Tigers Open 2022 Season at Nicholls State

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri baseball begins its 129th season on Friday, Feb. 18, when the Tigers take on Nicholls State in Thibodaux, La. The opening weekend features four games against the Colonels.

Opening day is set a 6 p.m. start on the bayou, followed by another 6 p.m. first pitch on Saturday and 1 p.m. starts on Sunday and Monday.

Fans can once again catch Mizzou baseball on the airwaves all season long on KTGR and the Tiger Radio Network. Tex Little and Matt Michaels return to the booth for the call.

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday – Jr., RHP Spencer Miles vs. RHP Nico Saltaformaggio

Saturday – So., RHP Austin Troesser vs. LHP Tyler Theriot

Sunday – So., RHP Carter Rustad vs. RHP Devin Desandro

Monday – TBA vs. TBA

MIZZOU ON OPENING WEEKEND

• The Tigers begin their season in Louisiana for the third time in program history. Previous opening day trips to the Pelican State came in 1977 (New Orleans) and 2014 (McNeese State).
• Mizzou is 79-42-1 all-time in season openers (six seasons do not have game scores reported).

SERIES BUSINESS

• Mizzou and Nicholls meet for the first time in 22 years when the Tigers open the 2022 season in Thibodaux, La. Mizzou is just 1-3 all-time against the Colonels, but all three losses came in 1977 and 1986.
• All four of the previous meetings in the series have come in Louisiana, with three being played in Thibodaux and one in Natchitoches.

SCOUTING THE COLONELS

• Nicholls begins a new era under first-year head coach Mike Silva, who led Louisiana Tech’s pitching staff for the previous three seasons.
• The Colonels finished 2021 at 21-34 overall and 16-24 in the Southland.
• Nicholls returns its top hitter from last season in infielder Austin Cain. The right-hander hit .283 last season with 18 RBI. The Colonels also return veterans Wes Toups and Dane Simon who each hit .261 with 22 and 20 RBI, respectively.
• On the mound, Nicholls returns RHP Chase Gearing, who started 14 games and worked a team-high 76.0 IP with a 4.74 ERA. RHP Nick Heckman also returns after making 12 starts and working to a 4.76 ERA over 64.1 IP.

FEELIN’ FRESH

• After a tough 2021 campaign, Mizzou heads into 2022 with a new look and feel as 19 newcomers dot the roster.
• The Tigers’ incoming class was ranked No. 18 in the nation by PerfectGame and features nine transfers and 10 freshmen.
• Expect to see four newcomers in the lineup with another four poised to make an immediate and major contribution on the mound for the Black & Gold.

BORN ON THE BAYOU

• Mizzou opens 2022 with an eight-game, 10-day road trip through Louisiana, featuring stops at Nicholls, Southern and ULM.
• The eight true road games to open the season are the most for Missouri since 1971 (51 years) when legendary coach John “Hi” Simmons and the Tigers kicked off the year with a 10-game road trip through Texas.
• It is just the fifth time in Mizzou baseball’s 129 seasons the Tigers will start a season with eight or more true road games.

FOLLOW THE TIGERS

For all the latest information on Mizzou Baseball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

-MUTigers.com-