Sixth-Year Senior's First

Hello and welcome to Sixth-Year Senior, a blog dedicated to Missouri State University sports. We are here because it is an exciting time to be a fan of MSU's athletics programs.

While the mens' and womens' basketball teams are off to poor starts in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play, coaches Cuonzo Martin and Nyla Milleson lead young squads and a handful of players who can be productive at the Division I level. Additionally, JQH Arena provides Martin and Milleson's teams with a state-of-the-art playing facility that may attract higher-profile recruits to Springfield.

The baseball Bears, led by head coach Keith Guttin, were recently ranked as the 32nd-best team in America by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper (CBN). In 2009, the team returns right-handed pitcher Tim Clubb and first baseman Ben Carlson -- selected by CBN as first and third team preseason All-Americans, respectively -- to a squad that finished 40-17 last season, good for second place in the MVC.

That's just a taste of what we will cover here at Sixth-Year Senior. Whether you're a lifelong fan of the Bears or are just getting started, we hope you will make our site a daily stop for news and commentary on Missouri State athletics.