KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – It's Opening Day for Truman State Baseball as it travels to Pittsburg, Kan., looking to deal the Gorillas their first loss on the season.
 
The Bulldogs take to the road coming off a 2024 season where they finished 12-38 overall, 9-27 in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action. Pittsburg State, owners of a 3-0 record following the UCO First Pitch Classic Jan. 31-Feb. 2, posted a 34-18 overall mark finishing 22-11 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) on year ago.
 
A 2 p.m. first pitch kicks things off this afternoon with tomorrow's double dip scheduled for 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. The one-time MIAA foes finish weekend play at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
 
The series between the 'Dogs and Gorillas stands in favor of Pittsburg State 52-12 with Truman State getting its first chance since a 20-5 loss on Feb. 20, 2020, to end an eight-game slide in the series. The Purple and White were on the short end of a doubleheader sweep by scores of 7-3 and 4-3 in the first games between the two on March 15, 1991. Truman State's most-recent win came on April 23, 2011, 8-3 in Pittsburg.
 
Head Coach Dan Davis, now in his 19th season as Bulldog skipper, sees this version of Truman State baseball as being more in line with squads that found success manufacturing runs with less reliance on the long ball.
 
"We've gone back to the way we used to recruit," Davis told Truman State Hall of Fame voice Brad Boyer in an interview on NEMO Pressbox. "Historically when we've had our best teams we've been able to run and manufacture runs and be a high on-base percentage team. Put pressure on teams by running, being able to do some of the short game type stuff… that's what we're really looking for out of our position guys and our guys have bought in and done a really good job of it."
 
The Bulldogs graduated 16 of the 32 home runs hit in '24 but return three sophomores who hit better than .300 in their rookie seasons. Third baseman Dakota Joggerst, center fielder Colin Mueth, and shortstop Oliver Degenhardt, starters in all fifty games, accounted for 92 of the 245 Bulldog runs scored last season.
 
Joggerst set the bar for Truman State hitting at .356 and runs scored with 37 while finishing tied for second on the squad with 11 doubles. Degenhardt hit at a .310 clip with 30 runs and 11 doubles finishing third on the team with 30 runs scored. Mueth went 22-25 in stolen bases and is a base runner Davis said could set school marks in swipes before all is said and done.
 
"Colin is still running the show in center. He's our leadoff guy and legit as far as speed. He can absolutely run it down and our pitchers love him in center," Davis said. "Dakota and Oliver are both top-of-the-lineup, solid defensive players."
 
Freshman Danny Tovar, described as mature beyond his years, joins Degenhardt in the double-play combo at second with junior first baseman Tyler Tieman taking advantage of being used sparingly to mature and become a team leader.
 
Davis describes Rawlins Brant, a junior transfer from North Central Missouri in his first season with the Bulldogs, as faster than greased lightning and a center fielder playing left. Batting second, he handles the bat well and should be with Mueth in delivering real pressure on the paths. Strong-armed sophomore Reed Drabant will man right with some "juice in his bat" and the third of three left-handed hitters patrolling the outfield.
 
Junior Alex Wittenauer and freshman Gavin Schieffer break camp as the 1-2 backstops with Wittenauer returning from a season where he started 19 of 22 games played recording a .992 fielding percentage with just one error and one passed ball. "Wittenauer is a good catch and throw guy. Schieffer has some serious arm talent who can give a bump offensively."
 
Junior Isaac Epp anchors the starting rotation returning from a 3-6 season with a 7.05 ERA in 13 games started with a .306 batting average against with 44 strike outs tied for the team lead. "Pitches in and out, good command, finds a way to get outs. Epp's a winner," Davis says.
 
Freshmen Nick Phillips and Caden Carroll enter their rookie seasons as the two-three starters with talent levels Davis said either could parlay into careers among the best in his tenure. Redshirt freshman Danny Linsdey at four pitches with a competitive mindset Davis said will be a steel trap at the back end of the rotation. 
 
"We've got a couple guys were going to lean on quite a bit in Noah Fraley and Kyle Stratman at the end of the bullpen," Davis told NEMO Pressbox. Stratman finished '24 with a 7.84 ERA in 12 appearances recording eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings pitched. "We're a little light in the bullpen but overall the talent is there. If our starters can get deeper into games we're going to have a chance to win."
 
Truman State opens the 2025 GLVC season in March 14-16 in Fayette, Iowa, against Upper Iowa. Davis said to NEMO Pressbox the GLVC should be tough again this season but it's expected.
 
"You're going to have to show up and compete everyday or you're going to get whipped," he said. "That's just how it goes. We're going to have a good chance and our first goal is to make the conference tournament. We've been down a little bit the past couple years but optimism is very high on our team."
 
Davis said the squad is ready to get the spikes on and show people the early results of a winter residency in Pershing Arena.
 
"They work and work and work. We challenge them with holding each other accountable, and be able to take criticism when it's needed and actually invite it. We've got a talented group but the intangible is the work ethic," Davis told NEMO Pressbox.
 
Truman State will continue its MIAA memories tour Feb. 14-15 in Joplin, Mo., with single games against Missouri Western State University and Missouri Southern State University. The Kirksville home opener is slated for March 7-9 with three against St. Cloud St. (Minn.) in the final games before the GLVC season gets underway.

Hear Boyer's entire interview with Davis on NEMO Pressbox.