Your online home for Joplin area sports coverage.

BOYS BASKETBALL: Local squads hone their skills at Webb City’s 4-States Summer League

 

WEBB CITY, Mo. — For area boys basketball teams, Webb City has been the place to be all month long.

Each Tuesday night in June, prep squads from Southwest Missouri, Southeast Kansas and Northwest Arkansas converged on Webb City for the 4-States Summer League. 

On the final night of action, Webb City coach Jason Horn told SoMo Sports the league has provided area players with an opportunity to hone their skills in a competitive setting during the always-important summer.

“The No. 1 thing for us is this league allows the guys to learn to play together,” said Horn, the summer league’s director. “It’s a new group for us. A lot of them haven’t played together. They’re getting used to each other and we’re learning what each guy can do and what their strengths are. It’s huge any time you get your group together and get reps and get to work on team concepts. We’re lucky our state gives us 20 contact days. This summer league is crucial for us. There’s a chance I’m not going to see a lot of these guys again until December.”

Dante Washington and the Webb City Cardinals took on Joplin on the final night of the 4-States Summer League inside the Cardinal Dome. All photos by Jessica Greninger.

In all, 22 different schools hit the court in four different gyms. 

Webb City, Joplin, Carl Junction, Carthage, Neosho, College Heights, Thomas Jefferson and McAuley Catholic all had squads competing. Many of the schools regularly had multiple teams competing each night — varsity, junior varsity and freshmen.

Other regional schools who competed at the league include Seneca, McDonald County, Diamond, Sarcoxie, Nevada and Lockwood. Macks Creek and RUSH Basketball also attended. 

Representing Southeast Kansas were Pittsburg, Frontenac and Girard. Squads from Bentonville, Rogers and Springdale made the drive from Arkansas. 

“The competition was really good,” Horn said after his team defeated Joplin 60-50. “We played some teams that have a chance of winning their conference and making a deep run in the playoffs. We saw a lot of really good players. Springdale had a tremendous team. Joplin has a solid squad with a great player (All Wright). We had the opportunity to play teams like Rogers. RUSH Basketball from Springfield was talented. It was eye-opening for some of our guys and helped get them up to varsity speed.” 

Area coaches noted being able to evaluate their talent and experiment with new styles of play over the summer is crucial to next winter’s success. 

“It gives me an opportunity to see guys at game speed with something on the line,” Horn said. “They’re playing against guys they’re not used to seeing…and that’s key. With people here watching, I think that puts a little pressure on them.”

Like Horn, Neosho coach Zane Culp and Carthage coach Nathan Morris noted the summer league has been beneficial to the players and coaches alike.

“The biggest thing is it’s a chance for us to get together and play without having a huge break from February or March until November,” Culp said. “This is also a chance for us coaches to get a bead on what our lineups might look like. As a coach, you can get a gauge of where you’re at or even an idea of what you think your team is going to be like. In my experience, how you do in the summer is close to how you’re going to do in the regular season. This league gives us a pretty good idea of where we’re going to be at as a team. 

“It’s fun for the boys, too,” Culp added. “Some of our guys play football, so we won’t all be together again until the first day of practice. I like that we get to play some teams that we won’t see in the regular season.” 

Morris echoed those same sentiments. 

“It’s huge for the guys just to be able to get out here and play,” Morris said. “It’s really important for the upperclassmen who have varsity experience to help usher in the guys who haven’t had those varsity minutes. We have guards who played a ton last year, but we added in a bunch of guys who don’t have a lot of varsity experience. To play at this pace, they learn there is a difference between freshmen basketball and varsity basketball. What I love about where we’re at here is we used to have to go to Springfield and Nixa for shootouts. It’s nice to stay local and compete. This league has been really good for us.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOOTBALL: Joplin hosts local squads for annual 7 on 7 Tournament 

Joplin football had some fun under the sun, and eventually the lights, on Monday as the Eagles hosted its annual Four States 7 on 7 Tournament at the JHS Athletic Complex.

Joplin’s Quin Renfro hauls in a touchdown pass against Seneca in bracket play of the Four States 7 on 7 Tournament hosted by Joplin. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Rock Bridge, Mount Vernon, Nevada, Nixa, Glendale, Seneca, Carl Junction and Neosho all joined Joplin in a field that consisted of 12 teams divided up into Red and White divisions. Each team played five divisional games before single-elimination bracket play started to determine who would play in the semifinals and ultimately the finals of each bracket.

“We cap it at 12 teams because we feel that is a really good number for this event,” Joplin coach Curtis Jasper said. “We always get really good feedback on the way we put this on, and I felt like this was probably our best one yet. We had a full field of 12, beautiful weather, the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) came out and fed the kids between the games and we didn’t have any significant injuries. It’s always a great day if everyone gets to come out here, have fun, compete and stay injury free. “

Joplin finished the day with a 6-2 record, finishing runner-up in the championship to Nixa, who finished the day 8-0 on the way to first place. 

“I thought they did great,” Jasper said of his Eagles. “We have a lot of new faces after graduating a lot of kids. We have a lot of things we have to get better at, and today was a tool to help us with that. We inched a little closer to where we need to be.”

Carl Junction quarterback Dex Merrell delivers a pass to the sideline in 7 on 7 action at Joplin High School. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

For those not familiar with the rules of 7 on 7, it’s a stripped-down version of what you see in the fall on Friday nights. There is no contact (one-hand touch below the neck), and it’s a strictly passing format (no running game) with no offensive or defensive line play. Each individual team is predominantly made up of a quarterback, snapper, and either five wide receivers or four wide receivers and a running back on offense. Defensively, each team consists of seven players made up of linebackers and defensive backs. 

Each game is 20 minutes and played from 40 yards in with another game going on simultaneously on the other side of the field. A team gets four plays to get across the 20-yard line for a first down, and that team then has four plays to find paydirt. As far as scoring goes, touchdowns are worth six points and the offense can choose to go for 1 point from 5 yards or 2 points from 10 yards away on the PAT (no kicking). Defensively, interceptions are worth 2 points. 

“We were here just to get better,” Carl Junction coach Doug Buckmaster said. “We’ve had some of our own team camps and practices and such, but we haven’t played any 7 on 7 to this point. We are out here to get those reps against somebody different ready to compete.

“We are going to be a much better football team tomorrow by being here today. We made a lot of mistakes and if we weren’t here, we wouldn’t have seen those mistakes and know that we need to correct them. We have a lot to correct, but our kids played hard, they competed and they are going to get better.”

Joplin quarterback Hobbs Gooch delivers a pass over the middle in 7 on 7 action at the JHS Athletic Complex on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

What are the benefits for this type of offseason activity? Glad you asked. Aside from giving the student-athletes a competitive outlet away from all of the strength and conditioning, it also provides offenses and defenses a glimpse at some areas to work on, as well as building up chemistry and communication skills in the process.

“This is the only 7 on 7 event that we do,” Jasper said. “Some other schools put more priority on it. But, with only 20 contact days, we feel like one is enough. We like to focus more with our linemen involved and all of that. So, for today, it’s about a ton of reps both offensively and defensively. There are things to be wary of, but there is also a lot of good that can come out of it.”

“I told our kids I wanted to see three things from them today,” Jasper continued. “I wanted to see them play really hard and compete well, be very coachable and to improve. I thought we nailed it in all three aspects today.” 

TENNIS: Wurdeman, Kutz claim Joplin Open titles

 

The Joplin High School athletic complex hosted the Joplin Open prep tennis tournament on Friday.

Featuring girls and boys singles brackets, the tourneys gave local prep tennis players an opportunity to gain experience and hone their skills.

The girls bracket featured 24 players.

In the semifinals, Naiyah Wurdeman beat Lizzie Smith 6-2, while Jenna Besperat defeated Brynley Walters 6-1.

In the championship match, Wurdeman defeated Besperat 6-4. Both players are from Carl Junction. 

In the third-place match, Walters defeated Smith 6-3.

Falling in the quarterfinals were Elli Woodward, Natalie Brueggemann, Isabel Read and Grace Replogle.

The boys champion was Monett’s Ethan Kutz. He defeated Thomas Jefferson’s Jack Goodhue 6-2 in the title match. 

Taking third place was Monett’s Elijah Ridenour. 

Other players advancing to the third round were Logan Kutz, Cooper Choate and Lucas Riffe. 

 

MINK BASEBALL: Early miscue costs Joplin as rally comes up short against Jeff City

A two-out error in the first inning gave Jeff City a lead it would never relinquish in a 4-3 win over Joplin on Monday in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium.

It looked to be a clean 1-2-3 top of the first for the Outlaws before an error with two outs opened the door for a pair of Renegade runs to score to swing the momentum early. Jeff City added a run in the second before Joplin cut into the lead with single tallies scoring in the fourth and fifth innings. Jeff City added insurance with a run in the seventh, which was needed because Joplin rallied for a run in the ninth inning and saw the comeback attempt come up just short after leaving runners on first and second when the final out was made.

“We gave that game away—plain and simple,” Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said. “We made our guy throw 20-plus more pitches (and they scored two runs) in the first inning after we made that error. That changed the game for us. When you start behind the 8-ball, it’s hard to come back from that.”

Joplin starting pitcher AJ Moreno delivers to home plate the Outlaws’ matchup with Jeff City on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

ON THE MOUND

Ty Wilmsmeyer started and earned the win for Jeff City after allowing two runs on four hits,  a walk and four strikeouts in five innings. Wyatt Fischer walked one in a scoreless relief inning. Tanner Schmitz pitched three relief innings, allowing one run on four hits. Fischer earned the save without allowing an earned run in the ninth.
AJ Moreno started for Joplin and took the loss after allowing three runs on five hits, a walk and seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Jordan Sheridan worked a scoreless 1/3 inning in relief. Joplin product Kohl Cooper came on in relief and allowed one run on two hits, two walks and a strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Connor Peck pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning, while Jared Wells and Webb City product Gavin Stowell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. 

“I have no complaints about the pitching tonight,” Gonzalez said. “AJ Moreno fought his heart out. He could have easily given up on himself, but he did not. He gave us a quality start. We kind of stacked it today and every guy that came in entered in pretty high-leverage situations and they all did a good job for the most part. I can’t complain about pitching at all, we just need to play better defense.”

GAME ACTION

Jeff City didn’t take long to reach the scoreboard. Taking advantage of a two-out error by Joplin, Jack Matousek yanked a ball down the first-base line with a runner on second for a standup two-out RBI triple and a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. TJ Racherbaumer followed with a flare to right-center for an RBI to push the lead to 2-0 in favor of the Renegades.

Jackson Lovich tripled led off the top of the second with a triple to left-center field and was driven on an RBI groundout from Cole Wagner to give the Renegades a 3-0 advantage.

Joplin’s Caden Bressler offers at a pitch during the Outlaws’ matchup with Jeff City on Monday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

The Outlaws cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Garrett Chun hit a sacrifice fly to left field with runners on second and third to make the score 3-1.

The Outlaws cut the deficit to one run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Caden Bressler grounded out to score Cody Min.

Jeff City got the run back in the top of the sixth inning when Luc Fuller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. 

Joplin put the rally caps on in the bottom of the ninth inning, when Chun singled to left to lead off the inning before Casey Yamauchi reached on an infield two batters later to put runners on the corners with one out. Webb City product Matt Woodmansee picked up an RBI with a groundout before Korrey Siracusa reached on a hit-by-pitch to put the tying run on second and go-ahead run on first. A groundout in the next at-bat ended the threat and the game.

“They didn’t give up, especially in the back half of the game,” Gonzalez said. “We went into a little bit of a lull, but we turned it around at the end and put together some good stuff. But, it can’t take that long for us to want to pull the trigger and make an adjustment because then you are pressuring yourself into making something happen instead of slowly working our way into it.”

IN THE BOX

Lovich had two hits and scored a run, while Matousek, Wagner and Fuller each had a hit, scored a run and drove in one to lead the Renegades at the plate.

Chun had a hit, scored a run and drove in one, while Bressler and Woodmansee each had base hits and added an RBI apiece to lead Joplin. Min had a hit and scored a run.

ON DECK

Joplin hits the road for the next seven games in eight days, starting with a 7 p.m. matchup at Des Moines on Tuesday.

PRO BOXING: Crouch earns quick TKO in main event at WFC 138, Zumwalt wins pro debut

 

MIAMI, Okla. — Theran Crouch needed less than two minutes to earn a crowd-pleasing victory in the main event of World Fighting Championships 138 on Saturday night at Buffalo Run Casino & Resort.

A Webb City High School graduate, Crouch hiked his professional boxing record to 3-0 by recording a dominant first-round technical knockout over Evian Rodriguez (0-3) in the super-middleweight clash inside the packed Peoria Showplace. 

“I’m not too happy about my performance, but at the end of the day, a win is a win,” Crouch said. “That was a tough, seasoned opponent. When it comes down to it, they don’t pay me hourly. So if I can get in and get out, I’m doing it.”

The aggressor from the start in the one-sided affair, Crouch sent Rodriguez to the canvas early in the fight after connecting with a solid left. 

Moments later, Crouch used a blistering combination to drop Rodriguez again. With that, referee Gerald Ritter waved off the fight at the 1 minute, 44 second mark of the opening round, much to the pleasure of the raucous crowd.

“Mosburg Boxing…we’re on the map and everyone needs to respect us,” said Crouch, a southpaw who weighed in at 165 pounds. “I stepped up three weight classes for this one. I’m usually at about 154 pounds. We were dealing with a pretty nasty injury. But moving up in weight actually favored me as far as having to cut weight. I was blessed there. I got to eat nice this week.” 

Fighting out of Jay, Oklahoma, the “Midwest Maniac” has won all three of his pro bouts via knockout.

Crouch’s other two wins also came at Buffalo Run — a first-round TKO over Nikkolas Willyard last December and a second-round KO over Pablo Veloquio last September.

Crouch, who played baseball at Crowder College and trains at Southwest Missouri-based Mosburg Boxing, noted he may not be back in the ring for a while. Why? He’s got something meaningful on the horizon.  

“I have a baby girl that’s going to be here in August,” Crouch said. “That’s my only concern at the moment. Fighting can wait.”

Evian Rodriguez and Theran Crouch are pictured at Friday’s weigh-in at Buffalo Run.

 

ZUMWALT WINS PRO DEBUT

Zerek Zumwalt

It was hard to tell that Zerek Zumwalt was making his pro debut on Saturday night.

Fighting out of Anderson, Zumwalt looked like a ring veteran en route to recording a third-round TKO over Jalen Jordan of Little Rock, Arkansas, in a light-heavyweight co-feature.

“I feel good and I have to give all the glory to God,” said Zumwalt, who trains at Mosburg Boxing and has previous experience in MMA and kickboxing. “I’m glad I got the win and I’m glad everyone came out to see the fights. I’ve been training hard for this one.”

After a close first round, Zumwalt absorbed some punishment in Round 2. But Zumwalt weathered the storm and regrouped nicely in the third round, out-working his opponent. 

The 179-pound Zumwalt finished strong, landing several shots on Jordan (0-1) up against the ropes before referee Gary Ritter waved it off at the 2:08 mark of the third round. 

“For a guy without much experience, my opponent came to fight,” Zumwalt said. “All props to him. He hit me with some great shots. I walked into some shots that I shouldn’t have. But I figured out what he was doing in the second round. And I knew he was starting to wilt cardio-wise. I started putting it on him. He was riding the ropes and I just kept hitting him until I saw the ref step in.” 

In the other pro bout, Steven Alexander of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, stopped Kyle Guenther of Webb City via fourth-round TKO.

Both heavyweights were making their pro debuts. Alexander knocked down Guenther twice in the fourth round for the stoppage. 

 

AMATEUR BOUTS

The Joplin area was well-represented in the nine amateur fights.

In the lone women’s bout, Harley Lankford of Seneca earned a unanimous decision over Rhyan Akpan at 160 pounds.

Ramzee Howard (Miami) earned a second-round TKO over Joplin’s Mikey Crowe at 139 pounds. Lankford and Howard train with Dallas Cook at Heartland Boxing Gym in Galena. 

In an entertaining heavyweight scrap between Joplin residents, Brian Jones earned a unanimous decision over Zach Dunaway. The judges scored it 30-25, 30-26, 29-28 in Jones’ favor. 

Neosho’s Ben Massey defeated Joplin’s Chris Sullivan via unanimous decision at light-heavyweight. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Massey.

Webb City’s Bradley Coffey earned a win in heavyweight action when Kyler Haagensen couldn’t continue after the third round.

Amar Sangare (Webb City) defeated Francisco Gonzalez by TKO at 154 pounds.

Carlos Horcacitas (Commerce, Okla.) defeated Kendrick Brown (Joplin) at 157 pounds when the ref stopped the fight. 

Buffalo Run is scheduled to host another World Fighting Championships event on Sept. 17.

 

MINK BASEBALL: Early runs and strong effort on the mound lead Outlaws past Griffons

Joplin started fast with the bats and got a dominant pitching performance on the way to, perhaps, its most-complete win of the season—a 14-2 victory over Nevada on Friday night in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Outlaws’ offense hung crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the first three innings and ultimately scored runs in the first four frames, while the Joplin pitcher Jack Kelley limited the Griffons to one run over five innings. After Nevada pushed across two unanswered, Joplin put the finishing touches on the win with a six-run sixth inning.

“Absolutely,” first-year Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said when asked if this was one of his team’s best performances of the season. “We played good defense, guys put together good at-bats and fought through adversity. That was huge for us.”

Joplin pitcher Jack Kelley delivers a pitch to the plate against the Nevada Griffons on Friday at Joe Becker Stadium. Photos by Jason Peake.

ON THE MOUND

Kelley started for Joplin and earned the win after allowing one run on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Harold Baez allowed one run on two hits in one inning of relief work. Eduardo Ojeda walked two and struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief.

“The biggest thing for Jack was his fastball command,” Gonzalez said. “And his changeup is starting to come around. He was able to pull the string a little more and not rely on his breaking ball as much. It has become a true out pitch for him.”

Houston Fogelstrom started and took the loss for Nevada after allowing seven runs on five hits and three walks in three innings pitched. Caleb Chance allowed a run in relief, while Conner Culp pitched one scoreless inning in relief. Jackson Walker allowed six runs on one hit and four walks in 1/3 of an inning.

GAME ACTION

Joplin wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, as Caden Bressler led the bottom of the first off with a triple to left field before coming home on a wild pitch in the next at-bat for a 1-0 lead. Korrey Siracusa followed with a double to right field before coming around to score two batters later on an RBI groundout from Max Bruff for a 2-0 lead.

The Outlaws added to the lead an inning later when Cody Min singled home a run and advanced to second on the play. Carl Junction product Carson Johnson followed with a single to center field to plate Min, pushing the lead to 4-0.

Joplin made it three straight innings with a crooked number coming across the plate when Min drew a bases-loaded walk in the last of the third to extend the lead to five runs. Sam Fagan, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning to get on base, straight stole home in the next at-bat for a 6-0 lead. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring the Outlaws’ lead to 7-0.

The Outlaws made it four straight innings with a run as Siracusa walked before advancing to second and third on wild pitches before scoring on a passed ball for an 8-0 lead through four innings.

“That was big for us,” Gonzalez said of the early-and-often run support. “It took the pressure off (Kelley) and allowed him to pitch free and easy. It allowed him to attack the zone and not try to put too much pressure on himself to have to do it all.”

Nevada reached the scoreboard for the first time on a two-out RBI single flared to center field by Andrew Pickering to bring the Griffons’ deficit to 8-1.

Joplin Outlaws designated hitter Cody Min celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Nevada Griffons on Friday night at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Griffons scored a second run in the top of the sixth off an RBI single to shallow center field from Jacob Strobel.

The Outlaws pushed the lead to 12 with a six-run sixth inning highlighted by a sac fly from Joe Ricchio and an RBI singles from Webb City product Matt Woodmansee and Siracusa.

“We have talked about it in the past, but when it’s time to put teams away, you have to put them away,” Gonzalez said of the late offensive output. “You can’t let them hang around because that usually ends up bad for us. … It was nice to see these guys put it away.”

IN THE BOX

Siracusa had two hits, an RBI and scored three times, while Bressler had two hits and scored once. Johnson had a hit and led the team with three RBI and added a run scored, while Min registered a hit, two runs scored and two RBI.

ON DECK

The Outlaws host the Joplin Playmakers in an exhibition on Saturday at Joe Becker Stadium.

MINK BASEBALL: Pair of five-run innings fuel Jeff City past Joplin

Jefferson City scored five runs in the second and five more runs in the fourth inning to build an insurmountable lead over Joplin before going on to a 15-10 win on Thursday in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Renegades (4-4) used a pair of long balls in the third inning to take a five-run cushion before the Outlaws (4-7) answered with three two-out runs touching home in the last of the third inning before Jeff City responded with five more runs in the top of the fourth inning to separate from Joplin further. The Renegades added a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to cushion the lead before Joplin scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to keep the deficit at 12-6. Jeff City put the finishing touches on the win with a three-run ninth inning, though the Outlaws were able to plate four in the last of the ninth to cut the lead to five.

ON THE MOUND

Caleb Caraker started and earned the win for Jeff City after allowing five runs on five hits, five walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work. Tanner Schmitz allowed one run on two hits and two walks in 1 2/3 relief innings. Grayson Eierman allowed four runs on three hits and four walks in 1 1/3 relief innings, while Ian Nolph pitched 2/3 of an inning of scoreless baseball.

James Yamasaki started on the bump for Joplin and took the loss after allowing five runs on four hits, a walk and two strikeouts in two innings of work. George Fisher worked 1 2/3 innings in relief and allowed five runs on five hits, three walks and a strikeout. Michel Kinson and Brett Graham each allowed a run in relief. Joplin product Josh Harryman walked one in 1/3 of a relief inning. Jared Wells allowed three runs on four hits and a walk in two innings.

GAME ACTION

Jeff City got on the board first with a run in the top of the second running off an RBI groundout from TJ Racherbaumer before Levi Masloski followed up with a two-out, two-run into the bleachers in left-center field to give the Renegades a 3-0 advantage. Two batters later, Ross Lovich launched a two-run blast over the wall in right-center to push the lead to 5-0.
Joplin cut into the lead when Garrett Chun singled to right field with two outs to plate Max Bruff to trim the deficit to 5-1. Sam Fagan followed up with a two-run triple to left-center with two outs to make the score 5-3.

Jeff City answered back in the top of the fourth inning when Lovich yanked a ball over the wall in right field for a two-run home run, his second of the game, for a 7-3 advantage. The eighth run for the Renegades came home on a bases-loaded walk with two outs by Taylor Hopkins. Racherbaumer added a two-out, two-run single later in the inning to extend the advantage to 10-3.

The Renegades added a run in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout from Lovich, while Joplin scored twice in the bottom half after a run came home on a bases-loaded walk and a balk to make the score 11-5. Jeff City added to the lead with a two-out run in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 12-5.

Joplin product Kohl Cooper came through with an RBI single to left in the bottom of the seventh to cut Joplin’s deficit to 12-6.

Jeff City pushed across a run in the ninth on a Joplin throwing error before a second came home on a second throwing error. A third run came home on a Caleb Ott RBI single.

Michael Long highlighted the four-run bottom of the ninth with an RBI single. 

ON DECK

Nevada is back in Joplin to take on the Outlaws with a 7 p.m. start time on Friday at Joe Becker Stadium.

MINK BASEBALL: Griffons rally late, earn walk-off win over Outlaws

 

NEVADA, Mo. — The Nevada Griffons rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to earn a 7-6 win over the Joplin Outlaws on Tuesday in MINK League summer collegiate baseball action at Lyons Stadium. 

The Outlaws plated two runs in the first before the hosts took the lead with three runs in the fifth.

Joplin erupted for four runs in the top of the eighth, only to see the Griffons answer with two runs in the bottom half of the eighth and two more in the ninth. 

In the final frame, Conner Culp walked with the bases loaded before Luke Piazza’s RBI single into left field gave Nevada a walk-off win. 

Caleb Chance, Jason Schneider and Andrew Pickering all had three hits apiece for the Griffons, while Piazza added two hits. 

Aaron Hassell was the winning pitcher, while Andrew Sumner took the loss. 

Max Bruff and Garrett Chun recorded two hits apiece for the Outlaws, while Sam Fagan, Joe Ricchio, Jordan Sheridan and Carson Johnson had one hit apiece. Fagan drove in two runs for Joplin. 

The Outlaws (4-6) are at Jefferson City on Wednesday night. 

The Griffons (4-6) host Des Moines on Wednesday night.

BASEBALL: Area players named all-state by MHSBCA

 

The Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association has released its all-state teams for 2022.

In Class 6, Joplin senior Kyler Stokes was a second-team selection as an outfielder. 

From the Central Ozark Conference, Nixa’s Keith Piepmeier (pitcher), Jaret Nelson (catcher) and Sam Russo (outfielder) earned second-team honors, while Republic’s Gavyn Beckner was an honorable mention pick at catcher. 

McDonald County and Webb City had players selected all-state in Class 5.

McDonald County senior Levi Helm was a first-team pick at pitcher, while classmate Cole Martin was a first-team selection at catcher. 

Webb City junior Cy Darnell was a second-team pick as an infielder. 

Also earning honors in Class 5 from the COC were Willard’s Cooper Wilken (P), Kyden McMain (C), Owen Bushnell (OF), Klayton Kiser (OF) and Kade Biellier (DH/UT) and Branson’s Carter Jenkins (DH/UT).

Aurora and Nevada had players selected in Class 4.

Aurora’s Trey Mulholland was a first-team pitcher, Jaesik Friggle was a first-team infielder, Aaron Fisher was an honorable mention outfielder and Hayze Hoffman was a second-team pick at designated hitter/utility.

Nevada’s Case Sanderson was a first-team pick at outfielder, while Cade Beshore was a second-team selection at catcher. 

Lamar’s Mason Gastel was an honorable mention pick at outfielder in Class 3. 

Recognized in Class 2 were Purdy’s Ezequiel Garcia (second-team IF) and Travis Hughes (second-team OF). Selected in Class 1 were Liberal’s Payton Morrow (second-team OF) and Justin Payne (HM IF).

MINK BASEBALL: Joplin rallies past Jeff City and hold on to kick off busy week

Joplin kicked off a week full of baseball by rallying from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Jeff City 11-9 on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium in MINK League action.

The Renegades (3-4) led 4-0 after three innings before a five-run fourth inning fueled the Outlaws’ rally with Joplin leading 6-4. Joplin (4-5) added four runs in the sixth inning to push the lead to six and held off Jeff City for the win.

ON THE MOUND

Ethan Sally started and took the no-decision for Joplin after allowing four runs on five hits and three strikeouts in four innings of work. Michel Kinson earned the win in relief after allowing one run on three hits and two strikeouts in two innings. Cole White earned the save after striking out one and allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.

“Cole White, after two decent outings, was a different pitcher tonight at the end of the game,” first-year Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said. “He got after it and competed. He went out and made sure those guys were going to have to beat him. Kudos to him. We won because of him tonight.”

Ty Wilmsmeyer started for Jeff City and took a no-decision after allowing one run on two hits, a walk and three strikeouts in three innings of work. Brennan Perkins took the loss in relief after allowing five runs on one hit and three walks without recording an out in the fourth inning.

GAME ACTION

Jeff City struck first and didn’t need long to do it. Ross Lovich led off the game with a triple to the gap in right-center field before Coulton Doyle followed with an opposite-field double down the third-base line to plate a run and take the lead. Luc Fuller made it three straight hits that went for extra bases after he doubled home a run with a line drive to the corner in right before being thrown out trying to reach third.

The Renegades doubled their lead to 4-0 in the top of the third after scoring a pair of two-out runs on two hits and two Joplin errors. Doyle reached base with two outs on an error on the Outlaws before moving to third on a single by Fuller moved him to third. Doyle later scored on a  wild pitch before Fuller was driven in on a single to left-center by T.J. Racherbaumer. 

Joplin got on the board in the bottom of the third when Max Bruff drove home Caden Bressler, who reached base with a single to lead off the inning, to cut the lead to 4-1. 

The Outlaws rallied in a big way in the bottom of the fourth, plating five runs to take their first lead of the game. Joplin scored its first run when Garrett Chun, who singled to kick off the inning, came around to score on a wild pitch to make the score 4-2. A second run came home when Korrey Siracusa drew a bases-loaded walk, the third straight free pass by Jeff City, to cut the lead to 4-3. After a pitching change, Bressler yanked a ball down the right-field line for a two-run double with the bases loaded to give the Outlaws a 5-4 advantage. Michael Long followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to push the lead to 6-4.

“I think the biggest thing today was getting a spark plug in the form of Garrett Chun,” Gonzalez said. “He joined us today from [Florida State College at Jacksonville] and made an immediate impact, not just with his bat but with his presence in the dugout, too. He is tough-nosed and it rubbed off on our guys today.” 

Hunter Sherman, who singled to lead off the top of the fifth inning, cut the Outlaws’ lead to one after coming around to score later in the inning on a sac fly from Fuller to make the score 6-5.

Chun got the run back for the Outlaws in the next half inning when he launched a solo home run to right field to push the lead back to two, 7-5.

Joplin added insurance in the bottom of the sixth when Long tripled home two runs on a line drive to the gap in right-center before scoring on the play with the throw to third ending up out of play to make the score 10-5. The Outlaws distanced themselves further when a fourth run came home on a double steal for a six-run lead.

“The biggest thing was our approach at the plate has been great (against Jeff City the last two nights),” Gonzalez said. “Even last night when we lost the nail-biter, these guys are sticking to the plan and that is the biggest thing you can say about them. They are having great at-bats, and as a coach, there is nothing more that I could ask.”

Jeff City added a run in the top of the seventh after the first two batters reached via hit-by-pitch before a balk pushed a run across the plate. Two more runs came home on a Joplin throwing error with the bases loaded to trim the lead down to 11-8. After a second pitching change, Jeff City cut the lead to two with a bases-loaded walk. The Renegades grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Outlaws leading 11-9.

AT THE PLATE

Bressler had three hits, two RBI and scored twice, while Chun had two hits, an RBI and scored twice. Long had a hit, scored one and drove in three for Joplin.

Fuller had two hits, two RBI and scored twice to lead Jeff City at the plate.

ON DECK

Joplin (4-5) is on the road for a matchup at Nevada on Tuesday before traveling to Jeff City on Wednesday. The Outlaws return home in a rematch with Jeff City on Thursday at Joe Becker Stadium before welcoming the Griffons on Friday.

PRO BOXING: Undefeated heavyweight Milton impresses at Rumble in the Heartland; local fighters have mixed results

 

NEOSHO, Mo. — Longtime boxing promoter Tony Holden calls Jeremiah Milton a star in the making.

Milton, a hard-hitting heavyweight prospect from Tulsa, showed all those in attendance on Saturday night why he’s earned that type of praise. 

Keeping his record unblemished with a crowd-pleasing performance, Milton earned a unanimous decision over Carnell Giles in the professional boxing co-main event of “Rumble in the Heartland” at the Neosho Civic Center.

After six one-sided rounds, all three judges scored it 60-52 in favor of Milton.

“Every fight is a learning experience,” Milton said. “I’m always hard on myself. There were some moments where I could have calmed down a little bit. And once I had him hurt, I could have applied more pressure. That kid was tough. He ate a lot of shots that would get other guys out of there. But I knew he couldn’t touch me much. But this is just my fifth fight, and I just have to keep working.”

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Milton, who trains in Las Vegas and is promoted by Holden Productions, at times displayed the explosive punching power that has him regarded as a rising star in the sport. 

“I think he can watch the tape and learn from this fight and become an even better fighter,” Holden said. “His opponent came out crazy and I think Jeremiah could have come out more relaxed. It’s a learning experience. But it was a great fight for us and well worth it.”

Landing solid shots throughout the bout, Milton (5-0) was in control from the start and simply imposed his will on Giles, a native of Detroit who suffered his first career setback after two wins.

Milton sent Giles to the canvas twice in the third round after putting together powerful combinations. The second knockdown of the third round occurred just before the bell. 

“I thought I was going to get him right there, but then I heard the bell,” Milton said. “That’s just part of boxing. Maybe I should have come out with more pressure right away in the fourth. But like I said, it’s a learning experience.” 

Giles, who weighed in at 260 pounds, managed to avoid the knockout for all six rounds, but Milton was the clear winner. Milton, who last fought in January on Top Rank Boxing’s ESPN card from Tulsa, went the distance for the first time as a pro. 

“I’ve worked hard, and I’ve been sparring with some of the top guys in the world and I can say I’ve held my own with everybody,” said Milton, who knocked out all four of his previous opponents. “Every time I go out there, I’m ready to go. Tonight, that guy was determined and he was an undefeated fighter. He was smart with the risks he took. I’m a great counter-puncher and I think he knew he couldn’t just walk in on me. We were wrestling a little bit and that takes a lot out of you. I felt like I was in control the whole way.”

Milton played football at Northeastern State in Oklahoma before turning his focus to boxing. Milton, who has sparred with world champions Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois, competed at the 2020 Olympic Trials before turning pro. 

Holden is confident big things are ahead for Milton.

“Everyone is calling him a star in the making and he’s one of the top prospects in the country,” Holden said. “His amateur career was amazing and Tyson Fury called Jeremiah his favorite sparring partner.”

“We’re planning on going big,” Milton said when asked what was next. “As far as the next stage, we’ll have an announcement soon. We’re going to stay busy and keep going.” 

 

OTHER PRO BOXING ACTION

In the entertaining co-main event, Cesar Marquez (4-0-3) defeated Skyler Thompson (4-2) by unanimous decision.

The cruiserweight bout was a crowd-pleaser. Fighting out of Rogers, Arkansas, Marquez is a volume puncher. Thompson, from Conway, Ark., hung in there for all six rounds despite absorbing lots of punishment from Marquez, who put constant pressure on his opponent from start to finish en route to victory. 

Next, Aurora native Frankie Sparks earned a unanimous decision over Robert Bartley of Vinita, Oklahoma, after four rounds of cruiserweight action. 

Sparks, who hadn’t fought professionally since 2016, improved his record to 2-3. 

Both fighters went down at the same time in the third round, but it was ruled a slip and not a knockdown for either fighter. Sparks finished strong, out-punching Bartley late in the bout. 

In a heavyweight scrap, Talib Abdul Jabbar earned a technical knockout over Joplin’s Jody Linthicum.

Linthicum rocked his opponent with a big left hook in the first round, but Abdul Jabbar was able to survive and recover. In the third round, the Oklahoma City native formerly known as Kris Renty put together a flurry of punches that caused the stoppage.

In a light heavyweight clash, Juan Hollingsworth defeated Albert Leyva via split decision. 

A native of Topeka, Kansas, Hollingsworth won despite having a point deducted by referee Mike England due to his mouthpiece falling out multiple times. 

 

MMA RESULTS

The event, hosted by Skip Stewart Promotions, also featured four mixed martial arts bouts and one kickboxing match.

Winning the MMA bouts were Edward Ibarra, Tyler Morgan, Gaven Long and James Roach. 

Ibarra, who fights out of Joplin, earned a win at 170 pounds when his opponent, Austin Swinney, could not continue. 

Morgan defeated Tykem Jackson with a rear-naked choke submission, while Long won by technical knockout over Peyton Colbert and Roach earned a knockout victory over Kelly Bacon of Joplin. Roach, who hails from Grove, Oklahoma, won his MMA debut after previously competing as a pro boxer.

In the lone kickboxing bout, Lane Gaines stopped Tyler Haines via second round TKO.

 

MINK BASEBALL: Joplin Outlaws suffer road loss at Nevada

 

NEVADA, Mo. — The Joplin Outlaws suffered a 16-6 setback to the Nevada Griffons in eight innings on Tuesday night in MINK League summer collegiate baseball action at Lyons Stadium.

The Outlaws fell to 2-3 on the season, while the Griffons hiked their record to 3-2. 

In the South Division matchup, the Griffons took an early lead when Sam Manwarren smacked a two-run home run over the fence in right field in the bottom of the first inning. 

The Outlaws threatened in the second, as Sam Fagan and Cody Min singled before Joe Ricchio walked to load the bases with two outs. But Nevada starting pitcher Jonah Sarabia induced an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Lucas McKain. 

Nevada erupted for five runs in the bottom of the second.

After an error and two walks, Maximo DeLeon delivered a two-run single into left, chasing Outlaws starter Ethan Sally. After an out, Conner Culp touched Outlaws reliever A.J. Moreno for an RBI double into left for a five-run cushion. Manwarren added a two-run single up the middle for a 7-0 lead. 

The Griffons extended their lead with three runs in the third, as DeLeon contributed an RBI single, Caleb Chance drove in a run with a groundout and another run came home on an error.

Down 10-0, Joplin plated two runs in the sixth when Caden Bressler walked before Max Bruff homered to center. 

Nevada responded in the bottom half of the sixth, as Seth Gray hit an RBI double, Andrew Pickering added a run-scoring groundout and Tyler Monroe charged home from third on a wild pitch for a 13-2 advantage. 

The Outlaws pushed across three runs in the seventh to extend the game. The first run scored after Michael Long doubled before four straight walks. Carson Carpenter drove in two with a single into right. 

Joplin added a run in the eighth after three walks and Liam Bailey’s sac fly. 

Nevada ended the game in walk-off fashion with three runs in the bottom of the eighth. A run scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch before Chance and Culp hit RBI singles up the middle.

Sarabia earned the pitching victory after going 6 1/3 innings for the Griffons. 

The Outlaws used six pitchers. Sally took the loss. Moreno, Harold Baez, Connor Peck, Josh Harryman and Andrew Sumner all pitched in relief.

The Outlaws are at Sedalia on Thursday night, while the Griffons are at Clarinda on Wednesday.  

MINK BASEBALL: Outlaws fall to Mustangs in final game of home stand

Joplin left a handful of runners on early while St. Joseph made the most of its early RBI opportunities on the way to a 10-0 win in eight innings over the Outlaws in MINK League action on Monday at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Outlaws had the bases loaded in both the second and third innings but were unable to reach the scoreboard, stranding five runners in the process. The Mustangs made the most of their early run-scoring opportunities, plating two runs in the third, four more in the fourth and another in the fifth to build a 7-0 advantage. St. Joseph added two more runs in the sixth inning with two outs for a nine-run lead and pushed across a run in the eighth to end the scoring.

ON DECK

Joplin hits the road for five games in six days with a matchup at Nevada at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The Outlaws travel to Sedalia on Thursday before a two-game series at Chillicothe on Friday and Saturday before wrapping the week with a road game at Jefferson City on Sunday.

ON THE MOUND

Mason Holten earned the shortened complete-game win for St. Joe after pitching seven scoreless innings on four hits, eight strikeouts and four walks.

Jack Kelly took the loss for Joplin after allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits, a walk and four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.

GAME ACTION

After Joplin left the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, St. Joe took the lead in the top of the third with a pair of runs touching the plate. The first run came home on a Joplin fielding error on a ball up the middle with runners on second and third without any outs, with Rob Butler picking up the second RBI with a sacrifice fly to right-center field for a 2-0 lead.

Joplin looked to answer back in the bottom half of the inning after loading the bases with one out for the second straight inning. Unfortunately, a 6-4-3 double play ball off the bat of Korrey Siracusa ended the threat and the inning.

The Mustangs went to work with the bats again after Joplin failed to cut into the lead with four more runs crossing home in the top of the fourth to push the lead to 6-0. Holton started the scoring with an RBI single to center with the runner in motion before Brady Holden singled to the opposite field in left to score a run and push the lead to 4-0. Jack Wagner followed with a double to the gap in left-center field to plate a run. Butler made it three straight hits that drove in a run with a single through the left side with a runner on second to wrap the scoring in the inning.

St. Joe’s seventh run came home in the fifth inning on an Outlaws’ throwing error and added two more in the sixth when Michael Paule came through with a two-out bases-loaded double to left-center to plate two more runs. Holten picked up an RBI in the eighth on a groundout with a runner on third to wrap the scoring.

MINK BASEBALL: Outlaws earn run-rule win over Peak Prospects

 

Striking early and often, the Joplin Outlaws completed a two-game sweep over the Des Moines Peak Prospects with a 14-4 run-rule victory on Saturday night in MINK League action at Joe Becker Stadium. 

The Outlaws (2-1) concluded the season-opening homestand on a positive note, as the contest ended in walk-off fashion in the eighth inning. 

“That was great,” Outlaws manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said after the win. “Our guys didn’t give up and continued to battle back. I personally feel like we should have put it on them a little sooner and put that game away sooner. But we kept putting together good at-bats and we finally got some decent pitching there at the end.” 

Down 1-0 early, Joplin took the lead for good by plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning. 

“It’s always huge to come back from a deficit, especially early on,” Gonzalez said. “It puts a lot of pressure on the defense and the offense. It’s good to see how these guys have been responding. It’s the third game in a row where we’ve won more innings than we’ve lost.” 

The Outlaws took advantage of 15 free passes—11 walks and four hit batsmen. 

“Anytime you get free bags it’s going to go your way,” said Gonzalez, who is an assistant coach at Pittsburg State. “We capitalized on those and didn’t leave a lot of guys on. We did a good job of scoring our runners.” 

It was Joplin’s second straight win after Thursday’s setback.

“I think the chemistry is coming along really well,” Gonzalez said. “We’re giving up too many free bags. If we can continue to just stay on top of our opponents, we’re going to be alright.”

On Joplin Humane Society Night, the Peak Prospects pushed across a run in the first inning after Bryce Hall doubled to right and later scored from third on a wild pitch. 

The Outlaws answered with three runs in the bottom half of the first after sending nine batters to the plate. 

Caden Bressler and Liam Bailey both walked and Bressler charged home after an errant throw following Carson Carpenter’s grounder to the right side. Max Bruff’s two-run single up the middle made it 3-1. 

The Peak Prospects got a run back in the second after singles from Rocky Lutz and Leighton Jenkins. 

Joplin took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the second after Bressler walked and later came home on a throwing error.

The Outlaws added three runs in the third when Bailey, Carpenter and Bruff all drew two-out, bases-loaded walks to go up 7-2. 

The Peak Prospects picked up an RBI single by designated hitter Rhett Zelinski in the fourth, trimming their deficit to four. 

The Outlaws once again responded in the ensuing bottom half. 

Carl Junction product Carson Johnson reached on an error and later scored on Korrey Siracusa’s sac fly. Next, Joplin High School product Kohl Cooper homered to right, giving the hosts a 9-3 cushion.

“That kid has got a nice swing,” Gonzalez said. “He really does. I think if he sticks to his approach, and if he is up in counts, he’s going to get good swings and we’re going to see a lot of that this summer.” 

Des Moines scored once in the top of the sixth, but the Outlaws answered in the seventh. 

Michael Long singled to left before an error in the field allowed Sam Fagan to score. After an out, Joe Ricchio scored from third on a wild pitch and Lucas McKain contributed a run-scoring ground out for a 12-4 cushion. 

Joplin ended the game with two runs in the eighth. The first run scored on a wild pitch, with Fagan following with a game-ending RBI single. 

Right-hander Cole White started for the Outlaws. The Northeastern State product went three innings and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five. 

George Fisher (Pittsburg State), Carl Junction grad Jared Wells (Missouri Western), Joplin product Josh Harryman (Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) and Cameron Hill (Jackson State) all pitched in relief for the Outlaws.

The game featured 20 total walks and six hit batsmen. 

 

UP NEXT: The Outlaws return to action on Monday vs. St. Joseph. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Joe Becker Stadium. 

MINK BASEBALL: Outlaws rally past Peak Prospects for first win of the season

The fight first-year Joplin coach Gonzalo Gonzalez saw from his Outlaws in the season opener on Thursday showed up once again in the second game of the season against Des Moines on Friday, but this time it resulted in the first win of the season in 10-4 fashion at Joe Becker Stadium. 

Joplin Outlaws starting pitcher James Yamasaki delivers a pitch to the plate against the Des Moines Peak Prospects on Friday night at Joe Becker Stadium. Photos by Jason Peake.

The Outlaws trailed 3-1 after five innings before scoring three times in the sixth to take a 4-3 advantage. After the Peak Prospects knotted things up with a run in the top of the seventh, Joplin scored four times with two outs in the bottom of the frame to take control 8-4. Joplin added two insurance runs in the eighth.

“It just shows you that these guys have heart,” Gonzalez said after the win. “Our pitching came up clutch after (the middle innings). Our guys settled in and quit trying too hard and just let the game come to them. It allowed them to play loose.”

ON THE MOUND

James Yamasaki started and took a no-decision for Joplin after allowing two runs on one hit, four strikeouts, two walks and two hit-by-pitches in four-plus innings of work. Caden Bressler earned the win in relief. 

Drew Conn started and took a no-decision for Des Moines after allowing three runs on five hits, nine strikeouts, and one walk in five-plus innings of work. Owen Brauch took the loss in relief.

GAME ACTION

Joplin broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when Carson Carpenter got into scoring position with a one-out double down the first-base line. Max Bruff followed with an opposite-field double in the corner in right field to plate Carpenter for a 1-0 lead.
The Prospects didn’t take long to respond, with the first two batters reaching after getting hit by pitches to chase Yamasaki from the game. Connor Peck entered in relief and hit his only two batters with pitches to force in the tying run. Casey Thibault entered as the second reliever in the inning and induced a double play that allowed the go-ahead run to score. Bryce Hall followed with an RBI single to center field for a 3-1 lead.

Joplin shortstop Liam Bailey fires a throw to first during Friday’s game with the Peak Prospects.

Joplin trimmed the lead down to one run in the top of the sixth when Cade Lott reached on an error, advancing to second when the throw from short reached the dugout. After Lott moved to third on a passed ball, he came around to score on an RBI groundout by Liam Bailey to make the score 3-2. Two batters later with runners on second and third, Michael Long singled up the middle to plate a pair of runs for a 4-3 lead. 

“Over the last two nights, Mike has been one of the big bats for us,” Gonzalez said. “He does a great job fighting at the plate, especially with two strikes. When he gets a swing off early in the count, he is dangerous.”
The Prospects tied the game up in the top of the seventh inning when Leighton Jenkins flared a ball to right field for a single that scored Kevin Javier, who led off the inning by drawing a walk.

Joplin used a two-out rally in the last of the seventh to regain the lead after Bailey singled through the left side to score Sam Fagan, who walked to lead off the frame, for a 5-4 advantage.

“For us, it was big for him to be able to come through with two outs,” Gonzalez said. “He was able to fight and make sure he wasn’t going to do too much, just passing the torch to the next guy. That was good baseball right there.”

Outlaws infielder Cade Lott attempts to turn a double play during Friday’s game at Joe Becker Stadium.

Bruff, who had three RBI in Thursday’s season opener, came up two batters later with the bases full of Outlaws and promptly smacked a ball to the opposite field deep in the gap to right-center field to clear the bases while pushing the lead to 8-4 for his seventh RBI in two games.

“He is just a tough out, man,” Gonzalez said of Bruff’s approach at the plate over the first two games. “He really is. With two strikes, he probably has the best approach on the team. He wides out, chokes up and puts it together for a good team at-bat every time. He is keeping us in games and hopefully he keeps it going.”

“At his school in Wisconsin, they said he was known for pulling the ball,” Gonzalez added about Bruff’s opposite-field approach. “To see him going the opposite way with a wood bat is awesome for us.”

Fagan added a solo home run and Carpenter added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 10-4.

ON DECK

Joplin is back in action against Des Moines with a 7 p.m. matchup on Saturday at Joe Becker Stadium.

 

 

MINK BASEBALL: Nevada’s five-run sixth sends Griffons past the Outlaws in the season opener

The 2022 MINK League baseball season officially kicked off Thursday with Joplin hosting Nevada at Joe Becker Stadium.

After five scoreless frames, the Griffons broke through for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a commanding lead. Joplin added a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth with the long ball. The Outlaws rallied for two runs in the bottom of the eight to cut the lead to one and had the tying and winning run in scoring position in the ninth before the final out was made.

“I am definitely excited for this season,” first-year Joplin manager Gonzalo Gonzalez said after the game. “It didn’t go our way in the end, but the main takeaway is these boys have a lot of fight. They didn’t give away at-bats behind in the count and did a really good job late in the game of fighting with two strikes to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Joplin Outlaws starting pitcher Edrian Rangel delivers to home plate in the season opener against Nevada on Thursday at Joe Becker Stadium. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

ON THE MOUND

Jonah Sarabia earned the win on the bump for Nevada after allowing two runs on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts in six innings of work.

Edrian Rangel took the loss for Joplin after allowing three runs on five hits, seven strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch in 5 1/3 innings.

GAME ACTION

Nevada was the first team to threaten after a single from Jason Schneider was followed by a double to right field by Seth Gray to put runners at second and third with one out in the third inning. Rangel followed with a pair of punchouts to get out of the jam without allowing a run.

The Griffons again threatened in the top of the sixth inning after loading the bases with no outs on an error, a hit-by-pitch and a single from Schneider through the right side. After Rangel struck out Gray for the first out in the inning, Andrew Sumner came on in relief. Nevada used an RBI groundout from Houston Vogelstrom followed by a two-run single up the middle from Andrew Peckering to push the lead to 3-0. 

Joplin High School product Kohl Cooper came in as the second reliever in the inning, with the Griffons adding a run on a wild pitch to push the lead to 4-0. Connor Culp added an RBI with a single up the middle to extend the lead to 5-0.

“We need to come out of the bullpen and not pitch scared,” Gonzalez said of the fifth inning. “Being able to rise to the challenge, taking the ball and running with it. That was difference from the middle of that game and the end of that game. The guys who came in late made sure they were getting ahead with first-pitch strikes. If we can do that early and find our groove with our pitching staff and bullpen, I think we are going to be a hard team to beat.”

Joplin Outlaws’ Max Bruff homers to right field in the sixth inning during the season opener against Nevada on Thursday. Photo by Shawn Fowler.

Joplin got into the scoring column in the bottom of the inning when Max Bruff ripped a ball over the wall in right with a runner on for a two-run home run to trim the lead to 5-2.

“That was a shot in the arm for us,” Gonzalez said of Bruff’s home run. “Especially after giving up five runs right there. Being able to answer and put up a zero was huge. Without that, I don’t think we would have gotten back in the game.”

Bruff came through again for the Outlaws in the bottom of the eighth when he singled with runners on first and third with two outs to pick up an RBI and trim the lead down to 5-3. Korrey Siracusa came through with an infield hit in the hole at short two batters later with the bases loaded to plate a run, but the third out of the inning came when the runner rounding third was caught in a rundown and tagged out at home to end the rally with the score settling at 5-4.

Joplin put the rally caps on once again in the bottom of the ninth after a hit-by-pitch and a single from Caden Bressler put runners on first and second, with a sacrifice bunt from Sam Fagan moving both runners into scoring position with one out. A groundout to second with the infield in and a flyout ended the threat and the game.

ON DECK

Joplin hosts Des Moines at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Joe Becker Stadium.

BASEBALL: All-Central Ozark Conference team released

 

The All-Central Ozark Conference baseball team for 2022 is listed below. 

 

2022 ALL-CENTRAL OZARK CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM

Coach of the Year: Logan Hughes, Nixa

Player of the Year: Jaret Nelson, Nixa

Pitcher of the Year: Keith Piepmeier, Nixa

 

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers: Hardy Dougan, Nixa; Cooper Wilken, Willard; Cooper Crouch, Webb City; Cole Iles, Republic; Brody Baumann, Ozark.

Catchers: Kyden McMain, Willard; Jackson Edwards, Nixa.

Infielders: Carter Jenkins, Branson, Cy Darnell, Webb City; Tanner Grant, Nixa; Rylan Michel, Nixa.

Outfielders: Kyler Stokes, Joplin; Owen Bushnell, Willard; Sam Russo, Nixa; Devyn Wright, Ozark.

Utility: Kade Biellier, Willard; Ethan Guilford, Joplin; Gavyn Beckner, Republic.

 

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Kyler Perry, Carl Junction; Kale Lankton, Branson; Kaylor Darnell, Webb City; Kael Smith, Neosho; Rylan Evans, Nixa; Bradyn Tate, Carthage.

Catchers: Cooper Buvid, Ozark; Eli Zar, Neosho.

Infielders: Ace McWatters, Republic; Lucas Vanlanduit, Carl Junction; Landon Moore, Willard. 

Outfielders: Braxdon Tate, Carthage; Klayton Kiser, Willard; Wyatt Vincent, Nixa. 

Utility: Eric Fitch, Webb City; Justin McReynolds, Joplin; Collin Ross, Branson. 

 

BASEBALL: All-Big 8 West team announced

 

2022 ALL-BIG 8 WEST CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM

Player of the Year: Case Sanderson, Nevada

Coach of the Year: Kevin Burgi, McDonald County

Special Mention: Mason Hailey, East Newton

 

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers: Levi Helm, McDonald County; Case Sanderson, Nevada; Marcus Young, Monett.

Infielders: Cross Dowd, McDonald County, Eli Cheaney, Nevada; Robert Lawrence, Lamar; Kade Johnson, Seneca.

Outfielders: Isaac Behm, McDonald County; Case Sanderson, Nevada; Mason Gastel, Lamar.

Catchers: Cole Martin, McDonald County.

Utility: Drake Ketterman, Nevada. 

Designated hitter: Logan Marquardt, Nevada.

 

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Weston Gordon, McDonald County; Kartman Highley, Nevada; Ryan Davis, Lamar.

Infielders: Kolt Walters, East Newton; Jason Garner, Monett; Caden Klumpp, Nevada; Ty Willhite, Lamar. 

Outfielders: Levi Helm, McDonald County; Josh Wallace, Monett; Easton Schrader, East Newton.

Catcher: Cade Beshore, Nevada.

Utility: Destyn Dowd, McDonald County; Corey Thomas, Cassville. 

DH: Tim Hudson, Cassville. 

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Pitchers: Cross Dowd, McDonald County; Evan Butler, Cassville; Eli Cheaney, Nevada.

Infielders: Jimmy Hearod, Lamar; Hagen Ginger, Seneca; Keaton Shellenberger, Cassville; Evan Butler, Cassville. 

Outfielders: Conner Ackerson, Seneca; Tyler Ansley, Lamar; Will Eichenberger, East Newton.

Catcher: Ty Bowman, East Newton.

Utility: Daniel Geiss, Monett.

DH: Colton Ruddick, McDonald County

 

SOFTBALL: All-Ozark 7 Conference team released

Below is the All-Ozark Conference Softball Team for 2022.

 

ALL-OZARK 7 CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

Player of the Year: Aubry Antle, Exeter

Coach of the Year: Mike Howard, College Heights Christian

 

FIRST TEAM

Maddy Colin, College Heights

Kloee Williamson, College Heights

Jayli Johnson, College Heights

Addison Lawrence, College Heights

Brooke Beerly, Golden City

Natalie Crumpler, Exeter

Dawnee Sorensen, Exeter

Emma Sorensen, Exeter

Lori McNeill, Wheaton

 

SECOND TEAM

Aaliyah Perez, College Heights

Kaitlyn Bates, College Heights

Avery Eminger, College Heights

Kyndall Scott, Golden City

Tyra Menadue, Golden City

Madison Crumpler, Exeter

Jolie Mattingly, Exeter

Hallie Woods, Exeter

Monica Hinojosa, Wheaton

 

GIRLS SOCCER: All-Big 8 Conference team released

2022 BIG 8 CONFERENCE GIRLS SOCCER TEAM

Player of the Year: Olivia Swisshelm, Springfield Catholic

Coach of the Year: Brett Wubbena, Rogersville

 

FIRST TEAM

Nikki Wood, Rogersville

Kaitlyn Standefer, Rogersville

Lori Ann McClellan, Rogersville

Callie Watson, Marshfield

Hayleigh Cantrell, Marshfield

Campbell Morgan, Springfield Catholic

Peyton Wiseman, Springfield Catholic

Olivia Swisshelm, Springfield Catholic

Avery Bowler, Springfield Catholic

Abbi Murphy, Springfield Catholic

Haley Brown, Springfield Catholic

 

SECOND TEAM

Jhandi Shears, Cassville

Landry Parnell, Cassville

Jasmine Brown, Cassville

Aisley James, Rogersville

Kita Wood, Rogersville

Kierra Clark, Rogersville

Anna Clarkson, McDonald County

Alexa Salas, Monett

Kennedi Roubal, Springfield Catholic

Sophia Cardin, Springfield Catholic

Taylor Collins, Springfield Catholic

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Angelina Alcoba, Aurora

Lexie Sanders, Cassville

Ava Smith, Marshfield

Riley Manary, Marshfield

Olivia Macpherson, Rogersville

Lindsay Shepard, Rogersville

Natalie Gillming, McDonald County

Samara Smith, McDonald County

Anahi Aguirre, Monett

Abby Inman, Monett

Katherine Simmons, Monett