Dave Riggert – Page 465 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Bearcats run-rule Pitt State to finish off three-game sweep

Posted on April 3, 2016

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburg State on Sunday with a 13-3 victory at Bearcat Field.

The game was called in the bottom of the seventh when the Bearcats plated their 13th run, giving them a 10-run lead.

Northwest improved to 17-13 overall and 11-8 in MIAA action. The Gorillas fall to 6-23 on the year and 1-19 in conference play.

The Bearcats plated runs in each of the last four innings including a seven-run fifth.

Kolby Greenslade was 3-for-5 ont he day with four runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Anthony Caenepeel pitched the full 7.0 innings, allowing just three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out three. It was his fourth win of the year.

Eight different Bearcats got hits, seven different players scored a run and seven recorded at least an RBI.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored 13 runs on 14 hits with an error. The Bearcats got on in the second, two in the fourth, seven in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
– Pitt State scored all three of its runs in the second inning. The Gorillas finished with seven hits and four errors.
– Jake Lewis was 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs scored, two walks and a double.
– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. He was also hit by a pitch.
– Kevin Handzlik was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI, a run scored and a sacrifice fly.
– Nick Gotta went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
– Garrett Fort went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
– Derek Meyer was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
– Austin Wulff had and RBI double, going 1-for-4 on the day.
– Nick Howard, who entered the game in the sixth, got an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Key Northwest Innings
– Caenepeel started the game by recording a perfect first inning, needing only seven pitches to retire the Gorillas in order.

– Lewis turned a leadoff walk into Northwest’s first run of the game. With two down and Meyer at the plate, Northwest attempted a double steal with Handzlik on first and Lewis on third. Handzlik was caught in a rundown between first and second and strung it out long enough for Lewis to score from third before he was tagged out at first.

– Greenslade led off the fourth with a single. He stole second and went to third when the throw ended up in center field. Adams singled to short left center to score Greenslade from third. Adams went to second on a passed ball and went to third on a wild pitch. After an out, Handzlik hit a ball to deep right and with Adams tagging, Northwest tied the game, 3-3.

– Northwest pulled away in the fifth, scoring seven runs on seven hits. Meyer led off by reaching second on an error. After a flyout, five Bearcats recorded hits as Gotta, Greenslade, Adams, Lewis and Handzlik all connected on base hits to make it 8-3 Northwest. Fort drew a walk and after another out, it came back around to Meyer who started the inning. Meyer hit an RBI single that scored Handzlik to make it 9-3. Wulff continued the rally as he hit a fly ball to left that got caught in the wind and dropped fair for a double, scoring Fort to give Northwest a 10-3 lead.

– Greenslade led off the sixth with a well placed infield single to deep short. Adams got hit by a pitch and Lewis drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Howard hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center to score Greenslade. Adams tagged up from second and in a heads up play, scored on a throwing error by the center fielder to make it 12-3 Bearcats.

– With one out in the seventh, Gotta hit an infield single to third and Greenslade reached on an error by the center fielder. After a wild pitch moved runners up to second and third, Adams hit into a fielder’s choice with Gotta being tagged out at home. Lewis came up next and hit the game-winning RBI to short left to score Greenslade.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will head to Kearney, Neb., on Tuesday, April 7, for a 6 p.m. contest to conclude the three-game mid-week series with the Lopers. The series is tied, 1-1.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU softball hits five home runs in sweep of Nebraska-Kearney

Posted on April 3, 2016April 3, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western softball team (30-10, 14-3) continued an impressive run of power hitting, slugging five home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Nebraska-Kearney (14-23, 5-14) on Sunday.

GAME 1: #22 MWSU 6, Nebraska-Kearney 5

The Griffons scored all six runs on home runs as four different players hit one each in the game one win.

Sydney Washington hit Missouri Western’s first home run of the day in the second, giving the Griffons a 2-0 lead. Nebraska-Kearney jumped ahead in the top of the third with three runs before Paige Shifflett and Katie Klosterman homered in the bottom half of the inning to put Missouri Western back up 6-3. Janie Smith surrendered one Loper run in the sixth and another in the seventh, but held on to pick up the win and move to 16-7 on the season.

Smith gave up five runs, all earned on 10 hits while striking out six and walking two. Morgan Rathmann went 2-4 at the plate. Shifflett was 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Green was 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Klosterman and Washington had two RBIs and one hit apiece.

GAME 2: #22 MWSU 6, Nebraska-Kearney 3

Missouri Western broke a one-all tie with five runs in the fifth, including Taylor Hamilton’s fourth home run of the weekend and sixth in the last five games.

Hamilton’s two-run blast to center in the fifth put Missouri Western up 3-1. Then Megan Korgie drew a bases loaded walk and Rebekah Mueller drove in two with a double to left center to put the Griffons up 6-1. Nebraska-Kearney got two in the sixth, but Shyanne Saladino retired the Lopers in order in the seventh to move to 14-3 on the season.

Hamilton was 3-4 with three RBIs and one run scored in game two. No other Griffon had more than one hit in the game.

A long homestand continues for the team next week with doubleheaders against Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State next weekend. The Gorillas will enter leading the MIAA. Then Missouri Western will see rival Northwest Missouri State on Apr. 12 for a non-conference doubleheader and the last regular season home games of 2016.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri baseball clinches series at No. 15 Arkansas with 10-1 win Sunday

Posted on April 3, 2016April 3, 2016

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mizzou Baseball scored four runs in both the fourth and eighth innings to earn a 10-1 win over No. 15 Arkansas on Sunday afternoon (April 3) to claim its first SEC series win of the season. The series win is Mizzou’s first road series win over a top-20 team since March 29, 2014, when Mizzou took two of three at Auburn. The Tigers improve to 17-13 overall and 2-7 in SEC play.

Mizzou scored four runs in the fourth inning, sending nine batters to the plate, to gain the early lead. Arkansas attempted to rally with one run in the seventh but it could have been more. With runners on second and third, Carson Shaddy roped a ball into right center, but Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) made the catch of the season, diving and back-handing the ball inches above the grass for out No. 3. Mizzou then used that momentum to score four in the top of the eighth, highlighted by Kirby McGuire’s (Round Rock, Texas) first Division I homer, a three-run shot to left, to put the game away.

Freshman Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) earned his second career win and Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) earned his fourth save of the season. Arkansas starter Barrett Loseke was tagged with his first loss of the season after allowing three runs over 3.1 innings. Senior Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) turned in his team-leading fourth three-hit game of the season with two RBI and two runs while sophomore SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) went 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Those two, along with McGuire’s homer guided Mizzou’s offense.

Plassmeyer escaped trouble in the first inning after a leadoff infield hit and a sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position. But he picked up a pair of strikeouts swinging to leave a runner in scoring position. Plassmeyer again had tough luck in the second inning as a bloop single and a balk put a runner on third, but Howard made a sparkling play to save a run a short as neither team could scratch anything across through the first two innings.

After Plassmeyer worked around another hit in the third, Mizzou got its bats going in the fourth inning. Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) led off the frame with a walk, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Howard singled him in and then Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) tripled him in. Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) legged out an infield hit to the left side to score another run and Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) doubled in the fourth run. The inning could have been bigger as Mizzou had runners on second and third with one out but struck out twice to strand a pair.

Plassmeyer breezed through the first two Arkansas batters in the fourth, but allowed a four-pitch walk and a single to end his day. Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) came on and pitched out the jam as Plassmeyer posted the first shutout outing in his career while striking out a career-high five over 3.2 innings, scattering four hits.

Bartlett pitched a shutout fifth inning with a pair of strikeouts as he worked around a leadoff walk. He came back out for the sixth inning and pitched a shutout frame. He did not get into trouble until the eighth when the first two men singled, ending his day in favor of Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.). He walked the first man he saw to load the bases and Arkansas scratched a run across on a groundout. The Razorbacks nearly added two more on a ball roped into right center by Carson Shaddy, but Ring’s diving catch limited the damage for out No. 3.

Mizzou kept that momentum going in the top of the eighth as a safety bases-loaded safety squeeze by Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) tacked on a fifth run and McGuire’s homer extended the lead to 8-1. That put the game out of reach as Mizzou tacked on two more in the ninth to extend the lead to 10-1.

Mizzou will be back in action on Tuesday against SIU-Edwardsville at 6 p.m. at Taylor Stadium in Columbia.

— Mizzou Athletics —

St. Louis drops season opener in Pittsburgh 4-1

Posted on April 3, 2016

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Francisco Liriano tied a Pirates opening day record by striking out 10 and singled home the first run of the 2016 Major League Baseball season for good measure, sending Pittsburgh past the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Sunday.

It was 39 degrees when Liriano threw the first pitch of the year. He allowed just three hits and walked five in six shutout innings. His RBI hit in the second came off Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright.

David Freese, the 2011 World Series MVP for the Cardinals, had two hits against his former club in his debut with Pittsburgh. Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco also had two hits apiece for the Pirates.

Wainwright gave up three runs in six innings, walking three and striking out three in his first regular season start since tearing his Achilles last April.

The Cardinals tried to rally in the ninth against Mark Melancon, who led the majors in saves last year. Matt Carpenter hit an RBI single with two outs but Matt Adams, representing the tying run, flied out to end it.

Pittsburgh pointed to the honor of playing the first of the 2,430 games in the majors this season as a sign of respect for how far the franchise has come under manager Clint Hurdle.

The Cardinals and the Pirates have the two best records in MLB since the start of 2013, fueling a rivalry that — along with the ascension of the Chicago Cubs — could make the race for the NL Central crown one of the most compelling storylines yet again.

Hurdle specified the need to get off to a better start than the 18-22 slog that slowed the Pirates last spring as vital if the team wants to earn its first division title since 1992.

Liriano wasted little time making a solid initial impression, even if most of the sun-dappled crowd at PNC Park was bundled in parkas and beanies to ward off the chill. There was snow on the ground in most Pittsburgh suburbs on Sunday morning, and crews had to deal with ice on the protective tarp.

University of Pittsburgh running back James Conner, battling cancer, gave the crowd a jolt by throwing out the first pitch and vowing to play in 2016. Liriano built off that energy and spent six innings befuddling the Cardinals with his signature mix of sliders and changeups.

Liriano gave the Pirates the lead in the second by singling home Polanco, and John Jaso followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0. That was more than enough for Liriano, whose briefly flirted with danger in the fourth and sixth. He struck out Yadier Molina and Kolten Wong to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and stranded three more runners in the sixth when Wong popped up and Jedd Gyorko grounded out.

Liriano’s 10 strikeouts matched the club’s opening day mark John Candelaria set in 1983 and Liriano matched in 2014.

Josh Harrison gave Liriano extra cushion with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Jordy Mercer added an RBI double off Seth Maness in the eighth.

OPENING JITTERS

While the teams may have been ready for the MLB opener, the replay system at PNC Park was not. The start was delayed 10 minutes due to an issue with the replay equipment in the visitor’s dugout. The difficulties persisted, and both teams were allowed unlimited crew chief reviews, which are usually limited to the seventh inning or later or potential home runs.

A replay in the first inning confirmed that Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch from Wainwright.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Left fielder Tommy Pham left in the middle of the second inning with tightness in his left oblique. Matt Holliday, who was making his first career start at first base after more than 1,663 games in either left field or as a designated hitter, moved back to left to replace Pham. Adams took over at first for Holliday. … Reliever Jordan Walden will be out indefinitely after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of his right latissimus dorsi muscle. He missed the final five months of the 2015 season with a right rotator cuff injury.

Pirates: All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole threw six innings and 97 pitches without incident in Florida on Friday. The team has not yet announced when Cole, who dealt with a rib issue during spring training, will make his first 2016 start. … Reliever Jared Hughes, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left lat, ran the steps at PNC Park on Sunday but has not yet been cleared to throw.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Michael Wacha starts Tuesday vs. the Pirates. An All-Star last season while going 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA, Wacha is 6-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 10 April starts during his career. The 24-year-old went 2-1 with a 3.97 ERA in 2015 against Pittsburgh.

Pirates: Jon Niese, acquired in an offseason trade with the New York Mets in exchange for second baseman Neil Walker, will make his debut with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Niese went 9-10 with a 4.13 ERA for the Mets in 2015.

— Associated Press —

Northwest softball takes two from Fort Hays State

Posted on April 3, 2016

The Northwest Missouri State softball team picked up a pair of conference victories against Fort Hays State Sunday afternoon in Maryville.

Northwest rattled off 14 hits in game one, topping the Tigers 7-1.

Sarah Baldwin tossed a three-hit shutout in the nightcap, helping Northwest to a 3-0 victory.

The Bearcats improved their record to 29-9 this season and 13-5 in the MIAA, with the Tigers falling to 13-24 overall and 7-13 in conference action.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 7, Fort Hays State 1)
– Eight of the nine Bearcat starters recorded at least one hit as Northwest outhit Fort Hays, 14-3.
– Kendle Schieber (16-4) added another complete game victory to her resume, striking out six Tiger batters while allowing just three hits and one unearned run. The senior faced the minimum three batters in three different innings, allowing multiple baserunners only in the sixth inning.
– Shortstop Rebecca Maher drove in two runs with her first triple of the season in the third inning, finishing 2-for-4 and scoring two runs.
– Jaedra Moses picked up three hits and scored a pair of runs.
– Jessica Rawie rattled off three singles in the contest, driving in one run.
– Center fielder Kiana Baderdeen finished 2-for-3 with a triple and one run scored.
– Chantel Adams knocked an RBI double in her second at bat, finishing 1-for-4.
– Second baseman Torri Blythe scored a run and drove in another, finishing 1-for-4.
– Freshman Alexis Kelsey scored a run after singling in her final at bat.

Game One Key Innings
– The Bearcats opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third after Blythe and Moses each reached on infield singles. Maher knocked them both in with a triple that caught the chalk behind first base and rolled into the right field corner. Adams roped a double over the left fielder’s head two batters later, scoring Maher.

– Baderdeen led off the fourth with a lined single to right that slid past the Tiger defender, allowing the freshman to reach third. Blythe knocked her in with an RBI groundout before Moses knocked a solid single up the middle. After Maher lined a single over the shortstop, Adams lifted a fly ball to right that was dropped by the right fielder, allowing a pair of runs to score.

– Northwest added an insurance run in the bottom of sixth when Kelsey ripped a two-out single through the left side. Adams sent a grounder to second that would have been the final out, but the second baseman’s errant throw prolonged the inning, allowing Kelsey to advance to third. Rawie made the Tigers pay when she reached on a slow roller to short, scoring Kelsey and putting the Bearcats in front, 7-1.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 3, Fort Hays State 0)
– Sarah Baldwin (7-4) picked up her fourth complete game shutout of the year, giving up just three hits while striking out four Tigers. Baldwin allowed just to batters to reach second base.
– Senior Madison Jones crushed her 11th career home run, driving in a pair of runs after finishing 2-for-3.
– Catcher Jessica Rawie scored a run after doubling in the sixth.
– Torri Blythe reached base twice with a walk and a double.

Game Two Key Innings
– Jaedra Moses made a sliding catch in the top of the fifth to get out of a two on, two out jam.

– The Bearcats broke through in the bottom of the fifth when Jones hit a leadoff home run to right field. Kiana Baderdeen reached on an error by the third baseman before Blythe doubled down the right field line, putting runners in scoring position with no outs. Rebecca Maher plated Baderdeen two batters later when she grounded out to first.

– Northwest added a third run in the sixth when Rawie lifted a soaring fly ball towards left field that ended up finding the grass in right center due to the stiff wind. Rawie scored from second two batters later when Jones knocked a sharp single up the middle.

Up Next
– The 10-game Bearcat homestand will conclude next weekend when Northwest hosts Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, repsectively. First pitch with the Gorillas is slated for 2 p.m., while the action will commence Saturday at noon. Northwest will be honoring its seniors before Saturday’s contests.

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons’ rally comes up short against Lindenwood Saturday

Posted on April 2, 2016

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Missouri Western Baseball suffered its first loss in seven games, falling to Lindenwood on Saturday afternoon 7-5.

MWSU’s 1-0 lead quickly vanished when the Lions responded with a three-run home run in the top of the third inning.

The Lions extended their lead in the top of the fourth inning, producing another two-run home run. LWU took a 5-1 advantage into the bottom of the fourth.

Missouri Western’s offense came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cosimo Cannella and Nick Gawley reached on back-to-back hits to open the inning. Gawley, Jeremy Alvarado and Kody Matthews all picked up RBIs in the inning, making the score 5-4 in favor of Lindenwood.

The Griffons eventually evened the score in the bottom of the sixth inning when Gawley came home on a dropped third strike. LWU responded quickly with two more runs in the top of the seventh. The Griffons comeback bid fell short as they left two runners on in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Griffons and Lions will play the final game of the series on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

Hamilton’s big day helps Missouri Western take two from Fort Hays State

Posted on April 2, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – Taylor Hamilton hit three home runs, two of them walk-off game winners as the 22nd-ranked Missouri Western softball team (28-10, 13-3 MIAA) swept a doubleheader from Fort Hays State on Saturday.

Game 1: #22 MWSU 7, Fort Hays State 5

Hamilton was the hero as her two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh capped a three-run inning for the win. Down three in the final frame, Morgan Rathmann led off with her 18th career triple, tying a Griffon Softball record. Shelbie Atwell drove in Rathmann with a fielder’s choice. Atwell reached on the play as the throw went home, but didn’t get the speedy Rathmann. That put Hamilton at the plate with the winning run on first. The freshman blasted the first pitch deep to left field for the game one winner.

Hamilton went 2-4 in the game with three RBIs. Rathmann was 3-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Janie Smith moved to 15-7 on the season with the win, allowing five runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

Game 2: #22 MWSU 12, Fort Hays State 3 (6 innings)

Hamilton hit two home runs in game two, including the clincher in the bottom of the sixth. Her second of the game came in the fifth when she hit a three-run shot to left. That’s when the unthinkable began. For the second time in five days, Kailey Green and Katie Klosterman followed a three-run Hamilton home run with solo shots of their own. The three-straight round trippers put Missouri Western up 9-2.

Fort Hays added one in the sixth then Hamilton delivered the knockout punch with her third home run of the day and 10th RBI, a three-run shot to center field. Hamilton finished game two 3-4 and tied a program record with seven RBIs. On the day, the freshman designated player was 5-8 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and four runs scored.

Paige Shifflett was 2-3 with three runs scored in game two. Green went 2-3 as did Klosterman. Shyanne Saladino picked up the win, improving to 13-3 on the year. Rathmann broke and MWSU career record with her 19th triple in the sixth inning.

The Griffons host Nebraska-Kearney in a doubleheader on Sunday. The Lopers were swept in a doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State on Friday and enter 14-22, 5-13 in MIAA play.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals drop spring training finale at Arizona 4-2

Posted on April 2, 2016

PHOENIX (AP) — Chris Owings, in his first full game playing center field in professional baseball, hit a three-run homer to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Owings has been an infielder throughout his career but was pressed into service in center field with A.J. Pollock out for the long term after breaking his right elbow in Friday’s game.

Owings could start in center on opening day Monday if manager Chip Hale prefers the matchup against Colorado Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa.

“If we feel like Chris can do it, he’ll probably be the guy out there,” Hale said.

Hale could also go with 23-year-old Socrates Brito in center. Brito, who played in 18 games in the majors last season and was the organization’s minor league player of the year in 2015, figures to get more of the playing time in the outfield over the course of 2016.

“He’s ready for this. We know that he can handle playing every day,” Hale said of Brito. “He’ll be in every game, let’s put it that way. Whether it’s starting or coming in for defense or pinch hitting late in a game.”

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray pitched 4 1/3 innings in his last start before the regular season. The Royals fielded a lineup of mostly minor leaguers.

Ray allowed a run on three hits, struck out six and walked three. Royals starter Yordano Ventura was on a pitch count and threw only two innings before leaving the game.

Ventura gave up a run on four hits with four strikeouts.

Brandon Drury had three hits and drove in a run for Arizona. The Royals’ Christian Colon had two hits.

John Lannan shut out the Diamondbacks on five hits over four innings in relief, striking out three. Brad Ziegler, Evan Marshall and Andrew Chafin each pitched a scoreless inning out of Arizona’s bullpen.

It was the spring training finale for both teams. The Royals open defense of their World Series championship Sunday night in Kansas City and the Diamondbacks start the regular season on Monday night.

YOST SETS STARTER SCHEDULE

Royals manager Ned Yost said that after Edinson Volquez starts on opening night on Sunday, Chris Young will pitch Tuesday’s game against the New York Mets. Then after two straight days off, Ventura will face the Minnesota Twins Friday followed by Ian Kennedy next Saturday. Yost said the opening day roster will be announced Sunday morning.

STARTING TIME

Royals: Ventura is the Royals No. 3 starter to open the season. His fifth and final spring training start went much better than his fourth, when he gave up 10 runs in four innings.

Diamondbacks: Ray, who’ll be the fifth starter in the Arizona rotation, threw more offspeed pitches than he’s used to, by design. “Felt good. Pitches were working for me well,” he said. “I just had that one kind of long inning (the second), got the pitch count up. But I was able to get out of it and limit the damage.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Kennedy was moved back to the No. 4 starter spot because of a slight hamstring strain from his last start. “This is very mild to the point where you don’t even feel it anymore right now, but still, just being safe,” Yost said.

Diamondbacks: OF A.J. Pollock addressed media members before Saturday’s game, his arm in a sling.

“A lot of frustration. It almost felt like a nightmare, like it really wasn’t happening,” Pollock said.

“Now it’s just kind of get prepared for what’s next,” he said.

What’s next is surgery in the coming days, and Pollock could be out for the season, though he said his goal is to return to action before it ends.

ROSTER MOVES

Diamondbacks: Arizona placed Pollock and reliever Josh Collmenter on the 15-day disabled list and also announced that local product Jake Barrett had made the opening day roster as a reliever. Barrett, from nearby Mesa and Arizona State University, compiled a 0.79 earned run average in 11 spring-training games.

Reliever Silvino Bracho, Drury and Brito also made the team despite lacking much big league experience, and veteran Rickie Weeks Jr., had his contract purchased.

Relievers Enrique Burgos and Evan Marshall were optioned to Triple-A Reno, as was outfielder Peter O’Brien. Outfielder Jason Bourgeois was re-assigned to minor league camp.

UP NEXT

Royals: Those Royals who will be on the big league roster were scheduled to fly back to Kansas City right after Saturday’s game, and Kansas City will open the season Sunday night against the team they faced in last year’s World Series, the Mets.

“It’s fun, but it’s going to be a zoo, too, with everything going on,” Yost said.

Diamondbacks: After an off-day Sunday, the Diamondbacks are home for opening day on Monday. Zack Greinke, their biggest acquisition of the offseason, will start against the Rockies.

— Associated Press —

Peoples goes eight strong innings as Missouri Western defeats Lindwenwood

Posted on April 1, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western baseball team received, arguably, its best pitching performance of the season to pick up its seventh straight win and 17th in the last 20 games, 11-2 over Lindenwood, Friday night.

Richard Peoples went a career-high eight innings with a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just one hit to move to 5-2 on the season. Peoples didn’t allow a hit until a leadoff single in the sixth and gave up his only two runs on a miscommunicated error in the sixth. With runners on second and third, Peoples turned toward second for a pickoff attempt but no one was there to cover and the ball went into center field, scoring two. He would hold Lindenwood without a hit for two more innings before Tyler Tuepker pitched a scoreless ninth. It was Tuepker’s first appearance since missing nearly all the 2015 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Peoples got plenty of help from his offense as the Griffons totaled 11 runs on 10 hits. Nick Gawley went 3-4 with three RBIs. Kody Matthews was 2-3 with two driven in.

Missouri Western improved to 21-8 on the season and 13-5 in MIAA play. The two teams are scheduled to play the second game of the series on Saturday at 1 p.m.

— MWSU Press Release —

Tewell steps down as Bishop LeBlond boys basketball coach

Posted on March 31, 2016

St. Joseph, Mo. – Bishop LeBlond High School Principal Jeff Sullivan announced today that the school’s boys basketball coach Tom Tewell has resigned effective immediately. Tewell has led the LB boys team the past three seasons including district championships in 2014 and 2015 and finishes with an overall 42-42 record. Prior to taking on the boys varsity job, he had been an assistant girls coach for six years at LeBlond. He was named the 2013-14 Northwest Missouri Class 3 Coach of the Year.

“I have truly enjoyed coaching basketball at LeBlond these past nine years,” Tewell said. “The students and administration have been a pleasure to work with. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints of operating my own business and because of other family commitments, I feel I don’t have the time necessary to fully dedicate myself to this program and give the position the time and energy it deserves.”

Sullivan said the school was fortunate to have Tewell on staff. “Tom came in and brought the players together. Winning back-to-back district championships is an accomplishment that speaks for itself. We greatly appreciate his service and leadership at LB.”

Sullivan said the search for a new basketball coach will begin immediately.