KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University sophomore pitcher Rachel Smith has been named the MIAA co-Pitcher of the Week in a release by the conference office on Tuesday. Smith threw 12.0 scoreless innings for the Bearcats this weekend, going 2-0.

On Saturday, Smith threw a complete game five-inning shutout against Upper Iowa, allowing two hits. She did not issue a walk and struck out six. She followed it up with a seven-inning complete game shutout against Northern State, allowing four hits. She did not allowed a walk and struck out eight batters.

Northwest hosts Central Oklahoma and Northeastern State this week. The Bronchos will play at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday while the RiverHawks visit for a noon and 2 p.m. double header on Friday.

— Northwest Athletics —

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Northwest Missouri State University has announced the hiring of Austin Meyer as its next head women’s basketball coach. Meyer has served the past 10 seasons on Northwest’s men’s basketball staff, including the last three seasons as its associate head coach.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to lead our women’s basketball program,” said Meyer. “Northwest is a special place with so many great people. Our program will have very high standards in everything we do. We will be very active in the community and will deliver a great college experience for our young women. I look forward to the challenge of building a winning culture, graduating our kids and preparing them for life after college.”

With Meyer on the bench as a full-time coach with the men’s basketball program, Northwest has won 215 games (21.5 wins per season average), captured six MIAA regular season titles, four MIAA Tournament titles and one NCAA Division II National Championship. Thirty-three Bearcats earned MIAA honors in the past decade and three were named the conference’s Player of the Year. In addition, seven student-athletes were named to the All-Defensive Team, three earned MIAA Freshman of the Year accolades and two Bearcats earned NABC All-America honors.

Meyer served as the men’s program’s lead recruiter. His other duties included organizing and running the Center Court Cat Club, organizing and presenting opponent scouting reports, coordinating official visits, coordinating team travel, community engagements, summer camps, social media, skill development and more.

Meyer was a four-year letter winner for the Bearcat men’s basketball team from 2002-06. He scored 1,294 career points and held the then-Northwest career record with 215 made three-pointers. He graduated from Northwest with his bachelor’s degree in corporate recreation in 2006 and earned his master’s in physical education in 2008. He served as a graduate assistant on Steve Tappmeyer’s staff for two seasons before being promoted to assistant coach prior to the 2008-09 season.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team lost both games of their double header against Lindenwood in St. Charles, Mo.

The Bearcats fall to 12-11 overall, 8-4 in conference, while the Lions improve to 12-11 overall and 5-7 in conference play.
Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 7, Lindenwood 9)
– Northwest scored one in the first, one in the third, two in the fifth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth inning. The Lions scored one in the first, five in the second and three in the fifth inning.
– The Bearcats had seven runs on 11 hits with two errors. Lindenwood had nine runs on 14 hits with no errors.
– Landon Figg went a perfect 3-for-3 in the first game with two walks, two runs scored, two doubles and two RBIs.
– Hudson Bilodeau finished 2-for-3 he drew two walks, scored three runs and had a double.
– Kevin Handzlik was 2-for-5 with one RBI and a double.
– Aaron Barratt went 2-for-4 with one run scored, one RBI, a double, one stolen base and a homerun.
– Luke Wilkinson was 1-for-2.
– Mondesi Gutierrez went 1-for-4 with two RBIs and a double.

Game One Key Innings
– Bilodeua started the scoring for the Bearcats when he drew a one out walk and quickly advanced to second on a wild pitch. Figg would then hit a double to left center to score Bilodeua and give the Bearcats the first run on the board.

– After two outs, Bilodeua hit a double to right field and came around to score when Figg hit a double to right center to conclude the scoring for the Bearcats.

– Bilodeua, Figg, and Luke Hassman started the top of the fifth inning when the reached base on a single and two walks. Gutierrez would hit a one out double down the right field line to score Bilodeua and Figg.

– With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Barratt sent a solo homerun over the left center fence.

– Wilkinson got the eighth inning going when he hit a single to left field and Tim Olson came in to run for him. Figg and Hassman both drew walks to load the bases and advanced on a wild pitch while Olson scored on the play. Handzlik then hit a single to the shortstop to score Figg and to conclude the scoring for the Bearcats.
Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 2, Lindenwood 7)
– The Bearcats scored scored two runs in the sixth inning. Lindenwood scored three runs in the first, two in the second and two in the fourth.
– Northwest had two runs on six hits with one error. The Lions scored seven runs on 15 hits with one error.
– Barratt finished the day going 2-for-4 with one run scored, a double and a stolen base.
– Logan Rycraft went 1-for-3 with one RBI and drew two walks.
– Figg was 1-for-4 with a walk and one stolen base.
– Handzlik finished 1-for-4.
– Derek Hussey went 1-for-3 with one RBI and a sacrifice fly.
– Gutierrez was hit by a pitch and scored one run.

Game Two Key Innings
– Gutierrez was hit by a pitch and Barratt reached safely on an error to start the sixth inning. The runners advanced on a fly out and Hussey hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Gutierrez. Rycraft singled through the right side of the field to score Barratt and concluded the scoring for the Bearcats.
Up Next
– Northwest will take on Nebraska-Kearney on Tuesday, March 20, at 2 p.m. in Kearney, Nebraska.

— Northwest Athletics —

The Northwest Missouri State University softball team swept their last two games of their two day tournament.

The Bearcats finish the weekend 11-9 and will continue conference play next weekend against UCO and Northeastern State.

Game One Key Statistics (Northwest 13, Wayne State 6)
– Northwest scored six in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the sixth inning. The Wildcats scored two in the second and four in the fifth inning.
– The Bearcats had 13 runs on 13 hits and two errors.Wayne State scored six runs on ten hits and had four errors.
– Kiana Baderdeen completed the first game going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a double, a stolen base and she scored one run.
– Rebecca Maher went 2-for-4 with one run scored, a double, a triple and two RBIs.
– Kenzi Sutton was 2-for-2 with two runs scored and one RBI.
– Kailey Siemonsma went 2-for-4 with one run scored and she had two RBIs.
– Jaedra Moses was 1-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.
– Jessica Rawie finished 1-for-2 with three runs scored,drew two walks, hit one homerun and had two RBIs.
– Abigail Gilson went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
– Regan Thompson got the win after she threw 2.2 innings allowed three hits and only one earned run.

Game One Key Innings
– After an out, Rawie and Gilson got the inning started when they both drew walks and Allen reached base on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Siemonsma hit the first run in with a single to left center to score Rawie and move all the runners up. Sutton came in to pinch run for Allen. Baderdeen kept the hitting going with a single to left center to score Gilson and Sutton and advanced Siemonsma to third. Maher would get two RBIs on her double to right center to score Siemonsma and Baderdeen. Moses would then hit a single to left center to score Maher and to conclude the scoring and give the Bearcats the lead, 6-3.

– Keeney started the inning with a leadoff walk and Lynnlee Parrott came in to pinch run. Rawie would give the Bearcats the lead with a two-run homerun over the left center fence to make it 8-6.

– Moses reached on a fielder’s choice to start the rally for the Bearcats in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kaitlyn Weis would then reach on an error to put runners at the corners. Keeney sent a hard single up the middle to score Moses from third and put Weis on third. Rawie reached base on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on Gilson’s single up the middle and to score Weis. Sutton kept the hitting going by sending a hard single up the middle to score Rawie. Siemonsma singled through the left side to score Gilson.

Game Two Key Statistics (Northwest 6, Northern State 0)
– The Bearcats scored one run in the first, two in the fourth and three in the fifth inning.
– Northwest had six runs on eight hits and one error. The Wolves had zero runs on four hits and had one error.
– Moses finished the day going 2-for-3 and one run scored.
– Weis finished going 2-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBIs and two homeruns.
– Keeney went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored, a double and a homerun.
– Gilson went 1-for-3.
– Baderdeen was 1-for-2 and one run scored.
– Rachel Smith threw seven shut out innings, she struck out eight batters and allowed four hits.

Game Two Key Innings
– Weis reached base on a fielder’s choice with two outs and then came around to score on Keeney’s double to the left center gap to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

– To start the fourth inning, Weis hit a solo homerun over the right field fence and Keeney followed it up with her own solo shot to deep center field to make the score, 3-0.

– Baderdeen lead off the inning with a single to right field and after an out Moses hit a sharp single through the left side to put two runners on. Weis would then send her second homerun of the day over the left center fence.
Up Next
– Northwest will play on Friday, March 23, against the University of Central Oklahoma in Maryville, Mo., at 1 pm.

— Northwest Athletics —