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Author: Dave Riggert

Tiger head coach Cuonzo Martin selected to NCAA oversight committee

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin has been named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, as announced Monday. The committee, which features approximately 12 voting members and four nonvoting members, is comprised of coaches and administrators from across the nation.

“I’m honored to represent both the University of Missouri and the Southeastern Conference on the Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee,” Martin said. “It’s an important time for our sport after the hard work and recommendations put forth by the Commission on College Basketball. I’m looking forward to helping improve our game and working diligently to put young men in the best situations for success on and off the court.”

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will ensure that appropriate oversight of men’s basketball is maintained, will enhance the development and public perception of the sport and make recommendations related to regular-season and postseason men’s basketball. The committee will prioritize enhancement of the student-athlete educational experience (academically and athletically), and in doing so, promote student-athletes’ personal growth and leadership development.

The Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee will supervise qualifications and/or selection procedures for the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. The committee will review recommendations from the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and process other issues related to the administration of the championship. The committee will assume many of the duties of the former NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Issues Committee and will provide direction to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Rules Committee regarding playing rules. The committee will be comprised of representatives from each divisional subgroup.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Northwest’s Weis earns D2CCA All-Region Honors

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northwest Missouri State University softball sophomore Kaitlyn Weis earned 2018 Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region Second Team softball honors on Monday.

Weis was named to the All-MIAA First Team as a second baseman this year. During the 2018 season, Weis led the team in almost every category. She batted .390, crossed the plate 39 times, knocked in 48 runs and recorded 57 hits. The second baseman started in all 46 games for the Bearcats this season and finished the regular season tied for first place in the record books for most home runs in a season with 15.

Seven other MIAA softball players earned 2018 Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region softball honors.

— Northwest Athletics —

Royals lose 11-2 at Cleveland as Duffy gives up nine runs

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Corey Kluber was handed a big lead early in the game and the rest was simple.

Kluber became the American League’s first six-game winner and the Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Royals 11-2 on Sunday.

The Indians led 9-0 going into the fifth, leading to a stress-free afternoon for the reigning Cy Young Award winner, who gave up two unearned runs in seven innings, scattering eight hits.

“If you have a nine run cushion, obviously you have a bigger margin for error,” Kluber said. “They’ve always been pretty aggressive against me. It can work both ways. You can get some early contact and get some quick outs.”

Kluber (6-2) was backed by four hits from Yan Gomes, including a three-run homer. Jose Ramirez also hit a three-run shot and Michael Brantley had a two-run homer as the Indians had 15 hits.

“It was nice to get him some runs,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He knows what to do with it.”

Kansas City manager Ned Yost knew the big deficit was a bad sign against Kluber, who also won the Cy Young in 2014.

“Yes, he’s that good,” Yost said. “He’s got a tremendous cutter, a real good curveball, and a fastball that starts at a hitter’s hip and just fades right back in over the corner. He’s got excellent command.”

Yankees starter Luis Severino later joined Kluber with six wins.

Gomes hit a fourth-inning home run off Danny Duffy (1-5), doubled in the second and singled in the third and sixth to match his career high for hits.

Ramirez’s homer capped a five-run second inning while Brantley homered in the seventh.

Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games with three hits, including an RBI single in the third. Lindor had two homers and two doubles Saturday. He got off to an inauspicious start Sunday, walking to home plate in the first inning wearing the wrong batting helmet.

A switch-hitter, Lindor had on the helmet he usually uses when he hits left-handed — with a protective flap on the right side. But he was facing the left-hander Duffy and was going to hit right-handed.

Lindor quickly realized the mistake, exchanged helmets with a bat boy and smiled when he returned to the batter’s box. Lindor flied out. Helmets with flaps on the side facing the pitcher have been mandatory for all players making their major league debuts since 1983.

Cleveland strung together a single, a double, two walks, a hit batter, a wild pitch and RBI ground balls by Greg Allen and Brantley in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Ramirez’s 12th homer of the season pushed the lead to five.

After striking out Brandon Guyer to finally end the inning, a frustrated Duffy tossed a cooler in the dugout but his day would only get worse. Lindor drove in another run in the following inning before Gomes hit his fifth homer of the season.

Duffy allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. His fortunes were much different than his previous outing when the Royals scored 10 runs in the top of the first. Duffy allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings for his first win of the season.

Duffy, whose ERA jumped from 5.15 to 6.51, gave his performance a harsh critique.

“I just wasn’t making pitches,” he said. “There is nothing else to it. I don’t know what else to say. I have not been a good pitcher this year. There are no excuses. I’ve been letting my team down.”

PERFECT DAY?

Gomes fouled out to first baseman Lucas Duda in the seventh, ending his bid for a 5 for 5 afternoon. He admitted getting a fifth hit was on his mind.

“It’s an 11-2 ballgame, so you can take in some of the moment while you’re having your last at-bat,” he said. “I was going to be happy no matter what, I think.”

LOOK OUT

The ball boy seated in foul territory near the right field line moved quickly to avoid being hit by Rajai Davis’ foul line drive in the eight. The ball boy leaned back in his chair with his legs going in the air as the ball hit off the front of the stands a couple of feet away.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (stiff lower back) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha. He appeared in 10 of Kansas City’s first 19 games before being placed on the disabled list on April 24.

Indians: CF Bradley Zimmer (bruised chest) was out of the lineup again and a trip to the disabled list is possible if he’s not ready in the next day or two. Zimmer has appeared in one game since crashing into the wall at Yankee Stadium on May 5. … LHP Ryan Merritt (shoulder inflammation) has been shut down for three to five days on his minor league rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Royals LHP Eric Skogland (1-2, 6.34 ERA) takes on Rays LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-2, 4.30 ERA) in the opener of a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-1, 3.61 ERA) faces Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (3-2, 4.73 ERA) as the teams begin a three-game set at Comerica Park.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou softball earns 12th straight bid to the NCAA Tournament

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Softball was named to its 12th-straight NCAA Regional, announced Sunday (May 13) by the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee. The Tigers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the past 12 years, beginning with their 2007 campaign.

Sunday evening’s selection show placed Mizzou in the Norman Regional as the No. 2 seed. Joining the Tigers in Norman, Oklahoma, will be host and No. 4 national seed Oklahoma, No. 3 seed Tulsa and No. 4 seed Boston.

Mizzou will meet Tulsa in its opening matchup Friday, May 18 inside Marita Hynes Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Wainwright struggles as St. Louis loses at San Diego

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — After a slow start to his season that included four straight losses, 34-year-old Clayton Richard is looking strong for the San Diego Padres.

Richard matched his career high with 10 strikeouts in eight brilliant innings for his first win in more than a month, and the Padres beat struggling Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 Sunday to salvage a split of their four-game series. Wainwright said afterward that he re-aggravated an elbow injury that had landed him on the disabled list.

Richard (2-5) held the Cardinals to two runs and five hits while walking only one to win for the first time since April 9 at Colorado. He then had a no-decision and four straight losses.

“He’s been big for us in a lot of different ways, from a leadership standpoint, from an innings standpoint, from a win standpoint,” manager Andy Green said. “It’s a big win for us today. That gave us a split after being down two-nothing.”

Richard said it was important to go deep into the game because Saturday night’s game went 13 innings before the Padres won 2-1.

“You know the situation both clubs are in, having had a game like that last night. So you want to do everything you can to stay in the game as long as you can. Fortunately today it worked out for us that way.”

Richard has been plagued by poor run support, with the Padres scoring no runs for the big left-hander in four of his previous eight starts. Included was his last start, when he pitched three-hit ball for eight innings and struck out eight but lost 4-0 to Washington.

Richard got enough backing Sunday thanks to Wainwright’s wildness. The 36-year-old right-hander was activated from the 10-day disabled list after a bout with right elbow inflammation and walked six in just 2 1/3 innings, throwing 79 pitches. He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.

Richard got into trouble only in the sixth, when he walked Tommy Pham and then allowed an RBI triple by Harrison Bader and an RBI single by Jose Martinez.

Otherwise, he was throwing his slider well enough to match his career strikeout high set June 30, 2010, against Colorado.

Wainwright (1-3) threw 33 pitches in the first inning, loading the bases with two outs on a single and two walks, but didn’t yield any runs.

He wasn’t as lucky in the third. He walked the bases loaded with one out and then allowed a single by Cory Spangenberg and was pulled in favor of John Gant. Freddy Galvis followed with a sacrifice fly.

The Padres added on in the fourth with three hits against Gant, with Jose Pirela hitting an RBI double and Franchy Cordero following with an RBI single.

Brad Hand struggled through the ninth for his 11th save in 13 opportunities. Hand allowed Bader’s leadoff homer, his third, and then loaded the bases with one out, on two walks and a hit batter. He struck out Carson Kelly and Kolten Wong to end it.

Wainwright said he re-aggravated his elbow problem on the third-to-last warmup pitch.

“It’s tough. If I’m able to go out there and make pitches and put my arm in the position where it allows me to execute, then I will take my chances against anyone,” he said. “But I wasn’t able to execute, so I was falling behind and I didn’t want to give in, so I was walking some guys.

“Luckily we got through the first two innings, got out of a couple of jams. But if you keep putting yourself you in binds, it’s going to be tough.”

He couldn’t locate his fastball or throw his good cutter.

“I need to pause and get it right,” Wainwright said. “This team deserves more than that and the fans deserve more than that and the organization does, too. If I’m going to be a force down the stretch, I need to get healthy first. Luckily we have a lot of young guys primed for this position.”

Said manager Mike Matheny: “That’s not the pitcher he wants to be. It’s the pitcher he had to be today but that’s not the pitcher he wants to be.”

QUOTABLE

“He was lobbying for the ninth. I tried to explain to him, a guy who was valedictorian of his high school class, that I was pinch-hitting for him at the time he was lobbying for the opportunity to stay in the game,” Green said of Richard. “His competitive nature won out over his intellect for a moment.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: Placed RHP Phil Maton on the 10-day disabled list with a right lat strain and recalled RHP Kazuhisa Makita from Triple-A El Paso.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Jack Flaherty (0-1, 3.60) is scheduled to start Tuesday night in the opener of a two-game series at Minnesota, which counters with RHP Jose Berrios (3-4, 4.50).

Padres: Rookie LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-2, 2.98) is scheduled to start the opener of a two-game series Monday night against Colorado, which counters with LHP Tyler Anderson (2-1, 4.23).

— Associated Press —

Missouri loses series finale at South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou junior lefty Tyler LaPlante turned in 8.0 shutout innings but South Carolina’s Carlos Cortes hit a walk-off solo homer on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Gamecocks claimed a 1-0 win Sunday at Founder’s Park. The walk-off win for the Gamecocks clinched the weekend series as Mizzou falls to 31-20 and 10-17 in SEC play.

LaPlante struck out a career-high eight and allowed just the one run on five hits with only one walk in a tough-luck loss as he falls to 4-3 on the year. Carolina’s Eddie Demaruis earned the win, improving to 5-0 after throwing the final 2.0 innings.

Mizzou had its chances in the game, stranding seven runners. The Tigers also lost a run at the plate in the first inning.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou had a chance to take an early 1-0 lead, getting a pair of men on in the first inning. Five-hole hitter senior 3B Alex Samples roped a single into right field, but a strong throw from Gamecock RF Cortes gunned a sprinting Brian Sharp at the plate for the third out in the inning. Both LaPlante and Carolina starter Cody Morris then engaged in a pitcher’s duel until, each pitcher throwing up zero after zero.

The stalemate was finally broken in the bottom of the ninth as Cortes roped a solo homer to right field on the first pitch of the frame.

TOP TIGERS

  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp walked to lead off the game. He has reached base safely in 12 straight contests this season. He added an eighth-inning single as he hit safely in all three games over the weekend.
  • Junior lefty Tyler LaPlante was tremendous in his ninth start of the season Sunday. He tossed 8.0 innings, allowing just five hits with a walk while matching his career-high with eight strikeouts. He threw more than 100 pitches for the second time in a Mizzou uniform. He threw a career-high 113 pitches on a 95-degree day.

NOTES

  • Mizzou now trails the all-time series with South Carolina, 13-7.
  • Mizzou falls to 3-5 on Sundays
  • Mizzou falls to 18-18 in three-game series this season and 2-4 in SEC rubber games.

UP NEXT

Mizzou opens its finale homestand of the season Tuesday with a 6 p.m. start vs. Indiana State

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri Western blanks Bearcats to stay alive at MIAA Tournament

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Great pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting kept Griffon Baseball’s (29-23) season alive as Missouri Western eliminated MIAA Co-Champion Northwest Missouri (30-22) from the MIAA Championships with a 4-0 victory.

Jacob Miller, Kellan Richards and Preston Bailey combined to shutout the postseason tournament’s No. 2 seed. The sixth-seeded Griffons scored two, two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth, getting two-out RBIs from Nick Scharanck and Fahd Shakeel. Missouri Western added two more in the eighth started by a leadoff solo home run to left by Shakeel. Dusty Stroup drove in the Griffons’ fourth run in the eighth on a fielder’s choice. Shakeel finished the game 3-for-4 and finished the game with five hits through the Griffons first two postseason games.

Miller (9-2) got the win, pitching 6 2/3. He held Northwest to five hits while striking out four. Kellan Richards came in with two out in the seventh and the bases full of Bearcats. He induced a fly ball to right that ended the threat. Bailey pitched a perfect eighth and ninth, striking out the side in the final frame, to earn his seventh save of the season.

Missouri Western will play at 9 a.m. again on Saturday against No. 7 seed Emporia State.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 AM or you can click here to listen.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals score final six runs to rally past Cleveland

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Andrew Miller, activated from the disabled list before the game, gave up Salvador Perez’s two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied to defeat the Cleveland Indians 10-9 on Friday night.

Miller, making his first appearance since straining his left hamstring April 25, allowed his first runs of the season and the Royals rallied from a 9-4 deficit.

Miller (1-1) entered the game in the seventh with a one-run lead, but walked Jon Jay on a 3-2 pitch. Jorge Soler and Mike Moustakas struck out before Perez hit a 1-1 pitch onto the home run porch in left field. Miller, who had pitched 10 scoreless innings before the injury, was removed following the homer.

The Indians have lost five of six. Cleveland went 5-9 and its bullpen had a 9.50 ERA while Miller was sidelined. Indians manager Terry Francona said consideration was given to have Miller make a couple of minor league rehab assignments, but the decision was made to activate the star left-hander.

Alcides Escobar had four RBI for Kansas City while Lucas Duda doubled three times and drove in a run. Jay had two RBI and Moustakas had three hits.

Brad Keller (1-1) pitched three scoreless innings for his first major league win. Kelvin Herrera retired the side in order in the ninth for his eighth save.

Michael Brantley’s grand slam capped a six-run fourth inning that gave Cleveland a 9-4 lead.

Brantley ended an eight-pitch at-bat by hitting a 2-2 delivery from Jason Hammel into the right field seats for his second grand slam this month and of his career. He also hit a game-tying grand slam in the ninth inning against Texas on May 1.

Kansas City scored a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Shortstop Francisco Lindor’s throwing error to start the sixth made two of the runs unearned. Rookie center fielder Greg Allen dropped a line drive in the third, leading to another unearned run.

Tyler Naquin’s two-run double in the fourth gave Cleveland a 5-4 lead. Jose Ramirez and Yonder Alonso homered in the first against Hammel, who hasn’t won since September 6, 2017, a stretch of 12 starts.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer allowed five runs and a career-high 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings. Hammel gave up nine runs, including three homers in 3 2/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: OF Bradley Zimmer, still dealing with a bruised chest after running into the wall at Yankee Stadium last weekend, didn’t play. Allen replaced him in center and dropped a fly ball in the third leading to an unearned run. …. Naquin was removed in the top of the fifth with left hamstring tightness.

UP NEXT

Royals RHP Jakob Junis (4-2, 3.18 ERA) takes on Indians RHP Mike Clevinger (2-0, 2.76 ERA). Clevinger struck out a career-high 10 in his last start at the Yankees on May 6.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou wins series opener at South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Mizzou Baseball scored five runs over the fifth and sixth innings as it rallied to defeat South Carolina, 5-3, Friday night in the opener of a three-game series. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Carolina’s Founders Park and Mizzou’s 14th over an RPI top-50 team this season. The Tigers snap a three-game skid and improve to 31-18 and 10-15 in SEC play.

Mizzou senior reliever RHP Andy Toelken earned the win, his fifth of the season. He entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning as Mizzou was clinging to a 3-1 lead. He struck out the first batter he faced and wound up pitching 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Junior RHP Nile Ball earned his sixth save of the season.

South Carolina starter Logan Chapman took the loss as he falls to 3-1 on the year. The Gamecocks fall to 28-21 on the year and 13-12 in league games.

TURNING POINT

It was a typical Friday night SEC pitcher’s duel for the first South Carolina took advantage of a two-out RBI single by L.T. Tolbert as he dropped a 0-2 pitch into left center to score Jonah Bride from second base. Bride hit a one-out double earlier in the frame, also on a 0-2 pitch. Mizzou starter LHP T.J. Sikkema limited the damage by stranding a pair, but Carolina took the lead after that frame.

Mizzou countered in the next half inning as the bottom of the order got a rally going. Connor Brumfield walked to open the frame and Alex Samples singled. After a sacrifice bunt from nine-hole man Chris Cornelius, leadoff man Brian Sharp roped a two-run single on the first pitch thrown by reliever Eddie Demurias to put Mizzou on top, 2-1. Brett Bond added another RBI single as Mizzou took a 3-1 lead at the midway point.

South Carolina countered by getting the first two men on aboard vs. Sikkema in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Mizzou starter then struck out two-hole man Carlos Cortes and three-hole hitter Madison Stokes. He walked the bases loaded and head coach Steve Bieser went to the bullpen for senior RHP Andy Toelken. He struck out Justin Row on the 10th pitch of the at-bat to strand the bases loaded.

Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius hit a two-run single in the next inning as Mizzou pulled away.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

Opening Statement…

“Well played game on both sides. Very competitive. Just like we thought on Friday night. A couple guys battling, the whole teams battling back and forth. Just really proud of the way our team kept the confidence and kept battling. They did an outstanding job of competing all game long.”

TOP TIGERS

  • Sophomore LHP T.J. Sikkema went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.
  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp tallied two RBI and a run while extending his reached base streak to 10 games. He is hitting 19-for-38 with 14 runs and 11 RBI over his last nine games. He posted his team-leading 15th multi-hit game of the season Friday, going 2-for-4 with a walk, one run and two RBIs.
  • Senior 3B Alex Samples posted his 11th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-2 from the eight hole while scoring a run.
  • Sophomore CF Connor Brumfield scored a pair of runs, walking twice in the game.
  • Senior Matt Berler extended his hitting streak to four games with a single in the seventh inning. He also walked and scored a run Friday.
  • Mizzou senior RHP Andy Toelken

NOTES

  • Mizzou cut South Carolina’s lead in the all-time series 11-7 with the win. It was Mizzou’s first ever win at Founder’s Park.
  • Mizzou improves to 10-9 in road games and handed South Carolina just its fourth home loss during SEC play (9-4 on the year).
  • Mizzou improves to 14-13 against teams ranked in the RPI top-50. The 27 games played against RPI top-50 this season are the fifth-most games nationally.
  • With a first pitch temperature of 93 degrees, it was Mizzou’s warmest game since 2012 NCAA Tucson Regional against Louisville.
  • With a walk in the second inning, senior 2B Matt Berler has now reached base safely in four straight contests.
  • Junior 1B Brian Sharp extended his reached base streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
  • Mizzou played its 27th errorless game of the season Friday.

UP NEXT

Mizzou and South Carolina will play game two of the series Saturday at 3 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Griffons fall to Central Missouri in first round of MIAA Tournament

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WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Griffon Baseball (28-23) dropped its opening game of the MIAA Championships, 9-3 to No. 3 seed and host Central Missouri (34-15) on Thursday.

No. 3-seed Missouri Western tied the game at two with a run in the fifth. UCM scored the tying run in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out throwing error by Casey Danley and added another run on an RBI-double two batters later. UCM padded its lead with a four-run sixth inning that was aided by two Griffon errors.

The loss dropped the Griffons to the consolation bracket where they’ll face No. 2-seed Northwest Missouri at 9 a.m. on Friday.  That game will be broadcast on ESPN 1550 or you can click here to listen.

Fahd Shakeel went 2-for-5 in the game and drove in the Griffons’ tying run in the fifth. Nate Hunter (8-5) took the loss and was charged with eight runs, five of them earned in 5 1/3 innings. Kellan Richards, Preston Bailey, Trever Carroll and Chase Wiger combined to limit the Mules to two hits and one run, all charged to Wiger, over the final two-plus innings.

— MWSU Athletics —
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