The Baer Facts

Time to Give Out All Those Hard-Earned Basketball Awards

Look for your trophy in the mail, coming to a school near you.

The ball racks are all shoved in the closets. The uniforms are all cleaned and stowed away. All the whistles are packed away for the season. So what would basketball be like without some kinds of post-season awards? Drum roll please, I present to you the first-ever  “Jimmy’s,” awards for the local hoop stars and starlets from your local pundit, Baer Facts author, Jimmy Baer. Where to begin? Remember, there will be a male and female winner for each award. At this popsicle stand  gender is equal. The MVP’s of the season. Easy: Sydney Stipanovich of St. Joseph’s Academy and Austin DaGue of Ladue. Both are three year performers. Both players lifted their teams to lofty heights. First Stipanovich. Sydney did it all with 14 points and 11 …

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REPRINT: A Night of Pure Magic for the Hometown Billikens

Dwayne Evans was selected MVP of the Atlantic 10 post season tournament. Next stop, San Jose for the home-town Billikens.

Back in February, I popped my buttons for the SLU Billikens. Well, it just keeps getting better and better. The Billikens are 27-6, and winners of the regular-season Atlantic 10 conference title and winners of the league's post season tournament. A high seed awaits the Billikens as they launch post-season play this week. This is a reprint of the article I wrote earlier this year. Be like a Billiken...Love a Billiken...Scream like a Billiken. Never in my entire sports crazy life have I been more proud of the Saint Louis University Billiken basketball program than I was Thursday night. Here the Billikens were trouncing the No. 9 team in the country, the mighty Bulldogs of Butler University. Butler hemorrhaged points while the Bills won by 17…

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Final MVP of the Winter: Point Guard Emmie Haring of St. Joe

Haring runs the point to perfect and is one of the big reasons why St. Joe reached the Show-Me Showdown this weekend in Columbia.

Emmie Haring, senior at St. Joseph's Academy plays a big part in the success of her team which headed to Columbia with a sparkling 22-5 record. She does the little things that helps the Angels win big. She leads the team in assists (133 this season); runs the offense; rebounds, hits outlet passes and brings the ball down court. Her coach, Julie Matheny is convinced without Haring, the team would not have the success they've had. For that, she was run-away winner as MVP "Athlete of the Week in week No. 12, the final poll for the season. An interview with Emmie Haring: Patch.com: How is your season going? Emmie Haring: This season has been amazing and I could not ask for a better last year at St. Joe. The team has really bonded and we have …

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Austin DaGue, Ladue Basketball: Week No. 11 MVP

Three-year starter off to Emory University in the fall.

DaGue was second in scoring for Ladue with almost 12 points a game and did all the little invaluable things that led the Rams to a brilliant 21-6 record. Only a loss to Chaminade in the district finals on their home floor prevented the season from continuing. Here's what DaGue told Patch: Patch.com: Since you are a senior, what is your course of study going to be? Austin DaGue: I am studying business and playing basketball at Emory University next fall. I can’t wait to be an Eagle.   Patch: How did your season go altogether? AD: I thought my season went well. We won 21 games, and we had a big win over CBC in the D.C. Wilcutt Tournament Championship. I really enjoyed playing with and getting to know all the guys on the team.   Patch: What …

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MVP Week No. 11: Vote for One of Five

Basketball dominates the scene coming down the stretch of the winter sports season.

There are just two Ladue-Frontenac-Olivette teams alive in the state basketball tournament. St. Joseph’s Academy meets Jackson at Northwest House Springs Wednesday night in sectional play while MICDS girls take on 27-0 Incarnate Word Academy at Parkway West, also on Wednesday. Here are the nominees for Week No. 11 MVP “Athlete of the Week.” Emily Kyman, junior guard, MICDS. Hit the clutch free throw to send the game to overtime and a win over rival Westminster Christian Academy last week at Clayton. Kyman,a point guard leads the (24-2) Rams in scoring with 11.9 points per game. Taylor Bauer, freshman forward, MICDS. A newcomer, she has had numerous strong games, averaging almost 10 points per game. Andrew Maddock, junior forward, Ladue. …

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James Baer

12:55 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Top 2 places separated by just 2 votes. Polls close at 6 p.m. for MVP "Athlete of the Week." Get your family and friends to decide this one.   more ›

Sydney Stipanovich, St. Joe Hoops: MVP of the Week

Talented three year starter will play for Penn in the Ivy League next season.

Sydney Stipanovich is closing out a highly-successful career with the St. Joe Angels basketball program. She is good for a double-double almost every night out, averaging 15.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. She will be playing for the Penn Quakers next season. Patch.com: How is your season going? Sydney Stipanovich: Our season is going well. Our goal was to win the district championship game on Thursday. (The Angels did just that, winning 58-44.) This is what we have been waiting for and practicing for all year. Patch: What is the favorite thing you like about being on your team? SS: My team is like a second family. We are together all the time and we get along great. I think we have great team chemistry. Patch: Comment on any special …

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MVP, Week No. 10, Vote for your Favorite

Diver; basketball players this week. Voting goes until 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Swimming and wrestling state tournaments are complete. District basketball competition has just begun. Time to vote for your favorite athletes, this week as the Ladue-Frontenac-Olivette MVP. Kat Friese, sophomore, MICDS diving. She won the first-place gold medal at the 38th annual state swim meet with 419.75 total points. MICDS has a swimming pool, but no diving boards. Quite a feat. Zeke Elliott, senior, John Burroughs basketball. Playing in the district tournament, the Bombers are 22-2 and Elliott, a senior guard averages 13 points a game and 6 rebounds. He is a 55 percent shooter from the field. Emily Kyman, junior, MICDS basketball. The Rams are 21-2; Kyman leads the team with 11.8 points per game. She is enroute to the 1,000 point …

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James Baer

5:30 am on Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Three way tie for first. Voting goes until 6 p.m. tonight. Time to break that tie and find us a winner.   more ›

Erin Nelson, St. Joe Basketball: Week No. 9 MVP

Three-year starter is headed to Saint Louis University next.

Erin Nelson, one of the strongest performers in St. Joseph's Academy history is the MVP "Athlete of the Week." She romped in the voting this week. Nelson averages 16.5 points per game; is an 8.2 rebounds per game performer, and the Angels head to the district playoffs with a 18-5 record. Patch.com: How has your season been going so far? Erin Nelson: The season is going very well and flying by. We have improved a lot since the beginning of the year. This past month, we have really come together and picked it up in practices to prepare ourselves for a successful rest of the season. Patch: What do you like best about being on the team?  Erin: My favorite part is definitely the girls and coaches. We are all very close and there is not a …

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MVP Week 9: The Voting Closes at 6 p.m. Tonight

Two basketball standouts; a swimmer and a wrestler make up the field this week.

Voting is now underway for the MVP "Athlete of the Week" from Ladue, Frontenac and Olivette. The voting concludes on Wednesday, promptly at 6 o'clock. Vote for one of your favorites, and make sure your friends do too. Here's the ballot for this week: Previous MVP's this winter Jordan McClendon, Burroughs basketball Foye Oluokun, Burroughs basketball Elliott Shevitz, Ladue ice hockey Christine Yan, Ladue swimming Brandon Klar, MICDS ice hockey Maddie Wessell, Burroughs swimming Matt Meyer, MICDS ice hockey Trey Ross, MICDS swimming

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MVP Week 8: Trey Ross, MICDS Swimming

A key participant for the Rams in the state swim meet just concluded this weekend.

The Ladue-Frontenac Patch MVP, "Athlete of the Week" is Trey Ross, one of the most prominent swimmers in the area and key member of the MICDS Rams who swam in the state championships this weekend at the Rec-Plex in St. Peters. Trey is  senior at MICDS. This what she told to Patch.com: Patch.Com: Do you have a college choice yet? Trey Ross: I'm still waiting to hear back from a few more schools, so Ihaven't made my decision quite yet. I will be studying Journalism though. Patch: How is the Season Going? TR: We've had an amazing season this year, we won almost all of our duel meets, got third place at the Lindbergh Invitational even though like half of our team was sick, and we've all become really close. I'm so proud of how hard everybody …

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