Opening Day approaching for Mizzou baseball

The Missouri Tiger baseball team will begin their season Friday against Connecticut in the Stetson Tournament at DeLand, Fla. They will play two more games in the tournament against Michigan State and Stetson before traveling to Orlando to face Central Florida on Monday. 

I've never been able to get real excited for Tiger baseball (I'm more of a basketball/football guy anyway and college baseball is so hard to follow) but this season is a little different. I've had about all of the basketball team that I can stomach and it doesn't hurt that the Tigers were ranked No. 6 in Baseball America's Preseason Poll. 

Head coach Tim Jamieson is on record saying that this team could have 6 first round draft picks in this year's MLB draft with junior RHP Aaron Crow being a potential No. 1 overall pick. Crow is the ace of a staff that figures to be the strength of the team. The Tigers' weekend rotation should include Crow, sophomore RHP Kyle Gibson (who is 6'6" and just looks like a big leaguer on the mound), and junior LHP Rick Zagone. 

The Tigers also have 5 regulars returning, which should give MU a formidable lineup. Senior OF Jacob Priday and sophomore Trevor Coleman should provide the biggest bats for the Tigers. Priday is a two-time All-Big 12 Selection and Coleman was the 2007 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and was selected to the Freshman All-American Team.

All things considered, the Tigers appear to have a very good chance of making a run to the College World Series in Omaha, which is one of the most underrated sporting events in the U.S. It would certainly be nice to have something to follow while waiting for college football season.

For more information on Tiger baseball check out mutigers.com's five-part season preview.