COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball guard Carrie Shephard (Steele, Mo.) has opted to transfer from the program, head coach Robin Pingeton announced Tuesday. Shephard played in 28 games over the past two seasons, scoring 26 points and dishing out 18 assists. She shot 46 percent (11-for-24) from the field during her Mizzou career.

“I have nothing but the utmost respect for Carrie,” Pingeton said. “Over the last two years, she has had a very positive impact on our team and will always be considered part of our family. She is an incredible young lady, a talented basketball player and a hard-working and successful student. We wish her nothing but the best and thank her for her contributions to the Mizzou Women’s Basketball program.”

“I want to say thank you to Coach Pingeton for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Mizzou family and to experience things I never thought I would experience,” Shephard said. “I also want to thank the whole staff and team for welcoming me in with open arms and making my time there a time I will always remember. Thank you to the fans and people who played a role in my time at Mizzou, especially the academic staff with the Total Person Program. They always put me in position to succeed. It was a great two years and I’m thankful for all of it.”

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HOOVER, Ala. – Mizzou Baseball has earned its third berth to the SEC Tournament in four years after earning the No. 11 seed at the annual week-long event in Hoover, Ala. This is the first time that Mizzou has made back-to-back appearances in the tournament.

Mizzou will open SEC Tournament action on Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. (CT) against sixth-seeded Vanderbilt. In all, Mizzou is 26-26 in conference tournament action, dating back to 1997 when Mizzou was in the Big 12 Conference. Mizzou’s last conference tournament championship came in 2012 when Mizzou went 4-0 in the Big 12 Tournament, defeating Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas and Oklahoma to claim the championship and qualify for the NCAA Tucson Regional.

Mizzou first qualified for the SEC Tournament in its first season in the league in 2013, losing a marathon 17-inning game with eventual College World Series participant Mississippi State in the opening round. Mizzou then missed the tournament in 2014 before earning the No. 7 seed a year ago. Mizzou went 1-2 last year, winning the opener over South Carolina, 5-1, before dropping the next two games to Vanderbilt and Alabama. In all, Mizzou is 1-3 all-time in the SEC Tournament.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball dropped its regular season finale at Kentucky, 7-2, on Saturday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The loss drops Mizzou to 26-29 on the year and 9-21 in SEC play and Mizzou will be the No. 11 seed in the SEC Tournament, which begins Tuesday for Mizzou at 9:30 a.m. (CT) against an opponent to be determined.

UK starter Kyle Cody earned the win, improving to 6-2 on the season, after going 9.0 innings and scattering just eight hits while allowing two runs (one earned) with a walk and seven strikeouts. Mizzou freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) took the loss, falling to 4-7 on the year. He went 3.0 innings, scattering six hits (four infield hits) with three runs (two earned). Plassmeyer struck out two and walked none. Mizzou got eight hits on Saturday with seven different players tallying a hit.

The third inning was eventful with each team capitalizing on shaky defense from the opposition. First, Mizzou’s Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) launched a two-out pitch to the track in center field and UK CF Tristan Pompey dropped the ball for an error and Ring found himself on second base. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) hit a grounder to short which was misplayed, allowing Ring to score from second to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead.

UK then used three consecutive bunts, two for hits and the last for a sacrifice to move the runners up, to put runners on second and third. Two more infield hits and a rocket into right led to three runs as UK also capitalized on an error in that span to take a 3-1 lead after three.

After Mizzou was retired in the top of the fourth inning, RHP Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) relieved Plassmeyer in the bottom of the fourth. He allowed a double and a walk to leadoff the frame and that led to a sacrifice fly as UK took a 4-1 lead after four innings.

UK added a pair of runs in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Connor Heady and an RBI groundout by Evan White as UK took a 6-1 lead after six. Mizzou got an RBI groundout from Howard in the seventh inning to cut the lead to 6-2.

Senior LHP Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) was outstanding, striking out three of four batters to keep Mizzou in the game moving to the top of the eighth inning. But Mizzou went quietly in the eighth inning and Kentucky added an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Mizzou then got a two-out single from Ring in the ninth, but that was it for Mizzou.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Mizzou Baseball dropped game two of its series at Kentucky, 2-1, on Friday afternoon at Cliff Hagan Field. The Tigers lost despite a masterful start from senior RHP Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) who went 8.0 innings and scattered just six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in a loss. Two infield hits came around to score in the bottom of the sixth inning and that backed UK starter Dustin Beggs, who went 8.0 innings shutout innings, scattering just six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in his ninth win of the year.

The loss means Mizzou will need to do scoreboard watching on Friday as it looks to secure a spot in next week’s SEC Tournament. Mizzou can still clinch a berth to the tournament on Friday with losses by both Tennessee and Georgia.

McClain and Beggs matched each other inning for inning as each pitcher kept throwing up zeroes quickly and efficiently. Mizzou threatened in multiple innings to begin the game but had two runners picked of and hit into a 6-4-3 double play as the Tigers stranded four runners through six.

After retiring nine in a row with two down in the sixth, McClain surrendered two straight infield hits. SS Riley Mahan then roped a 1-2 pitch past Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) at second to plate a run and put runners on the corners with two down. UK then pulled off the double steal to plate another run to extend the lead to 2-0 after six.

Mizzou’s offense was quiet in the seventh and eighth innings as Beggs held the Tigers at bay. UK brought in closer Sean Hjelle for the top of the ninth inning. SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led off the frame with a double and scored on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) groundout. But pinch runner Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.) was picked off to end the game.

The rubber game of the series is slated for a 12 p.m. (CT) start Saturday.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball head coach Kim Anderson has announced the addition of Nick Michael to his staff in the role of Assistant Athletics Director for Athletic Performance.

Michael joined former Virginia Commonwealth assistant coach Mike Rhoades’ new staff at Rice as strength and conditioning coach in April 2014, where he developed and implemented new athletic performance programs for the Owls for the 2014-15 season. He previously spent the 2013-14 season assisting Shaka Smart’s VCU program as a strength and conditioning graduate assistant coach.

“Our Mizzou program is excited to add someone like Nick Michael to our staff,” Anderson said. “His energy and passion for developing student-athletes is unquestioned. Add in the fact that he was an accomplished professional basketball player, and you have someone who we feel can connect with our guys and help them make the right choices, both in the weight room and nutritionally speaking. We feel he will help our players develop the strength and toughness that is necessary to be successful in the SEC. We cannot wait to have Nick and his wife, Keeley, join us in Columbia.”

Michael played four seasons of professional basketball in Europe, spending time with Belfast Star in Ireland (2007) before suiting up for three German squads: TSVE Dolphins (2008-09), Giro Live-Ballers (2009-10) and Bayer Giants (2010-11).

“This is such an incredible opportunity, and I sincerely want to thank Coach Anderson, Mack Rhoades and Mizzou’s administration,” Michael said. “My passions are basketball, fitness, and figuring out how to be stronger, faster and mentally tougher. Being able to work at such a high level of college basketball with a staff that is high level themselves is a perfect situation.

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Anderson during the interview process and the comfort level is very high. But my main purpose is with the team. I’m so excited to work with them. It’s about building relationships. It’s extremely gratifying to watch student-athletes grow, learn and graduate. They’ll know when we get after it in the weight room, it’s about building mental toughness. It’s more than building muscle strength. Mental toughness and creating great work habits.”

Currently the head coach at Texas, Smart praised Michael’s expertise and passion when told of his hire at Mizzou.

“Nick is a terrific strength coach and was a huge asset to our program at VCU,” Smart said. “He will do great things for the athletic department at the University of Missouri and their student-athletes. His blend of technical knowledge, basketball experience and enthusiasm makes him one of the best.”

The Rams finished 26-9 on the season and powered their way into the NCAA Tournament with a second-place showing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Prior to his work at VCU, Michael served two seasons as an assistant coach at Elmhurst College (Illinois), his alma mater.

As a player at Elmhurst (2003-07), Michael left his mark. He was a three-time all-conference selection at center for the Bluejays, finishing his career ranking in the Division III program’s top 10 in points scored (1,199) and rebounds (588).

Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems from Elmhurst before departing on his professional career in 2007, then returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science in 2013 during his stint as an assistant coach. While at VCU, Michael earned a Master’s of Education in Sport Leadership in 2014.

Michael spent the 2015-16 season working in private athletic performance coaching in the Houston area.

Michael has attained several certifications, including Strength & Conditioning Coach Certified (CSCCa), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and USA Weightlifting Level 1 Performance Coach.

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