Missouri State - April 15, 22
Welcoming back the Bears once again, a team the Missouri Tigers went 2-0 against them in 2024 and hope to maintain that record this year. In the final year of Keith Gutton’s remarkable 42-year career, the Bears finished with a 23-34 overall record and an 11-16 mark in the MVC, losing in the second round of the MVC Baseball Championship. However, with former hitting coach and now head coach Joey Hawkins at the helm, there’s no telling what the Bears will look like this season.
Offensively, the team was impressive in 2024 but will look a bit different in 2025. Of the seven players who started more than 50 games last year, three have graduated, and two others who started at least 30 games are also gone—one to graduation and one to the transfer portal. Leading the way will be sophomore Caden Bogenpohl, who earned Freshman All-American honors after finishing 2024 with an OPS over 1.000, thanks to 20 homers. He’ll have plenty of support from players like junior Zack Stewart, who hit over 20 home runs in 2024 with a .300 batting average, and Nick Rodriguez, whose .332 average led the team. Junior Carter Bregman and sophomore Curry Sutherland will also contribute, along with two portal additions and three freshmen, to help make up for the players they lost.
The pitching side of things was where the team struggled last year, and it was a major factor in the team’s challenges in 2024. That could be the case again in 2025. To start, they lost more of their pitching staff from 2024, with two players even selected in the draft. Leading the charge for the Bears in 2025 will be junior Jason Schaaf, who finished 2024 with a 4.58 ERA in 57 innings. Behind him, the team relied heavily on pitching by committee, with over 10 players making starts. The bullpen, however, will look very similar to last year, with five arms returning after making more than 20 appearances in 2024. Leading the way will be sophomore Keleb Thomas, redshirt sophomore Tyler Charlton, and junior Garrett Ferguson, none of whom had ERAs above 4.00. The pitching staff will also feature new additions, with three players coming from the portal and six freshmen joining the team.
Guys to look for:
- Gabe Smith
- Jake McCutcheon
- Taeg Gollert