Missouri baseball (25-9, 6-6 SEC) welcomed the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions to Taylor Stadium for a midweek series from April 11-12. The Tigers made easy work of the Golden Lions, sweeping the series to improve their overall record to 25-9 and their win streak to four games.
####Tuesday
A career night for Andy Toelken powered the Tigers to a 13-1 victory. The junior right-handed pitcher was sharp on the mound, throwing a complete game while limiting the Golden Lions to just two runs off a single base hit.
Toelken proved himself with his performance, after recently being replaced as the team’s third starter in the team’s rotation by surging star Bryce Montes De Oca.
From the perspective of coach Steve Bieser, Toelken’s recipe for success was simple.
“It’s the game of baseball, and you have to be able to go whenever, and I like that we have four options of starters throwing the ball well right now,” Bieser said.
Despite his recent tweak in the rotation, Bieser made it clear that confidence in Toelken’s ability was never in question.
“We know what Andy is capable of,” Beiser said. “That’s why he was a weekend starter whenever we came out of the gates. He’s a strike thrower, and he showed that again tonight, throwing strikes.”
The offense was sharp on Tuesday as well. Freshman Kameron Misner led the charge, going 3-3 at the plate, including the highlight play of the night — a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Given their recent slump, Missouri needed a game like this to get the offense rolling after struggling to score in recent Southeastern Conference games. Junior outfielder Connor Brumfield emerged as the offensive leader in this series, adding three hits to his season total. Brumfield currently leads the Tigers in hits.
####Wednesday
The Tigers took the field for the second game of the series at a sun-drenched Taylor Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
It was an offensive shootout from the get-go, as the Tigers used a pair of seven-run innings to ultimately emerge victorious, 15-6.
Beiser was cautiously optimistic regarding the offensive outburst.
“I think it’s looked a little bit better,” Beiser said. “We seem to be more aggressive at the plate, and that’s something that we want them to start doing, and it’s time to start trusting all the training they’ve put in.”
On the mound, Missouri elected for a starter-by-committee approach for the rare two-game midweek series. Junior Ryan Lee got the start for Missouri, his first of the season. He pitched just two innings before the Tigers turned to the bullpen, who, aside from a six-run third inning, pitched well.
####MVP of the Series: Outfielder Connor Brumfield
After he missed last weekend’s series against Georgia during a brief suspension for an arrest for suspected underage drinking, the Columbia native stepped up and proved his worth as a leadoff hitter in this series. He went 6-for-9 at the plate, driving in four runs and providing a spark for the Tiger offense.
####Moving Forward
The 28 runs of offense were much needed for the sleeping Tigers’ offense. The batters proved they were hungry and confident in this series, and their production reflected that. They’ll need to score early and often if they plan to compete this weekend with the Kentucky Wildcats, a team currently sitting atop the Southeastern Conference standings.
The Tigers will host the Wildcats (22-11, 8-4 SEC) starting on Friday, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. Tiger ace Tanner Houck (3-4, 3.04 ERA) will get the start for Missouri.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_
