Through the next three to four weeks, we will continue to reveal our Drury Dozen – the top 12 moments from 2017-18 as voted on by members of the Drury University athletics media relations team that covered a variety of DU sports throughout the year.
 
The list on this countdown does not reflect the most significant moments from the year, although the biggest games/events certainly played a part in our decision. Ultimately, these were our favorite moments from the previous year and the ones that we will likely always associate with the 2017-18 sports season.
 
#11 – Austin Simms ties a DU record with an 11-strikeout performance
 
Starting pitcher Austin Simms tied a Drury record with 11 strikeouts, and he fired a complete-game shutout in an 18-0 win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis at U.S. Baseball Park on March 24 to start the Panthers Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule.
 
Simms went all nine innings allowing just five hits, no runs and he walked just two. His 11 K's matched three other Drury pitchers – Trevor Richards, Will Landsheft (twice) and Blake Wixson. It marked only the tenth time in program history a pitcher hit double-digits with his strikeout total. Simms would be named the GLVC Pitcher of the Week several days later as a result of that performance. The senior would also be named All-GLVC-West, All-Midwest Region, and was an All-District Academic selection.
 
Drury's win in the GLVC opener was also a turning point in the season. The Panthers entered league play with an 8-12 record and, even though they split their four-game series with UMSL, Drury's offense and pitching came to life in the four games, and a 10-game winning streak followed as would the Panthers second straight GLVC-West title.
 
Drury's coverage of the March 24 DH vs UMSL
 
Game One box score
 
Earlier in the countdown
#12 – Trevor Richards makes his MLB debut
 
 
#allweDUiswin