An Opening Day edition

Happy Opening Day festivities to all you Cardinals and Royals fans out there. The Royals beat the Guardians 3-1, and the Cardinals beat the Pirates 9-0 yesterday as both teams improved to 1-0 on the 162-game season.

If you’re curious about where former Mizzou Baseball Tigers are on MLB ball clubs, well, you’re in luck.

Four Tigers have landed on their MLB team’s Opening Day roster, and to no one’s surprise, all of them are pitchers. Pitcher U, indeed. That’s three starters and one reliever.

Max Scherzer is the headliner, who signed with the New York Mets this offseason. Due to a hamstring injury, Scherzer wasn’t named the Mets’ Opening Day starter, but he has been cleared to get the start tonight, against his former team, the Nationals, in DC.

Kyle Gibson of the Philadelphia Phillies is scheduled to get the start on Saturday afternoon against the Oakland A’s. The Phillies acquired Gibson from the Rangers around last season’s Trade Deadline. Gibson is the Phillies’ third starter behind Aaron Nola and an injured Zack Wheeler in their rotation.

Tanner Houck will get the start for the Boston Red Sox on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball against heated rival New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, so that will be one to watch — for sure.

Unfortunately for Peter Fairbanks, he suffered a lat injury in spring training and his debut in 2022 for the Tampa Bay Rays is going to be delayed.

According to MUTigers.com, there are 12 former Tigers that are currently in the minor leagues. At the highest level (Triple-A) include Josh Lester (Tigers organization), Reggie McClain (Yankees organization), and the brother of Mizzou’s pitching coach Mitch Plassmeyer, Michael Plassmeyer (Giants organization).

Onto the links. M-I-Z! Plus, some assistant hoops coach news upcoming (insert eyeball emoji)

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Yesterday at Rock M

• In our latest edition of NFL Draft Profiles, Aaron Dryden writes about Tyler Badie
• Matthew Smith tells us Why Mizzou Should Add Women’s Wrestling
• PODCAST: MAILBAG EPISODE with Brandon Kiley and Nate Edwards
• Report: Florida State Assistant Charlton Young to be named Associate Head Coach at Mizzou, from Sam Snelling

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More Links:

(STLToday)

• Updated story from Aidan Shaw’s parents, per Dave Matter: How Mizzou’s Dennis Gates convinced four-star recruit Aidan Shaw to renew his commitment
• Mizzou’s Dennis Gates reuniting with Florida State assistant Charlton Young, writes Dave Matter

(Columbia Missourian)

• MU’s Gates reportedly hires former FSU colleague Young as top assistant, writes Anthony Kristensen
• From Tanner Ludwig: Missouri faces herculean task against No. 1 Tennessee
• From Chris Blake: MU softball to face Davidson, Mississippi State in road series
• Missouri pays Fogler $50,000 total for outside help in men’s basketball coaching search, writes Matt Brolley

(Columbia Daily Tribune)

• From Chris Kwiecinski: Dennis Gates hires Charlton Young as assistant coach for Mizzou basketball, per reports
• From Chris Kwiecinski: The most impressive part of Dennis Gates’ first month leading Mizzou basketball

(Miscellaneous/Tweets)

• A BIG congrats to Mizzou Commit Aidan Shaw, the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Year!

• Blake Lovell, who is a huge Dennis Gates guy, weighs in on the assistant hire.

• It looks like Jon Sundvold is on board with Dennis Gates’ assistant hire! If Sundvold is on board, I am as well.

• On MUTigers.com, Tigers Travel to Top-Ranked Tennessee. Here are the pitching probables for this series, according to Dave Matter:

• On MUTigers.com, No. 24/25 Tigers Return to SEC Play at Mississippi State
• You can nominate for Mizzou Student Athletes in part of the 50th anniversary of Title IX!

• Here’s a look at the Mizzou Gymnastics’ Regional Award winners. The postseason run continues at the championships next week in Fort Worth, Texas!

• The Mizzou Track and Field team finished the day with three top 10 finishes in Fayetteville!

• If you’re looking to sign up for ESPN+, Rock M Nation now has an affiliate link: click Here for ESPN+ Now!
• If you’re looking to sign up for a new streaming service, you can try FuboTV: click HERE for FuboTV access — FuboTV now has ESPN, CBS, FS1 and more sports channels.
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