Feb. 10, 2012
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - With the first pitch of the 2012 baseball season just one week away, the Missouri State Bears continue to rack up preseason honors, adding laurels from Baseball America and CollegeBaseballInsider.com to their growing list of credentials. The Bears, who were picked to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season race by the league's coaches in their annual preseason poll last week, were also tabbed the MVC favorites by both entities, with BA picking MSU to claim its first NCAA Regional bid since 2003.
Additionally, Baseball America ranked Missouri State second baseman Kevin Medrano as the No. 12 senior in all of Division I baseball, and junior right-hander Pierce Johnson as the top Valley prospect in the 2012-13 MLB Draft classes. Medrano, who could become the first four-time All-MVC first-teamer in Valley baseball history, was selected to the preseason All-MVC team by the conference's coaches along with MSU sophomore right-handed pitcher Nick Petree.
Head coach Keith Guttin, who was the subject of a feature article on CollegeBaseballInsider.com earlier this week, will return 18 letterwinners, including seven regular position starters and seven pitchers, from last year's 33-23 club that finished fourth in the MVC regular-season standings.
The Bears will kick-off the season next Friday (Feb. 17) with games against Tennessee Tech and Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. After playing its first 12 games on the road, MSU will open its home slate March 6, against Oklahoma State.
Season and single-game tickets for Missouri State's 25-game 2012 home baseball schedule, as well as single-game tickets and tournament packages for the 2012 State Farm Missouri Valley Baseball Championship, are now on-sale through the MSU Athletics Box Office. Tickets may be obtained in person at the Chevy Pickup Window at JQH Arena, or by calling (417) 836-7678 or toll-free (888) 476-7849.
