Dalton Bargo and Tony Vitello are both former Missouri Tigers
Each time Missouri baseball plays Tennessee, people bring up the storyline of the alternate universe where MU hired Tony Vitello and not Steve Bieser.
It feels like a millenia ago, but you can’t escape it when the Tigers and No. 3 Volunteers meet, especially considering thesuccess the Vols have seen since Vitello, a former Mizzou assistant, took over. But this year, MU’s trip to Knoxville reunites the Tigers with a different familiar face — Dalton Bargo.
The Nebraska native played his freshman season with Mizzou in 2023, and he was a regular fixture in the lineup. He slashed .279/.379/.442, hit five homers, and posted a 104 wRC+ in 195 plate appearances. The highlight of Bargo’s freshman season may have even been a homer off Tennessee when the Tigers swept the Volunteers. He turned around 97 from Chase Burns and hit it 417 feet. No biggie.
Dalton Bargo’s two-run homer puts #Mizzou on top, 3-0!#MIZ ⚾️#C2E pic.twitter.com/NNtloznQKg
— Mizzou Baseball (@MizzouBaseball) March 19, 2023
This year, while he hasn’t been featured as regularly, Bargo is reaching new heights with his new ballclub. The former Tiger has a 137 wRC+ in 87 plate appearances and is slashing .315/.414/.616 with six homers. His wOBA has also jumped from .379 to .451.
While a lackluster Mizzou lineup that is dead last in the Southeastern Conference in runs scored could certainly use a bat like Bargo, his departure has cleared the way for a couple of new faces.
Jackson Lovich and Brock Daniels have both certainly benefited from Bargo’s transfer. The Volunteer frequently featured as a DH for the Tigers last year, but now you can see young guys like Daniels and Lovich filling that hole a fair amount of the time.
Lovich, who is just a sophomore, is slashing .282/.389/.540 with seven homers and a 118 wRC+. He’s a fixture in Mizzou’s lineup. Daniels, a redshirt sophomore, has emerged in the past few weekends as a key contributor, but his impact has been significant. The St. Louis product has a 128 wRC+ and is slashing .356/.407/.589. Daniels has also belted seven homers and stolen seven bags in just 87 plate appearances.
HE PUT IT ON THE ROOF OF DEVINE!
Brock Daniels (@_brock_2) drills a solo homer to right field, dropping it on the roof of Devine Pavilion. Carter Rustad (@carterrustad) will return to the mound in the ninth.#MIZ 8, LSU 4 | 9⃣# | ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/d5XowbsI5I
— Mizzou Baseball (@MizzouBaseball) April 20, 2024
No one can legitimately argue that MU’s offense is better off without Bargo, but his departure did open the door for a pair of players who could anchor Mizzou’s lineup for multiple years.
This weekend we’ll get to see each of them thriving in their new opportunities when Mizzou plays Tennesse at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Weekend schedule
Thursday @ 6:30 p.m. — SEC Network
Friday @ 5:30 p.m. — SEC Network+
Saturday @ 11 a.m. — SEC Network