What a Start to Summer

By John Scognamiglio

Just a couple of weeks into summer vacation (almost over for me with summer school looming), the landscape of sports has seen it all.

NFL: Reggie Bush is going to wear #25 for New Orleans. Once again, the No Fun League has overstepped its bounds and decided to be the overbearing father figure. There is no problem with Reggie Bush, a superb running back, wearing #5. This is a young man making all the right moves with the Saints and the City of New Orleans. He said he would have donated 25% of his jersey sales to New Orleans charities. He told his agent that he will not be a holdout. The smallest thing the NFL can do for him is to allow him to wear #5. Reggie Bush is going to become not only one of the all-time great running backs, but probably one of the all-time great professional sports humanitarians.

NBA: I watched with glee the Bulls dynasty of the 90s. I have never seen in my life a better basketball playoff season than this one. In fact, I would say this is the second greatest postseason playoffs that I have ever witnessed (number one being the 2004 Major League Baseball Playoffs). We saw the heir-apparent, Lebron James, almost shock the Pistons out of the playoffs. We almost saw an LA team make the West Finals, and oh yeah, it was the Clippers. We questioned how Steve Nash could win an MVP this year with the seasons that LBJ and Kobe had, and saw how Kobe responded with that ill dunk on Nash in that series. Well, Nash is still playing and playing at such a high level right now. We saw quite possibly the greatest basketball seven game series ever, with the Dallas Mavericks taking down the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs 4-3. Even my sports-writing idol, Bill Simmons, considers this a rebirth of the NBA. David Stern must be smiling with glee.

MLB: Albert Pujols. Even if I weren't a Cardinals fan, I would have to admit this guy is having a special season. Pujols is not just a homerun hitter. This is a guy who is threatening to become baseball's all-time greatest hitter. I don't know about greatest player since we do live in a baseball world that predicates itself on offensive stats. This season has already had some great surprises. The Detroit Tigers are on top of baseball only a few years removed from 119 losses. And in that season of 119 losses, they had a pitcher who lost 20 games and a pitcher who almost lost 20 games. Well, Mike Maroth is at 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA and he lost those 20 games. Jeremy Bonderman, who almost lost 20 games, is 5-3 with a 4.57 ERA. The Tigers keep winning and currently have the best record in baseball. Only three teams have 30+ wins so far, and they are Central Division teams, two in the American League. You can't talk about the Tigers without talking about their division rivals the Chicago White Sox, and you can't talk about the White Sox without talking about Jim Thome. Jim Thome has made a resounding return to the American League, bashing out 18 homeruns.

This has been a great start to summer and we still have a few months to go.

Time to update

-Ross Houston

Hi all. I know I've been gone a while, but I'm finally back in the States. London and Europe were absolutely amazing. I got to really see what else this giant blue sphere had to offer. I learned so much about other people and their cultures -- it is an experience I will never forget. If you would like to read about some of my travels, go to my blog.

Although my adventures abroad were amazing, I can't help but feel that I missed out from a unique second semester of Truman sporting world, most notably men's basketball finishing the season with 20 wins (a feat I once thought I would never see here at Truman) and women's swimming winning a record-shattering 6th straight national crown.

Don't get me wrong, I followed along with the seasons via gobulldogs.truman.edu and had the pleasure of viewing some webcasts from across the pond ("you know you're obsessed with Truman sports when ..."). However, having Joseph Barker tell me about the atmosphere at the men's b-ball games against Emporia State and Northwest Missouri State just wasn't the same as actually being there.

But, like the Cub fan I am -- yes, I'm still a Cub fan -- I always think about next year. So seeing that sports at Truman is pretty much concluded (other than the DII Track Championships, where Bridgette Carpenter, Jacquie Faust and Sean Bergstedt will be competing), here are some of my thoughts and predictions for fall 2006 sports at Truman. Right now, I only have time for football and volleyball, but I will get to the rest later.

Football: Yikes. I tried being optimistic last year, thinking that the team would improve, much like the basketball team has. I was wrong. Next year, will Truman football be the surprise of the year? Upon viewing the 68-0 scoreline in the spring game, my initial reaction was "Yes!" However, then it hit me -- Truman's second team put up absolutely no points and allowed 68. Like I said, "yikes." So, I'm praying that head coach Shannon Currier plays only his first team 'O' and 'D' for every minute for the entire season. Not likely however. Predicted record: 3-8, with wins versus the University of Minnesota State-Mankato, Southwest Baptist, and the newly-added MIAA team Fort Hayes State.

Volleyball: This gets me excited. Skoch has been working his butt off replacing the graduated middle hitters, and in my personal opinion, has succeeded. We have TWO Div. I transfers playing middle. I repeat: TWO DIV. I TRANSFERS. And they're TALL, something this team severely lacked last year. Allie Cherven, a transfer from the University of Pittsburgh, is 6'2 and Lisa Weber, who played at the University of Tennessee-Martin, is 6'1. These two middles, combined with the other talent Skoch has brought in and the returning first team All-Americans, Sarah Shearman and Kelsey Wackerman, equals big things for the volleyball team. Predicted record: 32-1, the 1 coming from either Barry University or UNA (but with Ferretti gone, I think we can dismantle the Lions), and probably the best chance for this team to win its first ever national championship in the history of Truman Volleyball.

Softball is Still Alive

By John Scognamiglio

Well, after the first day of play in the MIAA tournament, a tournament the 'Dogs need to win to get to the NCAA tournament, the squad is still in the hunt.

Game one was the Hickory Stick battle with Northwest Missouri State. In the team's regular season meeting, the Bulldogs dropped a pair of tough 1-0 losses to the Bearcats. Senior Loni Wedemeier took the mound against the Bearcat ace Nicole Krueger. However, today was no Nightmare on Elm Street for the team as they beat the Bearcats 3-0, with Wedemeier going the distance.

Shortstop Hallie Blackney did the most damage in the third inning where the 'Dogs took a 2-0 lead. With Kate Noski on second and Wedemeier on first with two outs, Blackney took Krueger to left field on a double, scoring Noski and Wedemeier. That was more than enough for the Bulldog ace, as she scattered four hits and struck out seven.

The Bulldogs were the only lower-seeded team to advance into the good half of the second round. Their reward, Missouri Western. In the regular season, the team lost both games to Missouri Western in St. Joseph by scores of 6-3 and 5-3.

Wedemeier strolled back to the mound for game two to take on the Griffons Kristi Warnecke. The Griffons struck first, scoring one run in the top of the first. The damage could have been more disastrous, but Wedemeier worked around the bases loaded to keep the score 1-0.

The 'Dogs struck back in the bottom of the second. Wedemeier led off the inning with a walk and a stolen base when Blackney laid down a sacrifice bunt to get Wedemeier to third base with one out. Wedemeier scored on a wild pitch with Kelly Walsma at the dish to even the score 1-1.

The Griffons would have the last laugh though. With two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Wedemeier gave up a home run to right fielder Lindsey Rizzuti (maybe a distant relative of former Yankee Phil Rizzuto).

With the score at 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the 'Dogs needed some help. Blackney responded by leading off the inning with a double to center field. After a pop out by Walsma, Gina Walsh walked to put runners on first and second with one out. It was not meant to be though, as Ashlie Miller lined out to third base and Lindsey Rock grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.

With the loss, the Bulldogs found themselves in the losers bracket taking on Central Missouri State. Finally, the Bulldogs found an opponent in the tournament that they had beaten in the regular season, a 2-0 decision following a 3-2 loss all the way back on April 8.

Once again, the opposing team struck first. Walsma got the start in the game and worked through two solid innings. In the third inning, the Jennies struck. Kristy Furrer led off the inning with a double to right field. After a sacrifice bunt, the Jennies capitalized on a Bulldog error scoring Furrer.

The Bulldogs had a quick reply, though. In the bottom half of the inning, Miller and Rock led off the inning with back to back singles. When Mary Kate Thierault was caught stealing, a pair of Jennies errors opened the door. With the bases loaded with one out, Kate Noski reached first on a fielder's choice scoring Christen Belcher and Lindsey Rock.

After the Jennies tied the score in the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs answered with three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ashley McDougal picked up the win, going the last three and two-thirds innings as the Bulldogs survived day one of the MIAA tournament 5-2.

The Bulldogs open up Saturday at noon still on the loser's half of the bracket, but in the semifinals of that bracket. Their opponent: those Bearcats from Northwest Missouri. For all softball fans, I wish the team good luck on and hope they kick some butt.