KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Northwest Missouri State coach Adam Dorrel was almost moved to tears after his Bearcats clinched their second consecutive Division II championship game appearance, his thoughts turning to the 16 seniors who will be suiting up for the final time.It is hard not to get emotional when you talk about our team and their performance, Dorrel said after a semifinal victory over Ferris State, when three starters went down with injuries. I thought it was one of the gutsier performances in Bearcat history.There have been plenty of them heading into Saturdays game against North Alabama.Northwest Missouri State (14-0) is on the cusp of back-to-back unbeaten seasons, and the third in a four-year stretch. The Bearcats are also tied for the most Division II national championships with North Dakota State, now a Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse, with five apiece.Dorrel has elevated the Bearcats to still another level since taking over six years ago. Theyve won 29 straight games, the longest active win streak for any level of NCAA football. In fact, their coach has only lost eight games total and none since Nov. 22, 2014.Their semifinal victory may have been their most memorable yet.They lost quarterback Kyle Zimmerman, starting cornerback Marcus Jones and starting wide receiver George Sehl, and Ferris State made it a one-point game early in the third quarter. But the Bearcats kept making crucial stops on defense, and Northwest Missouri State had enough to put the game away.Zimmerman said Thursday night that he expects to play in the championship game.Its huge, Dorrel said. When you come off a season of going 15-0, as magical as it was last year, its very hard to get caught in the pressure.North Alabama, a perennial Division II powerhouse in the 1990s, is back on the rise. The Lions beat last years runner-up, Shepherd, to reach its first championship game since 1995 -- the last of three straight titles that the program captured.The Lions (11-1) have managed to replace three-year starting quarterback Luke Wingo and rebound from a loss to FCS power Jacksonville State in their opener. Theyve won 11 straight since, including a pair of wins over ranked Division II teams in their first four games.Their new quarterback, Jacob Tucker, is a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy given to the divisions top player after throwing for 2,661 yards and 21 TDs and running for 902 yards and 16 more scores.Perhaps it makes sense that North Alabama is back among the nations best.Bobby Wallace led them to those heights in the 1990s before leaving to take over Temple, where he never could get things going in eight seasons. He took over rival West Alabama for five seasons, briefly retired, and now is back leading the Lions, with four straight conference titles and a 39-9 record over that span.This is the penultimate chance for North Alabama to win another national title. The school announced last week that all of its programs are moving to Division I status starting in 2018.Nothing would be better than to start their final full year in Division II as champions.Ive spoken this whole year, were not satisfied until were playing on December 17th, North Alabama defensive back Dorsey Norris said. Now that well be playing on December 17th, our mindset has to change to we have to win (on) December 17th.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Italia . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Air Max 270 Scontate . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. http://www.scontateoutletairmax.it/air-max-95-economiche.html . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. Vans Scarpe Italia . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Vans Old Skool Scontate . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. NEW YORK -- Billy Bean has come full circle, throwing out the first pitch for the first Mets Pride Night on Saturday against his former San Diego team.Bean came out as gay after he left the Padres in 1995. Now hes Major League Baseballs vice president for social responsibility and inclusion. In the past two years, hes talked to all 30 MLB ownership groups, various teams and players about struggling with his sexuality during his career and gay and lesbian inclusion in the workplace.The message is everyone is welcome that walks through the turnstiles to watch us play baseball, Bean said. The LGBT community is part of every community.Mets general manager Sandy Alderson approached Bean after he heard him speak to GMs in 2014. Since then, the former outfielder who had a six-year career with Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Padres has participated in spring training, spoken with players and thrown batting practice. Hes helped former teammate and Mets coach Tommy Goodwin with the outfielders.(Alderson) wanted them to know about me, said Bean, who grew up in Santa Ana, California. My dad is a Marine Corps veteran, like Sandy. I grew up in a big family, very conservative. Lot of things that were explanations of why I chose to leave baseball as opposed to talk about what was going on with me.The Mets are among 10 teams hosting Pride Nights this season, and the first among the four New York mens major pro sports to host the theme night. A portion of ticket sales will go to the LGBT Network, which promotes anti-bullying programs in the New York area.Here are some things to know about Bean, who also talks to people in the front office, instructional leagues and minor leagues.---LIFE SKILLS: Bean says his job is to help younger players from all backgrounds and cultures understand workplace expectations. A lot of people forget our players are 19, 20, 21 years old, he said. Theyre world class baseball players, and they havent had time to learn all the ways of the world. We really prioritize messaging on life skills, domestic violence awareness and counseling about relationships. The inclusive conversation is a wonderful part of that comprehensive message.Bean says the comments in the clubhouse that everybodys been hearing for the last 500 years will take time and education to reduce. It was acceptable to be disparaging. When guys are ragging other guys, they feminize them. The comments were sexist as much as they were homophobic.---TOUGH LESSONS: Bean says he quit baseball without talking to one person about why. I had never come out to my family, I was living a very secretive, dark liffe, he said.dddddddddddd My partner died of HIV-related causes on the eve of what was my last season.Brad Ausmus, the current Detroit Tigers manager, was Beans teammate and friend. He says Ausmus and his wife talk about how things might have changed if I just would have told him. He would have said, `Dont stop playing or just tell your parents or dont tell your parents, just talk to us.I didnt realize there was a place for me in this world, and I didnt even trust the people that loved me the most -- my own family.Alderson was part of the Oakland organization when Glenn Burke, the first MLB player to publicly acknowledge he was gay, played for the Dodgers (1976-78) and Athletics (1978-79). Burke left the majors after receiving little playing time with the As. He died at 42 of complications from AIDS in 1995.---PROGRESS: Milwaukee Brewers minor league first baseman David Denson became the first active player in affiliated professional baseball to come out in August 2015. Bean says Denson called him for advice six months beforehand. We made sure his parents were in the loop. I was surprised the day he did it. He texted me and said `You wont believe what I just did.Bean says its not the goal for baseball players to reveal their sexuality, but its important to provide a respectful workplace. Currently, there are no out active players in the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB. Its a personal decision. Thats not going to be how I judge the work were doing.Former Met Daniel Murphy, a self-described Christian, said he disagreed with the lifestyle of people who are gay after Bean spoke to the team in March 2015.Bean says racism didnt end the day Jackie Robinson ran across the field. He noted progress on LGBT issues moved forward with Supreme Court rulings on marriage equality and backward with some states passing laws prohibiting protections in housing and employment for LGBT people.---PRIDE NIGHTS: Philadelphia has hosted Pride Night since 2001, and the Washington Nationals celebrated their 12th. Others with the theme night are the Chicago Cubs, Boston, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa Bay.Lou DePaoli, the Mets executive vice president and chief revenue officer, calls New York a diverse and inclusive city and says we are particularly proud to welcome the LGBT community.Community organizations can propose theme nights to the marketing departments of MLB teams.Bean says the Mets are sending a great message not only to their fans, but for all of baseball. ' ' '