Posts Tagged ‘Quincy University’
Answers don’t come easy: Hawks need to respond after allowing five goals in season opener
QUINCY — Alex Lehmann doesn’t want youth to be the Quincy University men’s soccer team’s crutch. “I made a mistake that cost us a goal,” the senior defender and captain said. “So it’s not the young guys. We’re a team. Win as a team, lose as a team.” Respond as a team, too. The Hawks…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s soccer team opens season with loss to Wisconsin-Parkside
QUINCY — The youthful Quincy University men’s soccer team showed some resolve and the ability to create scoring opportunities. The Hawks also struggled defensively, losing 5-3 in their season opener Thursday afternoon to Wisconsin-Parkside at Legends Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman put together this photo gallery after spending the afternoon with the Hawks:
Read MoreInside QU football: Five players who will impact how much success Hawks enjoy
QUINCY — The Quincy University football team kicks off its season Thursday night by welcoming Chadron State, an NCAA Division II program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, to QU Stadium. The Hawks are coming off a 4-7 season — their seventh consecutive losing season — but have the advantage of playing eight home games…
Read MoreQU men’s basketball welcomes Michigan St. Coach Tom Izzo on Sept. 17
MRN’s Bob Gough talks to QU basketball coach Steve Hawkins about his team’s upcoming fundraiser with special guest Tom Izzo, the legendary basketball coach at Michigan State. The event is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. and you can purchase tickets at www.quincy.edu/tipoff.
Read MoreGLVC preseason polls: QU volleyball team in top four, soccer teams both in bottom half of league
QUINCY — Expectations remain high for the Quincy University women’s volleyball team, while the Hawks have something to prove in men’s and women’s soccer. The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its fall preseason coaches polls this week with the volleyball team still earning respect after winning the league’s regular-season championship last fall and grabbing the…
Read MoreHall of Fame coach Tom Izzo to speak at QU men’s basketball program’s Tip-Off Banquet
QUINCY — Hall of Fame college basketball coach Tom Izzo will be the featured speaker during the Quincy University men’s basketball program’s annual Tip-Off Banquet, scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 17 in Pepsi Arena on the QU campus. Izzo has been the head coach at Michigan State University since 1995. Izzo was elected to…
Read MoreAquatic center at Quincy University gets new name after receiving support from Bank of Springfield
QUINCY — Quincy University recently announced the naming of the university’s swimming pool and aquatic facilities as the BOS Aquatic Center after receiving financial support from Bank of Springfield. In a press release, Tom Marantz, Bank of Springfield CEO and chairman of the board, said, “BOS believes in the mission of education and the dedication…
Read MoreTrip to Australia will provide QU women’s soccer players with once-in-a-lifetime experience
QUINCY — Alayna Vela has watched enough of past Women’s World Cup events to understand how incredibly passionate and unique the fans are. Now, she gets to see it up close. Vela, a sophomore midfielder on the Quincy University women’s soccer team, is part of the Hawks’ 45-person traveling party heading to Australia this week.…
Read MoreHawks’ Kirn earns chance to pitch against college baseball’s best in Cape Cod League
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn happened to be enjoying a relaxing midsummer afternoon when Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel unexpectedly called. “I figured it was to check in and see how my summer was going,” said Kirn, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior left-handed pitcher. There was a little more to this call. Schissel had been contacted…
Read MoreFormer QU All-American infielder Croes to play in American Association all-star game
FRANKLIN, Wis. — Throughout Dayson Croes’ three-year stint as an All-American infielder for the Quincy University baseball team, his coaches continually used a two-word phrase to describe Aruba native. Professional hitter. He’s proving just how accurate that is. The left-handed hitting Croes will represent the Winnipeg Goldeyes in Tuesday’s American Association of Professional Baseball all-star…
Read MoreAngels select Hawks right-handed reliever Gockel in ninth round of MLB draft
QUINCY — Word of Chase Gockel’s electric fastball, the kind that made Quincy University baseball fans anxious to see how high the velocity would register, brought Major League Baseball scouts to the stadium. How he used the fastball in unison with his slider made them take note. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Angels liked the combination…
Read MorePair of former QU assistant coaches join NCAA Division I staffs
QUINCY — Former Quincy University men’s basketball coach Luke Strege is moving back to the NCAA Division I level. After eight highly successful seasons at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., Strege recently was hired as an assistant coach at North Dakota State University. The Bison went 16-17 overall last season and 11-7 in…
Read MoreFormer QU southpaw Martin gets call up to Triple-A Iowa, while Croes, Logsdon get pro careers off to strong starts
QUINCY — The number of former Quincy University baseball players pursuing professional playing careers more than doubled in the last month. One of the Hawks chasing their big-league dream moved a step closer to that reality Tuesday. Left-handed reliever Riley Martin was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after a sterling first two months coming…
Read MoreHawks’ Schissel named NCBWA Division II Coach of the Year, Napleton first-team All-American
QUINCY — Capping a record-setting season with a first-in-school-history honor is quite special. Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel earned that. Hawks catcher Luke Napleton earned his All-American honor, too. Schissel, the second-year skipper who led the Hawks to a 47-11 record while winning both the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships, was…
Read MoreNapleton, D’Alessio among four QU baseball players to enter transfer portal
QUINCY — Two starters from the record-setting Quincy University baseball team are among four Hawks who are entering the NCAA transfer portal. Junior catcher Luke Napleton and junior shortstop Gino D’Alessio are exploring opportunities to move to the NCAA Division I level, while senior infielder Logan Voth is seeking the chance for more at-bats and…
Read MoreDreams of Division II World Series berth dashed as soft-tossing lefties befuddle Hawks in super regional
QUINCY — That’s just baseball. Those three words were the only way the Quincy University baseball team could make sense of an unlikely finish to an incredible season. The Hawks were ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball. However, they saw their…
Read MoreSaturday sweep needed: Top-seeded Hawks face elimination after losing super regional opener
QUINCY — The weather hasn’t always been ideal, but Saturdays at QU Stadium throughout the spring have been perfect nonetheless. One more flawless Saturday is needed. The Quincy University baseball team finds itself in a win-twice-or-it’s-over scenario following Friday’s 4-3 loss to Indianapolis in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional,…
Read MoreGreyhounds’ Donaldson seizes extra opportunity to spoil final home start for Hawks’ Walker
QUINCY — Spencer Walker never saw exactly where Luke Napleton caught the fastball or where it crossed the plate. He didn’t think he needed to look. With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the eighth inning Friday at QU Stadium, the Quincy University senior right-hander felt he’d painted the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, Indianapolis square off in Midwest Super Regional at QU Stadium
QUINCY — The opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional turned into a pitchers’ duel, one the seventh-seeded University of Indianapolis baseball team won with a 4-3 victory over top-seeded Quincy University on Friday at QU Stadium. The Hawks (47-10) must win twice Saturday to advance to the D-II World Series in…
Read MoreSuper regional primer: Top-seeded Hawks chasing World Series berth against Greyhounds
QUINCY — A Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball program is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Division II World Series for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in the past nine seasons. Will it be the team of destiny or the ultimate underdog? A best-of-three series taking place at QU Stadium will decide…
Read MoreHawks’ Napleton becomes fourth QU standout to be named Midwest Region Player of the Year
QUINCY — Luke Napleton’s historic season has him in line for All-American honors. The Quincy University junior catcher was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Midwest Region Player of the Year and a first-team all-region selection, which makes him eligible for All-American consideration. QU coach Matt Schissel was named the Midwest Region Coach of…
Read MoreSuper duper: Hawks score six times in first inning to extinguish Timberwolves’ hope, advance to super regional
QUINCY — Eight innings remained, but any hope Northwood had of stymying the steamroller better known as the Quincy University baseball team evaporated after a single frame. The Hawks weren’t surrendering a six-run lead. Not one game from reaching the super regional. Not with Jay Hammel in control on the mound. And certainly not at…
Read MoreHammel’s first-pitch dominance takes pressure off bullpen, shuts down Timberwolves
QUINCY — A walkie talkie hangs from the netting stretched around the Quincy University baseball team’s dugout and always within Hawks coach Matt Schissel’s reach. It’s how he communicates with the bullpen during a game. Saturday, he hardly touched it. Right-handed starter Jay Hammel alleviated any pressure on Schissel and the bullpen during the final…
Read More‘Do your job’: Simple premise leads to extraordinary results as Hawks move one victory closer to super regional
QUINCY — It’s a philosophy so basic it comes across as too simple at times. “Everybody does their job,” Luke Napleton said, “and the team wins.” The Quincy University catcher can point to Friday’s performance against Northwood as the perfect example of that. The top-seeded team in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional received a…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU baseball parents become family of their own
QUINCY — The root of their lies in their success of their sons, but the parents of the Quincy University baseball players have formed a bond that is as tight as a baseball family gets. The shared a house during the season-opening road trip to Florida. They tailgate together wherever the Hawks play. They text.…
Read MoreKirn’s bulldogged performance is further proof nothing can knock Hawks down for good
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn could have snuck away to the bathroom or a corner of the dugout at any point during the final two innings Friday to see just what kind of mark was left by the line drive that hit him squarely below the rib cage on his left side. He didn’t bother. It…
Read MoreNapleton gets back in power groove, breaks GLVC single-season home run record with two dingers
QUINCY — Going 20 at-bats without hitting a home run may not seem like much of a drought, but Luke Napleton knew he had taken several swings since his last blast. None of them felt like the right rhythm. “I’ve been rolling over the past few games, being a little early,” the Quincy University catcher…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team beats Northwood to move one win from super regional
QUINCY — As each day passes, the Quincy University baseball team moves a step closer to its ultimate goal. Saturday, the Hawks can take a leap forward. They will face Northwood at noon Saturday at QU Stadium, needing to win just once to capture the regional title and advance to the super regional. The top-seeded…
Read MoreMarinara muscle: Full-scale Italian meal fuels Hawks’ power surge in Midwest Regional opener
QUINCY — Paul D’Alessio decided he needed to fuel the Quincy University baseball team with some Italian power this week. So Tuesday, he assembled the kind of feast a loving nonna would serve to her family at Sunday dinner. Pasta, meatballs, sausage, chicken cacciatore, etc. It was the kind of meal where you wipe the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, Northwood win on opening day of NCAA Division II Midwest Regional
QUINCY — Two teams that have gone head-to-head in NCAA Division II regional play twice before with try to eliminate each other once again. The top-seeded Quincy University baseball team and fifth-seeded Northwood both beat Wayne State on Thursday on the opening day of the Midwest Regional at QU Stadium. The Timberwolves scored three times…
Read MorePosition of power: Wosman returns to seeing barrel meet ball, crushes pair of homers for Hawks
QUINCY — Nolan Wosman has never lost sight of what matters. A frustrating weekend swinging the bat couldn’t change that. A week ago, during the Quincy University baseball team’s four-game march to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship, the senior second baseman struggled to marry the barrel to the ball. He went 2 for…
Read MoreNCAA Midwest Regional primer: Eight things you need to know about QU baseball team
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team’s pursuit of a trip to Cary, N.C., begins in earnest Thursday with the start of NCAA Division II Midwest Regional play. The top-seeded Hawks, who carry a 44-9 record into the postseason, will face either Northwood or Wayne State at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at QU Stadium. The Timberwolves…
Read MoreNice ring to it: Hawks capture GLVC Tournament championship, earn No. 1 Midwest Regional seed
MARION, Ill. — The first step is always the hardest or so the adage goes. If that rings true, the Quincy University baseball team better ready itself for a prolonged journey. The Hawks followed up their regular-season Great Lakes Valley Conference championship by winning the GLVC Tournament, capping a four-game swath through the tourney field…
Read MoreSchuckman: Days like this are reason Hammel returned to Hawks to pitch one more season
QUINCY — Jay Hammel wrestled with the decision. Should he stay or should he go? Last May, Hammel graduated from Quincy University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies. He also fashioned a 9-2 record as a right-handed starter for the QU baseball team, helping the Hawks get within one victory of a…
Read MoreCarpenter shuts down Saints, sends Hawks into GLVC Tournament title game
MARION, Ill. — Tyler Carpenter got mad. Then he got nasty. That made the Maryville baseball team’s plans to rally obsolete. The Quincy University left-handed reliever entered Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament game in the fifth inning with the Hawks ahead 9-7, two outs and two runners on base. The Saints’ Jed Zebig greeted…
Read MoreDuPont hits it where Greyhounds can’t catch it, Hawks play stellar defense to advance
MARION, Ill. — No matter how hard Dustin DuPont hit the ball in his first two at-bats Friday night — he stung it with authority both times — University of Indianapolis center fielder Brandon DeWitt ran down those line drives for the first out in both the first and third innings. “I got back to…
Read MoreOffensive tackle Wilson becomes first QU player ever to sign contract with NFL franchise
QUINCY — BJ Wilson was standing in the Charlotte Douglas International Airport when he received the phone call that made him part of Quincy University football history. In the midst of so many people, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Wilson tried his best not to make a scene. “I’m in a crowded airport in a very public…
Read MoreWalk this way: Freshmen set stage for Hawks to stroll away as winners in GLVC tournament opener
MARION, Ill. — A glimpse at the future of the Quincy University baseball program enabled the present-day Hawks to see how to keep their championship aspirations on course. It takes patience and persistence. The two freshmen inserted into the starting lineup — Joe Huffman started just three games in the last month and Ben Dahlof…
Read MoreBunts lay groundwork for big inning as Hawks erase five-run deficit to stay in winner’s bracket
MARION, Ill. — The nation’s top home-run hitting team showed it can play small ball when it needs to as well. It caught everyone by surprise, especially Missouri S&T. In the final game of the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament late Thursday night, the top-seeded Quincy University baseball team fell behind…
Read MoreQU’s Napleton receives GLVC Player of the Year honor, while Schissel is Coach of the Year
QUINCY — Not long after Luke Napleton left QU Stadium the day he broke the Quincy University baseball program’s single-season home run record, he received a text message with a video attached. It was from Ryan Snyder, the slugger whose record Napleton broke, who wanted to congratulate the Hawks junior catcher. Snyder may need to…
Read MorePut a ring on it: Hawks head into postseason ready to chase championships, earn some new bling
QUINCY — Brock Boynton can envision a championship ring sizable enough to celebrate more than one title. “I was thinking about it last night,” the Quincy University senior center fielder said Wednesday morning before the Hawks boarded a bus headed for Marion, Ill., and the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. “There’s four sides to a…
Read MoreQU baseball team ready to roll into postseason after capping ‘nine-game heater’ at Rockhurst
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Brock Boynton called it. Following a mid-week victory over nationally ranked Central Missouri on April 25, the Quincy University baseball team’s senior center fielder said the Hawks needed to go on a “nine-game heater” to carry the momentum of an historic regular season into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Sunday,…
Read MoreQU baseball team on verge of history with one victory needed to reach 40-victory plateau
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dayne Sebranek’s name is officially part of history. One big swing took care of that. A senior infielder on the Quincy University baseball team, Sebranek collected his first career hit Saturday during a 17-3 victory over Rockhurst in the first game of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Loyola Park.…
Read MoreQU baseball team uses timely hitting, stellar pitching to win series opener at Rockhurst
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Quincy University baseball team doesn’t need to hit home runs to win. Timely hitting and stellar pitching get the job done, too. Friday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference series opener against Rockhurst at Loyola Park is a prime example. The GLVC’s top hitting offense and the nation’s No. 1 team…
Read MoreMUDDY RIVER BREAKDOWN: QU Baseball=Good, Cardinals Baseball=Bad
Ben Marth and Matt Schuckman talk about how good Quincy University baseball is and how terrible the St. Louis Cardinals are right now. They also let you know who they want to tell the story of their lives.
Read MoreBoyd adds former Truman State guard to QU women’s basketball coaching staff
QUINCY — A coach with ties to the Great Lakes Valley Conference will join new head coach Courtney Boyd on the Quincy University women’s basketball team’s sideline next season. Brooke Bailey will be Boyd’s top assistant, having agreed to join the QU staff after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Hillsdale…
Read MoreFormer QU men’s basketball players in transfer portal find new landing spots
QUINCY — Two former Quincy University men’s basketball players who entered the transfer portal have found new homes. Paul Zilinskas, a 6-foot-6 swingman with two years of eligibility remaining, announced via social media last week he will be joining another Great Lakes Valley Conference program as he plans to sign with the University of Indianapolis.…
Read MoreHawks continue to batter opposing pitching, slug six home runs in series finale against Panthers
QUINCY — The DJ Khaled collaboration “All I Do Is Win” was released in 2010 and remains a ballpark staple more than a decade later. Still, it may be time for some fresh lyrics. The Quincy University baseball team seems to be providing them. It goes a little like, “All we do is crush, crush,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team wins regular-season home finale by hammering Drury
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team doesn’t want Sunday’s 16-6 victory over Drury to complete a Great Lakes Valley Conference sweep to be its final game this season at QU Stadium. The Hawks want to play host to an NCAA Division II regional. Keep hitting the way they are and the Hawks likely will…
Read More‘You can’t stop it’: Walk-off grand slam keeps Hawks rolling with twinbill sweep of Panthers
QUINCY — A rally that began with a record-breaking home run, ended with an epic bat flip and featured some of the most selfless, mature at-bats in between left everyone exiting QU Stadium with the same train of thought. This Quincy University baseball squad may truly be a team of destiny. “I told you three…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Walk-off grand slam sets stage for QU baseball team to complete twinbill sweep
QUINCY — Brock Boynton knew it immediately. The epic bat flip made it obvious to everyone else. The senior center fielder crushed a walk-off grand slam to give the Quincy University baseball team a 12-8 victory in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Drury at QU Stadium. The eighth-ranked Hawks completed the sweep with…
Read MoreMart Heinen golf tournament set for Friday at Quincy Country Club
QUINCY — Quincy University’s Mart Heinen Booster Club will be the host of its 44th annual Mart Heinen Golf Tournament on Friday, May 5 at the Quincy Country Club, 2410 State. The tournament is played in a scramble format. Lunch begins at 11:15 a.m., and a shotgun tee off begins at 12:30 p.m. Individual and…
Read MoreLogsdon’s grand slam puts cap on strong start to weekend for QU baseball team
QUINCY — If the rest of the weekend follows suit, the seniors on the Quincy University baseball team will create a memorable way to say goodbye. Friday’s start set the tone. Senior right-hander Spencer Walker struck out eight over seven innings, the eighth-ranked Hawks opened the game with five consecutive singles and fifth-year first baseman…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks open final home weekend of regular season with victory over Panthers
QUINCY — The team that has been virtually unbeatable at home this season continued to show why Friday. The eighth-ranked Quincy University baseball team parlayed a quality start from right-hander Spencer Walker and a 17-hit attack into a 12-5 victory over Drury at QU Stadium. The Hawks are now 23-2 at home this season. Muddy…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Logsdon, Norris talk about how QU served as home, family during incredible athletic careers
QUINCY — The highs and lows — things both Lance Logsdon and Mattison Norris experienced throughout the Quincy University athletic careers — never sidetracked either, largely because of their competitive nature and dogged determination, but also because they had each other. The record-setting slugger for the QU baseball team and the All-American outside hitter for…
Read MoreStandard of success: Logsdon’s legacy with QU baseball program will be defined by drive, determination and doing things right way
QUINCY — The preferred option isn’t always the right option. Josh Rabe helped Lance Logsdon see that. And by embracing such a notion, the left-handed slugger discovered he was choosing the best option imaginable. Deciding to play baseball at Quincy University and forego the dream of an NCAA Division I scholarship allowed Logsdon to earn…
Read MoreSix is a serious number: No. 13 Hawks use six-run rally in seventh inning to upend No. 4 Mules
QUINCY — Brock Boynton never felt the ball leave the bat. “That’s when you know it’s going to be a good one,” he said. Gino D’Allesio didn’t feel the ball explode off his bat either. “I’ve been waiting for one of those,” he said. When the Quincy University center fielder and shortstop barreled up pitches…
Read MorePhoto gallery: No. 13 QU baseball team erases four-run deficit to knock off No. 4 Central Missouri
QUINCY — A six-run rally in the seventh inning Tuesday — a “Quincy six-spot” as center fielder Brock Boynton called it — pushed the 13th-ranked Quincy University baseball team to an 8-6 victory over No. 4 Central Missouri at QU Stadium in the Hawks’ final non-conference game of the regular season. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreHawks blend ingredients for victory together to win another GLVC weekend series
ST. LOUIS — The Quincy University baseball team’s recipe for success worked well Sunday. The Hawks piled up runs, scoring 11 times and collecting 18 hits. Jay Hammel delivered a strong start as the right-hander allowed just two runs over seven innings. The bullpen finished it off with Chase Gockel and Tyler Carpenter each striking…
Read MoreKirn dials in, mows down Tritons with career-high 13 Ks as No. 13 Hawks reach 30-victory plateau
ST. LOUIS — Maybe Griffin Kirn should have known something special lied ahead. “Typically, it seems the better games a pitcher pitches their catch is bad or their bullpen is bad,” the Quincy University left-handed pitcher said. “For me, my catch was the worst game of catch I’ve had in a long time.” Prior to…
Read MoreWalker quiets Tritons as Hawks break single-season home run record in series opener
ST. LOUIS — A record-setting home run was all Spencer Walker needed. After Luke Napleton launched a solo home run in the first inning Friday afternoon, allowing the Quincy University baseball team to break the single-season home run record, Walker followed with eight scoreless innings as the Hawks opened the weekend series against Missouri-St. Louis…
Read MoreHawks gear up for GLVC tourney appearance, two QU tennis players earn all-league honors
QUINCY — Opportunity awaits the Quincy University women’s tennis team. For the second time in three seasons, the Hawks have qualified for the Great Lakes Valley Conference postseason tournament, finishing fourth in the league’s West Division after winning two of their final three conference duals. The only drawback, if there is even one, is the…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Derry gets NAIA coaching job, Alleyne earns All-MIVA honors, QU grad gets jersey retired at SIU
AUGUSTA, Ill. — Emma Derry is taking her talents to the college game. The Southeastern graduate spent the past two years as the head volleyball coach at Lincoln High School, guiding the Railers to a 30-win season, a regional championship and a second-place finish in the Apollo Conference last fall. The success earned her the…
Read MoreNapleton garners GLVC Player of the Week after crushing McKendree pitching
QUINCY — Luke Napleton’s big weekend earned him another Great Lakes Valley Conference honor. The Quincy University baseball team’s junior catcher was named the GLVC Player of the Week after helping the Hawks go 5-0 last week with a four-game sweep of McKendree to move into sole possession of first place in the league standings.…
Read MoreHawks continue to showcase offensive firepower, finish sweep of Bearcats with big bang
QUINCY — Filling out the lineup card isn’t too much of a chore for Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel. “It isn’t drawing straws,” he said. Eight starters are hitting .350 or better. Seven starters have each hit six or more home runs. Five have 30 or more RBIs. And every single one of them…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team completes four-game sweep of McKendree
QUINCY — A four-game sweep of McKendree, coupled with a series split between Illinois-Springfield and Maryville, has the Quincy University baseball team alone in first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference following Saturday’s 13-6 and 15-4 victories at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman was on hand to capture some of the…
Read MoreKirn, Hawks turn up heat on Bearcats, open weekend series with doubleheader sweep
QUINCY — Of all the unusual pieces to the puzzle the Quincy University baseball program had to maneuver into place to play its Great Lakes Valley Conference series at home this weekend, dealing with the heat wasn’t on the list of concerns. At least not until gametime. The 84-degree afternoon temperature at QU Stadium was…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team wins first two games of weekend series with McKendree
QUINCY — The logistical challenges of moving a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball series from the McKendree campus to QU Stadium were unique, but the end result of Friday’s series-opening doubleheader was expected. The 14th-ranked Hawks swept the Bearcats, winning 15-5 and 5-2. Due to weather concerns, the rest of the weekend schedule has…
Read MoreQU to induct 11 individuals into Sports Hall of Fame during weekend ceremony
QUINCY — The president of an outdoor sportswear brand. The J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner. An accomplished mixed martial arts fighter. An all-American baseball player. The latest class of inductees into the Quincy University Sports Hall of Fame are trendsetters, icons, acclaimed student-athletes and successful businessmen. QU will honor the Class of 2023 during an…
Read MoreMartin confident more complete arsenal of pitches will lead to rise through Cubs organization
KODAK, Tenn. — To get to where he sees himself going, Riley Martin understands the importance of having another pitch in his arsenal. More specifically, the left-handed hurler needed a pitch to befuddle left-handed hitters. So this spring, the former Quincy University All-American pitcher and current member of the Chicago Cubs organization took advantage of…
Read MoreHawks erase four-run deficit, win GLVC series against Saints
QUINCY — Luke Napleton tossed the bat away thinking he’d just drawn a walk, but the home plate umpire called it a strike to force the Quincy University catcher back into the batter’s box to face a full-count payoff pitch. But he only had a few seconds to regroup because the pitch clock was running.…
Read MoreDupont’s blast completes rally as nationally ranked Hawks sweep twinbill from Saints
QUINCY — Dustin Dupont hoped some verbal encouragement would work. The fly ball he hit in the bottom of the sixth inning Friday afternoon seemed to have enough steam behind it to clear QU Stadium’s left field stone wall. Still, as the Quincy University baseball team’s left-handed hitting catcher bounced out of the batter’s box,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Late-inning rally leads to twinbill sweep for QU baseball team
QUINCY — In need of something to lift morale and change momentum, the Quincy University baseball team got a quality start from left-hander Griffin Kirn and a three home run day from Dustin Dupont to sweep Maryville 14-6 and 6-5 in Great Lakes Valley Conference action Friday at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt…
Read More‘Here we go’: Boyd ready to guide QU women’s basketball program back to historic heights
QUINCY — The caller ID read “Josh Rabe,” which meant Courtney Boyd knew which direction the conversation would veer if she answered. She said hello without hesitation. “What went through my head was, ‘Here we go,’” said Boyd, the Keokuk, Iowa, native who recently capped her sixth season as the head women’s basketball coach at…
Read MoreNinth-inning collapse costs Hawks opening game of crucial GLVC series with Saints
QUINCY — Brett Panick’s wildness, Maryville’s patience and an inopportune time for a letdown has the nationally ranked Quincy University baseball team needing to rebound. The ninth-ranked Hawks took a three-run lead to the ninth inning Thursday in the opening game of a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference series, but Panick was unable to close…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU’s Walker, Palmyra’s Kroeger engage in GLVC pitcher’s duel at QU Stadium
QUINCY — Spencer Walker delivered. So did Jacob Kroeger. Once the two starting pitchers exited, it was up to their respective bullpens to determine which team won the opening game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference series. Give the edge to the Maryville baseball team. The Saints rallied for four runs in the top of…
Read MoreSchuckman: Coaching change is emotional torture on Hawks, but their research reveals ‘good, positive things’ with Boyd’s hiring
QUINCY — The overlapping exodus of Kaci Bailey and arrival of Courtney Boyd made for an emotionally challenging 36 hours for the Quincy University women’s basketball players. “Definitely a little stressful, a little overwhelming,” freshman guard Rylee Denbow said. Mix in plenty of uncertainty. “There are a lot of unknowns up in the air right…
Read MoreSchuckman: Bailey left QU women’s basketball program riding upward trajectory
QUINCY — Kaci Bailey never intended to leave Quincy University as abruptly as she did. “Obviously, I wouldn’t have bought a house,” she said. Bailey never sold it as a lifelong commitment to coach women’s basketball here either. “As I told (QU athletic director Josh Rabe), QU has never been in the mix to be…
Read MoreBailey resigns as QU women’s basketball coach, takes over as head coach at Drury
QUINCY — The job Kaci Bailey did of pulling the Quincy University women’s basketball program from the dregs in just two seasons didn’t go unnoticed. It’s why the Hawks are in the market for a new coach already. Bailey tendered her resignation Tuesday and was introduced Wednesday morning as the new head coach at Drury…
Read MoreHammel, Hawks finish series with dominant effort, earn split with Prairie Stars
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Jay Hammel delivered his best when the Quincy University baseball team needed it most. Having lost the first game of Sunday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Illinois-Springfield, the Hawks needed a victory in the nightcap to split the day and the four-game series between two nationally ranked teams. Hammel made certain…
Read MoreHawks, Prairie Stars split doubleheader as bullpen, energetic offense engineer comeback in nightcap
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Chase Gockel’s job Saturday was to keep the Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader from teetering to the point of no return. Three scoreless innings did the trick. After the Illinois-Springfield baseball team won the first game of the twinbill 9-3 by scoring three times in both the sixth and seventh inning, the…
Read MoreLiving in a hitter’s paradise: Hawks slug seven home runs, sweep GLVC series from Bulldogs
QUINCY — A sun-splashed Sunday afternoon with the wind whipping into the right-center field gap and temperatures rising above the stocking cap barometer turned QU Stadium into a hitter’s paradise. No wonder the Quincy University baseball team’s entire lineup salivated over the possibilities. “I think it’s almost impossible not to, especially when you have 20…
Read MoreSchuckman: Unshaken confidence allows Hammel to rejoin QU rotation with bulldogged effort
QUINCY — Doubt comes when confidence wanes. Everything Jay Hammel experienced in the first six weeks of the Quincy University baseball team’s season could have created doubt in himself, his ability to contribute on a nationally ranked team, and his decision to return for a final year of eligibility. Never once has he doubted any…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks complete sweep of Bulldogs with another booming effort offensively
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team bookended its weekend sweep of Truman State with offensive outbursts, complementing Friday’s 14-run effort with Sunday’s 20-7 victory at Stadium. The Hawks hit seven home runs with Nolan Wosman going 5 for 5 with two home runs and four runs scored. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent…
Read MoreHawks eliminate any hope Bulldogs created by winning final three innings of series opener
QUINCY — It’s a simple philosophy with proven results. Win the inning. “I don’t know if you can hear me in the dugout, but I’m always saying ‘win the inning,’” Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel said. “Whether we give up four or give up two or give up none, go win the inning. If…
Read MoreWalker bounces back with complete command, strikes out 10 in Hawks’ victory over Bulldogs
QUINCY — Spencer Walker paused as he searched for the most apropos way to describe his mindset when he took the mound Friday afternoon. “I can’t find the word,” he frustratedly said. He needed more than one. “I went out there with a little more of a chip on my shoulder,” Walker said. He pitched…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team opens weekend with 10-run rule victory over Truman State
QUINCY — Everyone got into the act. The Quincy University baseball team scored 12 runs over the final three innings Friday to post a 14-4, seven-inning victory over Truman State at QU Stadium. All nine of the Hawks in the lineup reached base, seven had hits and eight scored at least one run. Muddy River…
Read MoreSchuckman: Building camaraderie, talking basketball brings Hawks together with Curtis Creek residents
QUINCY — Being insulated by the borders of the Quincy University campus gives the men’s basketball players a sense of security, but it doesn’t offer many opportunities to embrace those who embrace the Hawks’ success. Those are things they long to do. “We’ve wanted to be more involved in the community,” junior guard Zion Richardson…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU men’s lacrosse team puts together second-half scoring outburst in victory
QUINCY — The Quincy University men’s lacrosse team scored seven goals in the third quarter Monday, erasing a one-goal halftime deficit and propelling itself to a 13-8 victory over Colorado State-Pueblo at QU Stadium. Quincy scored three times in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter. Neal Dardis tied the game at 5 off…
Read MoreHawks rattle bats, score 30 runs in sweeping doubleheader from Miners
QUINCY — When the Quincy University baseball team starts rattling the bats, there’s no slowing down the offense. The Hawks tagged nine Missouri S&T pitchers for a combined 30 runs in sweeping Sunday’s doubleheader at QU Stadium, winning 11-2 and 19-11 to take three of the four games in their first Great Lakes Valley Conference…
Read MoreWosman’s walk-off single allows Hawks to rebound and split GLVC doubleheader
QUINCY — What’s the best way to respond to a pummeling? Come back and deliver the final blow. The Quincy University baseball team is pretty good at finishing with a punch. After allowing the most runs in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game in at least two decades in a 20-10 loss, the Hawks salvaged…
Read MoreFormer QU ace Spraker earns victory out of bullpen for Great Britain in World Baseball Classic
QUINCY — The Fox Sports 2 broadcast team handling the play-by-play of Monday’s World Baseball Classic matchup between Colombia and Great Britain pointed out multiple times the number of professional scouts in attendance. If any are looking for a right-handed reliever, Graham Spraker may have piqued their interest. The former Quincy University ace came out…
Read MoreHawks’ Napleton picks up GLVC weekly honor after belting five home runs in series sweep
QUINCY — Luke Napleton’s first at-bat set the tone for quite a weekend that earned him Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week when all was said and done. The Quincy University baseball team’s junior catcher roped a line drive over Augustana center fielder Trevor Winterstein that turned into a triple thanks to his…
Read MoreHawks’ Zilinskas, Davis announce they have entered transfer portal, won’t return to QU
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University men’s basketball players have entered the transfer portal. Junior guard Paul Zilinskas and redshirt freshman forward Connor Davis announced their decisions on social media last week. Zilinskas, a 6-foot-5 swingman from , was the Hawks’ third leading scorer, averaging 10.9 points while shooting 42 percent from the field…
Read MoreWalking away a winner: Parks’ four-RBI effort powers Hawks to sweep of Vikings
QUINCY — Zach Parks didn’t find himself in an all-or-nothing situation, but the absence of an on-deck hitter behind him suggested it. When the Quincy University left fielder went to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday, two scenarios existed. If he collected a hit…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team completes three-game sweep of Augustana
QUINCY — Seven combined shutout innings from four pitchers and a four-RBI effort from the No. 9 hitter propelled the Quincy University baseball team to a 10-0 victory over Augustana on Saturday at QU Stadium and a three-game sweep of the Vikings. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman hung out at the windy, cold stadium…
Read MoreShutout innings from starters, gobble-it-up defense carry Hawks to doubleheader sweep
QUINCY — Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel picked up the walkie talkie used to relay messages to the bullpen but hesitated before hitting the call button. “I was like, ‘Do I say it? Do I not say it? Do I say it? Do I not say it?’” he said. “The whole time I’m thinking,…
Read MoreQU baseball notebook: Triple in first at-bat gets Napleton close to hitting for cycle
QUINCY — Luke Napleton wasn’t stopping for anyone or anything. In the bottom of the first inning in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader, the Quincy University baseball team’s junior catcher rifled a ball over the head of Augustana center fielder Trevor Winterstein that reached the warning track. Although third base coach Chandler Purcell threw…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team sweeps doubleheader from Augustana
QUINCY — The nationally ranked Quincy University baseball team hit six home runs and got scoreless outings from its starting pitchers in sweeping a doubleheader from Augustana (S.D.) on Friday at QU Stadium, winning both games 7-2. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the afternoon at QU Stadium and created this photo gallery:
Read MoreCrim: NCAA rejects QU’s appeal to allow freshman to swim at Division II national championships
QUINCY — The NCAA Division II swimming and diving national championships begin Tuesday in Indianapolis. Quincy University freshman Wyatt Walsh, one of the country’s best in both the 200- and 400-yard individual medley, should be competing. But he’s not. You see, Division II swimming and diving teams are required to have a minimum of eight…
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