Missouri

‘Play clean baseball’: How Missouri baseball evened its series with South Carolina

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

‘Play clean baseball’: How Missouri baseball evened its series with South Carolina

They’re anything but predictable.

After Kerrick Jackson lamented his Missouri baseball team’s inconsistency following a Friday night, series-opening loss, Mizzou came out firing, taking down South Carolina 8-3 to even the set Saturday at Taylor Stadium.

Jackson, the night before, said, “We are who we are,” which is to say that the coach never quite knows which Missouri team is about to take the field.

On Saturday, he was proven right.

“You saw two completely different teams,” Jackson said. “So that’s what we’re, as a coaching staff, trying to figure out. How do we get that (Saturday’s) one?”

The Tigers (21-27, 7-16 SEC) were at their best, and at their best from the jump.

The plate discipline and missed chances that aggrieved Jackson to no end in the opener? Gone.

Missouri jumped on Gamecocks (31-15, 12-11) starter Eli Jones, tagging him for five hits in the opening inning. Each of the four run-scoring hits came with two strikes on the count.

Leadoff hitter Brock Daniels stretched a 2-2 hit into a double, and Trevor Austin drove him home. Mateo Serna cracked a single up the right-field line to get Austin across, and Drew Culbertson matched that to give the Tigers a four-run, first-inning lead.

Eight Mizzou players ended the game with a hit. Four players recorded multi-hits, including Culbertson, who entered the game with a .204 average but drove in a game-high three runs. The Tigers finished with 12 hits and 11 strikeouts at the plate.

“You saw both sides of it today. You saw some guys that were in there and got some two-strike hits and then you saw some guys chase with two strikes,” Jackson said. “So, we’re just trying to get them to understand, ‘hey, understand what the approach is, buy into the approach, be consistent with the approach, and good things can happen.’”

More: Legendary Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart inducted into Hall of Famous Missourians

The pitching woes and late-inning defensive miscues that doomed MU to an eight-run loss in the opener? Far removed in Game 2.

Even under unconventional circumstances.

Missouri right-hander Carter Rustad replaced lefty Javyn Pimental just 13 pitches into his start, after Pimental “felt something in his elbow,” Jackson said. Rustad went 6⅔ innings, by which time he’d allowed five hits for three runs, all earned. He struck out six and gave up no walks. Missouri finished the game with no errors.

Rustad inherited two runners in the first and watched the bases load five pitches into his relief appearance, but struck the next batter out swinging and then drew a groundout to end the inning. After that, he essentially froze the Gamecocks while MU’s offense provided all the necessary run support.

“I don’t want to take any credit for the offensive production, but I think that kind of kept the confidence in the team,” Rustad said. “I think if that kind of gets out of hand, it’s the SEC. It’s tough to come back from stuff like that. So yeah, I think that played a big role in how well I settled throughout the game.”

It was a timely win for the Tigers.

For the time being, Missouri pulled within 1.5 games of each its two closest challengers for a guaranteed postseason berth.

Friday’s loss saw Missouri fall two games behind in the race to make the SEC Baseball Tournament, as Ole Miss and LSU — MU’s main challengers for the 12th and final qualifying spot in the league — both picked up series-opening wins. Mizzou must leapfrog one of those teams to ensure a postseason.

LSU hosts No. 1-ranked Texas A&M and Ole Miss faces Game 2 at Auburn on Saturday evening.

Sunday’s rubber match could be an important one for Missouri, which welcomes last-placed Auburn to Columbia next weekend before a road series at Mississippi State to close the regular season.

It hasn’t happened for Mizzou yet, but there’s a pretty clear, three-word phrase for the remaining seven games, starting with the Gamecocks at 1 p.m. Saturday at Taylor Stadium.

“I don’t think we did anything outstanding today,” Jackson said. … “It was just the same thing we’ve been saying all year: Play clean baseball.”

“Just stay consistent. I think we’ve struggled with that this year,” Rustad said. “And if we can just play baseball like we did today — clean baseball — we’ll be in a great spot the next few weeks.”

More: Missouri football transfer portal tracker: Who is joining, leaving Tigers?

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Dec. 28, 2025

Published

6 days ago

December 29, 2025

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 28, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Midday: 6-4-6

Midday Wild: 5

Evening: 3-6-7

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Midday: 8-0-0-0

Midday Wild: 2

Evening: 4-6-0-3

Evening Wild: 5

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

09-15-24-34-53, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

Early Bird: 15

Morning: 01

Matinee: 02

Prime Time: 08

Night Owl: 04

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Dec. 28 drawing

02-19-21-29-37

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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More transfers to follow, but Missouri football has inked some key returners

Published

6 days ago

December 28, 2025

Press Room

More transfers to follow, but Missouri football has inked some key returners

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Eli Drinkwitz just had to make sure.

He knew Nicholas Rodriguez, one of Missouri football’s few real standouts with 15 total tackles in the Tigers’ disappointing 13-7 loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27, had put pen to paper to return next season. But, in college football in 2025, it doesn’t hurt to double-check.

“We’ve got a really strong foundation. Nick’s going to be back,” Drinkwitz said, then paused and turned to his sophomore linebacker over his right shoulder. “You’re going to be back, right?”

“Yeah,” Rodriguez said, smiling.

Rodriguez was among a list of four players the Mizzou coach, of his own accord, confirmed are signed to return in 2026. The others are star running back Ahmad Hardy, freshman quarterback Matt Zollers and defensive tackle Jalen Marshall.

Now, that’s a short list to work with while trying to get a feel for what the Tigers might look like in 2026.

And, as we’ve seemingly seen from some of Mizzou’s recent expected portal entrants and a lawsuit (and countersuit) involving Georgia and current MU defensive end Damon Wilson II, signing paperwork isn’t nearly as guaranteed as most coaches and teams would like it to be.

But it’s a start. And an important start.

Drinkwitz indicated that there are more players who were on the roster for the Gator Bowl who will not be suiting up in Columbia next season.

“Starting tomorrow (Dec. 28) we’ll finish up re-signing the current roster,” Drinkwitz said. “There’s going to be guys (transferring), there’s guys that already told us that they were going to transfer but they wanted to play tonight. We really appreciate those guys finishing.”

This is shaping up to be a crucial transfer portal for the Tigers.

Zollers, a true freshman, looked raw and more of a project than a clear-cut QB1 for the 2026 season. Quarterback is going to be an area of need for Missouri when the transfer portal opens up, as starter Beau Pribula is among the nine MU players who have already been confirmed as soon-to-be former Tigers.

There is still no public word on whether a trio of draft-eligible third-year players — Wilson, linebacker Josiah Trotter and left tackle Cayden Green — will stay in college or enter the NFL Draft process this offseason.

And, without getting into the weeds, here’s a quick glance at where Mizzou is losing starters or key rotation members just to eligibility: Right tackle; center; slot receiver; field defensive end; two defensive tackles; two more linebackers; both starting corners; free safety.

Like Drinkwitz said, the day after the Gator Bowl is going to be spent figuring out who they can get back. That means announcements are likely to be rolling in soon.

Then, if all of that wasn’t enough, the madness really starts.

“Then once we have kind of a final feel of where that is, then we’ll go attack the portal and build a new team. That’s college football now. I mean, every team’s looking to rebuild their roster post bowl games, post coaching changes, whatever. That’s what we’ll do.”

That’s not new. Missouri has mostly navigated the choppy transfer portal waters quite successfully over the past few seasons.

Drinkwitz, even back on early signing day Dec. 3, took “whatever it’ll be, it’ll be” stance to the numbers the Tigers will take when the frantic fortnight — the portal is officially open for entries Jan. 2-16 — gets underway.

Where Missouri fails to re-sign potential returners, it will add players. Where there is glaring needs, be it because of draft-bound players or otherwise, the Tigers will replenish. It’s not a complex formula but could become quite busy.

Tack on that the SEC is moving back to 105 scholarships in 2026, up from 85, and you might see an even larger influx this season.

Pure mathematics suggests the number of newcomers between now and spring ball will comfortably top 20 players. That does not account for potential early NFL Draft declarations or potential portal-bound players. The Tribune counted 75 scholarship players who can return to Mizzou next season, sheerly based on eligibility.

If that sounds expensive in the NIL and revenue-sharing age, you’re right. Teams have $20.5 million in the revenue pot to share directly with student-athletes, and that’s for all sports, not just football. You can bet the likes of Hardy and Rodriguez aren’t getting shortchanged.

Before sourcing third-party deals — and you can now see why Drinkwitz was so vocal about finding that form of funding this season as he weighed a contract extension — that’s a limited pool for massive offseason need.

Exactly how that will impact Missouri’s portal strategy will be among the more fascinating offseason storylines. How many bona-fide stars do the Tigers chase, and at what positions? Who and where are the priorities?

“I think we’ve got a really good foundation in the trenches. We got a really good foundation in the skill positions. So, it’s about filling in the holes, sustaining the culture,” Drinkwitz said. “Guys like Nick and Ahmad and Matt and Jalen Marshall, all these guys that have committed to coming back and re-signing, they’ve got to carry the culture that’s been established, that (graduating center Connor Tollison) fought for.

“That will be what we do. Back to work. I mean, nothing good comes easy. It will be a fight to the finish here, or a fight to finish off re-signing our team, and then we’ll go to work. That’s what we’ll do.”

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Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Dec. 27, 2025

Published

7 days ago

December 28, 2025

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 27, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

05-20-34-39-62, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

Midday: 6-5-1

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 3-4-5

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

Midday: 8-8-8-0

Midday Wild: 3

Evening: 9-7-5-2

Evening Wild: 6

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

10-12-21-22-35, Cash Ball: 04

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

Early Bird: 04

Morning: 04

Matinee: 10

Prime Time: 08

Night Owl: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

02-03-05-28-31

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Dec. 27 drawing

13-22-33-61-62, Powerball: 20

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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