Outlaws entertain Mustangs in league championship opener
Jul. 28—It all comes down to this.
The Joplin Outlaws and St. Joseph Mustangs clash for the MINK League championship.
It starts Thursday night as Joplin plays host to St. Joe at 7 p.m. in game one of the league championship series inside its home confines of historic Joe Becker Stadium.
The Outlaws, improving to 24-21 overall after winning the South Division title Tuesday night, have been very successful at Joe Becker this season. Joplin has an impressive 16-7 record.
"We play really well at home," Joplin third baseman Carson Johnson said. "We have to protect our home territory. We just have to come out and play our best baseball."
Manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said taking the opener would set the tone for the best-of-three game series for the Outlaws. Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) are slated to be played in St. Joe.
Joplin is just 8-14 in road contests this summer.
"I think hosting the opener is big for us," Gonzalez said. "I hope the whole city of Joplin comes out and supports us. We really need that win. We're not the greatest team on the road, so we really need to take that first game."
This matchup pairs two of the top offensive teams in the MINK.
St. Joe, which has won seven straight, ranks first in the league in runs (365), hits (419) and runs batted in (299). The Mustangs are second in doubles (81), extra base hits (99), total bases (546) and walks (316) while ranking third in triples (8) and batting average (.271).
Joplin is first in triples (13) and sacrifice flies (39) as well as second in runs (339), runs batted in (286) and batting average (.272). The Outlaws are third in hits (392), doubles (63), home runs (19), extra base hits (95) and total bases (538).
On the pitching side, St. Joe has a league-leading 3.87 ERA and ranks third with 371 strikeouts and second with just 208 walks.
Joplin is fifth with a 5.77 ERA. The Outlaws have racked up the most strikeouts (415) of any team in the MINK, but also issued the most free passes (325).
