Today is Senior Day for Baker University’s football team. BU coach Mike Grossner also hopes it will be Salvage Day.

The Wildcats (3-6) can put a satisfying lid on a disappointing season if they can knock off Lindenwood (5-6), another Heart of America Athletic Conference team that fell short of expectations.

Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. at Liston Stadium in Baldwin.

“To get a win against Lindenwood at home on Senior Day would be a nice shot in the arm for our program going into the offseason,” Grossner said.

Baker opened the season with a surprising 17-13 triumph over longtime nemesis Benedictine. A close 21-17 loss to defending HAAC champion Graceland the following week didn’t dampen enthusiasm, and the Wildcats took another giant step in Week Three with a 27-24 overtime win at William Jewell.

But injuries began to pile up, and Baker’s season has gone mostly downhill ever since. The ‘Cats’ lone win in their last six games was a 27-0 blanking of league doormat Avila.

Meanwhile, Lindenwood has struggled, too. The Lions were ranked in the Top 10 in the preseason NAIA poll, but need a win today to finish with a .500 record. The Lions barely escaped against Avila last week, winning 14-10.

Baker seniors scheduled to be honored today are William Burwell, Pete Diaz, Jeremiah Gress, Brandon Hubbard, David McClain, Barnard Pierre, Tanner Purdum, Bruce Rogers, Travis Viehweg, Seth Williams and Lawrence Williams. Gress is a Free State High product.

Baker also will honor the memory of former player Shawn Trager, who was killed in an auto accident in 2004. Trager would have been a senior this season.

Today’s finale could feature plenty of scoring, with Lindenwood ranked last in the HAAC in pass defense and Baker last in total defense.

Despite their defensive woes, the Wildcats boast the league’s second-leading tackler in junior linebacker Micah Mason, who also plays at running back, and sophomore defensive back Eric Allen, who shares the HAAC lead with five interceptions.

Allen returned a theft 40 yards for a touchdown in last week’s 20-17 overtime loss at Culver-Stockton.