Missouri Baseball 2014 Pre-Season Rundown

Head Coach: Tim Jamieson (20th season at Mizzou)

Home Stadium: Simmons Field at Taylor Stadium (3,031)

2013 Results: 18-32 (10-20 SEC); Lost 1st Round SEC Tournament vs. Miss. St.

Postseason: None

Following a disappointing inaugural season in the Southeastern Conference, the Missouri Tigers baseball program looks for a bounce back in Year 2 similar to the one seen this fall on Faurot Field. Entering the SEC, it was thought that the baseball program had to take the biggest step in the transition from the Big XII.

Mizzou started off last season rough by getting swept twice on the road open 0-6. This did not set a good tone for the remainder of the season. The Tigers finished as the 12 seed in the SEC. In the conference tournament, they went toe-to-toe with the eventual CWS Runner-Up Mississippi State before losing in an epic 17 inning game.

Reasons for Hope:

Returning Starters: The Tigers return 346 of their 400 (86.5%) position player starts from last year. These players have not only another year to mature, but also a valuable learning experience of playing in the SEC, which no Missouri players had at this time last year.

Close and Competitive: Despite the ugly 18-32 overall record, the Tigers played in a ton of close ball games. Mizzou played 25 games that were decided by three runs or less. The most heart-wrenching of the bunch being the 17 inning thriller in the SEC Tournament, losing to Mississippi State. The Tigers won three SEC series last season (@UGA, vs. AUB, vs. UK) This shows that Missouri was competitive and definitely belongs on the same field as their conference foes.

Schedule: Every schedule is tough in the SEC, but Mizzou lucked out this year by missing regular season series with three preseason top 25 opponents. The Tigers do not play LSU (#9), Alabama (#21), or Texas A&M (#24). Rankings according to Baseball Ameirca.

Reasons to Worry:

Recruiting: Being in a state not being known as having a “hotbed” of baseball talent, it is imperative that Mizzou recruits players out-of-state but also hold down the top players in Missouri. In this past MLB draft, Missouri lost three terrific players from their recruiting class when they chose to go pro over college. Devin Williams (Florissant, MO) is a fireball-throwing RHP taken in the second round by the Brewers. Jacob Brentz (Ballwin, MO) is a big time LHP that was chosen in the 11th round by Toronto. Lastly, Malik Collymore (Mississauga, Ontario) is a great all-around shortstop taken by the Cardinals in the 10th round. Mizzou could have really used these elite level players as the need to upgrade their talent to match their competitors. Also, the facilities of Mizzou’s program don’t compare with those of the other SEC teams. However, this past winter, the Tigers have upgraded their locker room/clubhouse and increased Taylor Stadium’s seating capacity. Missouri still has a ways to go in this category. The Tigers did have the 24th ranked recruiting class in 2012. Mizzou needs production from these players in their second year with the program.

Loss of Leaders: This season, the Tigers are without their best hitter and best pitcher from a year ago. Dane Opel was a fixture in the outfield and the heart of the lineup for the last couple seasons. He led the team in batting average (.292), at bats, runs, hits, and RBI last season. Left handed starting pitcher Rob Zastryzny was drafted by the Cubs in the second round of the MLB Draft and chose to forego his senior season for the pros. Zastryzny led the Tigers in innings pitched and strikeouts. Rob Z also held Mississippi State to one run in nine innings in the conference tournament. The Tigers need to find a replacement for their leading run producer and Friday night starter in order to succeed in 2014.

Keys for Success:

Non-Conference: Last season, Mizzou went 8-11 in the non-conference. They were swept by Southern Miss and Memphis to begin the season. Mizzou also dropped games against Arkansas State, Illinois, Missouri State, and SEMO. If Missouri wants any chance at the NCAA Tournament (other than winning SEC Tourney) the Tigers must take care of business in the non-conference games.

Limit Strikeouts: The Tigers led the conference with 220 strikeouts in 30 SEC games (7.3 per game). Many rallies were killed at the hands of a costly strikeout in last season’s tight games. If the Tigers can put the ball in play to get runner over, get runners home, and keep the pressure of the defense, Mizzou will find itself scoring more runs this year. The Tigers were tied for 9th in the SEC last year scoring just 3.9 runs per game.

Limit Errors: The Tigers committed the third most errors in SEC games last year, committing 37 in 30 games. Against Texas A&M last season, Missouri held a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth before committing four errors in the inning to cough up the lead and lose. In order to make up for their lack of offensive firepower, Mizzou cannot afford to give opponents extra outs and free runs.

Players to Watch:

Keaton Steele (1B/P): Steele was probably Mizzou’s second best offensive player a year ago. Steele, however, carried the offense towards the end of the season during his hot streak. He hit .306 in conference play and belted 5 homers. Steele will be a run producer in the middle of Missouri’s order as well as providing innings in either a starting or relief role. He tossed 7 scoreless innings in relief in the marathon game versus Mississippi State.

Dylan Kelly (C): Kelly was a surprising left handed bat in the middle of the order last year. The former junior college transfer will look to be a leader for this Mizzou team in his second and final campaign with the Tigers. He hit .287 last season and provided some key hits to go along with his 27 RBI.

Josh Lester (INF): Lester is another key cog in the middle of the lineup for Mizzou. He started 42 games last season as a true freshman. The Georgian can play all four infield positions and provide some versatility for Coach Jamieson. Look for Lester to hit for more power this year after hitting two a season ago.

Jake Ring (OF): Ring is a true freshman that looks to get some playing time in the Tiger outfield. Ring has a plus arm to go with his good defensive center field. He can also fly. Ring hit .455 and stole 28 bases his senior year for Grant High School in the Chicago area. Base stealing is an area that Missouri lacked last year. Look for Ring to provide a much needed offensive spark if called upon this spring.

Starting Pitching: The Tigers must fill the void left by Zastryzny in the Friday night starter role. Look for this to be filled by Eric Anderson (SR, 3.90 ERA, 27.2 innings, 4 starts), Brett Graves (JR, 3.80 ERA, 71 innings, 13 starts), or sophomore Alec Rash. Rash was drafted in the second round by the Phillies in 2012, making him the highest drafted player to turn down the pros for college. Mizzou needs Rash to produce this year after starting 7 games last season with a 4.55 ERA.

OTHER NOTABLES: Logan Pearson (OF), Dillon Everett (INF), Case Munson (OF), Kendall Keeton (2B), Shane Segovia (3B), Ryan Howard (SS), Jace James (P), Griffin Goodrich (P), John Miles (P)

Final Verdict

Last season, the Tigers squeaked into conference tournament as a 12 seed. I look for the Tigers to improve on that with a year of SEC experience under their belt. If the Tigers can find their top of the rotation starters and get some timely hitting, they can challenge for the top half of the conference standings. With an abundance of returning players, don’t consider an NCAA Tournament bid a surprise.

Cameron Clouser

@CamClouser

Mizcam1993@gmail.com