By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph Mustangs returned to Phil Welch Stadium in 2021, and the season ended in thrilling fashion with multiple come-from-behind playoff wins and a seventh MINK League Championship.
The team also had an eighth straight top 10 finish in national attendance rankings for summer collegiate baseball teams.
The Mustangs finished the season, averaging 2,246 fans per game. A total of 53,904 people walked through the gates at Phil Welch Stadium in 2021. According to BaseballDigest.com, St. Joseph ranked ninth nationally and first in the MINK League in per game attendance.
"You know, each year we might have a few different players and our roster changes, but the people that make the organization and make the atmosphere, they stay the same," Mustangs general manager Ky Turner said. "So, it's just a special little thing here in northwest Missouri that we look forward to every summer."
The Mustangs defeated Sedalia 12-2 on July 30 at Phil Welch, giving the franchise a league-best seven league titles in 12 seasons.
"The fans are such a huge part of it," Mustangs coach Johnny Coy said at that time. "I don't think they even realize how big of a part that they play in this. Whenever we go on the road, there's not a lot of fans there and not a lot of energy. These fans, we feed off of them every single year. You know, without the fans, I don't know if the Mustangs would be what it is. We're always going to be grateful for our fans."
The Mustangs will enter their 13th season at Phil Welch in 2022.
"I have always been just amazed and so grateful for their support," Mustangs owner Dan Gerson said of the fans. "And how much in the fabric of St. Joe we are considered to be every summer."
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