COLUMBUS — If 2024 was any indication, the Owls were headed in the right direction.
After a dismal 2023 which saw MUW baseball win only six games, the 2024 squad posted 22 wins en route to a SLIAC postseason berth.
But, in 2025, things have really clicked. After starting the year 0-5, the Owls have won 16 of their last 22 games and now sit second in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with a 14-4 conference record.
The difference, according to head coach Scott Mularz, was the players who bought into the program when things were looking rough.
“It’s a major difference, and it goes back to an old philosophy: ‘If you want to be a good coach, go find good players,’” Mularz said. “They’ve done a good job playing the game the right way, proving to themselves that they can play with anyone.”
Many of the players Mularz brought into the team in his first two seasons are still there now as upperclassmen, leading the team into the postseason. Part of the leadership group is senior Landon Clark, a two-way player from Mularz’s first recruiting class. According to Clark, the turnaround can be attributed to the team’s mental toughness and togetherness.
“It’s about defying the odds,” Clark said of the team’s mentality. “Just play our game, play how we know how to play. It doesn’t matter who thinks we should be here or who believes in us, because we believe in ourselves. As long as we can play our game, we’ll be just fine.”
Clark leads the team with a 6-2 record on the mound while putting up some impressive numbers as a designated hitter as well, averaging .377 at the plate with 25 RBI.
Clark was selected to the All-SLIAC 1st team for the second year in a row, while teammates Avery Benson, Baron Brack and Campbell McCluney made the 2nd team. All four returned from last year’s team, and they’re joined by another impressive veteran transfer.
Zach Johnson joined the Owls in the fall after two years at Central Alabama Community College. His production at the plate has quickly made him a key player for the team, but his mindset fits the mold as well.
“It’s pretty cool, man,” he said of finding his role in the team. “I provide for my team in and out, they believe in me, and it just gives me more confidence as it goes.”
Johnson credited the leadership of the team for his quick adjustment, but his play on the field speaks for itself. He leads the team with a .399 batting average, 59 hits, eight home runs and 47 RBI, and has picked up two National Team of the Week honors and an All-SLIAC 1st team selection.
“He’s been a big part of our team,” Mularz said of Johnson earlier this season. “The success he’s had goes back to the work he puts in, his athletic ability, and being a team-first guy. He does a good job explaining in the dugout what the pitcher is doing, what to look for, and providing tips for the other guys coming up to bat.”
Johnson’s leadership – and his bat – have been big factors in the Owls’ improvement, and it’s helped keep the group going as they’ve battled through tough matchups. Wins over the regular SLIAC powerhouses, as well as a non-conference win over Millsaps College, have helped propel this team forward, reinforcing their own belief in each other.
“The biggest difference is the team camaraderie,” Clark said of the team’s growth. “Everybody roots for each other, we push each other, and we haven’t had that in the past. These past two years, especially, the way we push each other makes us better.”
The Owls will take on the No. 3 seed, Spalding University, tomorrow in the first game of the double-elimination semifinal round of the SLIAC tournament. The Owls can earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament by winning their conference, which would be a first for the program.
The team is ready to get back to work after a strong regular season, and Johnson summed up their attitude after the season finale on Sunday.
“Everybody is 0-0 now,” he said. “We have to go and compete our ass off and win every inning.”
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