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The Bears in Black and White

Posted by olabner on May 5, 2018May 5, 2018 in College, Missouri State, Photos

Missouri State and Kansas, in which a KU player climbed into the stands, apparently to defend a parent from the taunts of frat boys. The player and the parent stayed in the park, but the frat boys did not. Someone…

van horn

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn acts like a brat and I get compared to Jesus: perspectives on competitive fire in the rain

Posted by olabner on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017 in College, Missouri State, Photos

First I got compared to Jesus. Then it got weird. Arkansas defeated Missouri State in a 6-hour game punctuated by a rain delay and Hogs coach Dave Van Horn showing his tusks. I stood in the well alongside the Bears…

jeremy eierman

Learning words four letters at a time: a day at the ballpark

Posted by olabner on May 29, 2017May 30, 2017 in College, Missouri State

I wandered into the stadium at 10 a.m. on Sunday. After spending years volunteering with Lutherans I have plenty of prayer credit. Oh, the Lord’s name came up today. Missouri State played Illinois State once more, and though it appeared…

bears dugout

Observing a crisis in the ninth: Illinois State rallies vs. Missouri State

Posted by olabner on May 28, 2017 in College, Missouri State

The best closer in the conference, Bryan Young, enters the bottom of the 9th with a six-run lead for Missouri State. He already threw 48 pitches in the first game against Indiana State, retiring 8 hitters. This opponent, Illinois State,…

Nine walks over 2 innings: finding empathy for college pitchers (Illinois State edition)

Posted by olabner on May 27, 2017May 27, 2017 in College, Missouri State

Colton Johnson must have thought about pitching in the postseason. Just months ago he carried his laptop to a dorm room. Maybe he ate an ice cream cone in a dining hall. He found the practice field. He played long toss…

Jake Burger makes me cry, and other impressions from Missouri State and Southern Illinois

Posted by olabner on May 25, 2017May 25, 2017 in College, Missouri State

It was 20 degrees warmer and a bit more sunny today. Missouri State played Southern Illinois, and in the first inning batter Ryan Smith hit a home run to left center. Then Greg Lambert hit one. The next inning, Will Farmer…

Wichita State and Southern Illinois play for 6 hours

Posted by olabner on May 25, 2017May 25, 2017 in College

The concrete floor is covered in rainwater, but only the ground below the first row of green chairs. I sit anyway. The 7:30 p.m. start of Missouri State and Illinois State – for which I rushed through celebratory grilled cheese…

Missouri State vs. Wichita State: the game turns

Posted by olabner on April 24, 2017April 27, 2017 in College, Missouri State, Photos

A baserunner The batter twists when the ball bruises his back. He jogs toward first base and stands up straight. He does not reach over his shoulder to hold the aching muscle. Instead he ignores it, speaking to the first base…

Loss (bottom of the 12th)

Posted by olabner on May 31, 2016April 27, 2017 in College, Missouri State

The catcher knelt in the dirt holding his face in his hands as if he’d lost something dear to him. In fact he lost the ball with two strikes as it bounced in the dirt and bounded to the right…

Head wound

Posted by olabner on May 23, 2016April 27, 2017 in College, Missouri State

Sean holds his aluminum bat level as the fastball reaches him and the ball dribbles down the chalk line the third baseman charges the plate until I can see triangles made of eye black dripping down his jaws. “Let it…

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