The Missouri Western baseball team won a come from behind slug fest against the Fort Hays State Tigers. The Griffons scored seven unanswered runs to win 12-10 and advance in the MIAA Tournament. The Griffons are now 37-8 on the season and have tied a school record for most wins in a season which has been held since 1974.

The Griffons got on the board in the first when Michael Schulze led off with a double to left field and later scored on a Nate Ramler double to left center. The Griffons padded their lead in the second when Bubba Dotson blasted a two run homer giving MWSU the 3-0 lead. The homer was the second in two days and 12th of the season.

In the third inning the Tigers got three hits and three runs tying the score at three. Kelton Rule got the big single which scored two Tigers.

The Griffons stayed calm and responded like they have all season. Ramler led off with a double and scored on a Spencer Shockley single and then Jake Schrader doubled scoring Shockley giving the Griffons a 5-3 lead after three innings of play.

The Tigers answered scoring the next seven runs which included a six run 6th inning. Ryan Busboom’s grand slam gave Fort Hays State a 10-5 lead after five and a half innings of play.

In the bottom of the sixth the Griffons responded once again scoring five runs on five hits. With one out in the inning Shawn Egge and Schulze got back-to-back singles and then Dotson walked loading the bases. RBI hits by Kyle Simpson, Grant Fink and Shockley tied the score at 10 after six innings of play.

The score remained tied until the bottom of the ninth when Shockley struck again with a two RBI single giving the Griffons the 12-10 lead. Mason Queen closed it out in the 9th improving to 2-0 on the season. He went 3.1 innings giving up no hits and striking out three.

Schulzed went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and with his three hits he has tied the single season record for hits with 81. Simpson and Shockley also had three hits in the game. Shockley had five RBI. All nine Griffons had a hit in the contest as they finished with 17 on the day.

The Tigers end their season 23-22 overall. FHSU had eight hist with Jordan Miller going 2-for-3. Jesse Hart got the loss going 2.1 innings. He gave up three hits and two earned runs. He falls to 3-4 with the loss.

The Griffons will play on Thursday against Central Oklahoma in a four team double elimination tournament at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and can be heard on ESPN 1550 and 1550espn.com.  The other two teams in the tournament are Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern.

— MWSU Sports Information —

In her first ever postseason event Missouri Western women’s golfer Natalie Bird sits in a tie for 17th firing an 82 on day one of the NCAA Central Regional being played at the St. Joseph Country Club. Bird sits eight strokes back of the leader Allie Ostrander of Augustana College (S.D.).

Bird is just five strokes back of second, four of third and three from fifth. There are 48 golfers in the field.

The top team in the field is Augustana (S.D.) firing a day one total of 317 which is five strokes ahead of Northeastern State (322) and six strokes ahead of Central Oklahoma (323).

Bird will begin the second round of the three round tournament at 8:30 am tomorrow morning. She will play with Ana Summers of Nebraska-Kearney.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western baseball team defeated Fort Hays State Saturday afternoon in the first game of the first round of the MIAA Tournament 9-1 at the Griffon Spring Sports Complex. Western takes a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three first round series. Missouri Western is now 36-8 and the Tigers sit at 23-21.

Brandon Simmons pitched seven scoreless innings as he is now 10-0 on the season. Simmons was in trouble twice with two bases-loaded jams in the bottoms of innings No. 3 and 4, but the senior got out of the mess after he stuck out Tigers’ top hitter Clayton Garland looking and forced a ground out in the third inning.

The next time, Simmons recorded two straight strike outs.

Michael Schulze scored a run in the first inning after he singled to left field. Grant Fink scored Schulze shortly later to make it 1-0. The Griffons continued to add runs in the fourth and seventh innings to mark the score 6-0 before Hays got on the board in the top of the eighth.

Bubba Dotson cracked a two-run homer over the center-field fence to give the Griffons a 9-1 run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Game two of the series is Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. and you can listen to the game on ESPN 1550 AM.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team got knocked out the MIAA Tournament going 1-2 on day two of the double elimination tournament. The Griffons lost the first game of the day 3-0 against 15th ranked Fort Hays State before rebounding with a 7-4 victory over Northeastern State University. The Griffons fell in a back and forth battle in the night cap against the Emporia State Hornets by a score of 7-6. The Griffons are 38-16 on the aseon.

Game 1
#15 FHSU 3, MWSU 0

Jackie Bishop had a no hitter going into the top of the 7th inning but a bloop single to right field by Courtney Dobson and a home run by Amanda Vaupel game the Tigers the 3-0 victory.

Both teams got two hits in the game with the Griffons opening up the game with a single by Sara Elliott. Elliott would be stranded at third. The Griffons stranded a lead off hit by pitch in the sixth.

Bishop falls to 21-7 going all seven innings. She gave up two hits while striking out six. Kendall Sorensen was the only other Griffon to get a hit in the game.

Maddie Holub improved to 26-1 going all seven giving up two hits while striking out 10.

Game 2
Missouri Western 7, Northeastern State 4

The Griffons jumped out to a 4-0 lead and preserved the win against the RiverHawks in a win-or-go-home game.

Scoreless through three innnigs, Bre Fleschner doubled to right center before Maegan Roemmich singled in Fleschner breaking up the 0-0 tie. Singles from  Keri Lorbert, Kendall Sorensen and Taylor Anding as well as an error by the RiverHawks provided the Griffons with three more runs to end the top of the fourth.

Northeastern State came back, however. The RiverHawks scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to come back and make the score 4-3.
Sorensen came back and with a single to left field which scored Lorbert and Sarah Elliott, who each singled in the top of the sixth.

Sorensen went 3-for-4 with three RBI to send the Griffons to the next round with the 7-4 win. Roemmich finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and Lorbert went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Janie Smith picked up her 17th win of the season.

Game 3
Emporia State 7, Missouri Western 6

After securing a 4-0 lead, the Griffons looked to be heading to the third-place matchup in Day Three of the MIAA Tournament. But the Hornets scored seven runs in the fifth inning, and after Maegan Roemmich blasted a two-run bomb pulling the Griffons within one, the Hornets took the game 7-6.

Roemmich finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBI to help the Griffons. Kendall Sorensen scored the first runner in the bottom of the first singling to center field scoring Roemmich from second base.

In the bottom of the third, Keri Lorbert homered over the right-field fence to score two more runs as the Griffons took a 3-0 advantage. Roemmich hit a single scoring Sarah Elliott in the next inning, but in the top of the fifth and behind 4-0, the Hornets came back.

Emporia sent two balls over the fence and used three unearned runs to take a 7-4 advantage. Roemmich remained steady and homered to left center to score Elliott and herself to make it 7-6, but the Griffons didn’t complete the comeback.

Taylor Anding and Sorensen finished the game with two hits in the contest.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The Missouri Western softball team used the long ball and a complete game from Jackie Bishop picking a 5-3 victory over the Truman State Bulldogs. The Griffons will take on the 15th ranked Fort Hays State Tigers on Saturday, May 4 at 11:00 am.

Bre Fleschner hit her 5th homer of the season in the first inning giving the Griffons a 1-0 lead. The Griffons took a 2-0 in the third irinning when Fleschner singled and scored on a Keri Lorbert single to left field.

The Bulldogs cut the Griffon lead to 2-1 in the fourth when Kelsey Bollman homered over the center field fence. The Bulldogs tied the score in the fifth on a Bollman fielder choice which scored Corey Niblett.  In the 5th Maegan Roemmich hit her 10th homer of the season giving the Griffons a 4-2.

The Bulldogs cut the lead to one in the top of the 6th but once again MWSU answered when Kendall Sorenson scored an unearned run padding the Griffon lead.

Jackie Bishop improved to 21-6 overall  while Roemmich went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a runs scored. Bishop went all seven innings giving up seven hits while striking out seven.

— MWSU Sports Information —

From player, to coach — Marian Carbin’s Missouri Western volleyball career has come full circle.

Director of Athletics Kurt McGuffin announced Friday that the current Griffon assistant volleyball coach has been named the interim head coach for the 2013 season.  Carbin replaces Cory Frederick, who resigned in late April for family reasons.

“I am excited to have Marian lead our volleyball program for the upcoming season,”  McGuffin said.  ” With Coach Frederick’s resignation coming so late, I felt there was no reason to look any further than her.”

“No one knows the players and the program better, and she has been instrumental in the program’s gradual turnaround in the last four years.  Marian will provide the smoothest transition possible.”

Carbin has been the assistant volleyball coach at MWSU since 2009.  The program has increased its win total each year since her arrival.

“I don’t think there is anybody better prepared for this opportunity than I am,”  she said.

“There is no one that knows these girls better than I do and there is no one that loves Missouri Western better than I do.”

Before her coaching career, the former Marian Broderick was a standout player for the Griffons from 2002-2005.  She played in 393 games and 116 matches in four years. Carbin accumulated 557 kills to go along with 1,009 digs, 135 set assists and 128 services aces. She was also named to the 2005 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team.

“This is a real honor,”  Carbin said.  “It comes with a lot of responsibility to coach at your alma mater, but I am ready to take over that challenge.  We have many great girls coming back, which will make the transition very easy for me.  At the same time, I look forward to the challenge of how far we can take them next season.”

Carbin graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in the spring of 2007. Before coming back to Missouri Western, she taught mathematics at North Kansas City High School where she also was an assistant coach for the high school team. She was the head coach of the Kansas City Extreme Volleyball Club. Her team competed in the 2009 Junior Olympics National Tournament..

She was also a student assistant coach for Missouri Western in 2006 and was the 2004-05 Missouri Western Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year.

Marian and her husband, former MWSU football player Greg Carbin, reside in North Kansas City.

— MWSU Sports Information —

The All-MIAA softball team was released Thursday night with seven Missouri Western players earning All-MIAA honors. The Griffons had two first-team and five honorable mention selections.

Jackie Bishop collected her second straight First-Team All-MIAA award and her third straight honor in as many years. Maegan Roemmich was also named first team with it being her her second straight first team honor.

Keri Lorbert, Kendall Sorensen, Sarah Elliott, Tiffany Gillaspy and Michelle Stevenson were all named Honorable Mention All-MIAA.

The Griffons continue MIAA action this weekend in the MIAA Tournament. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Jackie Bishop, Jr., Pitcher, Kirksivlle, Mo.
Bishop finished the regular season among the best pitchers in all of Division II. Bishop helped the Griffons finish 3rd in the conference, thanks in large to her performance on the mound. Bishop had a 1.61 ERA, good for second in the league, and finished the year 20-6. The junior had 32 appearances on the mound and had 26 starts. Bishop also had three saves to go with her 20 wins. She gave up just 125 hits, 55 runs and 51 walks on the season. In MIAA games, she went 12-4 and had a 1.39 ERA. This is Bishop’s third straight First Team All-MIAA award. She was named 2011 MIAA Freshman of the Year and 2012 MIAA Pitcher of the Year. This past season she broke career record at MWSU for wins, strikeouts and apperances.

Maegan Roemmich, Sr., Outfield, Des Moines, Iowa
Roemmich started all 50 games this season for the Griffons and batted a team-high .388. Roemmich scored 33 runs and had a team-high 57 hits in 2013. Her batting average ranks sixth in the conference. The senior finished the season with six doubles and a career-high nine home runs. She has 38 RBI and a .612 slug percentage. In the MIAA alone, she had a .464 batting average with eight home runs. Roemmich has played three different positions for the Griffons in her four years. She played third base her first two seasons before moving to the outfield. As a junior she played right field and this season she was moved to center field. This is Roemmich’s third straight year being named to an All-MIAA team, as she was First Team in 2012 as well as second team in 2011.

Sarah Elliott, Sr., Third Baseman, Platte City, Mo.
Elliott has an outstanding senior season finishing the regular season with a .340 batting average. She had 52 hits, which included seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. Elliott led the team with 10 bases on hit by pitches. She also went 23-for-28 on stolen bases. Elliott was also named honorable mention in 2012.

Tiffany Gillaspy, So., First Baseman, Johnston, Iowa
Gillaspy’s first year starting at first base was a solid one for the sophomore. She belted nine home runs in the regular season, tied for second on the team with Roemmich behind Lorbert. She also had 56 hits and a team-high 12 doubles. Gillaspy showed her power hitting the ball throughout the year finishing with a .611 slugging percentage. She had a team highes in RBI with 42 and total bases with 99.

Keri Lorbert, Sr., Catcher, Kearney, Neb.
Lorbert continued to be a stellar performer for the Griffons. The senior wrapped up the regular season with a .329 batting average starting all 50 games. Lorbert had a career-high 13 home runs, and broke the all-time record for homers at Missouri Western last Sunday against Northeastern State when she belted her 38th home run. She ranks third in the conference in home runs this season. Lorbert also has 48 hits and 40 RBI. Lorbert was a second team All-MIAA selection last season and an honorable mention selection as a sophomore.

Kendall Sorensen, Sr., Outfielder, Dixon, Calif.
Sorensen started all 50 games, batting sixth on the team with a .317 batting average. She tallied 44 hits with 23 runs scored. She finished with 21 RBI and a career-high five home runs this year. Sorensen had a .482 slug percentage and tied for a team-high with five sac bunts and one sac fly. This is her second straight honorable mention honor after transferring to Missouri Western from Sacramento City College.

Michelle Stevenson, Jr., Second Baseman, Smithville, Mo.
Stevenson finished the season with a .357 batting average, which ranks her second on the team. In 154 at bats, the junior crushed five homers and had 55 hits. She led the team with four triples, which ties her for first in the MIAA. Stevenson also had 10 doubles and scored 36 runs. She led the team with a .424 on-base percentage and was a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts. She was walked 16 times and started all 50 games in her first year as a starter.

The Griffons finished their season 36-14 overall and 20-8 in the MIAA which allowed the to finish 3rd in the MIAA. The Griffons are set to open up the MIAA Tournament on Friday, May 3 against the Truman State Bulldogs at 2:00 pm from the Blue Valley Recreation Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Missouri Western senior Grant Fink has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District Seven team CoSida announced Thursday.

Fink, the Griffons’ third baseman from Spokane, Washington, earned the award for the first time in his career. Fink has a 3.43 GPA in Sports Management. Twelve players were named to the district team, which consists of the Great American, Mid-America and Northern Sun conferences.

For the season, Fink has a.409 batting average and has hit 13 home runs with 65 hits. He helped the Griffons to a 35-8 record and 28-5 MIAA record.

— MWSU Sports Information —