Athletics
Three Rivers is the “Home of the Raiders.” Intercollegiate sports for men include basketball, baseball, cheer, and E-Sports. Women’s varsity sports include basketball, softball, cheer, and E-Sports. The College has achieved national and statewide recognition for each sport and many student athletes continue their athletic careers at four-year colleges and universities. Three Rivers has had more than 125 students selected to the NJCAA All-Academic team.
Raiders’ athletics have a triple focus of academic success, character development, and athletic success.
Rocky Raider (Mascot)
Three Rivers is proud of its mascot, Rocky Raider. Rocky is an integral part of our athletic and College culture and can frequently be seen participating in College activities on and off campus. Be sure to look for Rocky at athletic events, fundraisers, summer camps, and parades.
Cheerleading
The Raiders Cheerleaders are at all men’s and women’s home basketball games, along with selected Region XVI road games and tournaments. They participate in cheer clinics, local parades and community events, and various fundraisers throughout the year.
Baseball
The Raiders baseball team has won multiple Region XVI titles with their best finish of third place in the 1973 National Tournament. The baseball team has sent 90% of their eligible student athletes on to four-year institutions. Sixty-one Raider alumni have played professional baseball with four of those players reaching the Major League level. The Raiders have had seven NJCAA All Americans, and 65 students with NJCAA All-Academic Honors, and have been consistent in having success in the Region XVI tournament.
Mens Basketball
The men’s basketball team has brought special honor and recognition to the College. The Raiders have competed in the NJCAA tournament 17 times since 1971. The Raiders were National Champions in 1979 and 1992 and finished second in 1994 and 2010. Coach Gene Bess led the Raiders from 1970 until 2020 and is the all-time winningest collegiate basketball coach at any level with 1,500 wins. Coach Bess was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame with the honor of “Legendary” status and Naismith National Hall of Fame.
Womens Basketball
The women's basketball team has been to the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament seven times and tied for fourth in the nation during 2021. Local athletes have been a major part of the structure of the team since its inception. The academic standards and graduation rate are very high, and there have been 29 students with NJCAA All-Academic Honors.
Softball
The softball team participates in the NJCAA Region XVI. In the 2020-2021 school year the team won the College’s second regional championship and earned their second trip to the NJCAA World Series, finishing seventh in the nation. The softball program has enjoyed great success on the field and in the classroom. There have been 72 student-athletes who have earned NJCAA All-Academic Honors since the inaugural 1988-1989 season. Scholarships are awarded on a merit basis.
Esports
Three Rivers Esports is an NJCAA activity and is open to all students. The Esports team competes with players from other colleges in various games across multiple gaming platforms, including Valorant, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Madden, EAFC, NBA2K, and others.