Missouri State University - Ozarko Yearbook (Springfield, MO)

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Bruin Baseball Our ultimate goal in 1975 will be the same as it is yearly, this being to win the MIAA conference, said head coach Bill Rowe. The Bears fell one game short in 1974 with an 8-4 record. There are several gaps that need to be filled due to graduation. The biggest holes are at shortstop and catcher. Another area that has to be strengthened and was the Bruins biggest down- fall in 1974 was consistency from starting pitch- ers. SMSU has several pitchers returning and has strengthened its pitching staff with the addi- tion of both pitchers from junior colleges and enteringfreshmen. Three of the main guns back this year are out- fielder Bob Blakley, and infielders Bob McCulloch and Rod Towe. Blakley was an All-Conference first team selection as well as All-District and All- American, as he had a phenomenal freshman year by hitting .440 and cracking out 8 home runs. McCulloch who hit .343 in 1974, is another All-Conference first team selection and was moved to second base this season. Towe was a second team All-Conference selection and hit .369 with 4 home runs. Other returning starters are first baseman Gus Henry, and outfielders Curt Wimberley and Larry Plaster. Bob Blakley exhibits batting form which produced eight home runs in his 1974 season. Front Row: Leroy Eggert, Harold Beasley, Bobby McCulloch, Randy Towe, Karl Loughary, Terry Kasper, Mike Hill. 2nd Row: Chuck Filtz, Bob Blakley. Stean Thornton, Kent Holt, Keith Hadler, David Realmuto, Lyndall Magers, Andy Newton, Tom Emery, Curt Wimberley. 3rd Row: Coach Bill Rowe, Randy Winston, Curt Rogers, Terry Hough, David Oatman, Sam Miller, Mike Weber, Wade Palmer, Steve Becker, Larry Plaser.

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three-year 3 n ' F Defense- Strong Im Bears Show Preston of :gan an d we received opson has 1 all-MIAA I in 1972 l the same negan was le mention elected by two weeks f Hopson ack Dave l8l. ly the public's Q974 Bears. opener will it Emporia im. intrasquad Il. lgh game starts 20. The irst College. s SMSU has said Dinka, , a losing should be joining the l, since the ll not be J. nts should rssions each : field west lf Team is set for p.m. on ld Arena. men are golf coach mgs. Entries are available now in the Intramural Office for: Swimming and Diving, due 5 p.m. in IM Office, Sept. 6g event Sept. 12 at the SMSU pool. Flag Football, due 5 p.m. in IM Office, Sept. 93 tournament starts Sept. 16 in the west field. Golf, due 5 p.m. in IM Office, Sept. 18: tournanient Sept. 23. Men: Silers Golf Course Women: Oscar Bloom Golf Course Sailing, due 5 p.m. in CU 105, Sept. 55 races every Sunday at Fellows Lake. The Intramural program has a new head. john Harper is a recent graduate of Indiana University, where he received a Masters degree, specializing in inbtramural sports administration. The most important thing in an intramural program, said Harper, is student involvement. It is for them, and the more they use it, the better. It's important that they have the opportunity to participate. Sailing is the newest intramural event at SMSU. Sparked by student interest in the recently-initiated sailing class, a series of Sunday aftemoon boat races on Fellows Lake has been added to the IM calendar. Contestants who do not belong to the SMSU Sailing Club or are not enrolled in a sailing class must pay a S15 boat use fee. Marsha Bilyue will collect these fees in CU 105. The boats used in the races are 14-foot Flying juniors, owned by the CU. The skipper of each craft must have a I-Ielrnsman rating fcertification is available through either the club or the classl. Races will begin at 2 p.m. each Sunday aftemoon, starting Sept. 8, and will continue each week until the weather gets too bad to continue Qlate October or early Novemberl. Two special regattas will be held on Saturdays, one in September and the other in October. A special S2 fee is required for these events. Applications are now available in the IM office for IM supervisors, officials, and judicial board positions. Soccer Bears Down Evangel ln Tourney By Kevin Kileullin The Soccer Bears put together their best team effort of the season this past weekend while playing in the Evangel College Soccer Tournament, beating the host school 4-1 for the championship. On Friday the Bears played Missouri Southern, who was supposed to be a scoring powerhouse, since they have scored 89 goals this year. As the game progressed the Bears lw the Mo. Southem oi' scoreless. Meanwhile, the offense errupted for seve. and romped over N Southern 7-0. Leading the scoring for Bears was Steve Roosken and Bill Droege with two goals each. The game also marked the fourth shut-out of the season for goalie Mike Gavosto. This was undoubtedly our looked as though it could go either way. Then late in the half, an SMSU defender was called for a pushing foul and Evangel was awarded a free kick. Evangel scored on the kick and took a l-0 lead at the half. The game was a complete turnaround in the second half. Within minutes Bill Droege scored his Vi:-' S i .l- Head Football Coach Don Cross believes this year's defense should be the strongest it has been in his six seasons at the SMSU helm. Cross and his defensive assistants - line coach Harry Taylor and secondary coach Danny McNamara - were encouraged during spring practice because the defensive unit was returning virtually intact from 1973. Much of the difficulty on defense last year was a long series of injuries, said Cross. This hampered the defensive manpower, particularly in the interior line and the secondary. The area hardest hit by graduation was the end Cross Country position, but Cross , praise for the early wo people taking over thc St. Louis sophomi Shoffner, a cox linebacker, and jc sophomore Brad Boda running with the first u We expect 2 improvement in our er said Cross. Shoffner well in his return position he used 1 Bodarner is not as quicl just doesn't makr mistakes out there. The Bears have p beef at the tackle sp 240-pound Lebanon Rusty Shadel and 2' SL Louis junior Don working with the first SMSU to Host National M SMSU has received final approval from the National Collegiate Athletic Association to host the 1974 NCAA Division II Championship Cross Country Meet. The event will be run Nov. 16 at Grandview Municipal Golf Course starting at 10:30 a.m. It will be a five-mile race with more than 250 runners participating from nearly 30 tCamS. This year's meet is the seventeenth since cross country was added for the College Division in 1958. It is also the first to be held away from the Chicago Country Club. Wheaton College has been the host school for the 16 previous meets. Cross country will become 'a-rt for which f NCAA sronrs ' blkr ., to make it Jer. . . tallied his second goal of the game to put the Bears completely out of reach of .l ...cssee X lpate in the Q-..-.npnis State University Tournament. Action begins at 6 p.m. and also runs tomorrow. Accordinll to Coach Linda competition, and the which the national t been at stake. SMSU hosted the fil NCAA College Divisit Championships in 1962 and 1965, and the fi NCAA College Division World Series, 1968-197 has also hosted seven basketball regional tour' Last year was the 1 the College Division wa into Division Il and separate meets held f country. The Division was captured by Soutl State University with 8 SMSU was a close secr 93. SMSU Athletic Aldo Sebben will I director for the nation He will be assisted b cross country coach I-Iunsaker. Women Nlemphi having a successful sf real good, said Coac We lost a good sl year. But this year we height. With the team five and a half feet, will have a rea

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,-5. , fs Upper Left: Rod Towe prepares for a double play as Randy Magers runs over to help. Upper Right: Rod Towe swings for a hit. Lower Left: Pitcher Andy Newton looks for the signal as first baseman Gus Henry gets ready for the play. Lower Right: Bob McCulloch awaits his pitch.