Lady Bears Softball Has Remarkable Season
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• July 2006 Volume 24, No. 4 The newsletter for athletics at Missouri State University Lady Bears softball has remarkable season The Missouri State Lady Be ars softball team poses with its MVC championship trophy. The Lady Bears, ending the season with an amazing 40-17 record, won the conference tournament and reached the NCAA's West Coast Reg ional. The Lady Bears set a new all-time win record with the 40 victories. Photo by J.R. Compton Without a doubt it was a year ro remember for the softball "This team has been a lot of fun," said Hesse. "The players Bears. know what it rakes ro get there, and they've done the work to make Although their bars fell silent at the end- a 1-0 loss ro San it happen. As a coach, that's very satisfying." Diego Stare at UCLA's Easron Stadium- it was a great season from Offensively, the Bears were the bes t Hesse has had at Misso uri beginning ro the bitter end. State in a decade. Was it the best Bear softball campaign ever? Probably. h was at On the pitching side of the ledger, she had a pair of aces in least one of the most memorable since the school began competi senior Shannon Buslepp and Porche. tion in NCAA Division I. Nor only was the recem past a year to remember, but the Following the losses to UCLA and San Diego State in the future looks promising as well. The Bears lose such quality per NCAA's West Coast Regional, Coach Holly H esse said, "We're dis formers as shortstop Alicia Jager, fmt baseman Samantha Fleeman, appoimed, but we played well. " cemer fielder Sara Cole and Buslepp, bur Porche returns along with They played well indeed. In the season finale, sophomore junior Katie Martin and a number of talented sophomores. pitcher Melissa Porche allowed only three hits, but one was a two Typical of the entire season was the Bears' play in the confer out homer in the first inning. ence tourney and in the finale against San Diego State. In the Said Hesse, "You can't ask for any more from a tean1. I'm Lady Bears' final contest, the scrappy never-say-die team was in proud of their effort." it down to the final out. Wid1 two outs in the seventh and fi nal The Bears finished with a remarkable 40-17 record. They won inning, Buslepp singled up the middle and sophomore Michelle the Missouri Valley Conference tOurnament tide, sweeping th e Armentrout walked before Porche popped out to end the game. competition tO earn their first NCAA bid since 1998. They had Fleeman, who put rogether an outstanding senior season, was emered the tourney as the No. 2 seed after spending all but the named d1e Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. very last day of league season arop the MVC standings. Buslepp and freshman Jessica Smith also were named ro the From the first pitch in d1e rourney, however, the Bears were all MVC first team, while Martin and Porche were second tean1 picks. business and all victOrious. Fleeman led the Bears in batting average, hits, RBis and home After winning d1e league rourney opener, d1ey tied the ream's runs. The five all-Valley picks are the most for the Bears since the all-rime record for victories in a season. They set the new all-time school joined the MVC in '93. BT win record with their second win of d1e tournament. Quire a record- and achievemem- for Hesse and a squad that wouldn't be denied. Missouri State Alumni Night at Hammons Field Mel Stole, '67, (left) senior offensive guard Steve Kohenskey, senior offensive tackle Justin Williamson and Steve Dunn, '83, pause for a picture at Missouri State Alumni Night at Hammons Field. The event, held on May 2, allowed Missouri State alumni to purchase either half-price reserved seat tickets or an upper deck package that included unlimited drinks and snacks. The Bears football team was on hand promoting season tickets for the upcoming 2006 campaign. Photo by Kevin Wh1te The Missouri State Auction Benefiting Athletics will be held on August 25, 2006 2006 Football SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Se as on ticket seat preferen ce: Missouri• 0 Cha irba ck. .. .. ..$ 100 0 Ble ac he r Bac k . .. ... .$70 State. 0 Bleac her . .. ... .$50 2006 Missouri State Home Football Schedule Sat., Sept. 9. ......... ...................... .. Southwest Baptist .... .. .. ...................... ......... 6:0D PM Sat., Se pt. 23.. .............................. Sam Hou sto n State .... .. .............. .. ......... ....... 6:00PM Sat., Se pt. 30 ............................... Youngstown State*................. ......... ......... .. .6 :00 PM (MJssouJi State Family Weekend) E Q Sat., Oct. 14 .................................. Western Ke ntucky* ........ .. .. ..... .. ................... 2:00PM CJ (Missoun State Showcase) ~ ., Sat., Oct. 28 ... ...... .. .. .. Southern Ill inois* .. .......... .. .. .. ......... ......... .. 1:30PM CD"' (Missou11 State Homecoming) .l!l .s Sat., No v. 11 ..................... ..... ....... Western Ill inois*..................... ..... ..1 :00PM ~ (Missouri State Senior Day, Veterans Day) =Q V> V> :i Home games played at Plaster Field, Springfield, Missouri All games are broadcast on KTXR (101.3 FM) in Springfield ::;: *Indicates Gateway Football Conferen<e Games; times listed are Springfield times ;: N Bears finish second in MVC tournament, regular season standings Although they missed the NCAA postseason tournament by the narrowest of margins, it was a great season for Coach Keith Currin's baseball Bears nonetheless. The Bears finished the year with a 33-22 record. In the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at Wichita, the Bears fell a game shy of the championship. Unbeaten going into the final day, they lost rwice to Evansville, including 2-1 in the tide game. So near.. as was the case in the regular-season league race where they finished a half game behind No. 1 Evansville. Without a doubt, Missouri State was one of the final teams passed over as the NCAA put together its 64-team tournament field. Said Guttin, "The most disappointing thing is, this year- with our pitching staff- I felt we could have done well in the postseason had we gotten in." A lack of offense, a problem throughout the campaign, ul timately took its roll. The Bears finished with a .275 team batting average and 5.3 runs per game. The program hasn't seen numbers this low since 1973. Junior catcher Matt Weglarz leads off of first base looking to steal second. Since the year 2003, when they last played in the NCAA tourney, the team averaged 6.4 runs in '03, 6.0 in '04, 5.8 in Weglarz is looking forward to re-entering the lineup and contributing next '05, and th is year's 5.3. year after his season was cut short due to hand injuries. Missing 14 games, G uttin said the reason for the lack of offensive power Wegla rz was still able to bat .272 and drive home 25 RBis. Photo by J.R. Compton appears to be rwofold: "Less talented, physical players out there" and "better arms than a few years ago." The Missouri State pitching staff, without doubt one of the best in the Valley if not "the best," compiled an ERA of 3.97- the team's best since '01. In addition, a number of talented pitchers have indicated they Junior pitcher Brett Sinkbeil was selected by Florida in plan to contend for roster spots in '07. the first round of this year's Major League draft- the 19th Offensively, three seniors who figured to lead the attack player chosen overall, the highest draft choice in Missouri State Adam Pummill, Jake Hilgendorf and Tim Rafferty - hit a collective baseball history. Teammate Scott Carroll was drafted by the Los .249 with 57 RBis. The team was further crippled this past season Angeles Angels in the 16th round, and senior Chris Krawczyk when junior clean-up hitter Matt Weglarz missed 14 games with was drafted in the 22nd round by Detroit. Sinkbeil was 5-1 hand injuries. He will be an additional boost to the team next with a 2.45 ERA, Carroll was 6-4 and 3.73, while Krawczyk season. He finished with a .272 average and 25 RBis. was 6-5 with a 2.84 ERA and nine saves. Junior Clay Coulter returns in '07, along with sophomore Carroll, a sophomore and quarterback on las t year's Bear outfielder Nolan Keane (.331 and 35 RBis), sophomore infielder football team, indicated he may bypass the pros for a year Matt Lawson (.330 and 28, with 20 stolen bases), freshman and pitch again for the Bears next year. If so, he'd be parr of a infielder Brayden Drake (.289 and 35) and ca.tcher Weglarz. Also talented 1-2 combo that includes sophomore Ross Derwiler (7- back are sophomore pitchers Jake Shafer and Jacob Bunten. 4, 2.81). Freshman Matt Frevert (4-2, three saves) inherits the Krawczyk and Keane were named to the All-Missouri Valley closer's role. first team; with Sinkbeil, Lawson and Coulter second team. BT Men's swimming and diving to join Sun Belt Conference The Missouri State University men's swimming and diving Missouri State has been first or second in men's conference team will be one of rwo current Missouri Valley Conference swimming competition in 31 of 37 years since the school added the members to join the Sun Belr Conference as associate members for sport in 1965. The Bears won six Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic the sport for 2006-07. Association tides on the Division II level prior through 1981 and Sun Belt Commissioner Wright Waters notified Missouri State then won Mid-Continent Conference tides from 1982-84 under Director of Athletics Bill Rowe, as well as MVC member Southern three different coaches: Barry Harrwyk, Kent Kirchner and Steck.