Truman State University baseball coach Dan Davis stands in the dugout during the NCAA Regional Tournament championship during May of 2015. Tied 3-3 with Ashland University, senior shortstop Zak Larkin walks up to the plate. The bases are loaded in the top of the ninth. He swings at the first pitch, driving it down the infield line. The hit gave the Bulldogs three runs and resulted in the University winning its first Regional Championship 6-3 with Davis’ first ever winning season ending with a trip to the College World Series.
“That team is obviously the greatest we’ve ever had here,” Davis said. “It was a community of guys who came in as freshmen and stayed together, continuing to grow and get better together. They played for each other and that’s what you want out of a program.”
Davis has spent 18 seasons with the Bulldogs, and after his team reached the playoffs during 2015, he hasn’t made the playoffs again or had a winning season since.
These droughts are common for the baseball team. The 2015 season was only the sixth time the University had a winning baseball season since their inaugural season 59 years ago, during 1966. Out of those six winning seasons, 2015 was the first winning season for the Bulldog in 33 years, with the last being during 1982.
“It was a whirlwind,” said Assistant Athletic Director Peter Young, who was a freshman baseball player during that 2015 season. Young also spoke about the seniors on that team, saying they never expected to make it that far and to accomplish the unthinkable was very meaningful to them.
The 2015 season came out of nowhere for outsiders, but Davis knew his team would compete. The seniors faced a lot of challenges in their first few years of playing and that led to the success of the team, Davis said.
With the current baseball season already underway, Davis said he sees the sparks of the 2015 success in the University’s 2025 team.
“I would be lying if I said we’re the ‘15 team. I’d say we’re more like the ‘14 team right now,” Davis said. “We’re a team that’s on the cusp. We may have a really good year, we may be disappointed at the end of the year.”
The 2014 team Davis is alluding to went 26 and 28 and missed the conference tournament. The 2013 team was 12 and 34 which happens to be the same amount of wins the most recent team fielded by Davis had in 2024.
This year could serve as an early sign if these unproven young players on the team, especially the players in the bullpen have the ability to change the tide for Truman baseball. Davis said the pitching this year could very well be the team’s Achilles heel, but if they can compete at the collegiate level the team could go far.
Considering how the team has performed during recent years, the standard as to what a good season looks like for the team would be hard to establish. Davis spoke about his expectations for this year and what he believed this team should be able to accomplish.
“The expectations are high,” Davis said. “If we don’t make the conference tournament this year, that would be a disappointing year. But we really don’t know because we have so many unproven guys right now.”