2013 Season is here!!

Go Cats!!
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B2R CHOWLINE 2013

B2R CHOWLINE 2013

Once again the B2R is coordinating with fans, families, and supporters of Bearcat Baseball to provide the B2R Chowline in 2013.  The Chowline provides a light lunch for the Bearcat Baseball team for every double-header this season.  The Chowline was able to provide food for the team at every doubleheader last season.  The light lunch often times consists of sub sandwiches, chips, and a drink.  As far as the B2R knows, no other team does this for their players.  While some parents might bring a snack for their player, this ensures everybody on the team gets something to eat. 

In general, the Bearcats Baseball team is on the field approximately 8 hours during the course of a double-header from initial warm-ups, prepping the field between games, and final instructions following the second game. 

The guys really appreciate the food. The B2R can stretch a dollar and usually feed each player for approximately $2.00.

Please consider sponsoring a doubleheader for $80.00, or donate $40.00, $20.00, or whatever you can afford to this important endeavor.  Right now, there are 18 scheduled doubleheaders.  Weather will most likely create more.  The first doubleheader is February 16th at Northeastern State.

If you are willing to help, please message the B2R or contact one of the Baseball Coaches to give them the money.  They will forward it to the B2R Chowline.

Thank you for supporting Bearcat Baseball.

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest - Washburn University

This concludes the B2R's look at the MIAA members' baseball programs.  Finally, Washburn University

NxNW - Washburn University
Location - Topeka, Kansas 66621
Founded - 1865
Enrollment - 7,002
Colors - Yale Blue & White
Nickname - Ichabods/Lady Blues

Field - Falley Field has been the home of the Ichabod baseball team since the 1990 season. In the spring of 2008 the University finished upgrades include new bullpens, hitting cages and a FieldTurf artificial playing surface that covers the entire infield except the pitcher's mound. The press box has space for up to 10 media outlets. Capacity for Falley Field is listed at 800.

2012 Re-cap - Washburn ended its 2012 campaign with a 27-24 overall record, 14-5 at home, 12-17 on the road, 1-2 at neutral sites, and 22-18 in the MIAA.  Washburn advanced to the MIAA Post-Season baseball tournament in 2012 and beat Emporia State in the first round 4-1.  Steve Anson is the head coach and completed his 33rd season as the Ichabods skipper (780-717-3 through 2011 record).  

Notable alumni - 

Jared Head - Outfield for the Cleveland Indians, 2011, 10 appearances, .125 batting average;
Davey Lopes - 2nd Baseman and outfielder for the Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Cubs, and Astros, 1972-1987, selected to 4 All-Star Games, career .264 batting average, .349 on-base percentage, .388 slugging percentage;
Rick DeHart - pitcher for the Expos and Royals, 1997-2003, career 2-3 record, 6.14 ERA, 56 appearances, 1 save, 32 BBs, 45 Ks;
Jerry Robertson - pitcher for the Expos & Tigers, 1969-1970, career 5-16 record, 49 appearances, 27 starts, 3.94 ERA, 86 BBs, 144 Ks;
Steve Simpson - pitcher for the Padres, 1972, career 0-2 record, 4.76 ERA, 9 appearances, 0 starts, 2 saves, 8 BBs, 9 Ks;
George Darrow - pitcher for the Phillies, 1934, career 2-6 record, 5.51 ERA, 17 appearances, 8 starts, 1 save, 28 BBs, 14 Ks;

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Truman State University

NxNW - Truman State University
Location - Kirksville, Missouri 63501
Founded - 1867
Enrollment - 6,000
Colors - Purple & White
Nickname - Bulldogs

2012 Re-cap - Truman State had a tough 2012 season.  The Bulldogs finished the year with an overall record of 16-32, a conference record of 13-25, a home record of 11-17, and a road record of 5-15.  I'm not sure if this is telling how Truman approaches its baseball program but the school's athletics' website does not refer to the baseball field in its facilities hyperlink (football, basketball/volleyball/wrestling, soccer, softball field, weight room, and parking lots are all referred to in the hyperlink).  When you click on the coaching staff hyperlink, head baseball coach Dan Davis finished his 6th season as the Bulldogs head coach but the top of the page refers to the "2010 Baseball Coaching Staff."

Of the 6 head coaches in the history of Truman State baseball, none have had over a .500 winning percentage, and each successive head coach had a worse winning percentage than the one before him, to wit:

Sam Nugent - .413 winning percentage
Kevin Fink - .355 winning percentage
Kirby Cannon - .302 winning percentage
BJ Pumroy - .286 winning percentage
Lawrence Scully - .273 winning percentage
Dan Davis - .241 winning percentage

Notable alumni -

Bruce Berenyi - pitcher with the Reds, Blue Jays, Mets, 1980-1986, career record of 44-55, 4.03 ERA, 425 BB, 607 Ks;

Guy Cutright - outfielder with the Chicago White Sox, 1943-1946, career .276 batting average, .364 on-base percentage, .374 slugging percentage, 142 BB, 124 K, 20 stolen bases;

Al Nipper - pitcher with the Red Sox, Cubs, and Indians, 1983-1990, career 46-50 record, 4.52 ERA, 303 BB, and 381 Ks;

Dave Wehrmeister - pitcher with the Padres, Yankees, Phillies, and White Sox, 1976-1985, career 4-9 record, 5.65 ERA, 76 appearances, 84 walks, 96 Ks;

Lee Wheat - pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics and KC Athletics, 1954-1955, career record 0-2, 6.82 ERA, 11 appearances, 1 start, 12 BBs, 8 Ks;

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Southwest Baptist University

NxNW - Southwest Baptist University
Location - Bolivar, Missouri 65613
Enrollment - 3,400
Colors - Purple and White
Nickname - Bearcats

2012 Re-Cap - The Bearcats concluded a disappointing season in 2012 with an overall record of 21-28-1, 14-24 MIAA.  The Bearcats were 16-15-1 in Bolivar and 5-13 on the road.  In May 2012, Chris Martin was appointed the Head Coach of SBU Baseball program.  Chris is a young coach, having graduated from SBU in 2007.  Martin was the interim head coach for SBU in 2012.  Of SBU's 21 wins in 2012, it was three times the number of wins from 2011.

Southwest Baptist plays its home games at Dodson Field. This field received a face lift in 2005 as new dugouts were built, a concrete wall was set between the dugouts and new netting was placed behind home plate. In summer 2009, a new wooden outfield fence was constructed.

Go Cats!!
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The Man

There are several Bearcats that come from St. Louis, or root for St. Louis professional sports teams, so the B2R wanted to take a moment to remember Stan Musial.

Stanley Frank Musial
Positions - Outfielder and First Base
Bat - Left; Throws - Left
Height - 6'00"; Weight - 175 lbs.
Born - November 21, 1920, in Donora, Pennsylvania
Signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1938;
Made his major league debut on September 17, 1941, at the age of 20 years old;
Played for the Cardinals from 1941 to 1963;
Final game was September 29, 1963, at the age of 42 years old;
Inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969 as a player (made 317 of 340 ballots);

Career statistics -
BA - .331
OBP - .417
SLG - .559
BB - 1,599
K - 696
RBI - 1,951
SB - 78
HR - 475
3B - 177
2B - 725
H - 3,630
R - 1,949

12x NL MVP
20x All Star

1941 salary - $1,800.00 ($400.00 per month);
1944 salary - $10,000.00;
1951-1953 salary - $75,000.00 (highest of career);
1963 salary - $50,000.00;
Total professional earnings from the St. Louis Cardinals based on publicly available information - $980,050.00.

Local response from St. Louis native Bearcat Ryan Abernathy, #6, plays outfield, from his twitter account:

"There's a reason I wear #6...RIP Stan."

1920-2013

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Pittsburgh State University

NxNW - Pittsburgh State University
Location - Pittsburgh, Kansas 66762
Founded - 1903
Enrollment - 7,127
Colors - Crimson & Gold
Nickname - Gorillas

2012 Re-cap - Pitt State had a disappointing season in 2012 as they finished 20-28 overall, 16-22 MIAA, in Head Coach Steve Bever's final game of his coaching career.  Bever announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2012 season.  Bever has been the Pitt State Head Coach for 22 years.  In June 2012, Pitt State announced the hiring of Matt Murray as the new baseball coach for the 2013 season.  Based on Pitt State's 2012 Conference Record, the Gorillas did not advance to the MIAA Post-Season Tournament.

Notable Alumni -

Don Gutteridge - 12 years major league baseball players with the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns (starting 2nd baseman for the 1944 World Series); played 2 years with the Boston Red Sox and his final year with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1948.  He managed the Chicago White Sox in 1969-1970;
Sherm Lollar - Major league baseball player.  Catcher.  Played 12 years with the Chicago White Sox and Yankees.  7-time All-Star.  2, 20-home run seasons.  Won the 1947 World Series with the New York Yankees.  Also managed minor league teams;
 Steve Mingori - Major League Pitcher.  Played for the KC Royals, Cleveland Indians, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1970 - 1979.

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Northeastern State University

NxNW - Northeastern State University
Founded - 1909
Enrollment - 6,964
Colors - Green & White
Nickname - Riverhawks

2012 Re-Cap - Northeastern State University finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 25-24.  The season was a notable one to Riverhawk baseball fans because it was the first winning in a decade.  The Riverhawks improved in 2012 from a disastrous 2011 season which ended with a 6-33 overall record and 4-27 conference record.

Notable alumni -

Matt Murry - Current Pitt State Head Baseball Coach;
Donnie Webb - Drafted in 10th round by Cleveland Indians in 2008;

Regrettably there is not significant information available in the Northeastern State Baseball's website.

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - University of Nebraska at Kearney

NxNW - University of Nebraska at Kearney
Location - Kearney, Nebraska 68849
Founded 1905
Enrollment - 6,500
Colors - Royal Blue & Old Gold
Nickname - Lopers

Memorial Field - Built in the 1950's.  Seating capacity is over 2,000.  Once served as a home to a minor league affiliated baseball team (New York Yankees organization).  Natural grass outfield and field turf infield.  Building behind home dugout includes UNK players' locker room and indoor hitting cages.  In 2009, a new indoor practice facility was built including a weight room, equipment room, washer/dryer, showers, players' lounge, study area, and coaches' offices.

2012 Season Re-Cap - The UNK Lopers finished a disappointing 2012 season with an overall record of 18-33.  UNK earned a 5th seed in the RMAC Conference Post-Season Tournament but lost its only game 10-8 to the 6th Seeded Colorado School of Mines.  UNK was 10-10 in home games, 8-21 in road games, 0-2 in neutral site games, 17-23 in Conference games (RMAC).

4 NCAA Post-Season Appearances - 2011, 2010, 2008, and 2007.
3 Conference Titles - 1 regular season and 2 tournament titles.
8 major league baseball draft picks.
Notable alumni - Joba Chamberlain (2004 squad).

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Missouri Western State University

NxNW - Missouri Western State University
Location - St. Joseph, Missouri 64507
Enrollment - 6,134
Colors - Black & Gold
Nickname - Griffons

Missouri Western was a 2-year college known as St. Joseph Junior College from 1915-1969.  The school became a 4-year college in 1969 and join the Missouri State system in 1977 known as Missouri Western State College.  The school changed its name to Missouri Western State University in 2005 via a legislative enactment.

Griffon Baseball Field - Opened in 2011 and has a seating capacity of 500 fans.  There is plenty of standing areas with great sight lines for overflow crowds.  The playing surface has an artifical turf infield and a natural grass outfield.  Both dugouts are lighted and heated for cold weather games.  Prior to the 2011 season, Western played its games at Phil Welch Stadium.

2012 Re-cap - Missouri Western had a stellar 2012 campaign and finished the year with an over-all record of 34-17, 18-5 at home, 15-10 on the road, 1-2 at neutral site games, and 26-12 in Conference.  Western earned the #2 seed for the 2012 MIAA Post-Season Tournament.  The Griffons did not fare as well as they hoped and went 1-2 in the tournament.

 Notable alumni -

Byron Brown - major league outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and Houston Astros, from 1965-1972;

Go Cats!!
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North by Northwest (NxNW) - Missouri Southern State University

NxNW - Missouri Southern State University
Located in Joplin, Missouri 64801
Founded 1937
Enrollment - 5,740
Colors - Green and Gold
Nickname - Lions

Home Field - Joe Becker Stadium (capacity 1,070)
First year in Baseball - 1972
Overall record (ending 2011) - 1,076-905-4
Years in the NCAA Post-Season - 6
Last year in the NCAA Post-Season - 2001
Joe Becker Stadium was constructed in 1913 and served host to amateur and minor league baseball teams.  Baseball HOFers Stan Musial and Mickey Mantle played at the stadium.  The stadium is named after a professional umpire that also served as scout and administrator of baseball teams.

About the City of Joplin - Joplin is located in Southwest Missouri in the "Four-State" region encompassing the States of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Kansas.  Joplin's population is a little over 49,000 residents but swells to 270,000 people in the metropolitan area.  Including residents within a 40-mile radius and the population swells to 400,000 making the Joplin community the 4th largest community in the State of Missouri.

2012 Review - Southern had a terrific 2012 season and finished the year at 32-19 with a remarkable 24-2 record at home, a 6-16 record on the road, and a 2-1 record at neutral site games.  Southern qualified for the #3 seed in the MIAA tournament in 2012 but lost its first game to Fort Hays State to end its season.

Go Cats!!
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Happy New Year & Roasters

Its not everyday that you'll see a Happy New Year post with an image of a roaster.  Why would the B2R do such a thing?

Well, the B2R had a heart-to-heart with Santa -

Santa - "Have you been naughty or nice?"

B2R - "Depends how closely you've been watching, but regardless, let me tell you about the B2R Chowline..."

(discussion about the B2R Chowline and the greatest baseball team in the world, Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats.)

Santa - "Well, that sounds like a fine idea and one I haven't heard any other baseball program having.  What would you like for Christmas this year?"

B2R - "World peace.  End hunger.  Cure for Cancer."

Santa - "Ok.  I'll work on that for you.  Anything else."

B2R - "2 18-quart roasters where I can cook a 10-pound brisket, multiple racks of ribs, a 10-15 pound ham."

Santa - "My, that's an unusual request for a guy your age, B2R.  A lot of food, too."

B2R - "I'm a Bearcat and I need it for the guys."

Santa delivered and I am very excited.

To all, have a Happy New Year.  Spring practice starts very soon.  Opening day is less than 7 weeks away.

Go Cats!!
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