Season opener a platform for pitch

By Catherine Crane

Published March 2, 2007

Expectations for Missouri baseball pitching were not high, but expectations are not always correct.

The surprise of the season thus far is the emergence of solid pitching performances and lackluster performances in the batter's box.

Sophomores Rick Zagone and Aaron Crow anchor the Tigers' new pitching rotation, with freshman Kyle Gibson filling the third spot on Sunday. Crow and Zagone have both greatly improved from last season and have posted several good outings. But they've only collected a win a piece due to the offense's inability to drive in runs.

Zagone will start the home opener on Friday, posting a 2.25 ERA thus far. Despite good numbers, wins have not followed. Zagone and Crow have started three games each, keeping the Tigers in all of them, but the team has struggled to collect wins because of offensive troubles. But the lack of offense isn't a major concern.

"It's not frustrating because you know you've got the guys to do it," Zagone said. "It's just a matter of time before they come around and start hitting for you. We trust our guys to get it done. They'll eventually get it."

Crow shares the same confidence in the hitters.

"Last week we hit the ball hard for the most part. We just didn't get any breaks," Crow said. "I think eventually if we keep doing that we'll start to win some games."

Crow isn't upset about his lack of victories, but he has been frustrated by the team's offensive struggles that have led to defeats.

"I'm not frustrated that I don't have wins, I'm just frustrated that as a team we lost to, in my opinion, a lesser team," Crow said. "It's just frustrating that we can't go out and get it done every day."

The sophomores appear to have risen to the challenge of being the top two in the rotation and know what their roles are, as has Gibson.

"I think it's very important for me and Crow to go out there and set the tone for each game right off the bat," Zagone said. "We have to make sure our hitters know that we're in the game for the whole thing."

Gibson holds a 0-2 record and a 4.02 ERA but leads the team with 19 strikeouts. He has an interesting perspective on the Tigers' losses.

"Even though it looks like our offense hasn't been doing good, our pitchers have been giving up runs (too)," Gibson said. "Our pitchers have been throwing well, but we're still giving up runs and putting pressure on them."

The Tigers' success this weekend depends on how hot their bats can get. Most of the batters say they feel comfortable in the box; it's just a matter of where the ball falls.

"Sometimes the ball doesn't fall your way," senior shortstop Gary Arndt said. "Sometimes you get bloopers and sometimes you find the holes."

Junior second baseman Brock Bond, for one, isn't happy with his performance yet and doesn't think the team is either.

"We're not satisfied with anything we've done yet," Bond said. "(We haven't been) driving guys in. Timely hitting was a big thing, we left a lot of guys on base."

Sophomore right fielder Ryan Lollis has the highest batting average of the everyday starters at .304 and will be a key to the Tigers offense. Despite leading the team in hitting, he's expecting bigger things to come.

"I feel I should have stepped up a little more," Lollis said. "I have a lot of confidence in myself and everything I do, and I need to bust my butt a little more, get more repetitions."

The Tigers are waiting for lead off hitter Evan Frey to heat up this weekend. Frey says he isn't worried about his hitting or the team's.

"It's early. You've got to keep everything in perspective," Frey said. "My approach I felt was pretty good. It will all come around."

Frey realizes how important his role is to the team acting as a catalyst for the rest of the order and knows the importance of getting on base.

"As long as I can get on base, we've got a good lineup behind us," Frey said. "If I get on I'll score runs, that's the most important thing."

Senior John McKee is making a move across the diamond from third to first base. He says that the transition has gone smoothly.

"It's been pretty easy," McKee said. "(It's) just a few small things I've had to work on like footwork and throws to second base, but overall it's been a pretty easy transition."

The move has left a vacancy at third base, which will be filled this weekend by sophomore Kyle Mach. Mach played most of last season as a utility player and will share playing time at third with freshman Greg Folgia and junior Lee Fischer.

There is also a new catcher for MU. Junior Dan Pietroburgo will take over behind the plate for J.C. Field. Pietroburgo will share time with freshman Trevor Coleman.

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Evan Frey

Frey is once again leading off for the Tigers and playing center field but is batting only .242, after finishing last season at .337 with an on-base percentage of .457. The Tigers are waiting for Frey to heat up this weekend and get on base, but Frey said he's comfortable at the plate.

"My approach I felt was pretty good. It will all come around."

John McKee

Senior John McKee will be on the other side of the diamond Friday moving to first base. The spot was left vacant because last season's first baseman, Derek Chambers, is NCAA ineligible this season. McKee said the transition has been easy, but he isn't happy with his hitting.

"I haven't really felt too comfortable at the plate its just something that happens," he said. "I just have to go up there and keep swinging, and try to change my approach a little bit."

Jacob Priday

Junior Jacob Priday was key to the Tiger offense in 2006, batting .283. He also led the team in home runs with 11, RBIs with 49, and slugging with .481. After shoulder surgery last summer, Priday was unable to play summer ball. His arm has kept Priday in the DH spot, not in the outfield. He now has doctor's clearance to start in the outfield this weekend.

"I'm just trying to gain confidence in the batter's box," he said. "I didn't play last summer, so I'm seeing a lot of pitches and trying get back in the game."

Brock Bond

Junior Brock Bond will once again start at second base after leading the team with a .338 batting average. Bond is currently batting .273 with six RBIs, and said comfort at the plate isn't his problem.

"I'm always comfortable hitting," he said. "My favorite thing to do in baseball is hit. Even if I'm not doing too well right now, it's OK. I still feel comfortable up there."

Greg Arndt

Senior Gary Arndt will be the Tigers' starter at shortstop again after batting .273 in 2006. Arndt has four errors and is struggling at the plate along with most of the team, batting .250 in all 11 Tiger games. Arndt says he is most confident in his hitting, but it is also the area that needs to most work. "I've been practicing a lot with the coaches working on my swing," he said. "I feel pretty comfortable at the plate, but I need to focus at the plate."

Lately, fielding has been a problem for Arndt.

"Defense is a bad issue right now," he said, "I have a couple errors that shouldn't be but you just got to keep doing the little things and hope they pay off."

Aaron Senne

Aaron Senne is the only freshman position starter to play in all 11 games this season. Senne is batting .233 with five RBIs. He had two errors earlier in the season but thinks fielding shouldn't be an issue in the future.

"I had a little downer in Arizona," he said, "But now I feel a lot more comfortable outside, seeing fly balls. I don't think there are going to be any problems out there."

Aaron Crow

Sophomore Aaron Crow was 1-4 last year but has already notched his first win as the Tigers No. 2 starter this season and is 1-0. Crow's ERA is 1.56, the lowest of the starting pitchers, and he has pitched 17.1 innings. Crow has 14 strikeouts and in his last start struck out a career high eight batters against Navy. Crow's first outing against FIU was a little rocky, but since then he has appeared to cruise through his starts.

"I feel real comfortable with how I've been doing the last two weeks, and hopefully, that can continue for the rest of the year," he said.

Ryan Lollis

Sophomore Ryan Lollis leads the team in batting average among everyday starters, with an average of .304. Lollis had the third-highest batting average in 2006, his freshman season, when he batted .327. He was also second in slugging percentage with .436.

"I feel really comfortable in the box," he said. "My swing is really natural, pretty comfortable, it's just me getting on time, getting prepared for the pitch, that's the thing I most need to work on."

Kyle Gibson

Freshman Kyle Gibson will round out the Tigers rotation this weekend pitching in the No. 3 spot this Sunday. Gibson is currently 0-2 with a 4.02 ERA and has two errors, but that doesn't tell the tale. Gibson is tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 19 and is one of the best of the team's many freshmen.

"I just try to get them to swing, and if they swing at my good pitch, then I like my chances," he said. "Strikeouts are just something that goes along with throwing strikes."

Rick Zagone

Sophomore Rick Zagone is the Tigers No. 1 pitcher with a record of 1-0. Zagone leads the team in innings pitched with 17.1 and is tied with Gibson at 19 strikeouts. It has been hard for both Zagone and Aaron Crow to get wins thus far in the season with poor batting in the past two series, but Zagone has put forward three quality starts. He gives up most of his runs in the first couple of innings but settles down as the game goes on.

"The first couple innings I've been kind of shaky, giving up most of my runs," he said. "Just got to go out on Friday night and set the tone early."

Dan Pietroburgo

Junior Dan Pietroburgo will call the pitches this weekend. Pietroburgo will share playing time with freshman Trevor Coleman and senior Dan Quinn. Pietroburgo has one error behind the plate and has the third-highest batting average, at .300. Coleman leads the team batting .313 in 16 at bats.

"The biggest thing is keeping the pitcher focused," Pietroburgo said. "There are a lot of new guys, especially on the mound, so I'm getting them accustomed to the Big 12."