'Are You Sure About That?': How a Bold Player Led to Mindset Change Within Mizzou Baseball

After an inspirational outing by a reliever, Mizzou head coach Kerrick Jackson gave a speech to encourage his players to have a different outlook when they take the field

April 2, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA: Missouri Tigers Head Coach Kerrick Jackson gives a speech to his players following their walk-off win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff. | Sam Simon

When a coach walks to the mound to pull a pitcher from the game, it is not usually advised for the player to protest.

He had loaded the bases and already allowed a run, so it made sense for Missouri Tigers head coach Kerrick Jackson to make the trek to the mound to pull reliever Tony Neubeck in the fourth inning with two outs and a three-run deficit against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

"I was coming to get him and (Neubeck) said, 'Are you sure about that?'" Jackson said. "I said, 'Yeah, I'm sure, because your pitch count is up and it's your first time out.' I was like, 'I know this isn't the way that you wanted to end, but we got to protect you in this situation.'"

That's when the pitcher did something that caught the coach off-guard. Neubeck had just four words for Jackson in this situation.

"Give me three pitches."

There was no reason for Jackson to put his trust in a pitcher that he had never seen throw from the mound in a game. But the Tigers' coach retreated and gave Neubeck the opportunity to do what he believed he could.

"He threw three pitches and (struck the) guy out," Jackson said. " I told him that's one of the ballsiest things I've ever seen anybody do."

April 2, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA: Missouri Tigers reliever Tony Neubeck throws from the mound against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. | Derek Emmert

Neubeck didn't want to be sidelined for long and initially elected for a UCL repair in the 2023 season, but it didn't take. He had to go back and get the full Tommy John surgery during the 2024 season, keeping him out for over two calendar years.

"Being somebody that went through reconstructive shoulder surgery myself and knowing what that's like, not only from a physical standpoint, but from a mental and emotional standpoint," Jackson said following the game against UAPB, "seeing him work and grind and stay positive and do all the things that he's been doing over the last year and a half that I've been here has been tremendous."

When he wasn't able to pitch, Neubeck offered to do whatever he could for the team. He even told Jackson that he could serve as catcher if needed. This is what led to Jackson trusting his pitcher in that moment.

"He's always figuring out how he can help somebody, even despite his situation," Jackson said. "So when you see someone who gets after it as much as they do, and really enjoys what they're doing, then you're always going to pull for them and be on their side."

Despite the challenge to his authority, Jackson admired Neubeck's belief in himself. He thought his team needed to take a page out of Neubeck's book. The head coach turned this moment into a learning opportunity for the rest of the team in his post-game speech.

"I shared with our team that if you have the same belief in yourself that he has in his self, then this whole thing is completely different," Jackson said.

Winning with the Belief System

The season hasn't gone how the Tigers would have liked, but Jackson hopes that this lesson to believe in themselves will stick with them for the rest of their season. He was even inspired himself when it came to the game against UAPB.

The game was tied 7-7 in the bottom of the ninth. Director of Pitching Development Isaiah Paige made a call to Jackson on the bullpen phone to see if they would run reliever Xavier Lovett out for another inning if they went into extras, but the head coach had a simple response.

"I said, it's not going to matter. We're going to walk off during the ninth."

When starting shortstop Jackson Lovich had to be pulled for injury after sliding into second on a stolen base, Lovett turned to his coach and asked who would go in for Lovich in the field in the next half inning. Jackson had the same response.

"It doesn't matter, we're about to walk it off"

The Tigers were down to their last out. With the Lovich injury, second baseman Keegan Knutson had a long wait and a lot of time to think before he stepped into the box. But he knew what he had to do and knew his approach.

"The profile of (the UAPB pitcher's) fastball was more of a sinker ball and I worked on that in cage earlier, inside fastball," Knutson said following the game. "I was really thinking exactly my same approach that I had in cage earlier. I was telling myself that if he comes in(side), he's not going to beat me."

With his speech to the team, Jackson has laid the groundwork for their mindset he wants them to pursue. The Tigers will need to buy into Jackson’s belief system if they want to turn their season around and set a new foundation for the program.

"That's kind of what I shared with the team, was to have a belief system, believe in something," Jackson said. "Good things can come as a result of just being in the right headspace. If we can turn that page and stop waiting for the other shoe to drop, I think we'll be amazed at what can happen."