Dave Riggert – Page 779 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri State extends the contracts of Lusk, Harper

Posted on April 4, 2014April 4, 2014

To help solidify the basketball coaching staffs for the future, Missouri State University has extended the contracts of men’s head coach Paul Lusk and women’s head coach Kellie Harper while boosting the salaries of the assistant coaches.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress we have made this year with both teams,” said Missouri State Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. “Despite a season of adversity and injuries, Coach Lusk led us to 20 wins and a postseason appearance, and we’re strongly encouraged by what the future holds.

“On the women’s side, Coach Harper over-achieved with this team, and the progress she made in every area was evident. Our efforts to re-establish MSU as the preeminent team in the Missouri Valley Conference are on track, and our recruiting is going to be significantly improved.”

University President Clifton M. Smart III also supported the actions, which must be formally approved by the Board of Governors.

“We could not be more pleased with the two basketball programs, both on the court and off,” said Smart. “Of course our goal is to be in the NCAA Tournament year in and year out. But Coach Lusk and Coach Harper are building the foundation that will allow that to occur as we go forward. I believe our basketball future is bright.”

Lusk’s guaranteed five-year contract extension will run through March 31, 2019. Under the terms of the extension, his base salary will be increased $50,000 annually to $305,333, making the estimated economic value of his annual compensation package around $450,000. The increase will be paid from private funds. Lusk’s compensation package also includes income from television and radio shows and promotional compensation provided by the University from funds received from the Missouri State Foundation. Lusk also is eligible for achievement payments based on team performance.

A pool of $20,000 will also be provided to increase the base pay of assistant coaches Jermaine Henderson, Derrick Tilmon and Brad Korn, as determined by Lusk. The additional pool was also made possible by private donations.

A native of New Baden, Ill., Lusk helped the Bears manufacture one of the best turnarounds in the Division I ranks this season as the Bears jumped from last year’s 11-22 ledger to a 20-13 mark in 2013-14. MSU tied for fourth in a competitive Missouri Valley Conference race and earned a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Lusk originally signed a five-year contract with Missouri State — through the 2015-16 season — when he officially became the program’s 17th head coach on April 1, 2011.

“I want to thank President Smart and our Athletic Director Kyle Moats as well as the many supporters who made this possible,” Lusk said. “Our goal is to compete for championships and develop young men on and off the floor. This extension will aid us in that process. I’m excited about the future of Missouri State basketball.”

Harper’s guaranteed five-year contract takes her current agreement through April 14, 2019. Her base salary will be increased by $15,000 to $160,000 annually. The increase will be funded by an allocation of University funds. The estimated economic value of her total compensation package, including television and radio shows, Missouri State Foundation funds and promotions is around $225,000.

Similar to the increase on the men’s side, a pool of $20,000 to increase the base pay of assistant coaches Jennifer Sullivan, Jon Harper and Jackie Stiles is also part of the proposal. The pool will be funded through an allocation of University funds. Senior Woman Administrator Casey Hunt will determine what portion of the pool monies will be used to compensate increases for assistant Jon Harper, while Kellie Harper will determine the increases for Sullivan and Stiles.

The Sparta, Tenn., native recently finished her first season at the helm of the Lady Bears. The 2013-14 campaign resulted in 14 wins, including an 11-4 stretch from Dec. 6 to Feb. 14 that started with a victory over Missouri. Injuries to key players stunted the team’s potential down the stretch, but Harper’s leadership and program identity were evident in her Springfield debut.

“I love coaching at Missouri State and am thrilled with the support our administration shows the women’s basketball program,” Harper said. “President Smart and Kyle Moats share my vision for the future of the Lady Bears, and that’s very exciting.”

The basketball coaching contract changes are subject to final approval by the Missouri State University Board of Governors at its executive committee meeting on April 16. The Board’s annual evaluation of salaries and benefits for athletics coaches and staff is held in executive session. The Missouri Open Meetings and Records Law (known as the Sunshine Law), provides public governmental bodies 72 hours in which to announce personnel decisions taken in executive session.

— MSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western tennis loses 7-2 to Lindenwood

Posted on April 4, 2014April 4, 2014

The Missouri Western tennis team fell 7-2 in an MIAA home contest against the Lindenwood Lions on Friday afternoon.

The Griffons picked up victories from Lindsay Beger at No. 5 singles by scores of 6-4, 5-7 and 7-6 (10-6) and by No. 3 doubles of Meara Smith and Alyssa Dougan by a score 8-4 over Diana Castro and Clara Piccamiglio.

The Griffons fall to 0-12 on the season and 0-7 in MIAA play. The Griffons return to action on Monday, April 7 when they travel to Liberty, Mo. to take on the William Jewell Cardinals in non-conference action. Match time is set for 3 pm.

The Griffons lost two sets by tie breaker which was at No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles. At No. 3 singles Denise Chiao fell 7-5, 7-6 (9-4) while at No. 2 doubles Chiao and Beger fell 9-8 (7-3) against Daria Ivanova and Mariona Pinol.

Singles competition

1. Marras, Gloria (LWU) def. Dysart,Kayla (MWSU) 6-3, 6-2
2. Piccamiglio, Clara (LWU) def. Smith,Meara (MWSU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Ivanova, Daria (LWU) def. Chiao,Denise (MWSU) 7-5, 7-6 (9-4)
4. Pinol,Mariona (LWU) def. Boldridge,Ceara (MWSU) 6-4, retired
5. Beger,Lindsay (MWSU) def. Castro, Diana (LWU) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (10-6)
6. Medvedeva,Alexandra (LWU) def. Dougan,Alyssa (MWSU) 7-5, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. Marras, Gloria/Medvedeva,Alexandra (LWU) def. Dysart,Kayla/Boldridge,Ceara (MWSU) 8-6
2. Ivanova, Daria/Pinol,Mariona (LWU) def. Chiao,Denise/Beger,Lindsay (MWSU) 9-8 (7-3)
3. Smith,Meara/Dougan,Alyssa (MWSU) def. Castro, Diana/Piccamiglio, Clara (LWU) 8-4

— MWSU Sports Information —

Cardinals beat Reds 7-6 to take two of three in series

Posted on April 3, 2014

CINCINNATI (AP) — The defending National League champions opened the season with a lot of waiting. And a couple of wins, too.

The St. Louis Cardinals overcame another long delay and Todd Frazier’s two homers on Thursday, holding on to beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 and take two of three in their season-opening series.

The first pitch was delayed 3 hours, 42 minutes because of rain. Some of the Cardinals spent their down time by studying Cincinnati’s pitchers again and getting a little extra work in the indoor batting cages.

“It’s tough to stay mentally into it,” said Matt Adams, who had a single and a pair of doubles. “That’s what we had to do to make sure we could go out there and perform. We’re watching video and taking swings in the cage and stretching and making sure we’re ready to go.”

Finally on the field, the Cardinals emerged from their two-game hitting slump by knocking Homer Bailey (0-1) out of the game in the fifth inning. Jhonny Peralta homered to get it going.

It wasn’t perfect — St. Louis stranded eight runners — but it was much better.

“We had a lot of opportunities that we missed, too,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We had a lot of guys in scoring position.”

St. Louis pulled away with three runs in the seventh, when Matt Holliday’s single off the top of the outfield wall was upheld by the only video review of the series, this one initiated by the umpires.

Lance Lynn (1-0) gave up Jay Bruce’s two-run homer and Frazier’s solo shot during five innings. Frazier added a three-run homer in the seventh that cut it to 7-6. Trevor Rosenthal got the last four outs for his second save.

The series involved nearly as much waiting as playing.

There was a 2-hour, 40-minute delay before Wednesday’s game, a 1-0 victory by Cincinnati. Along with the delay on Thursday, the teams wound up waiting 6 hours, 22 minutes to play during the two days.

As Thursday’s delay stretched on, Reds reliever Sam LeCure tweeted: “Uncle.”

“The whole series was kind of weird with all the rain and stuff,” Frazier said. “It really put a damper on things.”

The starters had a rough time after the delay.

Lynn beat the Reds three times last season, but couldn’t get a 1-2-3 inning on Thursday. Bruce and Frazier hit back-to-back homers in the first for a 3-0 lead. Even Bailey had a single off Lynn, who gave up eight hits while throwing 107 pitches.

Peralta hit a two-run homer in the second off Bailey, and the Cardinals tied it with a breakthrough hit in the fourth. Adams doubled and came around on Jon Jay’s double, the Cardinals’ first hit with a runner in scoring position this season. They had been 0 for 17.

Jay’s hit also extended his hitting streak to 15 games, including the end of last season.

Holliday’s first hit of the season, an RBI double, put the Cardinals up 4-3 in the fifth. Bailey lasted only 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits, three walks and four runs.

The Cardinals added three in the seventh, when they loaded the bases on a pair of walks and Holliday’s single off the top of the wall. The ball went over Billy Hamilton’s glove and deflected to Bruce, who caught the ball. The umpires correctly ruled that it a hit off the top of the wall, and a 2-minute, 8-second review initiated by the umps upheld the call. They wanted to make sure the ball hadn’t cleared the wall.

Allen Craig and Yadier Molina followed with RBI singles as St. Louis pulled ahead 7-3.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western alters schedule for baseball series at Lincoln

Posted on April 3, 2014April 3, 2014

The Missouri Western baseball team has changed its four-game series at Lincoln this weekend in Jefferson City.

The two teams were scheduled to open the series on Friday, but that game has been moved to Sunday afternoon.

The Griffons and Blue Tigers will open the series on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. with a doubleheader and then play another doubleheader Sunday beginning at 12:00 p.m.

Missouri Western is 15-14 this season and 11-11 in the MIAA, while Lincoln is 1-23 and 0-20 in league play.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Chiefs announce off-season training schedule

Posted on April 3, 2014April 3, 2014

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin phase one of the off-season program on Monday, April 21 at The University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex.

To kickoff the start of the program, Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid will be made available to the media along with select players, including quarterback Alex Smith. Specific availability times will be released at a later date.

Additionally, the Chiefs will hold rookie minicamp from May 24-26. Organized Team Activities begin on May 27 and the club’s mandatory minicamp will be held June 17-19.

The club will hold a pre-draft press conference with General Manager John Dorsey on May 2. Timing and details on that event will be released at a later date.

All OTA practice sessions will be open to the media in their entirety; however media will only be permitted to shoot video, still photos and report on the first 20 minutes of practice.

With practice sessions closed to the general public, reporting guidelines will be set at the team’s discretion. The use of cell phones will not be permitted on the practice field.

Coach Reid will be made available to the media on the field the final day of each OTA week. Players will be made available to the media coming off the field by request the first two days of each OTA week.

Below is a look at the club’s upcoming offseason availability:

First Day: April 21

Rookie Minicamp: May 24-26

OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-29, June 3-5, June 10-13

Mandatory Minicamp: June 17-19

— Chiefs Media Relations —

Royals-Tigers series finale called because of rain

Posted on April 3, 2014April 3, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — Brad Ausmus is hoping he’ll have a chance to use every position player on his roster before too long – no sense letting backups become rusty at the beginning of the season.

”Yes, I’d like to get them in,” Detroit’s rookie manager said. ”Mother Nature’s going to have a say in that.”

Sure enough, the Tigers had their game against the Kansas City Royals postponed because of rain on Thursday. The game will be made up June 19, when the Royals are back in town for what was initially supposed to be a three-game series followed by an off day.

Detroit will move on to a three-game series against Baltimore that’s scheduled to start Friday – when the weather may not be much better.

The Tigers are planning to push right-hander Anibal Sanchez back to Friday’s start after he was supposed to face the Royals on Thursday. Rick Porcello is now slated to pitch Saturday, meaning left-hander Drew Smyly will be skipped in the rotation.

Kansas City, on the other hand, will simply skip rookie Yordano Ventura, who was scheduled to pitch Thursday. Jeremy Guthrie will start Friday’s home opener against the Chicago White Sox, as planned. Ventura will be available out of the bullpen.

The Tigers won their first two games under Ausmus, scoring the winning run in their last at-bat both times. The new manager made a big move in Monday’s opener, sending rookie Tyler Collins to pinch-run in the ninth inning of a tie game. Collins ended up scoring the winning run.

Collins then started Wednesday’s game in left field, but shortstop Andrew Romine’s first start was put on hold by Thursday’s postponement. Outfielder Don Kelly and backup catcher Bryan Holaday haven’t played either.

Now the Tigers face the prospect of additional postponements, and they have scheduled off days April 7, 10 and 14. It has the makings of a choppy start to the season.

”You try to balance getting veterans rest and getting reserve players in, but when you have all these off days, the truth is the veterans probably don’t need the rest,” Ausmus said. ”You still have reserves that need to get in, so it can be a little bit of a juggling act.”

Ausmus says he’s settling into the Detroit area. As manager of the Tigers, he’ll have to deal with a certain celebrity status, and he says people recognize him.

”I haven’t been around that much,” Ausmus said. ”I’ve gone out to eat, but other than going out to eat, I’ve kind of been holed up.”

The Thursday afternoon game was called about an hour before the scheduled first pitch, amid temperatures in the 30s and with significant rain expected.

The decision to skip Smyly’s spot in the rotation came as no surprise. It’s an easy chance for the Tigers to manage his innings as he makes the transition back to the starting rotation after spending last season in the bullpen.

Detroit’s talented rotation has been on display already. Justin Verlander pitched the opener and Max Scherzer worked eight scoreless innings Wednesday. That’s part of the reason Royals manager Ned Yost isn’t panicking over two losses in which Kansas City struggled to score.

”You’ve got to understand what you’re dealing with,” Yost said. ”What we’ve dealt with here the last two days is Verlander and Scherzer. I mean, these are top-of-the-line pitchers in the American League, so they’re on most days going to shut teams’ offenses down.”

At least the Royals were able to leave town without having to face Sanchez, too.

”He’s nails, too,” Yost said before the game was called off. ”You just keep plugging until you start to get on track.”

— Associated Press —

Benton officially introduces Belcher as boys’ basketball coach

Posted on April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

Benton High School officially announced the hiring of Gary Belcher as the Cardinals new boys’ basketball coach Wednesday.

Belcher comes to the south side after spending the last nine years as the boys’ basketball coach at Kearney High School.

He went 137-110 with the Bulldogs and Belcher won a Class 4 state championship in 2010 and finished second in 2009.

He is a St. Joseph native and graduated from Central High School in 1982.

Belcher has also been a head coach at Lathrop and Warrensburg, and spent one season in Texas. He has a career record of 252-156.

Belcher takes over for George Ross, Jr., who went just 11-64 in three seasons at Benton.

Tigers’ Jabari Brown declares for NBA Draft

Posted on April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

Missouri junior guard Jabari Brown, a First Team All-Southeastern Conference selection and 1,000-point scorer, has announced he will enter his name into the 2014 NBA Draft.

The decision by Brown makes the Oakland, Calif., native eligible for feedback from the Association office and gives him the opportunity to sign with an agent or return to Missouri for his senior season. Underclassmen have until April 15 to withdraw their name from consideration and retain collegiate eligibility.

“This was a step I needed to take in order to make the most educated decision possible with regards to my NBA opportunities,” Jabari Brown said. “My time here at Mizzou has been incredible. This is a special place and a second home for me. However, I must approach this looking at the bigger picture. This is a decision that impacts my family as well and that is most important to me.”

“Jabari’s approach to life and basketball is so impressive,” Head Coach Frank Haith said. “So many things right now point for him to enter the draft, hire an agent and move forward, but he will do his due diligence in this process and then make the decision best for him and his family. I am really proud of Jabari and know Tiger fans are too with how he has conducted himself in the face of such great adversity this year.”

Brown was the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer this season, averaging 19.9 points in 35 total games. He also paced the league with 20.7 points in 18 league contests. He topped 20 points in scoring 19 times overall, the most by a Tiger since Anthony Peeler in 1992 and failed to reach double figures in scoring just once. Brown scored 20-plus points in 12-of-18 league contests, the most since Derrick Chievous in 1987 and 1988 and topped 30 points twice, scoring 33 points against Kentucky and 30 points vs. Davidson.

While he was one of the SEC’s leading three-point shooters, the 6-foot-5 guard expanded his game greatly in his second season in Columbia. Brown shot 51.3 percent inside the three-point line and finished the year hitting 212-of-266 total free throws, ranking No. 3 all-time for single-season free throw makes and No. 3 for single-season free throw attempts.

Brown also ranked among the SEC’s leaders in several statistical categories during the 18-game league season. He finished among the Top 10 in scoring (first, 20.7), field goal percentage (fourth, .468), free throw percentage (fifth, .846), free throw makes (second, 115), three-point percentage (fourth, .414), three-point makes (eighth, 2.1) and minutes played (third, 36.6).

Brown was also the fifth fastest player to reach 1,000 points in Missouri history, needing just 59 games to reach the milestone. Through two seasons (60 total games at Missouri), Brown averaged 17.3 points, which ranks No. 10 all-time. The 19.9 points he averaged this season were the most since Kareem Rush in 2001.

Brown capped the year being named Missouri’s second consecutive All-SEC First Team selection. He joins Phil Pressey who earned the nod in 2013.

— MU Sports Information —

Kansas City rallies in ninth but falls to Detroit in 10 innings

Posted on April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — With the Detroit Tigers in a jam after a close play at first base, Brad Ausmus calmly made his way onto the field.

No histrionics from the rookie manager — not in this situation at least. All he had to do was challenge the call and wait.

“It’s almost awkward when you go out there,” Ausmus said. “Normally the manager would go out there to scream and yell, but it doesn’t make sense to go out there and scream and yell if they know you have a challenge. In essence, I’m really just taking my time getting out there so we can get a determination from our video room as to whether we should use the challenge.”

Baseball’s new instant replay system was popular at Comerica Park on Wednesday, when two calls at first base were overturned in Detroit’s favor. The second reversal ended a Kansas City rally in the 10th, and the Tigers eventually won 2-1 on Ian Kinsler’s single in the bottom of the inning.

Kinsler also hit a solo homer in the fourth, helping Detroit win despite a blown save by new closer Joe Nathan. Max Scherzer pitched eight scoreless innings for the Tigers.

“All I kept thinking about was picking up Max. He was so good all game and you don’t want to waste that kind of performance,” said Kinsler, who was acquired from Texas for Prince Fielder in a November trade. “It was great for Joe, too. We know he’s a great closer, but it is a lot easier to forget about a bad outing when your team wins the game.”

In the top of the 10th, Kansas City’s Norichika Aoki was called safe at first, and it looked like the Royals would have first and third with two outs against Al Alburquerque (1-0). But upon further review, the throw barely beat Aoki. He was called out to end the threat.

There was another overturn in the sixth when Detroit’s Tyler Collins was initially called out at first, giving Kansas City a 4-6-3 double play. The play was reviewed and Collins was ruled safe, although Detroit didn’t score.

“That’s exactly why the system is there — to get the call right,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Both calls went against us, but they were the right calls, so I don’t have any problem with it.”

Scherzer allowed four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts, but Nathan blew a save at Comerica for the first time after 19 straight as a visitor.

Alex Gordon’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth tied it, and Nathan balked the runners ahead when he pulled up in the middle of his motion. Nathan said afterward he stopped because he wasn’t sure he and catcher Alex Avila were on the same page.

“I just didn’t want to cross him up,” Nathan said. “I thought I saw a fastball in, and when I came up to my balance position and looked in, I saw him setting up away.”

After Alburquerque made it through the 10th, Austin Jackson and Nick Castellanos both walked for Detroit. Kinsler won it with a two-out single to left-center off Tim Collins (0-1).

Scherzer can become a free agent after this season, and if he keeps pitching like this he’ll be in line for quite a payday. The American League Cy Young Award winner mostly cruised until the eighth, when Salvador Perez doubled leading off.

Scherzer rebounded to strike out Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain. Ausmus then visited the mound, but he left Scherzer in. Alcides Escobar followed with a flyout on Scherzer’s 110th and final pitch.

Scherzer said Ausmus told him to make a decision about staying in.

“I said, `Give me a second to think about it,” Scherzer said. “I needed to be honest with Brad. I said, `Give me the ball.”

Jason Vargas, who signed a $32 million, four-year contract in the offseason, was sharp in his first start for Kansas City. He allowed a run and five hits in seven innings, walking one and striking out six.

— Associated Press —

Northwest’s Tjeerdsma to be inducted into South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame

Posted on April 2, 2014April 2, 2014

Northwest Missouri State director of athletics Mel Tjeerdsma has been selected for induction into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 12, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. The event will begin with a social hour at 4:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $40 by calling Dakota Sports in Sioux Falls (605-332-2131).

“Being selected for induction into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame is a great honor for me,” said Tjeerdsma. “I am proud to be a South Dakota native and its very special to be recognized in your home state.”

Tjeerdsma, who returned to Maryville last year to become the director of athletics, won 183 games as the head football coach of the Bearcats. He captured three NCAA Division II national championships and 12 MIAA titles in 17 seasons. He was a Springfield High School graduate and went on to earn his degree from southern State. Tjeerdsma will be one of nine inductees honored at the event.

— Northwest Sports Information —