BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Northwest Missouri State University senior Justin Pitts has been named a finalist for the 2018 Bevo Francis Award, given to the nation’s top small-college basketball player.

Pitts put together one of the most historic careers in Northwest history. This year he was the MIAA Player of the Year and D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year. He was honored as a first team All-America performer by the DII Bulletin, the D2CCA and the NABC. He is the Northwest career leader in points (2,459), FG made (887), FG attempted (1,681) and assists (575) and holds the Northwest record with 10 made three pointers in a single game vs. NSU on 11/30/17.

The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Bevo Francis played at Rio Grande College (now the University of Rio Grande) in Ohio in 1952-53 and 1953-54. When he arrived on campus, the school had 38 male students enrolled in the school and was on the verge of bankruptcy, planning to close its doors at the end of the 1952-53 school year. In the season before Bevo arrived at Rio Grande, the Redmen (now the Red Storm) had gone 4-19.

During his two seasons at Rio Grande, Bevo became the most popular basketball player in the world, and ultimately helped to save the school from bankruptcy. During his first year, the Redmen went 39-0, and Bevo scored 1,954 points and averaged 50.1 points per game. Against Ashland College (KY), Francis scored 116 points, which included 55 points in the final 10 minutes of the game.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team dropped a pair of non-conference games against Northern State in Maryville, Mo.
– The Bearcats fall to 17-14 overall while the Wolves improve to 9-11 overall.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 0, Northern State 6)
– Northern State scored one run in the first, four in the second and one in the fourth inning.
– Northwest had no runs on six hits with two errors. The Wolves scored six times on 11 hits with one error.
– Kevin Handzlik finished the first game 2-for-3.
– Hudson Bilodeau was 1-for-4.
– Mondesi Gutierrez went 1-for-4.
– Luke Hassman was 1-for-3.
– Jay Hrdlicka went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 3 , Northern State 12)
– Northwest scored two runs in the second and one in the fourth inning. The Wolves scored two in the first and second, one in the fifth, four in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the ninth inning.
– The Bearcats had three runs on eight hits and two errors. Northern State had 12 runs on 21 hits and no errors.
– Hudson Bilodeau finished the day 2-for-5 with on run scored and a double.
– Landon Figg finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
– Derek Hussey went 2-for-4 with one RBI and a double.
– Aaron Barratt was 1-for-3 with one run scored, a double, one walk and a stolen base.
– Logan Rycraft went 1-for-4 with one run scored.

Game Two Key Innings
– After an out, Rycraft singled to the shortstop and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bilodeau singled to left field and quickly advanced to second on a wild pitch. Figg hit a two out single to right center to score Rycraft and Bilodeua and conclude the scoring for the Bearcats.

– Barratt drew a one out walk in the fifth, promptly stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hussey hit a two out double down the left field line to score Barratt to give the Bearcats another run.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday, April 3rd at 3 p.m in Maryville, Mo.

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team swept Southwest Baptist in a conference double header in Bolivar, Mo.

The Bearcats (18-10) won the first game, 5-0, and the second game, 9-2.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 5, Southwest Baptist 0)
– The Bearcats scored two runs in the third and two in the seventh inning. .
– Northwest had two runs on seven hits with one error. SBU scored no runs on four hits and no errors.
– Rebecca Maher finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBIs, two runs scored, one walk and two home-runs.
– Sydne Brashear was 2-for-3 with one double.
– Jaedra Moses went 2-for-4.
– Karli Allen was 1-for-3.
– Kiana Baderdeen finished 1-for-3 with one run scored.
– Taylor Blackford threw seven shutout innings allowed four hits and did not record a walk.

Game One Key Innings
– After two outs, Baderdeen singled to center field and then came around to score on a two run homerun by Maher to give the Bearcats a 2-0 lead.

– Allen started off the inning with a single to right field and Lynnlee Parrott came in to pinch run. Parrott advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brashear and moved to third on a fielder’s choice by Baderdeen. Both runners would come in to score on Maher’s second homerun of the game to make the score 5-0.
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 9 , Southwest Baptist 2 )
– Northwest scored four runs in the first, three in the fifth and two in the seventh inning. SBU scored two runs in the seventh inning.
– The Bearcats had nine runs on 10 hits with one error. Southwest Baptist had two runs on five hits with three errors.
– Kaitlyn Weis finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a homerun.
– Erin Keeney was perfect from the plate going 3-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored and a walk.
– Maher went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and three walks.
– Abigail Gilson was 1-for-4 with one run scored, two RBIs and a homerun.
– Brashear went 1-for-3 with two walks and one run scored.
– Parrott was 1-for-1.
– Rachel Smith threw a complete seven inning game allowed five hits and two runs.

Game Two Key Innings
– Maher led off the first with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Moses. Weis would then bring Maher around to score on a two-run homerun to right field. Keeney kept the hitting going with a single to center field. After an out, Gilson brought Keeney home on another two-run homerun to right field and gave the Bearcats a 4-0 lead.

– Brashear drew a one out walk in the fifth and after another out, Maher and Moses both drew walks. Brashear and Maher came in to score on a single to right field by Weis. Keeney kept the inning going with a single to right field to score Moses from third.

– Moses got the inning going after she reached safely on an error. Weis singled down the left field line and Parrott singled to third base to load the bases. Jessica Rawie walked to advance the runners and score Moses. After a wild pitch all runners advanced and Weis scored from third to give the Bearcats a 9-0 lead.

Up Next
– Northwest will take on University of Central Missouri on Saturday in Warrensburg, Mo., in a double header starting at noon.

— Northwest Athletics —