Tuesday, March 1, 2016

A trifecta for Hopkins: GCAC, state and NAIA awards

NEW ORLEANS — Trana Hopkins produced a rare trifecta Tuesday. The senior guard on the Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team won player-of-the-week awards for Feb. 22-28 from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, statewide from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and nationally in NAIA Division I.
    
Hopkins — from Marietta, Ga., and a former standout at Marietta High School and Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Ala. — averaged 24 points, 7.5 rebounds and four steals in GCAC victories at Tougaloo and Dillard. Her 34 points Feb. 22 at Tougaloo are the most by a Gold Nugget since 1998, and in that game she made seven 3-pointers (in nine attempts) to tie a Xavier record. Her eight rebounds and five steals were career highs.
    
The 34 points matched the most by a GCAC player this season, and her seven 3s matched the most by a GCAC player in the last three seasons. In the third quarter against Tougaloo, she scored 18 points and made 4-of-4 3-pointers.
    
Hopkins had 14 points and seven rebounds Saturday at Dillard. For the season, she is averaging 9.1 points in 30 games (21 starts) and shooting a team-best 38 percent (30-of-79) from 3-point range.
    
The Louisiana Player of the Week is determined by an LSWA panel with nominees from NAIA and NCAA Division I members.
    
The NAIA award is the second by a Gold Nugget — Brittany Powell won in January 2010 — and the first for a GCAC women's basketball player since SUNO's Brandy Broome won the final award of the 2014-15 season.
    
Xavier (19-11) will play city rival Dillard (9-17) at noon Friday in the opening round of the GCAC Tournament at SUNO's facility, The Castle. The women's and men's semifinals and finals will be played Saturday and Sunday at Xavier's Convocation Center.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Baker joins XU staff as assistant athletics director



NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana announced Tuesday the hiring of
Ashley Baker as assistant athletics director.
      
A doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia, Baker was director for student-athlete services at Bowling Green State University from 2010-12 and assistant director from 2007-09.

"Ashley brings with her a great deal of experience, ideas and knowledge to Xavier, and we are excited to have her as a member of Team Gold," said XU Director of Athletics and Recreation Jason Horn. "She will be a valued member of our team as we prepare Xavier student-athletes to be market-ready graduates and become leaders in the 21st century."
    
Baker, who spent most of her pre-college years in Michigan, received bachelor's and master's degrees from Bowling Green. Her doctoral thesis at Georgia, which she will defend later this year, focuses on black mothers' experiences throughout their sons' football recruiting process.
  
 "I am excited to be back in college athletics after taking time to pursue my Ph.D.," Baker said. "I am thankful to Jason Horn for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to getting to know everyone in the Xavier community and helping our student-athletes enhance their experience here and prepare them to make an impact on the world."
    
Baker's first experience in collegiate athletics was as an undergraduate worker in the Bowling Green football office under then-head coach Urban Meyer, currently the head coach at Ohio State.
    
Baker in 2015 founded Ash B. Consulting LLC to provide athletes and young professionals with relevant, relatable and accessible information to educate and empower them to confidently pursue their personal and professional goals. Ash B. Consulting will sponsor the 2016 Women in Sports Forum April 15 in Detroit.
    
Baker is the mother of a 9-year-old son, Rece.
    
Xavier is a member of the NAIA and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and sponsors nine intercollegiate teams.

What They're Saying About Ashley Baker

Joseph N. Cooper, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut, Department of Educational Leadership / Sport Management Program:  "Ashley Baker is a dynamic leader who is very knowledgeable about the interworking of intercollegiate athletics. Her previous and current professional experiences as a former director of student-athlete support services, educator, mentor and consultant reflect her expansive skill set. Her commitment to improve the holistic life outcomes for student-athletes and their families is praiseworthy. She is particularly knowledgeable about youth sport socialization experiences, family influences of sport involvement, race, gender, and class issues related to student-athlete identity development, and the distinctions and relationships between youth recreational, youth competitive, interscholastic, intercollegiate and professional sport organizations. Ashley is a tremendous addition to the XU Athletic Department, and her presence and contribution will yield tremendous benefits to the athletic department, the university, the local community and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference at large."

Shirelle Jackson, Director of Student Athlete Development, University of Miami:  "Ashley Baker is a very talented athletic administrator. She has the background and a clear understanding of how to move an athletic unit in a positive direction. Her experience with student-athletes in an academic environment has provided her with all the tools needed to be successful at Xavier. She will serve as an excellent example for not only the student-athlete population, but for the athletic department and the entire campus community."

Kerry L. Jones, Adviser, Student and Academic Services, College of Education and Human Development, Bowling Green State University:  "Ashley's passion for improving the student-athlete experience has always impressed me. I'm excited to see how she will continue to be an advocate for students in her new postion."

Mark Shook, Adviser, Assistant Athletic Director — Academic Services, University of Wisconsin:  " Hiring Ashley Baker is a big win for Xavier. I had the privilege to work with her at Bowling Green State University and shared in her professional growth from graduate assistant to assistant director and then to director of our Office of Student-Athlete Services. Her intelligence, passion and experience make her a strong addition to the leadership team there. I am proud to call her a friend and colleague, and I know she will make an immediate impact. Congrats!"

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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DII National Rankings Shuffle Post-Conference Championships

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY WOMEN MOVES TO #1 IN RANKINGS
NEW ORLEANS With the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field regular season in the books, a pair of recent national team champions are favored in the latest National Team Computer Rankings announced Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

The defending national indoor champion Adams State men and 2014 national outdoor champion Lincoln (Mo.) women are atop the penultimate edition of the rankings, which aim to predict how teams will fare at the NCAA Championships on March 11-12 in Pittsburg, Kansas.

These rankings take into account the entirety of the regular season, regardless of athletes’ intended events at the NCAA Championships. Next Monday’s pre-Championships rankings will consider only the entries into the NCAA Championships.

Behind ASU (206.66 points) in the men’s rankings were No. 2 Tiffin (176.60) and GLIAC Champion No. 3 Grand Valley State (171.88) – which swapped spots from a week ago – and the stationary duo of CIAA Champion No. 4 Saint Augustine’s (155.43) and No. 5 Texas A&M-Kingsville (106.60).

MIAA Champion Lincoln (Mo.) (176.29 points) returned to the top spot, followed by MIAA rival No. 2 Pittsburg State (147.85). Last week’s chart-topper, Hillsdale (139.68), dropped two spots to No. 3 – a fall mirrored by GLIAC Champion No. 4 Grand Valley State (123.54). GLVC Champ Lewis (104.52) fell one spot to No. 5 to round out the top five.

The ASU men may have only finished third at the RMAC Championships, but the Grizzlies are projected to do much better at a meet like the NCAA Championships. While Adams State proved to be a less complete team this past weekend than winner No. 7 Colorado Mines or runner-up No. 20 Chadron State, no team in the country is as top-heavy as the Grizzlies.

ASU boasts a nation-best seven performers ranked top-three nationally, three more than the four each from No. 3 Grand Valley State and No. 6 Academy of Art. The Grizzlies are tied for the most top-10 ranked performers with 13, a total equaled by No. 3 GVSU.

Tiffin moved up to No. 2 behind sprinter Lamar Hargrove, who is now No. 1 in the nation both at 60 and 200 meters, and is positioning himself for a run at a third-consecutive sweep of the national 60-meter and 200-meter crowns.

The MIAA Champion Lincoln (Mo.) women will hope to top MIAA runner-up No. 2 Pittsburg State again next weekend, again on the Gorilla’s home track. The Blue Tigers took down PSU, 169-147, this past weekend for the league title.

As it currently stands, the Blue Tigers have a narrow advantage over Pitt State in terms of total top-10 ranked athletes, 10-9 – though No. 4 GVSU tops both squads with 12 – but Lincoln has the edge in top-three performers. Seven Blue Tigers are ranked No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3 in their respective events, to Pittsburg State’s four.

No. 3 Hillsdale is next behind Lincoln on that list with five, followed by PSU, No. 6 Johnson C. Smith, and RMAC Champion No. 7 New Mexico Highlands.

No top-25 team for either gender moved up farther than did the Northeast-10 Champion No. 16 American International men, who climbed up 22 spots from last time.

The biggest gainer for the women was NSIC Champion No. 13 Minnesota State, which improved eight spots from the previous week.

2016 Week #6 — March 1

next ranking: MONDAY, March 7 (pre-championships)
RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Adams State206.66RMACRock Light (3rd)1
2Tiffin176.60GLIACJeremy Croy (16th)3
3Grand Valley State171.88GLIACJerry Baltes (17th)2
4Saint Augustine’s155.43CIAAGeorge Williams (40th)4
5Texas A&M-Kingsville106.60Lone StarRyan Dall (8th)5
6Academy of Art102.74PacWestKevin LaSure (1st)6
7Colorado Mines94.68RMACMatt Sparks (3rd)7
8Lincoln (Mo.)84.91MIAAVictor Thomas (15th)NR
9Minnesota State83.03NSICJim Dilling (3rd)8
10Pittsburg State76.22MIAARuss Jewett (28th)14
11Western State72.29RMACChris Bradford (7th)9
12Azusa Pacific62.60PacWestKevin Reid (21st)10
13Ashland61.92GLIACJud Logan (13th)11
14Lewis55.09GLVCDana Schwarting (11th)23
15Missouri Southern50.56MIAABryan Schiding (3rd)16
16American International49.23Northeast-10Leo Mayo (10th)38
17Central Missouri48.98MIAAKirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)18
18Alaska Anchorage48.60GNACMichael Friess (26th)12
19Texas A&M-Commerce48.29Lone StarRoss Smithey (1st)13
20Chadron State47.89RMACBrad Gamble (2nd)20
21Findlay46.19GLIACMarc Arce (28th)27
22West Texas A&M41.15Lone StarDarren Flowers (7th)15
23Southern Connecticut38.82Northeast-10John Wallin (6th)19
24Shorter38.77Gulf SouthScott Byrd (9th)17
25Saginaw Valley State38.67GLIACRod Cowan (7th)22
Dropped out: No. 21 MSU Moorhead, No. 24 Johnson C. Smith, No. 25 Black Hills State

2016 Week #6 — March 1

next ranking: MONDAY, March 7 (pre-championships)
RankInstitutionPointsConferenceHead Coach (Yr)Last Week
1Lincoln (Mo.)176.29MIAAVictor Thomas (15th)NR
2Pittsburg State147.85MIAARuss Jewett (30th)3
3Hillsdale139.68GLIACAndrew Towne (5th)1
4Grand Valley State123.54GLIACJerry Baltes (17th)2
5Lewis104.52GLVCDana Schwarting (11th)4
6Johnson C. Smith101.75CIAALennox Graham (9th)6
7New Mexico Highlands100.56RMACBob DeVries (24th)7
8Alaska Anchorage93.82GNACMichael Friess (26th)5
9Minnesota Duluth91.58NSICJoanna Warmington (5th)8
10Central Missouri70.56MIAAKirk Pedersen (20th)/Kip Janvrin (18th)12
11Ashland70.36GLIACJud Logan (13th)11
12Saint Augustine’s68.99CIAAGeorge Williams (40th)9
13Minnesota State63.51NSICJen Blue (16th)21
14Shorter57.17Gulf SouthScott Byrd (9th)10
15Merrimack52.34Northeast-10Jacky Mendes (2nd)14
16Findlay49.78GLIACMarc Arce (28th)18
17U-Mary47.32NSICMike Thorson (22nd)15
18Missouri Southern42.71MIAAPatty Vavra (22nd)23
19Winona State42.21NSICMason Rebarchek (12th)17
20Southern Connecticut42.19Northeast-10Melissa Stoll (4th)20
21Seattle Pacific39.11GNACKarl Lerum (11th)13
22Adams State38.22RMACRock Light (3rd)22
23Angelo State34.93Lone StarJames Reid (17th)19
24Chadron State33.72RMACBrad Gamble (2nd)27
25Texas A&M-Kingsville33.43Lone StarRyan Dall (8th)16
Dropped out: No. 24 Cedarville, No. 25 Azusa Pacific

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COURTESY Kyle Terwillegar, USTFCCCA

Tuskegee advances in SIAC Tournament

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama | After trailing for much of the game, the Tuskegee University men's basketball team overcame their biggest deficit of the season and defeated Clark Atlanta 76-66 in the opening round of the SIAC Tournament late Monday night.

Tim Sanders tied the game at 63-all with 4:01 to play in the game for Clark Atlanta before Tuskegee went on an 8-0 run to take the lead for good and run themselves to a second round matchup Wednesday night against Stillman College.

The game was sealed when Joshua Culver hit a hook shoot with 3:38 to play, and was cemented when James Eads drained a three-pointer from the corner with three minutes left to put the game away.

Eads led Tuskegee (14-12) with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the floor, and 5-of-9 from the free throw line. The freshman led five players in double figures with Kevin May finishing with 13 points and five assists, while James Vinson, Culver and Camden Foster finished with 11 points each.

Elijah McMillan finished with a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Golden Tigers finished shooting 44.6 (29-of-65) percent from the floor and 35.3 (6-of-17) percent from beyond the arc. They finished the night shooting 63.2 (12-of-19) percent from the free throw line, while forcing 15 Clark Atlanta turnovers.

Damien Enoch led Clark Atlanta with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Tim Sanders added 15 and Derek Harper with 14.

The Panthers finished at 41.7 (25-of-60) percent from the floor, and hitting 33.3 (4-of-12) percent from beyond the arc.

Clark Atlanta was able to extend the lead to 12 late in the first half as they went on a 16-7 run over the final seven minutes. The run seemed to stop when Eads finished a dunk on the offensive end with just 11 seconds remaining in the half, but Clark Atlanta answered when Tim Sanders hit a 15-footer with just two seconds remaining.

The 12-point deficit was the third largest halftime deficit of the season for Tuskegee, trailing only the Saint Leo (16 points) game and Claflin (14 points) game.

Clark Atlanta took their biggest lead of the game at 16 with 17:21 to play in the game, before Tuskegee answered with eight consecutive points on a basket by Kevin May and a three-pointer from Camden Foster. Eads got the Golden Tigers to within single digits with a lay-up among the post players to trim the deficit to 48-40 with 14:44 to play in the game.

The run continued on the next possession as May finished it with a floater to pull Tuskegee to within 48-42, before Clark Atlanta answered with a basket of their own ending the 10-0 run by the Golden Tigers. The Panthers answered with five consecutive points of their own forcing a timeout.

Tuskegee went on a 12-2 run midway through the second half to close to within 55-54 with 7:43 to play in the contest. The run was highlighted by a Vinson lay-up with 10:12 to play. The run continued with a Foster three-pointer and a May lay-up. The Golden Tigers had a chance to take the lead two consecutive trips down the floor, before the run was ended by a Sanders free throw with 7:43 to play in the game to push the lead 56-54.

That set the stage for the final four minutes of play.

The Golden Tigers and Stillman will do battle at 7:45 pm at Bill Harris Arena Wednesday night with a berth in the semifinals on the line.

For more information on Tuskegee University athletics, follow us on Twitter @MyTUAthletics and like us on Facebook.

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COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Hampton Pirates Clinch MEAC Top Seed With Win Over DSU

HAMPTON, Virginia -- With a 79-65 win over Delaware State in its home finale on Monday evening at the Convocation Center, the Hampton University men's basketball team clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular-season title.

It is the first such title for the Pirates (18-9, 13-2 MEAC) since 2002.

The Pirates, defending MEAC Tournament champions, have won five straight games. They will be the top seed in next week's MEAC Tournament (March 7-12 in Norfolk, Va.).

Quinton Chievous had a monster game to lead four Pirates in double figures, tying his career high of 29 points on 13-for-17 shooting and grabbing a team-high 14 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season. Lawrence Cooks came off the bench to add 16 points and four assists.

Brian Darden added 15 points, hitting three 3-pointers, and Reginald Johnson, Jr. had 13 points.

Jervon Pressley grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots.

The Pirates shot 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the floor – including a 50.0 percent clip (14-for-28) in the second half. Hampton was 7-for-21 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc and 20-for-30 (66.7 percent) at the free throw line.

Hampton also held a 42-37 edge on the glass.

Much like Saturday night against Howard, the Pirates found themselves trailing in the first half on Monday; despite jumping out to 12-4 lead, Hampton found itself down 26-20 at the 5:47 mark after the Hornets went on a 22-8 run.

A Mrdjan Gasevic layup gave Delaware State a 35-26 lead with 1:58 left in the half, but that would be the Hornets' last field goal of the half; Hampton, meanwhile, ended the half with five unanswered points, cutting the gap to 35-31 on a Chievous layup with 50 seconds left.

Chievous led all scorers with 14 points at the half.

But the Pirates grabbed momentum coming out of the break, opening the second half with a 13-4 run to take a 44-39 lead at the 13:08 mark following a three from Cooks. The Hornets fought back, taking a 50-48 lead with 10:28 remaining after a Devin Morgan three.

Hampton responded with a 15-2 run, taking a 63-52 lead with 5:21 left to play after a layup from Darden. In fact, after the Hornets took that 50-48 lead, the Pirates outscored them 21-15 over the remainder of the contest.

Two Cooks free throws with 57 seconds left gave Hampton its largest lead of the night.

Hampton has won each of the last three match-ups with Delaware State, including last season's MEAC Tournament championship game.

Delaware State (7-23, 5-10 MEAC) shot 41.7 percent (25-for-60) from the floor and was held to just 37.9 percent shooting (11-for-29) in the second half. The Hornets went just 10-for-18 (55.6 percent) from the free throw line.

DeAndre Haywood led the Hornets with 18 points.

The Pirates will close out the regular season on Thursday at Norfolk State at 8 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.

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COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

TSU Tigers clinch regular season crown


HOUSTON, Texas -- Texas Southern University won its third Southwestern Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship in four years defeating Alabama State 96-86 from H&PE Arena Monday night.

Chris Thomas notched his first and the team's second triple-double of the season racking up 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. David Blanks recorded the teams' first on Jan. 2 in an 88-66 win over Southern.

"This is a big win for our program," said TSU head coach Mike Davis. "When I took the job here our AD said that there would be two goals for us to accomplish each year. First, graduate our student-athletes and second compete for championships. We're really excited about the direction this program is headed and this title is a collective effort of all the hard work our team has put in all season."

Derrick Griffin tied his career-high with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a game that his team never trailed in. The Tigers (16-12, 15-1) won their sixth in a row and stayed three games ahead of second-place Jackson State with two games remaining.

Jamel Waters scored 29 points, six rebounds and four assists while Tony Armstrong scored 18 for ASU (12-16, 7-9).

The Hornets pulled to within five on Nicholas Barnes three pointer with 1:33 left but TSU sealed the deal with a three point play the ensuing possession.

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COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

ASU's Melendez Reflects On 500 Career Wins

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Friday night was a time for reflection for Alabama State head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez.

The Hornets pulled out a win over Winthrop for their first victory of the season. For the Hornets' fifth-year coach, it was the 500th of his coaching career, making him the third youngest coach ever to hit that milestone.

"I've been very fortunate in my life and I have to thank a lot of people for giving me an opportunity to do what I do," he said. "First and foremost, I think my parents have had the biggest influence in baseball on my career. Professionally, Brian Reese, as my mentor, is the one who had the biggest influence in me being a college coach. And the one that believed in me and gave me the actual job was (athletic director) Lynn Thompson at Bethune-Cookman.

"I have a lot to be thankful for, but those people God put in my path to allow me to do what I do. You never know which way God is going to turn you and which way you're going to go, but fortunately enough He put the right people in front of me for me to do this."

Melendez never thought much about coaching as a youth, but he thought about baseball a lot. He grew up in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the same hometown as Major League standout Roberto Clemente, but for him the idols lived much closer. His father Gamaliel had been a baseball player and pointed Mervyl in that direction at an early age.

"My mom (Nellie Nunez) and dad, especially my dad, is an avid baseball fan," he said. "He played baseball, semi-pro in Puerto Rico, so we grew up playing organized baseball -- there was no T-ball or anything like that -- at the age of four. He knew his sons were going to be baseball players. And my mom was my biggest fan. I think they both worked to make our dreams come true. I think they both sacrificed their careers, in a lot of ways, to make sure that their sons were going to do whatever they set out to do."

The baseball talent was enough to earn him a ticket to Bethune-Cookman, where he earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior in 1995-96 while splitting time between third base and relief pitcher. Even then, if he thought about a future in baseball, it would have been as a player, not a coach.

"My last year in college, before I became an assistant coach, I didn't want to coach," he recalled. "I was approached by Coach Reese, telling me, what do you think about staying here and being an assistant coach? I had to think about it because it wasn't in my sight. I didn't want to do that. That's why I have to thank him because he brought it up to me and he brought it up to me in a way that made sense."

He served as an assistant in 1997-99 before the job as head coach was presented to him. Over the next 12 seasons, Melendez would advance to the NCAA regionals 11 times, winning 10 conference titles and compiling a record of 379-320.  Along the way, he developed a style of baseball that preached defense and pitching but relied on aggressive base running to generate offense.

"I think you develop your own ideas and your own patterns and your own philosophies of coaching, but I do like the aggressiveness," he noted. "I've taken a lot from different coaches and different programs. It's a good thing philosophies are not copyrighted.

"I have taken some from Andy Lopez when he coached at Florida, I've taken some from Jim Morris at Miami, from (Florida coach) Kevin O'Sullivan.  Even when we played Oral Roberts, I got a couple of things, how aggressive they were in the base-running part of it. Once again, my mentor and the one that takes most of the credit in the baseball part of it and how to coach the game of baseball in college is Brian Reese. I think I owe a lot to him. I've mentioned it to him but he doesn't know to what magnitude."

One part of his success which is fairly unique is Melendez's willingness and ability to recruit his native Puerto Rico, a hotbed of untapped collegiate baseball talent.

"It didn't start out that way," he said. "It became that way a little later when we started recruiting the Florida area and we knew the ones we were recruiting against were taking the bulk of our players. I'm proud of that because a lot of those guys don't get the opportunity because a lot of college coaches don't go there to recruit. Now, in hindsight, I'm giving opportunities that may not have had that opportunity. It didn't start like that."

The aggressive offense, combined with a talented defense, has led to success both at Bethune-Cookman and at Alabama State, where he is 122-105 in his fifth season with the Hornets, who return to action Wednesday at Jacksonville State before hosting Jackson State this weekend. In 17 seasons, he has 501 wins for an average of 30 wins a year.

"I never looked at it that way," Melendez said. "To me, the internal pressure of winning was never about wins and losses. It was about doing it the way I want it done, which eventually will translate into wins and losses. I never really thought about how many championships I would win and how many wins I would rack up. What was important to me was to run a good program."

At Alabama State, his 100 wins in 2013-15 marks the best three-year stretch in the history of the program. In 2014, the Hornets were 37-20 with a first-place finish in the Southwestern Conference East Division. The overall wins, conference wins (21) and first-place division finish were all high water marks for the Hornets' baseball program. Along the way, Alabama State has posted wins over programs such as Troy and Auburn and baseball powerhouses like Miami and Cal State-Fullerton, creating an expectation for success that was unprecedented at ASU.

"The honest truth is when you're coming into a new program, you don't know how it's going to work out," Melendez said. "You try to do the best job you can at whatever you know, but you never expect a lot of success because you've got to live day to day and not have those expectations that if we don't win a championship, it's been a failure. We've been able to win, we've been able to beat a lot of opponents that a lot of people here seven or eight years ago didn't think this program could but in the meantime we've graduated a lot of kids.

"You know what I'm most proud of? We had a section here of former players. We never called them, we never told them come to the home opener, but about 10-15 players were here (for Friday's game against Winthrop) that were proud of being a former ASU baseball player. That makes me feel good, that they want to give back and still be part of the program. In that sense, that's why we do what we do."

Youngest to 500 NCAA college baseball wins
1.       Keith Guttin, Missouri State, 40 years, 9 months, 18 days, recorded his 500th win on May 17, 1996 vs. Wichita State.
2.       Gene Stephenson, Wichita State, 41 years, 5 months, 23 days, recorded his 500th win on Feb. 22, 1987 vs. Kearney State.
3.       Mervyl Melendez, Alabama State, 42 years, 22 days, recorded his 500th win on Feb. 26, 2016 vs. Winthrop.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS