Cottey College hires former MSSU women's basketball coach Mary Ann Mitts as coach/athletic director

 (From Cottey College)

Cottey College Vice President for Student Life Dr. Landon Adams has announced the hire of Dr. Maryann Mitts as the next head basketball coach and athletic director.

“We are very excited to welcome Maryann to Cottey,” said Dr. Adams. “Maryann brings a wealth of experience and a winning pedigree to the Comets program. 

"I am confident that under her leadership our basketball program and athletics department will benefit and grow moving forward.”

Dr. Mitts, former women’s head basketball coach at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU), is the winningest women’s basketball coach in school history. 

Under Dr. Mitts’ guidance, the Lions averaged 19 wins during her 13 years at the helm and finished in the upper echelon of the highly competitive Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association seven of those years. 

In 17 years as a collegiate head coach, Dr. Mitts amassed an impressive 14 winning seasons. She holds a 272-201 (.575) mark as a collegiate head coach and a career record at MSSU of 189-145 (.566) in 13 seasons.

“I am humbled and thrilled to have this opportunity at Cottey College,” Dr. Mitts said. “There is so much potential at Cottey and I see such a bright future for the College as a whole and the athletics department. I can’t wait to get to work building something that the campus and community of Nevada can be really proud of.”

In addition to serving as the head coach at MSSU from 2000-2013, she served as the head basketball coach at Rockhurst University from 1995-2000 where she led the transition of the athletic program from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. Cottey made a similar move recently leaving the two-year National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for membership in the four-year NAIA.

After leaving coaching, Dr. Mitts taught Kinesiology at MSSU from 2013-2019. She earned a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Arkansas in 2019 and has been an assistant professor of kinesiology at Missouri State University for the last two years.

Dr. Mitts is also a member of Chapter FI, Joplin, Missouri, of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, the organization that owns and supports Cottey College.

“We are looking forward to the future of our athletics department,” said Dr. Jann Weitzel, President of Cottey College. “She is a great fit for this college and I have tremendous confidence in her ability to make our athletics department and basketball program successful.”

Three Joplin athletes, one from Webb City to play football at MSSU

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern interim head football coach Joe Bettasso has announced the addition of 11 individuals as part of 2021 National Signing Day.

The list includes eight players that reside from Southwest Missouri. The program anticipates adding more to the list and those individuals will be announced when the paperwork is confirmed.

"We are very excited about the quality of student-athletes that we were able to bring to Missouri Southern," Bettasso said. "These young men saw the value in a Missouri Southern education and the opportunities that the Joplin community can provide for them. I look forward to watching their growth on the field, and in the classroom."

Complete bios and highlight videos for the class can be found by clicking on the signing day page link above in the story links or by clicking here (NSD Page). Below are coach Bettasso's takes on each of the signees.

Zach Gouty - OL - 6-6 - 265 - New Lenox, Ill. - Lincoln-Way West HS
Zach Gouty - A long athletic offensive lineman that fits into any system that comes from an outstanding program in the south Chicago suburbs.

Landon Wilson - TE - 6-6 - 230 - Marshfield, Mo. - Marshfield HS
Landon Wilson - A big body tight end, that is very versatile and has shown the ability to produce in the run and pass game.

Nathan Glades - ATH - 5-10 - 185 - Joplin, Mo. - Joplin HS
Nathan Glades - A tremendous local talent that has shown the ability to be dynamic in every aspect of his game.

Rafe Darter - WR - 6-3 - 190 - Mount Vernon, Mo. - Mount Vernon HS
Rafe Darter - Missed his senior year, but we feel like this is a great steal for us to get someone from tom Tom Cox's program. Rafe has a tremendous upside.

Drake Reese - K - 6-2 - 195 - Cassville, Mo. - Cassville HS
Drake Reese - He comes from a program that has had tremendous success during his time there. He was extremely productive in the kicking game as well as playing other positions on the field.

Zach Ivy - LB - 6-3 - 190 - Norman, Okla. - Norman North HS
Zach Ivy - A versatile athlete with great length that shows the ability to rush the edge as well as play in the box physically.

Jaystin Smith - LB - 6-3 - 215 - Webb City, Mo. - Webb City HS
Jaystin Smith - He comes from one of the most respected programs in the country. He is a very versatile athlete that has shown the ability to play in space and well as in the run game. Huge upside!

Scott Lowe - LS - 5-10 - 195 - Joplin, Mo. - Joplin HS
Scott Lowe - A very productive local high school player. He is a high academic student who has shown the ability to do many different things in the kicking game as well as defensively

Blake Seaton - TE - 6-4 - 220 - Lake St. Louis, Mo. - Liberty (Wentzville) HS
Blake Seaton - a high school quarterback that has shown he has a huge upside athletically to help us in different areas offensively. We project him to play tight end in college

Trayshawn Thomas - LB - 6-1 - 207 - Joplin, Mo. - Joplin HS
Trayshawn Thomas - A local kid that has the body type to grow and the athleticism to do multiple things for our program. His best football is still ahead of him.

Kaden Daniels - OL - 6-5 - 265 - Mountain View, Mo. - Mountan View Liberty HS
Kaden Daniels - A long athletic lineman that has huge growth potential to be able to play inside or tackle. Very physical, tough kid with a high ceiling.

It's official- Nolan Arenado joins the St. Louis Cardinals

(From the St. Louis Cardinals)The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have completed a six-player trade with the Colorado Rockies, acquiring five-time (2015-19) National League All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado and cash considerations in exchange for left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber, infielder Elehuris Montero, right-handed pitcher Tony Locey, infielder Mateo Gil and right-handed pitcher Jake Sommers.

Arenado will retain player options for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and he has agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2027 that would extend his contract to seven years in length.

"Many have heard me say that one of the great things about baseball is that you always have a chance to get better," stated Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. "Today we got better! A deal of this nature, acquiring a player of Nolan's considerable talents, are the ones that can set you apart in many ways. It certainly shows the commitment of Mr. DeWitt and ownership to continue to give our great fans a team that aims to win - both now and in the future."

Arenado, 29, regarded as the premier third baseman in Major League Baseball, has won the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for eight consecutive seasons (2013-20) to begin his professional career and has been awarded the National League Platinum Glove Award, presented by Rawlings, in each of the last four seasons (2017-20) – honoring him as the league's best overall defender.

The 6-2, 215-pound California native is tied with former Cardinal Scott Rolen for the third-most Gold Glove Awards by a third baseman in MLB history, trailing only Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson (16) and Mike Schmidt (10), and joins Schmidt and Robinson as the only third basemen to win at least eight consecutive Gold Glove Awards. The superstar third baseman's four Platinum Glove Awards ties catcher Yadier Molina (2011-12, 2014-15) for the most since the award's inception in 2011.

A four-time Silver Slugger award recipient (2015-18), the right-handed hitting Arenado has led the National League in home runs three times (2015-16, 2018), and finished in the top-10 in NL MVP voting four seasons (2016-19), including a top-five finish for three consecutive seasons from 2016-18.



Since 2014, Arenado leads all of Major League Baseball in extra-base hits (481), total bases (2,030), RBI (708), and game-winning RBI (93); ranks 2nd in go-ahead RBI (169); 3rd in slugging pct. (.559); 4th in home runs (225); 5th in hits (1,076) and runs scored (600); T-5th in doubles (233); and 8th in OPS (.914).