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Sweep Home Alabama

Matt Puttin, Staff

The last time Missouri won 19 games in a row dates back to 1964, a team that lost in the College World Series championship game 5-1 to Minnesota. Now, 53 years later, No. 23 Missouri (19-1) (3-0 SEC) has won 19 consecutive games since losing its first game of the season and is off to the best start in school history.

The Tigers swept Alabama (10-10) (0-3 SEC) in Tuscaloosa giving Missouri its fourth straight weekend sweep. It is only the third time in SEC play that the Tigers have recorded a sweep. Missouri swept Georgia in 2015 and Tennessee in 2016. The 19 game winning streak is tied for longest in the nation with No. 1 Louisville (19-0) (3-0 ACC).

Mizzou won Friday’s opener 3-0 thanks to a relentless performance by Tanner Houck (3-1, 2.27 ERA). It was the Tigers’ first SEC shutout since March 15, 2015 when they won 6-0 at Georgia. Houck went seven shutout innings striking out nine and took a no-hitter through four and two-thirds innings. Houck extended his streak to 21 and two-thirds innings without allowing an earned run.

T.J. Sikkema was dominant again striking out five in two innings of work picking up his second save of the season Friday night extending the Tigers’ winning streak to 17 games on the 17th of March. The two hits that Houck and Sikkema allowed made for the fewest hits conceded by Mizzou ever in SEC play. Head Coach Steve Bieser became the first head coach to win his conference opener since Gene McArtor in 1974.

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The Tigers walked 13 times on Friday night but managed to leave 13 runners on base and struck out 14 times. However, the three runs proved to be enough scoring a pair in the first inning on RBIs from Brett Bond (0-3, RBI) and Brian Sharp (1-2, RBI). Trey Harris (1-3, run, RBI) launched his third home run of the season in the ninth inning giving the Tigers a needed insurance run.

Missouri brought the bats in Saturday afternoon’s 7-4 victory knocking in seven runs on 12 hits, while walking eight times. Connor Brumfield (5-5, two runs, RBI) had a career-day at the plate, reaching base in every plate appearance. The five hits were a career-high. He is the second Tiger to record a five-hit game this season. Kameron Misner (2-4, run, two RBIs) and Robbie Glendinning (2-4, two RBIs) each drove in two runs.

Michael Plassmeyer (4-0, 2.89 ERA) picked up his fourth win of the season working fiving innings allowing four hits and three runs, while striking out three. Nolan Gromacki, Ty Shoaff and Cole Bartlett all made relief appearances. The defense shined behind Mizzou pitching all afternoon turning in an errorless performance with a few highlight plays from Ian Nelson.

Mizzou brought their brooms with them in Sunday’s 9-5 defeat of the Crimson Tide. With the win, Bieser is off to the best start for any first-year coach in Mizzou baseball history. The 19 wins are already the second-most ever by a first-year Mizzou head coach, trailing only Gene McArtor who won 28 in his first year in 1974. Tim Jamieson won 19 during his first year in 1995.

Missouri scored three in the first and three in the fifth. Brumfield (2-5, two runs, three RBIs) stayed hot and delivered a big two-out base hit in the top of the fifth to break the game open for Mizzou. Glendinning (3-5, two runs RBI), Misner (1-5, run, RBI), Bond (1-5, RBI), Harris (0-3, run, RBI) and Alex Samples (1-4, run RBI) all knocked in runs for the Tigers.

Starting pitcher Andy Toelken only lasted two innings allowing five hits, four runs and walked three. Cameron Dulle, Cole Bartlett and T.J. Sikkema all turned in outstanding relief performances. Bartlett (3-0, 3.20 ERA) picked up his third win of the season working two and two-thirds innings allowing just one hit and struck out three. Sikkema earned his third save of the season picking up five strikeouts in three and one-third innings.

Sikkema extended his personal shutout inning streak to 27 innings. The freshman left-hander leads the SEC with 46 strikeouts and 22 have come looking. Mizzou leads the all-time series with Alabama 6-4.

“Really exciting game today,” Bieser said to MUTigers.com. “Our guys did an excellent job of staying engaged all nine innings. Nothing was easy today and we had to work for everything that we got. I am really proud of these guys.”

Missouri returns to Taylor Stadium to kickoff an eight-game homestand on Tuesday as they host University of Arkansas-Little Rock (8-12). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tex Little and Matt Michaels will have the call on KTGR {100.5 FM/1580 AM}.