MSSU Athletics Hall of Fame
The 1978 MSSU baseball team had to overcome Mother Nature with 24 games rained out during the season and the Lions were just one game over .500 (15-14) at the conclusion of the regular-season, but that's when the team heated up.
Seeded fourth in the NAIA District 16 playoffs in Springfield, the Lions won the district with three-straight wins and went on to take three-straight in Wisconsin against Wisconsin-LaCrosse and Winona State to win the Area Championship and make it to the NAIA World Series.
The Lions won three-straight over Emporia State, Lewis and Clark and Lipscomb to start the World Series, but fell to Emporia State in two-straight to finish as the National Runners-Up. At one point in the post season, the Lions won nine-straight games to put themselves in the National Championship game.
Led by Hall of Fame coach Warren Turner and All-District players Greg Curran (2B), Red O'Dell (CF), Mike Allen (C), and pitcher Barry Jenkins, the Lions also placed O'Dell and Jenkins on the All-Area Tournament Team. Jenkins, Allen and Randy Cable were named to the All-National Tournament Team and Turner was named the NAIA Coach of the Year.
