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What's On
Hey there, Tanner Houck. How are you feeling this fine Tuesday morning?
MUtigers.com: @MizzouBaseball Takes on Vanderbilt in Opening Round of SEC Tournament
Mizzou is making its third SEC Tournament appearance since joining the league for the 2013 season. Mizzou is 1-3 all-time in the SEC Tournament with its lone win coming last season when RHP Reggie McClain pitched Mizzou, the seven seed in last year's tournament, past 10th-seeded South Carolina. Mizzou won the game, 5-1. Mizzou then lost the next two games and was eliminated and likely just missed out on a regional berth because of the two losses. Mizzou had Vanderbilt on the ropes with a 6-2 lead after six innings in 2015, but Vanderbilt scored two in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth before Rhett Wiseman homered in the 10th to close the comeback. Mizzou then lost, 4-3, to Alabama with Tanner Houck on the mound as its season came to an end following that game. Mizzou led 3-1 after 5.5 innings, but a two-run sixth and a one-run seventh helped Alabama complete the comeback.
Post-Dispatch: Mizzou's SEC tourney hopes hinge on Houck
"He attacks you," said Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin, who plans to start righthander Patrick Raby (6-1). "He gets to the plate. He gets to the plate with confidence. He’s very a aggressive kid that we’d all love to have. He just presents a very tough challenge because he doesn’t give in. He’s the type of guy who gets through the order two or three times and he’s done that against many teams. We had a very difficult time against him the first time."
If the Tigers can snap their Vanderbilt skid, Jamieson isn’t sure who starts Wednesday against the Aggies. Senior righthander Reggie McClain (5-4) was MU’s No. 1 weekend starter until late in the season, but he threw eight innings Friday at Kentucky.
KC Star: Mizzou ace Tanner Houck will try to keep season alive against Vanderbilt
Missouri also has been without "our three best bullpen arms the whole year," Jamieson said. "And you can’t win in this league without the ability to win the back half of the game."
But he knows from past experience in the Big 12 Tournament that it’s possible to catch lightning in a bottle and a conference-tourney run.
"You have to believe that you can," Jamieson said. "We’ve got to be very efficient with our pitching staff. Our guys that go out there are going to have to be able to pitch on short rest and to be able to give us a lot of innings."
The Trib: Houck gets the start in SEC opener against Vanderbilt
Missouri is 0-13 all-time against the Commodores, getting outscored 115-41 overall. But the Tigers have been more competitive in recent meetings.
In a home series this season, the Tigers lost heartbreakers the first two games. In Friday’s 8-6 loss, Missouri led 6-4 with two outs in the ninth. On Saturday, the Tigers squandered a gem by Houck, who struck out 14 in nine innings, and lost 2-0 in 11 innings.
Last season at the SEC Tournament, the Commodores rallied for a 7-6 victory in the 10th inning.
Speaking of Mizzou aces...
MLB.com: Nationals' Max Scherzer rounding into midseason form
And speaking of diamond sports...
The Trib: Tigers will face Michigan in NCAA super regional on Saturday and Sunday
Let us down easy, MPJ
So the full Porter Jr. rundown#Mizzou - hometown
— Mark Kim (@MarkJKim_) May 24, 2016
Washington - dad/bro
IU - potential w/ Crean
OU - Trae Young PKG
VA - Kyle Guy friendship
Rivals.com: 5-star Michael Porter cuts to a final five schools, discusses visit plans
Porter just won't let Mizzou fans quit yet. Common sense says Porter signing with anyone but Washington would be a massive surprise, but the best case I can make for Mizzou hope is that, even with his brother and parents in Seattle, his sisters Bri and Cierra would still be in Columbia for his freshman season. Bri would be a Mizzou senior, Cierra a junior. And if he's playing only one year in college, there you go. And, of course, a lot of his high school friends would still be here.
Yeah, that's the best I could do. He's still going to Washington.
While we're on the topic of recruiting...
PowerMizzou: 2017 Offer Board: Quarterbacks and running backs
Around the Mizzou universe
Volleyball in China
MUtigers.com: @MizzouVB Visits Historical Great Wall of China
A Tiger in the tennis NCAAs
The Trib: MU's Machado Santos looks to use well-rounded game to be a threat at NCAAs
Track & Field becoming sneaky-strong
MUtigers.com: @MIZ_TrackField Qualifies Record Group into NCAA Preliminary Round
JUCO help coming for Men's Golf
MUtigers.com: Incoming @MizzouMensGolf Recruit Ullestad Ties for Third at NJCAA Championship
This post will frustrate you...
...both because of Missouri's high ranking and mediocre record and because of the thought of a Rozier-Bo battle.