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April 28, 2012
Egnew selected in third round of NFL Draft
Missouri senior tight end Michael Egnew was the lone Tiger selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, going in the third round (78th overall selection) to the Miami Dolphins.
Eight other Missouri seniors inked professional contracts as undrafted free agents. Defensive end Jacquies Smith signed with the Dolphins, wide receiver Jarrell Jackson signed with the Houston Texans, wide receiver Wes Kemp signed with the Carolina Panthers, defensive tackle Dom Hamilton signed with the Oakland Raiders, long snapper Beau Brinkley signed with the Tennessee Titans, guard Austin Wuebbels signed with the Denver Broncos, kicker Grant Ressel signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive tackle Terrell Resonno signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
Egnew was the third tight end selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, behind Stanford's Colby Fleener and Clemson's Dwayne Allen, both of whom were selected by the Indianapolis Colts.
The senior ended his MU career with 147 receptions for 1,332 yards and eight touchdowns. His 90 receptions as a junior in 2010 led all Division 1A tight ends and netted him a spot on the All-American First Team. Egnew received All-Big 12 Conference honors in each of the last two seasons.
Egnew upholds a recent MU tradition of sending All-American tight ends to the NFL ranks. He is the third Tiger tight end to be drafted in the last five years, joining Martin Rucker (fourth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns in 2008) and Chase Coffman (third-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009).
Egnew is the second-highest drafted tight end in MU history, only behind NFL Hall-of-Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. (No. 13 pick of the 1979 draft).
Missouri run-rules Iowa State 9-0
Missouri freshman first baseman Kelsea Roth wasted no time offensively Saturday afternoon, as she belted a grand slam in the top of the first inning of the No. 10 Tigers’ 8-0 run rule win at Iowa State.
Sophomore center fielder Mackenzie Sykes started the game with a single before junior catcher Jenna Marston moved her to third with a double through the right side. A walk by senior right fielder Ashley Fleming loaded the bases and allowed Roth to blast her sixth home run of the season and grab an early 4-0 lead for Missouri (36-10, 13-7 Big 12 Conference).
The Cyclones were three-up, three-down in the bottom of the inning, and Missouri senior pitcher Kristin Nottelmann recorded her first strikeout of the game.
The Tigers extended their lead in the top of the second when freshman second baseman Ashtin Stephens singled to start the inning before Sykes roped her second home run of the year to bring her in. Marston tacked on another base hit and Fleming brought her in for a 7-0 lead by the end of the inning.
The game was quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when the Cyclones broke Nottelmann’s perfect game with a single by junior Tori Torrescsano. Nottelmann then issued a walk, but got Sara Rice to fly out to end the threat.
In the top of the sixth inning, sophomore pinch hitter Brianna Corwin legged out a two out single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese then singled to bring in Missouri’s eighth run of the game.
The game ended due to run rule after six innings. Roth led the team with four RBI. Sykes, Marston and Corwin each picked up two hits in the 8-0 win.
The Tigers will finish their series against the Cyclones at noon. Sunday at the Southwest Athletic Complex in Ames, Iowa.
April 27, 2012
Tigers win fifth straight with 9-0 victory over Texas Tech
The Missouri baseball team won its fifth game in a row in shutout fashion versus Texas Tech on Friday in Lubbock, Texas.
The 9-0 win marks the third shutout for the Tigers on the season. The win helps the team climb closer to a .500 record in Big 12 Conference play (7-9).
Starting sophomore pitcher Rob Zastryzny earned his fourth win of the season, throwing a complete-game shutout while allowing only seven hits. The Tiger offense also had a strong showing, scoring seven runs in the fourth inning, the most in a single inning against a Big 12 opponent since April 30th last season against Texas A&M.
Junior outfielder Scott Sommerfeld led the Tigers at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a run and scoring two RBI.
Junior outfielder Brannon Champagne also contributed, reaching base safely yet again to extend his streak to 32 straight games. The streak is currently the longest active streak in the Big 12 after Texas’ Mark Payton had his streak broken last week. The streak ties the MU record set by Aaron Senne in 2010.
The Tigers will play against Texas Tech at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Quartet of home runs pushes Missouri past Iowa State, 9-0
The No. 10 Missouri Tigers blasted their way to a Big 12 Conference victory with a 9-0 run rule win over the Iowa State Cyclones (14-31, 2-14 Big 12) on Friday in Ames, Iowa.
Junior catcher Jenna Marston, senior right fielder Ashley Fleming and freshman first baseman Kelsea Roth each drew a walk with one out in the first inning to load the bases for the Tigers (35-10, 12-7 Big 12). Junior left fielder Nicole Hudson drove in two runners with a single up the middle.
Junior designated player Lindsey Muller walked later in the inning to make it 3-0 Missouri.
The Tiger bats exploded in the second when Fleming, Roth and Hudson hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to increase the lead to 7-0. Fleming crushed a two-run shot, her 12th of the year, to kick off the barrage. The runs marked her 39th and 40th RBI of the season.
Roth’s solo shot was her fifth this season, and Hudson’s homer was her seventh.
Missouri hasn’t hit back-to-back-to-back shots since in more than five years. The last time it happened was in 2007 when Amanda Renth, Micaela Minner and Jen Bruck hit three in a row against Western Illinois.
Junior catcher Rachel Hay knocked her second homer of the year in the fifth, driving in junior third baseman Princess Krebs to push the lead to 9-0 Tigers.
Redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas shut down the Cyclones, pitching four innings and striking out 11 of the 15 batters she faced. Freshman pitcher Bailey Erwin continued her role as de facto closer, pitching the last inning and closing down Iowa State despite giving up two singles.
Missouri and Iowa State will play the second game of their three-game set at 2 p.m. Saturday in Ames.
April 25, 2012
Missouri edges Missouri State 4-3 in 11 innings
Missouri came out on top in its contest against Missouri State 4-3 on Wednesday in Springfield, Mo. The Tigers (22-17) took the game into 11 innings, and junior first baseman Andreas Plackis’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th scored junior shortstop Eric Garcia for the game-winning run.
Coach Tim Jamieson gave senior Jeff Emens the start, and the right-hander put in a strong three-inning performance. The only hit Emens allowed was a home run in the bottom of the third to Bears right fielder Trey Massenberg.
That bomb gave Missouri State a 1-0 lead, but the Tigers broke out for three runs in the top of the fifth. Junior center fielder Brannon Champagne had an RBI single that inning, one of his three hits on the day to extend his streak of reaching base to 31 games.
The Bears tied the game at three in the eighth in a very sloppy inning that featured two Missouri errors, but the Tigers retook the lead, and freshman John Miles threw two perfect innings to get the win.
Missouri will head down to Lubbock, Texas, this weekend for a three-game series against Texas Tech.
Tim Fuller promoted to associate men's basketball coach
Tim Fuller has been promoted to Missouri’s associate head basketball coach under Frank Haith, MU announced Wednesday. In Haith’s debut season, which resulted in a program-best 30-5 record, Fuller served as lead assistant.
“Tim was such a vital part of our success this past year,” Haith said in a news release. “He absolutely impacted all facets of our program in a positive way. The work he did with our guys on the court this past season with their skill development, as well as his scouting and game prep work was top-notch. We want to be able to keep him here a long time.”
Fuller, 34, was the lead recruiter of three transfer players expected to be heavily involved in Missouri’s game plan next season. Junior guard Earnest Ross, senior guard Keion Bell and freshman guard Jabari Brown sat out this year due to NCAA rules.
Most recently, Fuller played a key role in the recruitment of junior forward Alex Oriakhi, the 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pound forward considered by many to have been the top transferring prize upon his decision to leave Connecticut.
“He's a terrific recruiter, I think that's been proven in his short time here, and he's an outstanding coach,” Haith said in the release. "More importantly, he's the kind of man you want developing and shaping young men.”
Fuller’s relationship with Haith first sprouted at Wake Forest, where Fuller played from 1996-2000 while Haith coached as an assistant. After Fuller’s graduation in 2000, he went on to coach under Rick Pitino at Louisville.
"I genuinely love the opportunity to be here at Mizzou," Fuller said in the release. "This is a special place filled with passionate basketball people. I am thankful to work with a great support staff and elite student-athletes who are outstanding citizens in the community, diligent workers in the classroom and competitive warriors on the hardwood."
Fuller is already looking to get a jump on his new position.
"I look forward to bringing in high-level talent and working hard with our great staff to compete for championships and achieve new levels of success," he said in the release.
April 24, 2012
Missouri wrestler Kyle Bradley named Wilma Rudolph Award winner
Missouri sophomore wrestler Kyle Bradley has been named the recipient of the 2012 Wilma Rudolph Award from the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics, the organization announced Tuesday.
The award honors athletes who have overcome personal, academic or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics.
Bradley has a retinal disease called X-linked retinoschisis, which primarily occurs in young males and starts during childhood. The disease causes tiny cysts to form on the retina, resulting in acuity loss in the center of the visual field.
The sophomore overcame the odds to qualify for his second consecutive NCAA Championship at 149 pounds. Bradley wrestled to an overall record of 25-13. He also participated in all of the dual meets with an 11-8 record and finished second in the Big 12 Conference Championships.
Bradley is a health sciences major and will be honored at the annual N4A convention, held June 9 in Buffalo, N.Y.
April 22, 2012
Missouri drops game, series to Oklahoma
The No. 10 Missouri softball team dropped its final game at No. 5 Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon in Norman, Okla., in a 2-1 pitching duel that earned the Sooners the series.
Oklahoma scored first for the third consecutive game when outfielder Destinee Martinez singled and stole a base before pitcher Keilani Ricketts singled her in to give the Sooners a 1-0 lead over the Tigers (34-10, 11-7 Big 12 Conference) in the first inning.
The Sooners extended their lead in the second inning. Catcher Jessica Shults doubled to right field and Brianna Turang singled to center field to put two on base for Oklahoma. Infielder Javen Henson scored Shults on a sacrifice bunt that moved the game to 2-0.
Missouri retaliated in the third inning when Turang committed an error in center field on a fly ball by freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese. Genovese moved to third on a rare wild pitch by Ricketts. Junior center fielder Mackenzie Sykes then singled in Missouri’s only run and cut the lead to 2-1.
Overall, both teams were quiet offensively, as Missouri’s redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas (18-7) and Oklahoma’s Ricketts (23-6) kept runners off the base paths for a majority of the game.
Sykes led the offense for Missouri, batting 2-for-4 in the game with an RBI.
Missouri will play Iowa State on Friday in Ames, Iowa.
April 21, 2012
Missouri softball strikes back with 4-2 extra-inning win at Oklahoma
The No. 10 Missouri softball team has gone into extra innings five times this season, and for the second time, they came out on top, defeating the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners 4-2 in Norman, Okla., in eight innings.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Sooners jumped out to a 1-0 lead over the Tigers (34-9, 11-6 Big 12 Conference) on a throwing error that allowed catcher Jessica Shults two bases, and a single down the third base line by infielder Georgia Casey.
Oklahoma extended its lead in the bottom of the third with a leadoff home run by infielder Lauren Chamberlain off Missouri redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas.
In the fifth inning, freshman pitcher Bailey Erwin came in to relieve Thomas before the Tigers struck offensively in the top of the sixth. Junior catcher Jenna Marston walked for the 36th time this season before senior right fielder Ashley Fleming belted her second game-tying home run of the series to knot the score at 2-2.
Oklahoma couldn’t retaliate, sending the game to extra innings for the second day in a row.
Missouri struck early in the eighth with two walks in a row by junior center fielder Mackenzie Sykes and Marston and a groundout by Fleming to move them into scoring position. Freshman first baseman Kelsea Roth then roped a base hit to the right side to score Sykes. Junior left fielder Nicole Hudson blooped a shallow fly ball to center field to score Marston and extend the lead to 4-2.
The Tigers brought Thomas back in to shut out the Sooners and clinch the win.
Missouri will conclude its series against Oklahoma at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Marita Hynes Field in Norman. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN3.
April 20, 2012
Missouri softball falls 2-1 to Oklahoma in extras
The No. 10 Missouri softball team fell to No. 5 Oklahoma 2-1 in an extra-inning battle Friday in Norman, Okla.
The game started off quietly offensively for both teams, as Missouri redshirt junior pitcher Chelsea Thomas and Oklahoma junior hurler Keilani Ricketts each recorded strikeouts in the first inning.
Both aces shut down the opposing teams’ bats through four and a half innings before the Sooners took a lead on the Tigers (33-9, 10-6 Big 12 Conference) in the bottom of the fifth.
Thomas walked outfielder Brianna Turang and utility player Katie Norris beat out an infield single before a wild pitch moved the two into scoring position with one out. Missouri freshman shortstop Corrin Genovese played a routine grounder to snatch the second out, but sophomore outfielder Destinee Martinez hit an infield chopper to score Norris and grab a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, the Tigers’ senior right fielder Ashley Fleming roped her 10th home run of the year, an opposite-field rope to knot the game at 1-1.
Thomas shut the Sooners down in the bottom of the sixth and Ricketts held Missouri’s offense in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the inning, Turang singled and Norris reached on a fielder’s choice before Martinez walked to load up the bases for freshman infielder Lauren Chamberlain. But Thomas pulled out a three-pitch strike out to send the game into extra innings.
After two and a half scoreless extra innings, the Sooners took the game with a Ricketts walk and Turang's RBI single.
The Tigers will continue their series at 2 p.m. Saturday at Marita Hynes Field at 2 p.m.