Truman Athletic News and Notes

Men's golf: Kovach headed to NCAA regionals

The men's golf team was not selected for the NCAA Super Regional this week. However, freshman Chris Kovach was invited to play as an individual at the tournament.

The NCAA selected six teams from the MIAA and two from the Northern Sun Conference. Truman finished the regular season in sixth place, but seventh-place Southwest Baptist University was selected over the Bulldogs. SBU finished ahead of Truman in the final two events of the regular season.

Kovach is one of five individuals selected to go to regionals. He finished the season with three top-10 finishes and was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year. He led the Bulldogs in six of nine events this season. The Super Regional tournament is May 13 to 16 in Findley, Ohio.

Softball: Team successful from top of lineup

The softball team has been settling into a familiar lineup as of late.

The last three games have seen the same hitters in the one through four spots in the lineup: senior Christen Belcher, sophomore Erica LaCombe, senior Kali Holleran and junior Dani Mayer.

Mayer usually has occupied the three spot this season, and junior Rebekah Shea usually has hit fourth. Belcher has batted leadoff every game this season.

The switch seems to have worked. The top four hitters accounted for five of the six runs during the weekend, and they compiled a .393 batting average.

"It worked really great this weekend with [Belcher] getting on base and me getting a base hit and bringing her around and then Kali bringing us in, or with Dani being the cleanup, her hitting us in," LaCombe said.

Belcher currently leads the team in on-base percentage, LaCombe is leading in sacrifices and Mayer is leading in runs batted in.

Baseball: Bulldogs approach loss record

The baseball team will need to pick up at least two wins this weekend to avoid setting a new school record for losses in a season.

The Bulldogs are 7-39 (5-27 in the MIAA), and are approaching the Truman record of 41 losses in 2000.

"Unfortunately ... we've struggled because we're in that learning process," head coach Dan Davis said. "I'll go to my grave saying that we've got a talented club. We're learning baseball right now."

Truman will host Northwest Missouri State University for a four-game series this weekend. The games are the Bulldogs' last of the season.

"Nobody really focuses on [the losses] because I think a lot of the guys are looking ahead, and they're seeing what we're going to be able to do because we are pretty young, but we have some really good talent so we are going to be able to do some good things," said Matt Herrick, freshman third baseman and pitcher.

Northwest Missouri, which is 26-21 (15-15 in the MIAA) this season, swept the Bulldogs in a four-game series last season.

Baseball: Sophomore outfielder rejoins team

Sophomore outfielder Brandon Pearl rejoined the baseball team for Tuesday's doubleheader against the University of Central Missouri.

Pearl had not been in uniform during the past two weeks and often attended the Bulldogs' games as a spectator.

Head coach Dan Davis declined comment on Pearl's return to the team. Davis also declined comment earlier this season as to why Pearl was not in uniform.

Pearl has not appeared in a game since an April 12 contest against Fort Hays State University. He is hitting .255 in 24 games and 16 starts this season. Pearl has two home runs and eight RBIs.