Hopes are high as Tiger baseball opens the season
Missouri head coach Steve Bieser stood in front of the media on Tuesday, answering questions in his black Mizzou polo in front of the black backdrop, donned with Tiger logos and various sponsors.
The skipper talked about how important Bryce Montes de Oca’s role will be in filling in for the former staff ace Tanner Houck. He expressed how comforting it is having T.J. Sikkema in his bullpen, always ready.
Eventually, Bieser’s expectations for the season bubbled to the forefront of the conversation. After leading the Tigers to a much-improved 36-23 record in 2017, what’s the next step in the coach’s second year in Columbia?
Rather than starting with a win total or conference record prediction, he began with his expectation of his players to compete together as a team. Missouri carries a talented roster capable of reaching new heights in 2018, but for now, Bieser wants to see evidence of his process coming to fruition.
“Early our goal is how well we can play as a team,” Bieser said. “We talk a lot about a process. We know we’re doing a lot of things right. If we can get guys to buy into the process, we know the outcome will be where we want it to be.”
After only one year, Bieser’s process has already shown promise. Missouri showed massive improvement on the field last year in the coach’s first year, but the other half — the off-field aspect – appears to be up to speed ahead of Friday’s opener against Florida International.
Chemistry is undeniably an important component of any sport, but it’s virtually impossible to measure. There are no stats, numbers or box scores that can show a good clubhouse chemistry, but the way the Tigers speak of the system Bieser has implemented is a sure sign.
“Out of the teams I’ve played on at Mizzou, this team has the best chemistry,” senior catcher Brett Bond said. “We get along well. We have fun together on and off the field. And that’s the big part of having success is having a team that’s on the same mission and path. That’s what I feel this year.”
Montes de Oca also raved about how the atmosphere around the team feels a little bit tighter this year.
“Coach Bieser is about commitment to excellence,” the right-hander said. “This team is probably the closest team I’ve been a part of. That says a lot when you look at the teams in Omaha and how close they are. I think we’re definitely on the right track, when it comes to culture.”
In that aspect, the Tigers feel ready and comfortable. They’ve had a full year with Bieser, and familiarity is at a high.
Bieser has more than aesthetic expectations though. Good chemistry or bad, results on the field are what matter. In that sense, what Missouri did last year was a step in the right direction, but the coach wants to see his team reach the next level: the NCAA regionals.
The Tigers haven’t been since 2012. Baseball America listed Missouri as one of the teams in the “Next Four Out” of the NCAA Tournament, but anything short of making regionals is “unacceptable”, according to Bieser.
In his first year, Bieser wanted to win 15 SEC games — Missouri came one win short of his goal. This year, his team will have a chance to jettison the failures of recent history and meet the skipper’s expectations this time around.
For seniors like Bond who have been in Columbia for four years, come within arms’ reach of regionals only to fall short, the tournament would be more than a welcome sight.
“We’ve gotten real close,” Bond said. “It seems like it’s right there and then it’s pulled right away from me. It’s frustrating for sure. We just need to compete as hard as anyone and make regionals, no questions asked.”