Baseball Bears finish with highest-ever final ranking

Missouri State's baseball team has finished with its highest final ranking in school history.

After winning a school-record 49 games, the Bears wound up No. 12 in the final Baseball America, USA TODAY Coaches Poll and National College Baseball Writers Association rankings. Two other final rankings released this week — by DIbaseball.com and Collegiate Baseball — saw the Bears at No. 13.

Missouri State went 49-12 with a school-record 19-game winning streak. Its season ended with a 3-2 loss in the deciding game of the NCAA Tournament Super Regional at Arkansas on June 7, leaving the Bears one victory from their second trip to the College World Series.

The Bears, ranked sixth in the final regular-season Baseball America poll prior to the NCAA Tournament, were No. 16 in the 2003 Baseball America final rankings. That team reached the College World Series and finished 40-26.

In other Missouri State baseball news, three of the four Bears who signed professional contracts earlier this month have made their debuts - all with Class A teams in the New York-Penn League.

Pitcher Jon Harris, a first-round draft choice by Toronto, pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit, one walk and struck out four for the Vancouver Canadians.

Sixth-round draft Detroit draft choice Matt Hall pitched 4 innings for the Connecticut Tigers and allowed two runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

Outfielder Tate Matheny, a fourth-round pick by Boston, is 1-for-11 with three runs scored for the Lowell Spinners.

Infielder Joey Hawkins, a native of Whitby, Ontario, is waiting to make his playing debut with the Cardinals' entry in the Gulf Coast League. The 40th-round pick had to obtain a work visa from Canada before he can play in a game and did so on Monday.

Hawkins, a shortstop at Missouri State and listed at second base with the Cardinals' rookie-league team, hopes to make his debut later this week.