Can the Missouri Tigers Make The SEC Tournament?
By Baron Dionis
The Missouri Tigers currently have the worst overall record in the Southeastern Conference. Despite the lousy record, the Tigers currently have six conference wins, which is tied with Ole Miss for eleventh place in the entire SEC. Only Auburn and LSU have less conference wins.
The SEC Baseball Tournament is played with the top 12 teams out of the conference's 14. That means Missouri currently has a spot in the tournament.
The Tigers began conference play with a record of 1-8. That included being swept by Arkansas, losing two out of three against Kentucky, and being swept by Vanderbilt.
The very next weekend, Missouri swept Florida in a three game series, turning their season around. After that series, the Tigers won one out of three games in the series vs LSU and Georgia.
Missouri has a series against Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, and Mississippi State before the season ends. There are many winnable games in conference play for the Tigers.
The Players Leading Missouri
Missouri was at one point, the worst team in the SEC, but their players are beginning to heat up and play as a team, resulting in wins against solid programs. Let's take a look at a few players who are leading the Tigers.
Jackson Lovich has been one of the best hitters in the Tigers lineup this season. In 33 games, Lovich has a batting average of .282 with seven home runs and 24 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .929, which includes an on-base percentage of .389 and a slugging percentage of .540.
Trevor Austin has played in the most games for Missouri this year and has been a solid hitter. In 42 games, Austin has a .278 batting average with nine home runs and 27 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .951, which includes a .415 on-percentage and a .536 slugging percentage.
Brock Daniels has only played in half of the teams games, but when he plays, he is a great hitter. In 23 games played, Daniels has a .351 batting average with four home runs and 26 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .983, which includes an on-base percentage of .402 and a slugging percentage of .581.
Javyn Pimental has been one of the best starting pitchers in the Tigers rotation. In nine appearances, Pimental has a 2-2 record with an earned run average of 3.73 in 41 innings pitched and has struck 43 batters. He also has a very solid WHIP of 1.05.
Brock Lucas has been the best arm in the Missouri bullpen. Through 12 appearances, Lucas has a 4-0 record with an earned run average of 2.73 in 29.2 innings pitched and has struck out 20 batters.
Keep an eye out for Missouri as they have a chance to make the SEC Tournament this year. If their offense and pitching can get hot at the right time, they can be dangerous.