Sports – Page 325 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Four MWSU basketball players earn MIAA academic honors

Posted on March 29, 2017March 29, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four Missouri Western basketball student-athletes were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll released by the conference Wednesday.

For the men’s basketball team Seth Bonifas, Cole Clearman and Wes Mitter were named to the honor roll. Melia Richardson was named to the honor roll for the women’s basketball team.

To be eligible for the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0, and have at least two terms of attendance at a certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.

— MWSU Athletics —

Sophomore Ed Morrow, Jr. to transfer from Nebraska

Posted on March 29, 2017March 29, 2017

Lincoln – University of Nebraska Men’s Basketball Coach Tim Miles announced Wednesday that sophomore forward Ed Morrow Jr. has elected to transfer from the Husker basketball program following the spring semester.

“I want to say thank you to my teammates, coaches, the fans and the University of Nebraska Athletics Department for giving me the opportunity to play Division I basketball,” Morrow said. “It is hard to leave home, and Nebraska is my home. I was born and raised here, it is my parents’ alma mater, and I have a lot of friends here. But sometimes you have to venture out to pursue dreams and aspirations in a career. This is a sacrifice I have to make to better myself.”

“I support Ed in his decision to transfer schools and wish him well,” Miles said. “We appreciate his hard work over the last two years. Although I am disappointed, we will continue to recruit young men who are committed to our mission of building Nebraska Basketball with a culture of success in all areas…life, school and winning basketball at its highest level.”

Morrow, a 6-foot-7 forward, played in 24 games, averaging 9.4 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game in 2016-17. Morrow, who missed seven games because of a foot injury, tied for the team lead in blocked shots with 27 and posted a team-high three double-doubles. He reached double figures 10 times in 2016-17, including a career-high 19 points against Dayton. Morrow grabbed 10 or more rebounds on seven occasions, including a career-high 18 against Gardner-Webb. In his two seasons at Nebraska, Morrow averaged 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in 54 games, including 19 starts.

The Huskers return three starters and seven of the team’s top 10 scorers from the 2016-17 team, while welcoming a trio of newcomers, including Georgetown transfer Isaac Copeland and Miami transfer James Palmer Jr., and incoming freshman Nana Akenten.

— NU Athletics —

Griffons lose to No. 9 Emporia State 13-4; Glaude breaks MWSU RBI record

Posted on March 28, 2017March 28, 2017

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western baseball senior David Glaude became the Griffons’ all-time RBI leader in a 13-4 loss to No. 9 Emporia State on Tuesday night.

The Griffons (14-13, 11-6) jumped out to a 1-0 lead after one inning, but eight Emporia State (23-5, 12-2) runs in the second inning dug a hole too deep for Missouri Western to climb out of.

NOTABLES
– Glaude broke Mike Musser’s 34-year-old RBI record with a double to right center in the third inning for his 135th career RBI. The senior is also tied with Musser for the most home runs in program history, and is now five doubles shy of Spencer Shockley’s career record of 48.

– Missouri Western left nine runners on base, totaling 12 hits against five Emporia State pitchers

– The Griffons used 10 pitchers in the game, including position player Levi Schreiner, who pitched a perfect ninth inning

TOP PERFORMERS
– Ryan Smith went 3-for-5 at the plate

– Alex Heuring was 2-for-3 with two infield singles

– Bailey Zimmer hit a solo home run, his second of the season

– Joe Tieman and Schreiner combined to keep the Hornets off the bases in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively

UP NEXT
Missouri Western heads back out on the road this weekend with a three game series at Lindenwood (15-12, 8-8) that begins this Friday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State gets road win at Nebraska-Kearney

Posted on March 28, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team beat Nebraska-Kearney, 8-2, on Tuesday at Memorial Field in Kearney, Neb.

– The win moves the Bearcats to 17-10 on the year and 6-8 in MIAA play. The Lopers fall to 8-19 overall and 1-13 in conference action.

– Jay Hrdlicka went 2-for-4 with three RBIs. He had a double, scored a run and drew a walk.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Landon Figg went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. He was also hit by a pitch.

– Luke Hassman was 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles. He scored twice and drove in a pair of runs.

– James Holler went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored, an RBI, a double and a walk. He also stole a base.

– Kevin Handzlik pinch hit in the ninth and collected an RBI single.

– Luke Wilkinson got a hit in his only at bat.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-5 and Logan Rycraft went 1-for-4.

– Garrett Fort scored two runs in the game and also drew a walk.

– Ozzie Adams drew a walk in the game.

– Eddy Kraber got the win, going 5.2 innings in the start. He allowed two runs on four hits. He walked just two batters and struck out one.

– Jacob Wagner got the last out of the sixth inning without allowing a runner.

– Austin Battaglia allowed just a walk in 2.0 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out one.

– Nikko Pablo finished off the ninth, allowing just a walk while striking out two.

Key Northwest Innings
– A two-out rally in the first inning gave the Bearcats an early lead. Figg singled to right and came around to score on a Hassman double down the left field line. Holler traded places with Hassman with a double of his own to left, making the score 2-0. Hrdlicka took the first pitch he saw back up the middle for an RBI single to center, scoring Holler.

– With two outs in the fourth, Fort reached on an error by the shortstop and went to second on an Adams walk. Figg came up with an RBI single to center, giving Northwest a 4-0 lead.

– Fort led off the ninth with a walk and went to second on an Adams sacrifice bunt. Figg was hit by a pitch and Hassman doubled down the right field line, scoring Fort from second. Holler reached on a fielder’s choice as Figg was tagged out at home on the play. With runners on the corners, Hrdlicka came up with another big hit, this time with a double down the right field line to score two. After a pitching change, Handzlik came up and hit an RBI single to center, scoring Hrdlicka to make it 8-2 Northwest.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will begin a three-game series at Pittsburg State starting on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 23 Missouri loses at home to Southeast Missouri State

Posted on March 28, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 23 Mizzou Baseball dropped a 6-5 decision to in-state rival Southeast Missouri Tuesday afternoon at Taylor Stadium. Sophomore 1B Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the bottom of the fourth inning, but SEMO exploded for four runs in the top of the fifth off of Mizzou’s bullpen to put the game out of reach. Mizzou tried to rally with two in the eighth, but lost a runner at the plate on a safety squeeze play which would have tied the game.

Mizzou RHP Cameron Dulle (St. Louis, Mo.) took the loss after being charged with three of the four runs in the fifth. He came in after a solid start from junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) who went 4.0 innings while allowing just two earned runs on two hits with a career-high six strikeouts. Nate Green earned the win for SEMO, tossing 4.0 innings with just two earned runs allowed while SEMO’s Friday night starter Clay Chandler earned a five-out save, his first of the season.

Montes De Oca worked an easy 1-2-3 first inning on just 10 pitches, picking up a pair of strikeouts. He then ran into trouble in the second, walking three and allowing a pair of RBI singles as SEMO took a 2-0 lead.

Mizzou cut the lead in half in the third on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) sacrifice fly, taking advantage of a big throwing error by the Redhawks. After Montes De Oca threw up another zero in the top of the fourth, Mizzou got a two-out rally from the bottom of the order in its half of the fourth. Alex Samples (Bridgeport, Texas) and Chris Cornelius (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied back-to-back two-out singles and Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) hit a two-run double to give Mizzou a 3-2 lead.

The lead was short lived as Clayton Evans hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the fifth inning off reliever Cameron Dulle (St. Louis, Mo.). The line kept moving on consecutive RBI hits off reliever Ryan Lee (Grandview, Mo.) and the Redhawks got another on an RBI groundout to take a 6-3 lead.

Mizzou threatened in the bottom of the seventh inning, loading the bases with one out for Robbie Glendinning (Scarborough, Australia) who drew a bases-loaded walk to draw Mizzou within two at 6-4. Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) then hit a sacrifice fly to pull within one at 6-5. SEMO escaped the jam without any further damage.

Junior RHP Nolan Groamcki (Smithville, Mo.) pitched a shutout eighth inning and Samples led off the bottom of the frame with his second hit of the game. Mizzou then put runners on the corners with one out in the eighth inning, but a botched safety squeeze cut down a runner at the plate and a strikeout by Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) ended the inning. Mizzou then went 1-2-3 in the ninth after T.J. Sikkema (DeWitt, Iowa) pitched a shutout top of the ninth inning.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Jayhawks’ Mason and Jackson named Associated Press All-America

Posted on March 28, 2017March 28, 2017

NEW YORK – Kansas senior Frank Mason III and freshman Josh Jackson have been named to 2017 Associated Press All-America Team, the AP announced Tuesday.

Mason was the only unanimous AP first-team selection, while Jackson is a third-team honoree. Mason received 65 first-team votes from the national media panel that selects the weekly Associated Press poll. Like most All-America teams released this season, Kansas is the only school with two representatives among the first three teams named.

Mason led the Big 12 in scoring with a 20.9 average in 2016-17 and his 21.0 points per game in league play were also tops in the conference. A two-time national and three-time conference player of the week from Petersburg, Virginia, Mason averaged 5.2 assists in 2016-17 and became the only player in KU and Big 12 history to average more than 20 points and five assists in the same season. Mason posted 23 games of 20 or more points in 2016-17, including his final seven contests and 10 of KU’s last 11 outings.

Showing a knack for taking over games which directed Kansas to a 31-5 record and its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title with a 16-2 league mark, Mason led Kansas in scoring in 26 games and also led the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Also in the Big 12, Mason finished fourth in assists (5.2), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), seventh in free throw percentage (79.4), ninth in field goal percentage (49.0) and 14th in steals (1.3). Mason went 103-for-119 (86.6 percent) from the free throw line in his final 15 games, making 6.9 charity shots per contest in that span. Additionally, he made 50.0 percent (43-for-86) from 3-point range and 2.4 treys per game in Big 12 play.

The 2017 Big 12 Player of the Year and three-time all-conference selection, Mason concluded his career No. 6 on the Kansas scoring list (1,885 points), No. 6 in assists (576), No. 8 in 3-point field goals (185), No. 13 in steals (165) and tied for third in consecutive starts (110). No Jayhawk in KU history ranked sixth or higher in both points and assists.

Mason has been named to seven All-America first teams in 2016-17 and the national player of the year by four entities. His All-America teams include Sporting News, USA TODAY, USBWA, Basketball Times and NBC Sports with Sporting News, USA TODAY, Bleacher Report and NBC Sports naming Mason their national player of the year.

Also listed on numerous All-America teams and the 2017 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Jackson joined Mason on the All-Big 12 First Team. A seven-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week in 2016-17, Jackson finished second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week, Jackson broke or tied four Kansas freshman records including double-doubles (12), rebounds (tied Danny Manning’s 258 set in 1985), field goals made (220) and field goals attempted (429).

Jackson’s 16.3 scoring average was sixth in the Big 12 and his 7.4 rebounds per game were fifth. The Detroit native led Kansas with 59 steals and 37 blocked shots his freshman campaign.

2017 ASSOCIATED PRESS ALL-AMERICA

FIRST TEAM
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Josh Hart, Villanova
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Justin Jackson, North Carolina

SECOND TEAM
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga
Luke Kennard, Duke
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Johnathan Motley, Baylor

THIRD TEAM
JOSH JACKSON, KANSAS
Markelle Fultz, Washington
Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame
Ethan Happ, Wisconsin
Lauri Markkanen, Arizona

— KU Athletics —

Royals’ Soler to start season on DL; Mondesi named starting second baseman

Posted on March 27, 2017

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) – Kansas City Royals outfielder Jorge Soler likely will begin his first season in Kansas City on the disabled list after straining his oblique in a minor league game.

Soler, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in December for closer Wade Davis, hurt himself on a swing Sunday. Soler went for an MRI on Monday, which revealed a Grade 1 strain. He’ll rest for five to seven days before slowly resuming baseball activities, meaning he’ll miss the Royals’ opener next Monday at Minnesota.

Soler missed nearly two months last season with a pulled left hamstring. He was sidelined for three weeks in 2015 with a left oblique injury, plus another month with a sprained ankle.

Royals manager Ned Yost also said Raul Mondesi will open the season as the starting second baseman. Mondesi won the job over Whit Merrifield, Christian Colon and Cheslor Cuthbert.

“Nothing is impossible,” Mondesi said.

Yost told the 21-year-old Mondesi the news before an exhibition game against Oakland. Mondesi began the day hitting .378 this spring with a .622 slugging percentage, three home runs and two doubles in 19 games.

“For anybody who watched, it was definitely an obvious choice,” Yost said.

Yost said when spring training began the prevailing thought was Mondesi would need more grooming in the minors after hitting .185 in 47 games for the Royals as a rookie last year. He often looked overmatched at the plate, striking out 48 times in 135 at-bats.

— Associated Press —

Northwest loses series finale to No. 9 Central Missouri

Posted on March 27, 2017March 27, 2017

The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to No. 9 Central Missouri, 9-4, on Monday afternoon at Bearcat Field in Maryville, Mo.

– The Bearcats fall to 16-10 on the year and 5-8 in conference play. Central Missouri improves to 20-6 and 12-4 in MIAA action.

– Landon Figg hit his first home run of the season in the fifth. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a double.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored one run in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth. The Mules got five in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the seventh and one in the ninth.

– The Bearcats scored four runs on 10 hits with no errors. Central Missouri had nine runs with 10 hits and no errors.

– Luke Hassman was 2-for-3 with a home run. He also drew a walk.

– Jay Hrdlicka was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.

– Ozzie Adams went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.

– Kolby Greenslade was 1-for-3 with an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

– Kevin Handzlik and Logan Rycraft were each 1-for-4.

– James Holler drew two walks.

– Brad Roberts got the start and went 4.0 innings. He struck out four and issued just one walk.

– Jacob Wagner worked a scoreless fifth inning, allowing one hit with a strikeout.

– Quintin Van Ackeren pitched 3.0 innings, allowing one run. He struck out two and walked one.

– Nikko Pablo came in for the ninth inning, allowing one run on one hit. He did not issue a walk and struck out two.

Key Northwest Innings
– With two down in the third, Adams drew a four-pitch walk to keep the inning alive. Figg took an 0-1 pitch down the first base line and deep into right field. Adams, who took off on contact, was able to score all the way from first on Figg’s double.

– Hrdlicka hit a one out single to right in the fourth and went to third on a Handzlik single up the middle. Greenslade lifted a sacrifice fly deep to left center, allowing Hrdlicka to tag and score for Northwest’s second run.

– The Bearcats put together a two-out rally in the fifth, courtesy of back-to-back long balls. Figg took a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his first home run of the season. Hassman then worked a 3-0 count and on a green light, launched his team-leading fifth home run over the left field wall for Northwest’s fourth run of the game.

Up Next
– Northwest has altered its midweek schedule Nebraska-Kearney. The Bearcats will now play on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in Kearney, Neb., instead of on Wednesday.

— Northwest Athletics —

Mizzou’s Cunningham named AP Honorable Mention All-American

Posted on March 27, 2017March 27, 2017

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention, as announced by the AP on Monday. Cunningham is the 10th Tiger in program history to earn All-America Honorable Mention recognition and the first since LaToya Bond in 2006.

Cunningham helped lead Mizzou to 22 wins, a third-place finish in the Southeastern Conference and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the first time since 1985 and 1986. The sensational sophomore steered Mizzou to wins in back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. She was named First Team All-SEC by both the league’s coaches and the AP after a stellar campaign.

Cunningham averaged a team-best 17.5 points per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC. The sophomore guard ended the regular season with four consecutive 20-point performances, averaging 26.5 points per game in the span while racking up a pair of National Player of the Week awards. During that stretch, she became the first Tiger since Sandie Prophete in 1989 to score 26 points in three straight games.

Cunningham finished with 10 20-point performances in 2016-17 and has 20 such outings in just 63 career games. She scored at least 30 points on three different occasions during the current campaign, one of just two players in the SEC to do so in league play.

Cunningham ranked second in the SEC in free throw shooting, making 84.8 percent of her attempts. She also boasted a 48.2 field goal percentage and remains the only player in the league shooting above 80 percent from the free throw line and 45 percent from the field.

Cunningham dished out at least three assists in 19 games. She led Mizzou in assists and finished 12th in the league with 3.4 per game.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Kansas’ Mason named Wooden Award finalist, Jackson All-American

Posted on March 27, 2017March 27, 2017

LOS ANGELES – Kansas senior Frank Mason III has been named one of five finalists for the 2017 John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy’s honoring the most outstanding college basketball player, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Monday on ESPNU. Mason also joins teammate Josh Jackson on the Wooden Award All-American Team.

Finalists for the award include Mason, Lonzo Ball (UCLA, Josh Hart (Villanova), Calen Swanigan (Purdue) and Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga) with one of the five winning the 2017 John R. Wooden Award.

Mason led the Big 12 in scoring with a 20.9 average in 2016-17 and his 21.0 points per game in league play are also tops in the conference. A two-time national and three-time conference player of the week from Petersburg, Virginia, Mason averaged 5.2 assists in 2016-17 and became the only player in KU and Big 12 history to average more than 20 points and five assists in the same season. Mason posted 23 games of 20 or more points in 2016-17, including his final seven games and 10 of KU’s last 11 contests.

Showing a knack for taking over games which led Kansas to a 31-5 record and its 13th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title with a 16-2 league mark, Mason led Kansas in scoring in 26 games and also led the league in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. Also in the Big 12, Mason finished fourth in assists (5.2), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2), seventh in free throw percentage (79.4), ninth in field goal percentage (49.0) and 14th in steals (1.3). Mason went 103-for-119 (86.6 percent) from the free throw line in his final 15 games, making 6.9 charity shots per contest in that span. Additionally, he made 50.0 percent (43-for-86) from 3-point range and 2.4 treys per game in Big 12 play.

Mason has been named to six All-America first teams in 2016-17 and the national player of the year by three entities. His All-America teams include Sporting News, USA TODAY, USBWA, Basketball Times and NBC Sports with Sporting News, USA TODAY, Bleacher Report and NBC Sports naming Mason their national player of the year.

The 41st annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men’s and women’s most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s on ESPN2 on Friday, April 7, 2017. The men’s and women’s John R. Wooden Award All American Teams will be honored during the ceremony, and the 2017 Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Trophy will be presented to Muffet McGraw, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Notre Dame.

This is Jackson’s fourth All-America honor this season, having earned second-team honors by Sporting News, USA TODAY and NBC Sports in addition to a third-team selection by the NABC. The 2017 Big 12 Freshman of the Year joined Mason on the All-Big 12 First Team and was a seven-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and two-time Big 12 Player of the Week this season. Jackson finished second on the team in scoring at 16.3 points per game and second on the team in rebounding at 7.4 rebounds per game. The Detroit native recorded 12 double-doubles, including nine in his last 15 outings.
2017 WOODEN AWARD FINALISTS
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Josh Hart, Villanova
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

2017 WOODEN AWARD ALL-AMERICANS
Lonzo Ball, UCLA
Dillon Brooks, Oregon
Josh Hart, Villanova
JOSH JACKSON, KANSAS
Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Luke Kennard, Duke
FRANK MASON III, KANSAS
Malik Monk, Kentucky
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue
Nigel Williams-Goss, Gonzaga

— KU Athletics —