Kansas City, Mo. ? Go figure Baker University football. Heart of America Athletic Conference coaches can’t.

Baker received votes for seven different slots in the annual HAAC preseason coaches poll – including one for second and one for ninth.

“I guess that shows some people are leery of us,” third-year BU coach Mike Grossner said during Monday’s HAAC Media Day at Kauffman Stadium, “and that some people think we’re still young and dumb.”

When all the votes were compiled, Baker was in seventh place in the poll, but just one point out of sixth.

“I feel we’ve improved talent-wise,” Grossner said. “Are we good enough to finish second? I don’t know. Are we ninth? I hope to think we’re not.”

The Wildcats, coming off a disappointing 3-8 season, have a long history of excellence, but that was in the 20th century. BU hasn’t had a winning season since 2000.

Why Baker struggled last year is no mystery. The Wildcats couldn’t run and they couldn’t stop the run. They finished last in the league in rushing offense and rushing defense.

Seth Williams led the ‘Cats in rushing last season with a mere 447 yards. No one ever has compared Williams to Larry Johnson, but Grossner expects better rushing numbers this year, particularly in short-yardage situations.

“We’ve got tight ends now,” Grossner said. “That means the world. We’d get inside the 30 last year, and we didn’t have a single tight end.”

Grossner recruited four tight ends, notably Alfonso Nino, a 260-pound freshman from Houston, Texas, and Tylor St. Clair, a 250-pound transfer from Coffeyville CC. The BU coach is also high on Taylor Burnett, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound freshman from De Soto.

Newcomers don’t figure quite as prominently in the projected defensive improvement because several freshmen started last year, and, Grossner said, they’re bigger and more experienced now. They include end Andy Patch, a third-team All-HAAC pick last season as a freshman, and Philip Weinmaster, a Free State High product who started all 11 games as a down lineman in ’05.

Patch has added 35 pounds and now weighs 240. Weinmaster goes 6-2, 280 and, says Grossner of the former Firebird, “He’s ready to go, and we’re counting on him.”

Grossner also is counting on Micah Mason to mature at linebacker after spending the first half of the ’05 season at running back. Mason, a former standout running back at Baldwin High, was shifted to linebacker when two regulars went down because of injuries.

“He’s going to stay on defense,” Grossner said of the 6-foot, 232-pound Mason, “but if we get down close to the goal, we might want to put him in there.”

Baker’s defense also would receive a big boost if Jeremiah Gress were granted an extra year of eligibility. Gress, a Free State High product, led the HAAC in tackles while listed as a senior linebacker last season, but Gress has appealed for another year of eligibility because he played in only one JV game as a freshman in 2002.

“The conference approved his appeal, but the NAIA turned it down,” Grossner said. “Now we’ve made a second appeal. We should know something this week.”

Baker’s quarterback will be either junior Kendall Bradley, a 6-5, 220-pound junior who threw 14 touchdown passes last year but also tossed 12 interceptions, or Mack Brown, a former All-Sunflower League quarterback at Shawnee Mission North who transferred to Baker after a red-shirt season at Colorado.

“In certain games, Kendall performed well,” Grossner said, “and in certain games he struggled. But he’s put an emphasis on getting in shape by dropping from 245 pounds to about 220.”

Baker has no kicking-game problems. Junior Ryan Smith set a school record and earned first-team All-HAAC honors by averaging 41.0 yards per punt in ’05. Smith also booted six field goals.

Field Turf was installed at BU’s ancient Liston Stadium over the summer, making BU the fifth school in the HAAC to abandon grass. No one is happier about the changeover than Grossner.

“I really think our new turf will help us emotionally,” the BU coach said. “We haven’t played well at home. We got off to an 0-3 start last year and a lot of that had to do with field conditions.”

Baker won more games on the road (2-4) than it did at home (1-4) last season.