Friday, February 28, 2020

MSSU softball drops first home game 5-3 to Missouri Western


(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern's softball team opened up the home portion of their schedule with a loss to Missouri Western on Friday afternoon.

The Lions, who are 6-6 on the season, fell to Missouri Western 9-3.

Missouri Western jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Southern scored three runs.








Lynlee Parrott earned an RBI in the bottom of the first inning as she drew a bases-loaded walk. Josie Tofpi earned two RBI in the bottom of the second inning with a single through the left side.

The Lions had nine hits on the day including three from Emilee Meyer.

Missouri Southern will return to action on Saturday when they host Northern State University.

Stevenson grand slam not enough as MSSU baseball loses 12-6 to Emporia State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Emporia, Kan. - The No. 11 ranked Missouri Southern baseball team picked up a grand slam from Tommy Stevenson, but the Lions fell 12-6 in the opening game of an MIAA series at Emporia State.

Southern (13-2, 0-1 MIAA) was led by Stevenson's four-RBI performance as he hit his third home run of the season. Brad Willis, Troy Gagan, Matt Miller and Joe Kinder all had a pair of hits each, while Willis and Marco Navarro had RBIs. Gagan scored twice.

Zach Parish started and picked up a no-decision as he went four innings, striking out five in the process. He is now four strikeouts away from tying the MIAA career mark. Corey Cowan was saddled with the loss to move to 1-1 on the year, while Cole Woods, Zach Zeller and River Wright threw in relief.








ESU (9-6, 1-0 MIAA) was led by Sam Chaput who had a grand slam of his own and drove in four runs in the game.

The Hornets got on top first with five runs in the third inning, but Southern fought back and scored a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from Navarro scoring Gagan.

Southern got five runs in the fifth, the first coming on an RBI single from Willis that scored Miller. The Lions loaded the bases and Stevenson cleared him with a long blast to right center for a grand slam to give the Lions a 6-5 lead going to the bottom half of the inning.

ESU answered right back, however and the Hornets scored five runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to go back up 10-6. Emporia scored another urn in the seventh and eighth innings to go up 12-6 going to the ninth.

The Lions threatened in the ninth, loading the bases, but couldn't put a run across.

The two teams will be back at it tomorrow afternoon with a 2 pm first pitch.

Final home game Saturday as MSSU women play host to Lincoln

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern State University Women's Basketball team, who clinched a spot in the MIAA Tournament, is set to play the final home game of the 2019-20 season when they host the Lincoln Blue Tigers on Saturday for Senior Day.

Game Information

Date: Saturday, February 29, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Cord Court (LPAC)
Series Record: MSSU leads series 35-5

Coaches

MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 46-67 (4th Season)
LU: Ayana McWilliams, 22-86 (4th Season)

Blue Tigers Aim For the Win

The Lincoln Blue Tigers are entering Satuday's contest with a 3-24 record and an 0-17 record in the conference. They fell to Piit State on Wednesday to push their losing streak to 16 games.








The Blue Leader

With 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per night, Vivian Chigbu is averaging close to a double-double and leads LU on the glass. Kaloni Pryear is scoring a team-high 15.4 points per game, and Kyessence Collins leads Lincoln with 2.9 assists per contest and averages 6.9 points. Alecia Gulledge, meanwhile, has been an all-around asset to the Blue Tigers with 6.3 ppg., 4.6 rpg., 38 steals and 10 blocks.

Blue Tigers Lead on the Boards

No team in the MIAA is better at recovering from a missed shot than the Blue Tigers, as Lincoln leads the league with 14.2 offensive rebounds per night. Two LU players are among the top-five in the conference on the offensive glass, as Vivian Chigbu is third in the conference (3.3 orpg.) while Kaloni Pryear (2.8) is tied for fifth.

Kansas City, Here We Come
With Northwest Missouri's loss on Thursday night, the Bearcats are now at 6-13 in the MIAA and the Lions have clinched a spot in the 2020 MIAA Basketball Tournament. The worst the Lions can do is finish 6-13 and they would own the tiebreaker with both Newman (6-12) and Northwest Missouri.

Catch-and-keep trout fishing season begins Sunday at Roaring River State Park

(From the Missouri State Parks)

Missouri’s catch-and-keep trout fishing season officially begins at 6:30 a.m., Sunday, March 1 at Roaring River State Park near Cassville, Bennett Spring State Park near Lebanon and Montauk State Park near Salem.

Trout season opening day serves as the unofficial beginning of spring for many outdoorsmen. For trout enthusiasts, opening day means they have until the season closes on Oct. 31 to feed their passion as well as their appetite for fresh trout.

Trout tags can be purchased at the state park concession stores. In 2019, more than 5,100 adult and youth tags were sold at the three state parks on opening day, an increase of nearly 500 tags from 2018 figures.








The parks' campgrounds, lodging units and restaurants are all expected to be busy. In the communities closest to the state parks, Cassville, Lebanon and Salem, business owners are also preparing for the mass influx of fishermen who travel from near and far to fish for Missouri trout. Although trout fishing occurs in the parks, the surrounding communities reap economic benefits during the fishing season with busy hotels, restaurants, quick shops and other retail stores.

Online viewing of opening day activities at Bennett Spring State Park and Roaring River State Park will be available again this year from the park trout cams. Video streaming from the trout cams can be viewed on the Missouri State Parks trout season opening day webpage at https://mostateparks.com/TroutOpening2020. The trout cams are located near the most popular fishing spots and follow all the fishing action. It is great for fishermen who are unable to be there in person or for family members wanting to share in the excitement from home.

Opening day photos and trout tag sales information from all three state trout parks will also be available on the trout season opening day webpage. Anglers can share their photos from opening day through social media by tagging MoStateParks or using #MOTrout on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Trout season in Missouri is a cooperative effort of Missouri State Parks, managing the state parks, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, operating the hatcheries and stocking the streams with trout.

For more information on trout season opening, visit mostateparks.com or call Roaring River State Park at 417-847-2539, Bennett Spring State Park at 417-532-4338 or Montauk State Park at 573-548-2201.

For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

MSSU men to finish regular season at home against Lincoln

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 22nd-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will finish off the regular season as the Lions play host to Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: #22 Missouri Southern (20-7, 13-5 MIAA) VS. Lincoln (10-17, 7-11 MIAA)
Date: Feb. 29, 2020
Tip-Off: 3:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 29-11
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (121-60 overall/at MSSU - 6th year). John Moseley (80-94 overall/at Lincoln - 6th year)










The Series

The Lions lead the series between the two teams by a margin of 29-11. Southern is 13-5 at home against the Blue Tigers, while the Lions are 15-5 in Jefferson City. The Lions and Lincoln have split neutral site games, both at Pittsburg. The Lions and Blue Tigers have played in four overtime games in the series with the two teams splitting the games.The Lions have won 19 of the last 22 games against the Blue Tigers.

Cam You Score A lot

Cam Martin put himself amongst the Missouri Southern single-season scoring leaders as he became only the second Lion to ever score 700 or more points, joining Taevaunn Prince in that category last season. He finished with 720 which is the second most scored in a single-season at MSSU. Martin needs just 40 more points to become the only player to ever score 700 or more points twice in a career.

Cam You Score A lot III


Cam Martin set the MSSU single-game scoring record at Missouri Western last week as he scored 54 points against the Griffons. The 54 points is the most scored in Division II this year and Cam is one of only four players to hit the 50-point plateau this year. Martin has two of the top-eight scoring games this season in Division II.

20-Win Seasons


The win against Central Missouri gave the Lions 20 wins for the third-straight season and the fifth time in the last seven seasons. It is the fourth 20-win season in Jeff Boschee's six years as a head coach.

Start Your Engines

With his start at Emporia State, Elyjah Clark is the new career leader in games started at MSSU. Clark has now started in 119 career games.

Player Of The Week


For the seventh time this season and the third week in a row, Cam Martin was named the MIAA Player of the Week after averaging 1.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks and 0.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line.

National Ranking


The Lions are ranked No. 22 in the NABC poll this week and 24th in the D2 SID's Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 76 times, including 23-consecutive weeks at one time. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).

Up Next


After this game, the Lions will wait to see how the rest of the league plays out before finding out who they will play and what seed they will be in next week's MIAA Basketball Tournament. The Championships will be played at historical Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

MSSU baseball to play at Emporia State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The No. 11 Missouri Southern baseball team will open up MIAA play this weekend as the Lions head to Emporia State to take on the Hornets. Game times are 4 pm on Friday, 2 pm on Saturday and noon on Sunday.

The Lions (13-1) sport the top record in the MIAA this season and are coming off a three-game sweep of Southwest Minnesota. Emporia State is 8-6 on the season and split a four-game series with then No. 17 Augustana this past weekend.

About the Lions

Southern leads the MIAA in walks, hits allowed per nine innings (fewest), home runs, home runs per game, runs scored, scoring, slugging percentage, stolen bases, strikeout to walk ratio, and strikeouts per nine innings.








The Lions rank in the top ten in Division II in nine different offensive and defensive categories, including fourth in stolen bases, sixth in WHIP and hits, seventh in walks and eighth in ERA.

Individually, Zach Parish leads the MIAA and Division II in strikeouts with 45 so far and Parish is just nine K's from tying the MIAA career record of 349. Will Bausinger is second in the MIAA in strikeouts, while Zac Shoemaker ranks fourth. Logan VanWey is fourth nationally and first in the MIAA in saves with four, while Parish leads Division II and the MIAA with four wins and is tops in the league with a 0.38 ERA.

Brad Willis ranks 14th nationally in walks, while Jordan Fitzpatrick is third in the league in steals and Clay Milas and Deter Swims rank fourth and ninth, respectively. Troy Gagan is first in the MIAA in runs scored and 14th nationally. Joe Kinder is second in the MIAA in home runs.

Scouting the Hornets

As a team they are ranked tenth in the league in batting average at .253 but are third with a .389 on base percentage. They have a team ERA of 5.27 and are ranked fifth with 111 strikeouts. The Hornets have turned a league high 11 double plays in 14 games. Blake Carroll is in the top ten of the MIAA in on base percentage, runs scored, home runs and stolen bases. Jake Barton ranks third in the MIAA with 34 strikeouts and is ninth with a 2.66 ERA.

Up Next

The Lions will be back in action next week as Southern will host Washburn at Warren Turner Field.

Springfield bass fisherman, conservation writer Skalicky among those inducted into Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

(From the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame)

The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame inducted eight individuals Wednesday during its inaugural Outdoor Sports Luncheon presented by the Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company. The event drew a crowd of nearly 450 to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Springfield.

The latest inductees are: former Missouri Department of Conservation Commissioner Chip McGeehan, pro bass fisherman Stacey King, renowned hunter and outdoors television host Jerry Martin, stock car racing’s Joe Naegler, tennis’ Tom Adams, golf’s Bruce Hollowell, longtime MDOC media specialist Francis Skalicky and outdoors writer Kenneth Kieser.

“We have wanted to host this luncheon for quite some time, and we are delighted that these honorees are our first class for our inaugural Outdoor Sports Luncheon,” President and Executive Director Jerald Andrews said. “Each have made tremendous impacts in their respective fields. We also want to thank the community, including businesses and individuals, who stepped forward to support them.”








Chip McGeehan – Conservation

A 1968 graduate of Jefferson City High School and 1972 graduate of the University of Missouri, McGeehan served as a commissioner of the Department of Conservation from 2005 to 2011. After being appointed by then-Gov. Matt Blunt, McGeehan championed the re-introduction of elk into the state’s wildlife population. That led to the department in June 2019 announcing a limited elk-hunting season in the state in 2020, with the herd likely to reach 200 animals. Additionally, McGeehan oversaw the development of habitat of Missouri’s black bear population. He also is an avid bow hunter who has traveled to Alaska, Africa, Sweden and across the United States – with his kills including crocodiles, elephants, lions and leopards. McGeehan and his wife, Teresa, own 19 McDonald’s in southwest Missouri.

Stacey King – Bass Fishing

A Springfield native and former Table Rock Lake fishing guide, King is one of the most successful professional bass fishermen around, with career earnings of roughly $1.2 million on the B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) and FLW (Fishing League Worldwide) circuits. In the early 1980s, King began fishing B.A.S.S. tournaments and has 31 Top 10 finishes, with two championships, and earned 12 Bassmaster Classic appearances. In the FLW, he has 13 Top 10 finishes and completed 97 total events, with four Cup appearances. In 2011 alone, he notched two Top 10s, earning King a sixth-place showing for Angler of the Year. In 2018, he was the FLW Costa Angler of the Year. King, who also appears on fishing shows such as “The Bass Pros” on the Outdoor Channel, has served on the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Professional Anglers Association Board of Directors.

Jerry Martin – Hunting & Outdoor TV

A 1966 graduate of Thayer High School and a Navy veteran, Martin is one of the nation’s most respected woodsmen. In television, he co-hosted the Bass Pro Shops’ “Outdoor World” and “Kings of Bucks” shows as he headed up Bass Pro Shops’ RedHead Pro Hunting Team and its Next Generation Team. The Pro Hunting Team was the first to feature a woman, and the Next Generation was designed to introduce the sport to women and children. Dating back to the 1970s and using a bow or muzzleloader, he has earned dozens of Grand Slam titles through the National Wild Turkey Federation by taking all four species of U.S. wild turkey, and also earned numerous Royal Slams (includes Gould turkeys in Mexico). His career includes record-book kills of elk, antelope and white tail deer. Among his numerous awards is induction into the National Legends of Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2008.








Joe Naegler – Auto Racing

A 1959 graduate of Willard High School, Naegler was an engine builder and owner of stock cars from the 1960s and into the 1990s whose cars won in 33 states. He and Larry Phillips (MSHOF 2001) teamed up in 1963 and, in 1965, they won their first track championship. Naegler built his own engines instead of turning to store-bought versions and gained numerous sponsors, including the Cookie Rice-led Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Company in 1970. Naegler’s drivers included Philips, Joe Wallace, Dave Goldsberry, Don Kordalis, Ramo Stott, Ferris Collier Ricky Eisenhower and Terry Brumley as they won numerous races across the country in IMCA, ARCA and USAC – which are short for International Motor Contest Association, Automobile Racing Club of America, and the United States Auto Club. His cars also out-ran competitors such as Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett and Ken Schrader (MSHOF 2011) in 200-lap races in the South. Naegler’s family owns Fast ‘N Friendly convenience stores and the Naegler Oil Company in Springfield.

Tom Adams – Tennis

A Parkview High School graduate, Adams was one of Missouri State University’s top tennis players, earning varsity letters from 1966 to 1969 and compiling a 51-9 singles record and 49-11 in doubles. He won a Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association championship in No. 1 singles and finished as the individual runner-up in his other three seasons. He partnered with Dave Hart to win an MIAA doubles title, and the two were a runner-up twice. Adams was the head tennis pro at Hickory Hills Country Club through much of the 1970s. He later assisted then-tennis coach Charlie Spoonhour (MSHOF Legend 2019) and was the men’s tennis coach from 1975 to 1977. His 1975 and 1977 teams were MIAA runners-up, and the 1976 team won the league – its first MIAA title in 18 seasons. Adams later served 14 years as the general manager of the Springfield Lasers of the World TeamTennis pro circuit.

Bruce Hollowell – Golf

A Springfield native, Hollowell was a regular on Missouri State University’s golf teams of 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1966, helping the Bears win the MIAA and regionals in each of his first three seasons. The 1963 team recorded an 11-stroke margin of victory for the first D-II golf championship ever awarded. The Bears were the national runner-up in 1964. Two years later, Hollowell won the MIAA meet as the team placed second. Hollowell is believed to be the only golfer to win the Kansas Amateur (1972), Missouri Amateur (1975) and the Missouri Senior Amateur (1997). He also was the Missouri Amateur runner-up in 1973 and 1977 and was a multiple qualifier for the USGA Amateur (seven times) and U.S. Mid-Amateur (1982, 1984). Additionally, he advanced to the prestigious Western Amateur quarterfinals and semifinals in different years. Hollowell later was the Missouri State University golf coach from 1986 to 1997, with three teams (1987, 1988, 1993) winning conference titles. He also was the Missouri Golf Association’s executive director from 1985 to 1988.

Francis Skalicky – Conservation

A graduate of Bolivar High School (1980) and Missouri State University (1984), Skalicky has been the Southwest Regional Media Specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation since 1996. In that role, he coordinates media coverage for the 17-county region and assists with media coverage elsewhere in the state. He has periodically written articles for the department’s monthly magazine, “The Missouri Conservationist,” and also pens columns for several southwest Missouri newspapers, promoting the outdoors and good conservation practices. Previously, Skalicky worked 11 years as a sports writer in newspapers, with stints at the Bolivar Herald-Free Press, Fremont Tribune in Nebraska, Jackson Sun in Tennessee and the Springfield News-Leader. In addition to covering area sporting events for the News-Leader, he also wrote a weekly outdoors column, outdoors features and helped coordinate its outdoors page.

Kenneth L. Kieser – Outdoors Sports Journalism

A graduate of Park Hill High School, Kieser has been a freelance outdoors writer for 45 years, with thousands of bylines in newspapers in Missouri and top outdoor magazines. His career covers writing news releases for the Department of Conservation and authoring a number of books. They include “Ride the Trail of Death,” “Black Moon’s Revenge,” and “Missouri’s Great Flood of ’93 – Revisiting an Epic Natural Disaster” – which won first place in the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers’ book division at the 2014 Excellence in Crafts awards. The book also is being considered by the state Legislature as the official state work chronicling the 1993 flood. In the 1990s, Kieser developed fishing programs for mentally and physically challenged children with the Easter Seals and the Kansas City Chiefs at Smithville Lake. He was the 2015 Missouri Outdoor Communicator of the Year.

MSSU softball to play host to Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern softball team will be at home for the first time this weekend as they host Missouri Western, Missouri S&T and Northern State for the three-day 2020 Teri Mathis Zenner Memorial Tournament at the Pat Lipira Softball Complex.

Southern is set to open the tournament with a one-game battle with Missouri Western on Friday (Feb. 28) at noon before playing Northern State on Saturday (Feb. 29) at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and closing out the tournament on Sunday (Mar. 1) with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. against Missouri S&T. For the complete tournament schedule visit the Tournament Page by clicking here.










Last time Out

The Lions enter the weekend after finishing 2020 Emporia 5-State Classic with a 1-2 record. They fell to Concordia University-St. Paul (4-0), defeated Minnesota State University-Mankato (5-4) and lost to the University of Minnesota Duluth (2-0).

Last week, Lynnlee Parrott had a team-leading .429 batting average as she garnered three hits on seven at bats including two doubles and scored a run. She was a perfect 9-for-9 on defensive opportunities.

In the circle, Abby Atkin finished the weekend with a 1-2 record as she pitched a combined 16.1 innings in three appearances. She had a 2.14 ERA and one complete game. She allowed seven runs, five earned, by surrendering 13 hits and seven walks. She struck out eight batters.

Scouting The Opposition

Missouri Western enters the weekend 3-7 after they finished the 5-State Classic with 2-4 record. They earned wins over Concordia and Maryville. Since 2010, Southern is 19-4 and the Lions are on a five-game losing streak, including a 1-0 11-inning loss last season.

Missouri Southern has a 3-0 series lead over Northern State. The Wolves enter the tournament with a perfect 8-0 record. On the campaign, NSU swept a four-game series with Black Hills State, defeated University of Marry (10-2), Montana State Billings (8-3) Minnesota Crookston (4-2) and Minot State (13-12) last weekend at the Minot Tournament.

Missouri S&T is 3-5 on the season. After starting the season 0-3, they rattled off three straight wins before dropping the final two games of the Lewis Flyers D-2 Midwest Dome Invitational. Since 1980, Southern leads the series 37-18 and they are on a two-game winning streak. The last time these two teams met was in 2016 when the Lions won in Joplin, 5-2 and 6-1.

About the TMZ Tourney

Beginning in 2005, Missouri Southern State University's annual spring softball tournament was renamed the Teri (Mathis) Zenner Memorial Classic in honor of the former MSSU softball player who was killed in August 2004 in Overland Park, Kan.

Zenner pitched and played first base with the Lions from 1996-99. In 19 games as a pitcher, she compiled a 7-7 record with a 1.38 ERA. Zenner was an academic all-conference selection and a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.







Zenner, who was working on her master's degree at the time of her death, graduated from MSSU in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She was employed as a social worker in the Kansas City area and was stabbed to death Aug. 17, 2004 - one day shy of her 27th birthday - while visiting a 17-year-old client at his home.

After her death, Senate Bill 25 was signed in Kansas and requires social workers to complete six hours of safety training as part of continuing education courses tied to first-time licensure renewals. The requirement took effect Jan. 1, 2011.

The Teri Mathis Zenner Scholarship has been created here at Missouri Southern and is an endowed scholarship. It is for full time students, awarded to members of the softball team with preference to students seeking degrees from the School of Education Departments of Kinesiology or Psychology.

Weather Outlook

Weather in Joplin is favorable for softball. All three days are scheduled to be mostly sunny, with the exception of Sunday. Sunday shows clouds in the morning that will clear out through the day. Temperatures will be in the mid-50s to mid-60s all three days with winds in the teens.

MSSU track and field teams to compete at MIAA Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The No. 2 ranked Missouri Southern women and No. 7 ranked men's track and field teams will return to the Robert W. Plaster Center in Pittsburg, Kansas for the 2020 Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The conference championship is a three-day event that will start with the combined events at 2 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 28). The combined events will finish on Saturday (Feb. 29). Other field events will start at 1:30 p.m. while track events commence at 2 p.m. Sunday (Mar. 1) will start at noon with field events and running starting at 1:30 p.m.








Missouri Southern has won two men's titles (2007 & 2004) and two women's titles (2008 & 2004).

The squads will look to improve on their already impressive marks for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships which are scheduled for March 13 and 14 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The women have three automatic and 17 provisional marks and seven top-10 marks while the men have three automatic qualification marks and 12 provisional marks with seven of those in the top-10.

Fans can follow the live results by clicking here.

The day Travis Kelce and his brother broke the oven and shattered their mom's casserole

During an appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers Wednesday, Travis Kelce, tight end for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, shared his thoughts about that victory and related an epic fight he had with his brother when they were in high school.

According to Kelce, the fight began during a backyard basketball game when he was a freshman and brother Jason, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, was a junior. After roughhousing in the yard, they took their fight into the kitchen.







After Jason Kelce punched his brother in the face, Travis took it a step further.

"I picked him up and body slammed him on the kitchen floor and the oven, which had my mother's casserole in it and it breaks off its hinges and the casserole shatters in the oven," Kelce said.

"And yeah, my mom wasn't happy about that."


Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Walker, three-point barrage lead MSSU men to 99-68 win over Central Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 22nd ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team made 15 three-pointers on the night and the Lions took out visiting Central Missouri 99-68 inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (20-7, 13-5 MIAA) was led in scoring by Braelon Walker as he scored 22 points on 6-of-9 from long-range. Kinzer Lambert scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds, while Cam Martin had 14 points and Parker Jennings scored 10.

Central (10-17, 5-12 MIAA) was led in scoring by Matt Wilkinson with 15 points.

Southern jumped out to an 8-3 lead after a three from Clark with 17:06 on the clock and a jumper from Jennings with 15:22 on the clock gave the Lions a 15-8 lead. Southern led 19-12 with 12 minutes left on the clock before Walker went to work. He hit four three-pointers within a two-minute span and the Lions led 31-14 at the 10:22 mark of the half.








A pair of freebies from Jennings with 8:41 to go gave the Lions a 35-14 lead and a three from Winston Dessesow with 7:37 on the clock made the score 39-19, Lions. Dessesow hit another three with 5:38 on the clock to make the score 44-19, Lions and Southern went into the locker room leading 49-30.

A pair of free throws for Martin with 17:58 left gave the Lions a 55-32 lead and a dunk from Lambert with 14:22 on the clock made the score 59-42. Martin followed that up with a three the next trip down and Walker hit his sixth three of the night to give the Lions a 65-42 lead with 13 minutes on the clock.

Back-to-back three-point plays from Reggie Tharp made the score 89-60 with five minutes left and a three from Jennings the next trip down made the score 92-62.

The Lions shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from long-range, while making 89 percent of their free throws. Southern had a 47-27 rebound advantage, while holding the lead from start to finish.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions close out the regular season with Senior Day against Lincoln. Tip off is slated for 3:30 pm.

Zoe Campbell breaks career blocks record, but MSSU falls to Central Missouri 74-39

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team out rebounded 19th-ranked Central Missouri and Zoe Campbell set the career blocks record, but the Lions fell 74-39 tonight to the Jennies inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (9-17, 6-12 MIAA) got 15 points from Destiny Cozart, while Layne Skiles added 10 points of her own. Amber Buch had seven points, while Campbell had seven rebounds and two blocks. The two blocks give Campbell the MSSU career blocked shots record all by herself with 111 in her three-year career.

Central (23-4, 17-1 MIAA) was led offensively by 13 points from Megan Skaggs, while Nija Collier added 11 points.








Skiles got the Lions out to a 4-0 lead with a pair of buckets to open the game, but five-straight points for the Jennies put Central up 5-4. Cozart hit a pair of freebies to put the Lions back up 6-5 with 6:37 left in the quarter, but the Jennies closed the quarter on a 19-4 run to lead 24-10 after one.

Central pushed its lead to 35-10 with 3:51 to go in the second quarter, but the Lions closed the half on a 6-0 run and went into the locker room down 35-16.

A three-pointer from Skiles with 8:26 left in the third quarter made the score 37-19, Central, while a pair of freebies from Skiles with 5:39 on the clock made the score 41-21. Central took a 53-22 lead into the fourth quarter.

A three from Cozart with 7:27 left on the clock in the fourth made the score 56-25, while another three from Cozart with 4:21 on the clock made the score 63-34. Buch made a late three with 1:12 left on the clock.

The Lions out rebounded Central 31-30 in the game and had a 13-8 advantage in second-chance points.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions close out the regular season with Senior Day against Lincoln.

Missouri State Archery Championship set for next month in Branson

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) invite the public to support thousands of Missouri student archers and have family fun at the 2020 Missouri National Archery in Schools Program (MoNASP) State Tournament March 19-21 at the Branson Convention Center, 200 Sycamore St.

Up to 4,000 student archers will compete in the state tournament Thursday through Saturday. With the addition of a third full day of competition, there will be more spots for both the bullseye and 3D competitions. According to MCHF, in 2019, bullseye had space for 2,400 archers and in 2020 it will increase to 3,360 (+960 archers). In 2019, 3D had a maximum of 960 archers and in 2020 it will increase to 2,688 (+1,728 archers).

The public is encouraged to attend to support participants and enjoy the many fun activities planned for the event, such as archery tag, hover ball, Diskey the Wonder Dog, bow fishing and primitive skills demonstrations, a silent auction, and much more.








Mike Davis, winner of Forged in Fire, will be at the event all weekend showing off his long-rifle-making skills. Joella Bates, 12-time 3D World Champion, will also be there helping archers hone their skills.

Gate entry fees are $10 for adults and $3 for kids ages 5-11 years. Children 4 years and under are free. Two- and three-day passes and family passes are available. Learn more at mochf.org/2019-monasp-schedule-of-activities/.

According to MCHF, the tournament has seen tremendous growth over the past decade and is now the second largest state archery tournament in the nation after Kentucky. In 2019, the tournament drew more than 3,300 competitors from more than 200 schools across the state, with 14,500 spectators cheering them on. It was Branson’s largest event. It created an estimated $6 million economic benefit for local businesses. The 2020 tournament is expected to draw more than 4,000 competitors, as well as 18,000 spectators.

Student archers who shoot qualifying scores at the state tournament will earn spots at the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) national tournament May 7-9 in Louisville, Kentucky.

MoNASP is coordinated through MDC, MCHF, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri in partnership with more than 700 participating schools and numerous supporting organizations throughout the state. More than 200,000 Missouri students participate in the program. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP and promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. Statistics show that school archery programs improve participants’ school attendance, increase their self-esteem and physical activity, help them relate to subject matter, and help get kids outside. Learn more from MCHF at mochf.org/event/missouri-national-archery-in-the-schools/ and from MDC at nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/teacher-portal/monasp.

For more information on MoNASP and the state tournament, contact MDC Education Outreach Coordinator Eric Edwards at Eric.Edwards@mdc.mo.gov(link sends e-mail), or 573-522-4115, ext. 3295.

Southern's Presley, Smith sweep MIAA Women's Track, Field Athlete of the Week honors


(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern swept the MIAA Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Week awards this week as announced by the league office today.

Senior Emily Presley was named the MIAA Field Athlete of the Week for the third straight week. Presley continued her dominance in the pole vault as she cleared 4.30 meters (14-1.25) to set a new MSSU record and won the event at the Arkansas Qualifier. The mark is the sixth best in NCAA Division II history, and she holds the top mark in the NCAA standings.










Freshman Kiara Smith was named the MIAA Track Athlete of the Week after she shaved a hundredth of a second off her season-best and posted a provisional qualifying mark of 8.55 in the prelims and an 8.61 in the finals to finish second in the 60-meter hurdles at the Arkansas Qualifier. The prelim time doubled as the third best time in Southern history as she sits at No. 3 in the NCAA standings in the event.

The No. 2 ranked Lions return to Pittsburg State this week for the 2020 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships on Friday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 1.

MSSU's Campbell named MIAA Men's Field Athlete of the Week


(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior Rajindra Campbell has been named as the MIAA Men's Field Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office this afternoon.

At the Arkansas Qualifier, Rajindra Campbell broke his own Southern school record in the shot put that he set last week at the 5th Annual Gorilla Classic.










He had a throw of 19.04 meters (62-5.75) and moved into the No. 2 spot in the NCAA rankings with his automatic qualifying mark as he won the event.

The No. 6 ranked Lions return to Pittsburg State this week for the 2020 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships on Friday, Feb. 28 through Sunday, March 1.

MSSU women need one win in next two games to clinch MIAA tournament berth

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern State University Women's Basketball will return home for the final two games of the season as the Lions play Wednesday when they welcome the No. 19 University of Central Missouri Jennies. The Lions look for just one win to secure a spot in the MIAA tournament for the eighth-straight year.

Game Information

Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Cord Court (LPAC)
Series Record: UCM leads series 43-23








Lions on the Prowl

MSSU enters Wednesday's contest with a 9-16 overall record and an 6-11 MIAA record. Chasidee Owens (14.7) and Destiny Cozart (14.2) are the leading scorers for the Lions while Campbell leads the team in rebounds per game (7.1) and blocks (58).

Jennies lead the Pack

Central Missouri enters the weekend with a 22-4 overall record and a 16-1 record in the MIAA. A single win this week would wrap up an outright MIAA regular season championship for the Jennies, whose lone loss on the conference slate came at the hands of Missouri Western on Feb. 8. 

The Jennies have clinched the No. 1 seed in next weekend's MIAA Tournament. The Jennies are the No. 1 team in the Central Region after the first set of regional rankings last weekend. UCM has made three straight regional appearances.

Jennies Put the Ball in the Hoop

Gigi McAtee is scoring 6.2 points in her last six games. She matched a UCM high with 10 points on 3-4 from three at Washburn. Megan Skaggs has 20+ points in three of her last four games. Skaggs is third in the MIAA scoring 17.0 points per game while Morgan Fleming is 5th at 15.8. 

Skaggs is the only player in the MIAA top-5 in both scoring and field goal percentage. Collier is leading the league in rebounding with 9.6 and is 2nd with 1.8 blocks per game. Fleming is 5th with 3.6 assists per game. Morgan VanHyfte and Megan Skaggs are tied for eighth with 1.9 steals per game. Fleming, Collier and Skaggs are all in the top-10 in free throw percentage and top-12 in field goal percentage. Kim Crown is averaging seven points in her last four games and 6.3 rebounds her last three games

On the Cusp of the Postseason

Southern was just seconds away from clinching a spot into the MIAA tournament on last Thursday night, however, Newman stunned Emporia State at the last second. Southern needs just one win in the final two games to clinch a spot. In addition, one loss by Newman in their final two games would help the Lions.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

MSSU men to begin final homestand against Central Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 22nd-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will start the final homestand of the regular-season as the Lions play host to Central Missouri tomorrow night. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: #22 Missouri Southern (19-7, 12-5 MIAA) VS. Central Missouri (10-16, 5-12 MIAA)
Date: Feb. 26, 2020
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Central leads 39-28
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (120-60 overall/at MSSU - 6th year). Doug Karleskint (193-105 overall/104-71 at UCM - 10th year)







The Series

Central leads the series 39-28 but the Lions have won six of the last nine games. The Lions are 17-13 vs. UCM at home and 10-21 on the road. Central has won all but one of the neutral site battles between the two clubs.

The Lions are 1-5 all-time against the Mules in MIAA Tournament games after getting a win over then No. 18 ranked UCM in 2015 and Southern has played Central Missouri once in the NCAA Tournament. Southern swept the Mules in 17-18, winning at home against then No. 25 UCM and at Warrensburg, 82-80 in OT and won the only meeting in 18-19.

Player Of The Week

For the seventh time this season and the third week in a row, Cam Martin was named the MIAA Player of the Week after averaging 1.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks and 0.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line.
National Ranking

The Lions are ranked No. 22 in the NABC poll this week and 24th in the D2 SID's Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 76 times, including 23-consecutive weeks at one time. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).

Up Next

After this game, the Lions will finish off the regular-season as Southern will play host to Lincoln for Senior Day inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center this Saturday.

Monday, February 24, 2020

MSSU announces baseball, softball promotional schedule

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Athletic Department has announced its promotion schedule for the 2020 baseball and softball seasons. The schedule features fan giveaways, ticket discounts, and opportunities for fans of all ages to enjoy.

Saturday, March 14th - Alumni Day (Softball and Baseball)

All Missouri Southern Alumni is invited to the ballparks for Alumni Day! We'll be offering free admittance into the baseball and softball games for all MSSU Alumni who mention it at the Ticket Booth. Softball takes on University of Central Oklahoma at 12 pm and 2 pm while baseball will be taking on Missouri Western State next door at 1 pm.

Saturday, March 28th - Pink Day/MOSO Mane-iacs Day (Softball and Baseball)

Join us on Saturday, March 28th for Pink Day and MOSO Mane-iacs Day. The softball team will be wearing pink uniforms and have area breast care organizations on hand to give information to fans about what is going on in the local area. All cancer survivors will be admitted for free to both baseball and softball games. Softball will be hosting the University of Nebraska-Kearney at 12 pm and 2 pm and baseball will be hosting Fort Hays State University at 1 pm next door.








Sunday, March 29th- Bark at the Park (Softball and Baseball)

All fans with dogs are invited to bring them for bark at the park. Both softball and baseball will play at home and dogs are welcome to enter either facility. Baseball and softball will take on Fort Hays State. Baseball plays at 12 pm and Softball with a doubleheader at 12 pm and 2 pm. Tickets for either baseball or softball are $5 and if fans would like to attend both games tickets are $7.

Tuesday, March 31st - Staff Appreciation Day (Baseball)

All MSSU faculty and staff are invited to attend the baseball game against Rogers State University on Tuesday, March 31st. All faculty and staff will receive a free box of popcorn by showing their ID at the concessions stand. The game is scheduled for 5 pm.

Friday, April 10th - Dollar Day (Softball)

Softball will host their annual Dollar Day at the Ball Park on Friday, April 10th. All tickets are hot dogs are $1! Games are scheduled at 2 pm and 4 pm against the University of Central Missouri.

Saturday, April 11th - Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day (Softball)

Join us on Saturday, April 11th to honor our softball seniors for Senior Day and our military for Military Appreciation Day! All current or former military members will be admitted for free. The Lions are scheduled to play Lincoln at 12 pm and 2 pm.

Tuesday, April 14th - Staff Appreciation Day (Softball)

All MSSU faculty and staff are invited to attend the doubleheader softball game against Southwest Baptist on Tuesday, April 14th. All faculty and staff will receive a free box of popcorn by showing their ID at the concessions stand. The games are scheduled for 3 pm and 5 pm.

Saturday, April 25th - Mercy Kids Day at the Ballpark (Baseball)

Baseball will host Pittsburg State University for Mercy Kids Day. We will have inflatables for kids and the first 500 fans will receive a free Bryce Darnell bobblehead, commemorating his 2019 MIAA Baseball Coach of the Year award! The game is scheduled for 3 pm.

Sunday, April 26th - Military Appreciation Game (Baseball)

Baseball will host a Military Appreciation game on Sunday, April 26th as they finish out the three-day homestand with Pittsburg State University. All current or former military members will be admitted for free. The Lions are scheduled to play at 1 pm.

Saturday, May 2nd - Senior Day (Baseball)

Our last regular season Saturday home baseball game will start with honoring our seniors on Senior Day. Your Lions take on Northwest Missouri State University at 3 pm.

Sunday, May 3rd - Dollar Day (Baseball)

Baseball will have special pricing for final regular season contest at 1 pm against Northwest Missouri State. The game will take place at 1 pm and all fans will be admitted for $1 and hot dogs will be $1 as well

Tickets for home baseball and softball games are $5 each. If baseball and softball are playing at the same time, you can purchase a ticket for both, for $7 each. Kids 12 and under are admitted for free to all home games.

Cam Martin named MIAA Athlete of the Week for third straight week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

For the third-straight week and the seventh time this season, Missouri Southern men's basketball player Cam Martin has been named the MIAA Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Martin, a 6-9 native of Yukon, Okla., had a huge week for the Lions as he averaged 43.5 points, 11.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks and 0.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line in two games for Missouri Southern.

He scored 33 points and brought down 11 rebounds as he went 14-of-21 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line against Northwest Missouri.








Against Missouri Western, Martin set a new MSSU single-game scoring record as he scored 54 points. He also tallied 12 rebounds and went 17-of-27 from the field while he was 15-of-16 from the free-throw line. The 54 points tops the previous single-game mark of 49 which he had tied with Carl Tyler (1984).

Martin and the Lions wrap up the regular season this week as Southern plays host to Central Missouri on Wednesday and Lincoln on Saturday.




Catch-and-keep trout season begins at Hickory Creek in Neosho March 1

(From the City of Neosho)

The City of Neosho will celebrate a Missouri tradition with the opening of the catch-and-keep trout fishing season at Hickory Creek in Neosho’s Morse Park, Sunday March 1 2020 at 6:30 AM.

The nearly three miles of White Ribbon trout fishing stream uniquely located inside the city limits of Neosho, will witness an official kickoff to the catch and release season. 

Neosho Mayor Bill Doubek will mark the occasion with starter gun fire/air horn blast at the Spring Street Bridge location at Morse Park (Helicopter Location).








Anglers of all ages are welcomed. Any Missouri resident age 16-64 must purchase a fishing permit unless they qualify for any of the exemptions listed at http://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/…/hunting-and-fishing-permit-exe….
A $10 trout permit is also needed if you want to keep any trout. An additional trout permit is not needed for catch-and-release trout fishing.

Permits can be purchased at Missouri vendors, online, or through our MO Fishing app. Fishing permit information and online purchasing can be found at http://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing/permits. The MO Fishing app information can be found at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zoh.

Parking will be available at Morse Park and the Public is Welcome to attend!