ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Missouri Western baseball (5-20, 4-12 MIAA) returns to action with a pair of midweek matchups against Missouri-St. Louis (17-10, 7-5 GLVC) and Northwest Missouri State (13-12, 7-6 MIAA).
Action will begin on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. with a non-conference clash against the Tritons at UMSL Baseball Field in St. Louis. The game will be broadcast live and free on the
GLVC Sports Network, and live stats can be found
here.
On Wednesday at 5:00 p.m., the Griffons and Bearcats will face off in the "Battle of Highway 71" at the Spring Sports Complex. This marks the first of three meetings between these rivals. The second game is set for Wednesday, April 9th, at 3:00 p.m. in Maryville, followed by the finale on Wednesday, April 23, in St. Joseph. Live stats for the game will be available
here.
WATCH - MIAA NETWORK
All MIAA football, women's soccer, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball, baseball and softball regular season conference games will be streamed live on the MIAA Network. The MIAA Network showcased over 1,500 live broadcasts for its 14 member schools last season. For more information, visit
https://www.themiaanetwork.com/.
LISTEN - GRIFFON SPORTS NETWORK (Varsity Network App & GoGriffons.com/listen)
Live streams of Missouri Western athletics are now available on The Varsity Network app! All home and away football and men's and women's basketball games will be available to listen to for FREE on the Varsity Network App and at
GoGriffons.com/listen. Available on iPhone and Android, fans can access free audio streams for game days on the Varsity Network App. Fans can also receive push notifications as reminders for upcoming games and broadcasts.
Once you download The Varsity Network app, search 'Missouri Western' and select which Griffon teams you want to follow. For more information on The Varsity Network and how to listen to the Griffons,
click here. Audio broadcasts can also be found at
GoGriffons.com/listen. Audio broadcasts will also be archived at
GoGriffons.com/listen in the 'On Demand' section, and on the
Griffon Sports Insider Podcast, which is available on Spotify, Apple and wherever you podcast.
2025 MIAA BASEBALL STANDINGS (as of 3/24/25)
| School |
Conf |
CPct. |
Overall |
Pct. |
Streak |
| Fort Hays State |
14-2 |
.875 |
19-6 |
.760 |
W1 |
| Central Missouri |
10-3 |
.769 |
19-6 |
.760 |
W1 |
| Central Oklahoma |
10-6 |
.625 |
20-8 |
.714 |
W4 |
| Rogers State |
7-6 |
.538 |
17-8 |
.680 |
L1 |
| Emporia State |
7-6 |
.538 |
14-10 |
.583 |
W5 |
| Northwest Missouri |
7-6 |
.538 |
13-12 |
.520 |
W4 |
| Northeastern State |
7-6 |
.538 |
10-16 |
.385 |
L5 |
| Pittsburg State |
8-7 |
.533 |
18-7 |
.720 |
L1 |
| Missouri Southern |
9-8 |
.529 |
16-11 |
.593 |
L3 |
| Washburn |
7-9 |
.438 |
14-14 |
.500 |
W1 |
| Missouri Western |
4-12 |
.250 |
5-20 |
.200 |
L1 |
| Newman |
4-13 |
.235 |
8-18 |
.308 |
L4 |
| Arkansas-Fort Smith |
3-13 |
.188 |
8-18 |
.308 |
L3 |
TOP GRIFFON PERFORMERS
Anthony Taggart has been a key player for the Griffon offense this season. The junior boasts an impressive slash line of .342/.441/.519, totaling 27 hits, 22 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Among his hits, nine are extra-base hits, comprising six doubles, two home runs and one triple. Additionally, the Topeka, Kansas native has contributed eight walks and three stolen bases.
Blake Venneman has also excelled in the batting order for the Griffons. The Overland Park, Kansas native leads the team with 16 walks, ties for the team lead in runs with 22 and ranks third in hits with 24.
Frank Gall has made a strong impression in his first season as a Griffon, recording a team-high 28 hits, including three home runs, three triples and two doubles, along with 21 RBIs and 22 runs scored. The St. Joseph native also leads the team with 18 stolen bases on 19 attempts.
In the pitching rotation, junior
Lynden Bruegman (1-4) and
Logan Winkelman (0-2) each lead the team with 34 strikeouts this season.
Jayson Shorb (1-1) has excelled out of the bullpen, sporting a .91 WHIP and a 3.14 ERA over 14.1 innings. Junior
Lou Levy (2-2) has also depth in the pen with 12 strikeouts in 21.1 innings.
ABOUT THE TRITONS
The Missouri-St. Louis baseball team concluded the 2024 season with a record of 30-22 (21-15 GLVC) and was picked fifth in the 2025 GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 141 points.
Entering Tuesday's matchup, they have a 17-10 record (7-5 GLVC) after suffering a 3-1 series loss to Illinois Springfield at home. The Tritons have secured series victories against McKendree (2-0), Walsh (4-0) and Lincoln (4-0), and have also split series with Davenport and Missouri S&T.
A key player to watch is senior Barrett Rose from Rockwall, Texas, who has an impressive slash line of .366/.492/.602, totaling 34 hits (including 16 doubles), 26 RBIs, 25 runs and 20 walks in 27 games.
Sophomore pitcher Dustin Hagens (1-2) is another notable player. The right-hander has a 4.11 ERA and a WHIP of 1.57 across 30.2 innings. He leads the team with 52 strikeouts and has walked 29 batters.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Northwest concluded last season with a record of 21-30 (12-21 MIAA) and was ranked 12th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 33 points.
So far this season, the Bearcats have surpassed expectations, entering the week with a record of 13-12 (7-6 MIAA). They achieved a 3-0 home sweep last weekend against Arkansas-Fort Smith and have secured series victories over Christian Brothers, Concordia-St. Paul and Washburn. Notably, they pulled off a 6-3 upset against No. 3 Central Missouri on March 18 in Maryville.
One standout player for Northwest is senior infielder Dylan Hufft. He has posted an impressive slash line of .353/.415/.461, totaling 36 hits (including 7 doubles and 2 triples), 27 RBIs and 19 runs. Hufft has also registered 11 walks and two stolen bases.
On the pitching staff, Ben Haug (2-2) has emerged as a key contributor. He has collected an ERA of 7.90 and a WHIP of 1.78 but leads the team with 31 strikeouts over 35.1 innings pitched.
