Baker Football Ranked Number 5 in NAIA Spring Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The defending 2015 Heart of America Athletic Conference Southern Division champion Baker University football team came in ranked No. 5 in the spring version of the latest 2016 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 poll.

Baker finished last season, 11-2 overall and captured its second conference championship in the last three years and appeared in its third NAIA Football Championship Series in four seasons.

 

The ‘Cats also featured 10 First Team All-Conference award winners including Co-Defensive Players of the Year Tucker Pauley and Josh Kock.

The 2015 Heart South Coach of the Year award went to Mike Grossner for the second time in three seasons and Assistant Coach of the Year, was awarded to Baker’s defensive coordinator Jason Thoren.

Three other teams from the Heart were featured in the spring poll, including No. 6 Grand View, No. 20 Benedictine and No. 25 William Penn.

Baker will open the 2016 season hosting Grand View on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m. inside Liston Stadium.

2016 Football Schedule
Date	Opponent/Event	Location	Time/Result	Buy Tickets
8/27/16	Grand View* (Orange Out)	Baldwin City, Kansas	1 p.m.
9/3/16	Culver-Stockton*	Baldwin City, Kansas	1 p.m.
9/10/16	at William Penn*	Oskaloosa, Iowa	12 p.m.
9/17/16	at Graceland*	Lamoni, Iowa	6 p.m.
9/24/16	Benedictine* (Homecoming)	Baldwin City, Kansas	2 p.m.
10/1/16	at Peru State*	Peru, Neb.	2 p.m.
10/8/16	BYE
10/15/16	Avila* (Maple Leaf Festival)	Baldwin City, Kansas	1 p.m.
10/22/16	at MNU*	Olathe, Kansas	2 p.m.
10/29/16	at Central Methodist*	Fayette, Missouri	1 p.m.
11/5/16	Missouri Valley* (Family Day)	Baldwin City, Kansas	1 p.m.
11/12/16	Evangel* (Senior Day)	Baldwin City, Kansas	1 p.m.
*denotes Heart conference game

2016 JV Football Schedule
Date	Opponent/Event	Location	Time/Result
10/3/16	at Ottawa	Ottawa, Kansas	6 p.m.
10/17/16	Ottawa	Baldwin City, Kansas	6 p.m.
10/24/16	MNU	Baldwin City, Kansas	6 p.m.
10/31/16	Central Methodist	Fayette, Missouri	6 p.m.