Mizzou Baseball's Growing Closer and Connected as 2026 Season Approaches

The puzzle that Missouri baseball coach Kerrick Jackson has been building over the last three years is getting closer and closer to being completed as he enters his third season with the Tigers.

Jackson and the Tigers have experienced plenty of turbulence over the last two seasons, resulting in a lack of wins and general success. Now, however, the personnel he has both on the field and on his coaching staff are inching closer to the vision Jackson has for success.

"It's year three, for us, and we finally have the right people in place," Jackson told the media on Feb. 6. "Whenever you're building something, it takes you some time to get that going specifically."

Inside the walls where Jackson and his squad operate, there's a growing sense of trust and comfort as the 2026 season approaches.

"Everybody's finally feeling comfortable with the things that we talked about from day one, and now we're going to see it come to fruition," Jackson said.

That comfort is leading to a connection between players on the roster. It feels as if there's a growing sense that this group of payers may be able to do something different than the previous two years under Jackson.

Junior catcher Mateo Serna has recognized that. With the new additions to the team and those returning from the 2025 season, Serna has also grown confident that the Tigers are improving individually and as a team.

"The connection as a group, it's been incredible and it just feels like every day everyone's getting better, which is the most important part for us," Serna said.

That same feeling is also the case with the newcomers, including graduate infielder Jase Woita. Woita joined the Tigers from South Carolina in the offseason and could be a key piece to the roster this season.

Woita has wasted no time getting integrated into the roster and has quickly discovered how close the group is. This growing sentiment feels like, to Woita, it could lead to more wins.

"Whether we're playing cards or, you know, playing video games or just doing homework, we are always in groups," graduate infielder Jase Woita said. "We got different guys in different groups all the time, you know, intermingling. So it's a really close group."

It's no secret that the Tigers have struggled to win games in recent seasons. That's led to plenty of scrutiny of Jackson and the Tigers, as well.

None of that matters to Jackson, however, and he's extremely confident in this year's team. He also knows that his team is working hard for the success they're still yearning to find.

"When you look at us in the SEC, it's understanding that we don't have the biggest budget. We're not in the best weather," Jackson said. "All (of) those things that people could use as reasons why we shouldn't be successful. I think our guys embrace the idea of, this is who we are. And because of that, we're gonna go out, give ourselves a chance to be successful with anybody in the play."

A philosophy that the Tigers and Jackson are taking into this new season revolves around their defense. Jackson believes that, in order to be a competitive team, being effective on defense is as important as scoring runs.

"One of the things we talk about from a defensive perspective is we want to put pressure on the offense," Jackson said. "We want to be offensive on defense. And so our guys are really doing it.

Jackson believes the Tigers have the personnel on defense to achieve that goal. From returning players to one of many transfers they added, there's a belief that the Tigers have the combined skill sets neccesary to be an effective defensive team.

"When you look at us from a defensive perspective, we have all the pieces," Jackson said. "We're athletic. We have arm strength. We have baseball IQ and understanding, and relish the idea of being good on defense because that energizes us just as much as it does hitting the home run.

The Tigers start their season with a three-game series against Mount St. Mary's at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13, at Terry Park in Fort Myers, Florida.

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