Mid-Central College Conference - News

[Softball] IWU Softball Drops First Ever NAIA National Tournament Game to #6 William Carey

Kyle Schmidt — 2012-05-17T20:19:28-06:00

GULF SHORES, Ala. -- Indiana Wesleyan University took the field for the first time in program history today at the NAIA Softball National Championship against No. 6-ranked William Carey (Miss.) University in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

In their first NAIA national appearance, the Wildcats dropped a 7-0 decision to the highly-ranked Crusaders. The game was the first of three for the Wildcats in Pool F. The winner of the four-team pool will advance to next week's double-elimination tournament to decide a national champion.

[Women's Tennis] Fresno Pacific Overpowers Women's Tennis in NAIA Second Round

Kyle Schmidt — 2012-05-16T14:20:18-06:00

MOBILE, Ala. -- No. 2-seeded Fresno Pacific (Calif.) University was too much for the No. 15-seed Indiana Wesleyan University women's tennis team in the NAIA National Championship Second Round in Mobile, Alabama.

The loss ends the Indiana Wesleyan season at 25-5. Indiana Wesleyan won its 20th consecutive Mid-Central College Conference championship this year and advanced to the NCCAA national semifinals. IWU has advanced to the NAIA National Championship a record 13 times and now holds a tournament record of 9-13.

[Women's Tennis] IWU Women's Tennis Edges Robert Morris (Ill.) in NAIA First Round

Kyle Schmidt — 2012-05-15T10:50:02-06:00

MOBILE, Ala. -- The No. 15-seed Indiana Wesleyan University women's tennis team defeated No. 18-seed Robert Morris (Ill.) University 5-4 today in the NAIA National Championship First Round in Mobile, Alabama.

The victory is the second over Robert Morris in just over one month. Indiana Wesleyan also beat Robert Morris in the regular season matchup that occurred on April 13 in Marion, Indiana by an identical 5-4 outcome. All nine matches today had the same winners as last month.

[Baseball] Defending National Champs End Taylor's Baseball Season

Eric Smith — 2012-05-12T07:03:33-06:00

MARION, Ind.- Thirty years from now the Taylor baseball faithful will still be talking about the night the Trojans went toe-to-toe with the defending NAIA national champions under the lights at the NAIA national tournament.

That's exactly what the Trojans did Friday night before suffering a narrow 4-2 loss to 2011 NAIA World Series champion and top-seeded Concordia (Calif.) in an elimination game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round played at Indiana Wesleyan's Wildcat Field.

"We knew we had to be great to beat Concordia," Taylor Head Coach Kyle Gould said. "You can see why they're the defending national champions and they played every bit the part tonight."

[Baseball] Taylor Eliminates Mount Vernon Nazarene at NAIA Baseball Opening Round

Eric Smith — 2012-05-12T06:51:50-06:00

MARION, Ind.-Facing elimination in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, the No. 3-seeded Taylor baseball team scored six runs in the first two innings and held off No. 4 seed Mount Vernon Nazarene for a 6-4 victory at Indiana Wesleyan's Wildcat Field.

The win advances the Trojans to play Concordia (Ca.), the defending NAIA National Champion and the top seed in the Marion Opening Round bracket, in another elimination game for both teams at 8 p.m. Friday evening.

After spotting the Cougars two runs in the top half of the first inning, Taylor scored six runs, including a three-run homer from senior Ryne Otis, in the first two frames against the Cougars' ace and the Mid-Central College Conference pitcher of the year, Kyle Barr.

[Baseball] Trojans Squeezed to NAIA Baseball Opening Round Loser's Bracket

Eric Smith — 2012-05-10T21:25:49-06:00

MARION, Ind. (Box Score)- A successful suicide squeeze play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning gave No. 2 seed Point Park (Pa.) a 3-2 lead over No. 3 seed Taylor and the Pioneers held on to win by the one-run margin Thursday afternoon at Wildcat Field in Game 2 of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

The Trojans had their chances to pull back to even, but twice stranded a runner at third base over the final three innings.

Rhett Goodmiller singled to left field to lead off the seventh inning. Ryne Otis then sacrificed pinch-runner Luke Hofsommer to second and reached first on an error. An Ian Nielsen fly out to deep right center moved Hofsommer to third, but Point Park starter Sean Clark retired the final two batters he faced with a strikeout of Jordan Coffey and a fly out by Taylor Luna.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Goodmiller again singled to the opposite field to give the Trojans new life. A balk by reliever Mike Tullio allowed the pinch runner, Hofsommer, to move up a base. Ryne Otis flew out to right field and allowed Hofsommer to move to third base before Ian Nielsen popped up to shallow center field to end the game.

[Baseball] Errors Cost Cougars in 7-6 11-Inning Loss to Doane

Dave Parsons — 2012-05-10T09:50:16-06:00

MARION, Ind. - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to send the game into extra innings, but in the end the Cougars could not overcome nine errors as they fell 7-6 in 11 innings on Thursday afternoon to No. 5 seeded Doane (Neb.) College in the first game of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round - Marion Bracket hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.

[Baseball] Taylor Baseball Receives $300,000 Gift for Artificial Turf Infield, New Dougouts

Eric Smith — 2012-05-08T11:26:31-06:00

UPLAND, Ind. - Taylor University's baseball program has received a $300,000 gift from a young alumnus that will provide artificial turf and new dugouts for the baseball field.

Taylor will be the first NAIA school in the state of Indiana to use an artificial turf baseball field, a product that is becoming increasingly popular due to the reduced impact of rain on the surface.

Construction on the new facility is scheduled to begin June 1.

[Baseball] Bill Barr becomes the next coach for Grace baseball

Grace College — 2012-05-07T12:59:34-06:00

WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College has announced that Bill Barr will serve as the next head coach of Grace's baseball team.

Barr, who has served as an assistant athletic director and associate head baseball coach at Grace for the past five months, assumes control of the Lancer baseball program from Josh Bailey. Bailey has accepted a job with Wildman Business Group.

"It's been incredible having Bill as a member of our staff this year. We believe it will be an easy transition for him to move in as coach," said Grace athletic director Bailey Weathers. "We're sad that Josh [Bailey] decided to take a full-time position off campus, but we're excited to have Bill lead the baseball program. Bill does a great job teaching fundamentals, particularly working 1-on-1 with the guys and with game management. We're really excited to have Bill continue with the program and expect him to lead the team forward to great things."

Overall, Barr's r�sum� includes 22 years of experience coaching baseball, including 14 at the collegiate level, and seven years of experience as an athletic director. Before coming to Grace in January, Barr was most recently the head coach at Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, W.V.

[MCC] NAIA Baseball Tournament Opening Round Brackets Released

Joe Voldrich — 2012-05-06T21:08:38-06:00

Kansas City, MO - On Sunday, May 6 the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the seeding for the 2012 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round qualifiers. The Mid-Central College Conference (MCC) has been selected as one of nine opening round sites for the 2012 tournament and will be hosting all games on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN.

[Baseball] Cougars Earn Third Straight Trip to NAIA Opening Round

Dave Parsons — 2012-05-04T22:37:23-06:00

UPLAND, Ind. (5-4-2012) - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University baseball team earned its third straight trip to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round as the No. 3 seed Cougars posted an 11-10 walk-off win over top-seeded Taylor (Ind.) University in the championship game of the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament on Thursday evening on the Trojans' home field.

[Softball] IWU Claims MCC Softball Tournament Championship

Kyle Schmidt — 2012-05-03T22:29:46-06:00

MARION, Ind. -- History continues to build this season for the Indiana Wesleyan University softball team.

This year's squad has already broken the single season record for wins in a season before beginning the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament on Wednesday. Four games later the Wildcats won the program's second ever MCC Tournament championship and in the process earned it's first ever bid to the NAIA National Tournament.

[Baseball] Mount Vernon Claims First MCC Tournament Championship, Bid to NAIA Tournament

Joe Voldrich — 2012-05-03T21:08:41-06:00

The 2012 MCC baseball tournament concluded Friday afternoon, #3 seed Mount Vernon Nazarene University has claimed the MCC Tournament Championship crown after beating #1 Taylor University 11-10.

[MCC] MCC All-Conference Teams Released for Spring Sports

Joe Voldrich — 2012-05-03T12:44:13-06:00

The 2012 MCC All-Conference teams for baseball, softball, men's golf, men's track & field, and women's track & field have been announced following the completion of regular season play. Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors have also been announced along with several other sport specific awards.

[Softball] Bethel's Newell Awarded NAIA Pitcher of the Week

Joe Voldrich — 2012-05-03T09:31:31-06:00

Natalie Newell of Bethel (Ind.) has been named the NAIA National Softball Pitcher of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday. Newell was selected for her great performances from April 23 - 29 out of a pool of conference player of the week selections among 24 conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings. This is the final weekly award for the 2012 season.