Missouri Western State University Athletics

The Missouri Western baseball team accomplished a significant milestone in 2013 by winning its first MIAA Regular Season Championship in program history. Under the leadership of Buzz Verduzco, the Griffons reached as high as No. 4 in the country and made it to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in school history. MWSU outscored opponents 417-221, which propelled them to a 40-12 overall record and a 28-5 MIAA record. The pitching staff finished the season with a 3.97 ERA and 280 strikeouts, while the offense achieved a .355 team batting average with 63 home runs.
 
MWSU had an impressive start to the season with winning streaks of 17 and 10 games, leading to a dominant 21-1 record in MIAA play. After finishing third in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings and second in the MIAA Tournament, the Griffons secured a spot in the NCAA Division II Central Regional in Mankato, Minnesota. Ten players received All-MIAA honors, with Michael Schulze named MIAA Player of the Year, Brandon Simmons named MIAA Pitcher of the Year and Verduzco named Coach of the Year. Schulze was also honored as the Daktronics All-Central Region Player of the Year, while Bubba Dotson, Fink and Simmons were also named to the first team.