The Tigers found themselves tested early this season with a three-game weekend in the Lone Star State against Texas State, North Texas and Texas Tech. While injuries found a lean 18-man squad up against a tough Texas State team that consisted of 39 players, Mizzou fought hard but came up short in a 12-5 loss in the first game against the Bobcats. Mizzou never really found their rhythm as the injuries piled up and were compounded by a 16-hour bus ride the previous day.
The following day, the Tigers took on a double-header beginning with North Texas at 10am and Texas Tech at 2pm. The start of the first game seemed questionable as a relentless downpour fell from the sky, letting up only a short while before face-off. With the bitter taste of the previous day’s defeat, the Tigers found their groove early on in the first quarter and never relinquished their lead. With an offense that controlled the ball well and a team effort that won the groundball battle, Mizzou was sitting on a 9-7 lead as the final seconds of the game ticked away.
With the heavy rain long-gone, the hot sun shining brightly and the humidity soaring; steam began rising from the concrete stadium as the battered Tigers prepared for their second test of the day. Knowing that they had every excuse to lose against a strong Texas Tech team, Mizzou pulled together relying on solid teamwork and peak conditioning to best the Red Raiders 9-5. “I am very proud of our guys for the heart they showed this weekend” said head coach Keith Euker. “We faced a lot of adversity and really pulled together when we needed to most.”
