MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University women’s basketball head coach Buck Scheel has announced the hiring of Heather Howard as the program’s assistant coach. Howard comes to Northwest after spending two seasons as the assistant coach at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa.

“I’m very excited about Heather joining the staff here at Northwest,” said Scheel. “As a player and a coach, she’s experienced all levels of NCAA women’s basketball and has a great knowledge about what it takes to be successful in the MIAA. She’s not afraid to put the work in and I look forward to her being a part of our Bearcat family.”

Howard was a standout at Shawnee Mission West High School, earning second-team KBCA and Topeka Capital Journal All-State honors as a senior. She also earned first team All-Star Johnson County, All-Sun Country and All-Sunflower League honors. She went on to letter three times at Oklahoma State, playing in 69 contests from 2009-12, earning Academic All-Big 12 first team honors twice. OSU appeared in the 2010 NCAA Division I Tournament and won the 2011-12 WNIT Tournament. Howard finished her career at Missouri Western, starting all 28 games while averaging 13.1 points and 9.5 rebounds during the 2012-13 season. She spent one season as the graduate assistant at Missouri Western following her playing career in 2013-14.

“I’m so excited and grateful to join the women’s basketball staff at Northwest,” Howard said. “I really believe in the direction that Coach Scheel is taking this team. To be a part of it is such a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”

Howard will officially start at Northwest on May 2, 2016.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State softball team opened the 2016 MIAA Softball Championship Tournament with a run-rule victory before falling in the second round Thursday evening at the ASA Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Okla.

– Behind a pair of home runs from Jessica Rawie and a complete game shutout from Kendle Schieber, the second-seeded Bearcats topped seventh-seeded Fort Hays State in the first round, 10-0 in five innings.

– The Bearcats fell behind early after a 2 hour, 18 minute break and were unable to bounce back, falling to Central Oklahoma, 5-1.

– Northwest is now 37-13 on the season, while the Tigers fell to 21-29 overall and UCO moved to 38-16.

– Schieber earned her 21st victory of the season, the most victories in a single season in program history.

Round One Key Statistics (Northwest 10, Fort Hays State 0, five innings)

– Rawie drove in six runs on her two long balls, giving her eight home runs on the year and the 31st multi-home run game in Northwest history.

– Schieber (21-5) gave up just two hits in her fourth complete game shutout of the season, striking out two and walking none.

– Chantel Adams finished 3-for-3 with a double, driving in two runs and scoring two more.

– Freshman Alexis Kelsey reached base in all three plate appearances, walking twice and doubling in the fourth. The first baseman scored three runs and drove in one.

– Shortstop Rebecca Maher scored a pair of runs, finishing 1-for-3 with a double.

– Torri Blythe crossed the plate once after reaching on a bunt single and stole her 21st base of the season.

Round One Key Innings
– Northwest took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Tigers to score a pair of unearned runs in the first. Maher sent a routine ground ball to short that would have been the final out of the inning, but the FHSU defender bobbled it before making a late throw to first. A walk to Kelsey set the stage for Adams, who sent the first pitch over the left fielder’s head for a two RBI double.

– The Bearcats extended their lead in the bottom of the third when Kelsey worked her second walk of the day. A single off the bat of Adams put two runners on for Rawie, who crushed the first pitch she saw over the fence just to the right of center, handing Northwest a 5-0 edge.

– Blythe led off the fourth with a bunt single before advancing to second with a stolen base. Maher then sent a double to the fence in left field, driving in Blythe. A second-straight RBI double off the bat of Kelsey allowed Maher to score before Adams reached with her third hit of the night. Rawie again cleared the bases, this time with a deep drive to left center, extending the Bearcat lead to 10-0.

– Schieber retired the side in order three times, never facing more than four batters in an inning.

Round Two Key Statistics (Northwest 1, Central Oklahoma 5)

– Freshman Kiana Baderdeen singled twice, finishing 2-for-3.

– Alexis Kelsey drew a pair of walks for the second-straight game, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI single.

– Shortstop Rebecca Maher scored after singling in the bottom of the fourth.

– Torri Blythe reached base on a single, a walk and an error.

– Outfielder Jaedra Moses connected with her first base knock of the postseason in the third.

– Sarah Baldwin (10-6) allowed three earned runs on five hits, striking out one Broncho batter.

– Kendle Schieber came out of left field to throw the final 4.1 innings, striking out four and surrendering one lone run on two hits.

Round Two Key Innings
– UCO jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the second inning before doubling the gap in the third with two more runs.

– Northwest clawed back with a run in the fourth after Maher led off with a single to right past a leaping second baseman. Kelsey sent a single to center in the next at bat that crept past a diving Broncho defender. Maher rounded third as the throw was coming to the plate and slid head first just before the tag was applied.

– The Bearcats stranded runners in scoring position in five innings.

– Schieber struck out the side on 11 pitches in the fifth.

Up Next
– Northwest will meet up with No. eight seed Southwest Baptist in an elimination game Friday morning at 11 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to play the winner of fourth-seeded Pittsburg State and sixth-seeded Central Missouri at 1:30 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Emporia State, 4-2, on Thursday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– Northwest falls to 24-20 overall with the loss and 19-15 in MIAA play. The Hornets improved to 31-14 overall and 23-11 in conference action.

– Anthony Caenepeel threw his third complete game of the year, allowing four runs on just five hits. He walked only one batter and struck out seven.

– In the effort, Caenepeel set the Northwest single season record for innings pitched (97.2), previously held by Brian Lamers in 2007 (90.2).

– Emporia State hit three solo home runs and had three outfield assists.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored two runs on nine hits with no errors. Both Bearcat runs came in the fifth.

– Emporia State scored single runs in the first, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. The Hornets had four runs on five hits with one error.

– Garrett Fort went 2-for-3 with an RBI double.

– Jake Lewis was 2-for-4 with a run scored and a double.

– Jay Hrdlicka went 2-for-3 with a double. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Kevin Handzlik was 1-for-4 with a double.

– James Holler went 1-for-3 with a walk.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-2 with a walk.

– Aaron Barratt scored a run and also tallied an RBI. He stole his ninth base of the year in the fifth inning.

Key Northwest Innings
– Lewis doubled to lead off the fifth and moved to third on a groundout. Barratt hit a hard grounder to third that bounced away from the ESU fielder, allowing Lewis to score and Barratt to reach safely. Barratt stole second and stole on a double by Fort off the center field wall to tie the game, 2-2.

– Caenepeel worked perfect frames in the second, fifth and eighth innings.

Up Next
– The series concludes Friday with a double header starting at noon at Bearcat Field. Northwest will hold Senior Day between Friday’s games to honor Nick Gotta, Zachary Douglas, Derek Meyer, John Osborne and Carson Smith.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Nikko Pablo has been named the MIAA/AstroTurf Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performance in two games last week. Pablo went 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA with seven strikeouts in 8.1 innings for the Bearcats. Pablo becomes the third Northwest player to earn the conference’s weekly honor this season, joining Anthony Caenepeel and James Holler back on April 5.

Pablo pitched 3.2 inings of relief back on April 19 at Missouri Western. He allowed just three hits in 3.2 innings, giving up just one unearned run. He did not issue a walk and struck out two. On Saturday, Pablo picked up the win, going 4.2 innings of relief. He allowed three runs but only one was earned. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State baseball team picked up a 10-7 win over Central Oklahoma at Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla., on Sunday.

Northwest improves to 23-19 overall with the win and moves to 18-14 in MIAA action. The Bronchos fall to 24-18 on the year and 16-15 in conference play.

Garrett Fort hit a pair of home runs, going 2-for-4 on the day with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Nick Gotta went 4-for-5 with two runs scored. He also hit a double and recorded a stolen base.

Carson Smith picked up the two-inning save. He faced and retired all six batters for UCO.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored 10 runs on 12 hits with no errors. The Bearcats got one in the first, three in the second, four in the third and two in the sixth.

– UCO scored six in the first and added one run in the seventh. The Bronchos finished the game with seven runs on nine hits with one error.

– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a sacrifice bunt.

– Aaron Barratt was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI.

– Jake Lewis went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-4, driving in two runs with a triple and a run scored.

– James Holler drew a walk, drove in a run and also scored once.

– Jay Hrdlicka and Derek Meyer each drew walks in the game.

– Brad Roberts got the start and went 6.2 innings. He allowed seven runs on nine hits while striking out nine batters. He walked just one on the day.

– Jacob Wagner came in and got the final out of the seventh inning on a groundout.

– Smith needed just six pitches in the eighth inning and struck out two of the three battes he face in the ninth.

Key Northwest Innings
– Gotta led off the game with a single and went to second on a Hrdlicka walk. Adams laid down a sacrifice bunt ot move the runners up to second and third. Gotta would come around to score the game’s first run on a Holler RBI groundout to second.

– Northwest responded to UCO’s big first inning in the second, adding three of its own. Lewis walked and Barratt singled to left. After a strikeout, Greenslade tripled to clear the bases and he scored on a throwing error by the left fielder to make it 6-4 UCO.

– In the third, Adams singled to lead off and Holler drew a six-pitch walk to put two on. After a strikeout, Lewis hit an RBI single to right to score Adams. Lewis was caught stealing but Barratt doubled to left center to score Holler to tie the game, 6-6. Fort took a 3-1 pitch over the right center field wall for a two-run shot to put the Bearcats up, 8-6.

– Fort’s hot streak continued in the sixth as he led off with a solo homerun to center. After a groundout, Gotta doubled to left center and came home two batters later on an Adams RBI single to center to give Northwest a 10-6 lead.

Up Next
– The Bearcats begin a fouir-game homestand beginning on Wednesday, April 27, against Missouri Western at 2 p.m. Northwest will then host Emporia State over the weekend.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team beat Central Oklahoma, 16-8, on Saturday afternoon at Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla.

Northwest improves to 22-18 overall and 17-13 in MIAA play with the win. The Bronchos fall to 24-17 and 16-14 in conference action.

The Bearcats scored 16 runs on 16 hits.

James Holler hit a pair of homeruns, going 3-for-5 in the game with six RBIs and three runs scored.

Key Northwest Statistics
– The Bearcats scored four runs in the first, seven in the fourth, two in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the ninth.
– Central Oklahoma got four runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth.
– Kevin Handzlik hit a homerun and drove in five runs, going 2-for-5 on the day with a run scored. He also drew a walk.
– Ozzie Adams went 3-for-5 with four runs scored. He had two doubles and drove in two runs.
– Garrett Fort was 3-for-4 with a run scored, a stolen base and a walk.
– Aaron Barratt went 2-for-5. He drew a walk and also scored a run.
– Jay Hrdlicka went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. He drove in a run and crossed the plate three times.
– Nick Gotta went 1-for-4 with a run scored, a stolen base and a walk.
– Jake Lewis was 1-for-5 with a run scored and a walk.
– Kolby Greenslade drew a walk and also drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
– Joseph Hietpas went 4.1 innings in the start. He recorded five strikeouts on the afternoon.
– Nikko Pablo pitched the final 4.2 innings of the game for the win, allowing just one run on six hits. He struck out five batters and did not issue a walk.
– Both teams committed three errors.

Key Northwest Innings
– Gotta and Hrdlicka began the game by both reaching safely. Adams hit a double to left to score Gotta to make it 1-0. With no outs, Holler hit a three-run homerun to right center to put Northwest up, 4-0.

– The Bearcats batted around in the fourth, Lewis got things started with a walk and Barratt singled to right field. Fort singled to load the bases. Greenslade hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Lewis. Gotta reached on an error to load the bases again. Hrdlicka singled on  the first pitch he saw to right to score Barratt. After a pitching change, Adams walked to score Fort. Holler hit a sacrifice fly to score Gotta to make it 8-0. With two down, Handzlik took an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homerun to put Northwest up, 11-0.

– Adams led off the sixth by reaching on an error and made it all the way to third. Holler followed it up with his second home run of the day to right center, making it 13-5.
– Pablo worked a perfect sixth innings, setting the Bronchos down in order.

– Hrdlicka started the seventh with a walk and after a lineout, Holler doubled to right center to put runners on second and third. Handzlik came up with a two-RBI single up the middle to put the Bearcats up, 15-5.

– In the ninth, Adams scored on a wild pitch to Lewis to make it 16-8. Adams led off with a double to left center and moved to third on a groundout. With two down, he crossed the plate on a wild pitch to Lewis.

Up Next
– The three-game series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State softball team wrapped up the regular season with a pair of victories over Washburn Saturday afternoon in Topeka, Kan.

The bats came alive for the No. 25-ranked Bearcats, who rattled off 12 hits in each contest.

Northwest captured game one by a score of 8-4 before topping the Ichabods in six innings in the nightcap, 10-0.

The Bearcats close the regular season 36-12 overall, the most regular season wins in school history. Northwest heads into the postseason with a 19-7 mark in the MIAA, placing the Bearcats in a tie for second with Pittsburg State and Central Oklahoma. The Ichabods wrap up the year 19-27 and 8-18 in conference action.

Kendle Schieber earned her 20th victory of the season, tying the record for most wins in a single season (Shelly Navara, 1987).

The Bearcats will head to Oklahoma City, Okla. to participate in the 2016 MIAA Softball Championship Tournament next week, with first and second round action set to begin Thursday, April 28.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team beat Southwest Baptist, 7-5, on Sunday at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

he win gives Northwest a three-game sweep over SBU after taking Friday’s and Saturday’s games.  Northwest improves to 21-17 overall and 16-12 in conference action. SBU falls to 17-21 overall and 12-16 in MIAA play.

Jay Hrdlicka went 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of RBI.

Anthony Caenepeel went 8.0 innings for his fifth win, allowing five runs on seven hits. He recorded four strikeouts and walked just three batters.

Northwest scored seven runs on eight hits with no errors. Northwest got two runs in the first and five in the third.

Southwest Baptist scored one in the first and four in the fifth. SBU finished with five runs on seven hits with one error.

Kolby Greenslade went 2-for-4 with a run scored. He also stole a base.

James Holler hit his sixth homerun of the year in the first, a two run shot. He finished the day with a pair of runs scored and was also hit by a pitch.

Kevin Handzlik was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBI and one run scored.

Aaron Barratt was 1-for-3 with a double and a sacrifice bunt.

Ozzie Adams drew a pair of walks and came around to score two runs on the afternoon.

Jake Lewis was hit by a pitch in the third and came around to score Northwest’s seventh run of the contest.

Carson Smith picked up his sixth save of the year, recording the final three outs of the contest.

With two outs in the first, Adams reached on an error on a ball hit to the second baseman. Holler took advantage of the mistake and crushed his sixth homerun of the year over the right field fence to make it 2-1 Northwest.

Greenslade led off the third with a single up the middle. After a pair of out, Adams walked and Holler was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two down. Handzlik came up with a two-RBI single to right to score Adams and Greenslade. Lewis was hit by a pitch to load the bases again and this time it was Hrdlicka who singled to right center to drive in Holler and Handzlik to make it 6-1 Northwest. After a pitching change, Lewis would score on a balk to push the lead to 7-1.

Northwest heads to Missouri Western on Tuesday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in St. Joseph, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University men’s tennis team swept Washington University on Sunday afternoon at the Tao Tennis Center in St. Louis, Mo., 9-0.

Northwest improved to 16-3 overall while Washington University falls to 14-4.

Northwest entered the match ranked No. 16 in NCAA Division II while Washington University was ranked No. 7 in Division III.

The win snapped WashU’s 35-match home win streak.

Match Scores
1. #49 Boissinot,Romain (NW) def. John Carswell (WASHU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Johnny Wu (WASHU) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 1-0 (10-5)
3. Riveros,Alvaro (NW) def. Tyler Kratky (WASHU) 1-6, 6-0, 6-1
4. Tete,Mauro (NW) def. Jeremy Bush (WASHU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Jason Haugen (WASHU) 7-5, 6-4
6. Glowick,Fin (NW) def. Jake Klein (WASHU) 6-3, 6-2

1. Fontcuberta,Sergi/Riveros,Alvaro (NW) def. Jason Haugen/Konrad Kozlowski (WASHU) 8-5
2. Boissinot,Romain/Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Jeremy Bush/Tyler Kratky (WASHU) 8-6
3. Tete,Mauro/Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Shaun Berman/Radha Vishnubhotla (WASHU) 8-4

The men’s and women’s teams will host Lindenwood University on Saturday, April 23, at 1 p.m. for Senior Day. The Northwest women will play at Fort Hays State, the day before on Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —