College Sports

Although the Missouri volleyball team is young, that hasn’t decreased the expectations placed on it.

Columbia College starts its sports year with a nationally ranked women’s volleyball team and a men’s soccer team looking to defend a conference championship.

Jennifer Mast was a little worried about her Rock Bridge softball team’s defense going into Wednesday night’s game against Smith-Cotton.

Former Missouri guard Ricky Clemons is enrolled in classes full time at the MU for the fall semester, the Office of the University Registrar confirmed Tuesday.

Clemons was released from Boone County Jail on Sunday afternoon after serving a 60-day sentence. Classes started Monday.

Mavericks manager Mark Schlosser finally walked out of Taylor Stadium a winner.

Grant Dorn threw seven strong innings, and the Mavericks capitalized on poor fielding to defeat Cook County 7-3 on Tuesday night. Schlosser had lost three straight home games since becoming manager Aug. 17 after Papo Davila resigned.

For the Missouri soccer team, a trip to Brazil was more than a chance to play more matches.

Not only was the trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil, a chance for the Tigers to prepare for the season, but it also was a trip that allowed the team to learn more about itself. The Tigers saw the second-largest city in the world and visited some of the sights.

Mike Sweeney and Aaron Guiel hit home runs and drove in four runs, leading Brian Anderson and the Kansas City Royals to a 9-2 win against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

Anderson, acquired in a trade with Cleveland on Monday, turned in a solid start as the Royals stayed one game behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Mark Prior allowed three hits in eight sharp innings, and Randall Simon and Aramis Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs in a six-run third inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-4 on Tuesday night.

The Cubs won for the third time in 14 games at Busch Stadium the past two seasons and moved a half-game ahead of the Cardinals for second in the NL Central. First-place Houston defeated Los Angeles 18-4 and is one-half game ahead of the Cubs. It was the first of eight games in 11 days between the rivals.

The Missouri football team can’t pronounce his last name, so it calls him “Ek.” By all accounts Ek is a quiet, unassuming, freshman receiver who has climbed up the depth chart as quickly as he runs the 40-yard dash.

His full name is Brad Ekwerekwu, and he’s a 6-foot-3, 190-pounder from Arlington, Texas, who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. He is No. 2 behind Darius Outlaw at one of the receiver positions and the only freshman on Missouri’s latest two-deep depth chart.

The Hickman softball team was pleasantly surprised.

The Kewpies won their first game of the season 2-1 Monday night against Warrensburg at Cosmopolitan Park.

Sometimes coaches have to act a little crazy.

With the reduction of two-a-day practices during preseason camp, some Big 12 Conference football coaches resorted to unorthodox methods to get their players’ attention.

The questions surrounding Missouri basketball recruit Linas Kleiza have been put to rest.

Kleiza, the marquee name in the Tigers’ 2003 recruiting class, has arrived on the MU campus and has registered for classes, Associate Athletic Director Sam Fleury confirmed Monday.

Pete Buck pitched eight strong innings for the first-place Gateway Grizzlies in a 5-3 victory over the Mid-Missouri Mavericks Monday in Sauget, Ill.

Buck allowed only four hits and one earned run while striking out six to improve to 10-7. Jimmy Reiter hit a home run for the Grizzlies.

UM system President Elson Floyd expanded the university’s investigation of Ricky Clemons to include the entire men’s basketball program Monday.

Floyd appointed former MU Faculty Council President Michael Devaney to take over the inquiry begun July 28 by the MU Athletic Department.

Add the Missouri football team’s Big 12 Conference championships (zero) to its wins against Nebraska in the past 25 years (zero) and that’s how many games outside safety Dedrick Harrington has started.

Harrington, a probable starter at rover when the Tigers play Illinois on Saturday, is one of several redshirt freshmen who might get significant playing time this season.

Former Missouri guard Ricky Clemons was released from Boone County Jail on Sunday after completing a 60-day sentence.

Clemons had been jailed for misdemeanor third-degree assault and false imprisonment of Jessica Bunge, his former girlfriend. Bunge said he choked her and prevented her from leaving his apartment in January. Clemons pleaded guilty in April. He will have two years of supervised probation.

Amid recent developments, including the start of an FBI investigation and the expansion of the NCAA’s inquiry, former Missouri guard Ricky Clemons will be released from Boone County Jail this afternoon.

Darius Outlaw has made some mistakes and gone through some hard times, but he doesn’t have any regrets. Just ask him, and he will gladly tell you all about it.

Balance has always been a major focus for Hickman football teams. With a young team this season, though, coach Gregg Nesbitt and the Kewpies will be challenged to achieve it.

Rick Bueltmann, Sue Gerard, Wendy Mertz Slifka, Marvin Malone and Amy Lodes Witte have something new in common.

They make up the inaugural class to be inducted into the Columbia College Athletic Hall of Fame on Oct. 3 at the Country Club of Missouri.