Posts Tagged ‘Quincy University’
Hawks’ tenacity and toughness not enough to overcome key miscues in loss to Bulldogs
QUINCY — Jason Killday’s coaching past ran into his future Saturday, and to no surprise, the two looked remarkably the same. That should leave those around the Quincy University football program encouraged despite the 28-21 loss to Truman State University in Great Lakes Valley Conference play at QU Stadium. The Hawks played the way Killday,…
Read MoreCOLLEGE ROUNDUP: QU football falls at Indy, but volleyball remains perfect in GLVC play; Wildcats host highly-ranked teams on the pitch
INDIANAPOLIS – The Quincy University football team faced #21 University of Indianapolis Saturday night and fell 47-10. The Hawks did strike first as quarterback Drake Davis hit Anthony Gilpin Jr. with a 28-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first drive to give QU a 7-0 lead. Quincy was within striking distance after the first quarter,…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt discusses start of preseason practices
QUINCY — The weather Saturday didn’t mirror what many of us think of when we talk about basketball season, which normally invokes images of a winter coats and snow-covered roads. However, the 90-degree sun-splashed day made it ideal for the Quincy University men’s basketball team to stay inside. The Hawks officially began practice for the…
Read MoreHawks bring Abe’s hat home after bounce-back effort leads to victory over Bearcats
L:EBANON, Ill. — If the hat is your reward, you might as well wear it. So some of the Quincy University football players — maybe even the head coach — donned the Abraham Lincoln-style black stove top hat that has become the traveling trophy for the annual Land of Lincoln battle with McKendree. The Hawks…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Hawks and Bearcats to square off in Land of Lincoln rivalry game
QUINCY — There’s a little more at stake when the only NCAA Division II football programs in Illinois square off Saturday. Quincy University and McKendree will play for the Land of Lincoln Trophy for the first time, as was announced by the schools in late August. The rivalry has been one-sided with McKendree winning 10…
Read More‘It’s not a good feeling’: Peacocks rally in second half to hand Hawks first loss of season
QUINCY — The Quincy University football players met a harsh reality as the clock ran out on Saturday’s game. “We learned we can be beat,” senior safety David Lewis said. “We’re not invincible.” Not that the Hawks believed they were immune to adversity following a 2-0 start to the season, but they never envisioned letting…
Read MoreBeretti’s barrage of kills catapults QU women’s volleyball team to GLVC victory over Missouri S&T
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s volleyball team fed the hot hand, and the Hawks parlayed that momentum into one of their most dominant sets of the season. In Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference and homecoming match against Missouri S&T, Quincy sophomore outside hitter Susanna Beretti finished the third set with three straight kills, and…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team takes on Upper Iowa in homecoming game at QU Stadium
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — The Quincy University football team allowed a fourth-quarter lead to slip away Saturday as the Hawks suffered a 29-27 loss to Upper Iowa in Great Lakes Valley Conference play on homecoming weekend at QU Stadium. Muddy…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU linebacker Brock Wiley discusses homecoming, his birthday and defense
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team heads into homecoming weekend looking for just the second 3-0 start to a season since 1994, and it also is a birthday weekend for sophomore linebacker Brock Wiley, who turns 20 on Friday. Ahead of Saturday’s game against Upper Iowa at QU Stadium, Wiley joined Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreHawks display moxie in fending off Prairie Stars’ late push to earn tie in GLVC matchup
QUINCY — The dominoes aren’t falling the way they once were. Leading Illinois-Springfield by a goal deep into the second half of Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup at Legends Stadium, the Quincy University women’s soccer team surrendered a goal in the 76th minute. It didn’t devolve into two or three goals, the same way…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, UIS square off in GLVC soccer doubleheader at Legends Stadium
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photos,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — Surrendering late goals cost the Quincy University men’s and women’s soccer teams the opportunity to come out on top in Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Illinois-Springfield at Legends Stadium. The QU men allowed a…
Read MoreBlocked punt kickstarts second-half comeback as Hawks rally for GLVC victory over Miners
ROLLA, Mo. — Jason Killday isn’t sure how accurate the stat actually is, but during his time as the offensive coordinator at Truman State University, he heard former Bulldogs coach Gregg Nesbitt say teams that block a punt win 90 percent of the time. Since taking over as the Quincy University football coach, Killday has…
Read MoreCollege Gameday: Quincy University at Missouri S&T
QUINCY — The early-season bye week meant it has been two weeks since the Quincy University football team last took the field, but the Hawks have used their time diligently to ensure the first Great Lakes Valley Conference road game isn’t a wasted trip. Missouri S&T has won seven of the last eight meetings against…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Anderson piles up assists, Hamm wins college tourney, GLVC honors go to two Hawks
ST. LOUIS — Seth Anderson’s newest moniker needs to be playmaker. Even his younger brother has been on the receiving end of Anderson’s skills at creating scoring opportunities. Anderson, a senior midfielder on the Saint Louis University men’s soccer team and a Quincy Notre Dame graduate, recorded his fourth assist of the season during Tuesday…
Read MoreSecond-half goals propel QU women’s soccer team to first victory of season
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s soccer team broke through by scoring its first goal of the season in Friday’s neutral site loss to Bemidji State. Sunday, the Hawks broke through for their first victory of the season. Olivia Nelson and Daniella Segall scored second-half goals and the Hawks shut out Lewis over the final…
Read MoreCann nets first career goal as Hawks erase deficit, salvage tie with Flyers in GLVC opener
QUINCY — Leo Cann’s first career goal and a stout defensive effort in the second half Sunday enabled the Quincy University men’s soccer team to salvage a 1-1 tie with Lewis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference opener at Legends Stadium. In doing so, the Hawks withstood a barrage. The Flyers outshot the Hawks 22-6…
Read MoreQU women’s volleyball team showcases tenacity, holds off Missouri S&T to finish weekend undefeated
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s volleyball team bookended its weekend by showing nothing is going to get it down. After opening the Hawk Invitational at Pepsi Arena on Friday with a four-set victory over William Jewell, the Hawks rebounded from two tough sets against Missouri S&T to win another four-set match Saturday and finish…
Read MoreVenvertloh’s goal sparks strong second half as Hawks knock off Pride
QUINCY — Carter Venvertloh and the Quincy University men’s soccer team notched their first goal, first victory and first upset in their final non-conference game. Venvertloh, the sophomore forward from Quincy High School, broke a scoreless tie when he scored off a Mathias Bringedal assist in the 49th minute, propelling the Hawks to a 2-1…
Read MoreQU men’s and women’s soccer teams shut out at home, both still winless in non-conference play
QUINCY — Two games into each of their respective seasons, the Quincy University men’s and women’s soccer programs find themselves in the same position. Winless and scoreless. The QU men suffered a 2-0 loss to Northern Michigan on Sunday in their home opener at Legends Stadium, while the QU women suffered a 1-0 loss to…
Read MoreOff and running: Ground game produces big results as Hawks win home opener
QUINCY — It’s a common theory that can lead to uncommon results. And there was nothing common about what transpired Saturday at QU Stadium. Backed by a ground game that churned out 248 yards rushing, the Quincy University piled up 515 yards of total offense in a 46-5 dismantling of Lincoln in the Great Lakes…
Read MoreStanding tall: QU defense’s unwillingness to budge results in season-opening victory
QUINCY — How the play impacted the scoreboard wasn’t of utmost concern. Certainly, the Quincy University football team’s defense didn’t want to allow a touchdown or wipe away the shutout it was pitching. But the Hawks knew making a goal-line stand at the start of the second quarter of Saturday’s home opener against Lincoln would…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team opens season with emphatic victory over Lincoln
To purchase digital downloads or prints of Muddy River Sports photo,click here to visit our SmugMug site. QUINCY — With thunderstorms washing out the second half of last week’s trip to Drake and turning that into a no-contest, the Quincy University football team’s game Saturday against Lincoln became the Hawks’ season opener as well as…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks’ Inman adding his own chapter to legacy of wearing No. 22
QUINCY — The legacy isn’t in the jersey number, no matter how meaningful it is for Brock Inman to wear it. That legacy lies in the leadership and leverage of how he plays. To that end, he’s upholding the legacy of No. 22 quite nicely. Inman is the third consecutive anchor of the Quincy University…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Lincoln University vs. Quincy University
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team finally will open its season — officially — after last week’s trip to Drake was washed out by weather. The Hawks and Bulldogs played one half and endured a two-hour delay before calling it a no-contest and wiping away all the stats. So Saturday’s home opener has become…
Read MoreWeather denies Hawks chance to rally in second half as season opener is ruled no contest
DES MOINES, Iowa — The process was always going to outweigh the outcome. Still, the Quincy University football players and coaches would have liked another 30 minutes to see what the outcome could have been. Trailing Drake 10-0 at halftime in Thursday night’s season opener at Drake Stadium, the Hawks were forced to endure a…
Read More‘I love the big guys up front’: Play of defensive line will bolster QU football team’s aggressive nature
QUINCY — Jaylin Vaughn wasn’t sure how to answer Quincy University football coach Jason Killday’s query. “At first, it caught me off guard,” the junior defensive tackle said. Killday kept coming to Vaughn and asking him, “Do you know what’s really fun?” The second-year transfer from Ellsworth Community College hesitated to give an answer, although…
Read MoreHawks’ offense will focus on running game, but Davis’ return will open up passing game
QUINCY — Drake Davis was more observer than participant last spring when the Quincy University football team went through its first practices under first-year head coach Jason Killday and a new offensive staff. That might have been for the best. The senior quarterback was able to study the concepts and learn the progression Killday and…
Read MoreCollege gameday: Quincy University travels to Drake
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team will open its season — and the Jason Killday coaching era — with a road trip to face an FCS opponent. The Hawks will square off with Drake University, a member of the Pioneer Football League that is coming off an 8-4 season and an FCS playoff appearance.…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks continue showing growth halfway through fall camp
QUINCY — Jason Killday used one term to describe the second week of the Quincy University football program’s fall camp. Growth. The first-year head coach has watched the Hawks develop some consistency and maturity in their first two weeks of practice. After a lackluster end to the first week, the Hawks made certain the second…
Read MoreRecord-setting QHS quarterback values relationship built with QU coach, commits to play for Hawks
QUINCY — Each Quincy University football practice Bradyn Little attended last spring allowed the Quincy High School quarterback to foster a stronger relationship with first-year Hawks coach Jason Killday. “I know who he is,” Little said. With that comes a level of comfortability that can’t be matched. “I trust him,” Little said. “That’s big for…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks see accountability, confidence, consistency grow with each practice
QUINCY — The progression is designed to be natural. First, set the foundation. Then, add the layers. “We’re trying to build a structure here,” Brock Inman said. That’s why no one fretted when the Quincy University football team’s first fall practice wasn’t as crisp as anyone would have liked. The Hawks needed to lay the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team working way through first week of practice
QUINCY — Each day, the repititions get a little quicker, the reactions get a little better and the intensity gets a little stronger. By the time the Quincy University football players go to full pads, they should be ready to rumble at full speed. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time with the Hawks…
Read MoreGLVC will add men’s volleyball as championship sport beginning in 2025-26 school year
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s volleyball team is finally going to find itself on a more level playing field. Thursday, the Great Lakes Valley Conference announced it is adding men’s volleyball as a championship sport beginning with the 2025-26 season. The GLVC will have seven teams participate in men’s volleyball with the addition of…
Read MoreCrim: Former QU baseball coach releases book on his quarter-century spent scouting for MLB teams
QUINCY — One book is out, another is on the way. Former Quincy University baseball coach Jim Pransky has published a memoir based largely on the 25 years he spent as a scout for five Major League Baseball organizations. In “Baseball’s Test of Spirit: A Man’s Unlikely Odyssey into the Scouting World,” Pransky writes about…
Read MoreFormer QU All-American Croes will start in American Association All-Star Game
QUINCY — Make it two for two for Dayson Croes. An All-American infielder while playing for the Quincy University baseball team, Croes recently earned his second all-star honor in his second season playing professional baseball. He was named a starter for the West Division for the American Association of Professional Baseball All-Star Game. Croes, who…
Read MoreTwo former QU men’s basketball assistant coaches find new positions at D-I, juco levels
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University assistant men’s basketball coaches — one of whom is a former Hawks player — have landed new coaching gigs. Jestin Anderson, who spent the past four seasons at Maryville and was elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2022-23 season, has joined the staff at NCAA…
Read MoreFormer QU assistant baseball coach becomes head skipper at NCAA Division II Saint Leo
SAINT LEO, Fla. — Josh Keim is climbing the coaching ladder. After four highly successful seasons at Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., the former Quincy University assistant baseball coach was named the head coach at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University on Friday, replacing Rick O’Dette, who resigned June 13. Keim played for O’Dette…
Read MoreHoyt fills QU men’s basketball coaching staff with familiar names and faces
QUINCY — Brad Hoyt believed there was one vital element necessary when constructing his coaching staff. Familiarity. The first-year Quincy University men’s basketball coach needed at least one coach familiar with the community, one familiar with the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the NCAA Division II level, and one familiar with himself and his coaching…
Read MoreQuincy’s Kirn commits to West Virginia to play final season of collegiate baseball
QUINCY — Aside from the genuine interest the West Virginia University coaching staff showed in him, Griffin Kirn found another reason to believe he could succeed pitching for the Mountaineers. He saw what Derek Clark had done. A left-hander who transferred to West Virginia from NCAA Division II Northwood with one year of eligibility remaining,…
Read MoreSchuckman: College World Series pool is about friendship more than it is baseball
QUINCY — The first pitch came at noon from a pitcher I had never seen throw for a team I have never rooted for against a team I had no idea who was on their roster. Yet, I was all-in on the University of Kentucky baseball team. It will be the case when Arizona, UNC…
Read MoreQU’s Simpson receives first-team All-American honors, Palmyra’s Kroeger on second team
QUINCY — Austin Simpson’s ability to get on base was as good as anyone in the nation. The postseason honors he’s accumulating reflect that. The Quincy University redshirt junior first baseman was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first-team All-American this week, becoming the seventh first-team All-American in program history. Simpson, a native of…
Read MoreFormer QU men’s basketball assistant coaches join new staffs
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University men’s basketball assistant coaches have landed new jobs. Troy Potts has joined the staff at Frank Phillips College, an NJCAA Division I school in Borger, Texas, as an assistant coach. Meanwhile, Pat Richardson is headed to Jackson, Miss., to be an assistant coach on the Jackson State…
Read MoreKirn, Kroeger, Simpson collect All-Midwest Region honors from NCBWA
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University baseball players and a Palmyra product earned first-team All-Midwest Region honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Hawks left-hander Griffin Kirn and Maryville left-hander Jacob Kroeger were two of the four first-team starting pitchers, while Hawks first baseman/designated hitter Austin Simpson was the first-team utility player. Simpson…
Read MoreHawks run out of gas in GLVC championship game, miss chance to make NCAA Tournament
MARION, Ill. — Hope lasted about six hours. Following Sunday’s 11-1 loss to Maryville in the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, the Quincy University baseball players had time before and after a four-plus-hour bus ride home from Mtn. Dew Park to believe they might still get in the NCAA Division II…
Read More‘I pretty much got every stitch of that ball’: Simpson’s walk-off grand slam sends Hawks into GLVC Tournament title game
MARION, Ill. — The steakhouse Austin Simpson and his parents visited Saturday night had a 12-ounce ribeye on the menu. “I ate the whole thing,” the Quincy University first baseman said. He knew he needed to order it when he saw how it was labeled. “It was actually called ‘The champion,’” he said. How fitting…
Read MoreNever count ’em out: Hawks force extra innings, defeat Greyhounds on Simons’ single in 11th
MARION, Ill. — Connor Simons hadn’t had an official at-bat in nearly a month as he recovered from a concussion suffered in the final game of the Quincy University baseball team’s regular-season series against Indianapolis. So consider this a little bit of payback for putting him on the shelf. Simons drove a breaking ball on…
Read More‘I’m not letting go’: QU’s Ortiz makes game-saving, diving catch in bottom of ninth
MARION, Ill. — JD Ortiz needs to see a video replay of his diving catch to understand just how catastrophic the play could have been and just how remarkable it truly was. All he knows is he was determined to make the play at all costs. “I’m on the floor and my neck and my…
Read More‘That’s just the greatest feeling ever’: DuPont’s walk-off home run lifts Hawks in extra innings
MARION, Ill. — Dustin DuPont took off on a dead sprint toward first base, unsure where the ball he uncorked to right field would actually land. “It hit the back of the bullpen wall, but I thought it hit the fence,” the Quincy University catcher said. “I kind of started taking off a little more…
Read MoreHarrison, Hawks weather storm to pick up victory in first round of GLVC Tournament
MARION, Ill. — After left-handed reliever Roman Harrison navigated the top of the 10th inning without worry Wednesday, staff ace Griffin Kirn approached him in the dugout and asked if he was good to go back out for another inning. “I said, ‘No, we’re going to walk it off this inning,’” Harrison said. Not even…
Read MoreHawks’ Kirn receives GLVC Pitcher of the Year honor, while Broughton is league’s top freshman
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn proved unbeatable in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. David Broughton became the tone-setter for one of the GLVC’s hottest teams. The league’s coaches couldn’t ignore either player’s success. Kirn, the Quincy University baseball team’s left-handed ace, was named the GLVC PItcher of the Year on Tuesday night by a vote of…
Read MoreSchuckman: Relaxed play helps Hawks change outlook, open up world of possibilities
QUINCY — The game and everything about it felt tedious. None of the Quincy University baseball players will deny that. “When you’re getting your butt kicked, it is a chore,” first baseman Austin Simpson said. A five-run loss in the series finale against the University of Indianapolis on April 14 left the Hawks eight games…
Read MorePunctuating a sweep: Simpson’s homer caps Hawks’ perfect weekend against Prairie Stars
QUINCY — Austin Simpson knew he couldn’t go home empty-handed or he’d never live it down. His roommates — Dustin DuPont and Adam Lewis — both hit home runs Saturday in helping the Quincy University baseball team build an insurmountable lead in the finale of its Great Lakes Valley Conference series with Illinois-Springfield. So when…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks head to GLVC Tournament riding high after perfect weekend
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team had reason to celebrate Saturday afternoon. Not only did the Hawks honor the seniors following the final home game of the regular season, but the 21-7 victory over Illinois-Springfield punctuated a weekend series sweep that earned the Hawks the No. 4 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference…
Read MoreHawks secure spot in GLVC Tournament with three wins, look to complete sweep
QUINCY — The situations were strikingly similar, the circumstances decidedly different and the outcomes remarkably the same. Credit Logan Mueller and Roman Harrison for each having a little Harry Houdini in their act. Mueller, a sophomore right-handed reliever, was summoned from the Quincy University baseball team’s bullpen with the bases loaded and one out in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU takes tripleheader, building serious momentum with postseason on horizon
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team is heading toward the postseason with some steam. The Hawks won three games Friday — the resumption of Thursday’s suspended game and both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader — to secure their spot in the GLVC Tournament. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks, Prairie Stars play five innings before thunderstorms shake QU Stadium
QUINCY — They waited as long as they could. Finally, the Quincy University baseball players had to leave QU Stadium before the threatening skies dumped rain and hail and ruined a Thursday afternoon at the ballpark. The Hawks and Illinois-Springfield were tied at 2 when lightning strikes within 7 miles of the stadium forced the…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks’ Boynton pours heart, soul, tears into chasing baseball dreams
QUINCY — The emotion spills out in ways Brock Boynton can’t always contain. Sometimes it’s a bat flip that goes a little too high or a little too far. Other times it’s the barbaric yawp everyone hears as he rounds the bases on a home run trot. And every now and then, it’s the toss…
Read MoreHuff and puff and blow Bearcats away: Hawks belt eight home runs in GLVC series finale
LEBANON, Ill. — Joe Huffman made certain the Quincy University baseball team went into the final week of the regular season with momentum. Jake Vitale helped ensure that, too. Huffman blasted three home runs Sunday and Vitale jacked two, the second of which gave the Hawks the lead for good in an 18-10 slugfest victory…
Read MoreSchuckman: Progress made, but for Hawks to succeed come fall, hard work must continue
QUINCY — The work isn’t done because the pads came off. Come August, Quincy University football coach Jason Killday and his staff will see if the players embraced that message. The Hawks wrapped up spring practice Saturday at QU Stadium with an energetic, determined effort that highlighted many of the positives gleaned from five weeks…
Read MoreBoynton’s blast highlights epic rally as Hawks earn split with Bearcats in rain-delayed doubleheader
SAUGET, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team scored eight runs in the sixth inning of game two to earn a split of Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against McKendree. The Hawks lost the first game 6-3 and rallied in a rain-delayed second game for an 8-6 victory at Grizzlies Ballpark. Weather forced the…
Read MoreQU baseball team’s offense continues hitting late-season stride, batters McKendree in series opener
LEBANON, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team is doing what a team in contention for a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth should be doing. The Hawks are pummeling the bottom feeders. After scoring 36 runs in a four-game sweep of Southwest Baptist last weekend, Quincy opened a four-game GLVC series with McKendree on…
Read MoreQU’s McClure earns GLVC women’s lacrosse Goalkeeper of the Year honor
QUINCY — Kelly McClure capped off a decorated women’s lacrosse career with a major conference award. The Quincy University graduate student was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year after helping the Hawks advance to the four-team conference tournament for the first time in program history. McClure finished second in GLVC-only games…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU safety Joseph Webb discusses spring practice, carrying momentum into offseason
QUINCY — The end of the spring is near for the Quincy University football program, which means the Hawks are a step closer to the debut of Jason Killday as their head coach. QU will open its season August 29 at Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. As far the progress made during the 15-practice session…
Read More‘He’s a blue-collar guy’: QU turns to JWCC’s Hoyt to guide men’s basketball program
QUINCY — Jake Hoyt owns the upper hand. As new Quincy University men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt sees it, that won’t be the case for long. Last winter, during his freshman season at Illinois College, the coach’s son helped the Blueboys win an NCAA Division III national tournament game. His dad, who spent the past…
Read More‘It’s weird today’: Hoyt leaves JWCC after life-long association, school needs to fill three positions
QUINCY — The navigation on Brad Hoyt’s car needs to be reprogrammed. Instead of the daily drive to the John Wood Community College campus, a route he’s taken for the past 13 years as men’s basketball coach and athletic director, Hoyt will be cruising across town to the Quincy University campus to begin his new…
Read MoreSchuckman: Rabe knows sweat-on-the-brow coaches fit what QU athletic department needs
QUINCY — Experience has provided Josh Rabe with perspective. During Rabe’s three years as the Quincy University athletic director, the head coach of three of the most high-profile programs on campus has resigned to pursue another coaching opportunity. None of those programs could be considered in the midst of thriving at the time. So it…
Read MoreCrim: Pransky’s baseball journey takes him from coach to scout to author
QUINCY — Jim Pransky grew up in a secluded, rural area in northwest Pennsylvania near the New York border. The closest town was two miles away and few other kids were around. So, he threw baseballs at a pitch-back, listened to Yankees games on a transistor radio and voraciously read fictional sports series books by…
Read MoreRally enables Hawks to complete first weekend of sweep of season, continue building momentum
QUINCY — A rally. A sweep. And a new perspective. That’s what Sunday brought to the Quincy University baseball program. The Hawks erased a six-run deficit, took the lead with four runs in the seventh inning and finished off a 10-7 victory over Southwest Baptist at QU Stadium. With that, Quincy swept the four-game Great…
Read MoreMomentun-seizing home runs from Simpson, Broughton catapult Hawks to sweep
QUINCY — Austin Simpson and David Broughton put a charge into the Quincy University baseball team’s pursuit of a conference tournament berth. Simpson, the junior first baseman, jacked a three-run home run in the fifth inning of Saturday’s opener game of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Southwest Baptist, erasing a two-run deficit and…
Read MoreBirthday bonanza: Kirn twirls gem, Hawks’ offense comes alive in victory over Bearcats to open series
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn would have been satisfied with a victory for his 22nd birthday. His performance on the mound became the icing on the cake. Kirn allowed just one run over six innings and struck out eight in the Quincy University baseball team’s 13-1 victory Friday over Southwest Baptist to open the four-game Great…
Read More‘We were thankful we were heard’: Former QU tennis coach wins defamation lawsuit against former student-athlete
QUINCY — Brian Holzgrafe exited the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield last Thursday to a sight that brought him to tears. “My wife and I drove away seeing an angel in the sky with the sunset and we just praised God that we were heard,” Holzgrafe said. “We were thankful we were heard.” Seven years after…
Read More‘There were a lot of tears’: Hawkins resigns as QU men’s basketball coach after two seasons at helm
QUINCY — When opportunity knocked, Steve Hawkins needed to listen. He owed that to his family. After discussing an offer to join NCAA Division I coaching staff with his wife, Kelly, the Quincy University men’s basketball coach knew the time was right to make a move. Monday, he officially resigned as the Hawks’ coach, two…
Read MoreSchuckman: Next QU men’s basketball coach faces sizable task of meeting variety of needs
QUINCY — The challenge facing the next Quincy University men’s basketball coach is three-fold. One, replenish the roster. Two, put fans in the stands. Three, win games. All three are intertwined. Prior to Steve Hawkins resigning Monday to pursue another coaching opportunity, four QU players had entered the transfer portal, although two of which are…
Read MoreSchuckman: Changes are happening and will help Killday, Hawks create right trajectory
QUINCY — The changes are subtle, probably unnoticeable to many. For those who see them, follow them, abide by them and trust them, the payoff should be substantial, at least that’s what the Quincy University football players need to be thinking. The transition to a new head coach with new standards and ideals to go…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU football team hits midpoint of spring practice with energetic effort
QUINCY — Halfway to the nearest finish line, but only just beginning the process. That’s where the Quincy University football team finds itself. The Hawks wrapped up their eighth spring practice Friday afternoon at QU Stadium with a spirited, energetic effort that moves them a step closer to the spring game. Quincy will engage in…
Read MoreHawks unable to find strike zone or complete sweep of Flyers
QUINCY — The chance at the first weekend sweep of the season got swept away, all because the Quincy University baseball team found itself playing chase all day. Five Hawks pitchers combined to walk six and hit six batters while allowing 12 earned runs in Sunday’s 14-2 loss to Lewis in the finale of the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks struggle to finish weekend with another GLVC victory
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team was unable to string together a third consecutive day of solid pitching and timely hitting, suffering a 14-2 loss to Lewis on Sunday in the finale of their Great Lakes Valley Conference series at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the day at the ballpark…
Read MoreOrtiz’s walk-off home run could be tide-turning moment Hawks need to change their season
QUINCY — Mark the date now. April 5, 2024. That’ll be the day the Quincy University baseball team points to as the turning point in its season. A bulldogged effort and a momentous swing made it so. Griffin Kirn’s complete game gave the Hawks a chance in the bottom of the ninth to rally from…
Read MoreThe List: Former QU all-region first baseman Lance Logsdon ranks favorite baseball movies
QUINCY — All of the miles traveled and nights spent in hotels gave former Quincy University first baseman Lance Logsdon and his teammates the opportunity to watch plenty of movies, which made him the right person to join Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman to rank their favorite baseball movies for this episode of “The…
Read MoreQU baseball team excels in all phases to win series finale against Rockhurst
QUINCY — Sunday looked more like the team Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel expected to see, not the team that has endured too many ups and downs so far. Seth West allowed one run over five innings, the offense drove the ball into gaps and moved runners, and the defense didn’t commit an error…
Read MoreBullpen narrowly avoids spoiling Kirn’s masterful effort as QU baseball team wins series opener
QUINCY — Film study paid off. In the days leading up to Friday’s start against Rockhurst, Quincy University left-handed pitcher Griffin Kirn reviewed as much video as possible of his previous starts this season and past seasons, looking for any mechanical tweak that could give him an edge. Whatever he found worked wonders. The Quincy…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team opens GLVC series with Rockhurst with victory
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn was nearly unhittable. Brock Boynton put a charge into the offense. And the Quincy University baseball team survived a rain delay and a Rockhurst rally to come up with a 10-9 victory in the first game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend series. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Former QU baseball players D’Alessio, Napleton succeeding at D-I level
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University baseball players are off to sizzling starts after transferring to NCAA Division I programs. Gino D’Alessio, an All-Midwest Region shortstop last spring for the Hawks, was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week after hitting .600 over four games as Abilene Christian went 3-1 with…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck Zoom Edition: Nebraska assistant coach Jessica Keller discusses NCAA Tournament, coaching ladder, QU roots
QUINCY — The leading scorer in the history of the Quincy University women’s basketball program is headed to the NCAA Tournament as an assistant coach, and following Nebraska’s effort against Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, anything is possible for the Huskers. Jessica Keller is in her second season on the Nebraska coaching…
Read MoreHarbin helps Saints take series from Hawks by slamming door in ninth inning
ST. LOUIS — Noah Harbin gave the Maryville baseball team a leg up in the Great Lakes Valley Conference title chase by slamming the door on his hometown team. The former Quincy High School right-handed pitcher stranded the tying run at first base in the top of the ninth inning Sunday, striking out Quincy University’s…
Read MoreFoster joins Richardson in transfer portal, leaves Hawks in need of bonafide scorers
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s basketball team’s need for shooters has grown into a need for scorers and ball-handlers as well. Senior swingman Zion Richardson entered the transfer portal last week, giving himself the opportunity to transfer as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining. Monday, sophomore point guard Isaiah Foster entered…
Read MoreQU baseball team wins GLVC-opening series as Boynton sparks offensive surge
LIBERTY, Mo. — The Quincy University baseball team is back on track. Sunday’s 16-10 victory over William Jewell at Talley Stadium punctuated a series victory in the first weekend of Great Lakes Valley Conference play, gave the Hawks back-to-back series wins and put the 0-7 start on the season-opening trip to Georgia completely in the…
Read MoreHawks’ Richardson picks up second-team All-GLVC honors
QUINCY — There were moments during the Great Lakes Valley Conference men’s basketball season where Zion Richardson couldn’t be stopped. The league’s coaches recognized that. The Quincy University senior guard was named a second-team All-GLVC selection Wednesday after finishing third in the league in scoring. The 6-foot-4 Richardson averaged 19.1 points per game in GLVC…
Read MoreHawks’ Williams posts 10 double-doubles in league play, earns second-team All-GLVC
QUINCY — Cymirah Williams’ ability to score, rebound and defend made her one of the more problematic matchup problems in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The numbers prove it. Williams averaged 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in conference play, finishing as the league’s third leading rebounder and earning second-team All-GLVC honors as voted on by…
Read MoreCrim: With Year 1 done, Boyd’s challenge becomes elevating QU to conference contender
QUINCY — First-year Quincy University women’s basketball coach Courtney Boyd sat in the conference room down the hall from her office in the Health & Fitness Center and pulled out her cellphone. On the screen was a staff breakdown of the point rating system the Great Lakes Valley Conference uses to determine its eight postseason…
Read MoreHawks unable to erase first-half deficit, stumble in final regular-season game
QUINCY — It was a case of déjà vu. The University of Illinois-Springfield men’s basketball team sank its first 11 shots, needed just four minutes to build a 14-point lead and withstood a furious second-half rally by Quincy University on Saturday afternoon to secure a 97-89 victory in the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season finale…
Read MoreClose but no victory once again for QU women as season ends with another narrow loss
QUINCY — The Quincy University women’s basketball team gained plenty of experience playing in close games this season. The next step is learning how to win them. The University of Illinois-Springfield outscored the Hawks 16-11 over the final 1 minute, 54 seconds Saturday afternoon to grind out a 79-74 Great Lakes Valley Conference victory in…
Read MoreKirn, Hawks take advantage of coming home to earn first victory of season
QUINCY — Welcome home. After enduring a seven-game losing streak on its season-opening road trip and falling out of the NCBWA Division II Top 25, the Quincy University baseball team used Friday’s home opener as a fresh start and took advantage of the comfortable confines of QU Stadium. Junior left-handed starter Griffin Kirn threw 6…
Read MoreHawks refuse to lose grip on lead in closing minutes, knock off Bulldogs in GLVC play
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — Once the Quincy University women’s basketball team managed to grab the lead, the Hawks weren’t giving it up. Freshman forward Ashlynn Arnsman made back-to-back critical field goals in the final two minutes, junior guard Karsyn Stratton made four straight free throws and point guard Mikayla Huffine capped a career-best scoring effort with…
Read MoreBulldogs’ blistering shooting from perimeter buries Hawks in GLVC road loss
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The Truman State men’s basketball team is one of the best 3-point shooting squads in the Great Lakes Valley Conference this season. Quincy University is one of the worst. That’s how it looked Saturday. The Bulldogs shot the ball as efficiently as any QU opponent has this season from the perimeter, knocking…
Read MorePeacocks block Hawks’ final attempt, pull off narrow GLVC victory
FAYETTE, Iowa — The opportunity for a late-season road victory that could propel the Quincy University men’s basketball team into the offseason presented itself Thursday night. The Hawks ended up one play away. Zion Richardson had his shot blocked by Upper Iowa’s Nick Reid with less than four seconds remaining in regulation and the Hawks…
Read MoreQU women unable to stay close in second half, lose fifth consecutive game
FAYETTE, Iowa — The Quincy University women’s basketball team’s performance in Thursday night’s 81-57 loss to Upper Iowa mirrored how the season has transpired. It’s a second-half struggle. The Hawks trailed by seven points with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Great Lakes Valley Conference contest at Dorman Memorial Gym before the…
Read MoreCrim: Lepper epitomizes Hall of Fame tenacity and Hall of Fame personality
QUINCY — The one thing Tom Lepper promised ahead of his acceptance speech after being inducted into the Quincy University Sports Hall of Fame was that it would be brief. “I’m not a guy that tries to draw attention to himself, you know,” said the man who never openly sought the spotlight but couldn’t escape…
Read More‘Just get one’: Richardson powers Hawks past Flyers as six-game skid comes to end
QUINCY — After six consecutive losses, the Quincy University men’s basketball team would have settled for any kind of victory. Registering a “team” win proved to be especially satisfying. Zion Richardson scored 22 of his game-high 25 points in the second half and the Hawks received valuable contributions from all 10 players who saw action…
Read MoreStrong start doesn’t lead to stellar finish as QU women can’t keep Lewis from rallying for victory
QUINCY — It wasn’t a slow start that that did in the Quincy University women’s basketball team this time. Instead, it was an erratic finish. Less than 48 hours after erasing a 29-point deficit to nearly upset the University of Indianapolis, the Hawks scored the opening 12 points and led Great Lakes Valley Conference co-leader…
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