Baseball at the University of Missouri made its first appearance on April 3, 1868. The students of the University, without direction from the faculty, organized several teams and gradually began to challenge teams from outside of the University. The first game was witnessed by 300 people and was between the students of the University and the citizens of Columbia.

The first tiger team photograph in 1891
(Index 1891)

The baseball program received a financial boost and came to be officially affiliated with the University in 1890. On December 5, the Football Association donated $100 to create an Athletic Association. The Athletic Association was created on December 15 and quickly established a baseball team. Although the team did not have its own field or facilities, it played four games in 1891 and won two. Each spring thereafter the varsity baseball team took to the field and played games with teams from surrounding towns.

Tigers 1896
(1896 Savitar Pg. 76-77)

Tigers 1907
(1908 Savitar Pg. 239)

The baseball program garnered momentum in 1907, as the University of Missouri constructed a series of surfaces for various sports, including a baseball diamond.

The MU Tigers continued to play at Rollins Field until 1959, when the construction of a new baseball field was completed. The new field was named in honor of then coach, John Simmons, who would coach the MU Tigers for another 15 years.

Simmons Field
(Inter-Collegiate Athletics Archives)

Simmons Field remained the home of the team until 2000 when it moved to a new $2.1 million dollar home. The new ballpark sported a new stadium, scoreboard, improved fencing, and lighting. The new field was named the Ralph and Debbie Taylor Phi Delta Theta Stadium at Simmons Field, on behalf of a generous donation from the Taylor family and to continue honoring the contributions of legendary coach John Simmons.

Over the last 104 seasons, the baseball program has accomplished many impressive feats. The MU baseball Tigers have won fifteen conference championships, made ten NCAA tournament appearances, six College World Series appearances, and compiled an all-time record of 1,798 victories, 1,166 losses, and 18 ties placing Mizzou thirty-fifth on the list of all-time wins in NCAA Division I baseball history. This ranking is a great achievement when compared with the ranking of Missouri rival Kansas, who ranks eighty-ninth.

Presentation of the 1954 National Championship

Coaches	Champions	All-Americans	Professionals	Hall of Fame

Copyright © Curators of the University of Missouri 1997 & 2002
Published by: University Archives muarchives.missouri.edu/
Originally Prepared by Blain Cerney: July 2002
Revised: 18 January 2007
URL: https://muarchives.missouri.edu/baseball.html

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