Sports

There is no shortage of unknowns early in the 2023 Cape Catfish summer season. The club is on a scorching start, in which it is annihilating the rest of the Prospect League on a nightly basis.

CHARLESTON – For Portageville High School 2023 senior athletes Trey Benthal and Thomas Frakes, playing a summer league baseball game for the Southeast Tropics and Charleston Fighting Squirrels, respectively, on Tuesday at Hillhouse Park in Charleston was a bit of a relief. Particularly, in light of what the two had just wrapped up in their high school athletic careers.

CHARLESTON – Entering the 2023 summer league baseball season, 19th-year Charleston Fighting Squirrel manager Michael Minner knew that his team was going to have to piece together offense in order to score runs.

The goal each and every summer for the Charleston Fighting Squirrels is to advance to the Babe Ruth World Series at the end of the season, and that goal hasn’t changed this year, though, there is no anticipation involved for a change.

There are not many places in college baseball where a coach can lead a team to a winning record in seven seasons and get the boot. That was the case for Steve Bieser, who was recently fired by the University of Missouri. The 55-year-old skipper led the Tigers to an overall 188-155-1 record, including a 30-24 record this past season...

Recently-hired Cape Catfish President Glenn Campbell was pacing throughout Capaha Field on Saturday with the nervousness of an expecting father in a hospital birthing room.

It has been a banner year for Southeast Missouri State athletics. In the face of a changing Ohio Valley Conference, the Redhawks emerged as OVC Commissioner’s Cup champions for the second time in the last three seasons. The Redhawks totaled 102 points defeating Tennessee Tech (90.5) by a +11.5 margin to win the cup. It's an award that values all the sports' championships, even the ones that don't get mainstream attention...

OZARK, Mo. — In a game that seems like it would never end, Portageville emerged victorious after 12 grueling innings over Barstow in the 2023 MSHSAA Class 3 third-place at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, Missouri on Thursday, June 1. It was a marathon game as the Bulldogs (35-3) outlasted the Knights (23-8) for a hard-fought 3-2 conquest...

CHARLESTON – For six days in August, baseball fans from around the world, literally, are going to converge on Cape Girardeau for the 2023 Babe Ruth World Series for 16-18-year-olds, and tournament director Michael Minner can hardly contain his excitement when thinking about the endeavor to host the special event.

SIKESTON — Led by seniors Kirsten Fairhurst and Reese Steward, the Sikeston girl’s track and field team had substantial success at the recent Class 4 state championships held on May 26 and 27 in Jefferson City, laying claim to a seventh-best time in the 4x100-meter relay and had several team members rank in the top 10 in individual events...

OZARK, Mo. — Despite a valiant effort, Portageville’s dreams of a state championship were dashed in a MSHSAA Class 3 semifinal after a disastrous fifth inning proved to be insurmountable. The No. 1 Bulldogs (34-3) lost 9-4 to No. 5 South Callaway (24-7) at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, Missouri, on Wednesday, May 31...

Seventh-year Portageville High School baseball coach Tyler Trover has had to play multiple roles throughout his tenure, far in excess of just deciding when to send a runner up a base or not. And in the wake of the Bulldogs’ frustrating and crushing 9-4 loss to South Callaway in the MSHSAA Class 3 State Semifinal on Wednesday at Sky Bacon Stadium in Ozark, Trover has had to tap into his psychological skillset.

For the second time in three years, Southeast Missouri State has won the OVC Commissioner's Cup. The Redhawks won eight Ohio Valley Conference championships during the 2022-23 school year. The football team took a share of the championship after defeating rival Murray State 52-22. The Redhawks won the coin flip that determined whether SEMO or UT Martin would receive the automatic berth to the NCAA FCS Playoffs...

Any parent can sympathize with the Southeast Missouri State football coaching staff, as they tried to keep 89 student-athletes on the straight and narrow academically this spring semester. Sometimes, it is difficult to manage several young people through school, let alone 89 of them. However, as with everything else that the Redhawks accomplished during the 2022-23 academic year – both on and off the football field – SEMO reached heights previously thought unattainable.

There was no rest for recent Notre Dame High School graduate Cole Lemons, in terms of his baseball career.

Veteran Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz has conducted several seminars on leadership throughout the region, and at one point in the presentation, he shows a film of Redhawk running back Geno Hess in action. No, it isn’t one of the scintillating and powerful bursts that Hess has become famous for, as he evolved into the most productive running back in both SEMO, as well as the Ohio Valley Conference histories. It is actually a low moment in the development of Hess, who is shown lumbering through off-season wind sprints after coming back to campus for summer workouts out of shape.

PORTAGEVILLE – There is no shortage of talent and experience mixed throughout the starting nine of the Bootheel-power Portageville High School baseball squad this season (or recent seasons, for that matter). However, a dynamic that has allowed those regulars to perform at their potential this spring has often been that a group of guys on the bench have been giving seventh-year Bulldog coach Tyler Trover comfortable options to utilize.

PORTAGEVILLE – The Portageville High School baseball program has been a machine of success since Bulldog coach Tyler Trover took over in 2016. However, the seventh-year coach is quick to point out that not only does the program possess great players, but Trover also has a wealth of insight available standing next to him in the dugout in his coaching staff.

When you break down the 2023 Kenyon College baseball roster, there are student-athletes from 14 states, including six players from California and five from New York.

Josh Hopkins has been in these parts and seen enough high school baseball to have grasped what he was getting into when he accepted the head coaching position with Kelly High School baseball a year ago.

Jackson’s Cade McCadams finished his high school career with the school record in the boys’ 1600m on Friday in Jefferson City. The graduating senior finished 12th in the MSHSAA Class 5 state championships with a time of 4:17.74, two seconds faster than the record. McCadams is slated to run for Southeast Missouri State next year...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — How does the Portageville baseball team handle the pressure of being the top-ranked team in Class 3? They just keep winning. The unapologetically No. 1 ranked Bulldogs (34-2) advanced to their second straight final four with an 8-4 win over No. 7 West County (20-5) in a MSHSAA Class 3 Quarterfinal at Meatte Park in Portageville, Missouri on Thursday, May 25...

The SEMO baseball season came to an end on Wednesday after a 7-6 loss to Eastern Illinois in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament at Mountain Dew Park in Marion, IL. This was the eleventh straight loss for the defending OVC Champion Redhawks who have not won a game since April 30...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — It was a game that had everything: drama, suspense, and ultimately, a hero. That hero was Owen Roberts and his game-winning RBI sealed No. 1 Portageville’s 6-5 win over Scott City in a MSHSAA Class 3 Sectional at Meatte Park in Portageville, Missouri on Tuesday, May 23...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — It was a day of high drama and heart-stopping finishes at the MSHSAA Class 2 State Track and Field Championship as the Charleston boys’ team raced and leaped its way to a historic victory. The Bluejays ended the meet with 47 points, which tied Summit Christian Academy for a share of the title at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Missouri on Saturday, May 20...

COOTER, Mo. — In the tight-knit community of Cooter, Missouri, they’ll be talking about this one for a long time. In a MSHSAA Class 1 Sectional against Oran, Hayden Nazarenus delivered a moment of magic for the No. 1 ranked Wildcats (23-6). With the game tied in extra innings, the senior power hitter stepped to the plate and launch a walk-off home run that sealed a 2-1 victory over the No. 3 ranked Eagles (17-5) at Cooter High School on Monday, May 22...

Austin Dill never expected this journey to go this far. Undersized and unnoticed, college baseball was never seen in the Sikeston native’s future during his playing days at Notre Dame. Only a small NAIA school in Springfield, Missouri gave the slim pitcher a chance...

HILLSBORO, Mo. — The Sikeston girls’ track and field team had five athletes qualify for the MSHSAA Class 4 State Meet after strong performances at the sectional meet on Saturday, May 20 at Hillsboro High School. “Overall, I think we did really well,” said Sikeston coach Betsy Cowlick. ...

Southeast Missouri State senior Noah Niznik watched from the dugout the twilight of his playing days at Capaha Field on Saturday as the Redhawks fall to a sweeping defeat, 4-2, at the hands of Eastern Illinois. After five years on the turf mound in his home away from home, the St. ...

Notre Dame alum and Saint Louis sophomore Evan Bruenderman will compete in the triple jump at the west preliminary of the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held May 24-27 at California State University, Sacramento in Sacramento, Calif...

The losing skid the Redhawks have been on continued on Friday as they were defeated 7-2 by the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Capaha Field. This is the ninth loss in a row for SEMO who has not won a game since April 30 against Lindenwood. Southeast was held scoreless until the seventh inning when the two runs were scored to bring the game to within one. SEMO head coach Andy Sawyers said the team is in a rut right now and they are not playing their best baseball...

The Scott-Mississippi All-Conference softball team has been released, with East Prairie senior shortstop Tori Stinnett and Scott County coach Tim Carlisle topping the list as the conference player and coach of the year. Stinnett led the Lady Eagles to a 16-8 overall record and conference title and finished the season with a remarkable .645 batting average with 49 total hits including 17 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. ...

A year ago, at this time, Bryce Morgan was barely on the radar of the Cape Catfish, as he was wrapping up a redshirt spring with Mineral Area College baseball.

The Portageville softball team added another accolade to their impressive season with three players selected All-Bootheel Conference. The trio of Lady Bulldogs to be selected were senior centerfielder Jessica Priggel, sophomore catcher Reece Rone, and sophomore third baseman Ja’Niya Smith...

Southeast Missouri State (26-27, 14-8 OVC) entered its final series of the season needing to sweep Eastern Illinois (31-18, 11-11 OVC) in order to at least win a share of the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship. The Redhawks missed their chance on Thursday when the Panthers knocked in 15 hits to win 10-2 at Capaha Field. The Redhawks have now lost eight games in a row...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — In a thrilling battle for the MSHSAA Class 3, District 2 Championship, Scott City defeated East Prairie 5-4 at Hillhouse Park on Wednesday, May 17. The Rams (20-8) overcame an early deficit and fended off a furious rally by the Eagles (18-13-1) to claim back-to-back district championships...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Oran baseball dynasty showed no signs of slowing down, as the team soared to its fifth straight district championship with a 4-0 win over Bell City in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 title game at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Tuesday, May 16...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — For most families, a game of catch in the backyard is where the sibling rivalry begins and ends. But for two brothers — Oran assistant coach Jon Simpher and Bell City head coach Justin Simpher — the stakes were much higher in the MSHSAA Class 1, District 2 Championship on Tuesday, May 16...

It was announced on Wednesday morning that Jeremy Brinkmeyer would be the new head coach of the Notre Dame Bulldogs boys' basketball program. Brinkmeyer is stepping in after Paul Unterreiner announced he was stepping down after nine seasons at the helm of the program...

Connor Moore was competing for a state championship just a year ago. Fast forward to last weekend, and the Cape Central alum played a pivotal role in Southeast Missouri State capturing the men’s Ohio Valley Conference championship. SEMO had a one-point lead on conference newcomer Little Rock with the 4x400-meter relay, the final race of the event, left to run. ...

CHARLESTON – The East Prairie High School baseball squad won a postseason game on Tuesday by beating Kelly 3-2 at Hillhouse Park in Charleston. However, the origins of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 semifinal victory can be traced to Monday’s postseason domination of the host Blue Jays.

Bell City and Oran will meet in the Class 1 District 2 championship game on Tuesday, May 16, at 4 p.m. The semifinal games were moved from Oran High School to Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau due to rain. Bell City (7-13) advanced by defeating Leopold 9-1 in the semifinal round. Freshman Kale Richardson threw 6.2 innings and struck out 14 batters...

BENTON, Mo. — In a historic moment for the Kelly girls’ soccer program, the team secured its first-ever postseason victory on the field by defeating Hancock 9-1 in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 1, District 1 Tournament at Kelly High School on Monday, May 15...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — East Prairie leaned on a savvy, situational approach to topple Charleston 16-1 in the opening round of the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Tournament at Hillhouse Park on Monday, May 15. Rather than relying on brute force, the Eagles (17-12-1) used a combination of smart baserunning, well-executed sacrifices and clutch hitting to generate runs and keep the Bluejays (9-14) on their heels...

NEW HAVEN, Mo. — The Charleston boys sprinted and jumped to the top of the leaderboard at the MSHSAA Class 2, Sectional 1 Track and Field Meet at New Haven High School on Saturday, May 13. The Bluejays finished atop the boys’ division with a team score of 86...

IMPERIAL, Mo. — Despite a challenging playoff loss to St. Vincent, the Sikeston girls’ soccer team is leaving the season with its heads held high. The Lady Bulldogs (4-19-1) may have struggled to find wins this year, but their positive attitude and team spirit never wavered...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Sikeston track teams compete at the MSHSAA Class 4, District 1 Track and Field Meet at Notre Dame Regional High School on Saturday, May 13. The Lady Bulldogs finished fourth with a team score of 91.25 and had six athletes advance to the Class 4 Sectional Meet at Hillsboro High School on May 20, while the Bulldogs were 10th with 21 points...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — The Kelly, New Madrid County Central and East Prairie track and field teams competed at the MSHSAA Class 3, District 1 Meet at Notre Dame Regional High School on Saturday, May 13. Dexter won the boys’ division with a team score of 114, while NMCC was seventh with 52 points, Kelly was ninth with 25 points and East Prairie was 12th with 14.5 points...

NEW HAVEN, Mo. — Scott County Central and Oran competed in the MSHSAA Class 1, Sectional 1 Track and Field Meet at New Haven High School on Saturday, May 13. The top four finishers from each event advance to the MSHSAA Track and Field Championships beginning May 19 at Adkins Stadium in Jefferson City, Missouri...

Last fall, veteran Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz often boasted of his deep and talented wide receiver group, which played an integral part in the Redhawks leading the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring offense and being the second-best squad in the league in terms of pass efficiency.