By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
It's Opening Day for the St. Joseph Mustangs as the team gets ready to kick off its 13th season from Phil Welch Stadium.
The Mustangs, coming off of their second consecutive MINK League title, open the 2022 season at home tonight against the Clarinda A's. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30.
Owner and general manager of the Mustangs Ky Turner says his role doesn't change much this season after he was named the new owner this past winter, taking over for longtime previous owner Dan Gerson.
"It's certainly a new beginning and it's changed our perspective on things," Turner said. "My role for me personally, not much has changed. Still that same stress of making sure those hotdogs are warm."
The Mustangs return 15 players from last season and now look to become the first MINK League team to win three straight titles. The Mustangs will play 26 home games in St. Joseph this summer and 48 total regular season games.
Outfielder and recent Missouri Western baseball graduate Brady Holden begins his third season as a Mustang. He says the fan support he and the team receives at home games in the summer is always special.
"Definitely have to embrace all of the community support we get," Holden said, "and go out there and return the favor when we go out and show face at different events. The kids coming out and wanting autographs and things like that. Just enjoy it. They definitely look up to us, so it's definitely something to have fun with."
The Mustangs averaged 2,246 fans per home game last year - the ninth most of any wood bat collegiate team in the nation.
The Mustangs return 15 players from last year's MINK League championship team, and look to win a league record third consecutive title this year. Holden says that'd be the perfect way to end his baseball career.
"It'd be awesome," he said. "Potentially last summer playing ball. So, to go out on top would be an unreal feeling."
The team returns 15 players, but it also has many notable newcomers, like recent St. Joseph Christian graduate and Missouri Western baseball signee Camden Lutz, who helped lead the Lions to within a run of a district title this year.
Lutz says he looks forward to getting a ton of games under his belt this summer.
"It's the first time I'll have played this many games in a short amount of time," Lutz said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's a lot of fun. A lot of baseball. I love the sport, so it should be a lot of fun."
The team only got into town on Monday, but Turner says it's always fun watching the players getting to know each other and getting to know the community as well.
"It's nice to have those guys who can kind of take a leadership role right from the get-go and show people the way to do it," Turner said. "But then also to see those new faces and new personalities and the way that we adapt to them and get to know their stories as well. So, it's always a lot of fun to meet these people and see the relationships they build off the field."
Turner promises some fun, new twists this season. For instance, the team will be known as the Tenderloins for four home games this year. Those games will feature silent charity auctions on players' jerseys.
June 9th will be 'Women in Sports Night,' where softball standouts Lexi Kinnaird and Sammey Bunch will become the first female Mustangs coaches in team history.
Whether it's breaking barriers, or calling the team the 'Tenderlions,' Turner says this season will center around one thing - fun.
"We're here to have fun," he reiterated. "Tenderloins? That sounds pretty fun. Let's do it! We have quite a few new surprises this year that we haven't sent out yet. So, I think the Tenderloins is just a preview of that."
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