The Road to Joplin #2

NAIA Ball and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) have partnered for the 2025 season to provide unprecedented coverage of KCAC baseball. Every week, The Road to Joplin article will analyze our top eight teams in the KCAC, preview the upcoming weekend slate of games, and highlight one KCAC series to watch.

This article offers an honest assessment of where each ball club currently stands, using the Team Meter:
🔥 HOT = Playing solid baseball and trending upwards.
⚠️ WARM = Holding steady.
❄️ COLD = It’s been better

Last Week’s Rankings:

  1. Oklahoma Wesleyan
  2. Tabor
  3. Ottawa (KS)
  4. Kansas Wesleyan
  5. Friends
  6. McPherson
  7. Sterling
  8. York (NE)

THE JOPLIN EIGHT

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan

OKWU is 13-1 and opened KCAC play 2-1 after winning its series against Friends. Despite suffering its first loss of the season, OKWU remains in a strong position. The team will be heavily favored in its next two KCAC series and has a midweek matchup against an Oklahoma City squad that still has unanswered questions. Overall, OKWU remains our No. 1 team this week.

Team ERA: 3.71
Team Average: .313
Team Meter: HOT

2. Ottawa (KS)

The Braves are rolling, winners of six straight and nine of their last ten. Their offense erupted for 39 runs in a weekend sweep of Southwestern (KS). The real test begins with an upcoming series against Kansas Wesleyan.

A key statistic: Ottawa (KS) is 5-1 in one-run games this season, showcasing its ability to win under pressure. While the coaching staff likely sees room for improvement, the team continues to find ways to win.

Team ERA: 4.52
Team Average: .306
Team Meter: HOT

3. Kansas Wesleyan

KWU dominated its KCAC opener, outscoring Evangel 33-10 in a three-game series. While the Coyotes had a slower start than expected, this was largely due to replacing key players who had been starters for the past three to four years.

Kansas Wesleyan is riding a five-game winning streak, but its .251 team batting average ranks third-worst in the KCAC. If the Coyotes can improve offensively, they will be a serious contender. A major test awaits against Ottawa (KS) this weekend.

Team ERA: 4.08
Team Average: .251
Team Meter: WARM

4. McPherson (KS)

The Bulldogs make the biggest jump in this week’s rankings after winning a crucial series against Tabor 2-1. While they did enough to take the series, they missed an opportunity to complete the sweep.

Despite recent success, McPherson is 2-2 in its last four games, and early-season struggles have inflated its pitching numbers. Notably, in five of their seven losses, the Bulldogs have allowed 10+ runs. Pitching remains a concern, but they will look to build momentum this weekend against Evangel.

Team ERA: 8.83
Team Average: .294
Team Meter: WARM

5. Tabor (KS)

The Blue Jays will be fine moving forward, but they had a rough weekend against McPherson. Their 2-5 record in February is concerning, with a 1-5 stretch in the last six games.

Pitching remains the biggest issue. Tabor has scored 58 runs this month (including 18 in Game 3 vs. McPherson), yet they are 2-5 because they have allowed 62 runs. Despite struggles, they still lead the conference in team batting average.

Team ERA: 9.12
Team Average: .353
Team Meter: COLD

6. Friends (KS)

Since starting the season with back-to-back wins over Oklahoma City, the Falcons have struggled to find consistency, going 3-3 in their last six games. They had a chance to take the series against Oklahoma Wesleyan but fell short.

Friends is solidly in the middle of the pack, but they will look to climb the standings when they travel to Tabor this weekend. Success will depend on whether they can limit Tabor’s offense on the road.

Team ERA: 6.14
Team Average: .274
Team Meter: WARM

7 & 8. Sterling / York (NE)

Neither team played this past weekend, so their rankings remain unchanged.

  • Sterling: Currently in Oklahoma City for two games vs. Bethany.
  • York: Their next scheduled game isn’t until March 1st, and their upcoming matchup against Sterling has already been postponed due to weather.

These rankings could shift depending on Sterling’s results against Bethany. Stay tuned!

UPDATE– Bethany (KS) swept Sterling — more shifts will be coming but Bethany is certainly on the radar!

KCAC Series This Weekend

  • McPherson (KS) vs. Evangel (MO)
  • Saint Mary (KS) vs. Oklahoma Wesleyan
  • Avila (MO) vs. Bethany (KS)
  • Friends (KS) vs. Tabor (KS)
  • KCAC SERIES TO WATCH: Kansas Wesleyan vs. Ottawa (KS)

Head-to-Head Stats:

  • KWU leads the all-time series 39-31 vs. Ottawa (KS).
  • KWU is 6-4 in the last ten matchups.
  • Last meeting: Ottawa won 14-4 (8 innings, at home).
  • Ottawa is 13-19 all-time in Salina.

Final Notes

These rankings are fluid and will be updated weekly as the season progresses. What’s true today may look very different next week!