At the first game in the 2019 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, NC, Central Missouri scored seven runs in the first three innings and were carried by starter Ben Kelsch who picked up the win in a 9-4 victory over Ashland. The win puts the Mules at 44-14 this season, their most wins since 2012 when they won 48 games.

Central Missouri broke it open with a four-run second inning. Donovan Ditto and Zak Whalin were each by a pitch to put runners on base. Micah Evans poked one the other way for a base hit to score ditto. One batter later, Mason Janvrin put a charge into one for a double deep to left center field to bring home Whalin. After an intentional walk to Erik Webb to load the bases, Schnurbusch again came up big, singling on the first pitch he saw to drive in two.

The Mules played small ball as Janvrin beat out a bunt single allowing another run to score. Micah Evans kept running and scored from second on the play for a 7-0 lead. Alex Madera made it a 9-2 game singling just over the glove of the shortstop to score Whalin and Janvrin.

Ben Kelsch got the started and lasted 6.1 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits with a walk and six strikeouts.

News and Notes
• Kelsch made his 56 career appearance to move into the Mules all-time top-10.
• The win is the Mules 30th all-time at the Division II Championship. They are 30-31 in 61 Championship games.
• Erik Webb added to his D2 lead with his 26th double of the season in the first inning.
• Mason Janvrin continues to add to his UCM single season hits record. He is now up to 109.
• All but one Mules in the lineup had a hit or scored a run.
• Conor Dryer’s four strikeouts are a career-best.
• Central Missouri moves to 4-0 all-time against Ashland.
• Kelsch threw a first pitch strike to 20 of 26 batters he faced.
• Six of the Mules nine RBI came with two outs.
• The Mules hit .500 (7-14) with two outs while Ashland was 0-8.

The Mules will take on the winner of No. 1 Colorado Mesa and No. 8 NYIT Monday, June 3 at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT.

Story courtesy:  UCM Athletics

Mizzou Baseball Head Coach Steve Bieser and Tiger players pull field turf that was ripped away from the track at the Special Olympics Training for Life campus in Jefferson City (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

For the seventh straight season, Mizzou baseball missed out on NCAA regionals.  They just missed the cut despite having an RPI of 31 and a 34-22-1 record.  However, the Tigers dropped five in a row to end the season, including a sweep at home against Florida and a first-round exit in their first SEC Tournament game, a 2-1 loss to Ole Miss.  In the end, that didn’t look good and with ten SEC teams selected to play, there was no room for error in the toughest conference in baseball.

However, life is more than just baseball.  Just three days after losing their last game, Steve Bieser and his players came to Jefferson City to help clean up and remove debris from the tornado. They helped at the Special Olympic complex which suffered significant damage.

The team posted a photo gallery.

Photo/UCM Athletics

Central Missouri Baseball swept Augustana in a two-of-three series to punch their ticket to the 2019 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship. After winning 6-4 yesterday, the Mules again got another fine pitching performance on their way to a 5-2 win in game two. This was the Mules 18th NCAA Regional Championships, and their first since 2016. The Mules will head to Cary, N.C. for the NCAA Division II Championship June 1-8. The schedule and their opponent in the eight-team field is TBD.

The Mules improved to 7-0 in games Luke Lucas has started for UCM.  He went 4.1 innings allowing both runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out three and walking just one.  Donovan Ditto’s RBI single in the first made it 1-0 Mules.  Erik Webb made it a 2-0 game keeping a 3-2 fastball just inside the left field foul pole for a solo home run in the third. A big sixth inning, put UCM on top for good. Josh Schumacher picked up his third hit of the game and Cole Taylor went opposite field for a double off the fence that scored Schumacher all the way from first to gives the Mules the lead back. A bunt single from Donovan Ditto put runners on the corners, and Taylor crossed the plate on a wild pitch for the Mules’ fourth run. Micah Evans made it a three-run sixth driving in a run on a ground ball.

Napheesa Collier scored 27 points, the second most in WNBA history by a rookie in her debut, as the Minnesota Lynx blew out the Chicago Sky 89-71 in the season-opener for both teams Saturday night. Collier was born in Jefferson City, but was a prep star at Incarnate Word in St. Louis.   She starred at UConn for four seasons before becoming the 6th overall pick in the draft.  Collier hit 8-of-10 shots, including three three-pointers

Collier was shy of Candace Parker’s record 34-point performacne in her first game with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. The Lynx were playing without perennial MVP Maya Moore, another former Jefferson City, Mo. resident, who is sitting out this season.

Sophie Cunningham, Mizzou women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer and first pick of the second round in the WNBA Draft made it professional debut on Saturday in Seattle as her Mercury Phoenix took on the Storm.  Sophie played 12 minutes off the bench, missed both of her shot attempts (three-point tries), and grabbed three rebounds in Phoenix’s 77-68 loss.  Cunningham had a blocked shot and two turnovers as well as two personal fouls.

Cunningham entered the game with 5:16 left in the first half and after a Seattle turnover, she stepped out of bounds on the transition.  She pulled down her first defensive rebound on the ensuing possession after a missed three-point attempt.

Cunningham and Phoenix have their first home game on Friday and expects many friends and family to attend.