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.