MSSU soccer battles No. 8 Central Missouri to 2-2 tie

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Warrensburg, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Women's soccer team battled back to force the No. 8 Central Missouri Jennies to a 2-2 tie inside the South Recreation Complex on Jennies Field Sunday afternoon.

The Lions (6-2-2, 2-0-1 MIAA) got on the board after junior forward Jessica Edwards made a steal and pushed the ball back towards the goal, made a move, and passed it to Sarah Tatum for the open netter with 19 seconds left in the first half.

Then in the 72nd minute, senior midfielder Julia Liberty kicked a shot up that landed over the goalkeeper's head to tie the match at two apiece.

Junior goalkeeper Luz Galindo recorded all 110 minutes for the Lions in between the posts, making four saves on 16 shots faced throughout the match.

Missouri Southern concludes its road trip with a pair of matches in the state of Kansas beginning against Emporia State next Friday, Oct. 5 at 4:00 pm and followed by a match versus Washburn two days later on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 2:00 pm.

MSSU men's golf in 16th after day one of Battle for the Belt

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Hot Springs, Ark. -- The Missouri Southern men's golf team sits in 16th place after day one of the the Battle For The Belt hosted by Henderson State University at Hot Springs Country Club.

Tristan Haltom is tied for 13th after a day one, shooting a one-under par 71. Adam Vining is tied for 59 with a 76, while Logan Greer and Jeremy Dunham are tied for 74th after shooting a 78. Taylor Haltom shot an 80 and is tied for 93rd.

Maryville University is the round one leader, eight strokes in front of Southern Arkansas. Central Missouri is third, followed by Northeastern State, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, Harding, Southern Nazarene, Delta State, Texas-Tyler, Lindenwood, Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist, Lincoln, Southern and Northwestern Oklahoma to round out the team scores.

The Lions will play 18 more holes tomorrow morning, followed by a final 18 holes on Tuesday.

MSSU women's golf to compete at UCO Classic

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's golf team will head to Edmond on Monday and Tuesday as the Lions will compete in the UCO Classic hosted by Central Oklahoma at the Golf Club of Edmond.

The Lions will bring Kylie Carnes, Maggie More, Allison Cunningham, Elizabeth Poe and Kaitlyn Gilliland to compete at the tournament which will feature 18 holes on each day.

Southern will tee off at 9 am and will be paired with Southern Arkansas, Southwest Baptist and the Redlands CC.

The tournament will feature teams from Arkansas Tech, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State, Rogers State, Henderson State, Oklahoma Baptist, Cameron, Southern Nazarene, Fort Hays State, Harding, Drury, The Redlands CC, Southwest Baptist, Southern Arkansas, Arkansas-Monticello and Oklahoma Christian.

Sam McMahon promoted to associate head basketball coach at MSSU

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern head basketball coach Jeff Boschee has announced the promotion of Sam McMahon to Associate Head Coach effective immediately.

McMahon is entering his fifth year as an assistant coach with Missouri Southern after serving four years on the staff at Missouri State including the previous three for former MSSU Assistant Coach Paul Lusk.

Since joining the MSSU staff in 2014, the Lions have averaged 19 wins a season, compiled a 76-44 overall record and earned at least a top four finish in the MIAA regular season every year. In 2018, the Lions finished in second place with a 15-4 conference record and earned an at-large bid as a five seed in the Central Region of the NCAA tournament.

In the past four seasons at MSSU, McMahon has helped recruit, develop and coach multiple Lion players that have earned All-MIAA, All-Region and All-American honors. Elyjah Clark was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2017 and four players have gone on to sign professional contracts overseas. McMahon has been involved in all aspects of the program while coaching both the guards and post players during his tenure.

McMahon earned a bachelor's degree from Delaware in 2008 and a masters from Central Methodist in 2010.

"I'm extremely excited for Sam with this new role in our program, Boschee said." "He worked tirelessly for our program and has been the perfect assistant for me for the past four years. He has earned this. Sam does everything well within our program and is involved with every aspect of what we do."

MSSU volleyball falls to Lindenwood in five

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Janelle Brehm and Bridgette Jaeger both posted double-doubles but the Missouri Southern volleyball team was on the wrong end of a thriller, falling three sets to two today to Lindenwood. Individual set scores were 25-15, 27-25, 14-25, 11-25 and 9-15.

Southern (2-15, 2-5 MIAA) got 12 kills and 21 digs from Brehm, while Jaeger posted totals of 13 kills and 10 digs. Kylee Kaaihue had 36 assists and seven digs, while Morgan Nash had 15 digs. Alicia Pickett had eight kills and a block, while Olivia Lewis had three kills and seven blocks. Shaylon Sharp had seven kills and five digs.

Lindenwood (10-7, 2-5 MIAA) had three in double-figures for kills, led by Sadie Kosciuk with 15. Allyson Clancy had 45 assists.

Southern won set one convincingly as the set featured four tied scores and no lead changes. Southern forced timeouts for Lindenwood at 9-6 and again at 16-8.

Set two saw the Lions down 12-7 midway, but MSSU fought back and got to 16-15, to force a Lindenwood timeout. Southern trailed again at 21-19, forcing a MSSU timeout. Southern scored two-straight points out of the timeout to tie the score. The score was tied at 22, 23, 24 and 25, before two-straight points for Southern gave the set to MSSU.

Set three and four were all Lindenwood. One tie and one lead change were part of set three, while Lindenwood led from start to finish in the fourth. Set five saw Lindenwood lead 8-4 at the turn. Southern got to within three (9-6), but wouldn't get any closer.

Southern will be back in action next Friday as the Lions play host to Washburn at 6 pm inside Young Gymnasium.

Missouri Southern football falls to Central Missouri 62-7

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Warrensburg, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team fell 61-7 today at Central Missouri inside of Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field.

Southern (0-5, 0-5 MIAA) got 49 yards on 14 carries from Dalton James. LeEarl Patterson went 14-for-27 wit a touchdown and 126 yards through the air, while Aaron Willis caught five passes for 42 yards. Eric Dedrick Jr. caught five passes for 28 yards, while Satayven Chaves caught two balls for 40 yards. Jeremy Davis had one catch for an 8-yard touchdown.

Riley Hathorn had ten punts for a 43.5 yard average, including a long of 63 and three inside the 20. Cole Dunbar had eight returns for 173 yards and a long of 32.

Defensively Alan Glanville had a stellar game as he set a career-high with 15 tackles, including 12 solo, one for a loss of two yards, a pass break up and a quarterback hurry. Richard Jordan Jr had nine stops with a half a tackle for a loss, while John Ejizu and Deshon Cowling had six stops with Trevor Plafcan stopping five. Plafcan added 1.5 tackles for a loss and a quarterback hurry.

Central led 16-0 after one and 33-0 before the Lions got on the board. Patterson hit Willis for 12 yards for a first down, and a pass interference put the Lions inside the UCM 50 at the 49-yard line. A big pass from Patterson to Chaves put the Loins at the 17-yard line and Patterson hit Dedric Jr. for six yards to get to the UCM 8-yard line. Patterson then hit Davis for a touchdown with 2:39 to go in the first-half.

A quick touchdown from the Mules made the halftime score 40-7.

The Lions got within scoring distance again late in the fourth quarter, but an interception at the Mules' one-yard line stalled the drive.

Southern will be back in action next week as the Lions play host to Missouri Western for Homecoming. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium is slated for 2 pm.

MSSU volleyball falls to No. 17 Central Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team hung in with No. 17 Central Missouri, but couldn't quite get over the hump and fell three sets to none tonight inside Young Gymnasium. Individual set scores were 20-25, 21-25 and 11-25.

The Lions (2-14, 2-4 MIAA) were led by Bridgette Jaeger with eight kills and six digs. Alicia Pickett and Shaylon Sharp had seven kills each with Sharp adding five digs, while Kylee Kaaihue had 23 assists and seven digs. Morgan Nash had a team-high 11 digs, while Janelle Brehm added eight digs of her own.

Central (14-4, 4-2 MIAA) got 12 kills from Rylee Neigenfind and 31 assists from Ally Offerdahl.

The first set saw two tied scores and one lead change as the Lions got out to a fast start, leading 5-2 early on. The lead for the Lions was four (14-10), but a 6-0 run from the Jennies gave Central a 16-14 lead, forcing a Southern timeout. The Lions kept it close, but a 4-1 run late put the Jennies up 23-19 and Central went on to win the set.

Set two saw the Lions again get out to a hot start. The set saw ten tied scores and five lead changes. The Lions led 6-1 and 8-4 early on, but Central tied it at ten midway through. The two teams traded leads for much of the next ten points, but the Lions went on a 3-0 run to lead 18-15, forcing a Jennies' timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Central tied the set at 19 and it was again tied at 20 and 21, before a point from the Jennies gave UCM a 22-21 lead, forcing a Lions' timeout. Central scored the final three points to take the set.

Set three was all Central. The Jennies led from the opening serve.

Southern will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as the Lions play host to Lindenwood. First-serve is set for 1 pm inside Young Gymnasium.

MSSU soccer outshoots Lindenwood en route to 1-0 win

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

St. Charles, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Women's soccer team outshot Lindenwood 14-9 on its way to a 1-0 road victory inside Hunter Stadium Friday afternoon.

With ten minutes left in regulation, freshman forward Bailey Belcher headed the ball forward and collected it a couple moments later for a direct shot at the goal from ten yards out to give MSSU (6-2-1, 2-0-0 MIAA) the win.

Sophomore defender Rylie Johnson blasted one off a free kick from her own goal which found Sarah Tatum looking up for a header that was then headed by Belcher for the run and score. It was Belcher's third goal of the season.

The defense kept LWU (4-4-1, 1-1-0 MIAA) away from tying throughout the final minutes of regulation, including a corner kick that led to multiple opportunities for Lindenwood.

Junior goalkeeper Luz Galindo registered her second shutout after making four saves (nine shots faced) and spending all 90 minutes between the posts.

The Lions prepare for battle as they face No. 8 Central Missouri on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

MSSU soccer starts four-game road trip Friday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team kick starts a four-game road trip tomorrow against Lindenwood at 7:00 pm before facing No. 8 Central Missouri on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 1:00 pm.

The Lions (5-2-1, 1-0-0) opened conference play by getting revenge on Northeastern State with a 2-1 overtime win inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium a week after falling 6-2 to the Riverhawks in Tahlequah. Freshman Courtney Marten recorded her second overtime goal of the season after teammate Meredith Belrose launched a kick down the field that deflected off a NSU defender and allowed Marten to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper for the open netter.



It's the program's best stretch through eight games since 2007 when the Lions closed out the regular season with an 11-5-3 overall record.

The Rundown
Friday: Lindenwood - Harlen C. Hunter Stadium - 7:00 p.m.
Sunday: Central Missouri - South Recreation Complex - 1:00 p.m.

TV/Stream:
LU - http://themiaanetwork.com/lindenwoodlions/
UCM - TBA


Live Stats:
LU - https://lindenwoodlions.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
UCM - https://ucmathletics.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary



What the Opponents are Bringing to the Battle!
Lindenwood (4-3-1, 1-0-0 MIAA)
Series: MSSU leads 3-2-2

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... picked ninth in the conference preseason poll ... currently on a two-match winning streak with shutouts against Northwest Missouri State (2-0) and Missouri Western (1-0) away from home ... retained two of three All-MIAA selections from a season ago in midfielder Katie Juhlin (HM) and defender Alaina White (HM); both sophomores ... five other join them with ten or more starts during the 2017 season ... fell to the Lions 1-0 at Webb City High School after being outshot 16-7 ... head coach Dave Musso enters his first year at the helm of the Lions ... previously coached at Quincy where he compiled a .698 winning percentage (165-64-25)and captured three Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular season titles (2012, 2013, and 2017).

No. 8 Central Missouri (7-1-0, 1-0-0 MIAA)
Series: UCM leads 21-8-2

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... picked first in the conference preseason poll ... are the defending NCAA Division II Women's soccer National Champions (first in programs history) and have won the last eight MIAA regular-season crowns with five conference tournament championships in that span ... suffered the program's first loss since 2016 in a non-conference match against Missouri Western on the road (1-0) ...retained four of nine All-MIAA selections from a season ago in reigning Offensive Player of the Year in senior forward Jada Scott (1st), senior forward Courtney Killian (2nd), sophomore forward Makayla Toth (2nd), and sophomore defender Skylar Drum ... three other starters join them with ten of more starts during the 2017 season ... led the MIAA in every offensive category along with opponent scoring average (.19) and goals against (5) ... defeated the Lions in Joplin last year (2-0) ... head coach Lewis Tehobald enters his 12th season at the helm of the Jennies with a .852 winnings percentage (198-27-8) and finishing first in the MIAA 11 of those 12 seasons (twice tied) towards winning nine MIAA and five regional Coach of the Year awards.

Next Stretch
Southern continues its road stretch in the state of Kansas for a pair of MIAA matches against Emporia State on Friday, Oct. 5 at 4:00 pm and Washburn two days later on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 2:00 pm before returning to Joplin for a five-match home stand.

MSSU volleyball at home this weekend against Central Missouri, Lindenwood

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will get back into MIAA action this weekend as the Lions play host to No. 17 Central Missouri on Friday night at 6 pm and Lindenwood on Saturday at 1 pm.

The Lions (2-13, 2-3 MIAA) are coming off of a split last weekend that saw a thrilling five-set win at home over Missouri Western. Trailing 2-0, the Lions stormed back and won in five.

Southern is led offensively by Janelle Brehm as the sophomore is averaging 2.78 kills per set this year and 2.68 digs per set. Brehmn ranks 36th nationally and second in the MIAA in attacks per set, while ranking 70th nationally and sixth in the league in total attacks.

Morgan Nash leads the Lions with 3.57 digs per set, while Alicia Pickett is averaging a team-best 0.82 blocks per set. Kylee Kaaihue is averaging 5.48 assists per set.

Central Missouri (13-4, 3-2 MIAA) has won three of its last four matches. The Jennies have two (Audrey Fisher and Kylie Hohlen) averaging over 3.00 kills per set, while Ally Offerdahl averages 10.63 assists per set. Abby Skrastins averages a team-high 4.97 digs per set.

Lindenwood (8-7, 0-5 MIAA) has lost five matches in a row since beginning MIAA play. The Lions are led by Alexa Pressley at 2.71 kills per set, while Bailey Dvorak averages 2.50 kills per set. Allyson Clancy averages 10.31 assists per set, while Sara Wagenknecht is averaging 3.54 digs per set.

Both matches will be streamed live on www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions and live stats can be found on www.mssulions.com.

Memories of Carthage minor league baseball

Carthage native and author John Hall has been chronicling the days of minor league baseball in this area for the past few decades.

Hall, who was a batboy for the Carthage Cubs during the heyday of the KOM (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri) League, has written numerous books on the KOM, on minor league baseball in general, and a well-received biography of the younger days of Mickey Mantle, Mickey Mantle: Before the Glory.)

Hall sends a weekly newsletter to those who were involved in baseball during those days and for those of us who love the game. These memories of the driving force of the KOM League, former Carthage Press Publisher E. L. Dale were included in his most recent newsletter and are reprinted with his permission.

A couple of decades ago a visit was paid to Colonel Robert Dale (Led the Missouri National Guard during the 1968 riots in Kansas City) was the son of the late E. L. Dale, who first brought baseball to Carthage, Missouri, in 1938, and then spearheaded the founding of the KOM some seven years later and it began operation a year after that, in 1946.

Kansas City race riots: www.google.com/search?q=Kansas+City+race+riots+1968&o...

Col. Dale had asked me to meet him at his home and after our conversation concluded he gave me many priceless items including, but not limited to, a baseball glove Gabby Street presented him following the 1930 World Series that the St. Louis Cardinals won over Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. Over the years I have shared some of that memorabilia at KOM league events and written about it in numerous missives.

However, one thing that I don’t ever recall mentioning was a drawing done in the early spring of 1938 when Carthage was preparing to join the Arkansas/Missouri league. The reader can look at the image and see that the cartoonist didn’t know how to spell Pittsburgh, Penn. but rather had the spelling of the town in nearby Kansas that left off the “H.” The drawing was depicting the young “Hopefuls” who were preparing to make their entry into organized baseball.

That drawing was recently pulled out of the frame and examined. It was found that Jack E. Murray did the artwork on that item. It was finally given by the Rotary Club to the Dale family as the “Award of the Month” for 1964-65 by the president of that service organization, Ted Evans. Yours truly knew Ted Evans but wasn’t familiar with the artist, Jack E. Murray, or so I thought.

Guess what? I now know about Mr. Murray and realize I was aware of him for most of my young life. He was born John Edward Murray on May 13, 1919 in Willard, Missouri. The young cartoonist was obviously a baseball fan and celebrated the entry of baseball into Carthage with his artistic ability. His depiction of E. L. Dale was a dead ringer for the Carthage Press editor. When he drew that image he was nearly 19 years of age. He attended the University of Missouri in 1940. Jack was busy drawing things, for fun and making a living as the owner of the John E. Murray-- Earth Mover Company located at 1102 South River Street.

Those “Hopefuls” who tried out for the Carthage club, in 1938, did well. They finished two games out of first place in the pennant race and then won the playoffs, four games to one over Neosho. Neosho was a rival in baseball during the Arkansas/Missouri league history that lasted 2.5 years. Over my time of being aware of the world, Neosho and Carthage were rivals in high school athletics. Then, in a twist of fate the Neosho Daily News began printing the Carthage Press in recent years and then shipped the 20 miles, or so north, for distribution. If anyone paid attention to a recent report, the Carthage Press that E. L. Dale and his son Robert worked so hard to keep Carthaginians informed, bit the dust, just like the Arkansas/Missouri league did in 1940 and the KOM league did after the 1952 season.

Missouri Southern football to face Central Missouri Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will head to Warrensburg this Saturday for an MIAA matchup with Central Missouri. Kickoff from Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field is slated for 1 pm.

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU - 0-4, 0-4 MIAA | UCM 2-2, 2-2 MIAA
Date: Saturday, September 29, 2018
Kick-Off: 1:00 pm, CT
Location: Warrensburg, Mo.
Site: Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field (11,000)
Series Record: UCM leads 22-15-2
Coaches: Joe Bettasso (0-1 at MSSU, 10-2 overall) | Jim Svoboda (67-30 at UCM/119-49 overall)

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 101.7 and AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats: https://www.ucmathletics.com.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball

The Series: Central Missouri holds the all-time series lead against the Lions at 22-15-2. The Lions have an 8-9-1 record at Hughes Stadium against the Mules, while the Lions are just 7-13-1 in Warrensburg. Central has won 16 out of the last 20 meetings. Southern defeated the Mules in 2006 and 2013, both games at home. From 1983-1996, the Lions were 7-2 against the Mules.

The Dish On The Mules: The Mules are 2-2 on the season. Central started with a loss at No. 5 Fort Hays State, but the Mules rebounded for wins at home over Northeastern State and Missouri Western, before losing last week on the road at Washburn. Central is led by freshman quarterback Jeremy Hunt, playing in place of injured Brook Bolles. Hunt is 56-of-92 for 877 yards and 8 touchdowns through the air. His favorite targets include Shae Watt (17 rec., 301 yards, 2 TD), as well as Kyrion Parker (16 rec., 306 yards, 4 TD). Devante Turner is leading the ground attack with 49 carries for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Koby Wilkerson has 201 yards and two scores, while Dashawn Bates has 110 yards and one touchdown. Defensively, the Mules are led by Dylan Albertson with 29 tackles, including a blocked kick and a pass break up. John Embrey has 26 tackles and 4.5 for a loss with one sack, while Kolesen Crane has a sack and three pass break ups to go with 25 total tackles. Duane Dlayton and Andrew Houston have the lone interceptions on the team. Central averages 524.2 yards per game, while giving up 317. The Mules are averaging 327.2 yards in the air and 197 on the ground each game and have out scored their opponents by a margin of 150-72. The Mules will be back in action next week as Central will be at Central Oklahoma for a 2 pm kickoff from Wantland Stadium.

A Victory vs. Central Missouri Would: be just the sixth in the last 22 meetings with the Mules. It would bring the season series to 22-17-2 in favor of the Mules and would stop a 17-game overall losing streak for MSSU. It would be the first MSSU win for interim head coach Joe Bettasso.

NFL Representation: The Lions will have Brandon Williams as the lone MSSU alum in the NFL this season. Williams has blossomed into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and last season became one of the highest-paid, as well, signing a five-year, $54 million contract.

NFL Executive: Former Lion and former NFL wide receiver James Thrash is in his second season serving as the NFL and NFLPA's Appeals Officer. He hears all appeals for the NFL regarding on-field player discipline. Thrash played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.

Lions On Radio: The Lions will partner with Fox Sports Joplin this year as Southern can now be heard on three separate FM stations, as well as an AM station. Fox Sports Joplin will air the Lions' games on 101.3 and 101.7 FM, as well as AM 1560. MSSU's KXMS 88.7 will also simulcast the games giving the Lions a larger reach in the four-states than they've ever had.

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has three teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Pittsburg State is 10th, while Northwest Missouri is 17th and Fort Hays State is 18th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has four teams in the top ten and has nine teams in the top 25. There are 15 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region.

Lions On TV: Missouri Southern's KGCS will air every Lions home game live this year during the season. They will also re-broadcast the games on Sunday evenings at 7 pm.

Lions On The Web: All of MSSU's football games are carried live online as part of the MIAA Network. Fans can go to www.mssulions.com to view live and on-demand games.

Streaming Options: Fans now have even more options to view the Lions online in their homes and on the road. Not only can you view on your computer, fans can now view The MIAA Network on its over the top apps for either Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV.

NCAA Team Stats Rankings: The Lions lead the NCAA in blocked kicks and punts allowed this year, while ranking 31st in fumbles recovered, 36th in fewest penalty yards per game, 47th in fewest penalty yards and 49th in fewest penalties.

MIAA Team Stats Rankings: This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in fewest penalty yards and fewest penalty yards per game, while also leading the league in blocked kicks and punts allowed. Southern ranks second in fumbles recovered and fourth in fourth down defense.

Individual Stats Rankings: Individually, Alex Alvarado, Trevor Plafcan, Richard Jordan Jr. and Lorenzo Credit all rank 29th nationally in fumbles recovered. Paul Wolff leads the NCAA in field goal percentage, while ranking 36th in field goals per game. Justin Legier is 42nd in total tackles, while Riley Hathorn is 55th in punting.

MIAA Individual Stats Rankings: Alvarado, Plafcan, Jordan and Credit rank second in fumble recoveries, while Wolff is first in field goal percentage and fourth in field goals per game. Legier is fourth in total tackles, while Hathorn ranks sixth in punting.

New Interim Head Coach: Lions' defensive coordinator Joe Bettasso has be tabbed as the Interim Head Coach after Denver Johnson stepped down on September 18.

Run Em Up Batie: Caleb Batie had an impressive first game at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. The sophomore rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries with zero negative yardage against Lindenwood.

A Perfect Leg: Paul Wolff was perfect again against Fort Hays State, making field goals of 39 and 33 yards, while also going 1-for-1 on extra point attempts. This season, Wolff is 4-4 on field goals and 3-3 on extra points.

Special Teams Success: Wolff had a perfect day kicking for the Lions, while Hathorn was no slouch punting the ball. Hathorn averaged 42.8 yards per kick against FHSU and had a long of 60 with two inside the 20.

Tackling a Legacy: Richard Jordan Jr., the son of Lions' Hall of Famer Richard Jordan Sr. is following in his father's footsteps rather nicely. Jordan recorded his first collegiate sack against Lindenwood and followed that up with a pass break up on the ensuing play.

Welcome Back Joe: Former Lion Joe Bettasso has returned to the Green and Gold as the Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. Bettasso played for Southern from 2002 - 2005 and later was a student assistant coach for the Lions.

Defensive Lineage: Three former Lions' defensive coaches, all whom current Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Joe Bettasso learned under, are all in high-profile positions. Scottie Hazelton (04-05) is the Defensive Coordinator at Wyoming, Brian Ward (2005) is the Defensive Coordinator at Syracuse and Todd Wash (2004) is the Defensive Coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.

Weather Report: The weather report for the Warrensburg area on Saturday calls for a high of 68 and morning showers. Precipitation chance is listed at 40% with an ESE wind of 9 mph.

Southern golfers finish ninth at MSSU Fall Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Monkey Island, Okla. -- Missouri Southern seniors Adam Vining and Tristan Haltom tied for 31st as the Missouri Southern men's golf team finished in ninth place overall at the 2018 MSSU Fall Invitational today at Shangri-La Country Club.

Southern sent ten golfers to the tournament in the beautiful golf course situated on Grand Lake.

Vining and Tristan Haltom both shot three-round totals of 222, while Vining finished with a final-round 73 and Haltom shot a 76 and the pair tied for 31st.


Logan Greer, competing as an individual, shot a nine-over 225 and finished tied for 37th, while Jeremy Dunham and Taylor Haltom both shot a 226 to finish tied for 38th.

Tripper Jenson shot a 231, while Grant Sikes and Jon Lenz finished with scores of 235 and 237, respectively. Jackson Von Behren and AJ Musche shot scores of 241 and 258.

Oklahoma Christian shot 16-under par as a team and won the event by a total of three strokes over St. Mary's (Texas). Southeastern Oklahoma State was third, followed by Southern Arkansas, Newman, Hutchinson CC, Southern Nazarene, Harding, Missouri Southern, Fort Hays State and Sioux Falls.

The Lions will be back in action next week as the Lions travel to Hot Springs (Ark.) Country Club to compete in the Henderson State Regional Preview.

MSSU volleyball falls to Drury in three

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Springfield, Mo. -- Bridgette Jaeger had 12 kills, while Kylee Kaaihue dished out 17 assists and Alicia Pickett had a match-high four blocks as the Missouri Southern volleyball team fell three sets to none tonight at tenth-ranked Drury.

The Lions (2-13) got five kills and 12 digs from Jaeger, while Pickett had five kills and four blocks. Kaaihue dished out 17 assists, while Morgan Nash had 11 digs.

Drury (13-2) got 12 kills from Abby Welther and 24 assists from Kendra Slater.

The Panthers led from start to finish in the first set en route to the 25-15 win.

The second set saw the Lions trail 20-10 late in the set, but Southern reeled off nine-straight points to get within one (20-19), but couldn't get any closer. Southern got to within 24-22, but a final kill from Welther gave the Panthers the set, 25-23.

The third set saw the Lions led 4-2 early on and again 8-6. The set was tied at nine midway through, but Drury went on a 4-1 run and led 13-10. The Lions, however, got back to within one (15-14), forcing a Drury timeout, but that would be as close as they could get. Drury went on an 8-0 run to put away the set.

Southern will be back in action this weekend as the Lions will play host to 17th-ranked Central Missouri at 6 pm on Friday and Lindenwood at 1 pm on Saturday. Both matches will be played inside Young Gymnasium.

Southern men's golf in eighth place after first day of MSSU Fall Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Monkey Island, Okla. -- The Missouri Southern men's golf team sits in eighth place after 36 holes of golf at the MSSU Fall Invitational today at Shangri-La Country Club.

Tristan Haltom is leading the way for the Lions as the senior shot a round one 72 and a 74 in round two to finish tied for 25th after day one at 146.

Adam Vining and Logan Greer both shot a 149 and are tied for 30th with Greer competing as an individual. Taylor Haltom (37th) shot a 151, while Jeremy Dunham (43rd) shot a 153.

Grant Sikes, competing as an individual, is tied for 46th with a 154, while Tripper Jensen is tied for 49th at 157.

Jon Lenz (53rd) shot a 158, while Jackson Von Bohren (62nd) shot a 160. AJ Musche is in 65th at a 173.

As a team, the Lions shot a round-one 297 and a round-two 302 and are in eighth place. Southeastern Oklahoma State shot a 563 and lead second-place Oklahoma Christian by five strokes. Hutchinson CC is tied for third with St. Mary's, while Newman is fifth, followed by Southern Nazarene, Southern Arkansas, Missouri Southern, Harding, Sioux Falls and Fort Hays State to round out the team totals.

The Lions will finish off the tournament with round three tomorrow morning. Southern will tee off on hole ten at 9:18 am.

MSSU soccer opens conference play with 2-1 overtime win over Northeastern State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team opened conference play with a 2-1 overtime victory over Northeastern State inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium Sunday afternoon.

A minute into the overtime period, freshman midfielder Courtney Marten gathered the ball after it deflected off the defender, went straight forward and shot one right between a sliding goalkeeper's legs from the five-yard mark for the game winner.

The Lions (5-2-1, 1-0-0 MIAA) quickly moved the ball up the field, ending with a high kick by sophomore midfielder Meredith Belrose, who found Marten deep down the field for the score.

Along with the assist, Belrose recorded a goal of her own on a header over the goalkeeper's reach off a corner kick launched by forward Mara Faiazza from the far sideline towards the one-yard mark in the 84th minute of regulation to force overtime (1-1).

NSU (6-2-0, 0-1-0 MIAA) scored first with about two minutes remaining in the first period to head into halftime up 1-0, but was held to two shots in the second period and six overall after creating 24 total in the teams' first meeting one week ago.

Southern begins a four-game road trip in St. Charles, Missouri versus Lindenwood on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 pm.

MSSU men's golf to hold Fall Invitational at Shangri-La Country Club

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's golf team will play host to the 2018 MSSU Fall Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Okla.

The Lions will play 36 holes on Monday with a final 18 holes on Tuesday. Round one will start at 8:30 am with a shotgun start, while round two begins around 2:30 pm with another shotgun start.

Southern will be joined by Sioux Falls, Harding, Fort Hays State, Newman, Southern Arkansas, Southeastern Oklahoma, Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Christian, Southwest Baptist, Hutchinson CC and St. Mary's (Texas).

The travel squad for the Lions will include Tristan Haltom, Jeremy Dunham, Adam Vining, Taylor Haltom and Tripper Jensen. Jackson Von Behren, Logan Greer, Jon Lenz, Grant Sikes and AJ Musche will all compete as individuals for the Lions.

Tristan Haltom and Dunham are neck-and-neck for the team low average this year with Haltom at 71.5 and Dunham sporting a 71.7 round average. Greer and Vining are at 74.3 and 74.7, while Taylor Haltom is at 75.7. Lenz is at 82, while the rest of the travelers have not yet scored a round for the Lions.

Follow mososports on Twitter and Instagram tomorrow for updated first and second-round results as they become available.

MSSU men's cross country places sixth at Chili Pepper Festival

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Fayetteville, Ark. -- The 13th-ranked Missouri Southern men's cross country team placed sixth overall and Gidieon Kimutai was 15th individually as the Lions competed at the 30th Annual Chili Pepper Festival ran at the University of Arkansas Agri Park.

The Lions were the second-highest finishing Division II program at the meet, behind only No. 14 Dallas Baptist. The University of Arkansas won the meet with all five scoring runners int he top-20. Iowa Central CC was second, followed by Dallas Baptist, North Texas, Wichita State, Southern, Oklahoma City, Fort Hays State, Alabama-Huntsville and Stephen F. Austin to round out the top-ten.

Kimutai placed 15th individually as the top finisher for the Lions with a time of 24:49.6 over the 8k course. Josh Webb was 43rd in a time of 25:39.6, while Nickson Kiptoo was 55th in a time of 25:53.9. Michael Shanahan was 69th, while Tadd Capron and Kevin Koester placed 76th and 77th, respectively. Jared Ozee placed 92nd.

Southern will be back in action on October 13 as the Lions will be at Fort Hays State.

MSSU football falls to Fort Hays 55-20

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

LeEarl Patterson threw for two second-half touchdowns and Paul Wolff was 2-for-2 in field goals, but the Missouri Southern football team fell 55-20 to No. 18 Fort Hays State Saturday inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium.

The Lions (0-4, 0-4 MIAA) got 84 yards on the ground from Dalton James, while Patterson went 4-for-8 in the air for 85 yards and two scores. Sean Kelly was 8-for-20 in the game for 62 yards. Cole Dunbar caught three passes for 48 yards, while Jeremy Davis and Aaron Willis had a touchdown reception each. Seven different Lions caught a pass.

Wolff was perfect on the night and remains perfect on the year. He hit two field goals from 39 and 33 yards, while also connecting on both point after attempts. Riley Hathorn had eight punts for 42.8 yards per punt, including a long of 60 and two inside the 20.

Defensively Justin Legier had 15 tackles on the night with nine solo. He's the first Lion since Johnquavious McBride in 2015 to have at least 15 tackles in a game. Akel Beard had seven tackles, while Maciah Long forced a fumble, Richard Jordan Jr. and Lorenzo Credit both had fumble recoveries and Trevor Plafcan picked off a pass.

FHSU (3-1, 3-1 MIAA) got 116 yards and a touchdown from Charles Tigner. Jacob Mezera was 15-of-23 for 237 yards and four touchdowns, while Chance Fuller went 10-of-18 for 168 yards and a score through the air. Matt Wendelberger had seven catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers got on board first with two quick touchdowns before the first of Wolff's two field goals, this one from 39, made the score 14-3 with 5:53 left in the first quarter. The Tigers led 21-3 after one.

At the start of the second quarter, the Lions forced two quick turnovers. With the Tigers driving deep inside MSSU territory, Jordan recovered a fumble from Mezera at the 12. After the ensuing drive stalled for the Lions, Long forced a fumble on the punt return and Credit recovered giving the Lions the ball at their own 45. Southern got inside the FHSU 35, but couldn't get any further.

A second field goal from Wolff, this one from 33, made the score 21-6, FHSU with 5:06 left on the clock in the second. The Tigers, however, scored twice late in the quarter to go into the locker room up 35-6 at the break.

Patterson directed the first of his two scoring drives to start the fourth. His first came on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Davis with 13:01 left on the clock that capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive. His second came on a 32-yard pass and score to Willis with 5:02 left on the clock. That drive was five plays for 78 yards.

Southern will be back in action next week when the Lions travel to Central Missouri. Kickoff from Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field is slated for 1 pm.

MSSU women's cross country places 14th at Chili Pepper Festival

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Fayetteville, Ark. -- The Missouri Southern women's cross country placed 14th as a team and Ashlee Kuykendall was 26th as Southern competed in the 30th Annual Chili Pepper Festival at the University of Arkansas Agri Park.

The Lions were the fourth-highest finishing Division II program in the meet, behind Dallas Baptist, Drury and East Central. Kuykendall was the women's top finisher in 26th place with a time of 18:04.3 over the 5k course. Julianna Determan was 65th, while Kelie Henderson placed 68th. Mady Gepford placed 135th, while Alice Evans was 152nd.
Janna Hautala was 163rd.

Arkansas won the meet with 34 points as the Razorbacks had all five scoring runners in the top 15. Wichita State was second, followed by Iowa Central CC, Texas State, Dallas Baptist, Missouri State, Wayland Baptist, Drury, North Texas and South Alabama to round out the top ten. Central Arkanas, Stephen F. Austin, East Central, Southern, and Alabama-Huntsville round out the top-15.

The Lions will be back in action on October 13 when Southern travels to Fort Hays State.

Alicia Pickett has career afternoon as MSSU volleyball defeats Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Volleyball team got a career-afternoon from Alicia Pickett as the Lions came-from-behind and defeated Missouri Western three sets to two inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Individual set scores were 14-25, 15-25, 27-25, 25-23 and 15-13.

The Lions (2-12, 2-3 MIAA) dropped the first two sets as the Griffons (9-7, 2-3 MIAA) hit .556 and .300 in the opening sets. Southern, however forced extra points in set three and played strong in the final two sets to post the win.



Pickett had 20 kills and hit .457, while adding four blocks in the match. Bridgette Jaeger had a double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs, while Kylee Kaaihue had 52 assists. Morgan Nash had 24 assists, while Katie Paine added 14 and Janelle Brehm added 13. Shaylon Sharp had nine kills, while Brehm added eight. Kaaihue and Olivia Lewis had five blocks each.

Western got 19 kills from Stephanie Doak, while Live Winkler dished out 43 assists.

Midway through the third set, the Lions trailed 17-12, forcing a Southern timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Lions went on a 11-6 run to tie the set at 23 to force a Griffons timeout. Western went up 24-23, but the Lions tied it at 24 and 25, before scoring two of the final three points to win the set.
The fourth set saw the Lions trail 13-12 midway and force a Southern timeout. The Lions trailed 20-16, but scored four of the next five points to force a Griffons timeout. Southern took a 24-22 lead and forced another Western timeout. Southern held on for the 25-23 win.

The Griffons got to eight first in the fifth set, but the Lions tied it at eight on the next point. Western led 10-8 and forced a Lions' timeout, but Southern scored seven of the next ten points to take the set.

The Lions will be back in action on September 25, but will be back in MIAA play on September 28, playing host to Central Missouri.

MSSU volleyball plays well, but falls to Northwest Missouri in three

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team hung tough with a good Northwest Missouri Bearcats squad and the Lions fell three sets to none tonight inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Individual set scores were 11-25, 23-25 and 24-26.

The Lions (1-12, 1-3 MIAA) got a good performance from Shaylon Sharp off the bench as she had eight kills and hit .462 in the match. Alicia Pickett had four kills and three blocks, while hitting .444 and Olivia Lewis had six kills and four blocks in the match. Kyle Kaaihue dished out 26 assists, while Morgan Nash and Bridgette Jaeger had 11 and nine digs, respectively.

Northwest (12-3, 4-0 MIAA) got 13 kills and nine digs from Maddy Bruder and 12 from Sofia Schleppenbach, while Maddy Ahrens dished out 38 assists.

The Bearcats led from start to finish in the first set. The second set, however was much tighter. The set saw 16 ties and eight lead changes. Both teams trades points before a block from Kaaihue and Pickett led to a timeout for the Bearcats with Southern leading 16-15. Northwest came back and led 21-19, forcing a Lions' timeout, but a kill from Lewis tied the set at 23. Northwest, however, scored the final two points of the set to take the set.

The third set was much of the same with nine ties and three lead changes. Southern scored the first three points of the set as Lewis had two blocks and a kill to spark the 3-0 outburst. The two teams traded points for most of the set, but a 3-0 run midway through the set by the Bearcats forced a Lions timeout as Northwest led 17-14. The Lions fought back and got within one (21-20) and forced a Northwest timeout.

Southern tied the set at 23 and 24 to force extra points, but the Bearcats scored the final two points to secure the match.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow as Southern will play host to Missouri Western at noon inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

MSSU soccer falls in non-conference finale 2-0

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team dropped its non-conference finale against Central Oklahoma by a final score of 2-0 inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium Friday evening.

Missouri Southern (4-2-1) was led by midfielder Carina Calderon and forward Sarah Tatum who each had one shot opportunity in the match while the defense prevented the Bronchos from taking a single shot within the box.

UCO (7-0) registered a goal on a cross pass in the 21st minute of regulation and then followed up with another score off a corner kick in the second period.

Junior goalkeeper Luz Galindo made 11 saves and a couple diving blocks in 90 minutes between the posts.

The Lions are back in action on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 pm for their second meeting with Northeastern State to kick off conference play.

MSSU men's, women's cross country to compete at Chili Pepper Invite

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's cross country teams will be in action tomorrow morning as the Lions will compete in the 30th Annual Chili Pepper Invite hosted by the University of Arkansas.

The Southern men come into the meet ranked 13th nationally in Division II, up seven spots from last week after the Lions performance at the Southern Stampede. Southern finished second overall as a team last week at the Stampede, while freshman Gidieon Kimutai was second individually. The Lions are also ranked second in the Central Region, behind only Augustana.

The Southern women are ranked tenth in the Central Region after last week's performance at the Southern Stampede. The Lions, as a team finished ninth, while Ashlee Kuykendall was tenth individually.

The men will open up the race at 9:30 am, while the women will run at 10:20 am.

MSSU volleyball to play host to Northwest Missouri, Missouri Western this weekend

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team will play host to Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western this weekend.

Southern will host Northwest Missouri on Friday at 6 pm and Missouri Western on Saturday at noon. Both matches will be played inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center as opposed to Young Gymnasium.

The Lions (1-11, 1-2 MIAA) are coming off a win at Southwest Baptist on Tuesday where the Lions won 3-1 in Bolivar. Janelle Brehm had 14 kills, while Alicia Pickett had ten. Kylee Kaaihue had 38 assists, while Morgan Nash and Bridgette Jaeger had 17 and nine digs, respectively. Jaeger added eight kills, while Katie Paine had eight digs.

Brehm leads the Lions with 3.15 kills per game this year, while Nash has a 3.39 digs per set average and Jaeger is at 3.29 digs per set. Pickett is averaging 0.76 blocks per set, while Kaaihue is averaging 4.59 assists per set in limited play.

Northwest Missouri is 11-3 overall and 3-0 in league play. The Bearcats are led offensively by Maddy Bruder with 4.38 kills per set, while Maddy Ahrens is dishing out 10.88 assists per set. Olivia Nowakowski is averaging 4.38 digs per set.

Missouri Western is 8-6 overall and 1-2 in MIAA play. The Griffons are led by Stephanie Doak at 3.94 kills per set, while Lauren Murphy is dishing out 11.31 assists per set. Audrey Keim is averaging 5.72 digs per set this season.

MSSU men's golf picked seventh in MIAA preseason coaches poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's golf team has been picked to finish seventh in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, the league announced last week.

The Lions finished last season ninth in the MIAA Championships and ninth in the final standings, as well. Southern returns nine golfers from that team to bring needed leadership on the links.

Southern has played in two tournaments so far this year, finishing 14th at Central Missouri and 10th at Northeastern State in the first MIAA points event of the season. The Lions were the sixth-best MIAA team in that tournament, sitting in sixth in the initial standings for the year.

Tristan Haltom finished tied for tenth individually at NSU with a three-under par tournament. Jeremy Dunham led the way for the Lions at Central Missouri as he shot a three-round 215 to finish tied for 24th individually.

Central Missouri was picked to win the league in a narrow, one-point margin over Lindenwood. Washburn was third, just four points behind the Mules, while Central Oklahoma was fourth, just five points back. Missouri Western was picked fifth, followed by Northeastern State, Southern, Fort Hays State, Southwest Baptist and Lincoln to round out the poll.

The Lions will be hosting their annual event next Monday and Tuesday as Southern plays at Shangri-La Country Club in Monkey Island, Okla.

MIAA Men's Golf Poll

1. Central Missouri (2) - 55 points

2. Lindenwood (3) - 54 points

3. Washburn (2) - 51 points

4. Central Oklahoma - 50 points

5. Missouri Western (1) - 44 points

6. Northeastern State - 33 points

7. Missouri Southern - 28 points

8. Fort Hays State - 16 points

9. Southwest Baptist - 15 points

10. Lincoln University - 14 points

*Not All Teams Submitted Ballots

MSSU soccer opens non-conference slate Friday against Central Oklahoma

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team wraps up its non-conference schedule with a home match tomorrow at 6:00 pm against Central Oklahoma before officially kicking off MIAA match play on Sunday at 1:00 pm versus Northeastern State.

The Lions (4-1-1) split last weekend pair after falling to NSU last week by a final score of 6-2, but were able to get back on track with a 2-1 victory over Southwest Baptist. Freshman forward Bailey Belcher recorded her second goal of the season to give the Lions a 1-0 in the 62nd minute. Sophomore forward Sarah Tatum followed up with ten minutes left in regulation for what turned out to be the game winner as the clock read zero.

It's the program's best start through six games since 2007 when the Lions went 4-1-1 towards an 11-5-3 overall record. The other team to kick off a season 4-1-1 was in 2004 which led to a 10-win season.

The Rundown
Friday: Central Oklahoma - Fred G. Hughes Stadium - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: Northeastern State - Fred G. Hughes Stadium - 1:00 p.m.

TV/Stream:
UCO/NSU - http://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/

Live Stats:
UCO/NSU - https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary

What the Opponents are Bringing to the Battle!
Central Oklahoma (6-0)
Series: MSSU leads 11-2-1
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... picked fifth in the conference pre-season poll ... coming off a 1-0 victory over NSU for the Riverhawks first loss of the season ... retained five of six All-MIAA selections from a season ago in sophomore midfielder Kelsie Eason (1st), junior forward Asha Haile (2nd), junior defender Madison Motil (3rd), senior forward Kate Killion (3rd), and sophomore defender Camille Greer (HM) ... five other join them with ten of more starts during the 2017 season ... fell to Missouri Western in the first round of the MIAA tournament (2-1) ... split with the Lions last season as the Bronchos took game one (3-1) at home before falling to Southern (2-0) in the last match of the regular season on the road ... head coach Mike Cook enters her 21st season at the helm of the Bearcats with a .704 winnings percentage (287-112-30) since the program's inception back in 1998, coaching 103 All-Conference, 59 All-Region, and seven All-American players.


Northeastern State (5-1)
Series: NSU leads 14-2-1
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association ... picked third in the conference pre-season poll ... retained three All-MIAA selections from a season ago in reigning Freshman of the Year and forward Paulina Chavez (1stteam), junior midfielder Mariah Nicolet (HM), and senior goalkeeper Meg Smith (HM) ... four other starters join them with ten of more starts during the 2017 season ... led the conference in points per game at 5.41 and least penalized team with only 110 fouls and three yellow cards ... fell to Washburn, 1-0, in the first round of the MIAA tournament as the three seed ... are 1-0 at home after shutting out Ouachita Baptists for a 2-0 victory one week ago ... defeated the Lions a week earlier (6-2) at home ... head coach Chase Wooten enters his 9th season at the helm of the RiverHawks with a .675 winnings percentage (96-43-12) and has won more than ten matches in six of his eight seasons, including two campaigns where the team won 15 (2013, 2017) and a MIAA Coach of the Year award (2015).

Next Stretch
Southern travels to St. Charles, Missouri for a MIAA match with Lindenwood on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7:00 pm to begin a four-game road trip that includes No. 1 Central Missouri (9/30), Emporia State (10/5), and Washburn (10/7) before heading home for its own home stand of five.

MSSU women's golf picked ninth in MIAA preseason poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's golf team has been picked to finish 9th in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll released by the league last week.

Southern is in its first year of the program under head coach Mike Wheeler. The Lions placed 16th out of 18 teams in the first event they played in at Northeastern State to start the season. In that tournament, Kylie Carnes led the Lions with a two-round total of 173, tied for 81st.

Northeastern State is the preseason favorite to win the league. The RiverHawks received a narrow margin over second-place Central Oklahoma. Central Missouri and Missouri Western tied for third, while Nebraska-Kearney, Lindenwood, Northwest Missouri, Southern, Southwest Baptist and Lincoln round out the poll.

The Lions will next be in action on Oct. 1 and 2 as the Lions travel to Edmond, Okla. to compete in the UCO Invitational at the Golf Club of Edmond.

2018 MIAA Women's Golf Poll

1. Northeastern State (5) - 68 points

2. Central Oklahoma (3) - 66 points

T-3. Central Missouri - 54 points

T-3. Missouri Western - 54 points

5. Nebraska Kearney - 49 points

6. Lindenwood - 43 points

7. Northwest Missouri - 32 points

8. Fort Hays State - 29 points

9. Missouri Southern - 21 points

10. Southwest Baptist - 16 points

11. Lincoln University - 8 points

*Not All Teams Submitted Ballots

St. Louis Cardinals playoff tickets go on sale today

(From the St. Louis Cardinals)

As postseason play approaches, tickets for potential Cardinals Wild Card and NL Division Series games will go on sale TODAY, Thursday, September 20 at noon CT.

Based on the final standings, the Cardinals could host the National League Wild Card game on Tuesday, October 2, and/or up to three National League Division Series (NLDS) games from October 4-10. Tickets for the potential NL Wild Card and NLDS games will be available at cardinals.com/postseason, via phone at 314.345.9000, and at the Busch Stadium ticket windows on 8th Street.

MSSU football to play first game under interim coach

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will play host to 18th-ranked Fort Hays State this Saturday in an MIAA football contest. Kickoff from Fred G. Hughes Stadium inside the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex is slated for 6 pm.

Game Information
Team Records: MSSU - 0-3, 0-3 MIAA | FHSU 2-1, 2-1 MIAA
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2018
Kick-Off: 6:00 pm, CT
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Fred G. Hughes Stadium/Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex (7,000)
Series Record: FHSU leads 15-13-1
Coaches: Joe Bettasso (0-0 at MSSU, 10-1 overall) | Chris Brown (49-31 at FHSU/overall)

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 101.7 and AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS - Mike McClure, Play-by-Play, Scott Boudreaux, Color
Video Webcast: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats: https://www.mssulions.com.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mosofootball

The Series: Fort Hays State leads the all-time series 15-13-1. The Lions have a 6-7 record at Hughes Stadium and are 7-8-1 at Lewis Field in Hays. The two teams renewed their series in 2006 for the first time since 1988, with the Tigers snapping a season-long losing streak with a 10-0 win over Southern. Prior to that, the last time for the two to meet was when both schools were a member of the NAIA Central States Intercollegiate Conference. Southern won that game 21-10. Southern has won nine of the last 15 games against the Tigers, dating back to the 1983 season.

The Dish On The Tigers: The Tigers are 2-1 on the season and come into the game with the Lions ranked 18th nationally in the latest Football Coaches Poll. FHSU is the reigning MIAA Champs. The Tigers are led offensively by quarterback Jacob Mezera who is 68-for-126 with 694 yards and five touchdowns. Charles Tigner is the leading rusher with 49 carries for 208 yards and a touchdown, while DJ Hickman has 56 yards and a score. Through the air, Mezera targets Harley Hazlett the most with 17 receptions for 144 yards and a score. Layne Bieberle has 12 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown, while Matt Wendelberger has 120 yards and nine catches with a score. Defensively Jose Delgado leads the team with 29 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. Connor Shedeed has 24 tackles and an interception, while Doyin Jibowu has 23 tackles, 4.0 TFL and a sack. Wyatt Parker has 20 tackles with 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery. As a team, the Tigers are averaging 243 yards per game in the air and 330 in total offense per game. Fort Hays will be back in action next week as the Tigers play host to Central Oklahoma in a 7 pm kickoff on Saturday.

A Victory vs. Fort Hays State Would: stop a 5-game losing streak to Fort Hays State and would stop a 16-game overall losing streak for MSSU. It would be the first MSSU win for interim head coach Joe Bettasso.

NFL Representation: The Lions will have Brandon Williams as the lone MSSU alum in the NFL this season. Williams has blossomed into one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL and last season became one of the highest-paid, as well, signing a five-year, $54 million contract.

NFL Executive: Former Lion and former NFL wide receiver James Thrash is in his second season serving as the NFL and NFLPA's Appeals Officer. He hears all appeals for the NFL regarding on-field player discipline. Thrash played 12 seasons in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.

Lions On Radio: The Lions will partner with Fox Sports Joplin this year as Southern can now be heard on three separate FM stations, as well as an AM station. Fox Sports Joplin will air the Lions' games on 101.3 and 101.7 FM, as well as AM 1560. MSSU's KXMS 88.7 will also simulcast the games giving the Lions a larger reach in the four-states than they've ever had.

Tough League/Region: The MIAA has four teams in the coaches top 25 this week. Northwest Missouri is 4th, while Pittsburg State is 15th, Fort Hays is 18th and Central Missouri is 19th. The Super Region Three, which the Lions are a part of, has ten teams in the top 25. There are 13 teams total that are either ranked or receiving votes in the poll from the region.

Lions On TV: Missouri Southern's KGCS will air every Lions home game live this year during the season. They will also re-broadcast the games on Sunday evenings at 7 pm.

Lions On The Web: All of MSSU's football games are carried live online as part of the MIAA Network. Fans can go to www.mssulions.com to view live and on-demand games.

Streaming Options: Fans now have even more options to view the Lions online in their homes and on the road. Not only can you view on your computer, fans can now view The MIAA Network on its over the top apps for either Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Android TV.

NCAA Team Stats Rankings: The Lions rank first as a team in fourth down conversion defense and blocked kicks and punts allowed. The team 38th in passes had intercepted and fewest penalty yards per game and 47th in fewest penalty yards.

MIAA Team Stats Rankings: This year, the Lions lead the MIAA in fourth down conversion defense and blocked kicks and punts allowed. The team is third in fewest penalty yards and fewest penalty yards per game, while ranking fifth in passes had intercepted.

Individual Stats Rankings: Individually, Alex Alvarado and Trevor Plafcan both rank 18th in fumble recoveries, while Shemar Coleman ranks 34th in kickoff returns. Deshon Cowling is 40th in total tackles.

MIAA Individual Stats Rankings: Alvarado and Plafcan rank second in fumble recoveries, while Cowling is fourth in total tackles and interceptions per game. Sean Kelly is fourth in completions per game.

New Interim Head Coach: Lions' defensive coordinator Joe Bettasso has be tabbed as the Interim Head Coach after Denver Johnson stepped down this week.

Run Em Up Batie: Caleb Batie had an impressive first game at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. The sophomore rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries with zero negative yardage against Lindenwood.

A perfect Leg: Paul Wolff was perfect against Lindenwood, making field goals of 35 and 37 yards, while also going 1-for-1 on extra point attempts.

Tackling a Legacy: Richard Jordan Jr., the son of Lions' Hall of Famer Richard Jordan Sr. is following in his father's footsteps rather nicely. Jordan recorded his first collegiate sack against Lindenwood and followed that up with a pass break up on the ensuing play.

Welcome Back Joe: Former Lion Joe Bettasso has returned to the Green and Gold as the Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. Bettasso played for Southern from 2002 - 2005 and later was a student assistant coach for the Lions.

Defensive Lineage: Three former Lions' defensive coaches, all whom current Interim Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Joe Bettasso learned under, are all in high-profile positions. Scottie Hazelton (04-05) is the Defensive Coordinator at Wyoming, Brian Ward (2005) is the Defensive Coordinator at Syracuse and Todd Wash (2004) is the Defensive Coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.

Weather Report: The weather report for the Joplin area on Saturday calls for a high of 68 and rainy conditions with a 100 percent chance of precipitation and winds out of the east-northeast at 9 mph.