04/26/2006 9:48 PM - Kansas, Missouri State and Missouri all took home wins in the Best of the Midwest tournament at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

Missouri opened the tournament with a 14-3 win over Southeast Missouri State. Likely first-round pick Max Scherzer started for the Tigers and struck out five of the seven batters he faced in two innings of work. The Tigers took an early lead on a three-run homer by shortstop Gary Arndt and piled on nine runs in the top of the ninth inning for the win over the Redhawks.

Kansas pitchers limited Creighton batters to just one hit in the second game of the tourney, with freshman Nick Czyz going the first seven while allowing just one hit and an unearned run. Czyz was helped by Kansas' gap power, as six of the nine Jayhawk runs were plated by doubles. Creighton's lone hit came in the fourth inning, and the Jays were hitless thereafter.

Missouri State scored three runs in the top of the third to take an early lead in the game, one they would never relinquish. The Bears scored three more times in the top of the seventh inning to take a 7-3 lead, with Chris Taylor's double scoring two runs. Kansas State got within two runs on a two-run homer by Byron Wiley in the bottom of the eighth inning, and scored once on a Wiley single in the bottom of the ninth before the tying run was cut down at the plate for the final out of the game.