WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) recently was awarded a $2,000 grant from the NJCAA Foundation to support the launch of Grizzly Baseball during the 2024-2025 academic year.
The funds were awarded through the NJCAA Sport Opportunity Grant, which was established in 2021 to help two-year colleges expand their sport offerings in an effort to increase student-athlete access to and achievement in higher education. Funds are awarded based on need and allotted funding, foundation officials said.
“We’d like to thank the NJCAA Foundation for awarding these funds to our new baseball program,” said Keri Elrod, associate vice chancellor for athletics and community engagement at MSU-WP. “Baseball is a very popular sport at high schools in our region. With these funds, we will be able to offer some of the student-athletes who play baseball in this region the opportunity to continue their playing career close to home while pursuing a college degree.”
Elrod said the grant funds will be used to purchase equipment to help start up the program. The team will participate in scrimmages this fall to prepare for its first competitive season, which will begin Jan. 10, 2025.
“Through the NJCAA Sport Opportunity Grant, the NJCAA Foundation is creating opportunities for member colleges to expand and develop sports offerings,” said Brian Luckett, NJCAA Foundation executive director. “Athletics at the two-year level continue to grow and progress, resulting in student-athletes being afforded more significant development opportunities athletically and academically.”
MSU-WP Chancellor Dennis Lancaster said Grizzly Athletics has played a vital role in helping the university provide accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities so students can achieve personal success while enriching their communities.
“Since its inception in 1993, Grizzly Athletics has paved the way for many student-athletes in our region and beyond to pursue degrees that have led to successful careers,” Lancaster said. “Without our athletic programs, some of these students might not have considered college an option for them. We’re thankful to be a part of the NJCAA, an organization that values not only the talent of student-athletes but also the importance of providing access to a higher education.”
The Grizzly Athletics program also has played a vital role in fostering increased connections between MSU-WP and the communities it serves. “From the beginning, area residents have been enthusiatically supportive of our teams and student-athletes through their attendance at games and participation in various fund-raisers. It’s because of their support that we’ve been able to host the NJCAA Division I Volleyball Championship tournament several times. The athletics programs have given area residents additional opportunities to interact with MSU-WP to learn who we are and how they can be a part of the effort to change the lives of our students,” he said.
With the addition of men’s baseball, Grizzly Athletics now includes seven different sports – men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s softball, and the co-ed sports of cheer team, esports and rodeo.
For more information about Grizzly Athletics, contact Elrod at 417-255-7966 or KeriElrod@MissouriState.edu, or visit MSUWPGrizzlies.com.
Missouri State University-West Plains empowers students to achieve personal success and to enrich their local and global communities by providing accessible, affordable and quality educational opportunities. Missouri State-West Plains offers associate degrees and credit and non-credit courses, and serves as a delivery site for bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered by Missouri State University in Springfield.
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