Missouri AD Laird Veatch gives candid response on state of baseball program

Missouri baseball currently finds itself on an eight-game losing streak, bringing the overall record to 13-31. Entering a weekend series against Georgia, the Tigers are winless in SEC play this season. Another sweep would bring them to 0-24 and 21 games under .500.

The program’s last winning season came in 2023. Missouri has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2012 as a member of the Big 12. Athletic director Laird Veatch was candid in his assessment of baseball, saying the necessary resources have not been pumped into supporting it.

“That’s an incredibly competitive sport in this league,” Veatch said. “That is an area where we have not necessarily invested the level we need to, candidly. We need to continue to do that. We need to continue to support our coach and help his be successful. That’s a process, it doesn’t happen overnight.”

SEC baseball might be the most competitive league in all of college athletics. Missouri has not fared well since transitioning into the conference. A 15-15 record in 2015 was Mizzou’s best mark in SEC play, usually finishing double-digit games below .500.

Veatch recently made a new hire in Kerrick Johnson, putting him in charge ahead of the 2025 season. Johnson was previously a Missouri assistant before taking his first head coaching role at Southern. One season was spent at Memphis too, where Veatch was his athletic director.

A tough situation faced Johnson when he took over the job. Veatch will continue to support him, even if the results have not been great.

“I think a lot of Kerrick. Not only as a coach but as a person,” Veatch said. “He did take over a difficult situation in many respects. He’ll keep after it, he’ll keep doing it the right way. It’s not an overnight thing, we’ll keep supporting him.”

Three more SEC weekend series find themselves on the schedule for Missouri. As mentioned, Georgia is next up in Columbia. A trip to College Station will then be followed up by a regular season finale at home against Mississippi State. One weekday game still remains as well, facing bitter rival Kansas — a team they just lost to on Thursday night.

All 16 teams are invited to the SEC Tournament for a single-elimination event. That’s where Mizzou’s year is expected to end, barring a championship run for an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Veatch knows Johnson’s program needs support moving forward if the Tigers are to get to winning ways.