Mount Mercy University - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mims named Mount Mercy women's coach

Micha Mims, a 2012 graduate of Mount Mercy University, will return to her alma mater to lead the Mustang women's basketball program beginning March 15, Athletics Director Paul Gavin announced Monday.

"It's a thrill to bring Micha back home where she belongs," said Gavin. "She is a great choice for our university and has the personality, passion and drive to lead us in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, both now and for years to come."

Mims returns to Mount Mercy after serving as the assistant women's basketball coach at Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. In two seasons with the Wildcats, she helped rejuvenate a program that won just four games the season prior to her arrival.

Culver-Stockton achieved its first 20-win season in 16 years last season, finishing 20-10 in 2014-15. The Wildcats also earned their first postseason win since 2005, defeating Missouri Valley in the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Women's Basketball Tournament. Culver-Stockton followed that with another 20-win season this year, finishing 22-9 overall.

Prior to join the staff at Culver-Stockton, Mims served as the graduate assistant women's basketball coach at Southwest Minnesota State University from 2012-14, where she earned a Master's degree in business administration. She graduated from Mount Mercy in 2012 with Bachelor of Science degrees in business marketing and business management.

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Let's hit the road with Mustangs, Eagles

I wish I had a deep bank account and the time to travel during the next two weeks.

If I did, I'd follow the Mount Mercy and Kirkwood men's basketball teams to their national tournaments and watch some of the best action this side of March Madness itself.

The 14th-ranked Mustangs (25-7) will be playing in the NAIA Division II national tournament in Point Lookout, Mo., this week. The 32-team tournament begins Wednesday and ends with the championship game March 15 on ESPN3.

The sixth-ranked Kirkwood Eagles (27-4) will be playing in the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Danville, Ill., next week. That 16-team event begins March 15 and ends March 19.

What a glorious trip that would be. Mount Mercy and Kirkwood have exciting, high-scoring teams that could do some serious damage in their national events, although they'll be facing some very serious competition.

If Mount Mercy beats Southern Oregon in the first round Wednesday, they might have to face top-ranked Saint Francis (Ind.) in the second round on Friday. The Mustangs are capable of beating anyone and that game could be a real humdinger.

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Mount Mercy baseball edges Loras

RUNNELLS - The Mount Mercy baseball team trimmed Loras, 3-2, in a game played at Southeast Polk High School on Saturday.

Cody Bell (2-1) got the victory in relief for the Mustangs, who raised their record to 5-4.

Ian Fitzsimmons went 2-for-3 with all three RBIs for Mount Mercy. Noah Dostal was 2-for-3 and scored twice. Devin Holmes also had two hits.

Loras        000 100 100 - 2 3 1
Mount Mercy  020 000 01x - 3 8 4

Steines, Pall (4), Schwind (7) and Jacque. Henke, Ledinsky (4), Bell (6), Hackett (9) and Lizarraga. W - Bell (2-1). L - Schwind (0-1). S - Hackett (2).

Mustangs open with Southern Oregon

The Mount Mercy men's basketball team begins its quest for the NAIA Division II national championship next Wednesday with a 10:15 a.m. game against Southern Oregon at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Mo.

The 14th-ranked Mustangs (25-7) earned an automatic berth in the national tournament by winning the 2016 Association of Independent Institutions (AII) Men's Basketball Championship last weekend in Cedar Rapids. Mount Mercy is seeded No. 4 in its bracket. Southern Oregon is 24-8 and seeded No. 5.

It's the second-straight appearance at nationals for Mount Mercy, which has also been there three times in four years and four times overall (1996, 2013, 2015, 2016).

Last year, the Mustangs advanced to the second round for the first time in school history, defeating Cal Maritime, 64-61. Mount Mercy fell to eventual Fab Four qualifier Davenport (Mich.), 70-67, in the round of 16.