LEWISTON, Idaho – The No. 9-seeded Missouri Baptist University Spartans will face the No. 8-seed Sterling College (Kan.) in the opening game of the 2013 Avista-NAIA World Series, hosted by Lewis-Clark State College, at Harris Field at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, May 24.
ABOUT STERLING
WHO: Sterling College (Kan.)
MASCOT: Warriors
CONFERENCE: Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
RECORD: 48-12, 24-4 KCAC
OPENING ROUND SEED: 2
AVISTA-NAIA WORLD SERIES SEED: 8
WORLD SERIES TRIPS: First
How they got in: The Warriors were the No. 2-seed in the Oklahoma City Bracket of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The team went 3-0 in Opening Round play and beat the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City University 1-0 to advance in the championship game.
Players to watch: Joe Williams played in 58 of the teams' 60 games in 2013 and was named the KCAC Player of the Year and was named to the All-Conference First Team. Williams hit .395 on the year and ranked ninth in the NAIA in doubles with 21.
KCAC First-Team selection Joe Battaglia finished the season with a .422 batting average and a .642 slugging percentage to lead the team. The first baseman hit 10 homeruns on the year and led the conference in batting average and RBI (63).
Daniel Cloteaux took home KCAC First-Team honors as a starting pitcher for the Warriors. The senior went 10-3 in 14 appearances with a 2.81 ERA and six complete games.
Finally, Steven Cazares leads the team and the NAIA in ERA this year with a 0.86 ERA in 22 appearances. Cazares finished the season with a 9-1 record with three complete games and 58 strikeouts.
STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS STATISTICS
ABOUT MISSOURI BAPTIST
WHO: Missouri Baptist University
MASCOT: Spartans
CONFERENCE: American Midwest Conference
RECORD: 35-12, 24-4 AMC
OPENING ROUND SEED: 3
AVISTA-NAIA WORLD SERIES SEED: 9
WORLD SERIES TRIPS: First
How they got in: The Spartans were the No. 3-seed in the Kingsport, Tenn., Bracket of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Bracket. The team went 4-1 in Opening Round Play and had to win three games in a row after a game two loss to defending NAIA National Champion, Tennessee Wesleyan. Missouri Baptist defeated Benedictine-Springfield before beating the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs twice in a row to earn a spot in Lewiston. The Spartans outlasted the Bulldogs in 19 innings to clinch their first World Series berth.
Players to watch: Patrick Johnson, named the AMC Player of the Year, finished the season with a batting mark of .387 and is ranked eighth in the NAIA in hits per game with 1.56. He is also ranked 10th in the NAIA in runs scored per game with 1.109.
Ryan Gunhouse is also an AMC First-Team selection and is hitting .373 in 2013. The Spartan outfielder leads the team with a slugging percentage of .601 and in stolen bases with 25. He currently has seven homeruns on the year.
Senior Ethan Gibbons leads the Spartan starting pitching staff and was named the AMC Pitcher of the Year in 2013. Gibbons is 10-0 with a 2.09 ERA in 13 appearances. The righty has six complete games to his credit and has racked-up 85 strikeouts in 86 innings.
Senior Julien Soucy has been just as effective for Missouri Baptist. He holds a 5-2 record with a 1.90 ERA. He has tossed two complete games with one shutout.
MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS STATISTICS
