Missouri baseball is off to an unprecedented start.
The team sits atop the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division with a 7-1 record, captured the Kleberg Bank College Classic title and has a plethora of players who have received individual honors.
The Tigers began the season with a four-game sweep of Iona. It was the first time since 2007 that Mizzou had won more than one game to kick off a season. The 4-0 record also marked the best start for the Tigers since 2004.
In the second game of the series, a 1-0 victory, right-handed junior-college transfer Reggie McClain delivered a tremendous outing, the first of his collegiate career. McClain worked eight shutout innings, allowing just two hits while fanning 10 batters, which led to him being named SEC Pitcher of the Week.
The following weekend, McClain was back at it, hurling a complete game shutout of Sam Houston State, a 43-win, NCAA Regional team last season. In the Tigers’ 2-0 victory, McClain allowed a mere four hits while striking out four batters and not surrendering a single walk. Because of this performance, McClain was once again named SEC Pitcher of the Week, becoming the first Mizzou pitcher to ever receive the award in consecutive weeks and the first pitcher in the conference to win the award consecutively since Louisiana State’s Aaron Nola did so in 2013.
McClain is currently riding a 17-inning scoreless streak, the longest such streak since now-senior Jace James began the 2013 campaign with 19.1 straight scoreless innings. In addition, McClain holds the top mark or is tied for the lead in nearly all of the major pitching categories, including earned runs average, innings pitched, earned runs allowed, walks allowed and extra-base hits allowed.
However, McClain is among a handful of pitchers who have gotten off to impressive starts. Freshman Tanner Houck and junior Alec Rash each took no-hitters into the sixth inning of each of their last starts. Junior closer Breckin Williams has notched a win (1) or save (4) in all five of his decisions and has yet to allow a run this season. Juniors Austin Tribby and Andrew Schwaab have been sensational out of the bullpen as well. Schwaab induced a Purdue batter to ground into a triple play with the bases loaded and no outs to help preserve the Tigers’ 1-0 lead.
Houck is not the only freshman to have made an impact in the early going.
Catcher and designated hitter Brett Bond has hit two home runs thus far, including a walk-off, two-run shot to preserve McClain’s sensational outing against Sam Houston State. Freshman designated hitter Trey Harris scored the lone Tiger run in the team’s 1-0 win over Iona.
At the Kleberg Bank College Classic, which featured Mizzou, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Purdue, the Tigers took home the hardware with a 3-1 record. McClain, Houck, Bond and sophomore shortstop Ryan Howard were all named to the All-Tournament team. McClain was also named the tournament’s most valuable player.
With an accomplished start to the season and their heads high, the Tigers will open up its home slate this Friday night against Illinois-Chicago. Mizzou has won its home opener in eight of the last 10 seasons, which included setting an attendance record in a 4-1 win at Taylor Stadium over Youngstown State last season.