EMPORIA, Kan. – Sunday’s Northwest Missouri State University baseball game against Emporia State has been cancelled due to weather. The game will not be made up.
The Bearcats will play at William Jewell on Tuesday, May 2, at 3:30 p.m. in Liberty, Mo. Northwest will then return home on Friday, May 5, for a three-game series to conclude the regular season with Fort Hays State. Saturday will be Senior Day for Northwest.
— Northwest Athletics —
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Fifth-seeded Missouri Western softball team went 1-1 on the opening day of the MIAA Softball Championships to advance to Friday’s round of games.
The Griffons avenged two losses at Missouri Southern earlier this season with a 4-2 win over the fourth-seeded Lions in their first round game. In round two, it was top-seeded Central Oklahoma’s turn for revenge as the Bonchos held MWSU to three hits in a 10-1 win over the Griffons.
Morgan Rathmann opened her final MIAA tournament with another broken record. The senior broke the MIAA career triples record by leading off the Missouri Southern game with the 32nd triple of her career. Rathmann went 4 for 4 in the game to tie the MWSU career hits record (263), but was held hitless in the Central Oklahoma game.
The Griffons had just one hit through the first six innings against UCO, a misplayed pop-fly to left that turned into a double for Sydney Washington in the second. They added two more hits and their only run of the game in the seventh.
Missouri Western will face seventh-seeded Southwest Baptist on Friday at 10 a.m. Southwest Baptist lost its opener, 1-0 in 14 innings to second-seeded Pittsburg State before eliminating third-seeded Central Missouri, Thursday night.
The three seed (UCM) and four seed (Missouri Southern) were eliminated from the tournament Thursday. Second-seeded Pittsburg State already has one loss.
Friday’s games can be heard on ESPN 1550 in St. Joseph or streamed live, here. All Missouri Western games Friday will also have live video streaming available at this link.
— MWSU Athletics —
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs brought just about every top quarterback in this year’s draft to their practice facility over the past few weeks, putting each through an aggressive six-hour interview process designed to test their mental acuity.
As coach Andy Reid put it, ”We tried to bury them.”
Patrick Mahomes kept his head above ground better than anyone else.
So when faced with the prospect of trading up to nab the Texas Tech gunslinger Thursday night, Reid and general manager John Dorsey wasted no time. They sent first- and third-round picks this year and their first-round pick next year to Buffalo, climbing from the 27th overall pick to the 10th to acquire the heir apparent to veteran quarterback Alex Smith.
It was only the third time in the common-draft era Kansas City selected a quarterback in the first round, and the first since Todd Blackledge failed to live up to expectations from the 1983 draft.
”He came in here and we drilled him,” Reid said of his new prot�g�. ”We threw the kitchen sink at him and expected him to spit it out. We did that with all those guys in here. It was fun.”
Fun? Try stressful.
North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky went to Chicago second overall, but the Chiefs had their pick of the remaining prospects. The job Mahomes did in his interview, and the prolific numbers he put up for the Red Raiders, made him the choice for Kansas City.
Heisman Trophy winner Deshaun Watson of Clemson went two picks later to Houston.
”Once the trade went through on the TV, I got a call and they said they were going to pick me, and just pure excitement,” Mahomes said. ”It’s something I’ve always dreamed of and going to an organization like this is something I’ve always dreamed of as well.”
Mahomes is the second QB to be taken in the first round by a Reid-coach team following Donovan McNabb with Philadelphia in 1999. He also drew comparisons from his new coach to another player who flourished working under him in Green Bay: Brett Favre.
”They’re different players. Brett is a Hall-of-Fame player. This kid has a long way to go before that,” Reid said, ”but when you have an opportunity to talk to them and be around him and feel a certain energy, and then you see him practice, you’ll see a certain intensity you like.”
The big-armed son of former big league pitcher Pat Mahomes, the younger Mahomes will try to buck a trend of spread-style quarterbacks from Texas Tech that have failed to thrive in the NFL. Among them is Kliff Kingsbury, who spent the past four seasons tutoring Mahomes with the Red Raiders.
The Chiefs were in the market for a quarterback with Smith nearing the end of his career.
The former No. 1 overall pick of the 49ers, Smith arrived in Kansas City with Reid and general manager John Dorsey four years ago. And he’s played well enough to lead the Chiefs to three playoff appearances, an AFC West title this past season and earn a $68 million, four-year contract extension that could keep him with the Chiefs through the 2018 season.
That timetable is important: It gives Mahomes at least one season and possibly two to learn Reid’s offense from a trusted veteran. And if Mahomes proves to be a quick study, Smith can be released after next season with a relatively minimal impact on the salary cap.
”Right now, Patrick isn’t absolutely ready to play. He’s got some work to do,” Reid said. ”But he’s coming into a great room, he has an opportunity to learn from Alex, which will be a great for him. We have to have some patience with him, but he has tremendous upside.”
Much like other Texas Tech quarterbacks, Mahomes posted up eye-popping numbers in a pass-heavy offense geared to putting up points. He started 29 games over three seasons and became the third player in Football Bowl Subdivision history with multiple seasons of 5,000 yards total offense.
He threw for 5,052 yards with 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season.
Mahomes is confident he’ll succeed here other Texas Tech quarterbacks – Kingsbury, Graham Harrell and B.J. Symons – have failed in that he was given the reins of the entire offense in college.
That kind of responsibility is rare, and Mahomes took full advantage of it.
”He’s intelligent, he has great skill, and I just think he’s going to be a great player when it’s all said and done,” Reid said. ”We just thought with what we do, Mahomes would fit in well.”
The Chiefs still have their second-round pick and another third-round choice on Friday, and will now turn their attention to defense. They could use a middle linebacker to eventually replace veteran Derrick Johnson and a cornerback to play opposite Marcus Peters.
— Associated Press —
ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western baseball team (26-18, 23-11) scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Central Missouri (30-13, 21-10) 4-3 Thursday night at the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.
Jeremy Alvarado’s two-out double down the left field line scored three runs in the eighth inning to give Missouri Western the 4-3 lead.
NOTABLES
– Logan Marston’s eighth inning fielder’s choice scored David Glaude to start the MWSU rally
– Zach Cross struck out all three Central Missouri outs in the ninth inning
– Levi Schreiner broke up the Mule’s Zach Girrens no-hit bid in the sixth inning with a two-out single to left field
– Dusty Stroup singled the next at-bat for the Griffons to extend his hitting streak to 12 games
– Missouri Western has now won 11 of its last 13 games
– Both teams were ranked in the latest NCAA Central Regional poll released on April 26, as UCM was third and MWSU was eighth
TOP PERFORMERS
– Dustin Agnew threw 7 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits
– Zach Cross tossed 1 1/3 relief innings as he gave up no runs with four strikeouts
– Jeremy Alvarado was 1-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs
– Zach Girrens went seven innings with no runs on two hits and five strikeouts for the Mules
UP NEXT
Missouri Western and Central Missouri will play a doubleheader Friday 2 p.m. Senior day activities are planned to begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. for the Griffons’ 10 seniors. All times are subject to change with impending weather. Missouri Western Athletics social media platforms and gogriffons.com will have schedule changes as soon they are available.
— MWSU Athletics —
The Northwest Missouri State University softball team powered its way to a pair of wins on the opening day of the MIAA Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Thursday.
– The Bearcats run ruled Central Missouri, 11-2, in a five inning first contest on Field No. 3 to start the day.
– In the second game, Northwest beat Pittsburg State, 12-2, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. PSU won their first game over Southwest Baptist in 14 innings before playing the Bearcats.
– Northwest improves to 29-19 on the year with the two victories.
– Abigail Gilson tied a Northwest single-game record with seven RBIs in the first game victory. Annie Melius had seven RBIs back on April 28, 1987 against Washburn.
– Taylor Blackford threw all 12.0 innings for the Bearcats on Thursday, getting two wins. She allowed just three earned runs and issued only one walk in the two games.
Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 11, Central Missouri 2)
– Northwest scored four in the first, five in the third and two in the fifth. The Jennies scored two runs in the third.
– The Bearcats had 11 runs on 12 hits with one error. Central Missouri had two runs on five hits with an error.
– Gilson drove in seven runs, going 4-for-4 with a grand slam in the first. She scored twice.
– Torri Blythe was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
– Rebecca Maher went 2-for-4 and scored three times.
– Kaitlyn Weis scored once, drove in a run and drew a walk, going 1-for-3.
– Chantel Adams went 1-for-2 with a run scored. She had a double and walked twice.
– Jessica Rawie went 1-for-3 with an RBI. She scored two runs and drew a walk.
– Jaedra Moses scored once and drove in a run, going 1-for-3.
– Kiana Baderdeen had an RBI in the third.
– Karli Allen had a walk.
– Blackford threw all five innings of the run-rule victory. She allowed two runs on five hits. She walked just one while striking out six.
Game One Key Innings
– Northwest took advantage of a UCM error in the first, plating four on a Gilson grand slam. With one out, Weis drew a walk and Maher reached on an error by the third baseman. After another out, Rawie drew a walk to load the bases for Gilson who cleared the bases with her 10th home run of the year over the center field wall.
– Blackford needed just seven pitches in the second inning to retire the Jennies in order.
– Maher led off the third with a single to center amd Adams followed it up with a double to right center to force a pitching change. Rawie then hit a single down the right field line to drive in Maher. Gilson had a single to right to drive in Adams, making it 6-0 Bearcats. After an out, Baderdeen grounded out to second but Rawie came in to score on the play. Moses reached on an infield single to short to drive in Gilson. Blythe and Weis hit back-to-back singles to allow Moses to score, giving Northwest a 9-0 advantage.
– Gilson came through with another bases loaded hit in the fifth inning. Blythe started the frame with a single two batters later, Maher had a single to left center. Adams loaded the bases with a walk and with two down, Gilson hit a single up the middle to score a pair of runs, moving the Bearcat lead to 11-2.
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 12, Pittsburg State 2)
– Northwest scored one in the first, four in the second, one in the third, one in the sixth and five in the seventh. The Gorillas scored once in the fifth and once in the seventh.
– The Bearcats had 12 runs on 15 hits with one error. Pittsburg State had two runs on four hits with four errors.
– Northwest led off every inning with a hit with the exception of the fifth.
– Maher went 3-for-5 with four runs driven in. She had a double and a home run, scoring twice.
– Adams was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. She had a double and a home run in the congest.
– Blythe scored three runs, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks.
– Moses went 2-for-3, scoring a pair of runs. She was also hit by a pitch.
– Weis drove in three on a double in the seventh. She was 1-for-4 with a run scored and a sacrifice in the first.
– Rawie was 1-for-5 with an RBI.
– Gilson had a double and scored a run, going 1-for-5.
– Allen went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in the
– Baderdeen went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
– Blackford threw the complete 7.0 innings for the win, allowing one earned run on four hits with one strikeout. She retired the first 12 batters she faced and did not allow a hit until the 16th Pitt State batter came to the plate.
Game Two Key Innings
– Blythe started the first with an infield single to second, After Weis sacrificed her over to second, Maher hit a single to right to put runners on the corners. After a strikeout, Rawie hit a ball that landed in short center field, driving in Blythe to make it 1-0 Bearcats.
– Allen led off the second with her third home run of the season, taking a pitch out over the left center field fence. Two batters later, Moses legged out an infield single and Blythe drew a walk. With two down in the inning, Maher crushed a ball over the left field fence for her fifth home run of the season, making it 5-0 Bearcats.
– For the third straight inning, Northwest got its lead off batter on safely as Gilson hit a double to right field. Allen hit a grounder to third but a bad throw allowed her to reach second and Gilson came all the way around to score on the error to make it 6-0.
– In the sixth, Adams hit her sixth home run of the season to lead off the frame to put Northwest up, 7-1.
– Baderdeen started the seventh with a double to left center and Moses reached on an error by the shortstop. Blythe drew a walk to load the bases. Weis came through with a bases-clearing double to right center, making it a 10-1 Bearcat advantage. Pittsburg State made a pitching change but Northwest got back-to-back RBI doubles from Maher and Adams to move the lead to 12-1.
Up Next
– Northwest will face Central Oklahoma on Friday at 2 p.m. at the ASA Hall of Fame Field.
— Northwest Athletics —
PHILADELPHIA, PA. – Mizzou junior defensive end Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) was selected tonight with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2017 National Football League Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Harris becomes the eighth Mizzou standout since 2009 to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, with five of those being defensive linemen – joining Harris were Shane Ray (No. 23 to Denver in 2015), Sheldon Richardson (No. 13 to New York Jets in 2013), Aldon Smith (No. 7 to San Francisco in 2011) and Ziggy Hood (No. 32 to Pittsburgh in 2009). Mizzou’s other first-rounders since 2009 include QB Blaine Gabbert (No. 10 to Jacksonville in 2011), LB Sean Weatherspoon (No. 19 to Atlanta in 2010) and WR Jeremy Maclin (No. 19 to Philadelphia in 2009).
Overall, Harris is the 20th Tiger in history to be taken in the NFL Draft’s first round.
Harris chose to bypass his final year of eligibility and enter the Draft, after turning in an outstanding junior season that saw him lead Mizzou in quarterback sacks (9.0), tackles for loss (12.0) and quarterback hurries (10), while also finishing second on the team with 61 total tackles. Despite playing just three years for the Tiger defense, Harris ended his career ranked seventh all-time at Mizzou in sacks, with 18.0.
Several other Tigers hope to hear their name called during the remainder of the 2017 NFL Draft. The second and third rounds take place Friday, beginning at 6 p.m. central time, while rounds four through seven will be held Saturday with an 11 a.m. start time.
— Mizzou Athletics —
ST. LOUIS (AP) — It took a little while for the St. Louis Cardinals bats to get going during Thursday’s day-night doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Once they did, they made a big difference.
After rallying late to win the first game, backed by Randal Grichuk’s ninth-inning homer and Matt Carpenter’s 11th inning grand slam, the Cardinals scored early and often in the nightcap to beat the Blue Jays 6-4 and sweep the doubleheader.
“Overall it’s a good day,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “You walk out of here with two wins today. Having our back against the wall in the first one, that’s impressive. I think it says a lot about these guys.”
The Cardinals, who got back to .500 at 11-11, recorded 14 runs and 25 hits in the two games. The injury-plagued Blue Jays, the only team in the majors yet to win a series or consecutive games, fell to 6-16.
“Today was a big day,” said Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright (2-3), who earned the win in the nightcap. “We swept a doubleheader here at home. We wanted to play better ball at home this year. That’s one thing we know we’ve got to do and we know we can do.”
The Cardinals, who got three hits apiece from Dexter Fowler, Greg Garcia and Matt Adams in the second game, scored three times in the first inning.
After Fowler and Garcia hit back-to-back singles, Carpenter plated a run with a groundout and Stephen Piscotty hit an RBI sacrifice fly. Grichuk followed with an infield single and scored on Matt Adams’ opposite-field double into the left field corner.
Fowler added a solo home run, his third of the season, in the second inning. Adams had an RBI single in the third. Piscotty had an RBI fielder’s choice in the fourth to make it 6-0.
Matt Bowman (1-0) won the opener and the Cardinals’ bullpen, which included seven different pitchers, combined to allow just one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings over the two games.
Ryan Tepera (1-1) and Casey Lawrence (0-3) took the losses.
“It could have been a good day,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “Tough first ballgame, then we fell behind early. We made a run. Long, tough day getting swept.”
In the opener, the Cardinals scored four times off Toronto’s bullpen in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to tie the score, capped by Randal Grichuk’s homer off Roberto Osuna.
Yadier Molina led off with a double and Grichuk connected two outs later, giving Osuna his third blown save.
Mat Latos, making his second start of the season for Toronto, scattered three hits over six shutout innings, striking out four and walking four.
Carlos Martinez allowed three runs on five hits in six innings, with eight strikeouts and three walks.
Russell Martin hit a solo homer in the second, his third of the year.
“Over the last week and a half or so we’ve been playing some pretty good baseball,” Garcia said. “To come back in the fashion we did in that first game off a good closer and a good team over there that competed was big for us. Come out, get on those guys early and just kind of play well.”
IN THE CROWD
Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, who had a goal and two assists in his team’s 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues in the opener of their second-round playoff series Wednesday night, sat near the Blue Jays’ dugout on his team’s off day.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (blister on right index finger) is expected to throw a side session on Friday and could start Sunday against Tampa Bay. If Sanchez starts Sunday, RHP Marco Estrada will pitch Monday.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (2-3, 3.10) will face the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Stroman is coming off a complete-game win over the Angels where he allowed two runs on seven hits.
Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (2-1, 2.70) opens a three-game series against the visiting Reds. Lynn won his last two starts, against the Pirates and Brewers, allowing just one run on six hits over 13 innings.
— Associated Press —
KANSAS CITY – Missouri Western freshman Chong Yong finished tied for sixth with a 243 over three days in her first ever MIAA Women’s Golf Championships at Swope Memorial Golf Course. Missouri Western was fourth as a team with a three-round total of 997.
Shi Qing Ong trailed Yong by just a stroke to finish tied for ninth with a 244. For back-to-back years, Ong has been in the top 10 as she was eighth in last year’s championship. Tiffanie Yabut carded a 257 to make the top 25. Madison Romjue fired a 258 as Jenna Kosmatka recorded a 262 for MWSU.
Northeastern State won the team championship with a 236 and Lindenwood’s Dakota Limkemann took individual honors with a 231. Missouri Western secured its position in the NCAA Regional Championship on May 8-10 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
— MWSU Athletics —
CHICAGO (AP) — After 99 pitches over six innings, Jose Quintana gave the Chicago White Sox a chance to win.
Then Avisail Garcia gave him the rest of the afternoon off.
Garcia’s two-run home run in the sixth inning broke a tie and lifted the White Sox to a 5-2 victory Wednesday, completing a series sweep of the reeling Kansas City Royals, who finished their trip 0-7.
“I wanted to stay in the game and go back in the seventh inning, but (manager Rick Renteria) said if we take the lead, you stay. If we’re tied, you go back,” Quintana said. “(Garcia) hit a bomb at the right time and it was big time. He told me that’s for you, and I’m happy with that.”
Quintana (1-4) got the run support he needed after receiving only four runs in his first four starts combined. The left-hander had a season-high 10 strikeouts. He allowed five hits and two runs — one earned — and walked two.
Renteria dispatched relievers Dan Jennings, Tommy Kahnle, Nate Jones and David Robertson for three scoreless innings, with Robertson converting his fifth save in five tries.
“They’ve been the epitome of a solid bullpen,” said Renteria, who knocked on a wooden table twice when talking about the unit, which has combined for a 1.96 ERA, second in the majors. “In the end, once you go ahead and put the club ahead, which those guys did, there’s no need to push the envelope with (Quintana) any further. We could get it with the other guys.”
Garcia’s two-run homer, his fourth of the season, went to deep center field to give Chicago a 4-2 lead.
Leury Garcia added a solo home run in the seventh inning for the White Sox, who earned their fourth straight win.
Chicago’s Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier had consecutive two-out RBI doubles in the first inning to open the scoring.
Jorge Bonifacio scored Alcides Escobar on an RBI single in the fifth inning, and Escobar’s groundout scored Alex Gordon to tie it at 2 in the top of the sixth.
Right-hander Nathan Karns (0-2) took the loss, allowing four runs in six innings for the Royals, who stranded 11 runners.
“We hit some balls right on the nose, we just couldn’t find holes with them,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I’m encouraged by what I saw.”
The teams will meet again for a four-game series starting Monday in Kansas City, part of a 10-game home stand for the Royals.
HURTING JOSE
Abreu left the game with an injury after flubbing a slow ground ball in the fifth inning. The first baseman was moving to his right for the ball hit by Cheslor Cuthbert, but dropped it and had to leave the game with a mild right hip flexor strain.
Abreu hit two doubles for his fourth straight multi-hit game. He will be re-evaluated in Detroit ahead of Friday’s game against the Tigers and is day to day.
STINGY SOX
Despite trading ace Chris Sale in the offseason and Quintana’s early struggles, Chicago is leading the league with a 2.92 ERA. Quintana’s ERA is 5.22.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: No Royals have gone on the DL since opening day. OF Jorge Soler (strained left oblique) is on a rehab assignment in Triple-A Omaha. He was injured in spring training.
White Sox: RHP Juan Minaya was activated from his rehab assignment and optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. He was suffering from a strained right abdominal muscle.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (0-2, 2.08 ERA) will open a three-game home series on Friday against Minnesota and RHP Kyle Gibson (0-3, 9.00).
White Sox: RHP Mike Pelfrey (0-1, 4.15) will face the team that cut him in spring training on Friday, as the White Sox open a three-game weekend series in Detroit. LHP Matthew Boyd (2-1, 3.86) pitches for the Tigers.
— Associated Press —
SPRING HILL, Kan. – Missouri Western’s Patrick McCarthy was named 2017 MIAA Men’s Golf Freshman of the Year after finishing top 10 in six tournaments this season. McCarthy along with fellow freshman Kevin Kim were both named to the All-MIAA team after top 10 finishes in the MIAA Championships at Sycamore Ridge Golf Course Wednesday.
Kim finished in eighth place with a four-over par 220 as McCarthy trailed by a stroke and finished 10th. Jacob Majeske posted the lowest score for the Griffons in the final round with an even par 72 and finished the tournament with a 231. Lucas Horseman shot a 245 as Cole Roberts cared a 251.
As a team, Missouri Western placed seventh with a 908. MWSU was edged out of fourth place by just 14 strokes.
Central Oklahoma won the team title with an 884 as UCO’s Alexander Hughes claimed individual honors with a one-under par 215. Listed below is the complete list of MIAA postseason honors.
Men’s Golf All-MIAA
Alex Springer, Central Missouri *Player of the Year
Carson Roberts, Washburn
Yente Van Doren, Lindenwood
Eli Armstrong, Central Oklahoma
Patrick McCarthy, Missouri Western *Freshman of the Year
Shayne Allan, Central Missouri
Tate Williamson, Northeastern State
Cody Troutman, Central Oklahoma
Alexander Hughes, Central Oklahoma
Taylor Lansford, Missouri Southern
Nick Pierce, Central Oklahoma
Kevin Kim, Missouri Western
Travis Simmons, Central Missouri
Cole Dillon, Central Missouri
Jay Cottam, Nebraska-Kearney
Coach of the Year: Josh Fosdick, Central Oklahoma
— MWSU Athletics —
