As the College World Series gets set to begin on Saturday, former Barton Community College baseball catcher Mitch Slauter will become the second Cougar to play on college baseball's biggest stage. Slauter joins former fellow catcher Jeff Christy to reach Omaha as Christy was the starting catcher for the University of Nebraska during their 2005 appearance. Slauter and his unranked Mississippi State University Bulldogs open play in the double elimination bracket taking on the No. 3 Oregon State University Beavers. The game can be seen on ESPN2 beginning at 2:00 p.m.
Hampered by a mid-season injury, Slauter's action has been limited throughout the latter part of this season. Batting .242 on the season, the senior started twenty-seven of the thirty-six games he's played this season with a .986 fielding percentage behind the dish. In Slauter's junior season he started sixty-two of the Bulldogs sixty-four games batting .232 with a .990 fielding percentage. With his .364 batting average in last year's Tallahassee Regional, Slauter landed on the region's all-tourney team and later was named to the Southeast Conference Academic Honor roll.
Playing in 107 games for the Cougars, Slauter started all but two of those batting .348 with thirteen homeruns. Named the Kansas Jayhawk Conference's Defensive Player of the Year his sophomore season, Slauter also received second-team all-conference honors his freshman year. The Olathe, Kansas, native and 2011 Barton alum finished his Barton career with a .983 fielding percentage solidifying his place as one of the best backstops in Cougar history.
The Bulldogs reached the CWS by sweeping Virginia University in two games at the Virginia Super Regional while OSU reached the big stage with a two-out-of-three series win over Kansas State University in the Oregon Super Regional.
Now a volunteer assistant coach for his Huskers, Christy spent five years playing in the professional ranks after being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2006.
Photo "Slauter throwing"
Description: Mississippi State defeats Arkansas 9-1, in the 2012 SEC Tournament at Regions Park in Hoover, Al., May 22, 2012. Arkansas' Matt Vinson is out at home as Mississippi State catcher Mitch Slauter throws to first for third out in 5th inning.
Photo credit: The Birmingham News/Linda Stelter
Source: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/05/sec_baseball_tournament_missis.html
Photo "Slauter batting"
Description: Mississippi State junior catcher Mitch Slauter had two RBIs and two runs scored in a 11-3 victory over Kentucky Saturday.
Photo by: MSU athletics Photo credit: The Dispatch Newspaper
Source: https://cdispatch.com/msusports/article.asp?aid=17147