'Stangs Move into Playoffs

There is a burden that comes along with the success of victory called pressure. There was no shortage of pressure placed on the Mustangs throughout the 2025 season due to their championship run a year ago. The way the Mustangs were able to navigate through this season with the pressure of high expectations proved their worthiness of the No. 1 seed in the MINK League playoffs. That privilege was earned July 16 when

they split a doubleheader with the Nevada Griffons.

The final full week of the regular season held games Tuesday through Saturday for St. Joseph. Beginning the week on the road in Sedalia, the Mustangs would travel to Nevada and Clarinda before playing their final two games of the season at Phil Welch Stadium Friday and Saturday.

Tuesday’s match against Sedalia was controlled early by St. Joseph, who earned a 5-1 victory over the Bombers to begin the road trip. St. Joseph drew first blood in the top of the second after a Frank Gall single scored a run, giving the Mustangs a 2-0 lead. Gall rounded up two hits, scored a run and hit an RBI on Tuesday. Cade Perkins got the nod for his fourth start of the 2025 season, in which he went six innings, allowing just one

run, four hits and striking out five.

The next day showcased a doubleheader for the Mustangs against the Griffons in Nevada. Splitting the doubleheader meant clinching the top overall seed and home-field advantage through the playoffs for St. Joseph. Their efforts were successful following a comeback 5-3 victory in the first of the two seven-inning games. The ’Stangs couldn’t complete the sweep in Game 2, taking a loss 8-6, but a first-place regular season finish was an important step to another potential championship team. Dom Felix and Darius Freeman kickstarted the offense in Game 1 with two solo home runs from Freeman and a two-run double by Felix that helped clinch the No. 1 seed.

Play continued Thursday in Clarinda against the Athletics. With a sigh of relief, St. Joseph could cautiously play the remainder of their regular season games knowing they’re regular season champions. Clarinda took the opportunity and jumped out to a 7-1 lead and didn’t let up, scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh and leaving with the 9-2 win over the Mustangs. It made for the first time all season that St. Joseph lost back-to-back games.

Friday brought the Mustangs home for the first of the final two games of the regular season at Phil Welch Stadium. St. Joseph had a chance to get a victory over the team that had just beat them the day prior. The Clarinda Athletics came to St. Joseph for the final time in the 2025 regular season with the goal of securing the No. 2 seed in the MINK League playoffs. St. Joseph found themselves down four runs before the end of the second inning, but for old time’s sake the team put together another comeback victory, finishing with the 11-7 win. Throughout the fifth and sixth inning the ’Stangs slapped eight runs across the board with help from a pair of two-run singles from Dom Felix and Brayden Luikart that helped mount the comeback.

Saturday came with the final game of the regular season at Phil Welch Stadium along with the challenge of the Jefferson City Renegades. The Mustangs showed off the bats and grinded out a 12-run lead by the bottom of the fourth that was enough to hold St. Joseph over for their final win of the regular season, 14-7. St. Joseph put on a show in the regular season finale with a pair of home runs. One was mashed by Frank Gall and the other was a three-run blast from Brayden Luikart. Lane Chapman was awarded the win on the mound for the Mustangs after he pitched two shutout innings while striking out three.

A lights-out regular season was capped off with a fun last week of Mustangs baseball, but regular seasons are not what St. Joseph has been historically satisfied with. A potential 10th MINK League championship since 2011 is on the radar for the Mustangs this postseason. Another championship win would make it the fourth time winning back-to-back championships for St. Joseph in that time frame, already with five MINK League

titles in the last seven playoff years.

To get back to another best-of-three championship series, St. Joseph must win a divisional round match against a hungry Nevada Griffons team that has won three of its last four, including a game against St. Joseph. That contest will be played at Phil Welch Stadium Tuesday, July 22. The MINK League championship begins play on Thursday, July 24.

A championship would put the cherry on top of a historic season in the MINK League for the 2025 Mustangs. It would make a single-digit loss season including playoffs, as well

as leading the MINK League in numerous stats including runs scored, fewest strikeouts, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and stolen bases. It would embody total domination from the beginning of the season to the end if St. Joseph can pull off another league playoff victory.

- Keaton Smith