Coaches' Blog

Blogger: Steve Jenkins, Head Men's Basketball Coach
Date: 2/3/2012

Down The Stretch They Come

Only 7 regular-season HAAC games remain as the 2011-12 season enters the stretch run. It's hard to believe that we're already in February and in just over 3 weeks we'll begin the conference tournament. Our team took a roller coaster ride in January, winning 5 and losing 3 HAAC games, and falling from first place into a 3-way tie for second with Baker and Avila. But the last two of those 3 losses were by a single point. Even in the 12-point loss at Avila, Evangel led 58-50 with 9:00 min to go in the game, only to get outscored 29-9 to finish the game. Even a small break in either of the one-point losses could have meant the difference between first place and the 3-way tie for second in which we find ourselves. But there is still plenty of basketball left. We just don't have any margin for error if we want to win the regular season title.

We have about 3 concerns regarding our play that were especially noticeable in the three losses. Getting out-rebounded by 19, 11, and 13 boards in those losses is the obvious culprit. Secondly, our interior defense, especially our help defense, really let us down. That led to way too many easy baskets by our opponents. Our defensive FG% rose from 37.9% to 41%. The third issue revolves around a breakdown in our offensive game plan. Our motion offense depends on great screens and cuts and very little 1 on 1 play. When we share the ball and play very unselfishly and with good patience, we break down the opponent's defense and get some very easy shots cutting to the basket. But when we just dribble-drive and play 1 on 1, everyone stops moving and just watches the player with the ball. Good motion stops and we are easily guarded. Consequently, we don't get as many easy and/or open shots, and we struggle to win. I know we haven't totally solved these problems, but we do have a better understanding of what the problems are.

We are approaching the stretch run as if every game is a HAAC Tournament game. If we have any aspirations of winning the league, that is almost the truth. But the only team we can worry about is us. If we play well, I like our chances.

Blogger: Jerry Breaux, Head Softball Coach
Date: 2/2/2012

2012 Season Has Arrived!

Softball season is finally here! We are anxious to play and get our season going. This is the earliest we've opened our season on Feb. 3. But it feels good not to have long indoor workouts to get out and start playing.

Our team is ready to go and ready to play. We had an excellent fall season that has carried into now and our energy is positive and high.

We travel this coming weekend to Arkadelphia, Arkansas for a weekend series against Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University. This is our first series meeting ever with Ouachita while we have do a brief history of playing Henderson. We are 3-1 with HSU having first played in 1999 and then in 2009. Let's hope the weather cooperates so we can play and open our 2012 campaign.

Right now our team is 18 strong with only 1 injury to freshman Brooke Jett. She had surgery on her foot back in November and currently rehabing and making progress. We hope for Brooke to be able to get back in the swing of things with us sometime after our spring break trip in March. For now, everyone else is good to go. Let the season begin!!

Blogger: Debbie De Almeida, Women's Tennis Coach
Date: 2/1/2012

Starting the 11-12 Spring Season!

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I updated you on all things tennis so I thought I would take some time and let you know what is happening so far at the start of our Spring semester.

First, we welcomed a new player to our team, Aquila Gustave! She is from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia. She is our first recruit from area of the world. We are excited for the depth she can bring to our line up.

We have also been busy recruiting for next year and the year after next. Our true desire is to find Christian players that want play tennis in a Christian environment. We are a competitive team and we have fun along the way! If you are interested, please contact me and we can start the discussion.

The focus of our season is on integrity. Integrity with our efforts both on and off the court. I think whenever a person gives all that they have win or lose they actually WIN! Last weekend we went and worked on some team building and mental toughness activities taking part of the Leadership Ranch's Ropes Course. The girls spent four hours working through tough tasks and learned a lot about themselves and also their teammates. The goal of this was to allow the girls to have a challenge outside of the tennis court that would be a lesson to take with them on the court. The girls scaled a 12 foot wall as well as walked across a rope 30 feet up from the ground...it was a great experience for all! Check out our Facebook fan page (EVANGEL UNIVERSITY TENNIS) to see some pictures from our Ropes Course experience!

This semester we are also giving ourselves to service! Evangel University Tennis is taking part of a once a month one-on-one tennis academy in partnership with Cooper Tennis Complex with 14 local girls throughout Southwest Missouri. We will be working with the same girls through March and it has been great so far! It is our Big Sister/Little Sister tennis program and it will become an annual event. Special thanks to our volunteer assistant coach, Ben Whitacre for helping organize this! Pictures are also on our Facebook fan page so I hope you will LIKE our tennis page and stay updated with what we are doing. We update our Facebook page often!

We have our season opening matches happening on February 24-25 and then the next weekend we will be heading to Orlando, Florida to play some strong NAIA and NCAA Division II teams during our week long stay in Orlando.

Okay, that is it for now...stay connected to Evangel University Tennis through our Facebook fan page and our blogs here on the Evangel website.

Talk to you soon!

Coach Debbie

Email Coach DeAlmeida

Blogger: Dawn Neal, Assistant Coach
Date: 2/1/2012

Pressing On

One thing this team has is stick-to-it-ness. One of the most important qualities of a team player is to be have an element of never giving up. We lost 2 close games this last week and what I see in the team in practice is a desire to work. With that mentality we will surely come through this tough time and get back to the winning ways that this program has known for over 20 years. This group of wonderful young women are learning many valuable life lessons and the most important lesson of all is to come through tough times even stronger than you were when you started. We have 2 home games this week and we are hard at work trying to get better to put ourselves in a place to compete every second of each game. When faced with difficult times it is important to keep pressing on.

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 1/19/2012

Spring Practice Begins

Having a great week of weather to start the season. The extended forecast even looks great. Guys are working hard getting ready for our February 3rd season opener at William's Baptist. Keep this weather coming Lord! Love it!

Blogger: Steve Jenkins, Head Men's Basketball Coach
Date: 12/14/2011

Christmas Break

Good win at Baker last week 69-53. Zack Kleine, 22 points/9 rebounds, put on a clinic that landed him HAAC Player of the Week. That's 3 weeks in a row that Evangel players have been honored (Stephen Cotten won the award the two previous weeks). Off now until Dec. 29-30, when we play Faulkner University (AL) and Emmanuel University (GA) at the Webber International Winter Classic in Babson Park, FL. We did practice 4 times during final exam week, which concluded Dec. 13. Hopefully our guys will work out several times on their own the next 12 days and stay in some kind of reasonable shape as we play two good teams down in Florida. Our next home game is our next conference battle as we play Missouri Valley College on Thursday, January 5. Make plans to be there. We will need all the crowd support we can muster, since classes don't resume until Jan. 11, and our students won't be on campus.

Have a Blessed Christmas and remember the reason for the season as you enjoy the holidays.

Blogger: Dawn Neal, Assistant Women's Basketball
Date: 12/10/2011

2-1 in HAAC before Christmas Break

We have just finished another tough non-conference schedule in November. We still have 3 more non-conference games over the Christmas Break: Dec. 14 at Union in Jackson TN. and 2 games at the SNU Classic Dec. 28-29 in Bethany OK. Those games allow our team to play over the break so that we don't have too much down time. The team has a few days off for finals and then we will practice to get ready for the Union game on Dec. 14. The non-conference schedule prepared us for the physical play that we would meet in the first 3 HAAC games. We are 2-1 in the HAAC and working hard to get better every day. Our Emily Akins freshman point guard from Parkview High School won the HAAC player of the week award. We play again at home on January 5 vs. Missouri Valley College. Come out and watch us play. May the Lord bless you this Christmas season. We have a team verse that we quote after every game we play and I think it is fitting to quote it right now: "Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever"

Blogger: Steve Jenkins, Men's Basketball Coach
Date: 12/6/2011

Good Start for Crusaders

It's hard to believe that we've already played 12 games of the 2011-12 basketball season. Our record currently stands at 9-3 overall, and 2-0 in the HAAC, with an important road game at Baker University on Wednesday, Dec. 7, the only game remaining on our schedule prior to Christmas. Our guys have played very well thus far when many people thought we were going to suffer through a re-building year. After all, we did graduate five really good seniors from last year's team. But our recruiting class and our returning players have really gelled together into an outstanding team. To look at us warming up, we certainly don't strike fear in our opponents. We are NOT a good airport team. We don't stand head and shoulders above everybody else. But when we play as hard as we can, we are pretty good. We have had only one very poor game (at C of O where we lost by 13), but we avenged that loss two weeks later with a 26-point home win over the Bobcats. We lost by three at NCAA D-II, SBU, and NCAA D-II Emporia State beat us in overtime. We really could have won both games, but we did get better as a team by playing those two opponents.

The first NAIA rating came out yesterday and Evangel was ranked #14 in NAIA Div. I, our highest national rating ever in Div. I. But ratings really don't matter much, especially at this time of year. We just need to keep improving each day, and all that other stuff will take care of itself.

If you haven't seen us play, take in a game. I think you will enjoy watching our guys play. Have a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 11/16/2011

Off-Season Workouts

Even though our guys are in the off-season, that does not mean there work stops. In fact, it may get tougher.

Each Monday/Wednesday/Friday, our guys are up and at 'em at 6:00 AM. These days include weight lifting and core workouts. All lifts are baseball specific, designed with baseball movements in mind.

Tuesday/Thursday's, are days our players will focus on speed, agility, and conditioning. Each player is being pushed to the limit and getting better physically on these days.

This schedule will continue after Christmas break up until our first official practice in late January. We are seeing some big improvements in these areas from players and we are excited to see how that will translate on the baseball field in the spring.

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 10/12/2011

Fall World Series: Game 2

WOW!!!!...what a contest Game 2 was! Like Game 1, Game 2 went into extra innings and came down to the last at bat.

With Matt Myers (Team Yates) and Mason Holliday (Team Warner) on the mound, Team Yates again jumped out on top with an RBI single in the top of the 1st. Team Warner answered back with their own run in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI single by Christian Maciel.

Team Yates came up with another run in the 4th on an RBI single by Mike Jankowski to go up 2-1. But things stayed pretty quiet with great starting and relief pitching on both sides, until the bottom of the 7th. With two outs and the game tying run on 3B (Chris Beasley), Seth Bailey came up with a single to put the game into extra innings. Team Warner actually had the bases loaded with a chance to win, but Kevin Martin got Sam Garrison to fly out to end the threat.

Nick Moore got a big strikeout to end the top of the 8th inning and set up an exciting bottom of the 8th. After Martin got a pop up to start the inning, Storm Bailey bunted for a hit and stole 2B. A strikeout and 2 walks loaded the bases with two outs and put Brandon Cobb at the plate. After a pitching change, Cobb singled to center field to end the game at 3-2 and tie up the series 1-1.

Today's game will put Josh Engler (Team Yates) on the mound against

Sam Garrison (Team Warner). After two extra inning games, I'm excited to see what today's game holds.

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 10/11/2011

Fall World Series: Game 1

Monday was the start of our annual Fall World Series. Managers of the two teams are senior Chad Yates and junior Luke Warner. Both mangers sent quality starters to the mound for Game One in Blake McKnight (Team Yates) and Clint Horn (Team Warner).

Team Yates jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a lead-off triple by Wes Clay, followed up by run scoring singles by Jacob Garrison and Chad Yates. But that is all Team Yates got off Horn. He settled in after the first inning and retired 13 batters in a row before he was replaced in the 6th inning.

Team Warner played strong defense after the first inning and started chipping away on the scoreboard. They came up with a run scoring single by Kenji Corbisiero after a Mike Headlee double in the 4th inning. They picked up another run in the 5th inning on a RBI ground out by Storm Bailey that scored Seth Bailey.

The score stayed tied (2-2) through extra innings into the 8th because of some great relief pitching by Koby Gaddis (Team Yates) and Sam Garrison (Team Warner).

In the bottom of the 8th, Mike Jankowski reached second base after a ground ball and an overthrow at first base. Relief pitcher Nick Moore then got the next two outs and looked like Team Warner was going to get out of it and send it into the 9th. But Cody Johnson blooped a single over Mike Headlee's (2B) head that scored Jankowski from second base for the game winner and a 3-2 victory.

Game Two will start Tuesday at 3:30 with Team Yates sending Matt Myers to the mound. Team Warner will counter with Mason Holliday going to the hill. Results will be posted tomorrow.

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 10/10/2011

2011 Alumni Baseball Game

A good group of baseball alumni showed up Friday for the 2011 Alumni Baseball Game. Decades that were represented were the 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's, and even 4 players from last year's graduating class. Most of the alumni looked like they had never left the field as they represented themselves very well at the plate, on defense, and especially on the mound.

We appreciate our alumni here at EU and really love to see them come back and be part of the program.

Blogger: Brenton Illum, Head football coach
Date: 10/10/2011

Homecoming / Graceland game

We won an exciting game in front of an energetic homecoming crowd this past Saturday. The 27-21 win over Graceland was the first homecoming win for Evangel in four years.

Our players of the week for this game are as follows:

Offense - Kingjack Washington, running back

Defense - Preston Henry, defensive end

Special Teams - Drew O'Cain (kicker) and Sam Guillaume (linebacker)

Big hit award - Sam Guillaume, linebacker

Scout Offense - Jordan Pierce, offensive line

Scout Defense - Ja'Tavious Miller, linebacker

Blogger: Dawn Neal, Assistant women's basketball
Date: 10/6/2011

Off to a great start

Aug. 27 the team went to the Leadership Ranch in Republic Missouri to work together on a low ropes course that strengthens a groups ability to communicate and work together in tough situations. We had a great time and it was very enlightening to us as coaches to see how these young ladies already have a commitment to one another. I guess playing all summer in the Pro-Am league has helped them to get to know one another on a cohesive level. I am so looking forward to working with this group of girls this season. We have 7 new players and 7 returning players. Several of the new players are Springfield and Area standout athletes: Emily Akins from Parkview HS, Ciara Eastwood - Fair Grove, Jordan Graham - Kickapoo, and Amanda Landolt-Kickapoo. Torie Grayson from Plano Texas, and 2 JUCO players: Sierra McSpadden and Jaimee Sheilds form Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. These new players will help our team to be successful on many levels. We are looking forward to great things from our returning players: Kara Blankenship a 3 time HAAC 2nd team member, Jayme Chapman, Jessica Rumfelt Jessica Pickett, Kristin Link, Jessica Fransen, and Kasey Painter. We will continue to work hard to put the best defensive/offensive team together each game. They are all learning to do what it takes to be committed to something that is bigger than themselves and that is TEAM

The team was able to be involved in 2 Community Service opportunities this fall. We went into the Weller community to help paint some houses all day on Sat. Sept. 7, 2011 and we helped to teach basketball skills to some local elementary age girls on Sept. 22, 2011 for a couple of hours. It is important that we all give back to our communities and this was our way of doing that this year. Check out the Evangel University Women's Basketball Facebook page for pictures.

We had a tough, but productive preseason. Our conditioning is beginning to allow us to practice hard each day. We look forward to a successful inseason in October to be ready for a tough Non-conference schedule in November. Conference play begins on December 1, 2011. I hope you all will come watch us play or listen the games on the radio/internet. Check out the website for steps to listen online :www.evangel.edu

Blogger: Lance Quessenberry, Head Baseball Coach
Date: 10/5/2011

Final Fall Scrimmage

We finished up our fall season yesterday with a game against North Arkansas College. There was a lot of improvement from our first scrimmage last week, especially at the plate.

The team scored 18 runs and banged out 24 hits in 15 innings of play. Big days were put in by Nathan Jones (3 for 5 with 4 RBI), Christain Maciel (4 for 8 with 4 RBI, 2 2B,and a HR), Jake Garrison (4 for 6 with 2 2B), Cody Johnson (4 for 5 with 3 runs scored), and Storm Bailey (3 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 4 SB).

Pitching was solid again giving up 8 runs (7 earned) with 10 k's and only 1 BB in 15 innings of work. Matt Myers and Clint Horn both led the way giving up only 1 earned run each in 4 innings of work.

Defense was better with only 3 errors on the day with 66 chances. Nathan Ervin and Jacob Garrison both made outstanding defensive plays during the day.

After the alumni game this Friday, the team will finish up the fall with the Fall World Series. Teams will be chosen and we will play the best 3 out of 5. Check back for updates on these games next week.

Blogger: Brenton Illum, Head football coach
Date: 10/3/2011

Players of the week - Benedictine

We suffered a tough loss last Saturday against one of the best teams in the NAIA, but there were a lot of good lessons learned as we try to build our team to their level.

Our players of the week this week are:

Offense - Caleb Walker, Wide Receiver

Defense - Taber Cheo, Linebacker

Special Teams - Sam Guillaume, Linebacker

Big Hit Award - Sam Guillaume, Linebacker

Scout Offense - Kory Woods, Offensive Line

Scout Defense - Dakotah McPherson, Defensive Line