SHAWNEE, Okla. – Roy Robles struck out a Missouri Western record, 17 batters as Griffon Baseball kicked off the 2020 season with a 5-3 win at Oklahoma Baptist.
 
After facing six batters and allowing one run in the first, Robles settled in and missed bat after bat. His record-breaking strikeout performance came over six innings, with just one putout by his defense. At the plate, the Griffons hit three home runs to drive in all five MWSU runs.
 
Andrew Meier put the Griffons ahead in the third with a three-run shot to right. Reid Briney added to the lead in the fourth with a solo home run. The Bison scored two runs on the Griffon bullpen to pull within one in the bottom of the eight, but Zach Pych gave Jake Gilbert an insurance run with a solo homer in the top of the ninth. Gilbert picked up the save in his first appearance as a Griffon.
 
The Griffons' seven hits were scattered across six players. Pych went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Missouri Western bested an Oklahoma Baptist team that won the GAC Tournament last season to qualify for the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships and were picked second in the GAC Preseason Coaches poll.
 
The two teams conclude their three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.