SPRINGFIELD — 300, Braveheart, and a wolf.
Those are just some of the images that litter the walls of Missouri State's dugout.
"It's a big part of our game, just to stay loose and get some visual background to see and check in before every game," second baseman Aaron Meyer said.
They're not quite Joe Maddon and the Cubs, but the team that is scattered across collegiate baseball's national polls has their quirks.
It's one of the biggest anchors behind their 10-game win streak, not that they talk about that.
"Winning is fun. Obviously, you can tell that from last year. We're trying to do the same thing and go farther than we did last year. We definitely have the group."
It's easy to stay loose when you're on top, but the Bears make it particularly infectious. Their use of Twitter's recently-added GIF button has spread to many fans, using hastags of #BEARSWIN and #BEARSSWEEP with pop culture references that run the gamut.
"Last year we would alway tweet #PARTYBUS, but this year we took it to a different level," third baseman Jake Burger said. "Aaron Meyer and I started it, then Paulsen jumped on, then the entire team jumped on. After the start we've had, guys who, we have know clue who they are, they're tweeting #BEARSWIN."
That 19-2 start, the best in program history, has been fueled by a relentless lineup that mirrors the 1-through-9 battery that the 2015 squad displayed. MSU ranks in the top 10 nationally in runs and on-base percentage and sit 12th in team batting average. Burger's 11 home runs are tied for the national lead. Spencer Johnson sits fourth with nine. Freshman leadoff man Hunter Steinmetz has the third best batting average in the Missouri Valley Conference.
It's already led to 10 come-from-behind wins this year, including the last five outings.
"That's how our entire bench feels. That's how our fans feel. We're just a relentless group that doesn't take no for an answer," Meyer said.
Though Keith Guttin admits these deficits are not by design, it's built the group's confidence on a nightly basis. Much of that has come from second-year assistant Nate Thompson, who's heavily influenced hitters. He's also behind the dugout memes and a new Staples "Easy" button that sits by the on-deck circle.
"It just represents how it's a simple game," Burger said. "If I had a bad at-bat before and I come up in a big spot, I just hit it and flush everything that happened before."
Inevitably, the pitching staff will have to catch up. The bottom half of the starting rotation has yet to be solidified. Friday starter Jordan Knutson is 4-1 over six starts with a 4.33 ERA. The bullpen has been stellar with closer Bryan Young notching seven saves already with a 0.64 ERA. Sam Perez leads the club with 48 strikeouts.
But the Bears have already proven that any jam that presents itself is not a concern.
"It doesn't matter if it's the beginning of the year or the end, winning is fun. We just have to keep it going."
