Alcorn State baseball opens 2011 season against Alabama

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama baseball team (0-0, 0-0 SEC) opens the 2011 season with the Tide playing host to the Alcorn State Braves (0-0, 0-0 SWAC) in a three-game weekend series. The two teams will break in a new year at The Joe on Friday at 6:05 p.m. Game two is slated to begin at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday with Sunday's first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

SATURDAY IS DOUBLE DAY AT ALABAMA
On Saturday, Alabama fans can enjoy two Crimson Tide games for the price of one. The baseball team will host Alcorn State at 2 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. game between Alabama and Arkansas in men's basketball. Fans can use their men's basketball ticket to gain admittance into both the baseball and basketball games.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Alcorn State is coming off a season that saw the Braves post a 27-28 overall record and finish fifth in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 15-8 record. ASU returns 20 letter winners, including 14 position players (six starters) and six pitchers (two starters). Alcorn State's season came to an end when they lost 15-2 to Grambling in the championship game of the SWAC Tournament.

Rodney Warren returns for his senior season after leading the Braves with a .392 average a year ago. As a junior, Warren had 69 hits in 176 at-bats, with 15 doubles, six home runs and 47 runs batted in. The Braves return the heart of their lineup, as Eduardo Gonzalez and Kilby Perdomo also return. Gonzalez led the 2010 team with 78 hits and tied Perdomo for the team lead with 54 RBI. Gonzalez posted a .353 average, 16 doubles, a team-best four triples and six dingers. Perdomo was the team's leader in home runs with 10 and runs scored with 61 and finished third on the team with a .348 average.

Other returners, Cole Vicars and Kenneth Rowan hit .317 and .313, respectively, last season. The top returning pitcher for ASU is Steve Easter. The junior posted a 7-4 overall record as a sophomore, which included six complete game performances. He led the team with 81 strikeouts, while his 99.2 innings pitched ranked second most and his 4.96 ERA was third best on the team. Cederic Pomerlee made 15 appearances with 13 starts as a junior and finished the season with a 5-7 record and a 5.45 ERA. Pomerlee had 79 strikeouts in 76.0 innings pitched.

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A&T Aggies Open Baseball Season Against Campbell

CollegeBaseballInsider.com recently released its 2011 Players to Watch in the MEAC List, and the North Carolina A&T baseball team was well represented.

The Aggies start the 2011 season Friday afternoon at 1 against Campbell University from War Memorial Stadium. The program is coming off of one of its best seasons ever. N.C. A&T (31-26, 15-3) won 30-plus games for the first time in school history, and set a school record for conference wins. In the process, head coach Keith Shumate advanced the Aggies to their fourth MEAC Championship Game in six years.

Baseball insiders are recognizing the outstanding job Shumate is doing with the Aggies program. CollegeBaseballInsider.com named him the best "in-game" coach in the MEAC. Other Aggies receiving top honors included junior second-baseman Marquis Riley. He was recognized as the toughest hitter in the conference to strikeout. Riley struck out only five times last season, second fewest in the nation.

Junior outfielder Xavier Macklin, who has mostly played in left field during his career, was voted as the best defensive outfielder in the league. The acknowledgement shows that he is an all-around outstanding player. Macklin was voted as one of the three best pure hitters in the conference as well as being named as one of the three best power threats.

Junior Esterlin Paulino closed out the honors for N.C. A&T. He was voted as one of the three best starting pitchers. Paulino was the 2010 MEAC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 9-2 record and a league-best 3.38 ERA.

The Aggies are picked to finish second in the MEAC behind perennial champion Bethune-Cookman. Riley, Macklin and Paulino made the MEAC's preseason all-conference team. Paulino was predicted to win MEAC Pitcher of the Year. The Aggies also return leading hitter and 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year Kelvin Freeman.

By Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information                                Release: 02/17/2011

DSU Hornets Open Baseball Season at Arkansas

Dover, Del. - It's time to "play ball" at Delaware State University, as a new baseball season gets underway this weekend.

The Hornets will open the 2011 campaign tomorrow (Feb. 18) with a three-game series against the nationally ranked Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. The series begins with a 4:05 p.m. (ET) contest on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Delaware State returns 15 letter winners, including seven players who started at least 30 games, from its 2010 squad. The Hornets were 13-36 overall and 8-10 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) last season.

Arkansas is ranked 24th in two major preseason polls after posting a 43-21 overall record in 2010.

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Former TSU baseball coach Candy Robinson dies at 70

HOUSTON – The former head baseball coach at TSU, Candy Robinson, has passed away after a long battle with cancer, the university said Wednesday.

Robinson was 70 years old.

"Coach Robinson has been an integral part of the athletics department for more than two decades, and his contributions will always be remembered," said Texas Southern Athletics Director Charles McClelland. "Candy’s loss to the TSU athletics family will be one that cannot be replaced."

Cancer claims life of ex-TSU baseball coach

Former Texas Southern baseball coach Candy Robinson died Tuesday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Robinson, the longest-serving coach in program history, retired from coaching in 2008 after leading the Tigers for 19 years, later becoming the director of baseball operations. He was 332-571-2 during his tenure at TSU, coaching the program to its only Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament titles and NCAA appearances in 2004 and 2008.

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TSU ready to put experience to use

TSU Coach Michael Robertson

Last season, Michael Robertson shepherded a young Texas Southern baseball team to the best record in the program's Division I history and the Southwestern Athletic Conference's Western Division title. One year later, Robertson returns a veteran-laden team that is poised to again be a force in the SWAC.

The Tigers lost just two seniors from last season's 30-26 squad that went 18-6 in the SWAC and fell in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They retained all three of their weekend starting pitchers and two stoppers in the bullpen. The roster is stocked with potent hitters.
The ingredients are there for another successful run.

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Jefferson 2B Muniz commits to Bethune-Cookman

Jefferson second baseman Einar Muniz has committed to Bethune-Cookman University, Jefferson coach Pop Cuesta confirmed Thursday.

The 5-foot-3, 140-pound Muniz is small in stature, but has been one of the Dragons' top players. As a junior he hit .358 and struck out just five times in 81 at bats. He also made just three errors in the field in 28 games last year.



BCU Wildcats Pre-Season Pick to Repeat as MEAC Baseball Champs; O'Brien Named Pre-Season POTY, Four Named All-MEAC

NORFOLK, Va. - The votes are in and it's the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats getting the pre-season nod to be Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champions in the 2011 season, officials from the MEAC announced. The Wildcats are seeking their sixth consecutive MEAC title in 2011 under the guidance of 2010 MEAC Coach of the Year Mervyl Melendez. The Wildcats received a unanimous decision in the vote by the league's sports information directors and head coaches.

But the pre-season honors don't end there for the defending champions; B-CU junior catcher, recently tabbed as the #18 player in America by College Baseball Today, was selected as the MEAC's pre-season Player of the Year. O'Brien won final MEAC Player of the Year award last season.

oining O'Brien in recognition on the pre-season All-MEAC team, the 'Cats filled three other spots on the team. Pitcher Ali Simpson, first baseman Ryan Durrence, and outfielder DJ Leonard all earned pre-season accolades.

Joining the Wildcats on the Preseason Team is pre-season Pitcher of the Year Esterlin Paulino (NCAT), along with Ryan Shook (NSU), Marquis Riley (NCAT), Chris Joyce (NSU), Xavier Macklin (NCAT), John Lynch (NSU) and Bryan Chaikowsky (UMES).

The Wildcats set off their season on Friday, February 18th, as Alabama A&M travels to Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The first pitch of the 2011 B-CU season is set to be thrown at 6:00 p.m.

2011 MEAC Preseason Baseball Predictions
As voted on by the conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
(First Place Votes in Parenthesis)

Team …................................. Points
1. Bethune-Cookman (14) .............. 196
2. North Carolina A&T ….................. 134
3. Norfolk State …........................... 128
4. Delaware State ........................... 100
5. Florida A&M ……........................... 60
6. Maryland Eastern Shore ................ 46
7. Coppin State .................................36


2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Preseason All-Conference Awards
As voted on by the conference’s Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors

Player of the Year: Peter O’Brien, Bethune-Cookman
Pitcher of the Year: Esterlin Paulino, North Carolina A&T

Pos Name School Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown
P Ali Simpson Bethune-Cookman Jr. 6-2 170 Campbell River, British Columbia
P Esterlin Paulino North Carolina A&T Jr. 5-6 147 Santo Domingo
RP Ryan Shook Norfolk State Jr. 6-2 185 Virginia Beach, Va.
C Peter O’Brien Bethune-Cookman Jr. 6-3 215 Miami Gardens, Fla.
1B Ryan Durrence Bethune-Cookman Sr. 6-2 230 Jacksonville, Fla.
2B Marquis Riley North Carolina A&T Jr. 5-10 190 Efland, N.C.
3B Chris Joyce Norfolk State Sr. 6-1 195 Chesapeake, Va.
OF DJ Leonard Bethune-Cookman Jr. 6-0 180 West Palm Beach, Fla.
OF Xavier Macklin North Carolina A&T Jr. 5-11 195 Rocky Mount, North Carolina
OF John Lynch Norfolk State Sr. 6-2 215 Newport News, Va.
DH Bryan Chaikowsky Maryland E. Shore Sr. 6-2 210 Bethlehem, Pa.

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SU catcher Ourso doesn’t plan to waste opportunity

Halfway through his college baseball career, Southern University catcher Clint Ourso realized he hadn’t gotten anywhere. A season at LSU-Eunice in 2009 finished with respectable numbers, but his sophomore campaign at New Orleans left a lot to be desired.

So when the UNO administration shifted the ground underneath its athletic department, announcing all programs would begin transitioning to NCAA Division III, Ourso saw an opportunity. “With two years left, I felt like I had to make a change,” said Ourso, whose junior season officially began Friday when he and his SU teammates began practice for the 2011 season.

Fourth Urban Invitational to begin Feb. 25

The Urban Invitational is back for the 2011 season, and for the first time, three Historically Black Colleges and Universities will be showcased.

In its fourth year, the Invitational -- set up by Major League Baseball's first Urban Youth Academy, in Compton, Calif. -- will run from Feb. 25-27, with HBCUs Southern University (in Louisiana) and Bethune-Cookman (Daytona Beach, Fla.) returning, and Grambling State University (Louisiana) joining the fold. Also playing in the collegiate round-robin tournament is the University of California Irvine, a first-time participant.

The Invitational, presented by the U.S. Army, gives HBCUs a chance to play on a national stage, something that rarely happens. This year they'll get that exposure once again, as MLB Network will air both games on Day 2, which is a Saturday.

SU Video: Urban Invitational: Sat. Gm 1

2011 MLB URBAN INVITATIONAL
Date Time (PT) Matchup Venue
2/25 6:30 p.m. Southern v. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/25 6 p.m. B-CU v. Grambling UYA
2/26 1 p.m. UC Irvine v. B-CU* UYA
2/26 5 p.m. Grambling v. Southern* UYA
2/27 1 p.m. Grambling v. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/27 1 p.m. Southern v. B-CU UYA
* broadcast on MLB Network @ Pacific Time

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Grambling excited for its first Urban Invitational

James Cooper isn't even 30 years old, and he has only been the head baseball coach at Grambling State University for one full season. But he has already experienced some of the difficulties that come with trying to recruit the best baseball talent to a small college.

Twice he has seen an athlete essentially commit to his program, only to be spurned. One of those players went instead to Louisiana State, which guaranteed the recruit a walk-on spot.

And he has seen potential recruits turn down baseball for basketball and football elsewhere. That has happened at least four times.

Grambling State University Head Baseball Coach James Cooper

URBAN INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Date  Time   Game
2/25 6:30 p.m. Southern vs. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/25 6 p.m. B-CU vs. Grambling UYA
2/26 1 p.m. UC Irvine v.s B-CU* UYA
2/26 5 p.m. Grambling vs. Southern* UYA
2/27 1:05 p.m. Grambling vs. UC Irvine UC Irvine
2/27 1 p.m. Southern vs. B-CU UYA
* Broadcast on MLB Network
All times PT

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FAMU has pitchers to spare

Sophomore pitcher Steven Dollar said it best when he described the options that interim head coach Brett Richardson will have when it comes to his pitching staff. "If somebody's arm gets sore, we can just go ahead and pull him out; don't wait another inning," Dollar said.

Having such a choice is huge turnaround for a Florida A&M baseball program that last season had to use just about every player on its roster as a pitcher. The bullpen was so thin that...

FAMU Scores at Will in 93-70 Rout of Webber

TALLAHASSEE | Webber International University failed to stop any aspect of Florida A&M's offense Monday night. The Rattlers scored a season-high 93 points en route at a 93-70 exhibition victory over the Warriors. Webber failed to match up against FAMU's superior size and allowed 46 points in the paint.

"They beat us pretty good on the inside," said senior guard Justin Cockrell, who scored 11 points. "In our conference we should be able to match up pretty good but they beat us with the inside play."

Rattlers lose 7, return 15 to football field next year

When Florida A&M lines up on the football field next season, there shouldn't be too many uncommon faces. The program will lose just seven starters who completed their eligibility at the end of this season. In almost every case, the players who were backups will likely be promoted unless they are beaten out in spring.

In all, the Rattlers will have 15 starters returning, a situation that had coach Joe Taylor beaming with optimism about next season. All of the players who played on special teams also will return. "We have very good reasons to be optimistic," Taylor said Tuesday. "With 15 starters coming back, that simply tells us that we're going to be experienced. We've got a lot to build on."

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Transfer pressure motivates FAMU's Lawrence

T.J. Lawrence has been on the Florida A&M practice field for two days and already he's feeling the pressure of being a Division I transfer — not any Division I, though. The University of Florida.

"I just feel like sometimes in practice if I drop a pass, I'm not supposed to drop anything," Lawrence said Friday. "I'm not supposed to make a mistake. That's what goes through my head when I'm practicing. I feel it's a respect thing, though." Lawrence left UF's program just before the start of preseason camp, but before he came to FAMU last week he'd taken a visit to a junior college.

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Drayton signs on with NCCU

Dylan Drayton signs a letter of intent to attend North Carolina Central University. He is surrounded by his mother, Dee Dee Drayton, left; sister, Taylor; grandfather, Jerry Anderson; and grandmother, Rita Anderson.

He played Shortstop for Middle Creek High School (Apex, N.C.) from 2008-2010. He started three years on the varsity team. Drayton was all conference TRI 8/9 his junior and senior years. He was academic all conference his senior year.

His 2010 batting average was .398 and his 2009 batting average was .414. He was coached by Jeremy Thompson. Career batting stats at MCHS Fourth in total hits Fifth in homeruns Fifth in triples Second in runs scored Fourth in batting average with .386 Single seasons MCHS Records Third and fifth total hits Runs scored third and fourth Third in doubles Second in runs batted in First player in MCHS history to lead off a game with a home run. He is 5’6” and weighs 140.

It appears the N.C. Central Eagles have signed a future star.

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Former FAMU coach Durant finds valor in Dawson enshrinement

Former FAMU coach Durant finds valor in Dawson enshrinement

When Joe Durant found out that budget cuts would reduce travel expense for the Florida A&M baseball team, he called on Andre Dawson. Dawson helped to arrange a card show in the old Gaither Gym that raised more than $11,000 for the Rattlers about 10 years ago. Dawson had been there several other times to help Durant, a former teammate when both men played at FAMU during the 1970s.

On Sunday, Durant was in Cooperstown reciprocating as Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Durant could have made an excuse for not being there. He has a very good one. He was diagnosed with the lymphoma form of cancer in February, just over two years after he'd found out that the physical changes he was experiencing was the result of having prostate cancer. The meeting between Dawson and Durant at a pre-induction reception was an emotional one, Durant said. They still found a way to laugh.

Andre Dawson joins an elite group »

After eight years of waiting, Andre Dawson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, becoming the third Florida A&M athlete to be enshrined in a professional sports HOF. Dawson, just one of three players to hit more than 400 home runs, showed his prowess early in his career when he came to FAMU from Miami as a teenager. He joined a Rattlers team that was one of the winningest HBCU baseball teams during the early 1970s.

On Sunday, President James Ammons led a small contingent from FAMU that also included three of Dawson's former teammates. His induction is the second of a former FAMU athlete in the last two years, as he joined Bob Hayes in the NFL and former tennis star Althea Gibson.

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Talking about 'The Hawk'

Andre Dawson’s friends and colleagues talked about “The Hawk” on his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Mel Didier (longtime scout and player development person): “I first saw Andre at Florida A&M when I came out to see some other players. When I saw him hit the ball, and I saw the way the ball bounced when he hit it and how it took off, I said to myself, ‘I have another Hank Aaron here.’ At that time, I ran the draft for the Montreal Expos. And for some reason I let him fall to the 11th round of the draft and still got him. I knew he’d be a great player, but I didn’t know at that time he was also going to be a great man.”

Dallas Green (Cubs general manager 1982-1987: “I was the happiest guy in the world when Andre and his agent Dick Moss came to me with that blank contract to sign for 1987. I was embarrassed that I didn’t have more money to give him, but I was thrilled to death that he wanted to play for the Chicago Cubs. It was a great day for the Chicago Cubs and their fans when Andre Dawson made his decision to play for less money than he deserved that season.”

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Buck O'Neil recommended Dawson to Cubs in ' 75

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The late Buck O'Neil played an instrumental role in sending some great players to the Cubs, including Ernie Banks, Lou Brock and Lee Smith. He could have had another huge find had then-GM John Holland and scouting director Vedie Himsl followed another of his recommendations.



Montreal scout Mel Didier spotted Andre Dawson playing in a 15-inning scrimmage game for the Florida A&M Rattlers before the 1975 season. He remembers him as a "skinny center fielder'' who hit two grounders with "overspin that chewed up the infield grass,'' and the Expos would take Dawson in the 11th round of the draft.

O'Neil regularly scouted Florida A&M and knew all about his potential. He even had the Rattlers' head coach move Dawson to shortstop at one point during the season for an audition as a middle infielder - "I hurt my arm throwing sidearm,'' Dawson said - and pushed the Cubs to selected Dawson, according to some interviews. But Himsl had used the second pick of the '75 draft on Lee Smith, another O'Neil recommendation, and decided not to give him two picks in the top 10.

O'Neil filled Dawson in on the background at a banquet in Chicago one winter. "There was the possibility of the Cubs drafting me,'' said Dawson, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Sunday. "But it never manifested itself.''

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Ed McCann Resigning From Centenary; Heading To Alabama A&M Bulldogs

Ed McCann Head Coach

Ed McCann, the Centenary College of Louisiana Gents baseball coach since 1999, is resigning and will be the next head coach at Alabama A&M in Huntsville.
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In an afternoon phone interview with KTBS, McCann said he looks forward to going to a university that, "Cares about baseball and cares about athletics." Centenary College is one year away from dropping down to NCAA Division III from their current status as a Division I school. McCann, a tireless worker, who sold Centenary baseball to everyone and anyone he met, has already secured his first recruit for A&M, a young man out of Detroit, Michigan. During McCann's tenure, the Peyton Sheehee Stadium was constructed as well as improvements made to the baseball and soccer offices nearby, courtesy of the Mike McCarthy family.

Michael Tompkins

Assistant Coach

Michael Tompkins, who completed his eligibility this past season as a Gent, will follow McCann to A&M as an assistant coach. McCann is expected to hand in his letter of resignation on Monday or Tuesday and then it's off to the SWAC for Easy Ed McCann.

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Florida A&M Rattlers' Shaw drafted by MLB Brewers

Florida A&M outfielder Derrick Shaw started his day wondering if showers in the New England area would hold off long enough for him to play his first game with the Holyoke Blue Sox of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. The rain didn't let up Wednesday, but by the time word came that the game would be washed out, Shaw still had reason to celebrate: He had been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers picked Shaw, who played baseball and football at FAMU, in the 41st round. His selection makes him the first FAMU player drafted by a major-league team since the Chicago Cubs signed outfielder Dwaine Bacon in 2001.

"Accomplishment, man," said Shaw, explaining his emotions during a telephone interview. "It's a dream come true." Shaw said he will likely spend the next week playing with Holyoke while the Brewers negotiate his contract. Once that is done, he will likely be sent to join the Brewers' rookie team in Arizona or its A-league affiliate in Helena, Montana.



Derrick Shaw, a 6-0 sophomore infielder/outfielder from Orlando, Florida was a 1,239 selection overall in the draft. He finished the season with 67 hits in 163 at-bats for a .411 batting average, scoring 45 runs, while driving in 36 runs. He had 20 hit for extra bases in 11 doubles, three triples and six homers. Shaw was a two-time First Team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection (2009, 2010) and a Louisville Slugger All-American. in 2009. As a freshman, Shaw hit .366 with 9 doubles, 42 RBIs and 9 stolen bases.

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Coppin State signs Bishop McDevitt's Dawan Smith

ATHLETE: Dawan Smith (5-7/160)
SPORT: Baseball
HIGH SCHOOL: Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
COLLEGE: Coppin State University Eagles

THE DETAILS: A quick visit in late April was enough to convince Bishop McDevitt’s swift second baseman that Coppin State would be his next baseball destination. The Crusaders’ lead-off man will join the Eagles of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in the Fall.

THE DECISION: “I met most of the players and they had a real good chemistry, and they have the type of coaches that I need,” said Smith, who was considering Duquesne before the Division I program was terminated. Smith also said interest came from several Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference programs and Virginia Military Institute. “They are the type of coaches that push you to the limit, preach discipline. There are some of the same rules I followed at McDevitt.”

PROJECTED MAJOR: Possibly business management.

THE ATHLETE: Speed is a precious commodity at the next level, so there was little doubt the dangerous Smith would find a spot in the collegiate ranks. After his call-up to the varsity level midway through his sophomore season, Smith gained a ton of attention last summer when he clocked a breezy 6.60 at the American Legion All-East workout. Gaining a “better understanding of the game” this season, Smith rolled up a .380 average from his lead-off position and shared the Mid-Penn Conference lead in stolen bases with 19. “Overall, it’s just the way you think about the game,” said Smith, who tacked on 25 runs for the Crusaders (10-11). “I definitely improved with my bat and defensively.”

PROJECTED MAJOR: Possibly business management.

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Kansas State nips Grambling State, 9-8‎

"Everybody loves an underdog," said James Cooper, an interim coach who's been told privately he will be retained as Grambling's skipper next season. "We noticed how they were rooting us on and how they changed the Pig Sooie chant into a Grambling chant."

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The baseball puzzle for Kansas State was seemingly completed Saturday when its leading hitter broke out of an NCAA Regional funk. Nick Martini, extra dry after an 0-for-6 start to begin the regional, got going in a big way. The co-Big 12 player of the year ripped a three-run double to the left-center-field gap to give the Wildcats an eight-run lead in the fifth inning. "I was struggling a little bit at the beginning of this," said the sophomore outfielder, "and that double helped us get ahead. From there on, we just had to stay focused."

Easier said than done.

Grambling, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 years as one of two teams in the field with a losing record, rallied within a run before Kansas State held on 9-8 in Baum Stadium. K-State will play at 2:05 p.m. Sunday in an elimination game against the loser of Saturday night's game between Arkansas and Washington State.

But momentum shifted in the top of the sixth when the Cats' Kent Urban was thrown out at the plate by Tigers left fielder Mychal Roby. After scoring in each of the first five innings, K-State did not score again. And Grambling caught fire. "The first five innings was the way we were hoping to draw it up," K-State coach Brad Hill said. "It didn't end up the way we wanted it to end up, but I give them a lot of credit. Sufficiently pumped, the Tigers displayed the same offensive clout as in a 19-7 loss against Arkansas the day before.

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It's Over! Grambling State University Tigers had a successful baseball season-- 2010 SWAC Champions, and found a permanent head coach in James Cooper.

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Box Score

Cador ready to recruit, rebuild SU baseball

The Southwestern Athletic Conference handed out a championship trophy Sunday. The Southern baseball team wasn’t there to see it, much less accept it. The trophy instead rested in the hands of James Cooper, the coach at archrival Grambling, which earned the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. Monday, while the Tigers waited to learn their NCAA regional destination, the Jaguars were back home, contemplating a season that started with promise but ended in disappointment. Like most of its SWAC counterparts, Southern had talent but also its fair share of flaws.

The Jaguars still had a shot to win last week’s SWAC tournament because no other team was dominant. Jackson State, the Eastern Division champion, crashed and burned with two quick losses. Texas Southern, the West champion, lost its first game and flamed out Friday, two days before the title game. But the same flaws Southern displayed all season — among them, sloppy defense, poor situational hitting and a suspect starting rotation — ultimately doomed the Jaguars in an 8-7 tournament loss to Alcorn State. As a result, their season ended prematurely.

In a sense, Roger Cador’s 26th season as the SU baseball coach had ended long before that. Thanks to a since-fixed glitch in his pacemaker, Cador left his team in the hands of assistant coach Fernando Puebla over the final three weeks — and while Cador watched the tournament from the dugout, he made no in-game decisions. Now, Cador said, doctors have green-lighted his offseason workload, and he intends to get back to business.

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Grambling State University claims SWAC baseball tournament title

Grambling State University Tigers first year coach James Cooper wins first SWAC championship.

SHREVEPORT, LA — As the Southwestern Athletic Conference baseball tournament crawled along, the regular-season powerhouses quietly tiptoed out of Fairgrounds Field. Eventually, Grambling and Alcorn State found themselves in the championship game. Sunday afternoon, with an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament on the line, Grambling was quiet no more. The long-suffering Tigers — playing against Alcorn State University and their former coach, Barret Rey — unloaded on the Braves pitching staff and got a sterling effort from left-hander Adrian Turner in a convincing 15-2 victory.

It is the ninth SWAC championship for Grambling, but its first in 25 seasons. The Tigers hadn’t won a baseball title since 1985, when then-coach Wilbur Ellis led them to their third consecutive crown. This time, their coach is James Cooper, who, at 29 years old, took over the Grambling program last summer when Rey left after three years for the same job at Alcorn.

The Braves (28-27), who finished third in the SWAC Eastern Division, were 3-0 in the tournament heading into Sunday’s championship game, with two wins over Southern and one more against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Grambling (22-30), which finished third in the SWAC West, went undefeated in four games at Fairgrounds Field. Jackson State lost its first two games. Southern and Texas Southern flamed out Friday.

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