Missouri baseball (12-21, 0-13 SEC) remained winless in conference play, dropping its 13th straight SEC game in an 11-2 loss to Florida on Thursday. Despite the score, the Tigers had opportunities, leaving 10 runners on base.
Florida jumped out to an early lead with a six-run first inning that set the tone for the rest of the game. After Missouri freshman Brady Kehlenbrink walked the Gators’ leadoff hitter, back-to-back singles brought in the first run before the Tigers could record an out. Florida followed with back-to-back home runs to extend the lead to 5-0, then added another run on a wild pitch to make it 6-0 before the inning ended.
To his credit, Kehlenbrink responded well after the rocky start. He retired the next seven batters in a row and closed his outing with two scoreless innings.
Kehlenbrink’s final line:
3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 71-42 (Total Pitches-Strikes)
After Kehlenbrink's exit, sophomore right-hander Ben Lucas took over on the mound but ran into trouble of his own. He loaded the bases with no outs before allowing an RBI single that brought in one run and kept the bases full. Missouri recorded its first out of the inning on a fielder’s choice at home, but Florida answered with another single that drove in two more, stretching the lead to 9-2.
Missouri scored its only two runs in the third inning. Back-to-back doubles by Chris Patterson and Payton Basler brought in the first run, and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Cayden Niccoletto later in the frame made it 6-2.
The Gators added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double, sealing Missouri’s 11-2 loss and handing the Tigers their 13th straight conference defeat to open the 2025 season.
While Missouri’s pitching struggled against Florida’s offense, the staff managed to preserve its bullpen for the rest of the weekend. Despite allowing 11 runs, the Tigers used just two pitchers in the game—Kehlenbrink covered the first three innings, and Lucas handled the final five. Though neither could contain the Gators, their extended outings helped keep the rest of Missouri’s already thin bullpen fresh for the remaining two games of the series.
Missouri had no answers for Florida’s pitching, striking out 12 times against four Gator arms. The biggest challenge for the Tigers was starter Liam Peterson. The 6-foot-5 sophomore touched 97 mph on the radar gun and struck out seven over five innings, allowing just two runs in the win.
Kehlenbrink (0-3) took the loss for Missouri, while Peterson (5-2) earned the win for Florida.
The series continues Friday with Game 2 against Florida, scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch. Missouri senior Kaden Jacobi is set to start for the Tigers.