Missouri freshman relief pitcher TJ Sikkema was named to the Perfect Game/Rawlings Midseason All-American First Team on Thursday morning. The reliever was the only freshman selected and one of just two Southeastern Conference players on the team.
Sikkema, who stands at 6 feet tall and hails from Central DeWitt High School in DeWitt, Iowa, has had incredible success on the mound in his freshman season, with a 0.47 ERA that leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in 11 appearances. Sikkema also holds a 5-0 record and had a streak of 29.2 consecutive scoreless innings earlier in the season. Sikkema won SEC Freshman of the Week on March 20.
Sikkema’s first appearance came against Houston at the Kleberg Bank College Classic. There, he recorded a win and a save over a nationally-ranked Houston team on his way to receiving the tournament’s MVP award.
Since then, Sikkema has been a key part of the Mizzou bullpen and the pitching staff as a whole.
Sikkema will be an important cog for Mizzou baseball this weekend as they travel to Athens, Georgia, for a weekend series against SEC foe Georgia. The first game is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_
