Art Shell golf classic draws UMES and NFL greats

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Some NFL greats and University of Maryland Eastern Shore alumni will return to their roots on the Eastern Shore to help raise money for UMES's Professional Golf Management Program and Division of Athletics by participating in the annual Art Shell UMES Celebrity Golf Classic and Junior Tournament June 11-12.

 

The event, which will occur at Great Hope Golf Course in Westover, Md., is hosted by NFL, UMES and CIAA Hall of Famer Art Shell.

 

Following the Junior Tournament, for golfers age 11 to 18 on June 11, Shell and other former NFL players, such as the UMES Golf Academy director and men's golf head coach Marshall Cropper, will partner with foursomes to play in the 18-hole tournament June 12. They will attend an awards dinner in the Henson Center on campus that evening.

 

Cropper, the tournament's director and a former player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins, said the funds from the event go to building the PGA program and golf academy, as well as funding scholarships.

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OP-ED: Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough -- Why USC and not a black college, Dr. Dre?

LOS ANGELES, California  --  I was in Detroit preparing to give a speech last week when the news came across my Twitter feed: "Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine donate $70 million to USC to create new degree." As one of the first university presidents from the hip-hop generation, I had to stop and read the story immediately.

The two music moguls and co-founders of Beats Electronics — recognizing that they needed a new type of creative talent for their growing music technology business — are funding a four-year program that blends liberal arts, graphic and product design, business and technology.

I understood their need to build a pool of skilled talent. But why at USC? Iovine's daughter is an alum, sure. And he just gave its commencement address. Andre Young — before he was Dr. Dre — grew up in nearby Compton, where he rose to fame as part of the rap group N.W.A. The Beats headquarters are on L.A.'s Westside.

Still, what if Dre had given $35 million — his half of the USC gift and about 10% of his wealth, according to a Forbes estimate — to an institution that enrolls the very people who supported his career from the beginning? An institution where the majority of students are low-income? A place where $35 million would represent a truly transformational gift?

Why didn't Dr. Dre give it to a black college?

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ULL rips Jackson State to stay alive in Baton Rouge Regional

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  Nine relatively quiet innings at the plate might have gnawed at Louisiana-Lafayette.

As it turned out, Jackson State pitching was the perfect remedy.

Subdued in their NCAA tournament regional opener, the Ragin’ Cajuns woke up in a 15-1 elimination-game rout Saturday afternoon at Alex Box Stadium, pounding out 19 hits and recovering from an early one-run deficit to survive into Sunday.

ULL (42-19) faces the loser from the Sam Houston State-LSU matchup at 2 p.m. Sunday in another elimination game.

“We’ve just got to survive and advance,” ULL coach Tony Robichaux said. “We’ve got enough hitting to get through this.”

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Alabama Avoids Elimination with 3-2 Win over Savannah State

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  The Alabama baseball team held on for a 3-2 win over the Savannah State Tigers in an elimination game in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional on Saturday afternoon from Dick Howser Stadium. Alabama will play on Sunday against the loser of the winner’s bracket game between Florida State and Troy.

“This time of the year you’ll take an ugly win, and that’s certainly what it was today,” Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said. “Credit Mike Oczypok, who was tremendous today. He developed a blister in the third inning and he really batted through it to give us seven. A lot of credit goes to Mike.”

Alabama (35-27) starting pitcher Mike Oczypok (5-2) gave the Tide another outstanding performance, going 7.0 scoreless innings against the Tigers. The walk-on freshman allowed six hits, walked one and struck out four en route to his fifth win of the season.  Closer Ray Castillo threw a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 12th save of the season, to set a school record for saves by a freshman.

“We weren’t very sharp today and haven’t been in this tournament,” Gaspard said. “We’re still breathing and tomorrow is a new day and another opportunity. We’ll try to take whatever momentum we have from today and into tomorrow and look for better play.”

Box Score | Savannah State Photo Gallery

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Hot bats, unruly fans highlight FSU's 10-0 win over SSU in NCAA Regionals

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Go figure - the most resistance Savannah State could muster against Florida State actually came from the stands during the NCAA Regional on Friday night.

Top seed Florida State dismantled the fourth-seeded Tigers with ease, scoring 10 runs in the first three innings on the way to a 10-0 win in front of 3,084 at Dick Howser Stadium.

And with all on-field drama gone early, that left the pinnacle of suspense to a stadium walkway in the third inning as a small group of unruly Savannah State fans had to be corralled and ejected by FSU athletic director Randy Spetman.

FSU, which snapped a four-game losing skid, moves on from a wild Friday to play No. 3-seed Troy on Saturday at 5 p.m. Troy beat Alabama 5-2 in the early game, meaning Alabama and Savannah State, the MEAC Champions, will play in an elimination game at Noon Saturday.  "Anytime that you can shut out a team with the ability of Savannah State, you have to certainly be pleased as a coach," FSU coach Mike Martin said. "It was a good win for us."

Photo Gallery: FSU AD Randy Spetman escorts unruly SSU fans out of stadium

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FSU AD Randy Spetman breaks up near-fight during Regional

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Fans of opposing athletics programs take note: if you get out of line during games at Florida State, this is how the school's athletics director will take care of you.

First, he'll be polite. Slowly, casually he'll walk over to you and your unruly group and try to speak peacefully. No, you may not know who he is, but to him, that's OK. You don't need to know. He just wants you to calm down and to get off his property.

If the calm approach doesn't work, and you're still causing a scene, the Air Force graduate and former fighter pilot will take things up a notch.

Get in his face, and he'll make sure his is the last you see before walking out of his facility.

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Xavier's Hopkins selected for Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

NEW ORLEANS — Bob Hopkins, who coached Xavier University of Louisiana to NAIA District 30 men's basketball championships in 1972 and 1973 and three victories in the NAIA Division I National Championship, has been selected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
     
Hopkins will be inducted Sunday, Nov. 24 at Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Mo., as part of a three-day celebration of the sport.
     
Hopkins played for Grambling from 1952-56 and set an NCAA men's career scoring record of 3,759 points. He's still No. 2 on that list. He played four seasons in the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) and won more than 250 games as a men's head coach at Xavier, Alcorn State, Grambling, Maryland Eastern Shore and Southern. He also coached the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics for part of the 1977-78 season and Grambling's women in 1983-84.

Hopkins was 82-45 from 1969-74 as head coach of the Gold Rush, and his 1972-73 team — led by Donald "Slick" Watts and Bruce Seals — upset top-ranked and unbeaten Sam Houston State 67-60 in the second round of the NAIA's national tournament. Until 2012, the 1972-73 Gold Rush were the only XU team in any sport to reach the NAIA national quarterfinals. Men's tennis did it in 2012, and both the men's and women's teams accomplished that earlier this month.
     
He was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1963, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1978 and the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame in 2009. Hopkins is 78 years old and lives in a Seattle suburb.
      
Also inducted in November with Hopkins will be Tom McMillen, Marques Johnson, Gene Keady, Rollie Massimino, George Raveling, George Killian and the 1962-63 Loyola University Chicago men's team.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS 

WSSU Volleyball star forgoing fun in the sun for internship

AVONI SEYMOUR
(Courtesy: WSSU RAMS Athletics)

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  --  There won’t be much vacation this summer for Winston-Salem State University senior outside hitter
Avoni Seymour.

Instead of spending the summer on the beaches of her native Nassau, Bahamas, she will complete an internship in biomedical research at WSSU.

“It’s a really big deal because it’s my last summer as an undergrad and my goal is to go to medical school,” Seymour said.

“So this is the perfect opportunity for me to sharpen my skills and prepare for the next level.”

A rising senior on the Lady Rams volleyball team, Seymour earned second team All-CIAA last season after totaling 242 kills and finishing second on the team with 302 digs.

The Provost Scholar of Biomedical Research internship will allow her to ...

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