By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph Mustangs will return to Phil Welch Stadium in the summer of 2023, as they chase their fourth straight championship and tenth overall.
The Mustangs will begin with Fan Fest at Phil Welch Stadium on Tuesday, May 30. This free, fan friendly experience is open to the public. The team will conduct batting practice, on-field interviews, autographs and more. Additional details on the event will be released on the team's social media accounts and website.
The team will officially kick off the season at home the following night. The Mustangs host the Baldwin City Blues from Baldwin City, Kansas on May 31. The Mustangs will play 26 regular season home games this summer. The MINK League All-Star game will be in Chillicothe on July 9. The MINK League playoffs start July 24.
“There is nothing like summer in St. Joe at Phil Welch Stadium," said Mustangs president and owner Ky Turner. "It is two full months of just pure magic. The tradition of baseball blended in with some of the fun things that we do, maybe a fireworks show or dressing up like a dinosaur, home run derbies, or anything else that we dream up.
"St. Joe is a destination for collegiate baseball players all over the globe. Fans as well, last year we sold tickets to over 21 states, from California to Massachusetts, as well as a few international countries. We are blessed to have such a great community that we have right here in St. Joseph, Missouri, and the surrounding area. That also includes the incredible job our manager, Johnny Coy, and his staff perform each summer."
The Mustangs (37-15) won their third consecutive MINK League championship and their eighth since 2009 with an 11-1 victory over the Joplin Outlaws in the third and final game of the league championship series at Phil Welch Stadium on July 30 to finish the 2022 season.
"Last year had so many dramatic and thrilling walk off victories," Turner said. "We don’t need to manufacture entertainment with Tiktoks on the field like other teams- these players play out their heart and soul for this team, and it is so refreshing to see.”
The Mustangs open MINK League player on Saturday, June 3rd. Additional highlights include the annual patriotic celebrations on both July 3, versus the Chillicothe Mudcats, and July 4th, against the Sedalia Bombers. The final home game of the regular season will be on Saturday, July 22nd.
The Mustangs Alumni will return to Phil Welch on July 7. The team will take on a new opponent that night- the U.S. Military WarDogs. WarDogs Military Baseball takes the Military's best ball players and travels the U.S., playing Major, Minor and Collegiate teams in order to raise money and awareness for Veterans dealing with PTSD, suicide, unemployment and disability.
Season tickets for the 2023 season can be purchased online through the team’s website or by calling 816.279.STJO (7856).
Full schedule
