Softball 
It was another outstanding spring for the softball team as they closed out the 2012 campaign with a 42-13 record including an 18-2 MIAA mark, a runner-up finish in the MIAA Tournament and their sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in eight years.

Sophomore pitcher Jackie Bishop led the way for the Griffons once again. She held a 24-5 record with an ERA of 1.42 and broke her own school record for strikeouts in a season with 243.  Her 24 wins rank third all-time in a single season. For her efforts, she was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season, was the Daktronics All-Region Pitcher of the Year and was named a second team All-American.

At the plate, the Griffons batted .313 as a team in which 10 players held a batting average of .300 or higher. In addition to Jackie, 10 other softball players were recognized by the MIAA for their performances. Outfielder Maegan Roemmich was named to the first team as she hit .347 with four home runs and 22 RBI. Second team selections included second baseman Blair Stalder  and utility player Keri Lorbert and honorable mention selections went to pitcher Annalee Rubio, catcher Katherine Steponovich, first baseman Leah Steele, shortstop Taylor Anding, third baseman Sarah Elliott, outfielder Breanna Fleschner and outfielder Kendall Sorensen.

Baseball 
The 2012 edition of Griffon baseball was historic, as their second place league finish was the highest ever as an MIAA member. The Griffons were 34-17 overall and 26-12 in the MIAA.

Taking advantage of a stretch that saw the Griffons play five consecutive home series at the Spring Sports Complex in the month of March, the team ran off 10 consecutive wins, including a four-game sweep of then #11 ranked Missouri Southern. Other highlight victories included an early season road win against NCAA Tournament participant North Alabama, a series opening 8-3 road victory against Central Missouri who was ranked #2 nationally at the time, and a two-game sweep on the road against perennial MIAA power Emporia State.

The Griffons won their opening round game in the MIAA Tournament before falling to Central Missouri and Fort Hays State on day two.

Catcher Tony Loeffler was named to the Rawlings/ABCA Gold Glove Team and also named the Defensive Player of the Year for all of NCAA Division II. In 45 games this season, Tony did not make an error and had 227 putouts and 32 assists.

Individually, six Griffons were named to the All-MIAA Team. Pitcher Brandon Simmons was a first-team selection. Brandon tied the university’s single-season record for victories with 11, pitched 10 complete games and had an ERA of 1.94. First baseman Spencer Shockley was also named to the first team. He led the Griffs with a .402 batting average with six home runs and 35 RBI. Spencer also flashed a stellar glove in the field with a .992 fielding percentage.

Second team honors went to pitcher Nik Jurado, third baseman Grant Fink, and designated hitter Nate Rambler.

Women’s golf
One shot was all that separated the women’s golf team from adding a major piece of hardware to the trophy case, as the team finished second in the MIAA Golf Championship behind first place Fort Hays State. Junior Natalie Bird finished second individually with rounds of 79 and 81, which also placed her on the All-tournament team. She was also named to the All-MIAA team. In 11 events this past year, the team recorded two first places and five second-place finishes. The team returns all but one player for the 2012-13 seasons.

Men’s golf
A season of ups and downs ended on the highest “up” for the men’s golf team. The team closed out an inconsistent season finishing third in the MIAA Championships at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex in Smithville, Mo. The 291 team score shot in the final round was the lowest score recorded by the team this year. Individually, junior Tyler Gast had an outstanding tournament, finishing runner-up with rounds of 72, 73 and 70. Tyler was named to the All-MIAA team for his finish in the conference tournament and the three other MIAA point events during the season.

Women’s tennis
For the second consecutive year the tennis team won a postseason match, defeating Lincoln 5-0 in the opening round of the MIAA Tennis Championships at the Plaza tennis courts in Kansas City, Mo. Singles victories were recorded by Kayla Dysart and Katie Field, with duos Kayla Dysart and Ceara Boldridge, Katie Field and Nicole Kerr and Alicia Jenkins and Erin Ward winning their doubles matches.