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A Season to Remember

The St. Joseph Mustangs pursue its 10th MINK League title in 2025. With nine titles in 15 seasons and more than 78,000 tickets sold each summer, winning is the expectation at Phil Welch Stadium.
Baseballs sit in a caddy during batting practice before the Mustangs’ season opener.
Batting practice begins May 28, 2025, at Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph, Missouri, as the St. Joseph Mustangs prepare to open their 2025 campaign. The summer collegiate team, nine-time MINK League champions, enters its 16th season in the league.
St. Joseph Mustangs manager Johnny Coy hits during batting practice before the season opener.
St. Joseph Mustangs manager Johnny Coy hits fly balls to outfielders during batting practice before the team’s season opener. Coy, who played for the Mustangs in 2009 and 2010, is in his eighth season at the helm and has led the team to five MINK League titles.
St. Joseph Mustangs Assistant GM Tyler Lupfer chalks the baselines before a Mustangs home game.
St. Joseph Mustangs assistant general manager Tyler Lupfer chalks the baselines before a game June 5, 2025. Averaging 26 home games each summer and crowds topping 2,800 fans a night, Lupfer and a small crew ready the 86-year-old stadium for each matchup.
Fans enter Phil Welch Stadium before a St. Joseph Mustangs home game.
Fans arrive at Phil Welch Stadium before a St. Joseph Mustangs home game June 5, 2025. Built in 1939, Phil Welch Stadium originally hosted the St. Joseph Saints, a minor league baseball team, until the team relocated in 1941.
St. Joseph Mustangs players kneel in prayer on the grass field before a game.
St. Joseph Mustangs players kneel in a Christian prayer before a June 4, 2025, matchup. This player-led tradition takes place before every contest and reflects faith’s role within the team’s culture.
A St. Joseph Mustangs player signs baseballs for young fans outside the dugout during a home game.
St. Joseph Mustangs pitcher Jase Johnson signs autographs for young fans between innings May 30, 2025. Johnson grew up attending Mustangs games while his father, Matthew Johnson, managed the team from its formation in 2009 through 2017.
A St. Joseph Mustangs fan wears a hat covered in player autographs.
A St. Joseph Mustangs fan wears a hat covered in player autographs, bringing it to every game as a season-long tradition after a Family Night signing earlier in the season, June 28, 2025. Family Night has been a staple of the Mustangs since the team’s early years, offering fans a chance to meet players up close.
A young girl sings the national anthem in an American flag dress before a St. Joseph Mustangs game.
Noah Cameron’s four-year-old niece sings the national anthem during Noah Cameron Night before a St. Joseph Mustangs home game May 30, 2025. The themed night honored the Kansas City Royals pitcher and St. Joseph native who played high school games at the stadium.
A St. Joseph Mustangs player steals second as the pitcher unwinds on the mound.
St. Joseph Mustangs outfielder Brayden Luikart sprints to steal second base as a Chillicothe Mudcats pitcher delivers a pitch during a June 6, 2025, Mustangs victory.
A St. Joseph Mustangs infielder leaps to tag a Sedalia Bombers runner sliding into second base.
St. Joseph Mustangs infielder Jack Mosh leaps to tag a Sedalia Bombers baserunner near second base but misses during a June 28, 2025, triumph.
A St. Joseph Mustangs outfielder sits in the dugout collecting himself after a strikeout during a tense game.
St. Joseph Mustangs outfielder Trevor McCollum collects himself in the dugout after striking out during a July 4, 2025, matchup against the Sedalia Bombers. The Mustangs built an early lead but struggled to make contact as the Bombers’ pitching tightened late in the game.
A St. Joseph Mustangs player hits a fly ball under a dramatic sunset sky during a championship game.
St. Joseph Mustangs catcher Easton Phillippe hits a fly ball as the sun sets during the bottom of the fifth inning of the team’s championship game against the Clarinda A’s July 26, 2025.
A St. Joseph Mustangs batter runs to first as the catcher fields the bunt.
St. Joseph Mustangs outfielder Logan Miller races toward first after laying down a bunt as a Carroll Merchants catcher scrambles to field the ball during a June 13, 2025, win.
A batter swings during an Independence Day game, with “Mustangs” and an American flag painted on the field.
St. Joseph Mustangs infielder Dom Felix makes contact in the bottom of the sixth inning of the team’s Independence Day victory over the Sedalia Bombers July 4, 2025.
St. Joseph Mustangs players celebrate with the MINK League Championship trophy amid confetti.
St. Joseph Mustangs pitcher Jaren Guck lifts the championship trophy as teammates celebrate a 13-0 run-rule win over the Clarinda A’s on July 26, 2025. The Mustangs secured its 10th MINK League title, led by Guck’s dominant pitching performance.
A St. Joseph Mustangs player is doused with water in celebration after earning game MVP honors.
St. Joseph Mustangs infielder Jack Mosh is drenched with water in celebration of earning game MVP honors after a victory June 11, 2025. The Mustangs led the MINK League with a .282 batting average, .427 on-base percentage and .369 slugging percentage.
St. Joseph Mustangs players walk over a worn “USA” in the dirt as they leave the field after a win.
St. Joseph Mustangs players walk over a worn “USA” in the dirt as they leave the field after a July 3, 2025, win. The Mustangs finished its 2025 season with a conference record of 28-7 and overall of 38-8.
A St. Joseph Mustangs player hugs his girlfriend while watching fireworks after the game.
St. Joseph Mustangs infielder Jayden Little hugs his girlfriend, Solane McAdams, as they watch the postgame fireworks show following the Mustangs’ Independence Day victory on July 4, 2025. The Mustangs sold more than 78,000 tickets to Phil Welch Stadium during the 2025 season, marking the highest total in the team’s history.