Keith Guttin thought his team was finally starting to play good baseball after an inconsistent start through 17 games of the 2020 season.
The Bears weren't scoring like they would need to, but a 13-3 win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville gave him a glimpse of what his team could be with three-fourths of the season ahead of them.
That was the last game the Bears played. The uncertainty around COVID-19 in mid-March put an end to the Bears' 9-8 season.
But the Bears are finally back.
Missouri State begins its 2021 campaign Tuesday. It's been since March 12, 2020 when the Bears last played together, but they're scheduled to be back out on the diamond for a two-game road trip at Oral Roberts.