KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri State men's soccer had three players be named to 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Teams. The Bears have had at least three players make an All-Region team in each of the last eight years.

Senior forward Jesus Barea and redshirt junior midfielder Alex Matthews were two of the six Missouri Valley Conference players to make the All-West Region first team. Sophomore midfielder Tyler Caton was one of five Valley players to earn a nod on the All-West Region second team.

Barea (Cádiz, Spain) makes his third straight All-West Region team after making the first team in 2022 and the second team in 2023. Barea is tied for fourth in the nation in goals (15), which is tied for the second-most goals in a single season in Missouri State history. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second time in his career, becoming the first Bear to win the award twice. He was also the league's Forward of the Year and made the All-MVC first team. Barea became the program's all-time leader in shots taken (261). He is also second in program history in career starts (85), tied for second in career goals (34) and third in career points (87). He was recently named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American and is a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. 

Matthews (Derbyshire, England) makes his first career All-West Region team after starting all 18 matches for Missouri State. He was one of three Bears to make the All-MVC first team in 2024. Matthews led Missouri State with 1,593 minutes on the field — playing all but 27 minutes for the whole season — and had a career-high two assists in 2024. He contributed to the team's +22 goal differential and its 239-109 shot differential. He also made the 2024 MVC All-Tournament Team. 

Caton (Surrey, England) represents the Bears on the All-West Region second team for the first time in his career. The 2023 MVC Freshman of the Year continued his streak of specialty awards by being named the 2024 MVC Co-Midfielder of the Year. He was named to the All-MVC First Team and made the MVC All-Tournament Team for the second year in a row. Caton started all 18 matches for the Bears this season and registered a career-high four assists, tied for the team-most.

These three players helped lead Missouri State to a 12-4-2 record, including a 7-0-1 conference record to secure an undefeated MVC regular season championship. The Bears earned a national seeding in the NCAA Tournament and a first-round bye for the second time in team history. 

The United Soccer Coaches Division I Men's All-America Teams will be revealed at a later date.