Missouri baseball coach Steve Bieser manipulated his pitching rotation last weekend to make sure ace Tanner Houck would start Tuesday’s must-win opener in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Hoover, Ala. In what could have been his final college start, Houck had his worst outing of the season Tuesday. But the Tigers’ season lives to see another day.
Mizzou, the No. 10 seed in the field, outlasted the weather and outscored Texas A&M 12-7 to advance to the double-elimination portion of the bracket at Hoover Met Stadium. The Tigers (36-21), needing a few wins to secure an NCAA regional invitation, slugged three home runs and survived Houck’s shaky start with a game-saving outing from the bullpen.