Mizzou Baseball

Official Sports Report for February 21, 2008

Baseball Picked Second By Big 12 Coaches
by OSR Staff
Columbia, MO. - With the 2008 college baseball season just two days away from the first pitch, the Big 12 Conference released its annual pre-season coaches poll.  The Tigers came in second in the poll, behind perennial favorite Texas.  The second-place projection is the highest-ever for MU since the inception of the Big 12 Conference, which began play for baseball in 1997.  MU's previous high in the annual league coaches poll was third, in 2006.

The 2007 Tigers proved the prognosticators wrong, as they were picked to finish eighth by league coaches, but ended in second place, going 42-18 overall.  The Tigers are one of only two Big 12 school (Texas being the other) to reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons.

Tim Jamieson's squad opens play Friday in DeLand, Fla., where they will play Connecticut in a Noon contest, followed by a Noon Saturday game against Michigan State, and a Sunday 3 p.m. tilt against host Stetson. 

Mizzou has had its best three finishes in Big 12 Conference play over the last five seasons, including second in 2007, and a pair of fourth-place showings in 2003 and 2005.  Here's a quick review of MU's overall record and Big 12 record (with Big 12 finish) since the league began play in 1997.

1997 - 31-27,    16-14 (6th)
1998 - 36-18,    17-12 (5th)
1999 - 37-19,    14-13 (7th)
2000 - 33-24,    13-14 (7th)
2001 - 31-24-1, 11-19 (10th)
2002 - 24-29,      9-16 (9th)
2003 - 36-22,    15-11 (4th)
2004 - 38-23-1, 12-14 (7th)
2005 - 40-23,    16-11 (4th)
2006 - 35-28,    12-15 (7th)
2007 - 42-18,    19-8 (2nd)