KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball team has been picked fifth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll that was released Wednesday.

Missouri Western received one first place vote and 104 total points, just 10 points behind 2017 Division II World Series participant Lindenwood. 2016 MIAA Champion Emporia State was picked first with 11 of 12 first place votes.

Buzz Verduzco’s 18th season as Griffon baseball head coach brings eight position players and eight pitchers back from the 2017 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II regional tournament with a 32-22 overall record. Last year was the first time in program history the Griffons made back-to-back regional appearances. Missouri Western went 25-11 in the MIAA, finishing second in the conference and advancing to the MIAA Championship semifinals.

Starting pitcher Nate Hunter is back after being named third team All-MIAA last season. Dusty Stroup returns a season after being named MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year and honorable mention at shortstop. Other 2017 All-MIAA returners include honorable mention selections: Dustin Agnew (starting pitcher), Bailey Zimmer (first base), Levi Schreiner (outfield) and Andrew Curry (outfield).

Missouri Western was also picked seventh in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason central region poll.

First pitch of the 2018 season comes on Feb. 3 at Harding in Searcy, Arkansas. The Griffons’ home opener is scheduled for Feb. 16 against St. Cloud State.

2018 MIAA BASEBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. Emporia State (11) – 143 points
2. Central Missouri (1) – 120 points
3. Central Oklahoma – 118 points
4. Lindenwood – 114 points
5. Missouri Western (1) – 104 points
6. Pittsburg State – 94 points
7. Missouri Southern – 81 points
8. Southwest Baptist – 57 points
T9. Northwest Missouri – 47 points
T9. Washburn – 47 points
11. Northeastern State – 42 points
12. Nebraska Kearney – 31 points
13. Fort Hays State – 16 points

— MWSU Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With a little more than one week before the first pitch of the 2018 season, the Missouri Western softball team was picked second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

Missouri Western received 140 total points in the poll, 29 fewer than defending regular and postseason champion Central Oklahoma. The Griffons were five points ahead of Northwest Missouri which received one first place vote.

The Griffons return six position players and two pitchers from the 2017 team that went 38-20 overall and finished fourth in the MIAA with a 16-10 conference record. Top returners include 2017 second team All-MIAA shortstop Shelbie Atwell; 2017 honorable mention All-MIAA catcher Rebekah Mueller; 2017 honorable mention All-MIAA outfielder Shelby Uhl; and 2017 honorable mention All-MIAA pitcher Barbara Billingsley.

Jen Bagley Trotter’s squad is coming off four-straight NCAA regional tournament appearances and 10 in the last 13 seasons. The three-time MIAA Coach of the Year has led the Griffon softball program to seven-straight 35-plus win seasons. At 573-329 entering her 17th year as the Griffon softball head coach, Trotter is second all-time among MIAA head coaches in wins. Only former Missouri Western and Central Missouri head coach Rhesa Sumrell (614) has more.

The 2018 Missouri Western softball season begins Feb. 10 in Bentonville, Arkansas, where the Griffons will play four games in two days as part of the Arkansas Monticello Division II Challenge.

2018 MIAA PRESEASON SOFBALL POLL
1. Central Oklahoma (13) – 169 points
2. Missouri Western – 140 points
3. Northwest Missouri (1) – 135 points
4. Central Missouri – 133 points
5. Southwest Baptist – 114 points
T6. Emporia State – 101 points
T6. Missouri Southern – 101 points
8. Pittsburg State – 95 points
9. Northeastern State – 73 points
10. Washburn – 71 points
11. Lindenwood – 53 points
12. Fort Hays State – 43 points
13. Nebraska Kearney – 30 points
14. Lincoln – 16 points

— MWSU Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Despite shooting 50 percent from the field, the Missouri Western men (3-15, 1-10 MIAA) fell 94-60 Saturday afternoon at No. 7 Northwest Missouri (17-3, 9-2).

The Griffons went 23-of-46 from the field, but allowed the Bearcats to make better than 68 percent of their shots (33-48), including 13 three pointers, the most surrendered by the Griffons this season.

NOTABLES
– The Griffons field goal percentage was a high for the season, improving on the 46 percent the team shot against Southeastern Oklahoma State

– Missouri Western also shot a season-high 46 percent from three-point range (6-13)

– Lavon Hightower scored a team-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting

– Cole Clearman finished with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting

– TJ Evans was a perfect 3-for-3 from three, scoring 10 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western returns to the MWSU Fieldhouse after playing three-straight games on the road to host Lindenwood (13-7, 5-6) on Feb. 1.

— MWSU Athletics —

KEARNEY, Neb – Griffon men’s basketball (3-14) fell to Nebraska Kearney (8-10) 78-71. Missouri Western used a 16-5 run in the second half to cut the UNK lead to four points with 2:15 left in the game. However it would not be enough as the Lopers pulled away in the final two minutes.

MWSU looked poised to win on the road early in the game. The Griffons used a 14-2 run in after the first media timeout to take a nine point lead with 11:12 left in the first half. The nine point lead would be Missouri Western’s largest lead of the game.

Nebraska Kearney answered the Griffons with a 20-2 run over the next five minutes and built a 13-point halftime lead. MWSU wouldn’t go away quietly and outscored the Lopers 41-35 in the second half.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western scored its most points since at Jan. 3 at Pittsburg State

– The Griffons won the turnover margin 13-11

– Lavon Hightower and TJ Evans each scored 20 points, it is the second time this season both have scored at least 20 points

– UNK’s Trey Lansman recorded a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds

UP NEXT
Missouri Western closes out its three-game road stretch on Saturday, Jan. 27 at No. 2 Northwest Missouri with a 3:30 p.m. tip-off.

— MWSU Athletics —

KEARNEY, Neb – Griffon women’s basketball (10-9) fell at Nebraska Kearney (14-3) 55-49. Savannah Lentz hit six three-pointers in the game, the second most by a Griffon in program history. Missouri Western led for over 32 minutes in the game despite playing only five players.

MWSU jumped out of the gates early and went on a 17-2 run to end the first quarter. Missouri Western shot lights out in the first-half as it went to halftime shooting 50 percent from the three-point arc and had a nine point lead. MWSU would continue the hot shooting to start the second half as it built a 17-point lead and shot 40 percent from the field in the third quarter.

After being shut down for three quarters, the UNK offense found life in the fourth quarter. After trailing most of the game, Nebraska Kearney went on a 17-2 run over the final three minutes of the game. The Lopers forced back-to-back turnovers in the final minute to take the lead. UNK was 83.8 percent from the field and outscored MWSU 29-10 in the final quarter.

NOTABLES
– Savannah Lentz scored a career-high 21 points, 18 came on three-pointers

– Dossou Ndiaye recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 11 rebounds

– KeShara Scott pulled down 11 rebounds, it is the third time this season she had double-digit rebounds

– The Griffons were 47.1 percent from the three-point line, the second highest this season

– UNK’s Michaela Barry scored a game-high 18 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western closes out its three-game road stretch next Saturday at Northwest Missouri. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. in Maryville.

— MWSU Athletics —

HAYS, Kan. – Griffon men’s basketball (3-13, 1-8 MIAA) fell to Fort Hays State (12-5) 61-42 Thursday night inside Gross Memorial Coliseum. Missouri Western’s defense frustrated the Tigers and held them to 20 points below their season scoring average.

MWSU showed promise midway through the first half and looked to become the first team this season to beat FHSU at home. TJ Evans knocked down a jumper at the 9:51 mark to spark a 15-2 Griffon run. The run allowed Missouri Western to take a six-point lead with 3:42 left in the half. Fort Hays regained the lead with a 25-5 run over the next 14 minutes and never looked back.

Fort Hays moved to a perfect 10-0 at home on the season. For Missouri Western, it is the seventh consecutive loss.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western held Fort Hays to 24 points under its home scoring average

– The Griffons limited FHSU to its second lowest scoring output of the season

– MWSU outscored the Tigers 24-16 in the paint

– Beau Baker scored six of the Griffon’s 15 points in their 15-2 first half run

– Fort Hays State’s Hadley Gillum had a game-high 19 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Nebraska Kearney on Saturday, Jan. 20 for a 4 p.m. game. The Lopers knocked off No. 2 Northwest Missouri 66-59 in Kearney Thursday night.

— MWSU Athletics —

HAYS, Kan. – A roster depleted by injuries thinned even more Thursday night in the Griffon women’s (10-8, 3-6 MIAA) 58-36 loss at Fort Hays State (13-4, 4-4).

With just seven players available at tip against Fort Hays State, Missouri Western boarded the bus to Kearney, Nebraska with six healthy Griffons. Jessica Davies suffered an injury Thursday night after registering just five minutes in the game. Davies’ injury was compounded by the lack of both Cera Ledbetter and Brittany Atkins in uniform. Ledbetter sat out nursing an injury suffered on the opening tip-off against Southwest Baptist. Atkins did not make the weekend road trip for personal reasons.

Despite just six players for 35 minutes of the game, the Griffons held Fort Hays State well under its season scoring average, but had trouble finding points themselves.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western held Fort Hays State 14 points under its season average of 72

– Melia Richardson scored in double-figures (13) for the fourth-straight game and fifth time in the team’s last six games. Richardson also had a career-high six rebounds

– Dossou Ndiaye also registered a new career-high on the glass with 10 rebounds to go with her eight points

– Missouri Western won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding Fort Hays State 35-31

– Fort Hays State shot 50 percent (22-44) from the field with the Griffons held to a season-low 23.4 percent (11-47)

– The loss was Missouri Western’s fifth-straight overall and sixth-straight in MIAA play

UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays the second of three-straight games on the road when the Griffons travel to Nebraska-Kearney (13-3, 5-3) on Saturday, Jan. 20. The Lopers needed two overtimes to avoid being upset by Northwest Missouri on Thursday night.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball (3-12, 1-7 MIAA) fell to Southwest Baptist 68-56 at the MWSU Fieldhouse Monday.

Missouri Western received a career night from Cheikh Fall as he scored a career-high 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench. He also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and tied a career-best with three blocked shots.

MWSU couldn’t get the three-point shot to fall on the night as it was just 21 percent on the night but did shoot 50 percent in the second half. The Griffons fared better from the field as they were 42 percent, including 52 percent in the second half.

NOTABLES
– Cheikh Fall and Lavon Hightower combined for 33 of the team’s 56 points on the night

– MWSU had at least six steals for the fifth time this season

– Missouri Western attempted a season-low 14 three-pointers in the game

– The Griffons forced the Bearcats into 15 turnovers

– Southwest Baptist’s Logan Hovey had a game-high 22 points as SBU had three players score in double-figures

– The Bearcats were 52.4 percent from the three-point arc, highest by a MWSU opponent this season

UP NEXT
Missouri Western begins a three-game road stretch on Thursday, Jan. 18 at Fort Hays State. Tip-off in Hays, Kansas is set for 7:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – For the second-straight game, the Missouri Western women’s basketball team (10-7, 3-5 MIAA) fell in heartbreaking fashion. Missouri Western fought back from a 14-point second half deficit before falling 86-82 in two overtimes to Southwest Baptist (10-6, 2-5 MIAA), Monday night.

Southwest Baptist outscored Missouri Western 11-7 in the second overtime to secure their second-straight MIAA win. Nine of those SBU points in the final period came via free throws on nine attempts. Southwest Baptist went a combined 4-for-8 from the field in the two overtimes, but went 12-for-15 from the free throw line.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western trailed by 14 with 5:44 left in the third quarter before an 8-2 run followed by an 8-0 run pulled the Griffs within three early in the fourth quarter

– Down by eight with 5:43 to go, Missouri Western went on an 11-0 run to take a three-point lead with 1:49 left

– Southwest Baptist tied the game at 65 with 35 seconds left on two free throws

– Missouri Western opened the second overtime with a 6-0 run. Southwest Baptist ended the period on an 11-1 run

– Five Griffons fouled out of the game, playing the final 17 seconds with just four players

– Melia Richardson led all scorers with 29 points, besting her previous career-high by 14 points. Richardson was 9-of-18 from the field and made 10 of the Griffons’ 14 free throws

– KeShara Scott scored a career-high 16 points

– Southwest Baptist shot 86 percent at the free throw line (38-44) with the Griffons shooting 67 percent (14-21)

– The loss was the Griffons’ fourth-straight overall and fifth-straight in MIAA play

UP NEXT
Missouri Western plays their next three on the road, beginning at Fort Hays State (12-4, 3-4 MIAA) on Thursday.

— MWSU Athletics —