Wednesday, April 1, 2015

FAMU's Award Winning Journalism Students Debut Short Films at Artists In Bloom Festival


TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Award-winning broadcast journalism students will showcase their short films during the revival of the Florida A&M University’s “Artists in Bloom” festival in April. Four documentaries will be presented as part of the university’s exhibit of creative works by members of the campus community, including students.

This year’s lineup of the short films is as follows:

The Redzone: State of HBCU Sports
By: Quintin Gee and Jason Joseph.
The Redzone displays the continuing struggle of HBCU sports programs.


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Return to Sender
By: Donovan Long and Majorie Pierre.
Return to Sender, deals with letters from fathers to their African American sons.



Trapped: The Restricted American Dream
By: Brittany Collins and LaCrai Mitchell.
Trapped, exhibits citizens trapped in communities as a result of education, income and other challenges.



Stage 5
By: Jordan Kinsey and Toya Womack.
Stage 5, takes an in depth look on the impact that cancer has on patients and love ones.



“J-school Journals showcases great narrative features that deals with topics that are often times overlooked. The conversations and themes that we deal with in our narrative features pushes envelop and really challenges society to examine ourselves through a different lens,” says LaCrai Mitchell, producer of Trapped: The Restricted American Dream.

Kenneth Jones, professor of broadcast journalism, at the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, is the major professor who has supervised the student work. Prior to this year’s debut of the student documentaries, the FAMU SJGC had hosted annual short film screenings.

“We are excited to have the School of Journalism continue its collaboration with the College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities in this year’s Artist in Bloom Festival. I believe the Narrative Features Showcase and the ensuing dialogue that is inspired will not only add to the wonderful festival lineup, but demonstrate the vision and quality of FAMU students and speak to what the university has to offer its constituency.” say, Luther D. Wells, Professor of Theatre and Artist in Bloom Festival Chair.

J-school Journals will be held at the Lee Hall Auditorium on April 4th from 4pm-6pm. The event is free to the public. For more information on events and performances visit www.famu.edu/ABF

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Six transfers help WSSU in spring practice

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- It’s not an exact science welcoming football transfers during the spring but Winston-Salem State has made it work in recent seasons.

There were six transfers this semester, and Coach Kienus Boulware said to compete in the Division II playoffs signing players from junior colleges or transfers from Division I is a must.

“It’s something we look to do but you can’t just take everybody who wants to come who may have played at a D-I,” Boulware said. “You have to kind of be selective.”

The Rams, who are have gone 54-8 in the last five seasons, have been the most successful program in the state of North Carolina during those five seasons, according to Boulware.

“Winning helps you attract those guys that want to play and want to win,” Boulware said.

The Rams held their first organized scrimmage of spring practice on Monday and running back Malik Mosley, who started his career at Old Dominion, had the most impressive runs.

“He was very good and had some good yardage,” Boulware said.



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Ram Ramblings: Spring practice going well for young team

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- From all indications Coach Kienus Boulware has firm control of everything surrounding spring football practice except one aspect.

“The weather has kind of messed us up this week,” Boulware said on Friday afternoon after a controlled scrimmage was moved to next week because of heavy rain.

Because the Rams use grass practice fields they have turned into mostly mud because so to save those fields the Rams will stay off them until early next week.

Overall, Boulware has been pleased with the progress his young team has made.

“We lost a lot of starters from defense last season so we’ve got a lot of spots to fill,” Boulware said.

One player who has stood out on defense is redshirt freshman Kyrell Williamson, a linebacker who sat out last season. Boulware likes the way Williamson has picked up the system.

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Maryland Colleges rely more on part-time professors, while Morgan State is at the other end of the scale

BALTIMORE — Maryland’'s 29 public colleges and universities have increased their reliance on part-time help when it comes to teaching students, according to recently released statistics from the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Of the 20,428 professors counted overall, more than half — 59.4 percent — are classified as part-time workers.

The higher education commission is charged with compiling statistics relating to the 16 community and 13 public, four-year institutions of higher learning. The agency recently released its Data Book 2015, that includes the latest breakdown of the numbers of full-and part-time professors.

The larger concentration of part-time faculty characterizes the community colleges with about 70 percent, or 5,989 of the 8,562 total statewide, shown on the table as part time. Since their founding period a half-century or so ago, community college officials have generally considered it a positive approach to hire and use part-time faculty.

The conventional wisdom is part-timers can be hired for less money and generally do not receive benefits, which eliminates health and retirement entitlements ordinarily awarded to regular professors. Also, part-time employees can draw on their other work experience. A downside indicated is that they too often do not spend much time on campus, making them less accessible to students.

The highest percentage of part-time faculty in the 2015 book is at the University of Maryland University College, at 91.8 percent. It is the state'’s largest facility, with 48,183 students attending for credit. It primarily enrolls part-time students taking courses online, both in and out of state, plus overseas, which leads to more reliance on the lower-paid part time professors.

Morgan State University is on the other end of the scale, with 16.3 percent (72) of its 443 faculty members overall listed as part time. Salisbury University, on the Eastern Shore, has a 38.1 percent rate among 661 faculty. For the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, it is 41.1 percent of 365.

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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

XU caps California trip with victories vs. No. 19 Lewis-Clark


LA MIRADA, California -- Xavier University of Louisiana concluded its tennis trip to the Golden State with victories Tuesday against Lewis-Clark State. The Gold Nuggets won 7-2, and the Gold Rush won 9-0.

The Gold Nuggets (15-8) were 4-0 on the trip, all against NAIA top-25 opponents. The Gold Rush (12-6) were 3-1, including two victories against top-10 teams.

Four XU doubles teams -- Nour Abbes-Carmen Nelson and Brion Flowers-Brandi Nelson for the Nuggets, Tushar Mandlekar-Manav Chakma and Kevin Chaout-Adam Albrecht for the Rush -- were 4-0 on the trip. Including singles, Abbes was 7-0, Brandi Nelson was 6-0, and Carmen Nelson, Albrecht and Mandlekar were 7-1 apiece. Flowers and Chakma were 6-1 apiece.

Abbes clinched the Nuggets' dual with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Putri Dwinta. Kyle Montrel beat Yonas Woldetsadik 6-2, 6-2 to clinch for the Rush.

The NAIA's coaches polls were announced after the duals were decided. Xavier's men remained No. 6 -- their 34th consecutive top-10 appearance -- and Lewis-Clark State (3-6) dropped from 19th to 20th. Xavier's women remained seventh -- their 21st consecutive time in the top 10 -- and Lewis-Clark State (3-11) fell from 19th to 21st.

Next for Xavier will be duals against Auburn Montgomery's second-ranked women and third-ranked men at 2:30 p.m. April 10 -- one week from Friday -- at XU Tennis Center.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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TSU Tiger Camp Update: Special Teams



NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Tennessee State football team kicked off the third week of spring drills, Monday, with an afternoon practice session.

All three units showed marked improvements including the squad’s special teams.

The unit welcomes back sophomore kicker Lane Clark who will look to improve upon last year’s true freshman campaign and become a weapon for the team. Clark spent a lot of time in the weight room in the offseason, adding to his 45+ yard kicking range.

Clark will have to overcome the loss of holder Leon Holderhead, leaving the position in flux. Quarterback Ronald Butler has done most of the holding in spring, but he may have more pressing duties come fall.

Holderhead was also the team’s punter in 2014 and fellow Butte College standout Geordie Bunn will not arrive on campus until the summer. Therefore, the Tigers have been trying out different punters this spring including Clark.

TSU had the luxury of two returners last season, but De’Ante Saunders and Darion Hall both exhausted their eligibilities. Big Blue has tried a bevy of players at the spots this spring to find the best suited players for the jobs.

All three units will next take the field on Wednesday at 4 p.m.



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Former DSU All-American Dan Candeloro takes football reins for Caesar Rodney High School

CAMDEN, Delaware -- Dan Candeloro remained patient and continued to gain experience as an assistant coach. Then, on Monday, he landed one of the premier high school football coaching jobs in Delaware.

The Caesar Rodney football team was assembled in the gym, and a loud cheer went up as Candeloro was announced as the Riders' new coach. He replaces Mike Schonewolf, who announced his retirement following last season but remains as CR's athletic director through the end of the school year.

"It's something I've been looking forward to, if given the opportunity," Candeloro said. "There are some big shoes to fill, a lot of questions to answer, a lot of work to be done. But I think we're ready to go."

The 50-year-old graduated from Dickinson High, then became one of the most decorated players in Delaware State's football history.



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Morgan State Football Pro Day Set for April 1

BALTIMORE, Maryland – Darren Pinnock, the 2014 MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Year, will be among 13 Bears who will work out for pro scouts tomorrow morning.

The reigning MEAC co-champion Morgan State football program will hold its annual Pro Day on Wednesday, April 1 beginning at approximately 8 a.m. in Hill Field House.

"Pro days are about proving yourself, and I plan on doing my best and having fun," said Pinnock. "I have been training at Morgan while finishing up school. It's been challenging, but I feel ready."

Pro scouts will be on hand to evaluate a selection of MSU football seniors and former Bears as they go through a series of drills and workouts. The Bears will begin with leaping and bench evaluations in Hill Field House before moving into Hughes Stadium for speed and agility evaluations.

For more information, please stay tuned to MorganStateBears.com.



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Nuggets Tame Lions, but Unbeaten Vanguard Men Defeat XU


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COSTA MESA, California — Xavier University of Louisiana defeated Vanguard 8-1 in women's tennis Monday, but the XU men lost 6-3 to the Lions.

The Gold Nuggets (14-8), ranked seventh in the NAIA, are 3-0 against top-25 opponents during their trip to the Golden State. The Gold Rush (11-6) lost to fourth-ranked Vanguard (19-0) after beating top-10 teams Saturday and Sunday.

The XU women swept the doubles for the second consecutive day. They got doubles and singles victories from Caroline Vernet, Carmen Nelson and Simone-Alyse Ewell, all of whom defeated regionally ranked singles players.

Nelson clinched the dual and stretched her singles win streak to a season-best four matches with her 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) victory against Ashley Wao-Udin. Sha'Nel Bruins won her sixth in a row, 7-5, 6-1 against Brooke Ferslov-Jensen.

At the top flight, Vernet and Ewell defeated Sarah Edwards and Nataliya Yamkova 8-3. Vernet earned consecutive doubles victories for the first time since Feb. 7-8.

Vanguard's women are 5-12 and ranked 15th.

In the men's dual, Vanguard opted to start with singles matches — and won 5-of-6. Manav Chakma earned the lone Gold Rush victory, a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 decision against Michael Rjazanov, who was 12-1 this semester.

Xavier's Nikita Soifer and Tushar Mandlekar won first singles sets. Mandlekar had a match point at 5-4 in the second set before losing 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 to Filip Burnac. Adam Albrecht led 4-3 in his first set and was serving for the second set at 5-4 before losing 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) to Daymon Johnson.


Nour Abbes

Vanguard's top three singles players, Stefan Kilchhofer, Fabio Silva and Roger Muri, improved their spring records to a combined 53-0 by beating Kyle Montrel, Soifer and Jordan Harrell.

Silva (19-0) beat Soifer 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. Kilchhofer, ranked third in the NAIA, is 16-0 after beating Montrel 6-3, 6-3. Muri is 18-0 after defeating Harrell 6-1, 6-1.

Then the Gold Rush won 2-of-3 doubles matches, and not all the Vanguard streaks survived. Mandlekar and Chakma beat Silva and Burnac 8-3, the Lions' first loss of the season at No. 2. Burnac entered 17-0.

Kevin Chaouat and Albrecht defeated Johnson and Rjazanov 8-3 at the third flight. But Montrel and Soifer, the NAIA's sixth-ranked doubles team, lost for the third consecutive day, this time 8-6 to third-ranked Kilchhofer and Muri.

"A very close match on the men's side," XU coach Alan Green said. "We had chances to win the thing, but it wasn't to be."

Both Xavier teams will conclude their trip by playing Lewis-Clark State at 10 a.m. PDT Tuesday at Biola University in La Mirada. Both LC State teams are ranked 19th in the NAIA. The Rush and Nuggets will fly home Tuesday evening.

NOTES: The Nuggets are 4-2 this season against ranked NAIA opponents, and the Rush are 6-2 . . . The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 13 duals . . . New NAIA coaches polls will be announced Tuesday afternoon . . . Vanguard announced March 5 that it will discontinue men's and women's tennis after the 2014-15 academic year.

Caroline Vernet


Women's Tennis Results
Xavier 8, Vanguard 1

Monday, March 30, 2015
Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Doubles
No. 1 — Caroline Vernet - Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) d. Sarah Edwards-Nataliya Yamkova (VU) 8-3.
No. 2 — Nour Abbes-Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Gabrielle Alford - Brooke Ferslov-Jensen (VU) 8-6.
No. 3 — Brion Flowers-Brandi Nelson (XU) d. Ashley Wao-Udin-Michaele Sullivan (VU) 8-2.

Singles
No. 1 — Caroline Vernet (XU) d. Sarah Edwards (VU) 6-1, 6-0.
No. 2 — Carmen Nelson (XU) d. Ashley Wao-Udin (VU) 6-0, 7-6 (7-3).
No. 3 — Simone-Alyse Ewell (XU) d. Gabrielle Alford (VU) 6-1, 6-3.
No. 4 — Sha'Nel Bruins (XU) d. Brooke Ferslov-Jensen (VU) 7-5, 6-1.
No. 5 — Jana van der Walt (XU) d. Michaele Sullivan (VU) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8).
No. 6 — Nataliya Yamkova (VU) d. Dasia Harris (XU) 6-4, 6-4.

Order of Finish: Doubles — 3, 1, 2. Singles — 1, 2, 6, 4, 3, 5.
Records: Xavier 14-8, Vanguard 5-12.

Men's Tennis Results
Vanguard 6, Xavier 3

Monday, March 30, 2015
Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Singles
No. 1 — Stefan Kilchhofer (VU) d. Kyle Montrel (XU) 6-3, 6-3.
No. 2 — Fabio Silva (VU) d. Nikita Soifer (XU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
No. 3 — Roger Muri (VU) d. Jordan Harrell (XU) 6-1, 6-1.
No. 4 — Filip Burnac (VU) d. Tushar Mandlekar (XU) 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.
No. 5 — Daymon Johnson (VU) d. Adam Albrecht (XU) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
No. 6 — Manav Chakma (XU) d. Michael Rjazanov (VU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles
No. 1 — Stefan Kilchhofer-Roger Muri (VU) d. Kyle Montrel-Nikita Soifer (XU) 8-6.
No. 2 — Tushar Mandlekar-Manav Chakma (XU) d. Fabio Silva-Filip Burnac (VU) 8-3.
No. 3 — Kevin Chaouat-Adam Albrecht (XU) d. Daymon Johnson-Michael Rjazanov (VU) 8-3.

Order of Finish: Singles — 3, 1, 2, 6, 5, 4. Doubles — 2, 3, 1.
Records: Xavier 11-6, Vanguard 19-0.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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FAMU Rattlers Making Progress

 

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Bryant's dream of playing Division 1 football comes true at MVSU

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- When thinking about playing college football, Lucas Bryant’s approach followed the adage ‘go big or go home.’

The Jefferson County High School senior offensive lineman decided if he couldn’t play Division 1 football, he wouldn’t play at all.

When D1-AA Mississippi Valley State University came calling this spring, Bryant’s lofty goal began to unfold in front of his eyes.

“It just all seems like its going to work out for me,” Bryant said at a signing last Wednesday. “I was planning on not playing if it wasn’t division one.”

The 6’4” 360-pound lineman was recruited by a senior player of the MSVU squad and then received his only Division 1 offer from the Delta Devils.

Bryant has been a force on the Jefferson County offensive line for the past two seasons, and he hopes to continue that level of play in MSVU’s Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) this fall.

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Monday, March 30, 2015

History made: FAMU Wind Symphony becomes first HBCU ensemble to play Carnegie Hall


FAMU Wind Symphony has been invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 2016.

NEW YORK, New York -- It’s official. Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) Wind Symphony makes history Sunday becoming the first classical ensemble from a historically Black college or university (HBCU) to perform at Carnegie Hall and is on its way to the Kennedy Center in 2016.

The ensemble performed to a mostly full house Sunday at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Dr. Shelby Chipman, associate professor and director of symphonic bands at FAMU.

“This is an opportunity for us to perform on a main stage that’s incomparable to any stage in the world,” Chipman said. “The students have been working very diligently the last couple of months.

Performing a 40-minute set featuring five pieces, the nearly 60-member wind symphony played Donald Hunberger’s arrangement of John Williams' "Star Wars Trilogy," the powerful composition "Cloudburst" and Bob Lowden’s rousing "Dixieland Jam" which featured several soloists in the band and audience participation.

A highlight of the concert was the wind symphony’s finale, David Maslanka’s "Symphony No. 7, Mvt. III." To prepare for the performance, Maslanka Skyped in during rehearsals to help the band with the intricate piece.

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3 storylines to watch as Bethune-Cookman’s football team opens spring practice

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- There will be plenty to keep an eye on when the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats step on the field today for their first spring practice.

It will be Terry Sims’ first practice after replacing Brian Jenkins, who left for Alabama State in December, as the team’s head coach.

And it’s the beginning of a trek that could lead, provided B-CU can win the MEAC, to the newly created Celebration Bowl on Dec. 19 in Atlanta.

Here are a few story lines to watch as practice begins:

1. Eyes on the QBs
It will be interesting to see how Sims handles the quarterback position. Quentin Williams returns for his final season after passing for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns last season, but Larry Brihm, an athletic player who will be a redshirt sophomore, came on late last year and passed for 491 yards and four touchdowns.

2. The top target

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Florida A&M Rattlers to play at Fenway Park next month


The Red Sox and sponsors will pay the expenses, including air travel and hotel for the Rattlers and NCCU Eagles.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Florida A&M baseball team will make a historic road trip next month.

Courtesy of the Boston Red Sox.

The Rattlers and North Carolina Central will play at Fenway Park – home to the Boston Red Sox – on Saturday, April 25, at 10 a.m.

The game was scheduled by the organization to showcase HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) teams to Boston and surrounding areas.

Fenway Park has been home of the Red Sox since it opened in 1912 and is the oldest ballpark in the major leagues.

"It should be exciting, and I am happy for the kids to get this opportunity, " FAMU coach Jamey Shouppe said Sunday night.

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With 4-3 victory over Grambling, Southern completes first SWAC sweep since April 2013

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern baseball team entered its weekend series against Grambling having lost five consecutive games to drop to 3-15 overall and 2-6 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Three games and three victories later, the Jaguars’ season looks like it might be changing course.

Coach Roger Cador cautioned afterward that he wants to see the improvement sustained for longer than one series, but the weekend was a good start.

Tyler Kirksey and Jose de la Torre homered, and Tyler Robinson rebounded from a poor outing Tuesday to pitch 8.2 solid innings as Southern completed the series sweep with a 4-3 victory at Lee-Hines Field.

Sunday’s victory in Southern’s first one-run game this season came on the heels of 10-1 and 9-6 victories Saturday and gave the Jaguars their first SWAC series sweep in two years. The last one came when Grambling visited April 20-21, 2013.

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Nuggets, Rush beat ranked Northwestern Ohio teams

Wayne Bryan, father of the world's No. 1 men's doubles team, won't be at every match
 during XU's California trip. "But he's a fan of us now," XU coach Alan Green said.

WHITTIER, California  -- For the second time this season, Xavier University of Louisiana's tennis teams defeated ranked opponents on the same day. The Gold Nuggets beat Northwestern Ohio, ranked 24th in the NAIA, 8-1 Sunday, and the Gold Rush beat UNOH's 10th-ranked men 6-3.

The Gold Nuggets (13-8) are ranked seventh in the NAIA, and the Gold Rush (11-5) are sixth. The XU men beat a top-10 opponent for the second straight day, and the Nuggets beat a top-25 team for the second time in three days.

Nour Abbes, Caroline Vernet, Carmen Nelson and Simone-Alyse Ewell won in doubles and singles for Xavier's women. Abbes and Nelson trailed 7-4 before winning the final five games in a 9-7 No. 2 doubles victory against Kate Bondarenko and Vladica Djurdjevic.

Vernet rallied at No. 2 singles in a 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-4) victory against Djurdjevic. Abbes defeated 15th-ranked Melena Lopez 6-2, 6-1 to clinch the dual, and Nelson beat 48th-ranked Raquel Marques 6-3, 6-2.

Vernet and Ewell won 8-0 at No. 1 doubles against Lopez and Marques. Brion Flowers and Brandi Nelson defeated Valeria Popko and Ana Lacerda 8-5.

Ewell beat Bondarenko 6-4, 7-5, and Sha'Nel Bruins defeated Lacerda 6-4, 6-3 for her fifth consecutive singles victory.

In the men's dual, Xavier followed the same script of Saturday, when it beat eighth-ranked Westmont. Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht won in doubles and singles, and Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer beat ranked singles opponents.

Albrecht and Kevin Chaouat trailed 6-3 before earning a 9-7 No. 3 doubles victory against Ronnie Myburgh and Akira Kuwada. Albrecht beat Gabriel Cleto 6-2, 6-1.

Mandlekar and Manav Chakma needed a tiebreaker to defeat 11th-ranked Rik van Gerwen and Emin Alpan 9-8 (7-5), and Mandlekar clinched the dual with his 7-5, 6-4 victory against Alpan.

Montrel beat ninth-ranked Daniel Rueda 6-4, 6-2, and Soifer defeated 29th-ranked van Gerwen 6-0, 7-5.

UNOH's women are 8-6, and its men are 10-5. Site of the duals was Whittier College, an NCAA Division III member.

Next for the Nuggets and Rush will be 1 p.m. PDT duals at Vanguard in Costa Mesa, Calif. Vanguard's women are 5-11 and ranked 15th -- UNOH defeated them 5-4 Friday -- and the men are 18-0 and ranked fourth.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Sunday, March 29, 2015

Florida A&M Rattlers Hold Spirited Second Scrimmage Of Spring

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – The Florida A&M Rattler Football team held their second scrimmage of the spring today, in a split practice that started on the practice field and ended with live plays inside of Bragg Memorial Stadium. The improvement in understanding and executing Coach Alex Wood’s philosophy is becoming evident as players are beginning to separate themselves within the system. Of crucial importance is the ability of quarterback Carson Royal to understand what the Rattler offense is trying to accomplish.

The day started with stretching, position drills, segment drills and special teams on the Rattler practice fields. With an audience of a couple hundred curious fans, changes have become evident. Former FAMU quarterback and three-time MVP Albert Chester Sr., traveled from Jacksonville, Fla., to get a glimpse of what is to come. “It’s different. I felt the difference five minutes into seeing them. The way these coaches run practice reminds me of the way Rudy Hubbard ran practice. I’m seeing a sense of purpose and attention to detail that it takes for the team to look good,” he said. Chester, led the Rattlers to booth an undefeated season in 1977 and the inaugural NCAA I-AA national championship in 1978.

The scrimmage was enhanced by NCAA-sanctioned officials. An oversized crew was on hand to judge both drill segments and the scrimmage portion. They were there to ensure that the Rattlers’ execution was not only what the coaches wanted, but compliant within the rules. Alignment and techniques were critiqued by the officials, who reported their findings to the Rattler staff and players at the conclusion of practice. They also called penalties during the live portion of the scrimmage.

Wood felt the day was a positive step for the team. “I thought today was very competitive, which was good. That’s what we’re looking for…competition at all positions. We’re also looking for execution. For the first time, I saw in the first and second offense and defense execution that was clean with not too many penalties. We had a couple (penalties) and those were coaching and teaching moments. Overall, I thought it was a good day,” Wood said.

The first team offense started the scrimmage with a 10-play drive for a score. The second team offense also put up a score. But, the Rattler defense stiffened and began to come up with big plays as the practice ensued. The ebb and flow of practice was a product of the players beginning to understand what’s expected of them and now trying to put their talents into it.

Wood stated that Royal has begun to separate himself from the other quarterbacks in camp. “Carson is coming along well. We’ve still got some work to do with him as far as some mechanical things throwing wise and making him super conscious of situations as he manages the game for us from an offensive perspective,” Wood said. He also added that he has cleared himself as the offensive leader during practice thus far.

The Rattlers will break until Tuesday when they resume morning practice at 5:45 a.m. in Bragg Stadium. The Orange & Green Spring Game will be held on Apri. 11, at 2 p.m. in Bragg Stadium.

2015 season football tickets are available now at the FAMU Ticket Office, located in the Al Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium, and can be secured by visiting, or calling the office at (850)599-3141. Tickets to the North End Zone Experience are also available for pre-purchase at the ticket office.

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Claflin U. Baseball Takes Two from In-State Rival Benedict


ORANGEBURG, South Carolina  -- The Claflin University Panthers took the first two games of a three-game Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) series from in-state rival Benedict College, sweeping a doubleheader, 4-2 and 6-4 Saturday at Historic Mirmow Field.  The two teams will close out the series Sunday at Historic Mirmow Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

With the win, Claflin, who has won their eighth straight conference game, secured its fourth straight SIAC series.  With the wins, the Panthers improved to 14-19 overall 10-1 in the East Division of the SIAC.  Benedict drops to 12-14 overall and 5-4 in conference play.

In Game One, Jesse minter had a RBI single to score Johnny Stevenson in the bottom of the third to give Claflin the early lead.  Benedict tied the game in the top of the fourth off a RBI fielder's choice by Andre Collum to drive in Shomarii Thomas and tie the game at 1-all.  Rashad Bivens hit a three-run inside the park homerun in the bottom of the six to break the 1-1 tie and give the Panthers the 4-1 advantage. The Tigers, who had bases loaded with one out in the top of the seventh, managed to only place one run on the board en route to the two-run Game One loss.

Sixto Guerrero had two hits and Stevenson and Jesse Minter each had one run in the win.

Justin Vreeland pitched six strong innings in picking up his third win in six decisions. He allowed two runs on eight hits and two walks.  Anthony Ford, who replaced Vreeland with bases loaded, picked up the save.

Kevin Davis had three hits to lead Benedict in Game One.  Andrew McCoy added two hits and an RBI while Robert Troiano took the loss for the Tigers.

Benedict got on the board first in Game Two, scoring one run in the top of the first.  The Panther scored three of their six runs in the bottom of the third.  After Minter reached base via walk, Rashad Hilton tripled to bring Minter in the bottom of the third for the Panthers first run of the game. In the same inning,Reginald Rogers reached base via walk and stole second, which gave Claflin runners on second and third with one out.  A wild pitch allowed Hilton to score and advanced Rogers to third. Rogers scored on a squeeze by Jabari Brown to give the Panthers 3-1 advantage by the bottom of the third.   Benedict scored one run in the top of the fourth, but Claflin picked up two runs in its half the fourth to push its lead to 5-2.  Both teams added runs in the fifth and Benedict scored the game's last run in the sixth en route to falling 6-4.

Darius Boykins pitched his seventh complete game in picking up the win for Claflin.  Boykins, who increase his record to 5-2, gave up four runs on 10 hits and a walk. He threw 114 pitches and fanned three batters in going the distance.

 Davis went 2-3 with two runs to lead Benedict offensively in Game Two.  Devon Leon suffered the loss for Tigers.

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COURTESY CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Badgers saddle Thorobreds in SIAC doubleheader

MOBILE, Alabama -- The Spring Hill College (SHC) baseball team won two Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) games over the Kentucky State University (KSU) Thorobreds by the scores of 19-6 and 12-1 at historic Stan Galle Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Thorobreds took a quick 4-0 lead in the 1st inning of the first game off a Grand Slam by first baseman Marshall Howard, but the Badgers rallied back to take a 6-5 lead with a four-run 3rd inning. KSU tied it up again at 6-6 in the 4th frame, but Spring Hill erupted for 11 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning.

Senior starter Jackson Howard moved to 6-0 on the year with five innings of work that included six hits, five walks and six strikeouts. Josh Dunn (2-4) took the loss for KSY in three innings with eight hits, seven walks and three strikeouts.

The second game saw Stephen Douglas (4-1) pick up a complete-game victory with just three hits allowed, four walks and 10 strikeouts. Cornell Brown (3-1) took his first loss of the year with a complete-game in which he surrendered 17 hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

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Rush earn 3rd win of season against a top-10 opponent

Xavier records its fifth victory this season against a ranked NAIA
opponent -- its third against a top-10 team.

SANTA BARBARA, California -- Xavier University of Louisiana earned its third men's tennis victory of the season against a top-10 opponent by defeating Westmont 7-2 Saturday.

The Gold Rush (10-5) -- ranked sixth in the NAIA and in the first of three dual matches in as many days against top-10 teams -- defeated three nationally ranked singles players and one ranked doubles team.

Westmont (8-7) is ranked eighth.

Tushar Mandlekar and Adam Albrecht won in doubles and singles for Xavier. Mandlekar and Manav Chakma defeated 22nd-ranked Jan Sibbel and Christian Mathis 8-4, and Mandlekar beat Sibbel, ranked 46th in singles, 6-3, 6-2.

Albrecht and Kevin Chaouat beat Tommy Nightingale and Travis Smelley 8-2 in the first completed doubles match. Albrecht clinched the dual with his 6-0, 7-6 (7-1) victory against Nightingale.

After losing their doubles match, Xavier's Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer dominated in singles. Montrel beat 25th-ranked Carl-Philip Lindqvist 6-1, 6-3, and Soifer ended his three-match singles losing streak by throttling 20th-ranked Luke Whalen 6-0, 6-0.

Xavier's other victory came from Jordan Harrell, who beat Joshua Barnard 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. Harrell had dropped four consecutive three-set decisions.

Both Xavier teams will play Northwestern Ohio at noon PDT Sunday at Whittier College in Whittier, Calif. UNOH's men are ranked 10th in the NAIA, and its women are 24th. Xavier's women, who are ranked seventh, did not play Saturday after winning 7-2 Friday at No. 11 Westmont.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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