Sports – Page 513 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Missouri’s rally comes up short in home loss to Georgia

Posted on January 20, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Georgia beat Missouri for the second time in two weeks, but it certainly wasn’t deja vu on Wednesday night as the Bulldogs struggled to hold off the Tigers 60-57.

The Bulldogs handled Missouri 77-59 in Athens, Georgia, on Jan. 6, giving the Tigers their first Southeastern Conference loss of the season.

Yante Maten led the Bulldogs with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He was a force on both ends of the court, shooting 10 of 21 from the field and blocking six shots, which tied a career high.

Both teams traded baskets to start the second half, before Georgia used a 19-3 run to take a 16-point lead with under ten minutes to play.

“We eventually got back to our own rhythm offensively and were able to make a few shots a build a lead,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said. “We’re at our best when we have multiple guys making plays, and on that run in the second half that’s exactly what we did.”

Missouri clawed its way back with a 21-10 run to end the game. Namon Wright was fouled on a 3-point shot with 17 seconds to play, but converted on just 1 of 3 free throws to make it 58-54. Wright finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

On the ensuing possession, Missouri’s Wes Clark fouled J.J. Frazier, who sank both free throws.

Terrence Phillips capped the scoring with a 3-pointer from the wing as time expired. Phillips finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

Frazier had 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds while Georgia doubled Missouri’s assists, 14-7.

Neither team separated itself in the first half with the game tied at 22 at halftime. Georgia missed its first seven shots and Missouri jumped out to a 5-0 lead, its largest of the night. The Bulldogs shot 10 of 32 from the field in the first half, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range.

“I think the game was lost in the first half, to be honest with you,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “That’s the time we had an opportunity to go get a lead and make them play from behind and we didn’t do that.”

Maten finished the half with nine points and eight rebounds, and tied it on a 3-point play with 16 seconds remaining.

“He’s a big body and a good player,” said Missouri forward Kevin Puryear, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. “I’ve said this before, I like competing against him because he’s going to pull the best out of me. He played really well on both sides of the ball.”

Georgia outrebounded Missouri 43-32, including 12-6 on the offensive glass.

—

TIP-INS

Georgia: The Bulldogs are ranked second in the SEC in field-goal defense, holding opponents to 37.9 percent. … Georgia has won five consecutive games against Missouri, beginning with a 70-64 win in Columbia on Jan. 8, 2014, which snapped a 26-game home winning streak.

Missouri: Tramaine Isabell has scored 38 points over the last four games, after scoring only 12 points in the previous four. … Jakeenan Gant leads the Tigers in blocks with 21 and has blocked a shot in 14 of 18 games. … Kevin Puryear entered the game ranked first in free-throw percentage in SEC play, shooting 90 percent from the line.

UP NEXT

Georgia hosts Arkansas Saturday.

Missouri visits Texas A&M Saturday.

— Associated Press —

K-State falls in two overtimes at No. 13 Baylor

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

WACO, Texas (AP) — Al Freeman scored all 11 of his points after regulation, Lester Medford hit the go-ahead free throws to start the second overtime and No. 13 Baylor stretched its home winning streak to 15 games with a 79-72 victory over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

Medford made two foul shots in the opening minute of the second overtime to put Baylor (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) ahead to stay before Freeman added a driving layup.

After assisting on Johnathan Motley’s layup, Medford made a steal and then added a floater for the Bears. Medford finished with nine points and 13 assists.

Taurean Prince had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Baylor, and Motley had 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting. Rico Gathers scored 11.

Kamau Stokes led Kansas State (11-7, 1-5) with 20 points. D.J. Johnson had 11, and Wesley Iwundu scored 10.

The Bears, who trailed by as many as 10 before halftime, have won five consecutive Big 12 games for only the second time in school history. They took over first place in the league after No. 6 West Virginia (15-3, 4-2) lost 54-49 at home to Texas earlier Wednesday.

Baylor’s 15-game home winning streak matches the longest in the Ferrell Center, its home for 28 years.

Freeman, who was 0-for-5 shooting and scoreless in regulation, had seven points in the first overtime. But his potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer ricocheted off the back of the rim.

After a breakaway layup off the overtime tip, Freeman had another go-ahead layup and his 3-pointer with 37 seconds left put Baylor up 66-64. Iwundu had a follow-up basket for Kansas State with 8 seconds left to tie it.

The Bears led 59-57 after Prince made the first of two free throw attempts with 5.8 seconds left in regulation. K-State called timeout after Johnson’s rebound.

Stokes went to the free throw line when Medford was called for a holding foul near midcourt before the inbounds pass. Stokes made both free throws to tie the game.

Baylor had one more chance in regulation but Medford, who hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in a victory at Texas Tech on Saturday, had his 15-footer bounce off the rim as time expired.

TIP-INS

Kansas State: Four of K-State’s Big 12 losses have been to Top 25 teams. The Wildcats previously lost to No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 6 West Virginia and No. 19 Iowa State. … K-State still holds a slim 17-16 series lead against Baylor.

Baylor: Gathers almost had an airball on a free throw attempt. His attempt late in the first half barely nicked the bottom of the rim while rippling the outside of the net. … The Bears have won 26 consecutive home games against unranked teams.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday.

Baylor hosts No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Shields leads Nebraska to upset win at No. 11 Michigan State

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Shavon Shields earned a day of rest.

Shields scored 28 points, playing through hip pain, and Denzel Valentine missed a shot near the top of the key just before the buzzer to allow Nebraska to hold on for a 72-71 win over No. 11 Michigan State on Wednesday night.

“He got banged pretty hard,” Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles said. “The first thing he said to me after the game is, `Coach, I’m going to need the day off.’ He never asks for a day off, so I knew he was hurting.”

The Cornhuskers (12-8, 4-3 Big Ten) have won four straight, three on the road. They’ve also won three straight against the Spartans.

“That’s really big for our program,” Shields said. “They’re a great team.”

Michigan State (17-4, 3-4) has lost three straight and suddenly looks nothing like the top-ranked team it was earlier in the season.

“There’s blood in the water right now,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “The sharks are coming.”

Shields, who left the game with a hip injury in the first half and came back to play after halftime, made a shot to put Nebraska ahead by eight points with 2:31 left.

“I honestly didn’t think I could play,” he said.

Nebraska’s Glynn Watson scored 13 and Tai Webster had 10 points and missed a free throw with four seconds left that gave the Spartans an opportunity to avoid another loss, but they couldn’t make the most of the opportunity.

The Spartans pulled within two with 45.8 seconds to go when Eron Harris made a 3-pointer. Shields made a floater over Valentine on the ensuing possession. Valentine’s 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left cut the deficit to one point, but he couldn’t connect on one more shot to win for a second straight game after grabbing a rebound off a missed free throw and dribbling up the court.

“They deserved to win that game,” Valentine said.

The senior guard also failed to make a jumper that could’ve given Michigan State a win Sunday at Wisconsin. Valentine finished with 24 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Deyonta Davis had 13 points and seven points for the Spartans, who made just 42 percent of their shots from the field and 12 of 21 at the line.

TIP-INS

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers got some relatively good news at halftime when Shields was cleared to return to the game. The senior forward hurt his hip with four-plus minutes left in the first half, and had to be helped off the court as he kept weight off his right foot. Shields showed he was healthy in the second half, making a pair of go-ahead baskets in the opening minute. Midway through the second half, he had his right hip stretched on the sideline before going back in the game slightly hobbled. The next time Nebraska had the ball, he scored a three-point play on a driving layup and free throw to put Nebraska ahead 64-56 with eight-plus minutes left. Shields left the game again, briefly, to get his hip stretched before going back on the court. “I just told him at halftime, `If you don’t feel like you can go, you’re not letting us down,” Miles recalled. “But boy, did he go.”

Michigan State: The Spartans are struggling in part because Bryn Forbes has lost his shooting touch, especially at home. He was 1 of 8 against Nebraska and scored three points, one home game after going 0 for 5 and scoring just two points in a 17-point loss to Iowa. “He had good shots,” Izzo said. “He won’t miss those shots again. I feel sorry for that kid.” Forbes had a chance to pull Michigan State within a point, but missed an open 3-pointer with just less than three minutes left. Shields made a shot on the ensuing possession to give the Cornhuskers a 68-62 lead.

UP NEXT

Nebraska hosts Michigan on Saturday.

No. 11 Michigan State hosts No. 7 Maryland on Saturday night. “We’ve got to find a way to bounce back for a big game,” Izzo said.

STREAKS: The Cornhuskers have won three straight conference games on the road for the first time since 1998 when they were in the Big 12. Nebraska has made at least half of its shots in four straight games for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

— Associated Press —

Missouri State uses big second half to rally past Drake

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Dequon Miller scored 23 points with four 3-pointers and Missouri State erupted for 50 second-half points to beat Drake 79-70 on Wednesday night.

Drake led 39-29 at the half before the Bears used a 14-2 run in a little more than four minutes to take a two-point lead.

By comparison, Missouri State (8-11, 4-3 Missouri Valley) used nearly 11 minutes in the first half to score 15 points.

The lead traded hands in the second half, but Miller’s 3 with 10:15 left gave Missouri State a 55-52 lead it would never surrender. Chris Kendrix went on his own 8-0 run with a dunk, layup and four free throws in 1:15 to put the Bears up 66-54.

Drake (5-14, 0-7) countered with 14-5 run, and Reed Trimmer’s layup cut the deficit to 73-68 with 1:53 left, but the Bulldogs shot just 1 for 6 from the floor the rest of the way.

Trimmer led Drake with 21 points.

— Associated Press —

Kansas State to play Arizona in football in 2024, 2025

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Following the recent addition of Stanford to K-State’s future football schedules, Athletics Director John Currie has announced that the Wildcats have reached an agreement to play a home-and-home series with Arizona of the Pac-12 Conference in 2024 and 2025.

The series with Arizona’s Wildcats begins with a game in Manhattan in 2024, while the series will shift to Tucson in 2025. The two teams have squared off a total of seven times with the last meeting being back in 1978, while Arizona holds a 5-1-1 edge in the series.

“We are excited to announce a home-and-home series with Arizona of the Pac-12 Conference,” Currie said. “It is important for us to continue to schedule non-conference games with opponents that make sense for K-State, and we feel playing a nationally-recognized program like Arizona is a great opportunity for our program and the entire K-State Nation.”

The agreement with Arizona continues a solid trend of marquee matchups for the Wildcats as K-State has already played recent series with Auburn (2007, 2014), UCLA (2009, 2010) and Miami (Fla.) (2011, 2012), while future series with Stanford (2016, 2021), Mississippi State (2018, 2019) and Vanderbilt (2017, 2020) have previously been announced.

The Wildcats, under hall of fame coach Bill Snyder, open the 2016 season on September 2 at Stanford on the heels of their sixth straight bowl appearance and riding a 27-game home sellout streak. The 2016 season will also mark the completion of Phase IIIB of the Bill Snyder Family Stadium master plan culminating $180 million in improvements to the stadium.

— KSU Athletics —

Nebraska adds future football games with Oklahoma, Arizona

Posted on January 20, 2016January 20, 2016

The University of Nebraska has agreed to four marquee non-conference football games against Power Five opponents. The Huskers have finalized contracts to play two games against the University of Oklahoma and two games with the University of Arizona.

“We are pleased to finalize agreements with two outstanding programs for future non-conference contests,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “We are committed to playing an outstanding schedule each year that brings value to both our student-athletes and the greatest fans in college football.

“The Nebraska-Oklahoma matchup is truly one of the legendary rivalries in the history of college football, and to now have four scheduled meetings in a decade will be great for both programs. The Arizona series will be another outstanding home-and-home matchup against a high-caliber Power Five opponent and will provide a road game destination that will appeal to Nebraska fans.”

The two games against the Sooners are set for 2029 and 2030, and are in addition to previously announced contests with Oklahoma in 2021 and 2022. The two traditional national powers and former conference rivals have not played since 2010, but are now set to meet four times in 10 seasons.

The new two-game series will begin with a game in Norman on Sept. 15, 2029, with the Sooners set to return to Lincoln on Sept. 14, 2030. The two games that were previously announced in 2012 are set for Sept. 18, 2021, at Oklahoma and Sept. 17, 2022, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The Huskers and Sooners have a long history on the gridiron with 86 all-time meetings. Oklahoma holds a 45-38-3 edge all-time, but Nebraska has won nine of the past 15 meetings.

Nebraska and Arizona have also agreed to play two non-conference games, beginning with a game at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16, 2028. The Huskers will make a return trip to Tucson to face the Wildcats on Sept. 13, 2031.

The two games with Arizona will be Nebraska’s first regular-season matchup with the Wildcats since the teams tied in Lincoln in 1961. The schools split a pair of matchups in the Holiday Bowl, including a Nebraska victory in 2009.

Nebraska has several non-conference games scheduled against Pac-12 opponents in the upcoming seasons. Including the two contests with Arizona, the Huskers are scheduled to play eight regular-season games against Pac-12 foes, beginning with a home-and-home series with Oregon in 2016 and 2017. Nebraska also has four games scheduled with Colorado between 2018 and 2024.

With the four marquee games added to the Huskers’ future schedules, Nebraska now has at least one non-conference game scheduled for each season through 2031. Beginning with the 2016 season, Nebraska will play three non-conference games in addition to a nine-game Big Ten Conference schedule.

— NU Athletics —

Missouri Western jumps up to No. 5 in latest WBCA/USA Today Top 25

Posted on January 19, 2016January 19, 2016

ST. JOSEPH – In a season that continues to produce milestones not achieved in more than a decade, the undefeated Missouri Western women’s basketball team achieved another. The Griffons hit No. 5 in the in the latest WBCA/USA TODAY poll released this afternoon. It’s the highest ranking for the program since hitting No. 2 in the same poll in 2007.

Missouri Western is 17-0 overall and 11-0 in the MIAA, the program’s best ever start. Last week the team won at Washburn and at No. 9 Emporia State. It was the first time since the 2003-04 season Missouri Western had won on the road against either MIAA opponent. It also marked the first time since the 2003-04 season the team won at Central Missouri, Washburn and Emporia State in the same season. Thursday, the team will have a chance to pull off its first top-5 win since 2010 when No. 3 Fort Hays State visits the MWSU Fieldhouse. It will be the first matchup of top-5 teams in the MWSU Fieldhouse since 2007 when No. 2 Missouri Western hosted No. 3 Washburn.

Missouri Western enters Thursday’s game ranked in the top-10 nationally in six statistical categories and leading the MIAA in nine. The Griffons have claimed MIAA Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week honors five times this season, including Sarafina Handy sharing the honor with Fort Hays State’s Paige Lunsford this past week. Handy was the first Griffon other than LaQuinta Jefferson to claim the honor this year. Jefferson leads the MIAA, shooting 58.3 percent from the field and scoring 23.1 points per game. She ranks third in the nation in scoring and fourth nationally in field goals made.

No Missouri Western team, officially, has won its first 17 games, and the team’s 11-0 start in MIAA play is second only to the 1993-94 team that went undefeated (16-0) in the MIAA. The Griffons’ seven road wins this season are the most in the Rob Edmisson era and their 17 wins are the most, officially, since the 2004-05 season (20-9).

— MWSU Athletics —

No. 3 Kansas gets upset at Oklahoma State for the third straight year

Posted on January 19, 2016

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State nearly knocked off a top-three team last week. This time, the Cowboys got the job done.

Freshman Jawun Evans had 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds to help Oklahoma State upset No. 3 Kansas 86-67 on Tuesday.

The Cowboys (10-8, 2-4 Big 12) almost beat then-No. 2 Oklahoma six days ago, but they missed a last-second 3-pointer and lost by two points. The Cowboys then lost at Texas on Saturday for their fourth straight defeat.

During a players-only meeting Monday, the team decided how it would approach Kansas.

“We said to ourselves that we would just come out from the beginning and play desperately, and whatever happened happened,” guard Jeff Newberry said. “We knew that we were going to give it all this game and that we had to learn from our past games. That was just our focus coming in.”

Oklahoma State’s fans lost enthusiasm early this season, when top returning scorer and captain Phil Forte suffered an elbow injury he hasn’t returned from. However, that the win over Kansas came in front of a crowd that was barely half-full couldn’t steal coach Travis Ford’s joy.

“It was a great win. It was a great win,” Ford said. “I told our team that it was one of the great wins that I’ve been a part of, just from the fact of what we’ve been through as a team. A lot of people would give up on this team, say certain things, but we’ve been through a lot injury-wise. But to perform at the level we performed at tonight, I was so pleased with these guys.”

Newberry scored 13 points, and Jeffrey Carroll added 11 for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State shot 50 percent from the field, made 11 of 21 3-point attempts and outrebounded the Jayhawks 38-31.

Oklahoma State made 23 of 26 free throws, while Kansas made just 13 of 24. The Cowboys beat Kansas in Stillwater for the third straight time and the fifth time in seven years.

“I think about everything that could go wrong with us went wrong,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We didn’t make shots when the game was at least somewhat in balance, and they were so athletic, and of course, they played great. They made timely shots, had seven different guys make shots. What went wrong was they were far better than us.”

Frank Mason III scored 14 points, and Perry Ellis added 13 for Kansas (15-3, 4-2), which has lost two of its past three and fell out of a tie for the Big 12 lead.

Oklahoma State showed early that it might compete. Carroll stole the ball, then hit a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma State an 18-13 lead midway through the first half. Kansas battled back to take the lead, but Carroll later hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, both on assists from Evans, to give the Cowboys a 40-38 edge. Evans drained a 3-pointer on the following possession, and Oklahoma State led 43-38 at halftime.

Oklahoma State extended its lead to 50-43 early in the second half, and a two-handed baseline jam by Newberry pushed the advantage to 10. A 3-pointer by Tavarius Shine gave the Cowboys a 66-55 edge with about eight minutes remaining. Another 3 by Shine made it 71-57, and Oklahoma State rolled from there.

Now, Kansas must regroup.

“We’re so spoiled here,” Self said. “We haven’t had many games like this over the years, but we’ve had them. Mature guys understand it’s one game and bounce back, but it is disheartening at the moment. But we’ll find out how tough we are.”

STAT LINES

Last week against Oklahoma, Evans scored 42 points, tied for third-most in Oklahoma State history and the most ever by a Cowboy freshman. He scored 58 percent of his team’s points that night. Against Kansas, he scored 26 percent of his team’s points.

ON THE RISE

Evans has posted his two highest scoring totals in his past three games. He has averaged 25.3 points, 7.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds in that span.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

When asked about the most frustrating part of the night, Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham said, “Losing, getting the court stormed on you — I kind of hate that.”

TIP-INS

Kansas: G Brannen Greene sat out with a bruised left knee. He averages 7.2 points per game and shoots 58 percent from 3-point range. … Cheick Diallo got his first start for Kansas in place of Hunter Mickelson. … Oklahoma State fans gave Kansas play-by-play radio voice Bob Davis a standing ovation. He is retiring after this season.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys beat the Jayhawks in consecutive meetings for the first time since 2000. … Evans was named Big 12 newcomer of the week. … The Cowboys shot exactly 50 percent in each half.

UP NEXT

Kansas hosts Texas on Saturday.

Oklahoma State plays at Kansas State on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Mizzou basketball adds former Top 100 recruit Jordan Barnett

Posted on January 19, 2016

COLUMBIA, Mo. – In his last game inside Mizzou Arena, Jordan Barnett scored 43 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked three shots to lead Christian Brothers College High School to an 86-77 overtime win over Hickman to claim the 2014 Missouri Class 5 State Championship. Head coach Kim Anderson announced Tuesday that the Texas sophomore forward, a former CBC star and top recruit from the Show-Me State, has transferred to the University of Missouri and joined the program.

A 6-7, 215-pound forward, Barnett will sit out as part of his transfer requirements for a year-long period and be eligible to play in the second half of the 2016-17 season as a junior.

Barnett was widely considered one of the country’s Top 100 players coming out of high school, as he was ranked 70th overall by Rivals.com and 86th by ESPN.com. He averaged 20.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior for CBC, leading head coach Justin Tatum’s team to a 25-7 overall record and the state title. He was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s All-Metro Player of the Year at the conclusion of his final prep campaign.

“We’re excited to have Jordan join our Mizzou Basketball family,” Anderson said. “He’s an outstanding basketball player, but most importantly, he’s an exceptional young man from here in the state of Missouri from a good family. Over the course of his college career, Jordan has shown his potential in both the classroom and on the court. We know he is eager to represent his home state on the biggest stage.”

Barnett also led CBC in scoring as a junior and sophomore, averaging 17.7 points and 14.2 points during those respective seasons. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Cadets to an appearance in the Missouri Class 5 quarterfinals.

A former standout on the Nike EYBL circuit with the St. Louis Eagles, Barnett received coaching from current Mizzou assistant coach Corey Tate, who served as the Eagles’ head coach prior to coming onboard in Columbia for the 2015-16 season.

“I wanted to come back home to play,” Barnett said. “I‘ve been around Mizzou a lot growing up, so I’m very familiar with the school. It really feels fitting that I’d be back here. I am excited to play for Kim Anderson, because I know he is a good person and a great coach.”

Barnett appeared in four games at Texas as a sophomore this season, averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. In his final appearance for the Longhorns, he recorded 12 points and five rebounds in 13 minutes of action vs. UT-San Antonio (Dec. 8).

Barnett scored a season-high 11 points vs. Lipscomb (Dec. 16, 2014) as a freshman, appearing in 21 games overall and averaging 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

The son of Karen Barnett and Bob Bonner, Barnett was born Dec. 31, 1995, in St. Louis, Mo. He has one older half-brother, R.J. Bonner, and one older half-sister, Chelsye Witcher. His father played basketball collegiately at Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls, Texas).

— Mizzou Athletics —

Mustangs announce 2016 roster; 14 players return

Posted on January 19, 2016January 19, 2016

CLICK HERE TO VIEW 2016 MUSTANGS’ ROSTER

The St. Joseph Mustangs return 14 players from last year’s MINK League Championship squad as they seek a fifth title in six years this summer.

To go along with a group that led St. Joe to 35 regular season wins, eighth year manager Matt Johnson brings in a range of new players from Massachusetts to California.

“This year’s team will look similar to previous Mustang teams,” Johnson said. “We will have great team speed, a deep bullpen and a very competitive starting rotation. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”

Pitching anchored the 2015 Mustangs, and their top two starting pitchers are back again this summer.

Preston Felgate (4-2, 1.49 ERA in 2015) and Dixon Marble (5-1, 2.38 ERA in 2015) return for one more season in St. Joe as frontline starting pitchers in the rotation.

The bullpen will also feature familiar faces in closer Steve D’Amico (five saves, 21 strikeouts in 14.2 innings in 2015), lefty reliever/utility player Trent Hill and right-handed pitcher Humberto Medina.

The 2015 Mustangs Most Valuable Player will be patrolling the outfield at Phil Welch Stadium once again. Jacob Richardson batted .299 with six doubles, five triples and 20 RBIs last summer.

Bishop LeBlond graduate Patrick Dillon will also join Richardson in the outfield, and Jeremiah Figueroa returns to the Mustangs after one year away from the team.

St. Joseph’s speedy lead-off hitter, Orencio Fisher, will also be back at Phil Welch for a second year in a row. Fisher led the MINK with 34 stolen bases.

Platte City native Evan McDonald will play for the Mustangs once he completes his first year playing for Division I Georgia Southern.

Francisco Alvarez leads an experienced group of catchers. Alvarez, a backstop in his first year at Arkansas State, is back for his third summer in St. Joseph. He’ll be joined by Bishop LeBlond graduate Jonathan Zuptich and Maryville native Payton Scarbrough.

Johnson’s coaching staff will feature former Mustangs slugger Johnny Coy as the hitting coach, Blake Hardegree as bench coach and Ryker Fox as the bullpen coach.

— Mustangs Press Release —