The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to the Missouri Southern Lions, 7-4, on Friday at Warren Turner Field.

The Bearcats fall to 17-15 overall and 12-10 in conference action. The No. 19 ranked Lions improved to 23-10 and 13-9 in MIAA play.

Missouri Southern got a complete game from starter Payton Walker in the victory.

Sophomore Kevin Handzlik was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Northwest scored one run in the second and three in the sixth. The Bearcats got four runs on seven hits with an error.

The Lions had seven runs on 13 hits with an error. Missouri Southern scored four runs in the third, two in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Aaron Barratt went 2-for-4. He also stole a base.  Ozzie Adams was 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.   Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-3 with a double.  Garrett Fort and James Holler each drew walks and scored a run.  Derek Meyer got an RBI on a groundout in the sixth.

Anthony Caenepeel got the start and went 7.0 innings. He had three strikeouts and walked just two batters.  Bryce Shea pitched 0.2 innings, allowing no runs on one hit. Jacob Wagner got the final out of the eighth inning on a strikeout.

With one out in the second, Handzlik singled up the middle on a 1-1 pitch. After a flyout, Barratt singled to center to put runners on the corners. Barratt was picked off first but during the rundown, Handzlik was able to score before the third out was recorded to put the Bearcats up, 1-0.

With one out in the sixth, Fort walked and went to second on an Adams single. Holler drew a six pitch walk to load the bases with one down for Handzlik. Handzlik came through with a two-RBI single to right. Fort and Adams both scored on the play. Handzlik moved to second and Holler went to third on an error by the right fielder. Meyer grounded out to first to score Holler to make the score 6-4 Missouri Southern.

The second game of the three-game series is scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Saturday, April 9.

— Northwest Athletics —

The No. 16 ranked Northwest Missouri State University men’s tennis team swept No. 26 Ouachita Baptist, 9-0, on Thursday in Bolivar, Mo.

The Bearcats improved to 14-2 overall while the Tigers fall to 9-4.

Match Results
1. #49 Boissinot,Romain (NW) def. #47 Oliveira,Vitor (OBU) 3-6, 7-6, 10-7
2. Riveros,Alvaro (NW) def. Lonnemann,Lennart (OBU) 6-4, 6-4
3. Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. Braciszewicz,Maciej (OBU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Tete,Mauro (NW) def. Carbo,David (OBU) 6-4, 6-4
5. Glowick,Fin (NW) def. Mechali,Jason (OBU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Chab,Luis (OBU) 6-0, 6-1

1. Riveros,Alvaro/Fontcuberta,Sergi (NW) def. #18 Oliveira,Vitor/Chab,Luis (OBU) 8-3
2. Boissinot,Romain/Autones,Aymeric (NW) def. Lonnemann,Lennart/Carbo,David (OBU) 8-3
3. Tete,Mauro/Altmann,Josef (NW) def. Braciszewicz,Maciej/Mechali,Jason (OBU) 8-6

The Bearcat men return to action on Saturday against Midwestern State at 2 p.m. in either Bolivar, Mo., or Springfield, Mo. The Northwest women are home for a pair of MIAA matches this weekend starting with Central Oklahoma on Friday at 3 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to Nebraska-Kearney, 11-7, on Tuesday night at Memorial Field in Kearney, Neb.

Northwest falls to 17-14 overall and 12-9 in conference play. The Lopers improved to 13-17 and 10-11 in MIAA action.

James Holler, who was named the MIAA’s Hitter of the Week earlier in the day, hit two home runs, his second and third blasts of the year.

The Bearcats hit a season-high three home runs in the game.

Northwest scored three runs in the first, one in the second, one in the seventh and two in the ninth. The Bearcats had seven runs on nine hits with two errors.

The Lopers scored 11 runs on 13 hits with no errors. UNK scored one in the first, six in the third, three in the fourth and one in the eighth.

Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-3 with a first inning three-run home run. He also drew a walk on the day.

Nick Gotta went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run score, a stolen base and a double. He drew a walk in the first inning, his MIAA leading 33rd free pass of the year.

Aaron Barratt was 1-of-3 with a double and a walk.

Jake Lewis and Garrett Fort each went 1-for-4 on the day.

Derek Meyer was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Hondo Pearcy started but left the game with two outs in the first inning due to an injury.

Jimmy McElwain pitched 3.0 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed three hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out three Lopers.

Bryce Shea recorded 1.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Gotta and Adams each drew first inning walks and with two down, Handzlik made the Lopers pay. Swinging away on a 3-0 pitch, Handzlik deposited his first home run of the year over the right field fence on an opposite-field shot to give Northwest a 3-0 lead.

Holler led off both the second and seventh innings with leadoff home runs to deep right. Each long fly came on the third pitch he saw of each at bat.

McElwain needed just seven pitches to set the Lopers down in order in the sixth inning.

Meyer led off the ninth with a single to right and was pinch ran for by Zach Douglas. Barratt drew a walk to put two runners on with no outs. Gotta pulled an RBI double down the right field line to score Douglas. After an out, Adams grounded out to second to score Barratt and Gotta moved to third.

The Bearcats will head to Joplin, Mo., for a three-game MIAA series with Missouri Southern starting on Friday, April 8.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University’s James Holler and Anthony Caenepeel were each named the MIAA/AstroTurf Baseball Athletes of the Week in a release from the conference office on Tuesday. The junior duo helped lead the Bearcats to a 4-0 record last week, including a sweep of Pittsburg State over the weekend.

Holler hit .643 for the week in four contests, going 9-of-14 from the plate. He had 12 RBI, four runs scored and four doubles. On Friday, he hit a first-inning grand slam as part of a six-RBI performance. In addition, Holler had a 1.143 slugging percentage, a .688 on base percentage, drew one walk and was also hit by a pitch.

Caenepeel collected a pair of wins in two starts last week. He struck out a career-high 13 batters in a 6-1 victory over Nebraska-Kearney on March 29. For the week, Caenepeel went 15.0 innings, allowing four runs. He walked just three batters and struck out 16.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State Universty men’s basketball student-athletes Zach Schneider and Justin Pitts have been selected to play for the USA D-2 Men’s Basketball Team’s 2016 Brazil Tour. The tour will begin in Orlando, Fla., on May 10th. The tour runs from May 10-19, and will feature stops in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. The tour is sponsored by USA Sports Tours and Events. The men’s team will be coached by Doug Karleskint from the University of Central Missouri.

“This is an outstanding group of basketball players that come from 11 different states and 12 different colleges and universities,” said Ron Smith, Director of USA Sport Tours and Events. “We feel that we have some of the best of the best representing NCAA Division II basketball and their universities. These players have been high achievers both on the court and in the classroom. They represent everything good that the NCAA Division II institutions have to offer.”

Schneider is Northwest’s career leader in three pointers made with 262. He was a third team All-MIAA performer in 2015-16. The Prairie Village, Kan., native averaged 9.8 points per game and 35.5 minutes per contest. He started all 32 games he appeared in as a junior. Justin Pitts was the 2015-16 MIAA Player of the Year. He earned DII Bulletin Third Team All-America honors and D2 CCA honorable mention All-America accolades. Pitts averaged 21.7 points, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 36.4 minutes per game as a sophomore.

The team will head to Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Wednesday, May 11 following orientation and practices in Orlando, Fla. On May 14th, the teams will hold a “Skills Clinic for the Youth of Jundiai.” The final two men’s games will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The team will tepart Brazil on May 18th and return to the USA on May 19th.

— Northwest Athletics —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University men’s tennis freshman Sergi Fontcuberta has been named the MIAA’s co-Athlete of the Week in a release from the conference on Monday. Fontcuberta helped lead the No. 16 ranked Bearcats to a 4-0 week, including three MIAA victories.

Fontcuberta won all four of his singles matches at the No. 3 position. He also went a perfect 4-0 at No. 1 doubles with teammate Alvaro Riveros. On March 28, they beat the nation’s No. 16 ranked doubles team from Washburn, 8-6.

The Northwest men’s team heads to Bolivar, Mo., on Thursday, April 7, to take on Ouachita Baptist at 11 a.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburg State on Sunday with a 13-3 victory at Bearcat Field.

The game was called in the bottom of the seventh when the Bearcats plated their 13th run, giving them a 10-run lead.

Northwest improved to 17-13 overall and 11-8 in MIAA action. The Gorillas fall to 6-23 on the year and 1-19 in conference play.

The Bearcats plated runs in each of the last four innings including a seven-run fifth.

Kolby Greenslade was 3-for-5 ont he day with four runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base.

Anthony Caenepeel pitched the full 7.0 innings, allowing just three runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out three. It was his fourth win of the year.

Eight different Bearcats got hits, seven different players scored a run and seven recorded at least an RBI.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored 13 runs on 14 hits with an error. The Bearcats got on in the second, two in the fourth, seven in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
– Pitt State scored all three of its runs in the second inning. The Gorillas finished with seven hits and four errors.
– Jake Lewis was 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs scored, two walks and a double.
– Ozzie Adams went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. He was also hit by a pitch.
– Kevin Handzlik was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI, a run scored and a sacrifice fly.
– Nick Gotta went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
– Garrett Fort went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored.
– Derek Meyer was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
– Austin Wulff had and RBI double, going 1-for-4 on the day.
– Nick Howard, who entered the game in the sixth, got an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Key Northwest Innings
– Caenepeel started the game by recording a perfect first inning, needing only seven pitches to retire the Gorillas in order.

– Lewis turned a leadoff walk into Northwest’s first run of the game. With two down and Meyer at the plate, Northwest attempted a double steal with Handzlik on first and Lewis on third. Handzlik was caught in a rundown between first and second and strung it out long enough for Lewis to score from third before he was tagged out at first.

– Greenslade led off the fourth with a single. He stole second and went to third when the throw ended up in center field. Adams singled to short left center to score Greenslade from third. Adams went to second on a passed ball and went to third on a wild pitch. After an out, Handzlik hit a ball to deep right and with Adams tagging, Northwest tied the game, 3-3.

– Northwest pulled away in the fifth, scoring seven runs on seven hits. Meyer led off by reaching second on an error. After a flyout, five Bearcats recorded hits as Gotta, Greenslade, Adams, Lewis and Handzlik all connected on base hits to make it 8-3 Northwest. Fort drew a walk and after another out, it came back around to Meyer who started the inning. Meyer hit an RBI single that scored Handzlik to make it 9-3. Wulff continued the rally as he hit a fly ball to left that got caught in the wind and dropped fair for a double, scoring Fort to give Northwest a 10-3 lead.

– Greenslade led off the sixth with a well placed infield single to deep short. Adams got hit by a pitch and Lewis drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Howard hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center to score Greenslade. Adams tagged up from second and in a heads up play, scored on a throwing error by the center fielder to make it 12-3 Bearcats.

– With one out in the seventh, Gotta hit an infield single to third and Greenslade reached on an error by the center fielder. After a wild pitch moved runners up to second and third, Adams hit into a fielder’s choice with Gotta being tagged out at home. Lewis came up next and hit the game-winning RBI to short left to score Greenslade.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will head to Kearney, Neb., on Tuesday, April 7, for a 6 p.m. contest to conclude the three-game mid-week series with the Lopers. The series is tied, 1-1.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State softball team picked up a pair of conference victories against Fort Hays State Sunday afternoon in Maryville.

Northwest rattled off 14 hits in game one, topping the Tigers 7-1.

Sarah Baldwin tossed a three-hit shutout in the nightcap, helping Northwest to a 3-0 victory.

The Bearcats improved their record to 29-9 this season and 13-5 in the MIAA, with the Tigers falling to 13-24 overall and 7-13 in conference action.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 7, Fort Hays State 1)
– Eight of the nine Bearcat starters recorded at least one hit as Northwest outhit Fort Hays, 14-3.
– Kendle Schieber (16-4) added another complete game victory to her resume, striking out six Tiger batters while allowing just three hits and one unearned run. The senior faced the minimum three batters in three different innings, allowing multiple baserunners only in the sixth inning.
– Shortstop Rebecca Maher drove in two runs with her first triple of the season in the third inning, finishing 2-for-4 and scoring two runs.
– Jaedra Moses picked up three hits and scored a pair of runs.
– Jessica Rawie rattled off three singles in the contest, driving in one run.
– Center fielder Kiana Baderdeen finished 2-for-3 with a triple and one run scored.
– Chantel Adams knocked an RBI double in her second at bat, finishing 1-for-4.
– Second baseman Torri Blythe scored a run and drove in another, finishing 1-for-4.
– Freshman Alexis Kelsey scored a run after singling in her final at bat.

Game One Key Innings
– The Bearcats opened the scoring with three runs in the bottom of the third after Blythe and Moses each reached on infield singles. Maher knocked them both in with a triple that caught the chalk behind first base and rolled into the right field corner. Adams roped a double over the left fielder’s head two batters later, scoring Maher.

– Baderdeen led off the fourth with a lined single to right that slid past the Tiger defender, allowing the freshman to reach third. Blythe knocked her in with an RBI groundout before Moses knocked a solid single up the middle. After Maher lined a single over the shortstop, Adams lifted a fly ball to right that was dropped by the right fielder, allowing a pair of runs to score.

– Northwest added an insurance run in the bottom of sixth when Kelsey ripped a two-out single through the left side. Adams sent a grounder to second that would have been the final out, but the second baseman’s errant throw prolonged the inning, allowing Kelsey to advance to third. Rawie made the Tigers pay when she reached on a slow roller to short, scoring Kelsey and putting the Bearcats in front, 7-1.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 3, Fort Hays State 0)
– Sarah Baldwin (7-4) picked up her fourth complete game shutout of the year, giving up just three hits while striking out four Tigers. Baldwin allowed just to batters to reach second base.
– Senior Madison Jones crushed her 11th career home run, driving in a pair of runs after finishing 2-for-3.
– Catcher Jessica Rawie scored a run after doubling in the sixth.
– Torri Blythe reached base twice with a walk and a double.

Game Two Key Innings
– Jaedra Moses made a sliding catch in the top of the fifth to get out of a two on, two out jam.

– The Bearcats broke through in the bottom of the fifth when Jones hit a leadoff home run to right field. Kiana Baderdeen reached on an error by the third baseman before Blythe doubled down the right field line, putting runners in scoring position with no outs. Rebecca Maher plated Baderdeen two batters later when she grounded out to first.

– Northwest added a third run in the sixth when Rawie lifted a soaring fly ball towards left field that ended up finding the grass in right center due to the stiff wind. Rawie scored from second two batters later when Jones knocked a sharp single up the middle.

Up Next
– The 10-game Bearcat homestand will conclude next weekend when Northwest hosts Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, repsectively. First pitch with the Gorillas is slated for 2 p.m., while the action will commence Saturday at noon. Northwest will be honoring its seniors before Saturday’s contests.

— Northwest Athletics —

By David Boyce, Northwest Athletics

MARYVILLE, Mo. – During workouts and conditioning this spring and summer, sophomore Tanya Meyer and freshman Macy Williams realize there will be moments they will be tired and need a break.

But they will look back on games like their next to last one in which they lost 69-63 to Emporia State, and know if they could have made one more play, dove for and retrieved one more loose ball, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

“What if we didn’t take one of those possessions off, how many of those close games we could have won if we would have worked much harder and hustled harder to a loose ball,” Meyer said. “During the offseason, as we are working out, we know we have to push ourselves that much harder than we have in the past.”

The desire to get better comes from new head coach Buck Scheel, who officially became Northwest Missouri State’s eighth women’s basketball coach on March 22.

In his introductory press conference Tuesday at the Student Union, Scheel, who has been guiding the Bearcats since mid December, stressed that individual improvement from each player will lead to a better a team.

“A lot of that will start with the returners. We have to commit to more individual improvement first,” Scheel said. “I feel when you really commit yourself individually to bettering your talents, then that can come together as a team.”

Scheel has the personality and the demeanor to get the players to push themselves to get better. Athletic director Mel Tjeerdsma saw that when Scheel moved from assistant coach to interim head coach in December.

The Bearcats had just lost by 46 points at Central Missouri. The season was off to a rough start, and it became obvious that many of the players were not having fun playing basketball and even though that still had pride in representing Northwest.

The first game Scheel coached, Northwest nearly pulled off an upset at Missouri Southern, losing by five points.

And in the final two road games before Christmas break, the Bearcats suffered just a two-point loss and a four-point loss.

“He created an atmosphere of respect,” Tjeerdsma said. “The players became a lot more productive, and most important, they enjoyed the game.”

In order to get better, you have to enjoy the game because the process of improving to be competitive in one of the toughest conferences in NCAA Division II is going to be difficult.

There will be many days when muscles ache. Players need to have respect for the coach to push through those tough days when workouts are extremely difficult.

Scheel developed that with his players in his three months as the interim head coach.

“I think we really progressed as a team since he took over last season,” Williams said. “I am really excited to see what we can do next season. He got some really good traits out of us that we probably didn’t know we had. I think he is really going to expand on that.

“I think the biggest thing is taking that drive we had from those close games. We had conditioning this morning and that was the thing that went through my head, we let so many close games slip away.”

Scheel saw how the players responded to his coaching and that caused him to want to be their head coach even more.

“Having two close games right before break told me that I really think I can get this team to buy into each other, buy into me and we can go out and compete,” Scheel said.

“After those two games and after the Christmas break, I had time to sit down and take it all in and it pushed me even more to try to get this team on the right track.”

Meyer recognizes that workouts will be hard. Northwest has missed the MIAA Tournament the last two seasons. The Bearcats want to do more than just make the tournament.

“He will push us to our limits and probably past them to see what we have because he knows we have a lot of potential,” Meyer said.

Indeed. Despite losing three important seniors in Tember Schechinger, Shelby Mustain and Taylor Shull, Northwest has a number of young players who showed flashes that they can compete with the best in the MIAA.

Over the next few weeks, Scheel will be searching for an assistant coach and several recruits to replace the departing seniors.

But the success of next season will depend on how much time and effort the returning players put in during the offseason to get better. Scheel is confident he has a group of players willing to do it.

“I will continue to drive these student-athletes to be successful academically, athletically and socially during their time in the Northwest women’s basketball program,” Scheel said. “I am excited to work with the returning players and the recruits that will be added later on.

“I look forward to building a program that will provide a source of energy, excitement and pride for the Northwest community.”

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team picked up a 6-1 MIAA victory over Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

Northwest improved to 14-13 overall while Nebraska-Kearney falls to 12-14. Both teams now have identical 9-8 MIAA records.

James Holler had four RBI, going 3-for-4 with three doubles. He scored two runs and was also hit by a pitch.

Anthony Caenepeel struck out a career-high 13 batters in 8.0 innings. His only two walks of the game came in the ninth inning. He allowed just one run on six hits.

The Bearcats will host Pittsburg State in a three game series starting on Friday, April 1, at 3 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —