COLUMBUS — The Mississippi University for Women saw athletic teams in action on the track and the baseball diamond last week. The track team kept up the pace after a solid performance at the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor championships and the baseball team picked up a pair of much-needed wins. 

The Owls softball team was set to travel for games against Millsaps College and the Myrtle Beach Spring Trip, but both were canceled due to weather conditions. The remaining games at Myrtle Beach scheduled for this week will begin today.

 

Track and Field

The Owls track and field team headed outdoors for the first time this season, traveling to the University of West Alabama for an invitational meet. Three Owls set new school records on the day to open the outdoor season. 

For the women’s track team, Aerie-Onna McCollum set a new school record of 34.27 meters in the javelin throw, finishing third in the event, while Brookjlyn Kelley won the shot put event with a school record distance of 11.67 meters. 

Both Kelley and McCollum also participated in the hammer throw, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. 

On the men’s side, Cortland Earl set a new record in the 110-meter high hurdle with a time of 16.09 seconds, earning fourth overall in the event, and Malachi Stafford finished in third at the high jump. Stafford won the indoor high jump last week at the SLIAC Indoor Championships. 

 

Baseball

The Owls baseball team improved to 3-8 on the season with a pair of wins last week. On Wednesday, they defeated Rensselaer Polytechnic 5-4 before traveling to Huntingdon for a weekend tournament. The Owls lost their first game 11-1 to Millsaps College but won on Saturday 8-5 against Brevard College. 

Their Sunday date with hosts Huntingdon was canceled due to weather conditions. 

The Owls had to come from behind to beat Rensselaer, trailing 4-0 after four innings, but rallied thanks to some clutch production in the seventh. Avery Benson, Zach Jonson and Landon Clark each registered RBI hits to tie the game, and Benson would go on to get the game-winning RBI after he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth inning. 

On Saturday, the hero at the plate was outfielder Johnny Setchfield. The graduate transfer from East Mississippi drove in four runs on three hits, including a solo home run in the fourth inning. Zack Egan and Baron Brack joined him in the RBI column to boost a solid day of offensive production for the Owls. 

The team travels to Pearl today for a midweek clash with Belhaven before SLIAC play begins the next week in St. Louis, Missouri, at Fontbonne University.