FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Joseph Mustangs Announce Return of Key Players for MINK Championship Defense
[St. Joseph, MO] – The return of Mustangs baseball is on the horizon for St. Joseph, Missouri. Nearly every position for the 2025 roster will be filled with a player from last year’s league championship-winning team.
The Mustangs are thrilled to welcome back two reigning team MVPs, Brayden Luikart (‘23 MVP) and Darius Freeman (‘24 MVP).
Brayden, a Lafayette High School graduate, was Prep Baseball’s Missouri Player of the year in 2021, and helped Lafayette baseball to a third place state finish in the same year. Luikart hit .292 with 25 RBIs in 2023 with the Mustangs. Brayden is currently playing collegiate baseball for Missouri Southern University, where he has 7 RBI in 6 games in the start of their season.
Darius is a graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest. Freeman hit .327 with the Mustangs last season, and also produced a team high 25 stolen bases. Freeman is playing collegiate baseball at Central Methodist University. During the teams first eight games in 2025, Darius is hitting .409, and has two home runs.
Also returning to the team in 2025 are the teams 2024 Co-Pitchers of the Year. Sam Pitts, one half of the Pitchers of the Year, threw a perfect game last season, and will be joined by his brother Max on the roster this year. The other half of the returning Pitchers of the Year duo is East Buchanan graduate Bronco Whitt, who tied for the team lead with 40 strikeouts in 2024.
In addition to already named returnees, fans can expect to see familiar faces across the entire lineup. Local returnees include Carson Schmidt (Benton), Frank Gall (Bishop LeBlond), Logan Miller (Central), Jayden Little (Lafayette), Truman Bodenhausen (Savannah), Jaren Guck (Bishop LeBlond), and Gage Busby (East Buchanan).
Mustangs Manager Johnny Coy will not be the only Coy in the dugout this season; he will be joined by current Benton senior and University of Nebraska-Omaha commit Chris Coy. Jase Johnson, son of former Mustangs Manager and St. Joseph Baseball Hall of Famer Matt Johnson, will return for his third season.
The roster has also some international flair, with pitcher Noah Thomas returning to the team. Thomas hails from British Columbia.
Also of note, these players will be returning for their third (or more) season with the Mustangs: Trevor McCollum, Easton Bruce, Michael Infranca, Aron Harrington, Ryker Curry, Andrew Clark, as well as the aforementioned Little, Gall, and Guck.
“We’re excited to defend our title in 2025. These players are ready to get to St. Joseph and play in front of the great fans. We have some really talented players and they all have options on where they want to play each summer, and it says a lot about this community that they choose Phil Welch Stadium to spend their summers,” said Mustangs manager Johnny Coy.
The full roster and 2025 schedule can be found online at www.stjoemustangs.com
Mustangs Opening Day is set for Wednesday, May 28th. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit stjoemustangs.com or call 816.279.STJO (7856). Follow the St. Joseph Mustangs on social media for updates throughout the season.