The road to Omaha is officially underway, and there is no one better to break down the College World Series than a man who spent 42 years leading the Missouri State Bears baseball program. This morning on The Starting Lineup, Ned Reynolds and Scott Puryear caught up with the legendary Keith Guttin right before he hit the road to Omaha to catch the opening games in person. We dove deep into his expectations for the 2026 bracket, the eye-popping financial reality of modern college baseball rosters, and how his successor, Joey Hawkins, is handling the roster rebuilding process back home in Springfield.

The Wild West of the Transfer Portal and NIL Payrolls

We asked Coach Guttin about the massive competitive gap in college baseball today, and his insights did not disappoint. Guttin noted that Georgia and Texas are the teams to beat on paper, pointing out that Georgia’s roster features at least 26 transfers. When Scott pushed him on what it actually costs to build a powerhouse in the modern SEC, Guttin dropped a truth bomb: an average SEC baseball roster now costs between $2 million to $3 million to assemble, with top-tier All-Americans commanding as much as $500,000. Guttin admitted he never had a recruit ask for NIL money during his tenure, joking that a player asking him for a raise wouldn’t have gone well.

The New Era of Bears Baseball Leadership

The conversation shifted locally to the current state of the Bears, and Guttin is incredibly high on head coach Joey Hawkins and the foundation he is building. We talked about the addition of new pitching coach Cale Johnson, who comes over with a stellar professional pedigree from Dallas Baptist and a long tenure with the Atlanta Braves organization. Guttin emphasized that bringing in a coach like Johnson is exactly what Hawkins needs to do to keep high-level pitchers coming to Springfield, especially as agents and scouts dictate where top talent signs.

Roster Reloading and the Springfield Star That Got Away

With major roster turnover hitting the Bears via graduation and the upcoming July 12th MLB draft, the coaching staff is hunkered down in the stadium. Guttin noted that keeping critical pieces like Logan Fyffe and Max Knight will be vital for the Bears’ transition into Conference USA. To close out the interview, Ned asked the ultimate “what if” question regarding local high school talent lost to the draft. Guttin didn’t hesitate, naming former Hillcrest High School left-handed ace John Barrett as the local legend who signed late with the pros but could have completely altered the program’s history.