Columbia News

The Missouri Tigers baseball team is set to host No. 9 Georgia for a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, beginning Friday, May 2. The series marks the 34th meeting between the two programs, with Georgia holding a narrow 17-16 lead in the all-time matchup.

Missouri enters the weekend with a record of 13-31 overall and remains winless in SEC play at 0-21. Georgia stands at 36-11 overall and 12-9 in conference games. The Bulldogs took two out of three from Missouri last spring in Athens and have won nine of their previous fifteen meetings against the Tigers in Columbia.

Game one will be streamed on SEC Network+ Friday evening, with Max Thoma and former Tiger Dylan Kelly providing commentary. Saturday’s game will air live on SEC Network with Victor Rojas and Lance Cormier calling the action, while Sunday’s finale returns to SEC Network+. Local radio coverage will be available through KTGR AM/FM and streaming via the Varsity Network app.

Promotions are scheduled throughout the weekend: First Responders Day and an SEC poster giveaway on Friday, Alumni Day with replica jersey giveaways for the first 300 fans on Saturday, and Star Wars Day alongside Camper Reunion, Faith and Family Day, plus light saber giveaways for the first 200 fans on Sunday.

Pitching matchups feature Brian Curley starting for Georgia on Friday against a yet-to-be-named Missouri pitcher. Saturday's contest sees Sam Horn take the mound for Missouri opposite an undecided Georgia starter. Sunday's probable pitchers are Wil Libbert (Missouri) versus Leighton Finley (Georgia).

Missouri head coach Kerrick Jackson is in his second season after returning to lead a program where he previously served as an assistant under current pitching coach Tim Jamieson. Jackson reached his 100th career coaching victory earlier this year.

Key contributors for Missouri include junior infielder Jackson Lovich—batting .395 over his last 32 games—and sophomore outfielder Kaden Peer, who leads the team with eleven stolen bases. Newcomers such as Pierre Seals, Gehrig Goldbeck, Cameron Benson, Peyton Basler, Keegan Knutson, Tyler Macon, Chris Patterson, Brady Picarelli and Cayden Nicoletto have also made notable impacts offensively.

On the mound, senior right-hander Kaden Jacobi leads Missouri with forty-two strikeouts across forty innings pitched. Graduate left-hander Ian Lohse has recorded forty strikeouts over thirty innings despite missing time due to injury. Relievers Ben Smith (twenty appearances) along with Xavier Lovett and PJ Green have combined for all three of Missouri’s saves this season.

The Tigers’ offense has produced five games with fifteen or more hits this season and ranks sixth in the SEC for steals per game at a rate that projects them to finish among their top ten single-season totals historically. Defensively behind home plate Jedier Hernandez and Mateo Serna have caught fifteen base runners stealing so far this year.

Georgia arrives under second-year head coach Wes Johnson boasting an NCAA-leading total of home runs (113) through forty-seven games played while maintaining a .292 team batting average. Key players include Ryland Zaborowski (.327 average), Slate Alford (.335), and Robbie Burnett whose nineteen home runs pace both team and conference leaders.

Last time these teams met saw Georgia secure a series win thanks to key offensive contributions from Slate Alford—who drove in three runs—and effective relief pitching by Kolten Smith during an April matchup earlier this season.

As they prepare to face another ranked opponent—Missouri’s eighth top-25 foe over its last nine games—the Tigers look to capitalize on home-field advantage where they’ve hit .304 collectively across twenty-one contests at Taylor Stadium.