The Missouri baseball team began its most anticipated season in recent memory with a 3-2 loss to East Tennessee St. at the Buccaneer Classic in Charleston, South Carolina Thursday. The Tigers, which are ranked as high as 10th in the nation, managed just four hits and committed two errors in the season opener.

In the first, left fielder C.J. Lee got to first on an error by Tiger third baseman John McKee. ETSU right fielder Shan Byrne was up next and drove in Lee with a single to make it 1-0.

It stayed 1-0 until the seventh inning when East Tennessee first baseman Blake Church drove in catcher John Weddle with a sacrifice fly. Weddle, who led off the inning, got to first on another error by McKee.

Tiger first baseman Derek Chambers drove in Mizzou’s first run with a sacrifice fly to score Hunter Mense in the eighth inning. That made it 2-1.

But East Tennessee St. got their two-run lead back in the top of the ninth with yet another MU miscue. Weddle struck out, but reached first on a dropped third strike. Church later drove in Weddle with a single to make it 3-1.

Trevor helms doubled with one out in the bottom of the ninth and was later driven home by a single from short stop Gary Arndt. But that’s as close as the Tigers got.

The Tigers used a total of six pitchers on Thursday, because projected ace, Max Scherzer is out for two weeks after getting the middle finger on his throwing hand caught in a door Tuesday.