ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Highlighted by a pair of selections to the 2020 Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Team, Missouri State was tabbed second in the Valley's annual preseason poll in a vote of the conference's head coaches., the MVC office announced Tuesday.
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Leading the Bears' contingent on the Valley's preseason team are senior outfielder Jack Duffy and sophomore outfielder Dakota Kotowski, who earned second and first-team All-MVC recognition a year ago, respectively.
A three-year starter in the Bears' outfield, Duffy batted. 341 in MVC play and a team-leading .305 overall to garner a second-team All-MVC selection in 2019. The Kansas City, Mo., product recorded 17 multi-hit performances, including a career-best four-hit effort vs. New Orleans on April 20, and reached base safely in all 21 Valley contests. A MVC Scholar-Athlete Team selection for the second year in a row last spring, Duffy will bring a 12-game hit streak into the 2020 season after logging a blistering stretch drive at the plate, hitting .409 over the Bears' final 10 games last year.
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Kotowski, a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America choice last spring, becoming the ninth MSU player to be honored as the Valley's Freshman of the Year. He finished his rookie campaign with 12 home runs and a .576 slugging percentage to lead the Bears en route to earning first-team All MVC recognition. The Channahon, Ill., native ranked second overall in the MVC in home runs and third in slugging percentage and rated among the top 15 MVC hitters in batting, slugging, on-base percentage, home runs, RBI, total bases and walks during league play. Kotowski's home run total ranks third on MSU's freshman chart, trailing only former big leaguers Ryan Howard (19 in 1999) and Jason Hart (15 in 1996). Additionally, he became the sixth Bear to earn the MVC's Freshman of the Year award over the last decade, as well as the 42nd Missouri State baseball player to garner All-America status in the 56-year history of the program.
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Under the direction of seven-time MVC Coach of the Year honoree Keith Guttin, MSU will welcome back eight position starters and 10 total pitchers from last year's squad, including five veterans who have earned all-conference honors during their respective careers. The Bears will be looking to bounce back from a 20-36 campaign in 2019 and a sixth-place MVC finish – just their seventh second-division finish in 28 Valley seasons.
Defending Valley co-champion DBU garnered five of the eight first-place votes and finished with 61 points overall to claim the top spot in the poll. The Patriots edged the Bears (51 points), who received one first-place vote, while Illinois State (49) and Indiana State (40) rounded out the top half of the preseason poll. Bradley (38) and Evansville (21) finished fifth and sixth, respectively, while Southern Illinois (18) and Valparaiso (10) were slotted into the final two positions in the poll.
The league's eight clubs will convene in Carbondale, Ill., at the conclusion of the conference season for the right to represent the Valley in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.
MSU opens the 2020 campaign Feb. 14, when it opens a three-game non-conference series with Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark.
Season tickets for the 2020 season are on sale now through the Missouri State Athletics box office and packages for lower-level reserved chairback seats for $100 (general public), $50 for Missouri State faculty and staff and $20 for students. Eight-game mini-packages will also be offered for $32 per ticket. Additionally, MSU is offering free season-long admission for up to two children (ages 12 and under) with the purchase of two 2020 season tickets. The Bears will also offer a '6-Pack Special' again this spring. Purchase six or more season tickets and receive a 25-percent discount, making the ticket price just $75 per season ticket. Seating at Hammons Field will once again feature reserved tickets in the first 10 rows of the lower grandstand, while rows 11-24 will be sold as general admission seating for all Missouri State home games.
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Additionally, all 2020 Bears Baseball season-ticket holders will be entitled to the same number of complementary tickets to this year's First Pitch event, which will be held this Saturday (Feb. 1) at the Bill Rowe Indoor Training Center and feature former Bear and MLB reliever Brad Ziegler. Individual tickets for the event are on sale now for $20 each and are available through the Missouri State Baseball office by calling (417) 836-4497 or emailing KeithGuttin@MissouriState.edu. Payment will be accepted by cash or check made payable to MSU Baseball.
Bears' single-game tickets for the 2020 season, which will also go on-sale in February, will be priced at $6 for the general public, $3 for Missouri State faculty and staff, $2 for students and special rates are offered for groups of 20 or more. All children ages 12 and under not accompanied by a season-ticket holder will require a $2 ticket for admission. Students must show a valid and current BearPass Card along with a student ticket to gain entry to Hammons Field.
For additional season ticket information or to place your order in person, visit the Old Missouri Bank Box Office at JQH Arena during normal box office hours, call (417) 836-7678 or (888) 476-7849 (toll-free). Requests may also be placed online through MissouriStateBears.com, or by calling Duane Miller at (417) 836-8899.
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