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Griffons complete sweep of Missouri Southern with walk-off win

ST. JOSEPH – Griffon baseball (17-13, 10-7 MIAA) swept Missouri Southern with a 6-5 walk-off win Saturday. Maurice Bruce singled to centerfield to drive in the game-winning run.

The ninth inning comeback started from the beginning when Levi Schreiner was hit with a pitch in the first at-bat. The Lions couldn’t handle a Kyle Snuttjer bunt during the next batter and a throwing error allowed Schreiner to move to second base and Snuttjer to reach first.

MWSU intensified its scoring threat when a passed ball allowed both runners to move to third and second. The tying run came a few pitches later when another passed ball scored pinch runner Nolan Meyer and moved Jack Hazlett, another pinch runner, to third base. The passed balls set-up Bruce for Missouri Western’s second walk-off win in 11 days.

The Griffons scored five runs in the final four innings and held Missouri Southern scoreless during the stretch. Nate Hunter settled in after giving up two runs in the first inning to throw 8 1/3 innings and four strikeouts.

NOTABLES

  • Maurice Bruce and Casey Danley combined to go 5-for-9 with three runs scored and three RBIs
  • Danley hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning
  • Dusty Stroup and Fhad Shakeel were both 2-for-4 at the plate with a run driven in
  • Kellan Richards picked up his first win of the season with 2/3 innings of work and a strikeout
  • Four different Griffons recorded at least two hits
  • MSSU’s Zac Shoemaker went 6 2/3 innings, allowed four runs and struck out seven

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Emporia State in Emporia, Kansas on Tuesday, April 3 for a 5 p.m. game.

MWSU softball splits doubleheader at Southwest Baptist

BOLIVAR, Mo. – It was a close loss and a dominant victory for Griffon Softball (17-22, 8-6), Saturday at Southwest Baptist (13-22, 3-9).

After dropping game one, 4-2, the Griffon snapped their five-game skid with a convincing 15-0 game two win in five innings. Missouri Western used a seven-run fifth inning to get out of Bolivar with a split.

NOTABLES

  • Riley Wilson was 3-for-5 at the plate with two walks, three runs scored and two RBIs
  • Lonnie Groves went 3-for-6 on the day with three RBIs and three runs scored. She hit a home run in game two.
  • Gabi Carter also drove in three runs and went 3-for-7 at the plate
  • Shelbie Atwell walked three times and had a double
  • Kenzie Hilzer and Kaili Hinds combined to hold Southwest Baptist to a .175 batting average in the doubleheader
  • Hinds held SBU to just one hit in game two
  • Hilzer struck out seven in game one with two walks. She allowed four runs on six hits in the game

UP NEXT
The Griffons wrap up a stretch of eight-straight on the road with a non-conference doubleheader at Drury on Tuesday, April 3 before coming back to St. Joseph to host Missouri Southern (April 6) and Pittsburg State (April 7).

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons win second straight against Missouri Southern

ST. JOSEPH- Griffon baseball (16-13) won its second straight game with an 8-3 victory over Missouri Southern (19-11).

Faced with two outs is when Missouri Western did its most damage. MWSU scored four of its eight runs with two outs including two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Back-to-back singles from Maurice Bruce and Casey Danley gave the Griffons an early 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, Dusty Stroup sent a two-run home run to left center-field and extended the lead to 5-1. An inning later, a two-out error led to Missouri Western adding a run when Bailey Zimmer scored from first base on a Casey Danley single to center. The Griffons added runs in the bottom of the 7th and 8th inning to secure the win.

NOTABLES

  • Bailey Zimmer went 3-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and scored three runs
  • Casey Danley was 2-for-3 with a run scored and drove in two runs
  • Danley and Maurice Bruce combined for four RBIs
  • Jacob Miller tossed 6 2/3 innings with three runs and seven strikeouts
  • Missouri Southern pitchers combined to strikeout 11 batters

UP NEXT
Missouri Western goes for the series sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m.

Missouri Western softball drops two games at Central Missouri

WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Griffon Softball (16-21, 8-4) dropped both games of a doubleheader at Central Missouri (21-15, 10-2) on Friday afternoon.

Central Missouri took game one, 4-1 and game two, 4-2, out-hitting Missouri Western 17-12 in the doubleheader. The sweep gave Central Missouri five-straight wins and Missouri Western its third-straight loss.

NOTABLES
– Rebekah Mueller went 2-for-2 on the day with four walks and a run scored

– Gabi Carter went 3-for-6 on the day

– Shelbie Atwell went 3-for-7 in the doubleheader

– Markee Brown drove in two runs without a hit

– Kenzie Hilzer did not allow a walk and held UCM to two earned runs in game one

UP NEXT
The road trip continues for the Griffons at Southwest Baptist (12-21, 2-8) on Saturday. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Bolivar.

— MWSU Athletics —

MWSU men’s golf finishes third at Upper Iowa Invitational

WAYNE, Neb. – Griffon men’s golf shot a 595 and placed third at the Upper Iowa Invitational held at the Wayne Country Club. Missouri Western had four players place inside the 16 of the individual field and was a stroke back from second place.

Patrick McCarthy and Cole Roberts both tied for 10th place with a 4-over-par 148. Lucas Horseman tied for 13th with a six-over-par 150, his second top-13 finish of the season. Jacob Majeske finished a stroke behind Horseman with a seven-over-par 151. Kevin Kim rounded out the MWSU scorecard with a 156.

Nebraska Kearney won the team title with a 577. UNK’s Jay Cottam won individual honors with a 4-under-par 140. Missouri Western travels to the Central Region preview on April 9 and 10 at Missouri Bluffs Golf Course in St. Charles, Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffon baseball loses at Northwest Missouri State 8-4

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball lost at Northwest Missouri State Wednesday 8-4. It’s the fourth consecutive loss for the Griffons as they fall to 14-13 and 7-7 in the MIAA. Northwest has now won four straight as they’re now 16-12 and 12-5 in league play.

Missouri Western struck early when Nolan Meyer homered to left field with the second at-bat of the game. Identical to the first inning, Will Jibas homered to left field as the second batter of the inning. Jibas’s home run helped MWSU tie the game 2-2.

A bases loaded walk to Fahd Shakeel allowed Casey Danley to score a Griffon run for three consecutive innings and tie the game at 3-3. Northwest answered with two runs in the fifth inning before a Nick Schrank double drove in Maurice Bruce to cut the lead to 5-4. The Bearcats added three more runs in the eighth to pull away.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western’s top four batters combined for five of the team’s seven hits

– Casey Danley and Nolan Meyer scored two runs with a RBI

– Dusty Stroup was 2-for-5 at the plate, his 12th multiple hit game this season

– Will Jibas extended his hitting streak to nine games with his second inning home run

– Every NWMSU batter in the lineup recorded a hit

UP NEXT
Missouri Western hosts Missouri Southern for a three-game series beginning Thursday at 5:00 p.m. from the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri Western hires Sundance Wicks as new men’s basketball coach

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western State University Director of Athletics Josh Looney announced the hiring of Sundance Wicks as the fifth head men’s basketball coach at Missouri Western State University, Wednesday morning.

“When this search process started, our mission was to find a coach who possessed two defining characteristics: a relentless recruiter, and someone who has been part of building a championship culture at the NCAA Division II level. These characteristics were non-negotiable,” Looney said. “With ‘Sunny,’ we not only found a proven recruiter and winner, but we also found someone with an unwavering commitment to engaging and motivating communities through basketball. His energy and passion for basketball are unmistakable and he is the perfect fit to lead the resurgence of our men’s basketball program. We can’t wait for St. Joseph to meet our next head coach.”

An introductory press conference will be held Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room inside Spratt Memorial Stadium. A meet and greet session will be held immediately following the press conference in the Spratt Memorial Stadium Club.

Wicks will come to Missouri Western fresh off the NCAA Division II national championship game as the associate head coach at Northern State University, his alma mater. Wicks brings extensive experience to MWSU as an assistant coach at the Division II and Division I levels.

Since 2016, Wicks served as associate head coach at Northern State. He helped lead the Wolves to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason championships this year. Northern State also claimed the central region championship en route to the program’s first-ever appearance in the national championship game.

“To say that I am jacked up to be the next men’s basketball coach at Missouri Western would be an understatement,” Wicks said. “First off, I would like to thank Dr. Vartabedian and Josh Looney for entrusting me with this awesome leadership position. The search committee consisting of Mike Halloran, Brett Esely and Eric Kramer were absolute rock stars.”

“This job, in my opinion, is a sleeping giant and I’m ready to wake up the beast and help transform this program into one the St. Joseph community will rally behind for years to come. This is an exciting time for Griffon Athletics. You can tell by all the energy and enthusiasm throughout the athletic department and the campus community that Missouri Western is ready for the fight and about to take flight.”

After lettering four years as a student-athlete at Northern State from 1999-2003, Wicks held assistant coaching positions at Northern State, Colorado (2006-07), Northern Illinois (2007-11) and San Francisco (2015-16). Wicks also built the Arizona Power Basketball Academy, serving as a skill instructor and director from 2011-15. Prior to launching the APBA, he spent five months training NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. Wicks’ draft class trainees included Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Isaiah Thomas.

Wicks began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the legendary Don Meyer. As a student-athlete, Wicks was twice named first team All-NSIC, scoring 1,174 points and pulling down 665 rebounds in his career. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles at Northern State. After graduation, Wicks played for the Sodertalje Kings in Sweden. He led the team in points and rebounding.

Wicks received a bachelor’s degree in international business from Northern State in 2003 and a master’s degree in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State in 2006.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SUNDANCE WICKS

“Coach Wicks is a tireless worker that will bring a contagious energy to everyone around him. He will create a winning culture at Missouri Western that people will be proud of. He’s a total package coach that will be impactful not only on the court, but in the community.” – Paul Sather, head coach, Northern State University

“I have witnessed, first hand, the passion that Sundance has for teaching the game of basketball. His knowledge of the game and ability to connect with young people is second to none. The basketball program at Missouri Western is in great hands!” – Greg McDermott, head coach, Creighton University

“Missouri Western just got some serious juice! I’ve been around some of the greatest basketball people on this earth and no one will bring more energy, passion, work ethic and true team building than Sundance Wicks. Every day I was around him, I got better. Every day my family, players and staff were around him, they got better. Missouri Western just got better today and will continue to do so each day Sundance is leading, guiding, mentoring and coaching your young men. You got a great man and great coach to lead your program.” – Rex Walters, assistant coach, Detroit Pistons

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffon softball splits doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State

MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Western softball team split a doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State Tuesday. The Griffons won the opener 8-0 before losing game two 1-0. MWSU is now 16-19 this season and 7-3 in the MIAA.

Missouri Western made quick work of the Bearcats in game one with an 8-0, 5-inning victory for the team’s ninth win in 10 tries. The Griffons left two runners on base in the seventh inning of a game two pitcher’s duel that went the Bearcats’ way, 1-0.

The rivals entered Tuesday’s doubleheader as part of a three-way tie for second place in the MIAA standings and left as the only two teams with 7-3 MIAA records, tied for third.

NOTABLES
– Lonnie Groves and Gabi Carter both doubled and homered in game one with Carter driving in three runs

– The Griffons stole five bases on five attempts in game one

– Kenzie Hilzer continued a hot streak in the circle, striking out five Bearcats without a walk and pitching her second shutout over her last four starts

– Missouri Western had two hits in game two with Kaili Hinds holding Northwest Missouri to four hits

– Hinds and Hilzer have combined to hold opponents to 22 runs over their last 69 innings on 57 hits. Over the same span (five appearances each) they have struck out 37 and walked 18. The Griffons are 8-2 during that stretch.

– Northwest Missouri’s Rachel Smith totaled eight strikeouts in game two

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Central Missouri (17-15, 6-2) on Friday, March 29. The Jennies are alone in second place in the MIAA after Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri’s split on Tuesday

— MWSU Athletics —

Ong leads MWSU women’s golf to a fifth-place finish in Colorado

PUEBLO, Colo. – Shi Qing Ong earned her fourth top-three finish of the season with an even-par 144 Monday at the Pack Spring Invite at Walking Stick Golf Course. Ong was just two strokes off the individual championship and helped the Missouri Western women’s golf team place fifth with a score of 619.

Chong Yong carded a 144 in the two rounds and finished tied for 10th place. Tiffanie Yabut ended the two-day tournament with a 158 and tied for 24th. Katie Irvin recorded a 167 and Jenna Kosmatka shot a 168 for the Griffons.

Midwestern State won the team championship with a 587. Dixie State’s Katie Ford won individual honors with a 2-under-par 142.

MWSU travels next to the Henderson State Spring Invitational in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

— MWSU Athletics —

Ong third, Western women fourth after first round of Pack Springs Invite

PUEBLO, Colo. – Griffon women’s golf shot a 306 and is in fourth place after the first round Sunday of the Pack Spring Invite at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo, Colorado.

Shi Qing Ong is tied for third place after she shot an even-par 72 in the opening round. Chong Yong was 2-over-par 74 and tied for 10th place. Tiffanie Yabut ended the round inside the top-25 with a score of 79. Katie Irvin carded an 81 and Jenna Kosmatka finished a stroke behind at 82.

Colorado-Colorado Springs leads the team field with a 290. Emily Brennan from Midwestern State is the clubhouse leader with a 2-under-par 70. Missouri Western tees off in the final round at 10 a.m. CST.

— MWSU Athletics —

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