Missouri defeats Indiana State

The team needs to win the next four series to make it to Regionals.

By JJ Stankevitz

Published April 17, 2009

With 8-1 and 12-2 wins against Indiana State (20-12) this week, Missouri (19-19) climbed back to .500, with a three-game road series at No. 21 Kansas State looming this weekend.

Pitchers Ryan Clubb and Scooter Hicks combined to hold Indiana State to just one run in the first game of the two-game series. Usually only one-inning pitchers, Clubb threw 4.2 innings while allowing no runs, one hit and three walks and Hicks threw 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk.

Both pitchers gave a lot of credit to catcher Trevor Coleman for guiding them through their outings, which were both the longest of their respective seasons.

"He's a great catcher," Clubb said of Coleman. "He definitely knows how to call a game. Being a freshman, I don't know the hitters as well as he does, so I just listened to him today."

Hicks said he also appreciated the work of his catcher.

"Having a guy like Coleman behind the plate makes you feel comfortable," Hicks added.

Coleman deflected the praise right back at Clubb and Hicks.

"He had good stuff, located well, and got ahead of hitters," Coleman said of Clubb's start. "Those are the keys you have to have to be successful, and he did them tonight. (Hicks) was able to spot his fastball and put it where he wanted, and they weren't able to do a lot with it."

The offense gave Clubb and Hicks more than enough support, as eight of the nine starting position players collected a hit. As a team, Missouri hit six doubles and Coleman added his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot in the fifth.

Missouri's offense did not slow down in the second game of the series, picking up 17 hits and drawing seven walks en route to scoring double-digit runs for the sixth time in 2009.

"Maybe hitting is starting to be (contagious), because up and down the lineup our guys are taking good swings," said coach Tim Jamieson. "It's not just three or four guys, it's several guys in the lineup so that's encouraging."

Sitting at 6-9 in Big 12 play, Missouri will not get a reprieve against a Kansas State team that is nationally ranked for the first time in program history. Kansas State's pitching staff is its major strength, especially with starting pitcher A.J. Morris, who is 9-0 with a 1.19 ERA and a 3.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Missouri is confident their ace Kyle Gibson will be able to match up with Morris.

"Our offense swung it well the past couple of games and we have Gibson throwing Friday," said Steve Gray after going 3-for-5 on Monday. "I don't think anyone's going to be better than him."

With only four weekend Big 12 series remaining, winning each series will be important if Missouri hopes to make their seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals.

"If we finish above .500 and near .500 in the league, I think we'll get in," Jamieson said. "Our schedule is that good. But we just have to take care of our business in these next four weekends."