ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Entering a year with a new head coach for the first time since 2000, Griffon Baseball is set to open the 2024 season this weekend in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Missouri Western begins a new era with first-year Head Coach Damian Stambersky this weekend, starting off with a four-game series vs. Southwestern Oklahoma State. As Western turns its attention to the Bulldogs, the team officially leaves behind a 2023 season that saw the Griffs go 15-32 overall and 11-22 in the MIAA. Now picked in to tie for ninth in the MIAA Preseason Poll, Stambersky's Griffons are full of new faces both on the roster and the coaching staff, gelling together over seven months after the skipper's hiring in May 2023.

"Even before I was the head coach, I was making sure that I have people that we want to work together," Stambersky said. "I don't want to try to fit square pegs in round holes. The guys that we had those conversations with that decided to be here all carry that same idea that we are here to serve each other and are here to serve Missouri Western."

Western brings back three All-MIAA Honorable Mentions from a season ago: graduate student pitchers Zack Cushing and David Steffen; and senior infielder Travis Wiese. Cushing led the Griffons with 48 strikeouts and recorded a team-best 5-1 mark on the mound with 44.2 innings pitched. With a 2-3 record, Steffen slung 37.1 innings and tallied a team-high two saves. Wiese led the Griffons with four home runs, putting together a .317 batting in the process.

 Out of 46 student-athletes on the roster, 26 are newcomers. Whether they're returners or new blood, Stambersky believes he has a room full of guys all with the same mindset and drive.

"One of the first things I asked the team is, 'What do you want?' Ryan Neise... first guy to shout out, 'Win,'" Stambersky recounted. "There's a formula to winning, and it removes selfishness. It removes worry, it removes fear. My goal and the coaches' goal from day one has been to play free and easy. Go play your tails off and fly around the yard without fear of failure."

The Griffons are not without their share of tough seasons, last finishing above .500 when they went 29-24 in 2018. They also haven't played in the MIAA Tournament since 2019, falling short in 2021, 2022 and 2023 after the 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. There has been a cloud hovering above the Spring Sports Complex for some time, but with Stambersky's culture-redefining approach, the Griffons aim to look through the rain and fly high by the sun.

"You're gonna fail. It's a failure-based game. It is what it is. Watching those guys, I think they removed the elephant that was sitting on their chest as they tried to compete while worrying about whatever they were worried about. That's been the biggest change in the feeling, and you can't touch it, but you can definitely feel it. They want to win."

SCOUTING SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA | FEB. 2-4
Southwestern is another team looking to shake off a below .500 year. The Bulldogs went 22-29 overall and 13-20 in the Great American Conference. When playing at the SWOSU Athletic Complex in 2023, the Bulldogs went 12-11 but finished the season without a GAC Tournament berth. It has been since 2021 that Southwestern has etched a winning record and punched its ticket to the postseason.

Who to Watch
Sophomore infielder Caleb Clines possesses the best bat for the Bulldogs after leading the team last season with a batting average of .369 and 41 RBI. He's joined by junior pitcher Jackson Phillips, who logged a 4-4 record and 5.47 ERA in 2023, striking out a team-high 72 batters. 

First Pitch Times
Friday, Feb. 2 | 12 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 3 | 12/3 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, Feb. 4 | 12 p.m.