What has gone wrong?
No team wants to start a season by losing 20 of its first 32 games—or open conference play 0-12—but that’s exactly where the 2025 Missouri Tigers find themselves.
Missouri’s rough start seemed inevitable once the schedule was released. Of the first four SEC opponents the Tigers faced, only one hasn’t spent time in the top five of the national rankings this season—and that one, Ole Miss, is currently ranked No. 6.
In Kerrick Jackson’s second season as head coach, Missouri is off to a historically poor start. The Tigers became the first team in SEC history to begin conference play 0-10. While the record is alarming, it comes amid a challenging year for Jackson as he navigates the growing pains of rebuilding the program.
Nearly all of Missouri’s struggles can be traced back to two areas: pitching and fielding. Both issues stem largely from one root cause — injuries.
Missouri suffered key losses before the season even began. The Tigers learned they would be without their top returning starting pitcher from 2024, Javyn Pimental, and their newly acquired Gold Glove-winning shortstop, Gehrig Goldbeck. Both players underwent Tommy John surgery and are out for the season.
Goldbeck’s injury ended up having a greater impact than initially expected. With their starting shortstop sidelined for the season, Jackson has been forced to shuffle players around the infield, creating instability on defense. The constant rotation has contributed to Missouri’s SEC-leading 48 errors and a .958 fielding percentage — which ranks 259th in Division I.
As the season has progressed, nearly half of Missouri’s pitching staff has dealt with injuries at some point. The lack of depth has forced several arms into heavier workloads than expected, with some pitchers logging significantly more innings than they’re built for. In the starting rotation alone, all three projected starters — Pimental, Ian Lohse and Daniel Wissler — have gone down with injuries and missed extended time.
The only starter who has remained consistently healthy this season is redshirt freshman Wil Libbert, Missouri’s midweek starter. He has made seven appearances so far, tied for the most on the team.
It highlights just how thin Jackson’s options have been this season. Four freshmen pitchers have already combined for nearly 30 appearances. That same level of reliance extends to transfers as well — of the 14 pitchers on the roster who aren’t freshmen, five came from other programs and were pitching elsewhere last season.
So, what has gone right?
If there are two bright spots for Missouri this season, they’ve been hitting and speed.
Missouri’s heavy reliance on freshmen and transfers extends to the lineup — but with far more success. A mix of new faces and returning veterans has produced some of the best offensive numbers the Tigers have seen in years.
Without the benefit of significant NIL resources or a state-of-the-art facility, Jackson faced challenges recruiting from Division I programs. Instead, he shifted his focus and landed some of the top talent from Division II, NAIA and junior college ranks.
The Tigers currently rank 11th in the SEC with a team batting average of .284. Leading the charge is junior Jackson Lovich, who tops the team in nearly every major offensive category, including batting average, slugging percentage, OPS and hits.
Lovich isn’t the only one producing at the plate. Newcomers like Columbia College transfer Cayden Niccoletto — who also boasts a 0.00 ERA on the mound — and Memphis transfer Pierre Seals have stepped up in a big way. Both are carrying OPS marks over .900 and have played key roles in powering Missouri’s offense.
The Tigers are also getting key contributions from freshman bats. While Jackson initially wondered if the speed of the college game might overwhelm some of them, players like Tyler Macon and Brady Picarelli have quickly proved him wrong with their production at the plate.
Strangely enough, much of the credit goes to Jackson himself. The majority of Missouri’s everyday starters — who are helping the team average more than seven runs per game — are either sophomores or transfers that Jackson brought in.
Last season, Jackson’s first at the helm, gave him a chance to evaluate his roster and learn what his players could and couldn’t do. He placed a strong emphasis on developing the freshman class, knowing that most of them would return in 2025 as part of his first true recruiting cycle. Jackson made sure those players received early opportunities, turning many of them into everyday contributors by season’s end.
Two players Jackson invested heavily in last season were outfielder Kaden Peer and catcher/first baseman Mateo Serna. As freshmen, Peer appeared in 39 games and Serna played in 28 — experience that appears to have paid off. Now in their second seasons, both look comfortable at the plate and are making steady contributions to the lineup.
Peer has started 30 of Missouri’s 32 games and is one of three players on the team batting above .300. He’s recorded eight extra-base hits, including three home runs. Serna has provided power as well, ranking second on the team with six homers.
Other newcomers like Keegan Knutson, Peyton Basler and Gehrig Goldbeck have also provided production in the bottom half of the Tigers’ lineup, giving Missouri a top-to-bottom order capable of doing damage.
Another unexpected strength for Missouri this season has been its speed on the basepaths. The Tigers have hit 10 triples — the most in the SEC and among the top 50 totals in the country. They’ve also translated that speed into success on the bases, stealing 53 bags to rank third in the conference.
So what does this mean for Jackson and the rest of the season?
While the Tigers weren’t expected to make a deep run this season, the program appears to be trending in the right direction. With the group Jackson has had to work with, he’s managed to build a team that’s beginning to show its potential — both now and for seasons to come.
Until more financial support arrives, Missouri faces an uphill battle in competing at the highest level of SEC baseball. Whether it’s through NIL opportunities for players or much-needed facility upgrades, the program lacks the resources to match what other schools can offer top-tier prospects — outside of the appeal of simply playing in the SEC.
While there’s always a chance things could change, meaningful improvements don’t appear likely in the near future. Some fans have already begun calling for Jackson’s dismissal, but what he’s accomplished over the past two seasons with limited resources and a patched-together roster isn’t as bleak as it may seem. There’s far more happening behind the scenes — and behind the numbers — than even the most attentive observers may realize.
There’s only so much a team like this can do. Missouri may hit .284 as a team, but when its pitchers are allowing opponents to bat .315 with an OPS over .900, even a solid offense can only carry so much of the load.
When speaking with players, only positive things are said about Jackson — both as a coach and as a person. Despite the lack of on-field success, the culture and environment he’s begun to build over the past two seasons is one that, with the right resources, could set the foundation for long-term success in Missouri’s program.