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Category: Sports

Missouri Western to host Australian National Pro Fastpitch team

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western State University will serve as the host site for the Aussie Spirit of the National Pro Fastpitch league this spring and summer with the NPF’s Opening Day coming at the Griffon Spring Sport Complex.

The Missouri Western campus will be the official training home for the Australian team that will compete in the professional softball league in preparation for the Women’s Softball World Championship in Chiba, Japan and the return of softball to the Summer Olympics in 2020. Aussie Spirit will conduct practices and training sessions on campus in addition to playing five of its NPF games at the Spring Sports Complex.

The NPF has chosen Spirit’s inaugural game at Missouri Western on May 19 as the league’s Opening Day. Spirit will host the NPF’s other international team, the Beijing Eagles ,in the league’s first game of the 2018 season. It will bring an Olympic-type environment to the Spring Sports Complex. Much like the Spirit, the Beijing Eagles are a Chinese national team preparing for international competition through NPF games and are coached by northwest Missouri native and Mizzou softball legend Teresa Wilson.

“Missouri Western is proud to partner with Softball Australia and National Pro Fastpitch to provide a top-tier training environment as Australia prepares for the 2018 World Championship and qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo,” MWSU Director of Athletics Josh Looney said. “Hosting international competition and NPF’s 2018 Opening Day is an incredible opportunity to showcase our campus and community to softball fans across the globe. From serving as the home base of the Aussie Spirit, to hosting our ninth consecutive Kansas City Chiefs Training Camp in July and August, more than 100 professional athletes will call MWSU home this summer.”

In addition to games in St. Joseph, the team will play games in the Kansas City area and around the Midwest as part of a 48-game NPF schedule. The professional softball league is in its 15th season and is led by a familiar name in Griffon Softball lore. Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame member and St. Joseph native Cheri Kempf serves as the league’s commissioner.

“A key for international growth in the NPF is quality partnership with U.S hosting entities. Missouri Western has been enthusiastic about a hosting opportunity since we first approached them with the idea,” Kempf said. “MWSU is a campus that is accustomed to hosting professional sports training and St. Joseph has always been an enthusiastic fastpitch softball community. I look forward to the Aussie Spirit calling St. Joseph and Missouri Western State University home for the 2018 season and know they will love it there.”

“We are so proud to boast a facility that Cheri Kempf felt welcomed the needs of the Australian National team,” Griffon Softball Head Coach Jen Bagley Trotter said. “St. Joseph, Missouri Western and the fastpitch community have a special opportunity to see the top level of competition in our sport. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Aussie Spirit is one of two international teams in the league that features five teams. Currently, Spirit is scheduled to play games at the Spring Sports Complex on May 19 at 7 p.m.; a doubleheader on May 20 beginning at 4 p.m.; and another doubleheader at 4 p.m. on July 13. A complete schedule and ticket information can be found on the official website of the NPF, profastpitch.com.

— MWSU Athletics —

Martinez uses arm, bat to help Cardinals down White Sox 3-2

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carlos Martinez wasn’t sure how to react.

The St. Louis right-hander took his time as he circled the bases after hitting his first major league home run in the Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

“I was slow because it was so exciting,” Martinez said. “I was running, but I wanted it to last.”

Dexter Fowler added a two-run homer for the Cardinals, who won their second game in a row.

Chicago has dropped four straight and 13 of 17. The White Sox fell to a season-low 12 games under .500.

Martinez (3-1) hit a 407-foot shot off Lucas Giolito (1-4) with two outs in the sixth to break a scoreless tie. He proceeded to take his time in a slow, methodical home run trot.

“The way he hit that ball, he didn’t have to run,” Cardinals first baseman Jose Martinez said. “He wanted to enjoy it. Good for him.”

The home run came in Martinez’s 205th career at-bat.

“Been waiting a long time for this,” Carlos Martinez said. “It felt good.”

He starred on the mound, too, allowing one run on five hits over 7 1/3 innings. He struck out five and walked two. The Cardinals have won each of his last six starts.

“You couldn’t ask for any more than what he did today,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “His change-up was a wipeout pitch and he just got progressively better.”

Martinez fanned three consecutive batters after giving up a leadoff double to Jose Abreu in the fourth. He also induced Daniel Palka to hit into an inning-ending double play in the seventh.

Giolito surrendered three runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two. He had walked 21 batters and struck out 11 over his first five starts, but turned in his best performance of the season.

“You give up a home run, whether it’s a pitcher or position player, you have to be able to just forget about it immediately — keep going, keep staying on track,” Giolito said. “I didn’t do that.”

Bud Norris picked up his sixth save in as many opportunities by retiring all four batters.

Fowler hit his 100th career home run in the seventh to push the lead to 3-0.

Yolmer Sanchez had an RBI single in the eighth. Abreu followed with a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 3-2.

“All in all, the guys kept battling,” Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. “I’m hopeful that’s going to be a key to our continued movement forward.”

Yadier Molina had two hits for the Cardinals.

NAME GAME

Martinez became the first Carlos Martinez to hit a home run in the majors since Jose Martinez’s dad, also named Carlos, hit one for the California Angels on June 6, 1995.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP Danny Farquhar continues to show progress after suffering a brain aneurysm on April 21. He went for a couple of short walks with his wife Lexi on Tuesday.

INF Yoan Moncada left the game in the eighth inning with left hamstring tightness. He is listed as day to day.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright threw a bullpen session before Wednesday’s game. He has been on the disabled list since April 20 with right elbow inflammation.

“It went well,” Matheny said.

There is no timetable for his return.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-2, 1.78) will start against RHP Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 3.94) in the first of a four-game set with the Twins on Thursday. Lopez has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all five starts. The matchup kicks off a six-game homestand for the White Sox

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (3-0, 3.27) takes on LHP Jose Quintana (3-1, 5.74) in the first of a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday. Mikolas leads the majors with a strikeout-walk ratio of 13.5-1.

— Associated Press —

Will Martin named Missouri Western men’s basketball assistant coach

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western head men’s basketball coach Sundance Wicks has announced the hiring of Will Martin as assistant coach.

“To say Coach Martin is a perfect fit for what we are trying to do here at Missouri Western would be a massive understatement,” Wicks said. “I have five key components that I look for in someone that will help lead our young men: Will brings the juice every day. He fights to make a difference in the lives of those he interacts with daily. He views what we do as art and is constantly improving the way he teaches the game and relates to people. Will acts with intention and gets things done. Coach Martin is fiercely loyal, brutally honest, completely transparent and relentlessly optimistic in his approach to life.”

“For our program to head in the right direction, I wanted to have this caliber of a man by my side, daily.”

Martin comes to Missouri Western after spending the past season as an assistant coach and director of athletic admissions at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. Wicks and Martin worked together at the University of San Francisco where Martin served as the director of basketball operations on Rex Walter’s staff.

“It is an absolute honor to be welcomed into the Missouri Western family,” Martin said. “I am beyond excited to join in the vision of Coach Wicks for this program. The foundations of Energy, Transparency, and Relentless Optimism are standards I look forward to help implementing as we embark on this incredible journey of building culture at Missouri Western.”

“The opportunity to serve under a man like Sundance Wicks is once in a lifetime. I can’t thank him enough for putting his trust in me as we lead these young men through the GRIT and the GRIND with true LOVE and PASSION.”

Prior to San Francisco, Martin was a graduate assistant and video coordinator at the University of Tulsa from 2013-15. During his time at Tulsa, Martin worked with both Danny Manning and Frank Haith. Martin also served as Senator for the College of Education during his time at Tulsa.

“Will Martin is very knowledgeable, smart, organized, honest and passionate about the game of basketball,” Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning said. “His honesty and loyalty will continue to set him apart.”

As an undergraduate, Martin served as a men’s basketball manager at the University of Kentucky under head coach John Calipari. During Martin’s tenure with the Wildcats, the team reached the Elite 8 on three occasions, the Final Four, twice, and Martin served as the head manager of the 2012 National Championship team.

“Will was a valuable member of our program during his time at Kentucky,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “His passion for the game and genuine care for the kids are exemplified in his work ethic. We are excited for Will and look forward to his continued success in coaching.”

In addition to his duties with the men’s basketball program, Martin served as captain of the University of Kentucky Ethics Debate team from 2009-11. Under his direction, Kentucky claimed its first-ever regional championship and national appearance in the team’s history.

Martin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Kentucky in 2012 and obtained his Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Tulsa in 2015.

Off the hardwood, Martin also is involved in a prison ministry project – “Against the Grain” – where he serves as a volunteer teacher of the “180 Project.”

Martin replaces Aaron Coombs who was named head coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State on April 16.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WILL MARTIN
“I was really fortunate to get to work with Will Martin for a year in San Francisco. With Will as my director of operations, I knew that my players were going to be taken care of each and every day. No one cares amore and is more willing to bend over backwards to make sure his student athletes have what they need to be successful. Will is going to be a great assistant coach. The student athletes at Missouri Western got a great one in him.” – Detroit Pistons assistant coach Rex Walters

“Will Martin did an awesome job for us. He has a great passion and energy for the game that is evident by his ability to relate and connect with team members and staff. I enjoyed learning from Will and watching him grow. We are super excited for his next opportunity. I look forward to following Will throughout his career and would love one day for our paths to cross again.” – Martin Methodist head coach Scott Combs

“It was great working with Will at the University of Kentucky. He was a passionate and loyal worker for the program. He has a gift of communicating with young players. I knew there would come a time when will would be coaching young men. I believe he is going to do a fabulous job at Missouri Western.” – Tony Delk, SEC Network

— MWSU Athletics —

Gordon, Soler lift Royals over Red Sox 7-6 in 13 innings

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BOSTON (AP) — Alex Gordon hit a tying home run off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning, Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer against Brian Johnson in the 13th and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Boston led 3-2 before Gordon’s one-out drive off Kimbrel, who was trying for his 299th save but instead blew an opportunity for the first time in eight tries this season.

Jon Jay had four singles and a sacrifice fly in the 12th that put Kansas City up 4-3. But Eduardo Nunez homered against Kelvin Herrera (1-0) in the bottom half.

Gordon and Whit Merrifield singled off Johnson (1-1) ahead of Soler’s homer over the Green Monster.

Mitch Moreland singled leading off the bottom half against Burch Smith, who hit Xander Bogaerts with a pitch. Rafael Devers hit into a forceout, Brian Flynn relieved and Jackie Bradley Jr. had a run-scoring groundout. Christian Vazquez singled in a run, but Flynn got the first save of his five-year big league career when Nunez flied out to the center-field wall.

Chris Sale struck out six while allowing two runs — one earned — and five hits in seven innings. He was in position to win consecutive starts for the first time this season.

Jakob Junis pitched five scoreless innings for Kansas City before Boston tied the score in the sixth on Moreland’s homer and Bradley’s RBI single.

Brad Keller threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the seventh.

Alcides Escobar hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and the Royals took a 2-0 lead in the sixth when Lucas Duda got caught in a rundown while trying to steal second and Jay, who began the play on second, was able to come home.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: DH Mike Moustakas was out of the starting lineup after getting hit by a pitch on his right forearm in the first inning Monday. He came off the bench in the 10th and grounded out while pinch hitting for Cheslor Cuthbert.

Red Sox: RF Mookie Betts (tight right hamstring) was out of the lineup a third straight game because of a tight right hamstring that forced him out Saturday. Betts took over in right field in the ninth.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (0-3, 5.40 ERA) makes his team-high seventh start, still searching for his first win. Duffy is 0-4 in six starts against Boston, the only AL team he has yet to beat.

Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 7.27) gets his third start of the season after missing the first 18 games with a forearm injury.

— Associated Press —

Missouri baseball wins wild game at Iowa in 11 innings

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – Mizzou Baseball scored 11 runs from the eighth through 11th innings to complete a 17-16 comeback win over Iowa Tuesday afternoon at Duane Banks Field. Mizzou trailed 8-0 after three, 13-6 after six and 14-13 after eight innings and completed the comeback by scoring two runs in the top of the 11th inning. Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the 11th inning as part of a career-best six RBI in the game. Junior OF Zach Hanna drove home the game-winning run with a single in the next at-bat.

Mizzou had six different hitters tally multiple-hit performances as the Tigers slugged a season-high 24 hits, its most since posting 26 against Texas on April 11, 2008. To put the crazy game into perspective, Mizzou junior Brian Sharp entered the game as a pitcher in the fourth inning and finished 4-for-4 with four runs, including the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, and two RBI. Senior RHPAndy Toelken entered the game as a pitcher and had a hit as well. Mizzou left 17 men on base and scored 17 runs.

RS junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca earned his fifth win of the year after throwing a shutout 10th inning and Luke Anderson earned his first career save.

TURNING POINT

There were about 15 turning points in Tuesday’s game, but none bigger than the 11th inning. Junior Brian Sharp led off the frame with a single and Paul Gomez followed that with a single up the middle. That set the stage for Cornelius, who roped a single through the left side and Sharp slid in just ahead of the tag for the 16th run. Hanna singled one batter later to extended the lead to 17-15, which was huge because Iowa hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 11th inning.

QUOTING MIZZOU

Head Coach Steve Bieser

“The guys laid it all on the line today. You talk about some resiliency and just battling all the way through and never gave in. There were lots of ups and downs, but they just kept trusting one another.”

TOP TIGERS

  • Senior 1B Brett Bond tallied five hits, including an RBI double in the sixth inning. It was his first game with three or more hits game since March 23 against Mississippi State. It was his first four-hit game since May 2, 2017, vs. Murray State and he matched his career-high with five. His double was his first since April 14 at Florida. He reached base in five plate appearances Tuesday.
  • Junior 1B/OF Tony Ortiz has a successful pinch hit in each of the last two games after posting an RBI double in the fifth inning. The RBIs for Ortiz were his first since tallying three against LaSalle on March 10.
  • Junior RHP/DH/2B/1B Brian Sharp extended his hitting streak to six games with an RBI single in the fifth inning.  He entered the game as a pitcher in the fourth inning and wound up with four hits, four runs and two RBIs.
  • Freshman C Chad McDaniel extended his hitting streak to seven games with an eighth-inning single.
  • Junior OF Zach Hanna hit his fifth homer of the year, a game-tying two-run blast to cap the seven-run eighth inning. It was Mizzou’s first pinch-hit homer since Ortiz hit one against Northeastern on Feb. 23, 2018, vs. Northeastern. He had an RBI single in the 11th inning that drove in the game-winning run.
  • Junior OF Connor Brumfield hit a go-ahead ninth-inning double to highlight his fifth multi-hit game of the season.
  • Sophomore SS Chris Cornelius drove in a career-high six runs, including a bases-loaded double in the eighth inning and the game-winning RBI with a single through the left side in the 11thinning.

NOTES

  • Mizzou now leads the all-time series with Iowa, 28-13. It was the first meeting between the two teams since 1997.
  • Mizzou is still undefeated in midweek games this season and is 6-0 on Tuesdays.
  • Mizzou is now 4-3 on the year when facing left-handed starting pitcher.
  • Mizzou moves to 9-9 on the year in road games.
  • Mizzou tallied 24 hits Tuesday, a season-high, surpassing the 21 it his in game two of the season at FIU. It’s the most hits for Mizzou since 2008/
  • Mizzou played its 26th errorless game of the season Tuesday.
  • Mizzou has scored 10+ runs in three straight games for the first time since 2007.

UP NEXT

Mizzou hosts Georgia No. 20 Georgia Thursday-Saturday at Taylor Stadium.

— MWSU Athletics —

Cardinals rally in 9th, top White Sox 3-2 on Molina’s single

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Matt Carpenter homered to start a ninth-inning rally and Yadier Molina ended it with a single to drive in the winning run, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak.

Carpenter tied it at 2 with a leadoff homer off White Sox closer Joakim Soria (0-1). It was Carpenter’s 100th career home run and his first since April 10.

With one out, Marcell Ozuna doubled off the right-field wall. Molina then singled to left field to score Ozuna.

Bud Norris (1-0) picked up his first win of the season with a perfect ninth.

The White Sox wasted a good start by James Shields, who pitched six strong innings after giving up a leadoff home run.

Tommy Pham hit a 3-2 fastball off him for a 454-foot home run into the left-field seats. It was his first leadoff homer in his career and the second this season for St. Louis.

Shields retired the next 15 batters before giving up a single to Kolten Wong in the sixth. He allowed just two hits. Shields, who has not won since opening day, struck out four and did not walk a batter.

The White Sox scored twice in the fourth to take the lead. Trayce Thompson and Adam Engel drew one-out walks. After Shields struck out, Yoan Moncada doubled home both runners. His sinking fly ball got past Ozuna, who was trying for shoestring catch.

Michael Wacha pitched five innings in his second career appearance against the White Sox. He walked three and allowed hits.

The Cardinals ran themselves out of a scoring chance in the seventh.

Against reliever Bruce Rondon, St. Louis had a runner at third with one out. Ozuna hit a hard to grounder to Jose Abreu, who threw home to nail Carpenter trying to score.

ROSTER MOVE

The St. Louis sent right-hander reliever Mike Mayers to Triple-A Memphis and called up first baseman Luke Voit, a St. Louis native. The 27-year-old began this season on the disabled list with an oblique strain. He was batting .205 in 12 games at Memphis following his return. As a rookie in 2017, Voit batted .246 with four home runs and 18 RBI. Mayers is 0-0 with a 1.35 ERA and one save in four relief appearances covering 6 2/3 innings this season.

MILESTONES

Tuesday’s game was manager Mike Matheny’s 1,000th with the Cardinals. He is just the fourth manager to pilot the club in 1,000 or more regular-season games. Matheny succeeded Hall of Famer Tony LaRussa as skipper in 2012. In his first four seasons, the Cardinals reached postseason play. St. Louis reached the World Series in 2013. … Catcher Yadier Molina tied Hall of Famer Johnny Bench at 1,742 games for 16th in career games caught.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: RHP Danny Farquhar continues to show progress after his April 21 surgery for a brain aneurysm. He has taken a few short walks with his wife, Lexie. He is listed in neurologically stable condition ICU for next few weeks.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (elbow inflammation) played catch before the game. “If all goes well and he feels good, he is scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow,” said John Mozeliak, the team president. “We just have to be smart about this.”

UP NEXT

White Sox: Lucas Giolito (1-3, 7.71 ERA) will be making his first career appearance against St. Louis. He snapped a three-game losing streak in his last start against Kansas City.

Cardinals: Carlos Martinez (2-1, 1.43 ERA) will be facing the White Sox for the first time. He has had consecutive no-decisions in his last two starts. The Cardinals have won each of his last five starts since opening day.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou basketball adds Evansville transfer Dru Smith

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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball has signed transfer guard Dru Smith to its 2018 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Tuesday. Smith transfers from the University of Evansville, where he was one of the most efficient shooters in the nation as a sophomore and earned Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honors in 2017.

Smith started all 22 games he appeared in last season, reaching double figures 17 times and scoring at least 20 points in a game on four occasions. The Evansville, Indiana, native will sit out the 2018-19 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules and have two years of eligibility remaining.

“We are excited to welcome Dru into the Mizzou Basketball Family,” Martin said. “Dru is an experienced player who understands the kind of work ethic it takes to succeed at this level. He is a proven shooter and talented passer who can impact the game in so many ways. Dru will be an outstanding teammate and we’re thrilled to have him join the program.”

Smith averaged 13.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals as a sophomore at Evansville. The sharpshooter led the Missouri Valley Conference in three-point shooting, making 48.2 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Smith ranked third in the MVC in both field goal percentage and free throw percentage, shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and 86.2 percent from the free throw line.

Smith saw action in 28 games as a freshman, chipping in 5.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest. The 6-foot-3 guard played at Reitz High School, where he steered his squad to a 22-5 record while pouring in 20.8 points per game and grabbing 6.5 rebounds per outing as a senior.

“I really connected with Coach Martin and the staff and I already feel like a part of the family,” Smith said. “Mizzou Arena and all the facilities are incredible and I’m just ready to get there and go to work.”

As a junior in high school, Smith captained Reitz to a 29-2 record and a runner-up finish in the Indiana Class 4A State Tournament while posting 10.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest. He is the sixth member in a talented group of Mizzou newcomers heading in to the 2018-19 season, alongside signees Mark Smith, K.J. Santos, Javon Pickett, Xavier Pinson and Torrence Watson.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Northwest’s Gutierrez named MIAA Hitter of the Week

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University junior Mondesi Gutierrez was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week for his performance during the Bearcats’ sweep of Southwest Baptist this weekend. Gutierrez went .588 with ten total hits, ten runs scored, three doubles, one triple, nine RBIs, and he hit three home runs.

On Friday, he went 4-for-5 while scoring three runs, he hit four runs in and hit two homeruns. On Saturday he finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, a double and a triple.

Northwest heads to Central Oklahoma this Friday to begin a three-game MIAA series with the Bronchos. Friday’s game will begin at 3 p.m. in Edmond, Ok.

— Northwest Athletics —

KSU’s McCrane Agrees to Terms with Arizona

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – Former Kansas State place kicker Matthew McCrane will have a chance to prove himself in the NFL as he has agreed to contract terms as an undrafted free agent with the Arizona Cardinals, the organization has announced.

McCrane joins cornerback D.J. Reed, who extended K-State’s Big 12-leading NFL Draft streak to 25 years after being selected in the fifth round by the San Francisco 49ers. Other Wildcats could sign undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams, and those will be announced when they become official.

McCrane is the first Wildcat to join the Cardinals since running back/kick returner William Powell was with the organization in 2012 and 2013, while he is the first Wildcat place kicker to enter the NFL since Joe Rheem went to training camp with the Buffalo Bills in 2005.

A product of Brownwood, Texas, McCrane was the first three-time All-Big 12 place kicker in school history in addition to being a Lou Groza Award semifinalist as a senior in 2017 and a Freshman All-American in 2014. McCrane left as the school’s all-time leader in career field goals made (57), passing Martin Gramatica, while he also set the school record for career field goal percentage (86.4), a mark that was second in school history and sixth in NCAA history at the time of his departure.

McCrane also showed a propensity for connecting from deep as he tied the school record with five 50-yard field goals made during his career, including a record-tying three during his senior season. His 21 field goals made in 2017 ranked third in school history – one shy of the school record – while his 111 points scored ranked eighth in school history and third among kickers.

 

 

Owens, Blessie take home Missouri Western’s Student-Athlete of the Year Awards

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ST. JOSEPH – The accomplishments of Missouri Western teams, student-athletes and coaches were honored Monday night at the 19th Annual St. Joseph News-Press Golden Griffon Awards.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the event was held at the historic Missouri Theater in downtown St. Joseph. The big honors of the night went to the 2017-18 male and female Student-Athletes of the Year. Griffon Football’s Jonathan Owens was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year while Griffon Soccer’s Bridget Blessie was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

Another highlight of the night came when director of athletics Josh Looney surprised members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee panel with the announcement of a matching donation, allowing SAAC to grant a wish for a child during the 2018-19 academic year as part of the organization’s Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraising efforts.

Award Winners and Nominees
Male Student-Athlete of the Year: Jonathan Owens (Football)
Female Student-Athlete of the Year: Bridget Blessie (Soccer)
Dr. James J. McMillen Award: Kayla Ruff (Volleyball)
Baseball Nominee: Kellan Richards
Men’s Basketball Nominee: Cole Clearman
Women’s Basketball Nominee: Melia Richardson
Cheer Squad Nominee: Kaley Dittemore
Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field Nominee: Phil Thompson
Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Nominee: Kaitlyn Shoemaker
Football Nominee: Jonathan Owens
Men’s Golf Nominee: Patrick McCarthy
Women’s Golf Nominee: Tiffanie Yabut
Soccer Nominee: Bridget Blessie
Softball Nominee: Shelbie Atwell
Tennis Nominee: Karolina Ström
Volleyball Nominee: Kayla Ruff

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Choice Awards
SAAC Volunteer of the Year: Audrey Keim (Volleyball/Tennis)
Coach of the Year: Chad Edwards (Soccer)
Team of the Year: Volleyball
Best Actor in a GSI Feature: Marian Carbin for “The Prank”
Griff Up Award: Paige Phipps (Soccer/Women’s Basketball)
Most Intriguing Moment: Football ringing the bell for the first time

— MWSU Athletics —

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