Dec. 20, 2011

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State baseball team was one of two Missouri Valley Conference clubs to earn spots in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Top 40 Pre-Season Poll, which was announced Monday. The Bears placed 31st in the poll and were joined by fellow Valley member Wichita State, which garnered the No. 37 position.

Fresh off a 33-23 season this past spring, the Bears return eight regular starters and 20 letterwinners in all from a squad that finished fourth in the MVC regular season race.

Head coach Keith Guttin will begin his 30th year at the helm of the MSU program just eight wins shy of the 1,000 career victory mark. Leading the way for the veteran-laden Bears will be returning All-MVC performers Kevin Medrano, Nick Petree and Brock Chaffin. A senior second baseman, Medrano was a first-team all-conference honoree in 2011 after batting .325 with 13 stolen bases. Chaffin--another senior infielder--led the club with a .344 average and a .550 slugging percentage en route to a second-team All-MVC nod in his first year in a Missouri State uniform. Petree solidified the Bears mound corps with a banner debut campaign that saw him post a 9-2 mark with a 2.81 ERA to pick up Valley Freshman of the Year recognition.

Missouri State will kick off the 2012 season February 17 with games against Tennessee Tech (Noon) and Texas Tech (4 p.m.) in Lubbock, Texas.