COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball (22-12, 5-10 SEC) faces the LSU Tigers (24-12, 7-8 SEC) to begin the second half of the conference slate on Thursday, April 21, in Baton Rouge, La.
First pitch in Thursday’s series opener is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU. Game two of the series will stream on SEC Network + Friday night at 6:30 p.m. before the two Tigers meet on Saturday at noon to conclude the series on the SEC Network.
Fans can also catch Mizzou baseball on the airwaves all season long on KTGR and the Tiger Radio Network. Tex Little and Matt Michaels will have the call.
PITCHING PROBABLES
Thursday – RHP Spencer Miles (2-3, 6.30 ERA) vs. RHP Ma’Khail Hilliard (3-0, 3.83 ERA)
Friday – LHP Tony Neubeck (3-1, 4.46 ERA) vs. RHP Blake Money (2-3, 4.78 ERA)
Saturday – RHP Austin Marozas (1-1, 6.11 ERA) vs. TBA
SERIES BUSINESS
- Mizzou and LSU meet for the 19th time with all but two of those meetings coming as SEC foes. The series marks the first meeting since 2019 when Mizzou took 2-of-3 in Columbia.
- The weekend marks the first visit to Baton Rouge since 2018. In that series, Mizzou earned its first win against the Bayou Bengals by taking the middle game 12-6.
- While LSU owns a 15-3 edge in the series, all three Mizzou wins have come in the past five meetings. The two losses in that stretch were a two-run and one-run defeat.
LAST TIME OUT
- Missouri rallied to earn a series win over Kentucky, taking the final two games of the set at Taylor Stadium.
- The Tigers rode a masterful outing from freshman Tony Neubeck on Friday to even the series. The southpaw tossed a career-long seven innings while scattering three hits and allowing just two runs. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.
- Saturday’s finale saw the Tigers complete an improbable comeback after falling behind 6-0 in the first two innings. Mizzou scored eight in the third to take the lead and never looked back in a 10-6 win.
- Ross Lovich finished the weekend 4-for-8 at the plate with five RBI. He also swiped a pair of bags in the series win.
- In the midweek, the Tigers held off in-state rival Missouri State, 6-5, to pick up their third straight win. Luke Mann finished 2-for-3 with a homer, double and three RBI in the victory.
SUPER MANN TAKES FLIGHT
- Third baseman Luke Mann leads the Tigers with nine home runs on the season, five coming in the past 10 games.
- In that 10-game stretch, Mann has a team-leading 13 RBI while hitting .306 with an OPS of 1.207.
- He hit three round-trippers in the final two games of the South Carolina series, including a mammoth 443-foot shot at 108 mph off the bat in Saturday’s meeting. Sunday’s performance was a two-homer game for the junior with four RBI.
- Mann continued his torrid stretch with homers in the first inning of the Friday and Saturday games at Tennessee.
- The junior added another long ball in Tuesday’s win over Missouri State.
- Mann’s nine homers are a career best for the third baseman.
AUSTIN BACK IN FORM
- Trevor Austin has surged once again at the plate, hitting a team-leading .382 (13-for-34) over the past 10 games with three doubles, a home run and five RBI.
- He’s scored 11 runs in the past 10 games and has a hit in 9-of-10.
- Austin went 3-for-3 against Western Illinois, finishing a triple shy of the cycle when he was lifted from the game.
- During the 10-game stretch, he’s reaching at a .553 clip.
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
- Mizzou sits second in the SEC and 29th nationally with 59 hit-by-pitches this season.
- Four Tigers have been plunked 10 or more times, led by Torin Montgomery and Josh Day with a dozen bean balls each.
- The Tigers were hit five times in Tuesday’s win over Missouri State, one shy of the program record set in 2019 against the Bears.
SCOUTING THE BAYOU BENGALS
- LSU enters the weekend at 24-12 overall and 7-8 in SEC play.
- The Tigers own one of the most dangerous lineups in the country, led by Jacob Berry who hits .354 with 10 homers and 36 RBI. Three more Tigers, Cade Doughty, Dylan Crews and Tre’ Morgan all hit over .300 with 25+ RBI.
- On the mound, LSU has worked to a 3.50 ERA despite battling injuries this season. In SEC play, the Tigers hold a 4.26 ERA as a team.
- LSU has struggled defensively, fielding just .959 on the season.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
