The Chicago Cubs have optioned infielder Nico Hoerner and reliever Brad Wieck to Triple-A Iowa. Veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin has been released, and right-handers Shelby Miller, Pedro Strop and Trevor Megill have been assigned to minor league camp, along with outfielder Rafael Ortega.

Miller, Strop, Megill and Ortega were nonroster invitees to big league spring training. Hoerner, a first-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft out of Stanford, was in the mix for the starting job at second base. He had a strong spring, batting .361 with a homer and six RBIs.

Northwest Missouri State dominated No. 1 West Texas A&M to win the 2021 DII men’s basketball championship on Saturday. The Bearcats pulled away in the second half for an 80-54 win. It’s the third title for the Bearcats in the last four completed seasons. The Bearcats defended their 2019 crown after last year’s tournament was cancelled.

Atlantic’s Ryan Hawkins led all scorers with 31 points and had 18 boards. He went 10-of-16 shooting in the game and had a double double by halftime, first time a player has done that in the DII Championships. Northwest Missouri State shot 50 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three.

The Bearcats finish their title run with a record of 28-2.

West Texas A&M was led by Qua Grant’s 20 points and six rebounds. The Buffaloes finish 19-3.

w/ Chris Parks

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Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley says he won’t make excuses and the Panthers will prepare for every game like it is the most important of the season. The Panthers visit Western Illinois on Saturday and at 2-3 the FCS playoffs appear to be a long shot. Farley will be without starting quarterback Will McElvain for the second straight game. He was placed in COVID quarantine one day before last week’s loss to Missouri State.

Farley says it has gotten to the point that he hates hearing his phone ring.

Farley says it is a team effort to get games played.

Western Illinois is 0-4 during the spring season. It’s an 11:00 a.m. kickoff today.

Northern Iowa (17-13) lost in the WNIT semifinals on Friday to Ole Miss (15-11), 60-50. Karli Rucker led the way for the Panthers with 16 points and five assists.

Sohia Peppers

(msidemustangs.com) Morningside College’s men’s and women’s basketball programs were represented on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ All-American awards lists, released Thursday, March 25.

Head coach Jamie Sale’s women’s team and head coach Jim Sykes’ men’s squad each had two individuals recognized for their 2020-21 resumes. The women’s program extended a sparkling string of 18 straight seasons with at least one student-athlete being selected. The men ran a similar streak to five years in a row.

Senior guard Sierra Mitchell (SR/Pleasant Hill, Iowa) (Pleasant Hill, Iowa), who became the fourth player in school history to reach the 2,000-point mark and climbed into second on the Great Plains Athletic Conference’s all-time three-point basket chart, was tabbed first team, and junior forward Sophia Peppers (JR/Exira, Iowa) (Exira, Iowa) claimed honorable mention accolades. Mitchell, the 2020-21 GPAC Offensive Player of the Year, wound up the national leader in scoring (580 points) and made three-point baskets (125) and was also part of the top five in made treys per contest (3.906 – No. 3) and steals (79 – No. 5). It was her first first-team selection and third overall.

Peppers, gaining her first All-American recognition, was also part of the NAIA best 20 in points and steals. Her 458 points were 14th-best, and her 67 steals ranked 17th. She and her senior teammate were also named all-NAIA Championships tournament selections as part of a season when Peppers joined the 1,000-point club.

Morningside’s men had senior center Trey Brown (SR/Gretna, NE ) (Gretna, Neb.) and senior guard Zac Imig (Gretna, Neb.) honored. Brown was a second-team honoree, and Imig was tabbed honorable mention.

Brown, garnering his first All-American award, was part of two national statistical top 10s. His 304 rebounds stood fourth, and his 11.259 boards per contest average were seventh-best. He was also part of the first 20 in defensive caroms per outing (7.852 – No. 14), offensive rebounds per appearance (3.407), and field goal accuracy (62.5 percent – No. 20).

Imig earned his third successive honorable mention tag. The GPAC’s Defensive Player of the Year wound up ninth in assists (136) on the final NAIA numbers.

ACGC wrestling coach Shawn Danker is retiring from the position after a 30-year coaching career. Danker is stepping away to spend time watching his son Seth compete. Seth was a senior this season and has committed to wrestle at Cornell.

Danker will continue to teach in the district and still plans to help coach other sports in the future.

Legendary Harlan Baseball Coach Steve Daeges is leaving the dugout. Harlan Newspapers first reported yesterday that Daeges is retiring from the post after 27 seasons.

Daeges won 718 games in his career and led the Cyclones to three state championships. The Cyclones made 16 state tournament appearances and added five runner-up finishes under his leadership.

(Maryville, MO) The No. 2-seeded Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball team (27-2 overall) will take on No. 1-seeded West Texas A&M (19-2 overall) in the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The Bearcats are searching for their third Title in the past 4 years, claiming national championships in 2017 and 2019.

Atlantic native and Bearcat senior Ryan Hawkins is averaging a team-high 24.5 points per game in this year’s NCAA Tournament. He’s knocked down a tournament-leading 17 three-pointers and is shooting almost 49% from downtown. He is averaging a team best 8.5 rebounds per game as well.

Northwest cruised past West Liberty and Flagler in the Elite Eight and Final Four rounds to reach the title game. West Texas A&M is coming off a buzzer beating win over Lincoln Memorial in the Final Four.

The 2021 NCAA Division II National Championship will be broadcast live on CBS. The game will be broadcast live on the Bearcat Radio Network and Westwood One as well.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Season ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets for University of Iowa softball home games in 2021, the Iowa Athletic Ticket Office announced Thursday.

Single-game tickets for those parties will go on sale beginning Friday, March 26 at 9am.

Ticket holders should log into their existing season-ticket online account for pre-sale access, but can also order by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

Single game tickets are $5 for adults and free for youth (18-and-under).

Seating in Bob Pearl Field will be all general admission, and everyone must have a ticket, including free admissions.  All tickets will be mobile, and capacity will be just over 400.

Following the sale to season ticket holders, if any tickets remain, they will be made available to the general public on Thursday, April 1 at 9am.

Fans are required to buy their tickets in advance. There will be no game day sales at the gate.  Fans will be directed to the website and tickets will be delivered electronically (if available).

Iowa has four home series this season. The Hawkeyes host Indiana (April 2-4), Northwestern (April 16-18), Nebraska (May 7-9) and Illinois (May 14-16).