Dave Riggert – Page 632 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Chiefs preseason opponents set for 2015

Posted on April 9, 2015April 9, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Football League officially announced its 2015 preseason schedule on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will kick off their preseason slate on the road vs. the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The club will then return home to Arrowhead Stadium for two consecutive contests, the first against the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks followed by a matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

To close out the preseason, Kansas City will travel to St. Louis to take on its cross-state rival, the Rams, in a battle for the Governor’s Cup.

Dates and times will be announced as soon as they are finalized.

CHIEFS 2015 PRESEASON OPPONENTS

Game 1 at Arizona
Game 2 vs. Seattle
Game 3 vs. Tennessee
Game 4 at St. Louis

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Mizzou earns first-ever Learfield Cup Top-25 ranking

Posted on April 9, 2015April 9, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The latest standings are out for the Division I Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, and the University of Missouri is sitting in the top-25 for the first time in program history.

The current rankings show Mizzou sitting at 25th – the highest standing at any point in time for MU since the rankings began in 1993-94 – with 408.75 points.

Mizzou jumped up thanks to a slew of strong performances at NCAA Championship events recently by several programs, including wrestling (4th place at NCAAs), men’s swimming & diving (11th), women’s swimming & diving (14th), women’s indoor track & field (15th) and men’s indoor track & field (46th). In all, Mizzou has had seven sports score in the Learfield Cup so far this season, with six of them posting impressive top-25 national finishes. The other two sports to score for Mizzou came this past fall in the way of football (11th) and soccer (17th).

The lofty ranking puts Mizzou in position to challenge its previous best final ranking in the Directors’ Cup. The previous high-water mark for Mizzou was a 36th-place final showing for the 2008-09 season. The highest that Mizzou had ever stood in the rankings at any point in time was a 27th-place spot heading into the spring sport season in that same 2008-09 year.

“We’ve had a goal of being a top-25 comprehensive program for a long time,” said Director of Athletics Mike Alden. “This certainly doesn’t signal an arrival or a time to let up, but it is very rewarding to see this achievement and reflect on how proud we are of our student-athletes, coaches and staffs for their tireless efforts. We’re confident that there will be even greater accomplishments to come,” he said.

From 1993-94 through 1997-98, Mizzou’s average yearly finish in the Directors’ Cup was 98th. Since Alden took over in August of 1998, that average yearly rank has improved to 47th in the 16 years from 1997-98 through 2013-14.

The Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup is a national all-sport standing scoring system, assigning points to each institution for up to 20 sport programs, including 10 men’s and 10 women’s programs. The cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. For more information on the standings, please visit www.directorscup.org.

— MU Sports Information —

MWSU’s Gillaspy named a finalist for Schutt Sports/NFCA National Player of the Year

Posted on April 9, 2015

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Missouri Western senior Tiffany Gillaspy has been selected as one of 25 finalists for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Softball Player of the Year. Earlier this year, Gillaspy was placed on a top-50 watch list for the award and her exceptional senior season to this point has moved her one step closer to that recognition.

Already the national and MIAA Hitter of the Week once this season, Gillaspy leads her team in batting average (.401), slugging percentage (.759), hits (55), RBIs (40), doubles (11), home runs (12) and total bases (104). She came into this week as the MIAA leader in slugging percentage and tied for the lead in home runs. She is also in the top-10 in the country in home runs. The senior infielder currently ranks in the top-five in the following MWSU career standings: runs scored (4th-127), RBIs (4th-149), doubles (5th-139), home runs (3rd-35), total bases (4th-347) and batting average (5th-.366).

In 2014, Gillaspy was third team Daktronics All-American; First Team Daktronics All-Region; NFCA First Team All-Central Region and First Team All-MIAA. She was named MIAA Hitter of the Week twice, hitting safely in 23 of her last 25 games and 45 of the team’s 57 games.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Cain’s HR in the eighth inning leads Royals past Chicago

Posted on April 9, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lorenzo Cain made the Chicago White Sox pay after being hit by two pitches in the first two games of the series.

Cain, who was hit by a pitch in the first inning, had a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth for his third hit and the Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 7-5 Wednesday night.

Cain homered off Zach Putnam (0-1), the fourth White Sox pitcher, after Alcides Escobar led off the inning with a single for his third hit.

“You can only hit a guy so many times before trouble develops,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I can’t judge intent on either side, but guys can only stand for a guy getting hitting so much. Two times in two nights is getting to be little too much for Lorenzo.”

Cain had words with White Sox starter Jeff Samardzija, who hit him with a pitch in the fifth inning Monday. So this home run made it even sweeter.

“It’s really nice,” Cain said. “This series has definitely been intense, a battle between us and the White Sox. To hit a home run at that time of the game definitely was a good feeling.”

Wade Davis (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Greg Holland, who had 46 saves last year, worked the ninth for his first save. Royals relievers Jason Frasor, Kelvin Herrera, Davis and Holland combined for four scoreless innings, striking out five, after Danny Duffy exited.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run homer in the third for the Royals. Hosmer homered after Mike Moustakas was hit by a pitch and Cain singled.

“It doesn’t take much to fire us up,” Hosmer said of the White Sox plucking four Royals batters in the first 11 innings of the series.

“We’re a young energetic group. We feed off different stuff like that, whether it’s the crowd or something on the field like that,” he added.

Both teams were issued a warning by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.

Tyler Flowers homered with two outs in the second with Adam LaRoche and Gordon Beckham aboard to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead.

White Sox starter Jose Quintana yielded five runs on nine hits, a walk and two hit batters. Duffy went five-plus innings, permitting five runs on eight hits.

“They have a pretty good lineup,” Quintana said. “They had a lot of contact. It was one pitch, Hosmer’s home run, it changed my game.”

The White Sox have lost 13 of their past 16 games to the Royals and have been outscored 86-43.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who broke his right foot in spring training, said he is set to start Sunday against the Twins. “I was hurt. I’m not hurt anymore,” Sale said. “I think it’s time to take blinders off and run the race.” … White Sox RHP Jake Petricka, who is on the disabled list with an upper back strain, threw a bullpen session on the Tuesday off day and could come off the disabled list next week.

Royals: LF Alex Gordon, who has right wrist surgery in December, will likely be rested Thursday. Manager Ned Yost said Gordon experienced wrist soreness in spring training when he played a day game after a night game and “we sat him three days” after that. Yost said rookie OF Paulo Orlando would start in left.

SPEEDY PEREZ

Royals catcher Salvador Perez swiped second base on a delayed steal in the fifth inning. It was his second career stolen base. The other was April 4, 2014, also against the White Sox.

BECKHAM’S MILESTONE

Beckham’s fourth-inning single brought his total bases to 1,000 on 654 hits.

UP NEXT

White Sox: LHP John Danks is 7-0 with a 2.43 ERA in 16 career starts against the Royals. He is 4-0 with a 1.73 ERA in 10 career outings at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez makes his KC debut after signing as a free agent on December 29.

— Associated Press —

Griffon softball falls to No. 24 in latest NFCA Top 25 poll

Posted on April 9, 2015April 9, 2015

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the third consecutive week, the Missouri Western softball team finds itself in the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Poll. After going 3-3 in six road games last week, the team dropped from No. 14 to No. 24 this week.

MWSU dropped a pair on Tuesday to Central Missouri after the voting was completed. It was the second sweep of a ranked team by UCM in a week after they took two from then No. 9 Emporia State over the weekend.

Emporia State remains the only other MIAA school ranked, now at No. 15. Looking around the rest of the top-25, MWSU has two victories this season over No. 12 Augustana and one win over No. 22 Winona State.

Missouri Western is currenty 28-14 overall and 12-6 in the MIAA.

— MWSU Sports Information —

St. Louis gets blanked by Arrieta, Cubs

Posted on April 9, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs catcher Miguel Montero called Jake Arrieta a freak. Chicago manager Joe Maddon said Arrieta is in such good shape he could record fitness videos, like Jane Fonda used to.

Arrieta also can pitch.

Arrieta allowed three hits over seven innings and Starlin Castro had a go-ahead RBI single in a two-run seventh, leading the Chicago Cubs over the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 for their first win this season.

Backed by just two hits from Chicago’s offense, Arrieta (1-0) struck out seven and walked three. He was 10-5 with a 2.53 ERA in a breakout 2014 and improved to 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis.
Editor’s Picks

“He deserves everything that he’s gotten,” said Maddon, who got his first win as Chicago manager after leaving Tampa Bay.

Phil Coke, Neil Ramirez, Pedro Strop and Hector Rondon combined for hitless relief. Rondon pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season for the Cubs, who lost 3-0 to St. Louis on Sunday night’s opener.

Arrieta said he was suffering from jitters and too much adrenaline ahead of his first start of the year at home, especially ahead of a game against rival St. Louis.

“Those things are expected,” Arrieta said.

Lance Lynn (0-1) struck out nine in six-plus innings but Castro’s single chased him in the seventh. Montero hit a sacrifice fly off Kevin Siegrist.

Anthony Rizzo was hit by a pitch leading off the seventh and advanced when Lynn’s pickoff throw was wide of Matt Adams at first for an error. Castro then singled, ending the Cubs’ 15-inning scoreless streak at the start of the season, and took second on the throw.

“When it’s all said and done, it’s a loss,” Lynn said. “So I’ve got to pitch better.”

Lynn allowed both runs — one earned — and two hits

“He had good movement, worked both sides of the plate and did what we teach our guys to do — mix it up, and there’s nothing you can necessarily sit on,” Matheny said.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING?

Cubs pitcher Jon Lester said his habit of not throwing over to hold runners at first base is “something that I think is getting blown out of proportion right here.” On Sunday, St. Louis stole three bases against Lester, who hasn’t thrown to first since 2013. “Right now there’s nothing really to talk about at the beginning of the year, so we need to talk about all the negative stuff,” Lester said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Because the Cardinals did not alter their rotation order after Tuesday’s rainout, RHP Michael Wacha will get one more day before his first start of 2015. Wacha, slowed by shoulder problems last year, will pitch Saturday in Cincinnati.

Cubs: Chicago slightly changed its rotation, scheduling LHP Travis Wood to pitch Friday and RHP Jason Hammel on Saturday against Colorado. Before Tuesday’s rainout, Hammel was slated to pitch Wednesday and Wood was to throw Friday. Maddon said the decision to push back Hammel was made to keep Wood on schedule. “Nobody’s ill, nobody’s hurt,” Maddon said.

UP NEXT

The Cardinals are off Thursday before traveling to face the Reds in Cincinnati. John Lackey is scheduled to face former Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis in his Cincinnati debut. Marquis didn’t pitch last season. Chicago is also off Thursday and will play the Rockies in Denver, when Travis Wood starts for Chicago.

— Associated Press —

Northwest’s Mark named a finalist for National Player of the Year

Posted on April 9, 2015

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Northwest Missouri State softball senior Stephanie Mark was listed as one of the 25 finalists for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Wednesday. The award is the first of its kind and will continue to be narrowed down until the recipient is announced on May 20.

On the year, Mark has smashed nine home runs, placing her 47th in the country. Her 35 RBI are good for 88th in Division II while her .752 slugging percentage places her in the top 66. In addition, the Ogden, Utah native has struck out once every 36 at bats, the 32nd best rate in the nation.

Mark has recorded two four-hit performances this season and two multi-homer games.

The Bearcats finish their road schedule this weekend when they head south for a pair of conference doubleheaders. They will first play Pittsburg State on Friday followed by a Saturday twin bill at Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Griffons split doubleheader at home against Truman State

Posted on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team went 1-1 Tuesday at the Griffon Springs Sports Complex against Truman State. The Griffons lost game one 4-3, but rolled to a 14-1 win in the nightcap.

Game 1 – TSU 4, MWSU 3

MWSU allowed four runs to Truman State in the first inning and their comeback bid fell short only tallying three runs in the seven inning game.

Truman State jumped on the Griffons early with four runs in the first inning. Missouri Western used three pitchers in the inning to get out of the jam with three runs being charged to Mike Calimeno. MWSU walked two batters, hit a batter and committed an error to contribute to the four-run inning.

The Griffons clawed their way back in the fifth inning when Corbin Duffy started off the inning with a solo home run. Dylon Koch and Orencio Fisher followed that up with back-to-back singles and senior Trevor LaHonta hit a single into right centerfield to bring in the second run of the inning.

Missouri Western had guys on second and third with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning but couldn’t find a way to drive them in to even the score.

On the mound, Kyle Kelly pitched 5.1 innings; faced 17 batters only gave up two hits and walked one batter with no runs allowed.

Game 2 – MWSU 14, TSU 1

The Griffons produced 14 runs in the second game powered behind three four-run innings and allowed just one run on six hits.

Shortstop Cody Childs got the Griffons on the board with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. He drove in Ryan Degner, Trevor LaHonta, and Orencio Fisher in one swing of the bat.

MWSU continued hitting in the bottom of the fourth inning with Fisher tallying an RBI single through the left side and the second run scored when Ryan Degner reached on an error to allow Koch to score.

In the fifth inning, designated hitter Corbin Duffy hit a two-run home run for his second on the day. The Griffons also added four more runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Missouri Western will be back in action at home on Friday, April 10 starting at 6 p.m. against Nebraska-Kearney in a four game series.

— MWSU Sports Information —

No. 14 Missouri Western softball gets swept by Central Missouri

Posted on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The 14th-ranked Missouri Western softball team lost their first home games of the season Tuesday as they were swept in a doubleheader at the Griffons Springs Sports Complex by Central Missouri, 12-1 and 8-6.

GAME 1: UCM 12, MWSU 1 (5 innings)

For the first time since Feb. 21, Griffon Softball was on the losing end of a run-rule game. The Griffons struggled to get anything going offensively and were in an early 7-0 hole after allowing six in the first and another in the second.

Janie Smith got the leadoff batter out then surrendered two straight outs and was charged with a fielding error on the fourth batter she faced, loading the bases with just one out. Smith then coaxed a pop up that froze the runners. The next six batters singled, driving in six unearned runs in the first inning.

MWSU managed just one run. It came in the fourth on an RBI-double from Katie Klosterman. No Griffon had more than one hit and the team totaled just six and committed two errors in the field. Smith took the loss (13-7), going three and a third innings, and allowing 10 runs on 10 hits, three of the runs were earned. Taylor Schaben went an inning and two –thirds in relief, surrendering two earned runs on five hits.

GAME 2: UCM 8, MWSU 6

After three in the first and one in the second, MWSU took an early 4-1 lead and looked to be in control until the Jennies took the lead in the sixth. UCM scored two in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh to take the game, 8-6.

MWSU had the tying run on second base in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t advance the seventh or eighth runs of the game. Down 8-5 going into the final half inning, Paige Shifflett led off the inning with a single to center and Kailey Green followed with a walk. Klosterman struck out swinging to record the first out. Then Shelbie Atwell singled and things got crazy. Pinch running for Shifflett, Taylor Schaben made it to third on a throwing error by the center fielder. Schaben then advanced home when she was obstructed by the third baseman. Atwell made it to second and Green got to third in the melee. Megan Korgie made the second out when she struck out swinging in a pinch-hit at bat for Brooke Schaben. Rebekah Mueller ended it with a fly out to right.

Shifflett and Muller both homered in the game. Shifflett’s solo shot drove in the final two runs of the first inning and Mueller led off the second with a solo shot to center. Tiffany Gillaspy was 2-4 in game two with one RBI and a run scored. Shifflett was 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Klosterman, Atwell and Mueller were all 2-4 as well. Shyanne Saladino had an up and down performance, picking up the loss in seven innings of work. Saladino gave up 11 hits and eight runs, four earned. She struck out three and walked one.

The losses dropped the team to 28-14 on the year and 12-6 in the MIAA. MWSU continues a challenging stretch this weekend with doubleheaders at Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri confirms Williams III decision to transfer; Bello also leaving

Posted on April 7, 2015April 7, 2015

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri has confirmed that sophomore forward Johnathan Williams III is transferring.

Junior guard Deuce Bello also will not be back. The school said in a release Tuesday that Bello intended to graduate this spring and transfer to pursue graduate studies at another institution.

Williams averaged 11.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, leading the Tigers in both categories, and started all 32 games.

Bello made three starts and averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds.