SEC Announces Missouri Baseball's Permanent Opponents
With the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns headed to the Southeastern Conference in July of 2024, schedule changes were in order for each sport.
On Thursday, the SEC announced each baseball team's permanent opponents for future scheduling. Missouri’s opponents are slated to be Arkansas and Oklahoma.
“Beginning in 2025, SEC baseball teams will play a three-game series against two permanent opponents and eight rotating opponents for a total of 30 conference games,” the SEC announced. “Standings will be kept in a single-division format, eliminating divisional standings.”
The opponents were determined based on geography, traditional opponents and strength of schedule.
Transferring from the Big 12 and causing the schedule change for the 2025 season, the Sooners will be experiencing their first year in the SEC. In past years, Oklahoma has had success against Missouri. They last faced each other in 2021 during a single-game matchup as part of the Frisco College Baseball Classic, in which Oklahoma won the game 16-6. During the shortened 2020 season, Missouri beat OU 7-8 in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, gaining their only win against Oklahoma since 2011. The Sooners also swept the Tigers in a four-game series in 2012.
The Razorbacks have not had a losing season since 2016, where they went 26-29. During that year, the Tigers won their series matchup against the Razorback, putting up 24 runs in the three games. Missouri last faced Arkansas in 2022, losing the series 2-1 at home. The Tigers have lost their last three series against the Razorbacks.
While .333 may be a good batting average, it is not a good record for conference play. This season will be a very important one for the Tigers, since Missouri hired new head coach Kerrick Jackson on June 3. Jackson will hope to improve from Missouri’s losing record in conference play from last year, where the Tigers finished the year with a record of 10-20 against SEC opponents.
The Tigers are set to face off against the Razorbacks on March 15-17 in Arkansas. Missouri will not face Oklahoma in the 2024 season.
SEC Baseball Permanent Opponents
Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee
Arkansas: Ole Miss, Missouri
Auburn: Alabama, Georgia
Florida: Georgia, South Carolina
Georgia: Florida, Auburn
Kentucky: South Carolina, Vanderbilt
LSU: Mississippi State, Texas A&M
Ole Miss: Mississippi State, Arkansas
Mississippi State: Ole Miss, LSU
Missouri: Oklahoma, Arkansas
Oklahoma: Missouri, Texas
South Carolina: Kentucky, Florida
Tennessee: Vanderbilt, Alabama
Texas: Texas A&M, Oklahoma
Texas A&M: Texas, LSU
Vanderbilt: Tennessee, Kentucky
