Missouri Tigers Baseball Welcomes No. 4 Florida

The Missouri Tigers baseball team is getting ready for another Southeastern Conference show down with an East division rival this week, as they look to right the ship after two straight losses and get back on the trailblazing success that has culminated in their best start since 2008.

This time, it’s the No. 4 Florida Gators coming into Columbia for a three game weekend set, the first of which is tonight at 6 p.m. at Taylor Stadium. The Gators are the fourth straight ranked opponent Missouri will have faced.

Missouri has a slight limp into the weekend after suffering two straight losses. The team dropped 2 of 3 in a hard fought series a weekend ago against Texas A&M in College Station then lost in neutral site contest to ranked Illinois, 4-3 in the Braggin’ Rights game. But Mizzou looked the part during most of those meetings and certainly would like to get things back on track this weekend.

It won’t be easy.

Florida comes in as one of the hottest teams in the nation, having won 7 of their last 9, including five straight, good enough for a 23-7 overall record, and a 6-1 SEC total.

The Gators are a hitting and scoring machine. The plate is their wheel house. They tear pitchers apart. They’ve nearly doubled up on opponents, outscoring them 213-115 so far this season.

The key here for the Missouri Tigers is how the start to the game goes. Mizzou needs to start out fast from the batter’s box, and slow things down at the pitcher’s mound. Florid jumps off to fast starts. That’s where they beat you.

The Gators out run opponents in the first four innings by a total of 100-44. The double up opponents in the first inning 34-16, and have tallied a 25-9 run differential in both the second and third innings overall this year.

Regardless of how fast the Missouri Tigers start, they will need to score ample runs themselves to keep up in each of these games. Florida is 12-3 when its opposing team scores 5 runs or less. With that being the case, it seems imperative that the Tigers are able to get 5 runs or more in each game, which is tough, but doable.

The Gators also score big often, and win when they do. Out of 23 total wins, they’ve won 18 of their games scoring 6 or more runs. They’re 12-1 when they score between 6-9 runs. They’re 6-0 if they get to 10 runs or more.

Mizzou’s playmakers, like Trey Harris, Ryan Howard and Case Munson will need to be at the top of their game and the pitching staff will need to show its good stuff. This is one of those series where the Tigers will need to bring their A-game.

Florida is a so-so 5-4 so far in SEC play. So this isn’t, by any means, a unwinnable series. The Tigers have what it takes, and I expect them to get at least a game out of this series.

Mizzou’s most impressive play has been on the pitchers’ mound. Perhaps the Tigers best chances in the series will be provided by the second best overall staff in the SEC, including multi-SEC pitcher of the week winner Reggie McClain getting a start on Saturday.

The first pitch is at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.