NEWS RELEASES

Dec. 14, 2009
USM Holiday Hitting Camp
    The University of Saint Mary baseball program will hold two Holiday Hitting Camps in late December. The first camp will be held Dec. 21-23, and the second camp will be from Dec. 28-30. Camp counselors providing instruction will consist of Saint Mary coaches and current players. The focus of the camp will be on breaking down each individual’s swing while providing tips, drills, techniques, and video analysis on each player.

    The kindergarten through 6th grade session will be from 9 to 10:15 a.m. while the 7th through 12th grade session will be from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. Both camps will be held in  McGilley Field House. The cost is $30 for either session or $50 for both sessions. Please make checks payable to USM Baseball.

    Contact Assistant Coach Michael Evans at (913) 758-6135 or Evansm@stmary.edu for more details or to reserve your spot.

Online brochure

Nov. 13, 2009
2009-10 Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
(Wichita, Kan.)—The University of Saint Mary is ranked second in the KCAC pre-season coaches’ poll. The Spires, who finished 23-18 and in second place in the conference in 2009, will be led by a deep pitching staff and a solid core of young players.

	Team	KCAC Poll Points	National Poll
1.	Sterling College (6 first-place votes)	47 Points	TBD
2.	University of Saint Mary (KS) (1 first-place vote)	41
3.	Tabor College	32
4.	Friends University	23
5.	Kansas Wesleyan University	21
6.	Ottawa University	17
7.	Bethany College	15

The University of Saint Mary baseball program is entering its eleventh year. Over the past 10 seasons, Saint Mary has consistently grown into a competitive and well-respected program not only locally and regionally, but also nationally. Head Coach Rob Miller, now entering his eighth season, has continued to build a solid program through hard work and mental toughness. His teams have produced five winning seasons over the past five years, finishing no worst than third place in conference play. The team has also participated in four out of the last five conference championship games, and won the 2005 tournament. Likewise, the program has annually found a spot in the NAIA Region IV national rankings while playing top-level competition. Saint Mary produces top-regarded players regionally and nationally, with the team boasting an Honorable Mention All-American in 2007 and a First Team All-American in 2008.

Saint Mary plays in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and is affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

Sept. 23, 2009
Six Spires, Coach Win Summer League Title
Saint Mary baseball continues its upward climb after six players and one coach helped lead the KC MSBL Royals to the 2009 Ban Johnson League Championship the MSBL Royals won the Championship Series with a 5-0 victory over UMB Bank on July 31. The clinching win finished a three-game sweep in the best-of-five series. After finishing 16-14 during the regular season and receiving the #6 seed out of 12 teams, the Royals went 7-0 in the playoffs for a perfect sweep.

Current players Stephen Maurin, Charlie Mildner, and Kevin DeVore along with 2009 graduates Dustin Smith, Ryan Reed, and Hogan Matson played for the MSBL Royals. Current Saint Mary Assistant Coach Michael Evans was the Head Coach of the Royals.

The Royals perfect run was aided by the performance of many of these players. Smith was named Championship Series MVP by leading the team with a .510 average, 5 RBI’s, and 4 runs. Matson and Reed contributed with a combined .417 average and 6 runs while Maurin was the winning pitcher in the clinching game. He finished with seven complete innings, three hits, no walks and no runs.

Coach Evans felt it was a great opportunity for these players, along with the players from other schools, to play on a championship team together.

“It was a great opportunity to coach these guys and continue to help them grow as ball players. Although summer ball is more relaxed, these guys showed up with the same intensity and desire to win that they do during school ball. They believed they were going to win (the championship) and worked hard to achieve their goal. It makes for an easy transition when you can coach your players during the summer.”
The Ban Johnson League, which has served as a summer league for college-aged players in the Kansas City area since the 1920s, has produced several players who have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including David Cone, Frank White, David Segui, Rick Sutcliffe, Bob Allison, Kevin Young, and Ray Sadecki.

The Ban Johnson is a highly competitive summer wood bat league that consists of players from NCAA Division I and II levels, NAIA, and JUCO.

July 06, 2009
Spires Shine in Summer League All-Star Game

Saint Mary baseball continues to shine, even in the offseason.

Dustin Smith, a USM infielder who graduated May 9, batted in the first run of the Ban Johnson League all-star game held at Kauffman Stadium Monday, July 6. The Ban Johnson League is a summer wood bat baseball league that draws many of the area's top college players. Ban Johnson alum include David Cone, Frank White, and Rick Sutcliffe.

At the All-Star exhibition, USM Assistant Baseball Coach Michael Evans led the B team to a 3-1 victory over the J team.

May 06, 2009
Spires Earn Post-Season Awards

(Leavenworth, Kan.)–Six players from USM's 23-18 baseball squad earned honors last weekend from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) for their play this season.

Dustin Smith (Sr., Olathe, Kan.) was selected to the KCAC First Team All-Conference squad for his stellar season-long play at second base. Smith led all KCAC second basemen in batting average, stolen bases, and fielding percentage, as well as finishing in the top two of many other categories.

Ryan Reed (Sr., Kansas City, Kan.) earned a spot on the KCAC Second-Team All-Conference squad as an outfielder for his steady play both at the plate and in the field.

Others receiving All-Conference recognition included pitchers Charlie Mildner (Jr., Leavenworth, Kan.) and Tim Martin (So., Chandler, Ariz.) for KCAC Honorable Mention.

The Spires dominated the KCAC Gold Glove Team, which honors the best fielder at each position. Saint Mary placed four players on the squad who led the conference in fielding at their respective position. Infielders selected were first basemen, Evan Reynolds (Sr., Overland Park, KS), second-basemen, Dustin Smith, and shortstop, Stephen Maurin (So., Kansas City, KS). Ryan Reed, an outfield selection, rounded out the Saint Mary representatives on the Gold Glove squad.

To view the full list of all these teams, go to www.kcacsports.com.

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