FAMU Travels To NC Central For Big MEAC Series

Ryan C. Kennedy #33
6'-3" 205 Infielder
HOMETOWN: Merritt Island, Florida
Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  – Florida A&M (18-21, 10-7 MEAC), who is coming off a huge win over No. 6 Florida at McKethan Stadium in Gainesville on Wednesday, looks to remain in first place of the MEAC Southern Division with a three game series against North Carolina Central (15-25-1, 10-9 MEAC) beginning on Saturday, April 26. The Rattlers have gone 7-2 over their last nine games including winning three straight.

Central leads the all-time series 10-13, which includes six straight losses for FAMU in Durham, NC. The last victory for the Rattlers over the Eagles in Durham came on April 13, 2011 by a score of 12-9. The series between the two schools only started in 2009 as NC Central resumed their baseball program in 2007 since 1975.

The Eagles had won five straight games the week of April 2-6 but have since lost four straight games and have gone 1-8 in their last nine games since April 8.

FAMU and NCCU split the first two meetings this season in Tallahassee. Florida A&M won game one by a score of 13-5 while NC Central took game two 6-5 in extra innings. Sunday’s game three was rained out with the Eagles leading 6-0 in the top of the second inning and has yet to be determined if that game will be made up.

Rattler catcher Jeremy Barlow went 4-for-6 with a double and a run scored while throwing out two Eagle base runners in the two games, while centerfielder Jared Walker was 5-for-9 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. The Rattlers hit .387 as a team in the series. Chase Jarrell and David Duncan started the two games as Jarrell was the only starter to earn the win. Jordan Montague pitched three innings of relief for the save of game one, only allowing one run on four hits.

NCCU is led offensively by Carter Williamson (.345) and Tyson Simpson (.378), while Christian Triplett’s seven home runs is tied with FAMU’s Ryan Kennedy as the MEAC home run leaders.

PITCHING PROBABLES:

                           Florida A&M (18-21, 10-7 MEAC)            NC Central (15-25-1, 10-9 MEAC)

Saturday Gm 1: Fr., RHP Chase Jarrell (4-2, 3.47)            Jr., RHP Kyle Shields (3-3, 3.38)

Saturday Gm 2: Sr., RHP David Duncan (2-4, 4.72)          Sr., RHP Terry McNabb (2-6, 4.13)      

Sunday:             So., RHP Kendal Weeks (2-1, 4.18)        So., RHP Alex Dandridge (1-3, 5.09)     

Rattler Quick Strikes:

• With the success of the 2014 season, the Rattlers have ended three long losing streaks to common opponents. With the 4-3 win on April 23 FAMU recorded its first victory in program history over No. 6 Florida, snapping an 18-game losing streak to the Gators. Florida A&M had also lost 20 straight to Jacksonville before a 6-5 victory back on April 8 at Moore-Kittles Field and ended a run of 13 consecutive losses to Bethune-Cookman with a 5-1 win on April 5 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
  
• In head coach Jamey Shouppe’s first season, FAMU has already won more games (18) than the last two years combined (14). The 18 wins are the most since the Rattlers went 24-30, 10-9 MEAC in 2009.
  
• FAMU is currently 10-7 in the MEAC. Florida A&M won seven games in each of the last two seasons. This is just the sixth time since 2000 that the Rattlers have won double-digit MEAC games (2002, 03, 07, 08, 09) and the most since they went 10-8 in 2009.
  
• 1B/RF Bennie Robinson comes in as one of the nations offensive leaders statistically. Robinson is hitting .411 (8^th) on the year with 65 hits (T-11th) and 94 total bases (T-28^th).
  
• Robinson is currently hitting .411. The last Rattler to hit over .400 with at least 100 at bats this late in the season was Derrick Shaw in 2010. Shaw finished with an average of .421 and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 (41^st Rd-Pick 14).
  
• Robinson is also hitting .513 (20-for-39) over the last 10 games with five doubles, a home run and six RBI.
  
• In the last 10 games the Florida A&M bullpen has pitched 45 strong innings with an ERA of 1.80 with 28 K’s and 12 BB. The Rattler bullpen also hasn’t allowed an earned run in five of those last 10 games dating back to the Sunday game at Bethune-Cookman on April 6.
  
• William Carrasco, who only allowed one unearned run in three innings as the starter at No. 6 Florida has been pitching well during the last half of the season. In his last six appearances he is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.51 with 13 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings of work including two saves.
  
• Florida A&M last won the MEAC Southern Division in 1997 and last won the conference championship in 1994.

The Rattlers and Eagles will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 26, as game times are scheduled for 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. The series finale will be on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

VISIT: FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
VISIT: FAMUATHLETICS.COM

By Michael Morrell/Special to FAMU Athletics
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Alcorn beats XU Rush; qualifying tournament starts Friday

2014 NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tennis Tournament April 25-26 in New Orleans

Click here for information

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana, ranked 10th in NAIA men's tennis, closed its regular season Thursday with a 5-3 loss to NCAA Division I's Alcorn State.

Both teams are 9-10. The Braves snapped the three-dual win streak of the Gold Rush and prevented Xavier from moving above .500 for the first time this season. The Rush were trying for a third consecutive victory against an NCAA Division I opponent.

It was the first Gold Rush loss this season in four duals.

The Gold Rush will play Tougaloo at 9 a.m. Friday at XU Tennis Center in the opening round of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament. The Xavier-Tougaloo winner will play Oklahoma Baptist or the University of the Southwest in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday at the University of New Orleans.

Also at UNO, Xavier's women will play a 2 p.m. Friday semifinal against Oklahoma Baptist or Our Lady of the Lake. Women's and men's championship matches will be played Saturday at Xavier.

Xavier led 1-0 and 3-2 before Alcorn clinched with three consecutive singles victories. Nischay Rawal ended the dual with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 decision against Jordan Harrell at No. 3.

Freshmen Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht won in singles for Xavier, and Mandlekar and Kevin Chaouat teamed for an 8-2 victory against Garry Amor and Rawal at No. 2 doubles.

Albrecht beat Amor 6-3, 6-0 at No. 6 singles, and Mandlekar defeated Max Tkachenko 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4.

Ernesto Santillan and Nikita Kostikov won in doubles and singles for Alcorn. Santillan and Kostikov beat Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer 8-5 at No. 1 doubles, and Santillan beat Montrel 7-5, 6-4 at the top singles flight.

Results


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
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Howard University SID Ed Hill, Jr Named CoSIDA Trailblazer

30-year Howard veteran to be honored during CoSIDA Convention in June

Mr. Edward (Ed) Hill Jr.
Courtesy Howard University Athletics
COSIDA STORY LINK

WASHINGTON, D.C.  --  In 1983, Edward (Ed) Hill Jr. gave up a career as a sportswriter to become the assistant sports information director at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Two years later, he was elevated to the top position. Good move for Hill. Great move for College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the profession!

Hill is set to receive the 2014 CoSIDA Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award during the group's annual workshop June 8-11, 2014 at Orlando, Fla. The award is given annually to a member of the group who is a pioneer in the field of sports information who has mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within the organization.

"It is truly a great honor to be recognized with the Trailblazer Award," Hill said. "I feel that it is especially noteworthy that I am being honored during the same time that the award is being named for a true 'trailblazer' in the profession, Mary Jo Haverbeck (former associate SID at Penn State and the first recipient of the award).

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2014 Tennessee State Lady Tiger Basketball Camp Information

2014 TSU LADY TIGER BASKETBALL CAMP INFORMATION

Lil Tiger Camp Brochure | Play Day Flyer | Elite Camp Brochure


REGISTER NOW!

Lil Tiger Camp
WHEN: June 2-4
WHERE: Gentry Center
TIME: 9am-12pm
AGES: 5-14 years old, Grades K-8
COSTS: $50
CONTACT: Ashlee McGee 615-963-1356; Amcgee2@my.tnstate.edu
For more information, click here to read the brochure.

TSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAY DAY 1WHEN: June 7
WHERE: Gentry Center
TIME: Games start at 8:00am
AGES: Varsity High School teamsCOSTS: $125
CONTACT: Ashlee McGee 615-963-1356; Amcgee2@my.tnstate.eduFor more information, click here to read the brochure.

TSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAY DAY 2WHEN: June 18
WHERE: Gentry Center
TIME: Games start at 8:00am
AGES: Varsity High School teamsCOSTS: $125
CONTACT: Ashlee McGee 615-963-1356; Amcgee2@my.tnstate.eduFor more information, click here to read the brochure.

ELITE CAMPWHEN: June 20-22
WHERE: Gentry Center
TIME: Games start at 8:00am
AGES: 8- HS OnlyCOSTS: $200 (Dorms)/ $150 (Commuters)
CONTACT: Ashlee McGee 615-963-1356; Amcgee2@my.tnstate.edu
For more information, click here to read the brochure

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COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern Baseball, SU Army ROTC partner for Throwback Classic

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Southern University has joined forces with the SU Army ROTC to present the Negro League Tradition series this weekend at Lee-Hines Field when the Jaguars host Grambling State in the regular season home finale.

The "Throwback Classic" features uniforms from the Negro Baseball League worn by both teams in a SWAC Western Division showdown between the two in-state rivals.

Courtesy Southern U. Athletics

Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader is set for a noon first pitch and will air live on Downtown Radio 97.7 FM and GoJagsports.com.  Sunday series finale is set for a 1:07 first pitch and will air live on Cox Sports Television.

 

The SU Army ROTC will provide 200 camouflage SU rally towels to every fan who attends Sunday's game. Also, the first 30 children - ages 12 and under - will receive an SU ROTC squeeze baseball at each game.  

 

Southern is coming off a 13-2 loss on Wednesday to Nicholls State at Lee-Hines Field.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS 

Coppin State narrows men's basketball coaching search to five finalists

BALTIMORE, Maryland  -- Coppin State has narrowed its search for a new men's basketball coach to five candidates who are scheduled to interview on campus next week, including current Maryland assistant Bino Ranson.

The school says it will introduce its next coach at a news conference on May 5. He will replace Ron "Fang" Mitchell, who was the Eagles' coach for 28 years before not having his contract renewed after this season.

Here's a look at the five candidates, per Coppin State's news release:

Orlando "Bino" Ranson: A current assistant at the University of Maryland, Ranson has strong ties to the Baltimore-Washington area, having coached for two seasons at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore. He has played a major role in helping Maryland sign back-to-back top-25 recruiting classes in 2012 and 2013. Ranson led the recruitment of current Terps Charles Mitchell and Shaquille Cleare.

Larry Stewart: Currently in his fifth season with Bowie State and his third as Associate Head Coach.  A standout player at Coppin State from 1988-1991, Stewart led the Eagles to their first ever NCAA Tournament ...

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Jackson State adds depth to backcourt with Yettra Specks

JACKSON, Mississippi  --  Yettra Specks needed more time.

The point guard from Southern-Shreveport committed to Jackson State in March, but he sent his National Letter of Intent nearly a week after the signing period opened on April 16.

“It was tough because knowing that I could stay and play another year and try to get more offers ... it was tough,” Specks said. “But the thing that made me finalize my decision was the coaches, making me feel like I’m at home.”

He finished his freshman season at the junior college and wavered between staying another year or sticking with his commitment to the Tigers. On one side, his junior college coaches advised him to stay another season, which is normal for most players at that level.

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Texas Southern LadyTigers take a 6-4 win over Sam Houston State at Memorial Park

HOUSTON, Texas  --  Texas Southern third baseman Anisha Richardson blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to power the Tigers to a 6-4 non-conference softball victory over Sam Houston Wednesday evening at Memorial Park.

The home run broke a 3-3 tie. The victory runs TSU's season mark to 24-16 and Sam Houston now stands 24-21. Texas Southern out-hit Sam Houston 6-4 as the Bearkats also committed three errors.

Texas Southern starting pitcher Alaina Stubblefield was credited with the win while Sammantha Jimenez entered the game in relief picking up the save.

Texas Southern will play a three-game series with Southern University this upcoming weekend on Friday and Saturday. TSU and SU will begin at 3:00 pm on Friday and at 12:00 pm on Saturday. The Lady Tigers wrapped up the Western Division last weekend with a sweep of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

On Saturday the Lady Tigers will also recognize their five sewww.tsuball.com.  
niors in between games two and three. For the latest news regarding Texas Southern Softball please continue to visit

Box Score 

COURTESY TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION  

GSU students approve athletics fee

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State University’s athletic programs will get a boost in the fall after students recently approved an athletics fee that university officials say will generate an additional $1 million annually.

After students voted against the athletics fee last year, GSU officials launched an awareness campaign to show the need for another mandatory fee. Students approved the fee late last week with an 820 to 230 vote.

The fee will become effective in the fall. Each student will be assessed $100 per semester.

GSU President Frank Pogue said ...

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Delaware State Hornets Baseball Outlast Navy 13-8

DOVER, Delaware  --   Delaware State scored six times in the bottom of the eighth inning to erase a one-run deficit in a 13-8 win over Navy at Soldier Field today. The Hornets trailed 8-7 before the eighth inning explosion.

Eddie Sorondo singled in the first two runs of the inning to give DSU a 9-8 lead. Charles Dailey and Cameron Onderko had run-scoring singles; and Chris Gonzalez drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the inning.

The Hornets opened the scoring on back-to-back doubles by Cameron Cecil and Aarron Nardone in the bottom of the first inning. Cecil was two-for-five with a double, while Nardone had two hits and a RBI in four at bats to give him a team high 34 runs batted in this season.

After Navy scored three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead, the Hornets answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning to pull back on top.

First baseman Chris Gonzalez had the big blow in the inning, a three-run blast over the fence in left field to give the Hornets a 4-3 lead. It was the first home run of his collegiate career. Gonzalez had a career-best four RBI in the game.

Sorondo added a two-run single for the Hornets in the second. He was two-for-three with four RBI in the contest.

After Navy scored a run in the fourth inning to pull to within 6-4, Mike Alexander led off the DSU fourth with his sixth homer of the season to give the Hornets a three-run lead.

The Midshipmen scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh off the Hornets’ bullpen to open up an 8-7 lead.

Onderko had four of DSU’s 18 hits, while six players collected two hits each.

Reliever Eric Sharff (5-3), the Hornets’ sixth pitcher of the game, threw 2.2 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Despite giving up eight runs, DSU pitchers did not allow an earned run due to five Hornet errors.  Travis Blue was two-for-four with three RBI, while Robert Currie had two hits and two RBI in four at bats for the Midshipmen.

Navy’s reliever Sam Sorenson (1-3) allowed two hits and three runs in 0.1 innings to take the loss.

The Hornets return to MEAC action with a three-game series at home against Norfolk State this weekend. The series at Soldier Field begins with a doubleheader on Saturday (Apr. 26) starting at noon. The teams will wrap up the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. DSU leads Norfolk State by percentage points for first place in the MEAC North race.

DSU SEASON STATS

BOX SCORE

COURTESY DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Savannah State Men's Golf Hosts MEAC Championship

COURTESY OF SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

SAVANNAH, Georgia  – The Savannah State golf program is set to host the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's golf championship tournament April 25-27 at Crosswinds Golf Club, in Savannah, Ga.

After several years of showcases the MEAC added men's golf to its championship catalog this year as the 16^th sport. Savannah State and Bethune-Cookman University, in Daytona Beach, Florida, have hosted MEAC men's golf showcases in the past.

The showcases demonstrated to the conference that a viable golf championship could be held. By conference teams participating in three showcases, the MEAC conference was given an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament.

Savannah State head coach Art Gelow helmed the initiative to bring golf to the MEAC, and its first championship to Savannah.

"Savannah State is happy to host the first ever MEAC golf championship," Gelow said. "I think it's a huge tribute to the job that we've done in conjunction with the owners and staff at Crosswinds Golf Club over the years."

"We've hosted a Fall Tiger Invitational there and multiple MEAC showcases in the spring with great success," Gelow continued. "The staff and employees at Crosswinds do a great job in helping us to be the premiere host of golf competitions for the MEAC."

Six MEAC teams will be represented in the championship tournament. In addition to SSU and Cookman, North Carolina Central, Hampton University, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Florida A&M will field teams.

The three-round, 72-par tournament will be played over three days, beginning April 25, with the final round played on April 27. Pairings will be announced on Thursday, April 24, and live scoring will be available during the match. Results will be sent out after each round and posted on www.ssuathletics.com.

Crosswinds Golf Club is an 18-hole, traditional Lowcountry golf course, situated off I-95 exit #104 near the Savannah Hilton/Head International Airport.

The winner of the MEAC tournament will continue on to face other Division I institutes in the NCAA Regional Championship May 15-17. The NCAA National Championship is schedule for May 23-28.

For additional information on the web visit www.meacsports.com, and www.crosswindsgolfclub.com

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Kentucky State Crowned 2014 SIAC Men's Golf Champions

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

BESSEMER, Alabama -- The Kentucky State men's golf team used a solid performance on the third and final day of the 2014 SIAC Golf Championship Tournament to secure the conference crown. The Thorobreds finished the three round tournament, played at the Woodward  Golf & Country Club in Bessemer, Alabama, with a championship worthy scorecard of 991.

The Thorobreds, who trailed Morehouse by one stroke heading into the third round, put together a 338 team scorecard in the final round of play, six strokes better than the Maroon Tigers, 344. The solid final day secured the comeback for KSU as they defeated Morehouse (996) by five strokes for the tournament title.

After a slow start in the first round of the tournament on Monday, the Thorobreds bounced back with a single round low team score of 317 on Tuesday to set themselves up for a final push on Wednesday.

"Just like this whole season, this team battled and fought themselves out of a hole and persevered through this whole tournament," Head Coach Harry Stinson said. "They came together early in the season and that showed today with their ability to handle the pressure of competing for a championship."

Sophomore Joseph White (74/82/79, 235) was the top finisher for the Thorobreds, finishing the championship tournament in a tie for third place with a 235 total. After being named to the SIAC All-Conference Second Team after the regular season, White was named to the SIAC All-Tournament Team for his performance during the tournament.

Senior Dylan Riley (91/75/85, 251), an SIAC All-Conference First Team member, capped off his final round for the Thorobreds with an 85 on Wednesday. Riley finished in a tie for 11^th place.

Freshman Hunter Pike (81/77/88, 246) and Gabriel McMichael (90/83/86, 259) both finished in the top-15. Pike slipped a bit in the final round but still finished with the eighth best score of the tournament. McMichael finished in a tie for 14^th place after the final round of play.

"Our freshman played a big part in this team win and are the cornerstone of this team's future," Stinson said of his two first year players.

Senior Julian Jeter-Davis (99/96/99, 294) put up a 99 on his scorecard to cap his tournament performance and finishes his KSU career with a conference championship.

"I'm so happy for our pair of seniors, especially Julian, because he saw ups and downs on the course but still saw the big picture and was the leader of this squad," Stinson said.

Stinson was named the 2014 SIAC Golf Tournament Most Outstanding Coach.

Dominique Worthen of LeMoyne-Owen College held on for the individual low scorecard of the tournament. Worthen, the 2014 SIAC Golfer of the Year, shot a 78 on Wednesday for a tournament total of 224.

Individual Leader Board:

Place	Name	School	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
1	Dominique Worthen	LeMoyne-Owen	74	72	78	224
2	Jerrell Hubbard	Paine	81	75	75	231
T-3	Joseph White	Kentucky State	74	82	79	235
T-3	Kelly Allen	Benedict	86	76	73	235
5	Khaliq Dansby	Miles	75	79	85	239
6	Justin McElderry	Morehouse	81	78	82	241
7	Anthony Body	Morehouse	75	81	86	242
8	Hunter Pike	Kentucky State	81	77	88	246
9	Jacob McCurry	Miles	83	86	78	247
10	Jordan Buchanan	Benedict	82	84	84	250
T-11	Bruce Cousin	Morehouse	83	80	88	251
T-11	Dylan Riley	Kentucky State	91	75	85	251
13	Rhalston Jones	Benedict	81	85	87	253
T-14	Palmer Wood	Paine	87	87	85	259
T-14	Gabriel McMichael	Kentucky State	90	83	86	259
T-14	J.T. Hyer	Paine	90	88	81	259
17	Trey Reynolds	Miles	79	90	92	261
18	Robert Johnson	Benedict	85	93	86	264
19	Christopher Norman	Morehouse	86	91	88	265
20	Trevor Barber	Miles	93	88	87	268
21	Jordan Bailey	Paine	91	92	104	287
22	Brandon Henderson	LeMoyne-Owen	107	94	91	292
23	Justin Tate	LeMoyne-Owen	92	94	107	293
24	Julian Jeter-Davis	Kentucky State	99	96	99	294
25	Janko Popovic	LeMoyne-Owen	99	110	101	310
26	Prentice Bell	Paine	115	115	118	348
27	Glen Pickett	Miles	132	120	123	375
28	Sheldon Allen	Morehouse	83	WD	WD	WD
29	McArthur Thompson	Benedict	103	123	WD	WD
30	Christian Colburn	LeMoyne-Owen	135	WD	WD	WD

Team Leader Board:

School	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Total
Kentucky State	336	317	338	991
Morehouse	322	330	344	996
Benedict	334	338	330	1002
Miles	330	343	342	1015
LeMoyne-Owen	372	370	377	1119
Paine	349	342	345	1036

SIAC All-Tournament Team

Name	School
Dominique Worthen	LeMoyne-Owen
Jerrell Hubbard	Paine College
Kelly Allen	Benedict College
Joseph White	Kentucky State
Khaliq Dansby	Morehouse College

Tournament MVP: Dominique Worthen

2014 SIAC Golf Tournament Most Outstanding Coach: Harry Stinson

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION   

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about former Alabama State RB Isaiah Crowell

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- Former Alabama State running back Isaiah Crowell is one of the most mystifying skill-position players in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Here are a few things we know about the Columbus, Ga. native who decided to skip his final year of college eligibility for the opportunity to turn pro. 
 

His talent is undeniable.
 

Crowell is a former five-star recruit. Coming out of Carver High School (Ga.), he was rated as the nation's No. 4 player at his position ahead of the likes of former Auburn star Tre Mason, Devonta Freeman (Florida State) and Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona), all of whom are projected to be chosen before him in the draft. Crowell stayed in-state and signed with Georgia, rushing for 850 yards and five scores on his way to being named SEC Freshman of the Year, proving he's capable of shining when matched up against the best.  

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TSU Tigers Finish Season, Tenth at OVC Championships

MUSCLE SHOALS, Alabama -- For the second round in a row the Tennessee State women’s golf team cut strokes off their previous round at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships. TSU shot a 350 on the final round, shaving seven strokes from Tuesday’s round. The teams played under perfect conditions as the day reached a high of 72 with seven MPH winds, under sunny skies at the Par-72, 6,203 yard Fighting Joe course at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at The Shoals.

 

The Tigers (359-357-350=1,066) closed out the 2013-14 season finishing 10th, as they posted the lowest TSU score at an OVC Championship. Their previous best was a 1,084 at GreyStone Golf Club in 2011.

 

Murray State (307-298-310=915) charged back on the final day from six strokes back to claim the team championship over Eastern Kentucky (295-304-318=917). The Racers Delaney Howson (71-68-73=212) claimed individual honors finishing 4-under for the tournament.

 

Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics

Kelly Merkel (91-82-84=257) led the way for TSU for the second consecutive round. The sophomore carded eight pars with 11 fairways, nine greens and 38 putts.

 

Natalie Spicer (95-90-87=272) entered the clubhouse on Wednesday with eight pars. Spicer needed 37 putts as she hit six greens. The freshman hit 10-of-14 fairways during the final round and finished with 35-of-42 over the three-day event.

 

Laura Bremer (98-91-89=278) lowered her score for the second consecutive round by hitting 10 fairways and six greens on her way to nine pars on the day. Bremer registered eight between holes No. 3 and No. 13. The sophomore-transfer hit out of a fairway bunker on the par-4, 8th, to 12 feet past the pin. Bremer sank the downhill putt to save par. Bremer, once again found a fairway bunker off the tee box. The Metropolis, Ill., product punched out horizontally, leaving her 150 yards to the pin. Bremer stuck her third shot on the green just to the left of the flag, setting up a 17-footer to salvage a par.

 

The lone birdie of the day for the Tigers was recorded by Amelia Dap (90-96-90=276). The sophomore used a 3-wood off the tee on the par-4, 2nd, leaving just under 150-yards to the flag. Dap then landed nine feet from the hole as she hit a 7-iron into the wind. The Murfreesboro native needed just one putt to secure the birdie.

 

On No. 2, Sarah Needleman (83-94-98=275) overshot the green, but came back on a chip, just missing a hole-out. Needleman secured a par by draining a 16-foot uphill putt. The sophomore started the day off with four pars over the first six holes, but would finish with just five on the day. Needleman finished the OVC Championships 20 strokes better than her freshman season, as she hit 11 fairways and six greens.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Updated: Florida A&M Home Runs Lift Rattlers In Upset Over No. 12 Florida Gators (w/Video)

Florida A&M collected its first-ever victory over Florida in the
teams’19th meeting on the diamond.
Photo courtesy FAMU Sports Information

GAINESVILLE, Florida  -- First year head coach Jamey Shouppe earned his first signature win as Florida A&M (18-21, 10-7 MEAC) used two two-run home runs by Ryan Kennedy and Jeremy Barlow to defeat No. 12 Florida (27-15, 12-6 SEC) 4-3 on Wednesday evening at McKethan Stadium. The win was the first for the Rattlers over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 4 Miami 2-1 in 1980 in Tallahassee. It also marks the first win in the series over Florida for Florida A&M, 18 games, dating back to 1980.

Barlow went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI to lead the FAMU offense while Brandon  Fleming (3-3) came in in the fourth inning and only allowed one run over three innings with two strikeouts for the win. Kendal Weeks pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for his first save.

Florida scored first with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. Richie Martin walked with one out, stole second and moved up a base on a flare to right from Harrison Bader. Starting pitcher William Carrasco tried to catch Bader stealing second but an errant throw to second allowed Martin to score from third for the 1-0 lead.

In the fourth inning, Kennedy’s seventh home run of the season, a two-run blast over the fence in left, put Florida A&M up 2-1. Bennie Robinson walked on four pitches to lead off the inning and stole second with no outs. Marlon Gibbs laid down a nice sac bunt to advance Robinson to third before Kennedy’s shot put the Rattlers on the board.

UF tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth on an RBI single from Bader. Casey Turgeon was hit-by-pitch to start the home half of the inning for Florida and moved all the way to third on a high chopper from Martin back to the pitcher. Martin was tagged out by Fleming on the play.

The Rattlers regained the lead for good at 4-2 in the seventh on Barlow’s two-run home run. Just as it happened to the Gators in the last half inning, Michael Birdsong was hit-by-pitch to start the Rattler seventh inning. Jared Walker who has missed the last nine games with a hand injury came in to pinch run for Birdsong. Walker stole second and was pushed to third on Ryan Hutson’s sac bunt to watch Barlow’s home run sail into the bleachers in left field.

The seventh inning got a little dicey for the Rattlers. Cameron Sims came in for relief of John Marcus Roberts following back-to-back one-out singles by the Gators that put runners at first and second. Sims pitched Sternagel to fly out to center but hit Turgeon to load the bases with two outs. With the bases loaded, Weeks moved from second to pitch in relief of Sims and caused Martin to fly out on the very first pitch, holding the FAMU lead at 4-2

Bader’s solo home run in the eighth for the Gators cut the Rattler lead to 4-3. Zack Powers later tripled to center with two outs but Peter Alonso flew out to right to end the inning and the scoring threat for UF.

Florida reliever Shaun Anderson (0-1) suffered the loss for the Gators after giving up the go ahead run in the fourth inning.

Florida A&M returns to MEAC action this weekend with a key conference series against North Carolina Central (15-25-1, 10-9 MEAC) in Durham, NC. The Rattlers and Eagles will play a doubleheader on Saturday, April 26, as game times are scheduled for 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. The series finale will be on Sunday at 1:00 pm.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @FAMUAthletics and live stats will be available via www.FAMUAthletics.com.

Postgame Quotes

Florida Gators Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan:

On tonight’s game:

“Congratulate Coach Shouppe, his staff and his players. They played well tonight. They threw strikes, changed speed and had some different looks, different angles that frustrated us a little bit I think. They made one error and didn’t give us much. They deserved to win.”



COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Florida A&M Stuns #6 Florida, 4-3

Jamey Shouppe
Head Baseball Coach
Florida A&M University

GAINESVILLE, Florida  -- Louisiana State couldn't do it. Georgia couldn't do it. Fourth-ranked Florida State couldn't either. But FAMU did. The Rattlers (18-21, 10-7 MEAC) stunned the sixth-ranked Florida Gators (27-15, 12-6) on Wednesday night, 4-3, in McKethan Stadium.

It's the Rattlers first win against Florida in program history.

Florida scored in the first inning off a throwing error from Alex Carrasco.

But in the 5th, the Rattlers responded. Bennie Robinson started the inning with the walk, then proceeded to steal second. Marlon Gibbs laid down a sac bunt to move Robinson to third. But apparently there was no need. Ryan Kennedy whacked a two-run blast to give FAMU a 2-1 lead.

CONTINUE READING

XU hosts NAIA qualifying tournament with star power

Tournament bracket (PDF file)    Tournament scoreboard

NEW ORLEANS -- Six ranked tennis teams, including the women and men of Xavier University of Louisiana, will compete Friday in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament at two local sites.

Of the six women's teams in Group 2, three are in the top 10 of the NAIA coaches poll -- No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett, No. 2 Xavier and No. 10 Oklahoma Baptist. Of the eight men's teams, Georgia Gwinnett is No. 3, Xavier is No. 10, and Oklahoma Baptist is No. 25. Georgia Gwinnett's men are 14-0 with 10 victories against ranked teams from the NAIA and NCAA divisions II and III.

Individually, Xavier's Nour Abbes, Georgia Gwinnett's Valeria Podda and Oklahoma Baptist's Anastasia Baranova are 2-3-4 in the ITA's most recent ranking of NAIA women's singles players. Those schools also have three of the NAIA's top five women's doubles teams, including Xavier's No. 5 Kourtney Howell and Brion Flowers.

Abbes, a freshman, is 13-0 in singles this season.

In men's singles, Georgia Gwinnett's Bruno Tiberti is No. 4, and Oklahoma Baptist's Marco Carvajal is No. 7. Tiberti and Carvajal are part of top-10 doubles teams.

Nine-of-10 Friday duals will be played at the University of New Orleans. The exception will be the XU men's first-round dual against Tougaloo, which will start at 9 a.m. at XU Tennis Center. UNO will play host to the semifinals on Friday afternoon, and both championship duals will be played Saturday at Xavier.

Xavier's women (13-6) have a bye into the semifinals and will play Oklahoma Baptist or Our Lady of the Lake at 2 p.m. Friday at UNO.

If Xavier's men defeat Tougaloo, they will play Oklahoma Baptist or the University of the Southwest in the semifinals at 1 p.m. Friday at UNO.

The men's and women's champions will receive automatic bids to the NAIA National Championship May 13-17 at Mobile, Ala.

The NAIA has three unaffiliated groups for tennis this season. Group 2 is comprised of teams from the Gulf Coast Athletic, Sooner Athletic and Red River Athletic conferences, plus Georgia Gwinnett from the Association of Independent Institutions. Those conferences do not have the minimum six tennis-playing schools to earn automatic bids to nationals, so the NAIA combines them to form a group which can qualify for an automatic bid.

The Gold Rush have a school-record active streak of eight consecutive conference/group championships. The Gold Nuggets have won nine conference/group championships in the past 11 seasons, including 2013.

The Gold Rush (9-9) have one regular-season dual remaining -- 2 p.m. Thursday against Alcorn State at XU.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tennis Tournament

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold  

UAPB Releases Its 2014 Football Schedule

UAPB SPORTS INFORMATION

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Athletics has released its 2014 football schedule, a slate of 11 games that includes five home contests, six road games and two matchups against first-ever opponents.

UAPB head football coach Monte Coleman calls his team's schedule a challenging one that should be exciting for both the players and the fans.

"I am excited about the 2014 season and schedule. Of course, we know, we will play nine conference games.  But our two nonconference games will also be exciting against Texas State and Concordia College out of Selma, Ala.," said UAPB Head Football Coach Monte Colman.

UAPB will open up the 2014 season on the road against Texas State at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Tex. on Saturday, Aug. 30.  This will be the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the Golden Lions and Bobcats.

The following weekend, September 6, the Golden Lions will return to the friendly confines of Golden Lion Stadium in their home-opener against Concordia College on Saturday, Sept. 6.  This first-ever matchup will serve as UAPB's annual High School and Community Appreciation Day.

"I am looking forward to traveling to San Marcus, Texas and playing Texas State for the first time in my tenure as head coach at UAPB and then playing Concordia College, the following week in our home opener at Golden Lions Stadium," Coleman also stated.


After a one week hiatus, UAPB will travel to Montgomery, Ala., to take on Alabama State on Saturday, Sept. 20 at ASU Stadium.   In last year's meeting, the Hornets scored the game-winner with just 4:10 left in the contest to give 'Bama State a 40-39 win.

In the annual Military Appreciation Game, UAPB will welcome rival Jackson State to Golden Lion Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27 in a 6 p.m. start.  Last season, the JSU Tigers avenged a pair of defeats to the Golden Lions from the 2012 season.

In the month of October, the Golden Lions will be the foes for three opponent homecoming games, starting with the October 4 contest against Southern University at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.  This contest will have a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.

Following a bye weekend on Oct. 11, UAPB will then take on Grambling State and Texas Southern on those teams' homecoming dates.  The UAPB-GSU game will be played on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.  A week later, the Golden Lions will travel to Houston, Texas to take on the TSU Tigers at BBVA Compass Stadium at 2 p.m.

After three straight road contests, UAPB will return to Golden Lion Stadium for back-to-back home games against Mississippi Valley State and Prairie View A&M, with UAPB taking on the MVSU Delta Devils on Saturday, Nov. 1 in a 2:30 p.m. start in their annual Take-A-Kid-to-the-Game Day.  On Saturday, November 8, the Panthers of Prairie View A&M will come to Golden Lion Stadium for UAPB's homecoming at 2:30 p.m.

In final road trip of the regular-season, UAPB will travel to Alcorn State, Miss. to take on the Alcorn State Braves at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 4 p.m.

UAPB will close out the 2014 regular-season against Alabama A&M on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Golden Lion Stadium.  This contest will serve as the Golden Lions' annual Senior Day/Church Day game and will be played in honor of the departing senior class.  Area church groups will be invited as special guests of the Department of Athletics.

"I truly believe this will be a very competitive season in the SWAC with the parity in the conference," Coleman added.


The Toyota Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game is scheduled for Saturday, December 6 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

"Spring practice has gone extremely well and we are looking forward to the start of the 2014 season to get back to our winning ways of 2012 and to get bitter taste out of our mouth from last season," Coleman concluded.


Season tickets to Arkansas-Pine Bluff's home games in Pine Bluff will go on sale on May 1.

2014 UAPB FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Site Stadium Time
Aug. 30 at Texas State San Marcos, Texas Bobcat Stadium TBA
Sept. 6 Concordia College! Pine Bluff, Ark Golden Lions Stadium 6 p.m.
Sept. 20 at Alabama State* Montgomery, Ala. New ASU Stadium TBA
Sept. 27 Jackson State*@ Pine Bluff, Ark. Golden Lions Stadium 6 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Southern Univ.* Baton Rouge, La. A.W. Mumford Stadium 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 18 at Grambling State* Grambling, La. Eddie G. Robinson Stadium 2 p.m.
Oct. 25 at Texas Southern* Houston, Texas BBVA Compass Stadium 2 p.m.
Nov. 1 Miss. Valley State *# Pine Bluff, Ark. Golden Lions Stadium 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 8 Prairie View A&M*$ Pine Bluff, Ark. Golden Lions Stadium 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 15 at Alcorn State* Alcorn State, Miss. Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium 4 p.m.
Nov. 22 Alabama A&M*% Pine Bluff, Ark. Golden Lions Stadium 2:30 p.m.

! – High School and Community Appreciation Day
@ - Military Appreciation Day
#-Take a Kid to the Game Day
$ - Homecoming
% - Senior Day/Church Day
*-Southwestern Athletic Conference Games

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets rank 17th, will compete Saturday at NSU

2nd consecutive GCAC women’s outdoor track and field team championship.

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women dropped three places to 17th in the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The rankings are the third of the season. Xavier was 14th in the two earlier rankings.

The Gold Nuggets, who have not competed since repeating as Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team champion on April 12, will resume competition Saturday in the Leon Johnson NSU Invitational at Natchitoches, La. Field events will start at 10 a.m., followed by track events at 1 p.m.

It will be Xavier's sixth meet of the season.

The Gold Nuggets have met A- or B-qualifying marks in seven events for next month's NAIA National Championships.

The top 25:

1. Indiana Tech
2. British Columbia
3. Oklahoma Baptist
4. Doane
5. Wayland Baptist
6. College of Idaho
7. Concordia (Neb.)
8. Baker
9. Hastings
10. Cal State San Marcos
11. Embry-Riddle (Fla.)
12. Carroll (Mont.)
13. Cornerstone
14. Westmont
15. Siena Heights
16. The Master's
17. Xavier
18. Olivet Nazarene
19. Bethel (Ind.)
20. Indiana Wesleyan
21. Biola
22. Southern Oregon
23. Morningside
24. Missouri Baptist
25. Concordia (Ore.)

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Alabama State men's golf earns a third consecutive crown

Courtesy SWAC.org

ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana  --  Branson Ferrier shot 12 under to help guide Alabama State University to it third consecutive crown after winning the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship on Wednesday at Oak Wings Golf Club.

As a unit, ASU shot 865 including a 291 in the final round and had four players named to the all-conference team. Ferrier, Francis Berthiaume, Yann Pfeiffer and Ian Mmbando finished in the top 10.

Ferrier finished first overall earning SWAC Player of the Year honors after shooting 1-under par 72 on the final day. He recorded a 68 on day one followed by a 65 for the second round, completing the three-day event with a stroke count of 204. He made par on 31 holes while recording 16 birdies and an eagle for the entire championship.

For the remainder of the team standings, Jackson State finished second with 908 and was led by Josh McCormick. McCormick shot a 224 to lead JSU and was joined on the top 10 leaderboard with teammates Kyle Borderstine, Aaron Rhaney, and Rovanta Young.

Texas Southern notched third place with a team score of 966. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (966), Alabama A&M (331), Prairie View A&M (1039), Alcorn State (1061) and Mississippi Valley State (1454) rounded out the team standings.

AAMU's Phillip Fitzgerald captured SWAC Freshman of the Year honors.

ASU will face a team to be announced during the NCAA Men's Golf Regionals Selection Show on Monday, May 5, at 9 a.m. CT on the Golf Channel.

ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

FIRST TEAM

Branson Ferrier (Alabama State)

Phillip Fitzgerald (Alabama A&M)

Francis Berthiamu (Alabama State)

Yann Pfeiffer (Alabama State)

Josh McCormick (Jackson State)

SECOND TEAM

Kyle Borderstine (Jackson State)

Aaron Rhaney (Jackson State)

Ian Mmbando (Alabama State)

Jeff Chitando (Arkanasas-Pine Bluff)

Nqobani Ndabambi (Arkansas-Pine Bluff)

Rovanta Young (Jackson State)

CHAMPIONSHIP MVP

Branson Ferrier (Alabama State)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Phillip Fitzgerald (Alabama A&M)

COACH OF THE YEAR

Gary Grandison (Alabama State)

 

 

COURTESY SWAC.ORG