FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2009

Lions head to 2009 MIAA Baseball Tournament

Game Notes in PDF Format

Joplin, Mo. -  The Missouri Southern Lions are headed to post season play for the first time since 2002 as Southern will kick off the 2009 MIAA Baseball Tournament against 11th ranked Central Missouri at noon on Friday, May 8 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. Every game can be heard live on 1230-AM or by clicking on the listen live link at www.mssu.edu/athletics.

In just the second year under head coach Bryce Darnell, the Missouri Southern Lions have advanced to the MIAA Postseason Tournament for the first time since 2002. The Lions will enter the Tourney as the third seed with a 24-10 conference record and a 34-18 overall mark. The Lions concluded the MIAA regular season on a high note, with a doubleheader sweep of Southwest Baptist and handing the then No. 3-ranked Emporia State Hornets their first conference series loss of the season by defeating ESU three out of four games.

Zach Caldwell leads the MIAA’s top hitting offense in batting average (.385), runs (62), hits (77), stolen bases (29-of-35), at-bats (200) and is second in slugging percentage (.595) and on-base percentage (.459). Caldwell has also flashed good power by ranking third on the team with seven homers. Derek Ezell leads the Lions in RBI’s (52), on-base percentage (.491) and doubles (17) and ranks second with a .379 batting average. Jacob Taylor tied the school’s single-season record with eight triples and has a team-leading .606 slugging percentage. Skyler Rawlins and Kenny Hart are tied for the team-lead with nine round-trippers on the year.

CJ Maffei has been the staff ace this season, leading the team in wins (8), ERA (2.94), innings pitched (79.2), strikeouts (71) and opposing batting average (.247). Ryan Verfurth is second with a 3.97 ERA and has a team-leading four complete games. Carter Lance is second with six victories and has allowed the fewest walks on the starting staff (11). Jeff Katchmar has been extremely effective in 14 relief appearances for the Lions with a 2.08 ERA and limiting opposing hitters to just a .215 batting average.

The Lions will kick off the MIAA Tournament with a noon matchup on Friday (May 8) against the second-seeded Central Missouri Mules at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. The Lions and UCM split a doubleheader earlier this year in Warrensburg, Mo., with the Lions winning the second game 4-0 and snapping the Mules’ 162 consecutive games without being shutout.