For the first time in 2018, Missouri baseball has shaken up its weekend rotation ahead of its first SEC home series against Mississippi State this weekend.
In the previous five weekends, coach Steve Bieser had employed the combination of Bryce Montes de Oca / Michael Plassmeyer / Andy Toelken. But Toelken has been bumped from the weekend rotation, with Montes de Oca sliding over to the Sunday slot. Plassmeyer remains in the Saturday role
Toelken was viewed as a mainstay in the weekend rotation coming into the season but has had a suboptimal beginning to his year. After posting a 2.82 ERA a year ago, the senior has seen a drop in production in five starts this season, allowing a 4.56 ERA and striking out just 17 in 23.2 innings.
After allowing a combined nine earned runs in his first two starts against FIU and Northeastern to start the season, it appeared Toelken was back on track when he recorded two straight scoreless outings against UMBC and La Salle his next two starts. But he was scratched up again in his start last Sunday against LSU — his first chance against SEC competition — surrendering two walks, six hits and three earned runs in just three innings.
Making his first start of the year on Friday will be T.J. Sikkema, who Bieser wants to see pitch more innings after throwing just 1.2 over the past week. Sikkema has gone 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six appearances out the bullpen this year.
It’ll be just the fourth start of the sophomore’s career — he made three starts as a freshman last year. Sikkema’s arrival to the weekend rotation pushes Montes de Oca to the Sunday role for the first time.
Montes de Oca has solid in 2018 with a 2.17 ERA in five starts but has also shown persisting command issues that date back to a year ago. The righty gave up 42 walks in 61 innings in 2017 and is off to a torrid pace this year, walking 18 batters in 29 innings.
Montes de Oca has walked seven batters in two of his five starts, including his loss against LSU last Friday in which he allowed three earned in six innings.
As to whether this new rotation will stick around is yet to be seen. It’s safe to say that the plan going forward depends heavily upon what occurs this weekend against Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs are just 12-10 — 0-3 in the SEC after beings swept by Vanderbilt last weekend — and are currently last in the conference standings. They’ll play Missouri in Columbia at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
