While Drury sponsored baseball at various times in the 20th century, the last time being in the 1970’s, the “new era” of Drury baseball began in the spring of 2007. That 2007 Panther squad was a “team” in every sense of the word. However, certain individuals played more than just an integral role in in leading the Panthers to the 2007 GLVC championship and the NCAA-II national tournament. Yes, in that first year of existence Drury won the GLVC title and played in the North Central Regional Tournament in Akron, Ohio. The success enjoyed by that team has not as yet been duplicated and one of the keys to that team’s success was: Justin Skinner.
A graduate of Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest, Skinner attended Crowder Community College for two years before transferring to Drury University in the fall of 2006. Skinner had multiple offers, including NCAA-I opportunities. However, he decided to return home where he could play before family and friends and be a “two-way” player for Panther head coach Mark Stratton. “Justin knew when we recruited him that he was going to play virtually every game during his two years at Drury and I told him that he could be a two-way player for us. As a pitcher he had a power arm. He was a low 90’s guy with a nasty change. Mainly we just gave him the ball and got out of the way. At the same time he was a great hitter, a clutch hitter,” Stratton concluded.
Skinner earned Great Lakes Valley Conference honors and was a two-year letterman for the Panthers. In 2007 he started 56 of the Panthers’ 57 games and led the team in runs batted in (42) and walks (24). As a pitcher he was second on the team in appearances (20); was the team leader in saves (7) and had 22 strikeouts in 22 innings...easily the team leader in strike outs per innings pitched. He was second on the team in assists and had a .933 fielding percentage. In 2008 he again started every game (49), batted .354, led the team in home runs (9) and for the second consecutive year, runs batted in (46). In his two years at Drury he stole 20 bases in 22 attempts.
The name Justin Skinner is sprinkled throughout the Drury record books, as a hitter, pitcher and fielder. Skinner currently ranks #10 in career batting average (.317); he holds the career record in slugging percentage (.507); he shares the single season record in home runs (9) and holds the single season record for total bases (118). Though he played only two years at Drury, he is among the leaders in saves and assists (career and single season).
Skinner relished the big moment. He was the batter you wanted at the plate in a crucial situation. He was there to close the big game, as evidenced in the championship game of the 2007 GLVC tournament. He was the player who wanted the ball to be hit his way when it was crunch time. And, on top of his arsenal of weapons on the baseball field, “he is an even better person” stated Panther pitching coach, Byron Hagler.
An honor student, Skinner graduated on December 20, 2008 with a major in Design Arts. He and his wife, Kendra, currently reside in Springfield and in 10 days will be opening a creative studio on W. Commercial: Prixel Creative. But today Justin is joined by his wife, family members and friends as he is the first Drury student-athlete to be inducted exclusively for his accomplishments in the sport of baseball. For this, on November 24, 2012, Justin Skinner is enshrined in the Drury Sports Hall of Fame, as a member of the Class of 2012.
