Griffons Staying the Course While Putting Up Big Numbers

(SAINT JOSEPH, Mo.) Missouri Western baseball has fielded good hitting teams before. 

But the way the 2013 Griffons have started... what's the secret?

"I don't really know. It's just a bunch of hard-working guys that get after it," outfielder Bubba Dotson said. "Good things seem to happen, so hopefully we can keep it up."

"It's been fun to be a part of this," infielder Kyle Simpson said. "I've never been part of a run quite like this."

Western is riding a 14-game win streak, sport a 15-3 overall record and are an unblemished 10-0 in MIAA play. While the mound work has been solid, it's the run support that's catching the eye.

"It keeps you in games, it keeps excitement in the dugout," head coach Buzz Verduzco said. "The '06 team was pretty solid too, but I think this team goes a little bit further down through our lineup."

A balanced attack through the lineup includes a leadoff hitter in Michael Schulze batting over .500, a nine-hole hitter in Shawnn Egge at .386 and a team average that ranks first in the MIAA and in the top ten in the country.

"We're taking it one step at a time. Everybody just grinds out in their at-bats and is doing a great job of making consistent contact," Simpson said.

"Right now, it's just 'see ball, hit ball'. That's all it is," Dotson added.

While Simpson and Dotson have already surpassed their personal RBI totals from last year, others are on pace to not only break their own, but the all-time single season mark.

As far as where this team's offense ranks, Verduzco said to ask him come tournament time.

"You want to be playing like this at the end of the year," he said. "You have to be able to be hot because it's the hot team, not always the team with the best record, that's successful."

As for the streak, the Griffons aren't playing up that hype either.

"We don't really talk too much about the streak," Simpson said. "We're just trying to keep it going and keep having good days."

"Everybody knows. Everybody knows we've got a streak going," Dotson said. "We're a confident bunch either way. We could've lost 14 in a row and we'd be confident."

Western travels to Maryville to face Northwest in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday.