Dave Riggert – Page 1073 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Johnson, Koch earn MWSU Student-Athlete of the Year honors

Posted on April 23, 2012

The Missouri Western athletic department honored its student-athletes at the 13th Annual Missouri Western State University/St. Joseph News-Press Student-Athlete Honors Banquet on Monday evening in the Faulkerson Center. Western basketball swept the student-athlete of the year awards as women’s basketball player Jessica Koch was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year while men’s basketball player TJ Johnson was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

This year’s banquet featured the voice of the Kansas City Chiefs Mitch Holthus as the keynote speaker. Holthus has been with the Chiefs organization since 1994 and previously was the radio voice of the Kansas State Wildcats for 14 years. Holthus also does television work for the Big 12 Basketball Network, the Missouri Valley Conference and other select broadcasts on ESPNU.

Western also honored one Silver Anniversary Award winner who attended the institution for outstanding achievements and representation throughout the past 25-plus years. Former student athletic trainer and longtime Head Athletic Trainer of the Kansas City Chiefs Bud Epps will received the award which exhibits the characteristics of Integrity, Dedication, Leadership, a Commitment to Excellence and an obligation to serve as a concerned partner in their community.

Current Western student-athletes were chosen as their respective sports’ Student-Athlete of the Year include; TJ Johnson (Men’s Basketball), Tony Loeffler (Baseball), Tom Madget (Football), Tyler Gast (Men’s Golf), Taylor Kram (cheer squad), Jessica Koch (Women’s Basketball), Natalie Bird (Women’s Golf), Leah Steele (Softball), Molly Slattery (Women’s Soccer), Nicole Kerr (Women’s Tennis) and Tahler Johnston (Volleyball).

All of the above individuals were finalists for the Missouri Western State University/St. Joseph News-Press Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year Award which was announced during the banquet. Western also recognized the top graduating senior based on highest cumulative GPA with the James J. McMillen Award. The winner was Taylor Krahm with a 3.95 GAP. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s Volunteer of the Year was given to baseball player Harrison Cobb and the MWSU Award for Valor was given to football players Jack Long and Shane Simpson. The award recognized an individual(s) for an outstanding act of courage.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Kansas City loses 11th straight as they get swept by Blue Jays

Posted on April 23, 2012April 23, 2012

Jose Bautista hit a two-run homer, Kelly Johnson also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the bumbling Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep.

The Blue Jays improved to 6-1 on the road this season, while Kansas City lost its 11th straight to finish up a winless 10-game homestand. The Royals became the first team to lose its first 10 at home since the Chicago Cubs dropped 12 in a row at Wrigley Field in 1994.

Eric Hosmer scored the Royals’ only run with a homer leading off the second inning.

Otherwise, Brandon Morrow (1-1) took care of the struggling Kansas City lineup. The right-hander allowed seven hits and one walk in 6 2/3 innings, and Luis Perez and Francisco Cordero did the rest. Cordero got some help from a double-play groundout in the ninth for his second save.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals blow lead in ninth and lose at Chicago

Posted on April 23, 2012April 23, 2012

Joe Mather was just happy to help the Cubs get a win. Beating his former teammates was pretty sweet, too.

Mather’s two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning rallied Chicago to a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.

“It just feels good,” Mather said. “The whole atmosphere in the stadium and in the clubhouse, in the dugout, everybody was just excited.”

Hard-throwing closer Jason Motte (1-1) had the Cubs down to their final strike when Mather, a former Cardinal, grounded a 2-2 slider up the middle, driving in Bryan LaHair and Geovany Soto.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t (extra satisfying),” Mather said. “I have a lot of good friends over there. It does feel good. When it comes down to it, ultimately we won a big-league game and the self-satisfaction is secondary.”

While Mather got the winning hit, LaHair’s 12-pitch battle with Motte may have been the game’s key at-bat. After the count went full, LaHair fouled off six straight pitches before Motte missed with a fastball.

“I just don’t have any fear,” LaHair said about his patient approach. “That kind of situation, you have to just kind of relax and just breathe. Let the anxiety go.”

Motte then walked Soto, but said it wasn’t a matter of LaHair wearing him down.

“No, I’m out there still trying to make pitches,” Motte said. “I made some really good pitches, he just did a good job of fouling them off and keeping himself in the at-bat.”

Steve Clevenger’s grounder moved the runners up to set the plate for Mather, who was drafted by the Cardinals in 2001 and spent 10 seasons in the organization.

Mather fell behind 0-2 and angrily stalked out of the batter’s box after taking the second strike. He then took two pitches off the plate before lacing the game-ending single.

The hit made a winner of reliever Rafael Dolis (1-1), though for seven-plus innings the starters were the story of the game.

Jaime Garcia appeared to have outpitched Matt Garza as he threw just 85 pitches before departing with two outs in the eighth, striking out just four batters and walking one.

“That was one hell of a game,” Garza said. “We came up big at the end. That’s awesome.”

Garza held St. Louis to two runs in seven innings, and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in his last 14 home starts, the longest streak by a Cubs pitcher since Mark Prior had 16 in a row over the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

St. Louis grabbed the lead in the fourth after Skip Schumaker led off with an infield single and went to third on Matt Holliday’s double down the left-field line. Schumaker scored on Carlos Beltran’s groundout, and Holliday scored on Yadier Molina’s sacrifice fly.

Garcia gave up a first-inning run when Alfonso Soriano’s sacrifice fly scored Darwin Barney, but he limited Chicago to just four hits over his final 6 2/3 innings. He was aided by double plays in the fifth and sixth.

“(Garcia) was terrific,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “You look at the run early on, and that was from two infield hits. Whenever he did get in a little spot, he got that extra movement, double plays.”

Darwin Barney singled twice, walked, and scored the Cubs’ only run. Castro legged out an infield single in the first, increasing his hitting streak to 11 games. He’s reached base in 56 of his last 57 games.

The Cubs went homerless for the ninth straight game, their longest drought since June 30 to July 13, 2007. Chicago is last in the majors with just five homers on the season, but on Monday, singles were enough.

“These are the kind of things you have to build on,” LaHair said.

— Associated Press —

Kansas dismisses Garrett & Robinson from football team

Posted on April 23, 2012April 23, 2012

Kansas football head coach Charlie Weis announced the dismissal of KU players Collin Garrett and Chris Robinson from the team here Monday afternoon. Garrett, a sophomore from Beaumont, Texas and Robinson, a redshirt freshman from Sanford, Fla., were both dismissed for a violation of team rules.

Garrett, a linebacker, saw action in six games as a true freshman in 2011. He made his career debut against Oklahoma, collecting four tackles versus the Sooners. He also had one tackle in games versus Kansas State, Baylor and Missouri. Robinson, a cornerback, did not see any action during the 2011 season and was redshirted.

— KU Sports Information —

K-State announces spring football game details for Saturday

Posted on April 23, 2012April 23, 2012

K-State Athletics and the Wildcat football program will host numerous events the weekend of April 27-28, culminating with the 1:10 p.m. Purple/White spring football game at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Saturday.

The 28th annual Powercat Golf Tournament at Colbert Hills Golf Course will kick off the weekend on Friday with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Questions regarding the golf tournament should be directed to Bernie Haney at (785) 565-1719 or [email protected].

Later that evening, the Powercat Auction will be held at Bramlage Coliseum with doors to the arena opening at 5 p.m. A silent auction on the concourse begins immediately and wraps up at 6:45 p.m., while a buffet dinner will be served from 6:30 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. The live auction portion of the event begins at 7:45 p.m.

Saturday’s events get underway with the public groundbreaking ceremony for the West Stadium Center project at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Fans are invited to attend the ceremonial groundbreaking at 11:30 a.m., at Gate F on the west side of the stadium.

Tickets for the 1:10 p.m., spring game can be purchased for $5 while children under the age of two will be admitted at no charge. To purchase tickets, visit k-statesports.com or call the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-221-CATS. Both ticket booths at the stadium will also be open on gameday beginning at 10 a.m.

Students who have purchased season tickets for 2012 can pick up a free ticket to the spring game at the student tailgate party outside Gates N and P on the east side of the stadium. Students who haven’t bought a season pass may purchase a spring game ticket for $5 at either of the stadium’s ticket booths.

Parking for the event is free and both the west and east lots of the stadium will open at 10 a.m. Stadium gates will open at 11:45 a.m., following the conclusion of the WSC groundbreaking ceremony. All seating for the game is general admission with Sections 1-9 on the west side and Sections 20-28 on the east side open for fans.

— KSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western blows three-run lead in ninth inning at Truman

Posted on April 22, 2012April 22, 2012

The Missouri Western baseball team (29-13, 22-10) surrendered a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth to drop the final game of a four game series at Truman State (14-26, 13-23) Sunday afternoon.

Western extended a one run lead by scoring two runs in the top of the ninth on a Nate Ramler home run. Jake Jones entered in the bottom of the ninth and walked the leadoff batter. The Bulldogs follwed with two straight singles before Pete Jurich drilled a three-run double that cleared the bases and tied the game. Paul Trenahile’s sacrifice fly to center brought in the winning run and earned a series split for Truman.

Ramler got the Griffons on the board in the first with an RBI double that scored Grant Fink from second base. Truman tied it up in the third on an RBI single from Devon Meyers. Western grabbed the lead again in the sixth on RBI singles from Shawn Egge, Michael Shulze and David Chew.

Oliver Kadey held the Bulldogs to one run on four hits through five innings, but Truman got to Kadey in the sixth. Jurich led off the inning with a home run to left field. Kadey retired the next batter, but then hit a batter and gave up a single. Chris Allen entered in relief and retired the first batter he faced.

The Bulldogs then took advantage of two Griffon miscues to tie the game at four apiece. A wild pitch allowed a runner to advance to third base, then score on a single to right field, and a throwing error allowed the tying run to score.

Ramler had three extra base hits and finieshed 3-4 with two runs scored and three RBI. Spencer Shockley was 3-5 with two runs scored. Tony Loeffler went 2-3 and scored a run, while Bubba Dotson was 2-4 with one run scored. Kadey went 5 1/3 allowing seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out three. Allen went 2 2/3, allowing two hits and one run. Allen also struck out three. Jake Jones took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits .

Western returns home this weekend for the team’s final home series of the season. Southwest Baptist visits the Griffon Spring Sports Complex beginning on Friday with a doubleheader.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Griffons and Bearcats will meet in MIAA softball tournament opener

Posted on April 22, 2012April 22, 2012

Emporia State earned the 2012 MIAA Regular Season Championship with a perfect 20-0 conference record and will be the top seed in the upcoming MIAA Centennial Softball Tournament.

Missouri Western will be the No. 2 seed after posting a 18-2 league record, while Fort Hays State is the No. 3 seed with an 13-7 conference mark.

Central Missouri will be the No. 4 seed with a 9-11 MIAA record, as the Jennies hold the tiebreaker over No. 5 seed Washburn, which also posted a 9-11 conference record.

Pittsburg State will be the No. 6 seed. The Gorillas’ seed was adjusted following a self-reported eligibility violation. In accordance with NCAA and MIAA policy a nullification penalty was applied to PSU’s won-lost percentage.

Northwest Missouri is the No. 7 seed after recording a 7-13 MIAA record, and Lincoln will be the No. 8 seed after finishing 6-14 in the conference. The Blue Tigers held the tiebreaker over Southwest Baptist and Truman to earn the final spot in the tournament.

All first round matchups will be played Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Blue Valley Sports Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

Top seeded Emporia State will take on No. 8 seed Lincoln, No. 2 seed Missouri Western will play No. 7 seed Northwest Missouri, No. 3 seed Fort Hays State will match up with No. 6 seed Pittsburg State, and No. 4 seed Central Missouri will face off with No. 5 seed Washburn.

— MIAA Release —

Northwest wins third straight MIAA men’s tennis title

Posted on April 22, 2012April 22, 2012

For the third time in three seasons the Northwest Missouri State men’s tennis team walked away as the MIAA Tournament Championship. On Sunday the Bearcats claimed a 5-4 victory over Southwest Baptist in a battle of top 30 teams at the Plaza Tennis Center.

No. 26 Northwest Missouri, who handed SBU its only conference loss of the year during the regular season, improved to 19-4 on the season. No. 28 SBU fell to 13-7 on the season as it was the second time this year Northwest knocked off their purple Bearcat foes and the second consecutive season of the two teams meeting in the MIAA Finals with the same result.

Northwest jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Guilherme Narducci and Rafael Bugiga claimed an 8-4 win over Kristof Kinal and Daniel Cardona at No. 2 doubles.

Calvin Patterson and Luis Altimires won their No. 3 doubles match 8-3 over Alex Belote and Tyler Welch as SBU earned its only doubles point at the No. 1 position. The two doubles points for Northwest proved important as all six singles matches came down to the wire.

In singles action the green and white Bearcats picked up wins at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, however SBU battled to take three matches as well at No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 singles.

In the end though it was Northwest’s Jason Harris picking up a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles giving Northwest its third straight MIAA Title.

Northwest will now wait to see its fate in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament as they look for their sixth straight postseason appearance. Last year Northwest fell in its first round match at St. Edward’s as the Hilltoppers claimed a 6-1 win.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

No. 17 Western splits regular season finale at Central Oklahoma

Posted on April 22, 2012April 22, 2012

The 17th ranked Griffons split a non-conference double header with future MIAA opponent the 3rd ranked Bronchos of Central Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon. Western took game one 3-2 before falling 5-0 in game two. The Griffons end the regular season with a 38-9 overall record and will be the 2nd seed in next weekend’s MIAA Tournament.

Game 1: MWSU 3, UCO 2
The Griffons softball team got a much needed victory in game one against the 3rd ranked Bronchos. Jackie Bishop let up just six hits to the powerful Broncho lineup stranding nine runners in the complete game. She improves to 22-2 on the year as she struck out just two batters.

The Bronchos took the early lead in the second inning when Devyn Frazier singled to left scoring Brittany Weaver giving UCO the 1-0 lead.

Westerm left eight runners on base which included five in the first four innings of play. In the fifth Western got the bases loaded with no one out but were unable to capitalize as a soft liner by Taylor Anding hit Leah Steele in the foot and then a pop fly by Tiffany Gillaspy turned into an inning ending double play as pinch runner Kim Robinson got tossed out at the plate.

In the fifth Western finally got the timely hits they have been looking for when Blair Stalder doubled to right center scoring Kendall Sorenson and Sarah Elliott giving Western the 2-1 lead. The Griffons next batter Keri Lobert singled scoring Stalder putting Western up 3-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth.

Central Oklahoma cut the lead to one in the fifth when Nathalie Timmermans hit her 20th homer of the season cutting Western’s lead to 3-2.

That would be all the Bronchos would get as Bishop shut them down in the sixth and then stranded two runners on base in the seventh getting the victory.

Western had nine hits with Breanna Fleschner, Elliott, Stalder and Lorbert each collecting two.

UCO had six hits with Timmermans going 3-for-3. Rachael Steverson falls to 20-4 going 4.1 innings giving up nine hits with three earned runs. Amanda McClelland went 2.2 innings in relief not giving up any hits.

Game 2: UCO 5, MWSU 0
Western put runners on base in the first four innings but could not get a hit to give them the lead. Things started good for Western as the first two batters reached base but Fleschner was tossed out at third after an Elliot single ending the threat.

Annalee Rubio pitched well keeping the Bronchos off balance holding them to just one hit in the first three innings. In the third she pitched around some trouble but gave up one run. In the fifth and sixth the Griffons defense struggled making two errors giving up four more runs falling 5-0.

Western had five hits with Taylor Anding going 2-for-3. Rubio falls to 13-7 giving up eight hits and four earned runs.
UCO improves to 38-5 with the win. They had eight hits with Kaylee Brunson and Kayce Raines each getting two hits. McClelland improves to 18-1 going all seven innings giving up five hits.

Western will be in action next Thursday playing the first round of the MIAA Tournament. Western will play the 7th seed at 6:00 pm and will take on the 3rd or 6th at 8:00 pm depending on the outcome. Game are played at Blue Valley Receation Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Royals lose again to Toronto; losing streak now at ten

Posted on April 22, 2012April 23, 2012

Ricky Romero keeps winning and the Kansas City Royals keep losing.

Romero won his third straight start, Brett Lawrie stole home and drove in two runs and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Kansas City 5-3 Sunday, sending the Royals to their 10th straight loss.

The Royals have only six skids longer than 10 in franchise history. It is their longest losing streak since dropping 12 straight May 19-30, 2008. Romero (3-0), who is 11-2 in 17 starts since July 21, gave up two runs on five hits in eight innings to earn the victory. In winning his past three starts, Romero has allowed 16 hits and six runs over 22 1/3 innings.

“He was efficient with his pitches,” Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. “He got an early ground ball double plays. He pitched ahead in the count for the most part. I think given the conditions today, it wasn’t his cleanest game, but it shows the kind of stuff he has and the late life to all his pitches.

“With their aggression and his life in through the zone, he’s going to get a number of miss-hits and that was the case today. We scratched out some runs and that was the difference particularly the way Ricky pitched.”

The Royals managed a couple of runs off Romero in the fifth, but those were aided by a Blue Jays error.

“I got outs and got deep into the game,” Romero said. “That’s my goal every time I take the mound. By doing that you’ve got to throw strikes. I had a little bit of a hiccup in that one inning. I thought I battled pretty good back from that. I just kept pounding the zone and let the defense work. ”

“When you throw strikes and pound the zone, you keep the hitters swinging, let the defense work and get some quick innings here and there and the next thing you know you find yourself in the eighth.”

The Blue Jays scored four runs in the fifth to chase Royals left-hander Danny Duffy. Lawrie’s two-out single to right scored Yunel Escobar and Jose Bautista. Rajai Davis led off the inning with a double and scored on Escobar’s single. Bautista, who walked three times, singled home J.P. Arencibia with the other run.

Duffy labored through 4 2/3 innings, throwing 113 pitches and walking five. He did not give up a hit until Ben Francisco singled with two outs in the fourth, but yielded four hits and two walks in the fifth while retiring only two.

The Royals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning, which Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas started with singles. Francoeur scored on an Alcides Escobar fielder’s choice grounder, while Moustakas scored on Yunel Escobar’s throwing error.

The Blue Jays added a run in the eighth, when Lawrie, who had walked and went to third on Arencibia’s single, pulled off a double steal. Arencibia broke for second and catcher Humberto Quintero fired to second baseman Yuniesky Betancourt. Lawrie broke for home and beat Betancourt’s throw to the plate.

“We ran a double steal in the eighth inning, which turned out to be a pretty big run,” Farrell said.

The Royals, who have had one winning season since 1994, again find themselves in a deep hole to start this season.

“This is not even a hole,” Royals designated hitter Billy Butler said. “We finished 32 games under .500 (in 2009) That’s a hole.”

Francisco Cordero gave up a run in the ninth, but logged his first save in his first opportunity. Cordero, who will serve as Toronto’s closer with Sergio Santos going on the disabled list, collected his 328th career save.

Moustakas singled home Betancourt for the ninth inning run, but pinch-hitter Brayan Pena grounded into a game inning double play on the first pitch with runners on the corners.

“If you get nervous, you’re in the wrong business,” Cordero said. “I talk to myself and say we’ve got a chance for a double play right here, just make a good pitch or just go one hitter at a time. In the beginning when I was young, sometime I get nervous, but not anymore. I’ve been doing this for so long. All I’ve got to do is step off, take a little breather and make a good pitch.

“You’re in trouble, but one pitch can get you out of the inning. That’s what I did. I threw a good two-seam down-and-away, he grounded to second and the perfect double play. Now we go home happy. I get the save, we get the ‘w.’ ”

— Associated Press —