi-RBI efforts, while drawing 17 walks.
• Curry, who has logged time as the Tigers’ cleanup hitter while starting 23 contests to date, recorded a four-RBI afternoon vs. Northern Kentucky (March 3) and registered four multi-hit performances in his first 10 collegiate games.
• Moore has spent time in the leadoff spot in the MU batting order, recording four multi-hit performances and reaching base safely in 21 of his 28 games.
• Peer has heated up in April, hitting .270 with two home runs and a pair of three-RBI games in SEC play this month.
• Serna has drawn 14 starts behind the plate as a rookie. The Floridian has recorded hits in each of his last four starts, including a grand slam and five total RBIs in the Tigers’ victory over Missouri State on Tuesday.
• The Tigers have received contributions from a trio of freshman hurlers as well, with RHP Charlie Miller logging 12 strikeouts over 10.2 innings and RHP Josh McDevitt making three starts. Additionally, RHP Ben Smith has made a pair of relief appearances for MU.

APRIL ACCOLADES

• Mizzou is off to a 9-5 start to the month of April, making it the Tigers’ most successful month of the 2024 season to date.
• In SEC play, the Tigers have won five of their nine April contests, including a three-game sweep of No. 6 Florida (April 5-7), an extra-innings road win over Georgia (April 12) and an 8-7 victory over defending national champion LSU last weekend.
• With its .643 winning percentage this month, April also marks MU’s best overall month since March 2023, when the Tigers finished 13-5 (.722).
• The Tigers have not posted a .500 month of April since 2019, when they went 12-5 (.706).
• As a team, the Tigers have hit .275 and averaged 7.1 runs per April contest.
• INF Brock Daniels has been MU’s most productive hitter this month, going 22-for-55 (.400) with three home runs and 21 RBIs.
• INF Matt Garcia has been red hot in April as well, raising his average from .167 to .252 by going 18-for-51 (.353) with 14 RBIs this month, including five multi-hit performances.
• INF Trevor Austin has reached base safely in 13 of 14 April games, recording hits in 11 of those, while logging a team-high .493 on-base percentage.
• LHP Ryan Magdic has emerged as a dominant force out of the MU bullpen in recent weeks, including three April relief outings over which he has fanned 10 hitters and allowed just two runs in 6.0 combined innings, earning a victory and two saves.

TERRIFIC WITH TWO

• The Tigers have been clutch this season with two out, both at the plate and on the mound.
• Mizzou’s offense has recorded 104 two-out RBIs in just 42 games, while hitting .296 (146-for-494) after the second out has been recorded in an inning.
• Last weekend vs. LSU, MU went 10-for-33 (.303) with two out, scoring seven two-out runs in Saturday’s 8-7 victory.
• The weekend of April 11-13 at Georgia, the Tigers hit .325 (13-for-40) with two out, producing 11 RBIs.
• Against vs. No. 6 Florida, Mizzou recorded eight two-out RBIs, including all four of its runs in its game two victory (April 6).
• INF Brock Daniels and OF Jackson Beaman have been MU’s most consistent two-out threats, hitting .545 (12-for-22) and .400 (10-for-25) in such situations, respectively.
• Additionally, INF Jackson Lovich and INF Matt Garcia have each produced 14 two-out RBIs this spring, accounting for 27-percent of the Tigers’ two-out RBIs.
• Mizzou pitchers have been equally dominant, holding the opposition to a collective .221 (102-for-462) two-out batting average this spring.

ROAD WARRIORS

• Mizzou notched its first SEC road win of 2024 on April 12 with its 6-5 victory in 10 innings at Georgia.
• The victory marked the Tigers’ first conference road win since April 15, 2023 (at Texas A&M).
• Coupled with their April 16 nonconference victory over Missouri State in Springfield, the Tigers now have six road wins in 2024.
• In their 17 road contests this spring, the Tigers have been led by freshman SS Drew Culbertson’s .295 batting mark.

RANK AND FILE

• With their three wins over sixth-ranked Florida, the Tigers can now boast of four total SEC wins over ranked opponents this season.
• Mizzou notched its first win over a top 25 foe March 23 with a 2-1 victory over No. 21 Kentucky.
• The victory over UK also marked head coach Kerrick Jackson’s first conference win — as well as the first SEC win for a Black head coach in the circuit’s history.
• With its 8-7 win over defending national champion LSU, the Tigers have recorded wins over the reigning national titlists in back-to-back years. Mizzou took two of three meetings from 2022 NCAA CWS champion Ole Miss last May in Columbia.
• Additionally, the Tigers won a road SEC regular-season series against 2021 national champ Mississippi State prior to the Bulldogs embarking on their title run.
• This year, the Tigers could face as many as eight ranked SEC foes in weekend series, as each of their scheduled league opponents have spent time in at least one top 25 poll this spring.

TICKETS
Mizzou baseball 2024 single-game tickets are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the ticket office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS or by visiting MUTigers.com/Tickets.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram and Facebook.