Mizzou Baseball Drops Back and Forth Contest with Stetson

Originally posted on Missouri Tigers on SI
By Amber Winkler | Last updated Feb 16, 2025 4:10 PM ET

The Missouri Tigers jumped right in and kept the momentum going against the Stetson Hatters.

This wasn't enough to help Mizzou to another win in their 2025 campaign. Their lead was lost in seventh inning and the Tigers ran out of time to take it back. The Hatters walked away with a hard fought 9-7 win.

After a high scoring game that saw the Tigers put up 11 runs on 11 hits, Mizzou went right back out there and got two more runs to start the first inning of the game and again in the second.

But every time the Tigers took the lead, Stetson just punched right back. Missouri starting pitcher Kadden Drew had a bit of a home run issue. In each of the first two innings, he gave up two-run homers. He followed that up with back to back 1-2-3 innings to close out his stint on the mound.

Where the returners made the difference in the game against UConn, the transfers did the job against Stetson. Three new Tigers earned their first career home runs as a part of Mizzou.

Two of the transfers came from Memphis, where head coach Kerrick Jackson coached in 2023 before coming to Mizzou. Junior designated hitter Cameron Benson followed Jackson to his new school, but redshirted during his first season. Senior outfielder Pierre Seals committed to Jackson at Memphis just before he took the new coaching job. Ahead of the 2025 campaign, Seals committed to Jackson once more.

Another Jackson transfer recruit in second baseman Blake Simpson got his first Tigers home run to advance their lead to three runs in the fifth inning. He sent it far over Stetson left fielder Jordan Taylor's head.

It took the Hatters a couple innings to get back in their grove and punch back once more.

Mizzou got to see what they had with another one of their transfers, but it didn't go as well. Reliever James Vaughn entered in the fifth inning and threw a quick 1-2-3 inning. He ran into a bit of trouble in his second inning, allowing three to cross the plate on four straight hits to tie the game at seven runs in the sixth inning.

Vaughn had to be saved by reliever Ben Smith. This was Smith's second opportunity of the season and he did not allow a hit once again. But the Tigers decision to switch to freshman reliever Brady Kehlenbrink for the seventh inning did not go how they hoped.

Stetson had completed a comeback after being down by three runs. Now Mizzou was down by two and would have to fight from behind with just two innings to go.

But it wasn't in the books for the Tigers. Simpson grounded out with two on in the top of the ninth to close out the game.

With the loss to Stetson, Mizzou dropped to 1-2 on the season. The Tigers will return to action with the UCF Knights in Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. CDT.