ARLINGTON, Texas — Hours before sending his team-leading 17th home run into the left-field bleachers of Globe Life Field, Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger was summoned by a group of eager, autograph-seeking children.
The bearded and affable slugger had just concluded batting practice ahead of a Monday, July 20 game against the Chicago White Sox, his former club. With time to burn, a smiling Burger scribbled his name into a series of baseballs before soft-tossing them to the young fans atop his dugout.
Burger, the 11th overall selection in the 2017 draft out of Missouri State, is among the reasons the Rangers are enjoying a mid-season American League West lead. The first baseman’s 61 RBI are also tops for the organization.
On an evening when Missouri State administrators and football figures were in attendance after taking part in the annual Conference USA Kickoff at neighboring Texas Live! by Loews, Burger gave the maroon-clad group reason to cheer in the seventh inning with his 105th career blast.
After a pair of trades and a series of injuries, Burger has settled into the Rangers’ organization.
“I feel at home here in Texas,” Burger told the Daily Citizen. “It’s good because it’s close to Springfield, which always holds a special place in my heart.”
Burger, whose young sister Ellie Burger was a tennis player and eventual Missouri State head coach, owns a property in his native St. Louis but rents a home with his wife and two children in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex during the season.
He was traded from Miami to the Rangers in late 2024, months after his college head coach, longtime Missouri State skipper Keith Guttin, opted to retire. Burger’s 2015 teammate, Joey Hawkins, would take over the Bears after years as an assistant and hitting coach.
Burger has enjoyed watching Hawkins’ coaching ascent, which has included a 2025 Missouri Valley Conference co-championship and a 2026 move to a more competitive Conference USA. The Bears proved their worth by winning 34 games and reaching the NCAA Tournament behind one of the most explosive offenses in the country (105 home runs).
“That was really special. I knew when (Hawkins) came in after (Guttin), he was going to do a really good job,” Burger said. “That’s a big jump in terms of conference play. They did really well. It’s something that continues to grow there, and I think they can continue to have that success.”
Jake Burger hit 47 home runs in helping Missouri State reach the NCAA Tournament twice in three seasons from 2015-17. (Photo: Missouri State Athletics)
Burger, who reached an NCAA Super Regional during his time at MSU, hopes to catch a Bears game against Conference USA foe Dallas Baptist in the future.
“It’s fun to renew that rivalry a little bit,” Burger said. “We had some good games against them.”
College athletics have experienced a seismic shift since Burger’s final MSU season nine years ago, including the introduction of athlete funding Name, Image and Likeness and the NCAA transfer portal.
He isn’t particularly high on the roster movement in today’s game.
“There was such camaraderie from that 2015-2017 run, and we knew nobody was really leaving from that group,” Burger said. “We were here for the long haul. That’s something that needs to get back to college baseball, because I think that’s what makes college baseball beautiful.”
Burger, one of five ex-Bears who have been active MLB players this season, points to the loyalty of MSU’s latest star, Caden Bogenpohl.
“Caden was such a highly touted guy. He could have easily left, and he stayed (at MSU),” Burger said of Bogenpohl, drafted 64th overall by the Phillies earlier this month. “Kudos to him for doing stuff like that.
“Because at the end of the day, it’s about the camaraderie and the memories you build. There’s still really good baseball in the Missouri Valley and Conference USA. You don’t have to go in the SEC or ACC to get seen. There are a lot of guys coming from mid-majors; it’s not about the glory of a higher conference.”
Ryan Collingwood is the sports editor and Missouri State University athletics beat writer for the Springfield Daily Citizen. He can be reached at rcollingwood@sgfcitizen.org or by phone at 417-837-3660. More by Ryan Collingwood