KGCS to broadcast all MSSU home football games

(From Southern News Service)

With less than a week to go before the start of a new football season at Missouri Southern State University, MSSU students are preparing to bring all of the live action to area fans who won’t be able to attend the games.

Once again, KGCS-TV will broadcast all home games – beginning with the season opener against Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, September 5. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

The station will also provide coverage for the MIAA’s live streaming service. In addition, the games will be recorded and replayed on KGCS on Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. as “Southern Sports Sunday.”

“These games provide excellent opportunities for our students to gain hands-one experience with live sports productions,” said Judy Stiles, KGCS general manager. “They do everything from directing behind the scenes to running cameras and announcing.”

KGCS programming can be seen on channel 21. It is also available on regional cable television systems such as Sparklight (formerly Cable One), Mediacom and Suddenlink Communications. The station operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University.

MSSU men's cross country picked to finish first in MIAA preseason poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's cross country team has been unanimously picked to repeat as MIAA Champions as the league announced its preseason coaches poll today.

The Lions, who are first in the preseason Central Region Poll and ranked sixth nationally, earned ten of the possible 10 first-place votes as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

Southern won both the MIAA Championship and the NCAA Central Region Championship en route to an 11th-place team finish at the NCAA Division II Championships. The Lions placed all five scorers in the top 11 of the MIAA Championships last year and had seven runners in the top 20. Gidieon Kimutai won the event as a true freshman, while Cody Berry, Josh Webb, Nickson Kiptoo, Michael Shanahan, Jared Ozee and Kevin Koester all earned All-MIAA honors.

The men won last year's regional title, snapping a stretch of six-straight for Augustana. After finishing second in the previous two regional meets, the Lions return every scorer off of last year's championship team, including the returning champion in Kimutai. Kimutai, now a sophomore, joins transfer Ryan Riddle (Tulsa) as well as an experienced returning corps of runners that should prove to be among the best teams in Division II this year.

The Lions had 100 points, 12 in front of second-place Nebraska-Kearney. Fort Hays State was third, followed by Pittsburg State, Northwest Missouri, Washburn, Central Missouri, Emporia State, Missouri Western, Rogers State and Newman to round out the poll.

The Lions open up the regular season on September 7 when both squads participate at the Southwest Baptist Invite.
2019 MIAA Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Missouri Southern (10) - 100 points
2. Nebraska Kearney (1) - 88 points
3. Fort Hays State - 78 points
4. Pitt State - 68 points
5. Northwest Missouri - 58 points
6. Washburn - 55 points
7. Central Missouri - 52 points
8. Emporia State - 31 points
t9. Missouri Western - 27 points
t9. Rogers State - 27 points
11. Newman - 14 points

MSSU women's cross country picked second in MIAA Poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's cross country team has been picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll as announced by the league office today.

The Lions, who were ranked fifth in the preseason Central Region poll that was released today, finished third at last year's MIAA Championships. Ashlee Kuykendall and Juliana Determan both earned All-MIAA honors last season.

The Lions finished sixth at last years Central Region Meet, while Kuykendall placed fifth individually to earn All-Region status. The team lost just one runner from last year's squad.

Pittsburg State was picked first with eight first-place votes and 138 total points, but the Lions were right behind with 135 points and three first-place votes. Nebraska-Kearney had one first-place vote and was third, followed by Washburn, Central Missouri (one first-place vote), Missouri Western, Newman, Central Oklahoma, Emporia State, Rogers State and Lincoln to round out the poll.

The Lions open up the regular season on September 7 when both squads participate at the Southwest Baptist Invite.

2019 MIAA Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Pitt State (8) - 138 points 2. Missouri Southern (3) - 135 points 3. Nebraska Kearney (1) - 119 points 4. Fort Hays State - 111 points 5. Washburn - 96 points 6. Central Missouri (1) - 76 points 7. Missouri Western - 75 points 8. Northwest Missouri - 73 points 9. Newman - 67 points 10. Central Oklahoma 41 points 11. Emporia State - 36 points 12. Rogers State - 33 points 13. Lincoln - 14 points Coaches Are Not Allowed To Vote For Their Own Team

MSSU men's cross country ranked sixth nationally

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's cross country team is ranked sixth nationally to begin the season as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released its preseason national poll today.

The Lions were ranked first in the USTFCCCA's Central Region Poll and were a unanimous pick to repeat as MIAA Champions. Southern finished 11th at last year's Division II National Championships were freshman Gidieon Kimutai finished fourth and earned All-American honors.

The Lions return everyone off of last year's MIAA and Central Region Championship team and bring in Ryan Riddle, a transfer from Division I Tulsa.

Southern is the only MIAA and top Central Region team in the national poll.

A link to the complete national poll can be found above.

The Lions open up the regular season on September 7 when both squads participate at the Southwest Baptist Invite.

MSSU men's cross country ranked number one, women ranked fifth in regional poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's cross country teams are among the region's best according to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association who released its preseason regional polls this week.

The Southern men, the reigning Cenral Region Champs, are ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll. The Southern women are ranked fifth in the preseason poll.

The men won last year's regional title, snapping a stretch of six-straight for Augustana. After finishing second in the previous two regional meets, the Lions return every scorer off of last year's championship team, including the returning champion Gidieon Kimutai. Kimutai, now a sophomore, joins transfer Ryan Riddle (Tulsa) as well as an experienced returning corps of runners that should prove to be among the best teams in Division II this year. Cody Berry and Josh Webb were both All-Region picks along with Kimutai last year and return to bolster the lineup.

The Lions are the top team in the preseason poll, followed by last year's runner-up Sioux Falls. Augustana is third, followed by Minnesota State Moorhead, Southwest Baptist, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Pittsburg State, East Central and Washburn to round out the poll.

On the women's side, the Lions finished sixth at last years Central Region Meet, while junior Ashlee Kuykendall placed fifth individually to earn All-Region status. The team lost just one runner from last year's squad.

Defending Regional Champion, the University of Mary, was the preseason No. 1 team in the poll. Augustana was second, followed by Pittsburg State, Oklahoma Baptist, the Lions, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Kearney, Fort Hays state, Minnesota State and East Central to round out the poll.

The Lions open up the regular season on September 7 when both squads participate at the Southwest Baptist Invite.

MSSU soccer picked 11th in MIAA preseason poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's soccer team is slotted alongside the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats for the No. 11 spot in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Coaches Preseason Poll announced Tuesday afternoon.

The Lions return three seniors in goalkeeper Luz Galindo, defender Brianna Smith, and forward Jessica Edwards. They also bring back six juniors and four sophomores for 13 players total which includes All-MIAA selection and last year's leader in points sophomore forward Bailey Belcher. Belcher scored a team-high six goals and added an assist to end her freshman season.

Joining them are nine newcomers on top of new head coach Aaron Tilsen and assistant coach Patrick Ritter. The coaches bring a combined 25-plus years of coaching experience at numerous levels and are set to kick off a new era of MSSU women's soccer after the team finished 7-8-3 last season.

Tilsen spent the last two years assisting Minnesota State - Mankato as coach of the goalkeepers where the Mavericks finished third nationally in shutouts, fourth in goals against average, and eighth in save percentage to close out the 2017 season. The momentum continued into 2018 toward an overall record of 19-3-1 for the second most wins in program history.

Ritter coached the defense of the Southern University Jaguars to school records in goals allowed and goals allowed average in addition to holding opponents below 2.0 goals per game for the only time in program history.

Defending MIAA regular season and conference tournament champions Central Oklahoma sits atop of the rankings just two points ahead of last year's runner up Central Missouri; both programs securing all first place votes with UCO taking seven and UCM getting five. Fort Hayes State (3), Emporia State (4), and Missouri Western (5) round out the top five as newcomers Rogers State and Newman University landed in sixth and eighth respectively.

The season officially opens on Friday, September 6 as they start their non-conference slate on the road against Southern Nazarene University before concluding the first weekend of the 2019 campaign versus Tilsen's former team in MSU-Mankato on September 8 at 1:00 pm in Kansas City as part of the team's only neutral site game of the regular season.

Below is the list of the entire poll (1-12).

2019 Preseason MIAA Women's Soccer Coaches Poll
1. Central Oklahoma (7) - 117 points
2. Central Missouri (5) - 115 points
3. Fort Hays State - 93 points
4. Emporia State - 89 points
5. Missouri Western - 84 points
6. Rogers State - 63 points
7. Northeastern State - 61 points
8. Newman - 56 points
9. Washburn - 46 points
10. Nebraska Kearney - 28 points
T11. Missouri Southern - 20 points
T11. Northwest Missouri - 20 points

Fifty-eight MSSU athletes earn academic recognition

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Fifty-Eight Missouri Southern Student-Athletes have earned academic recognition as the Division II Athletic Director's Association released its Academic Achievement Awards list.

The Academic Achievement Awards, in its 12th year, is a program that recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.

In total, there were 11,660 student-athletes from 185 institutions being recognized for the 2018-19 Academic Achievement Awards. This set the record for the most participation from institutions and the largest number of student-athletes being nominated. This year, the association has the most student-athletes being honored from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), with 975, closely followed by the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) with 974 and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with 791. The MIAA had 700 total recipients.

In order for a student-athlete to receive an Academic Achievement Award, the athletics director of the Division II institution MUST BE a CURRENT dues-paying member of the D2 ADA.

Also, the student-athlete must:
have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale
have attended a minimum of two years (four semesters) of college level work
have been an active member of an intercollegiate team during his/her last academic year

Women's Track and Field led the way with 15 total recipients, while Volleyball had ten. You can see the complete list here (Complete List)

MSSU volleyball picked to finish ninth in MIAA preseason poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team has been picked to finish ninth in the MIAA Preseason Volleyball Coaches Poll as announced by the league today.

Lion Pride luncheon set for Friday, August 30

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Lion Pride Luncheon

Friday, August 30th 12 pm - North End Zone Facility, Academic Room Members of our athletic staff, Lionbackers, campus faculty, and community are invited to attend the Lion Pride Luncheons to hear the latest news and updates in MSSU athletics from coaches and athletes from our various teams. On our first Lion Pride Luncheon of the year we will be serving Chick-Fil-A and welcoming our football, volleyball and soccer teams! Meals are $8.00 and you can pay at the door.

Missouri Southern Athletics announce fall kickoff activities

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Fall Kick-Off

Saturday, August 24th

Join us as we kick-off our Fall Sports at Missouri Southern! The events of the evening are as follows: 5:00 pm: Season Ticket pick-up for our Linebackers 5:30 pm: Town Hall Meeting 6:00 pm: The Lion Pride Band performance 6:15 pm: Cheer performance from our Missouri Southern Cheerleaders 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm: Football practice During practice we will also have autograph and picture opportunities from cheer, volleyball, cross country and soccer beginning at 6:30 pm on the concourse. Schedule listed as follows: 6:30 pm - 6:50 pm: Cheer Autographs and Pictures 6:30 pm - 6:50 pm: Volleyball Autographs and Pictures 6:50 pm - 7:10 pm: Cross Country Autographs and Pictures 7:10 pm - 7:30 pm: Soccer Autographs and Pictures Following the end of football practice (approx. 9:45 pm) we will have a special showing of Moana on the video board* provided by Joplin Parks and Recreation and sponsored by Liberty Utilities. *No sunflower seeds/popcorn allowed on the turf. Chairs are not allowed on the turf, blankets only. Guests will also be able to sit around the track or in the stands, if preferred.

Aaron Tilsen named MSSU soccer coach

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Director of AthleticsJared Bruggeman has announced that Aaron Tilsen will be the new Head Women's Soccer coach at Missouri Southern.

Tilsen comes to Southern from Minnesota State-Mankato where he was the goalkeepers coach the past two seasons.

"We are excited to welcome Aaron to the Missouri Southern family," Bruggeman said. "I would like to thank the search committee who helped find us the best candidate. His proven history and track record of working with top-notch programs will help him in putting this program where we want it both at the conference and national level."

Last season at MSU, Tilsen helped the Mavericks to a 19-3-1 record, 13-1-1 in conference play, winning the second-most matches in school history. MSU was ranked 11 of the 14 weeks, with its highest position coming in at No. 13.

Tilsen helped Alexa Rabune put her name in the record books at MSU as she moved up to No. 2 in wins (19), third in shutouts (12), seventh in saves (81) and ninth in goals against average (0.68). In her career, Rabune finished the season ranked fifth in wins (26), third in shutouts (18), seventh in saves (133), sixth in goals-against average (0.84) and seventh in save percentage (.811).

The Mavericks had three All-Region players and six All-Conference players, including six of the 11 players on the All-Tournament Team. MSU did well in the classroom, as well as the team had 19 players named to the NSIC All-Academic Team.

In 2017, the Mavericks finished third nationally in shutouts, fourth in goals against average and eighth in save percentage.

A Native of St. Paul, Minn., Tilsen has spent over 20 years coaching club soccer in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. He previously served as Director of Coaching for the Twin Cities Fire Soccer Club and brings years of experience coaching and developing players.

Tilsen has over 15 years of high school experience including, Head Coach at Robbinsdale Cooper, Spring Lake Park/St. Anthony (girls) and Forest Lake (boys), as well as being an assistant coach at St. Paul Central, Park Center and Bloomington Jefferson.

He has obtained his USSF B license, NSCAA Premier and NSCAA GK level 1 and level 2 diplomas. Tilsen graduated Cum Laude from MSU in Spring 2017 with a BS in Sports Management and a Coaching Minor.

"I want to thank Jerad Bruggeman, Cori Reid and Karesa Burr, as well as the entire search committee for believing in me and selecting me to be the head coach at Missouri Southern," Tilsen said. "I am blessed to have this tremendous opportunity and believe the school, athletics program and players are all headed in a positive direction. I also want to thank coaches Brian Bahl and Ben Jones at Minnesota State University for my three years working with the Mavericks. The experience I gained coaching for a top team in the region and nationally will help me each day to create a positive team culture and a competitive team on the field. I hope that I can make a positive impact on the team and program every day at MSSU and can't wait to get into the season."

Tilsen and his wife Lisa have a son Aidan, as well as a dog Lucy and cats Molly, Benny and Tommy.

Missouri Southern Athletic Department announces fall promotional schedule

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Athletic Department has released the promotional schedule for the upcoming 2019 Football Season.

The Lions will play five home games this year at Fred G. Hughes Stadium under the helm of first year Head coachJeff Sims. This season's promotions include a post-game firework shows, free giveaways at every game, and a family movie night. We also invite fans to join us for a pre-game tailgate each home game. Our tailgate will offer food trucks, face painting and activities for all ages.

Kids 12 and under will be admitted for free for all home football games. The Lions will also have a bounce house and inflatable slide in the Kids Zone sponsored by Mercy all season long. We also invite all kids 12 and under to join the Cub Club also sponsored by Mercy. The Cub Club offers kids free popcorn at every home game, a special Cub Club gift and invitations to special events throughout the school year for only $15.







In addition to our promotional giveaway items we will have for each football game this year we are introducing themed concession food items as well as a new game day special for each home game! Themed items will include the Lion's Best Hot Dog, the Big Den Burger, Roary's Nacho's, the Southern Pork Sandwich, Lion Food (popcorn) and many more!

All away games will also be featured again this season at our Official Away Game Watch Party Destination, Gusano's pizza, at 3929 E 7th Street, STE E, in Joplin.

2019 Promotional Schedule

September 5th vs. Nebraska-Kearney - 6 pm

The Lions will kick-off the 2019 season as cowbells will be given out to the first 1,000 fans in attendance! Make sure to stick around for our fireworks extravaganza at the end of the game. The home opener will be sponsored by Freeman Health System and Fox 14 TV & CW and our concessions special will be the Pizza Box Nachos.

September 21st vs. Northwest Missouri State - 6 pm

Join us as the Lions take on the Bearcats and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a football koozie! This game will also be our Domestic Violence Awareness game supporting the Lafayette House. Fans are encouraged to stay for a post-game showing of the new movie Dumbo on the video board presented by MSSU Athletics and CAB. This contest will be sponsored by Atlas Saferooms and KSN and our concessions special will be Mac N Cheese Dog.

October 5th vs. Central Missouri State Univ. (Homecoming) - 2 pm

It's time again for the Green Out game! All fans are encouraged to wear their green to the game and the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a green out t-shirt! Also, make sure to join us for all of the Homecoming festivities including the campus parade! This contest will also serve as our All-Class football alumni game. At halftime all previous team members in attendance will be recognized along with the 2019 Homecoming court. Our Homecoming game will be sponsored by Liberty Utilities and KODE 12 and our concessions special will be the Sausage on a Stick.

October 19th vs. Washburn State Univ. (Hall of Fame/Cub Club Game) - 4 pm

This year the Lions will induct Jon Lantz (Football 1989-97), Matt Campbell (Men's Track and Field 2003-06), Kyle Rutledge (Men's Track & Field 2003-06), and Chris Turner (Men's Track and Field/Football 2000-05) as well as the 1981-82 Women's Basketball and 1999-00 Men's Basketball Teams into the Hall of Fame. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Lion Tumbler as they enter the stadium on game day! Our Hall of Fame Game will be sponsored by Heritage Tractor and the Joplin Globe and our concessions special will be the Polish Dog.

November 9th vs. Emporia State Univ. - 3 pm

To celebrate Senior Night and Military Appreciation Day we will be giving out Southern Football winter scarfs to the first 1,000 fans in attendance! Any current or former member of the Armed Services who shows their military ID will receive free admission to the game. The final regular season home contest will be sponsored by LaFerla Ortho and KOAM-TV 7 and our concessions special will be the Pork and Brisket Sandwich.

Ticket Pricing:
Season Tickets: $60
All Football Game Tickets: $15 each

Tickets may be purchased online at www.mssulions.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at 417-625-9820. Group spaces and discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more and interested groups can contact the ticket office by phone or email (tickets@mssu.edu) to learn more.

Carl Junction's Ivy Walton, Jeremiah Jones, place first, second in their divisions at national archery competition

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulates Ivy Walton and Jeremiah Jones, both of Carl Junction High School, for their exceptional final scores during the National Archery in the Schools (NASP)/International Bowhunters Association (IBO) Outdoor World 3D Challenge held Aug. 8-9 in Snowshoe, WV.

Missouri students participate in these archery competitions through the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP), which is coordinated through MDC in partnership with numerous schools and organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP, and promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for more than 200,000 Missouri students in grades 4-12 from more than 700 participating schools.

Senior Ivy Walton has dominated in her division during the past several NASP tournaments and this time was no different. Walton shot a remarkable score of 299 out of 300.

“Ivy has truly made a name for herself during her time participating in MoNASP,” said MDC MoNASP Coordinator Eric Edwards. “She’s walked away with numerous honors and scholarships and should be extremely proud of herself.”

Walton placed first in the High School Girls Division and tied for first overall. She said she has her team to thank for helping her finish this season strong.

“I feel very proud of my score,” said Walton. “But I definitely wouldn’t have done it without the support of my team and of my coach.”

Though Walton has since graduated, she’s still looking to incorporate archery into her future plans.

“I want to actually help coach,” she ventured. “I’m also interested in doing this professionally.”







Meanwhile, Carl Junction sophomore Jeremiah Jones was pushing Walton for the top spot. Jones shot an impressive score of 298 out of 300, finishing second in the High School Boys Division and second overall.

“It was awesome,” said Jones. “I’ve been waiting to have this score for a long time. I love archery because it gives me a chance to be outdoors and connect with other people.”

See more NASP/IBO Outdoor World 3D Challenge results at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZMZ.

Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than 10 million students have participated in the program through 10,000 schools in 47 states and 10 countries. More than 200,000 Missouri students from more than 700 schools participate in MoNASP. To learn more, visit the MDC website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZSE.

Eleven MSSU softball players named to All-America Scholar-Athlete list

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern softball team landed 11 members of the squad on the Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete list according to the guidelines set by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The award is presented to student-athletes that achieve a 3.5 GPA or higher over the course of the current school year (2018-19).

Players reaching that mark were graduates Taurean Guzman, Angel Badalamenti, and Lexi Ferrari, seniors to be Emily Harris and Erika Lutgen, juniors to be Abby Atkin and Makaila Leonhart, redshirt sophomores to be Lynnlee Parrott and Rion Boyd, and true sophomores to be Meredith Iden and Tori Frazier.

In addition, the softball program as a whole earned a 3.457 GPA during the 2018-19 school year along with an overall cumulative GPA of 3.57.

An official release by the NFCA will be published during the first week of October with a list of all Scholar-Athletes as well as the Top-10 Academic teams in each division of competition (DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and JUCO).

St. Louis Cardinals announce 2020 schedule

(From the St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals, in conjunction with Major League Baseball’s league-wide release, today announced their 2020 regular season schedule. The home opener for the Redbirds is set for Thursday, April 2 against the Baltimore Orioles as part of a seven-game home stand with Baltimore (April 2, 4-5) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (April 6-9).

The Cardinals will open their 2020 season on the road with a three-game series at Cincinnati against the division rival Reds beginning on Thursday, March 26, followed by a three-game series at Milwaukee (March 30-April 1).

Among the key home dates for 2020 are a weekend series visit July 17-19 by the New York Yankees, who will be visiting Busch Stadium for the first time since 2014, a July series with the Brewers over the Independence Day holiday weekend (July 3-5) and a four-game weekend series with the Cubs (July 23-26). The Cubs will also visit St. Louis for a four-game weekend series September 10-13.

The Cardinals will host the Cubs in London, England for a two-game series June 13-14, the team’s first ever regular season “Home” games outside of St. Louis. Because of the two-game international London Series, the Cardinals will play 79 games in St. Louis in 2020 with their final home games September 21-23 vs. Milwaukee.

The Cardinals 20-game interleague schedule will feature a pair of two-game home-and-home series with in-state rival Kansas City (August 4-5 at Kansas City & September 15-16 at Busch Stadium) and with the Toronto Blue Jays (June 1-2 at Busch Stadium & August 18-19 at Toronto). In addition, the Cardinals will host three-game home interleague series against the Orioles (April 2, 4-5) and Yankees (July 17-19), and will play three-game road series at Boston (June 26-28) and at Tampa Bay (July 10-12).

The March 26 season opener will be the earliest in franchise history and the April 2 home opener will be the first ever against Baltimore and the first ever for the Cardinals against an American League opponent.

The Cardinals will make future announcements regarding game times, ticket pricing and ticket availability for the 2020 season.

Molina singles in second Springfield rehab game, expected to play Saturday

(From the Springfield Cardinals)

The Springfield Cardinals (21-26, 51-66) fell 8-1 to the Arkansas Travelers (28-19, 71-44) on Friday night in front of 6,375 fans at Hammons Field.

DECISIONS:
W: LHP Ricardo Sanchez (8-8)
L: RHP Tommy Parsons (4-4)

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
- The Travelers scored the bulk of their runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, putting up a single run in the third, a pair in the fourth and a trio in the fifth. The three-run fifth blew things open with all runs coming courtesy of 1B Evan White's second home run of the night.

- Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals C Yadier Molina bounced back from an 0-for-4 night on Thursday with a line-drive single into center in his first at-bat of the game on Friday.

NOTABLES:
- White led the way for the Travelers with five RBIs and two home runs, finishing the night 3-for-4.

- Parsons allowed six runs on eight hits and a walk over 6.0 innings, striking out four.

- Molina was 1-for-3 with a first-inning single in the second game of his rehab assignment with Springfield.

- Cardinals C Brian O'Keefe homered (11) in the ninth for Springfield's only run.

UP NEXT: The Cardinals and Travelers continue their four-game series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. and gates opening at 5:10 p.m.

Yadier Molina is expected to continue his rehab assignment with Springfield on Saturday night. Head to www.springfieldcardinals.com for tickets.

Plus, it's our Maria's Mexican Restaurant Lou Brock Career Highlights Bobblehead Giveaway for 2,000 fans.

Springfield Cardinals fall to Arkansas 6-1, Molina rehab continues Friday night

(From the Springfield Cardinals)

The Springfield Cardinals (21-25, 51-65) fell 6-1 to the Arkansas Travelers (27-19, 70-44) in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night in front of 5,892 fans at Hammons Field.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Springfield Cardinals (21-25, 51-65) fell 6-1 to the Arkansas Travelers (27-19, 70-44) in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night in front of 5,892 fans at Hammons Field.

DECISIONS:
W: RHP Logan Gilbert (2-2)
L: RHP Alex FaGalde (3-2)

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
- The Travelers broke a 0-0 tie with back-to-back home runs by 1B Evan White and DH Cal Raleigh in the top of the fourth inning. White's was a two-run shot and Raleigh's put the Travs up 3-0.

- Springfield got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when CF Dylan Carlson hit his league-leading 19th home run of the season, but that would be all the scoring for the Cardinals.

NOTABLES:
- Cardinals LF Conner Capel finished the night 2-for-4.

- FaGalde allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks over 6.1 innings, striking out four. Most of the damage came by the home run, as the Travelers took FaGalde deep four times in the game.

- Rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals C Yadier Molina was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the first game of his rehab assignment with Springfield.

UP NEXT: The Cardinals and Travelers continue their four-game series on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. and gates opening at 6:10 p.m.

Yadier Molina is expected to continue his rehab assignment with Springfield on Friday night.

Plus, it's Fans-On-Field Fireworks celebrating 50th Anniversary of 1969 Music Festival.

MSSU opens fall football camp Friday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern football team will open up fall camp tomorrow evening as the Lions will practice inside the friendly confines of Fred G. Hughes Stadium, starting a 6:30 pm.

Southern will conduct practices in just helmets on Friday and Saturday with shells being worn on Sunday and Monday. The first full pad practice will be on Tuesday, August 13. All practices this fall and during the season will be at 6:30 pm unless weather dictates.

The Lions were picked 10th in both the coaches and media MIAA Preseason Polls that were released at MIAA Media Day on July 31.

Southern opens the season at home on September 5 against Nebraska-Kearney. Kickoff is slated for 6 pm.

Yadier Molina expected to play for Springfield Cardinals tonight

(From the Springfield Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that C Yadier Molina is expected to join the Springfield Cardinals on a Major League Rehab Assignment at Hammons Field beginning Thursday, August 8.

First pitch for Thursday's Cardinals game vs. Arkansas Travelers is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. with gates opening at 6:10 p.m.

Thursday is our Aaron Sachs & Associates Route 66 Super Soft Shirt Giveaway for 2,000 fans in addition to a Klement's $1 Bratwurst Night.

Click the link to secure tickets right now!

One of the most iconic Cardinals of all time, Molina is a nine-time National League All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner. This year, he is batting .261 with four home runs and 36 RBIs in 71 games. He has been on the I.L. since July 11.

The two-time World Series Champion entered the 2019 season ranked among St. Louis Cardinals all-time leaders in games played (1,870, 4th), hits (1,850, 10th), doubles (355, 7th), RBIs (859, 9th), at-bats (6,551, 6th), extra-base hits (508, 11th) and sacrifice flies (65, 3rd).

Additionally, he ranks among catching leaders in Major League history in career hits (13th), doubles (10th) and RBIs (20th). Since 2006, Molina leads MLB catchers in hits (1,717), and he is one of just seven qualified catchers to record four season with a .300+ season batting mark.

Molina, a four-time Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winner, has caught 100+ games in 14 straight seasons (2005-present), the only Major League catcher to do so in that span and third-longest stretch in MLB history behind Bob Boone (15) and Ivan Rodriguez (17).

Molina arrives in Springfield following a four-game rehab stint with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, where he went 2-for-8 with one home run, two runs and five RBIs from August 2-5.

Molina has had four previous starts in Springfield, also on rehab assignments, from August 27-28, 2014 and June 2-3, 2018. Molina is 5-for-11 with three doubles and three RBIs in his four games with Springfield. The Cardinals are 3-1 in those games.

MSSU volleyball finalizes roster with four incoming recruits

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern head volleyball coachKalie Mader has finalized her 2019 roster with four more incoming recruits to the fold.

Joining the Lions will be Makenzie Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis and Kayla Murray, both hailing from Hawaii, as well as Emalee Lowe, a Texas native who transfers in from Lee College and Brooklynn McCain, an Oklahoma native that comes in from Iowa Western Community College. The group joins Kierson Maydew who signed with the Lions in the fall.

Murray and Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis both prepped at Sacred Hearts Academy in Honolulu and will team up again for the Lions.

FA'amausili-Cacoulidis was a four-year letter winner for Coach Raymond Patcho and the Lancers. She was a two-time All-Conference selection and member of the Fab 15 in Hawaii, being named the MVP of the D2 Volleyball Tournament as a senior. Fa'amausili-Cacoulidis is the daughter of Jennie Dolores and plans to major in kinesiology at Southern.

Murray was a volleyball and track and field student-athlete. On the volleyball court, Murray played for coach Raymond Patcho where she saw action at outside hitter, middle blocker and opposite, lettering three years in the sport. She was an All-Conference pick her senior season, where she helped her team to a Hawaii State Championship. Murray helped her volleyball team to a fifth-place finish in the State Championship her junior season. She lettered one year in track and field where she qualified for the state meet as a freshman, running the 400m relay and participating in the long jump for coach Cyril Pries. The daughter of Kendra and Mike Murray, Kayla plans to major in business at Southern.

"I am thrilled to add two more freshmen to our 2019 class," Mader said. "Kayla and McKenzie will bring a championship mindset, a high volleyball IQ and a great work ethic to our gym on a daily basis."

Lowe comes to Southern after two years at Lee College in Texas. She was a first-team All-Region selection in 2018-19, while also earning the Libero of the Year award in her conference. She helped Lee advance to the Regional Tournament in both 2017-18 and 2018-19 and was a Presidential Honor Award Winner at Lee in 2019.

Lowe prepped at Midlothian High School where she was a three-year letter winner for coach Mary Malone and the Panthers. She set a school record with 860 digs as a senior. Lowe is the daughter of Jason Lowe and Amy Penny-Lowe and plans to major in physical education at Southern.

McCain comes to Southern after two seasons at Iowa Western Community College where she helped the team to back-to-back Conference, Regional and District Championships, and a 77-7 record. The team finished third place in the National Championship in 2018-19 and 7th in 2017-18.

McCain prepped at Southmoore High School in Moore, Okla. where she was a three-year letter winner in volleyball for coach Janet Brannon. McCain was an All-City selection as a senior. McCain is the daughter of Angela Anderson and Patrick McCain. She plans to major in health promotions at Southern.

"I am excited to have experienced backrow players in our gym," Mader said. Both Emalee and Brooklynn have played a high level of junior college ball and add to our passion and drive in the gym daily."

Pittsburg State Coach Tim Beck, players provide outlook for upcoming season

Pittsburg State University Coach Tim Beck and players Simanu's Thomas and Jackson Krull provided a preview of the 2019 Gorilla season during the MIAA Football Media Day Thursday.

New MSSU head coach Sims, athletes offer preview of upcoming season at MIAA Media Day

The MIAA Media Day was held Thursday with first year coach Jeff Sims and athletes Levi Marlay and Shemar Coleman representing the Lions.

The accompanying video is from the MIAA.