If the inaugural year in the SEC has been a baptism by fire for Missouri baseball, then the Tigers are conflagrant.
In almost every statistical category, Missouri is ranked last or almost last compared to its conference foes.
Record-wise, the Tigers have proven their inability to handle SEC teams. Missouri has the second lowest number of conference wins and the worst overall record.
Out of their four SEC series this year, the Tigers have dropped three, including a series sweep last weekend at No. 2 Vanderbilt, when the Commodores put up a combined 39 runs against the Tigers.
In the NCAA’s top 25 rankings this week, for example, seven SEC teams made the cut.
Missouri baseball (12-20, 4-12 SEC), however, was ranked 102, which, had it not been for Georgia, would have been dead last.
Offensively, the team average has struggled. Right now Missouri is batting a dismal .246, which ranks the lowest in conference
To put the offensive woes in perspective, if the Tigers knocked in seven runs in each of their last 19 games and hit one home run in each of those games, they still wouldn’t catch up to No. 4 Louisiana State. That is, Missouri wouldn’t reach LSU even if LSU didn’t score a single run during their final games of the season.
Missouri is averaging 4.18 runs per game.
The Tigers currently have the lowest on-base percentage and are also the cellar dwellers in number of hits, runs and RBIs in the conference. To get to the next lowest team in each of these categories, Missouri would have to swat 68 hits, plate 45 runs and drive in 30 RBIs.
Missouri is also the third worst in conference in ERA, opposing batting average and runs allowed.
It doesn’t help that the Tigers have played on average five less games than the other 13 SEC schools due to lousy weather conditions at home. An entire series against Northwestern was wiped out for Missouri in March due to snow, a San Francisco game was canceled due to rain and this week’s Missouri State game was also postponed due to rain.
Toeing the late-inning rubber, the Tigers also haven’t stacked up well even when they do play. In 32 games played, the Tigers have two saves, which is the worst in conference.
This weekend’s series doesn’t look any easier for Missouri, as the squad will take on No. 12 Florida (20-18, 8-7 SEC) at home. Game one of the three-game series is set to start at 6 p.m. Friday.
