The St. Joseph Mustangs stayed perfect on the season as they won both games of a doubleheader Thursday night at Phil Welch Stadium against Spooner (WI), 3-0 and 6-1.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team improves to 4-0 on the season as they are back at home Friday night against Joplin.

In game one, the Mustangs scored single runs in the first, fourth and fifth innings to get the win.  Joe Koerper and Ryan Abernathy each had two hits and drove in one run, while Andrew Standifer and Nate Winfrey also had two hits each.

Jeremiah Figueroa picked up the win as he went five innings and allowed just four hits, while striking out five.  Brett Ash earned his second save of the season.

In game two, St. Joseph broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth.

Andrew Standifer drove in two runs, while Abernathy and Zac Johnson had one RBI each.  Joe Koeper had another two hit game as he was playing in his first two games of the season.

Miles Gully got the win for the Mustangs as he allowed one run and three hits over six innings.  He struck out six and walked four batters.

Friday’s game with Joplin will be the first MINK League game for the Mustangs as the first pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. inside Phil Welch Stadium.

The St. Joseph Mustangs stayed unbeaten on season with a 10-2 victory at home against the Rossville Rattlers.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team is now 2-0 as four pitchers combined to four-hit Rossville one day after the Mustangs allowed just two hits in their opener against the Midwest A’s.

St. Joseph got on the board first with three runs in the third inning. Ryan Abernathy had an RBI double, Nate Winfrey hit a sacrifice fly and Brady Anderson scored on a Rossville error.

The Rattlers got two runs back in the fourth inning before the Mustangs scored seven unanswered runs, including six in the sixth inning.

Zac Johnson hit a two-run double to highlight the sixth inning as he drove in three runs in the game. Abernathy finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI.

Trent Kinney earned the win as he went six innings and allowed just three hits and two runs, but both were unearned as St. Joseph committed four errors in the game.

The Mustangs are back at home Thursday as they host the Spooner Bandits in the doubleheader at Phil Welch Stadium. First pitch of game one is set for 5:30 p.m.

The St. Joseph Mustangs opened their 2014 season Tuesday night with a 2-1 win over the Midwest A’s at Phil Welch Stadium.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team scored two runs in the first inning and that held up as four Mustang pitchers combined on a 2-hitter against the A’s.

Ryker Fox started and threw seven scoreless innings, while allowing only one hit and striking out nine.

Blake Kolons allowed one run in the eighth before Austin Aspegren got the final two outs in the inning.  Brett Ash worked a scorless ninth to get the save.

Zac Johnson and Ryan Abernathy had two hits each, while Johnson and Brandon Huske each had one RBI.

St. Joseph is back at home Wednesday as they host the Rossville Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. inside Phil Welch Stadium.  The game will be broadcast live on 680 KFEQ and here on stjosephpost.com.

St. Joseph’s longest-tenured major league baseball player and two groups that have made major contributions toward the St. Joseph Mustangs are the 2014 nominees to the Mustangs Hall of Fame.

Byron Browne, the Hometown Members of the Inaugural 2009 St. Joseph Mustangs, and the Diamond Club have been chosen for recognition.
Browne, originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, spent eight years in the major leagues (1965-1972), playing for the Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.

In his first major league at-bat, as a Cub, he lined out against Sandy Koufax, who went on to pitch a perfect game that day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Among Browne’s 30 major league home runs one of the more memorable was hit against Bob Gibson, legendary St. Louis Cardinal pitcher. A multi-sport star at Central High School, Browne also served briefly as a volunteer baseball coach under Doug Minnis at Missouri Western.

Hometown Members of the Inaugural 2009 St. Joseph Mustangs being recognized are Johnny Coy, Ryan Hook, Drew Garwood, Landin Eckhart, Ethan Barnett and Jordan McGlaughlin.

“These young men could have played anywhere that summer, but they chose to stay in St. Joseph and play with the Mustangs,” said Dan Gerson, Mustangs president and chief executive officer.

“Their presence and their skills gave us instand credibility, and helped lay the foundation for what continues to be a successful organization. We’re extremely grateful for the contribution these young men made to the program here.”

The Diamond Club has been a strong supporter of summer baseball in St. Joseph since it was organized in 1996 by the late Jim and Donna Hamlin. Contributions to the Mustangs and to their summer predecessors have included building and painting booths, taking tickets, serving as ushers and lending support to the team at games both home and away.

Francis (Bud) Fisch is the president of the Diamond Club. Others who continue to play major roles include Jeannie Tudor, David Johnson, and George Brumback.

The new members of the Hall of Fame join Dave Brown, a professional baseball player who managed the 1972 St. Joseph team that won the Boys Baseball Bronco World Series; Linden Black and Mr. Hamlin, catalysts in bringing summer baseball back to St. Joseph; Julius Hochman, founder of the Boys Baseball program in St. Joseph; Doug Minnis, longtime coach at Missouri Western; the 1975 Missouri Western baseball team that played in the NAIA World Series; longtime baseball coaches Greg Kastner (Bishop LeBlond) and Mike Musser (Benton) and the late Tony Poloski, a professional baseball scout who was heavily involved in St. Joseph baseball programs.

— Mustangs Press Release —

For the 2014 summer college baseball season, the MINK League has added an additional team.  The Branson Nationals out of Branson, MO give the league 7 teams from the Show Me state for the coming season.  The “M” in MINK is getting larger every year.  “We are thrilled to add a ninth team to the MINK League” said Dan Gerson owner of the Mustangs and Chairman of the MINK League’s expansion committee.  “They have a proven track record of excellence and will challenge for the league title every year.”  Gerson added that with the addition to the number of teams in the league, the MINK will play 2 more in-league contests increasing the total to 44 league games, 22 at home and 22 road games per team.  “We wanted to give our fans more chances to watch MINK League games and we accomplished that” added Gerson.  Opening night for the Mustangs will be May 30 vs Joplin.

The Mustangs head into their sixth season in 2014.  They have two MINK League titles on their resume winning the crown in 2011 and 2012.  They finished second in the North division in 2013.  Matt Johnson returns for his sixth year at the helm of the ponies.  He has had amazing success as the only head coach in team history.  “Last season twenty players from our original roster either got hurt were drafted by Major League Baseball or signed with an independent league team.  It was an amazing mountain to climb.  It is a testament to our coaches and those players that were here that we still had a chance at the title until the last week of the season.” said Johnson.

Three doubleheaders dot the 26 home date slate with back to back doubleheaders on July 17 and 18.  Also on the docket are the wildly popular US Military All Stars again on July 3, the annual clash with Sedalia on July 4, 8 Saturday night games, 7 Fridays and 6 Thursdays.  Branson plays its first game in St Joseph on June 20 at 7pm.  Another first will be June 6 when the Mustangs take on St Joe Mustangs alumni at 7pm.  The final home game is July 19 vs defending league champion Clarinda.  Playoffs will be the following weekend with the division winners squaring off in a 3 game series for the title.

Back for a second year will be a live boxing card on home plate with Legacy Boxing.  This time however, the card will be during the Mustangs season on Friday June 13.  Fighters and ticket information will follow later.

Season tickets are now on sale at Phil Welch Stadium or by calling 816 279 STJO (7856).  Group plans, deck and party tent reservations are now available at the same number and address. The entire 2014 schedule is available online at www.stjoemustangs.com

Rick Muntean, General Manager of the Mustangs said “We will have many fun promotions lined up for this year and innovations that our fans have come to expect from their Mustangs.  We will also have another championship pennant to fly after the 2014 season.  Jump on board for a great ride.”

— Mustangs Press Release —

Buoyed by two crowds of over 4,000 fans, the St. Joseph Mustangs finished the 2013 MINK League season with their highest final attendance ranking in College Summer Baseball in their five year history.

The recently released rankings complied by Ballparkdigest.com for College Summer Baseball teams found the Mustangs in 7th place topping their eighth place finish in both 2010 and 2011.  St Joseph averaged 2,100 fans per game and had 12 crowds of over 2,000 fans, four crowds over 3,000 and two crowds of more than 4,000.

Mustangs’ General Manager Rick Muntean said “We had a solid plan and it came together nicely.  We also had fantastic weather and that really helped.”  He added that,  “Our goal is to lead the nation in attendance for Summer College Baseball.”

In their first five years,  St. Joseph has four top ten attendance rankings, two MINK League championships, two top five finishes at the National Baseball Congress World Series and have led the MINK League in attendance each of the first five years.

“We are building a rich tradition here in St. Joe,” Muntean said.

Click here to see the 2013 rankings from Ballparkdigest.com.

— Mustangs Media Release —

The St. Joseph Mustangs ended their 2013 season on a sour note Monday night as they were blown out at Chillicothe, 14-2.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team ends its season 26-21 and 21-21 in the MINK League.  This the first year that St. Joseph will not make the postseason in its five years of existence.

The Mustangs fell behind early to the Mudcats Monday as Chillicothe scored two runs on two St. Joe errors in the first inning and they added three more in the third.

St. Joseph got two runs back in the fourth inning as Griff Gordon and Joe Koerper each singled to start the inning.  Gordon scored on a wild pitch, while Koerper came home on a groundout by Shane O’Connell.

That was all the Mustangs could get done offensively and then Chillicothe broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning.  The Mudcats had six hits in the inning and St. Joe committed two more errors as they had five on the night.

Dixon Marble (3-2) suffered the loss as he went just three innings, allowing five runs on five hits.

Koerper was the only Mustang with multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4 with one runs scored and a double.  Gordon, Brandon Huske, Lucas Powers, Zac Johnson and Kyle Richards had one single each.

The St. Joseph Mustangs suffered their third consecutive road loss Sunday as they were dominated in Springfield against the Ozark General, 12-3.

The loss also snapped St. Joe’s summer college baseball teams two-game win streak after back-to-back home wins Friday and Saturday.  They fall to 26-20 this season and 21-20 in the MINK League.

Ozark broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth inning and then they broke the game open in the sixth.

The General knocked Mustangs’ starter Jared Hawkins out of the game and exploded for nine runs to take an 11-0 lead.

St. Joseph fell behind 12-0 before finally getting on the scoreboard in the ninth inning when Lucas Powers hit a two-out, two-run single and Joe Koerper added an RBI single for the final margin.

Koerper, Brandon Huske and Griff Gordon had two hits each for the Mustangs.

Hawkins lasted 5.2 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits.  He struck out three and walked one batter.

St. Joe will close out its regular season Monday when they travel to Chillicothe.  The first pitch is at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 AM and here on StJosephPost.com.

The St. Joseph Mustangs won their second consecutive game Saturday night as they closed out their home schedule with an 11-3 victory over the Kansas City Monarchs.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team is now 26-19 and they stay 21-19 in the MINK League because it was a non-league game.

The Mustangs use a seven-run third inning to break open a scoreless game and they added two runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to cruise to the win.

Zac Johnson led St. Joseph with four hits, while Lucas Powers and Shane O’Connell each went 3-for-5.

O’Connell and Jeremy Monty had two RBI each, whiel Joe Koerper scored three runs.

Jonathan McCann earned the win for the Mustangs as he went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.  He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter.

St. Joe is back on the road Sunday as they play a 7:00 p.m. game at Ozark.

The St. Joseph Mustangs won their final MINK League home game of the season Friday night as they defeated Omaha, 13-3.

St. Joe’s summer college baseball team improves to 25-19 this season and 21-19 in league play.

Omaha jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of of the first inning off three hits.

Down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third inning, the Mustangs scored six runs to take the lead for good.  The highlight of the inning came from Eric Swains as he hit a three-run home run for his second of the esason.

St. Joseph added six runs in the eighth to snap their four-game losing streak as the Mustangs had 17 total hits in the game.

St. Joe plays its final home game of the season Saturday as they host the Kansas City Monarchs at 7:00 p.m.