TOWER GROVE — As detailed in Graham Watson’s article this morning, Mizzou starting pitcher Aaron Crow throws for a NCAA record this evening against the nationally ranked Texas Longhorns.

Or, so folks think.

Crow (7-0) has a run of 42 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, and he has yet to give up a run in conference play. This streak has prompted some good, old-fashioned gumshoe journalism, as detailed in Sam Miles’ column from the Columbia Missourian from earlier today. In his article, Mills explains how this NCAA record isn’t quite a verified NCAA record:

The people at the NCAA have been compiling records since 1957 and have had a record book since 1990, but they don’t receive box scores on a daily basis, and have never had a listing for individuals. They do, however, list Arizona State in 1972 as holding the team record. This is important, because it has given many people the impression that Eddie Bane, who threw 43 scoreless frames for that team, holds the record. Forty-three is good, plenty better than Justin Pope, but it isn’t good enough. Especially not for a record that doesn’t exist.

The game notes that Mizzou sports information baseball guru Josh Murray sent out for this weekend’s series states the record situation quite clear: “To the best of our knowledge …” Well, to the best of everyone’s knowledge the record is 47 2/3 consecutive innings without allowing a run. Crow can surpass that tonight against the 12th-ranked Longhorns.

His streak currently is the fifth-longest in NCAA Division I, according to the list provided by Mizzou. Though it could be the fourth-longest, and 2 1/3 innings into tonight’s game it could be the second-longest.

The best of everyone’s knowledge scoreless streaks (a list that does include the Eddie Bane streak listed in Mills’ article):

Scorelss Innings Streaks
Division I 

Todd Helton (Tennessee)- 47.2 innings (1994)
Ben McDonald (LSU)- 44.2 innings (1989)
Pat Vindette (Creighton)- 43.2 innings (2007)
Eddie Bane (Arizona St.)- 43.0 innings (1972)
Aaron Crow (Missouri)- 42.2 innings (2008)

Division II Record
Kyle Jones (SIUE)- 54.0 innings (2006)

Division III Record
Joey Serfass (E. Conn. St.)-47.0 innings (2003)

Yes, that Todd Helton is the same Todd Helton who has something like 70 more doubles than any other hitter baseball over the past decade. The same Todd Helton who played quarterback for Tennessee and now has a few Gold Gloves as Colorado’s first baseman.

Crow’s scoreless streak is not the only part of his season, which could propel him to the No. 1 pick in the coming June draft. Crow leads the conference with 67 strikeouts, 17 more than any the second-place pitcher. The chronology of Crow’s run, as recited in Murray’s media notes:

• On March 14, Crow struck out a career-high 15 against Toledo. Two Toledo hitters got past first base, and through one stretch of the game Crow struck out 11 of 15 batters.
• He pitched a second-straight shutout while striking out 10 at Baylor on March 21.
• On March 28, Crow pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out nine and allowing just two hits to Texas Tech’s team.
• A week ago, he recorded his third complete-game shutout of the season. He struck out seven Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Columbia Daily Tribune’s Matt Nestor offers up this feature on Crow, discussing his growth on the mound and mentioning the 96-mph fastball that caught so much attention last summer. 

Texas and the Tigers were the two teams picked by Big 12 coaches to finish first and second in the conference, respectively, in a pre-season vote. Texas has a familiar name returning to its outfield — a hitter who one would think poses an individual threat to Crow’s scoreless streak. He is: Kyle Russell.

Taken by the Cardinals in the fourth round of last year’s draft, Russell did not agree to any of the offers the Cardinals tabled and they were reluctant to meet his plus-$1 million demand because of what they believed was a college-friendly swing. Russell led the country in home runs last season, hitting 28. Through 28 games this season, Russell has just three home runs and is hitting .233 with 27 strikeouts in 90 at-bats.

That prompted The Fort Worth Star-Telegram to write this week:

Where’s Waldo? award: Texas slugger Kyle Russell, who led the nation with 28 home runs in 2007, has three so far and is hitting .233.

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