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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The rebuild continues for Missouri baseball, but coach Kerrick Jackson seems happier with the state of his program on the doorstep of the 2025 season than he did a year ago.

Year 1 under Jackson saw the Tigers finish 23-32 overall, 9-21 in Southeastern Conference play and last in the league. Year 2 begins this weekend, and while Mizzou is once again predicted to finish at the bottom of the expanded SEC, there’s more potential for MU to spring some surprises.

“The things that we wanted to implement from a mental standpoint and a culture standpoint, it took last year’s team a little bit to get it,� Jackson said. “These guys came in with it.�

Missouri has traded the snow blowing across the state this week for Caguas, Puerto Rico, where it will face Penn State at 3 p.m. Friday, then UConn on Saturday and Stetson on Sunday.

“First of all, it’s going to be warm weather,� Jackson said, “so any time that you can start that way, it’s going to be good.�

It will also be an early litmus test for the Tigers. Stetson and UConn were both NCAA Tournament teams last year, and the latter made a run into the super regional round.

As is the norm, MU will spend the first couple of weeks of the season in warmer climates before its home opener, set for Feb. 27 against Lindenwood.

Infielder Jackson Lovich is poised to be Mizzou’s star this season, likely lining up at third base defensively. He hit .287 last season, finishing second on the team with 10 home runs. He has established himself as a lively bat, having led the squad in RBIs a year ago.

Among the notable newcomers is outfielder Pierre Seals, a transfer from Memphis. He batted .327 with 10 homers there last season and showed speed on the base paths for 10 doubles and 16 stolen bases. Making the jump to the SEC could be a steep one, but Seals moved seamlessly from the junior college level to Memphis, so there’s a template for his ability to adjust.

Jackson also landed two transfers straight from junior college who have earned positive reviews. Peyton Basler and Gehrig Goldbeck, both infielders, transferred from Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Basler projects as a “high on-base, high fielding percentage� player, Jackson said. Goldbeck was positioned to be one of Mizzou’s centerpieces but will be limited this season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“He’s going to be able to hit for us this year but won’t be able to play positionally — at shortstop, at least,� Jackson said. “We’ll wait and see how the year progresses.�

On the mound, MU will see a bit of an overhaul. Gone are four of the six pitchers who started four or more games last season, which includes all three pitchers who amassed 50 or more innings of action a year ago.

That means open season for roles as starters and coming out of the bullpen.

“We’ve got some of those young arms that have really high ceilings but just don’t have the experience,� Jackson said.

Among the most intriguing young pitchers is redshirt freshman Wil Libbert, who missed all of last season. The southpaw was ranked as the No. 3 recruit in Missouri coming out of nearby Blair Oaks High School, where he was a three-time all-state honoree and set a school record with 19 strikeouts in one game. Libbert was the No. 15 left-hander in the nation in his recruiting class.

If he can show an effectiveness during his second trip through the order, he could start, Jackson said. But there’s also a world in which Libbert ends up as the Tigers’ closer in his first real season of college ball. His role comes down to how his arsenal fits with the addition of a “learning curve,� Jackson said.

Pitcher Sam Horn — also a quarterback for Missouri — seems headed for a limited role on the diamond, at least early in the season. He’s coming off Tommy John surgery and will step away from baseball in a couple of weeks to participate in Mizzou’s spring football practices.

“That one’s kind of up in the air, just with regards to the football aspect,� Jackson said. “We want to make sure that we don’t run into some of the things that happened previously, of trying to do too much on both sides of the ball, if you will. His throwing rehab and his progression coming back has gone tremendously well, but spring ball is coming — he’s going to leave us. He’s going to go to spring football. Once he comes back from spring football, we’ll have to take our time with him and building up to make sure we don’t send him out there and put him at risk for injury.�

Play in the SEC — once again full of top prospects and national title contenders — is a month away for Missouri. The Tigers will be in for a steep challenge, but their foundation seems to be better than it was a year ago.

“It’s one of those deals where it looks good ‘til the lights come on, right?� Jackson said. “We’ll find out when the season starts. Everybody’s looked good to this point. We’ve been having competitive at-bats, we throw them competitive pitches, we’ve played really, really good defense. But what happens when the lights come on and it’s really go time? Based on our kids’ mentality and some of those things, I think we should be in a good position.�