No. 1! Gold Nuggets make history in NAIA coaches poll

The 2012-13 Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis team
ROSTER
(Click on photo to enlarge)

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's women's tennis program made a historic leap to No. 1 in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll announced shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday.

This is the first time that a Xavier team in any sport has been ranked No. 1 in the NAIA. Xavier has competed in intercollegiate athletics since the 1930s and has produced NAIA-ranked teams since the early 1970s.

"This validates all the hard work and all the tough scheduling we've done through the years," said 10th-year XU coach Alan Green, whose team has won its last six duals and 10 of its last 12. "This is what I hoped we would get out of it."

The Gold Nuggets (14-7), No. 6 in the poll two weeks ago, received 8-of-13 first-place votes after dual-match victories against then-No. 2 William Carey on April 5 and then-No. 3 Auburn Montgomery the following day. AUM defeated then-No. 1 Brenau on April 9. Xavier is 9-0 this season against ranked NAIA opponents; all the losses were to NCAA Division I teams.

Brenau is second and AUM third in the new poll. Brenau received four first-place votes and AUM one.

"Everyone on the team believes we deserve this. It wasn't given to us," said junior Kourtney Howell,  an NAIA All-American in 2012. "Everyone has a lot of confidence right now. Being No. 1 definitely  makes us want to train harder. I think we'll handle the pressure fine."      The Gold Nuggets were 13th in the preseason poll on Jan. 29 and have climbed in every poll thereafter. This is the Nuggets' fourth consecutive top-10 appearance. The NAIA releases tennis polls every two weeks.      Although six of the previous eight Xavier teams qualified for the NAIA National Championship, the Gold Nuggets had spent just one week in the top 10 before this season. That was a No. 9 ranking in March 2007.      Xavier's next match will be Friday against Fisk in the quarterfinals of an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. The winner of that tournament will receive an automatic bid to nationals. Challenging the Nuggets from the opposite side of the eight-team bracket will be No. 19 SCAD Atlanta and No. 21 Milligan.      "We've made it to the top of the rankings, but in no way am I satisfied," Green said. "We still have a long way to go. We have a qualifying tournament this week and nationals next month. But I think we now believe we can win the national championship."      Xavier is one of 38 U.S. colleges listed as a "Best Buy School" in the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 14) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Xavier (8) 14-7 334 6 2 Brenau (4) 11-3 332 1 3 Auburn Montgomery (1) 11-8 323 3 4 SCAD Savannah 10-2 316 4 5 William Carey 10-7 297 2 6 Lindsey Wilson 14-2 292 5 7 Lewis-Clark State 7-7 270 10 8 Westmont 17-2 264 7 9 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 9-9 263 8 10 Oklahoma Baptist 11-6 243 11 11 Vanguard 11-15 231 12 12 Northwood (Fla.) 7-6 214 14 13 Concordia (Calif.) 9-11 211 9 14-tie Olivet Nazarene 9-6 189 18 14-tie Coastal Georgia 7-7 189 15 16 Indiana Wesleyan 18-1 185 13 17 Cumberland 12-5 173 16 18 St. Thomas (Fla.) 6-8 166 17 19 SCAD Atlanta 5-1 138 24 20 Campbellsville 9-8 117 19 21 Milligan 17-2 113 RV 22 Marian (Ind.) 16-9 106 21 23 Lee (Tenn.) 4-6 92 20 24 Ashford 13-1 85 RV 25 Southeastern (Fla.) 7-10 84 22 Others receiving votes: Nebraska Wesleyan 71, Belhaven 52, Davenport 48, Georgetown (Ky.) 27, Bethel (Kan.) 21, Northwestern Ohio 16, Robert Morris (Chicago) 13, Hope International 11, Martin Methodist 7, Indiana Southeast 5.

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

Xavier's five guys climb to No. 5 in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana coach Alan Green calls his men's tennis team's season nothing short of incredible.

The Gold Rush, despite playing shorthanded in every dual match this season, have four victories against NCAA Division I opponents, five against ranked NAIA opponents and two more against teams which weren't ranked when they played but are in the newest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, which was announced Tuesday. The XU men's success earned them a jump from eighth to fifth in the poll, and it's the program's highest ranking ever.

Xavier's down-a-man roster has resulted in automatic forfeits at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles to opponents at full strength. But the Rush have produced a winning record with the help of five 5-4 victories and three 4-3 victories.

"It's pretty amazing that the guys are in the top five despite the adversity we've faced," Green said.

"We're playing shorthanded, and we can't afford to have an off day by a single guy. It's amazing what we have done to this point."

The Gold Rush (12-7) won 2-of-3 duals since the previous poll, including a 5-4 victory at then-No. 6 William Carey and a 4-3 victory at D-I Jackson State. This is the 47th consecutive Gold Rush appearance in the top 25 and the 17th straight in the top 10.

Next for the Rush will be an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga.

Xavier has a bye in the quarterfinals and will meet SCAD Atlanta or Reinhardt in the semifinals Friday. The tournament winner will receive an automatic bid to next month's NAIA National Championship.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll (first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, April 14) Rank Team Record Points Last 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (5) 18-2 334 2 2 Auburn Montgomery (4) 16-3 333 1 3 Vanguard (4) 21-0 329 3 4 Westmont 11-10 303 5 5 Xavier 12-7 295 8 6 Bethany (Kan.) 15-1 286 7 7 William Carey 8-4 278 6 8 Bethel (Tenn.) 17-2 269 11 9 Lindsey Wilson 13-3 262 4 10 Cumberland 15-3 245 9 11 Concordia (Calif.) 11-11 234 10 12 Lewis-Clark State 6-5 214 12 13 Aquinas 16-4 208 13 14 Belhaven 12-3 204 14 15 Northwood (Fla.) 9-4 191 15 16 Oklahoma Baptist 13-7 167 17 17 Northwestern Ohio 10-5 156 18 18 McPherson 18-6 152 19 19 Warner 10-7 143 22 20 Pikeville 9-4 133 RV 21 Webber International 10-11 119 20 22 Campbellsville 9-8 115 16 23 Graceland 11-5 105 23 24 Davenport 13-6 101 24 25 Indiana Wesleyan 15-5 62 RV Others receiving votes: Martin Methodist 50, St. Francis (Ill.) 47, St. Thomas (Fla.) 42, Coastal Georgia 35, Spring Arbor 22, Olivet Nazarene 19, Asbury 8, Hope International 7, Cumberlands 4, Mobile 3.

Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU increases GCAC weekly award total for spring to 28

Devinn Rolland

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Devinn Rolland, Kyle Montrel and Brion Flowers are Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Athletes/Performers of the Week for April 8-14. That increases XU's 2013 total of GCAC weekly awards in spring sports to 28.



Rolland collected her third award of the season in women's outdoor track. Montrel earned his fourth men's tennis honor and second in a row, and Flowers received her first women's tennis award. 

Rolland, a sophomore from Harvey, La., and a graduate of Cabrini High School in New Orleans, repeated as champion in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and the long jump in the GCAC Championships on Saturday. She met NAIA A-qualifying standards in the 100, 200, 400 relay and the long jump and broke her meet record in the long jump. Her 34 points helped the Gold Nuggets win the team championship for the second time in three years. Tramaine Shannon, Chartia Hurt and SiMon Franklin were Rolland's teammates on the 400 relay.



Brion Flowers



Montrel, a freshman from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, set a GCAC men's tennis record for most weekly awards in a season. Montrel clinched the Gold Rush's 4-3 victory at NCAA Division I Jackson State on Sunday with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 decision over Jose Luque at No. 3 singles. He and Loic Didavi defeated Camilo Patino and Hernan Geria 8-2 at No. 1 doubles.   



Kyle Montrel

Flowers, a freshman from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of St. Thomas More High School, helped the Gold Nuggets win 5-2 Sunday at Jackson State. Flowers clinched the dual with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) decision against Harshini Reddy at No. 2 singles, and she teamed with Kourtney Howell for an 8-5 victory against Reddy and Kesica Jayapalan at No. 1 doubles.

    

Both XU tennis teams will compete Friday and Saturday in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. Next for XU track and field will be the LSU Alumni Gold meet on Saturday at Baton Rouge, La.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU teams are defending champs of NAIA qualifiers

NEW ORLEANS — The tennis teams of Xavier University of Louisiana are the defending champions and seeded first in an NAIA unaffiliated group qualifying tournament.
      
It will be the second consecutive year that the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets travel to an Atlanta suburb for this tournament. The dual-match event — to be played at Clayton County Tennis Center in Jonesboro, Ga., on Friday and Saturday — is for schools from the Gulf Coast Athletic and Appalachian Athletic conferences, which do not field sufficient teams to compete for automatic berths to next month's NAIA National Championships. The men's and women's champions of the unaffiliated group tournament will receive automatic berths to nationals.
      
The Gold Rush are 12-7, and the Gold Nuggets are 14-7. Both are ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA.
      
Xavier's men have a bye in the quarterfinals and will play fourth-seeded SCAD Atlanta or fifth-seeded Reinhardt in the semifinals no sooner than 2 p.m. EDT Friday. Xavier's women will play no sooner than 11:30 a.m. EDT Friday against Fisk in the quarterfinals. If the Nuggets advance, they'll play Columbia (S.C.) or Tennessee Wesleyan in the semifinals no sooner than 4:30 p.m. Friday. The championship duals will be played Saturday.
       
The XU men seek their eighth consecutive championship of an unaffiliated group or conference tournament. The XU women are seeking their ninth title in 11 seasons.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament MEN Clayton County Tennis Center, Jonesboro, Ga. . . . all times Eastern Quarterfinals — Friday, April 19 #1 Xavier has a bye #4 SCAD Atlanta vs. #5 Reinhardt, 9 a.m. #3 Tennessee Wesleyan vs. #6 Tougaloo, 9 a.m. #2 Milligan vs. #7 Fisk, 9 a.m. Semifinals — Friday, April 19 Xavier vs. SCAD Atlanta-Reinhardt winner, not before 2 p.m. Milligan-Fisk winner vs. Tennessee Wesleyan-Tougaloo winner, not before 2 p.m. Championship — Saturday, April 20 Semifinal winners meet at 10 a.m.

NAIA Unaffiliated Group Tournament WOMEN Clayton County Tennis Center, Jonesboro, Ga. . . . all times Eastern Quarterfinals — Friday, April 19 #1 Xavier vs. #8 Fisk, not before 11:30 a.m. #4 Columbia (S.C.) vs. #5 Tennessee Wesleyan, not before 11:30 a.m. #3 Milligan vs. #6 Reinhardt, not before 11:30 a.m. #2 SCAD Atlanta vs. #7 Tougaloo, not before 11:30 a.m. Semifinals — Friday, April 19 Xavier-Fisk winner vs. Columbia (S.C.)-Tennessee Wesleyan winner, not before 4:30 p.m. Milligan-Reinhardt winner vs. SCAD Atlanta-Tougaloo winner, not before 4:30 p.m. Championship — Saturday, April 20 Semifinal winners meet no sooner than 1 p.m.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Erves, Joseph receive All-Louisiana honorable mention

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana seniors Denzell Erves and Wanto Joseph received honorable mention on the All-Louisiana collegiate men's basketball team announced late Saturday.      Erves, a 6-foot-7 forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 13.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game this season and ranked third in NAIA Division I with 17 double-doubles. He became XU's career leader with 132 blocked shots — Louis Williams (1979-82) held the previous mark of 130 — and was No. 4 with 762 career rebounds. Erves was a third-team NAIA Division I All-American this season and was All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference twice.

Denzell Erves

Wanto Joseph

    
Joseph, a 5-9 guard from New Orleans a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School, averaged 16.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, six assists and 1.9 steals per game and was All-GCAC. He was one of four NAIA Division I players this season, one of three Louisiana men's players in the last 10 seasons and the second in Xavier history to reach 500 points and 175 assists in a season.
    
Both Erves and Joseph reached 1,000 career points in the regular-season finale against city rival Dillard. Joseph finished with 1,041 points, and Erves scored 1,031.
    
Xavier had no representatives on the All-Louisiana women's basketball team, but the Gold Nuggets' Bo Browder was the runner-up to LSU's Nikki Caldwell in voting for Coach of the Year. Out of 32 votes cast, Caldwell received 12 and Browder eight. Nicholls State's DoBee Plaisance was third with four votes.
    
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of sports information directors and media members selected the All-Louisiana teams.

By Ed Cassiere, SID
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS 

FAMU Law School Bar Passage Rates Exceed State Average For The First Time

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ORLANDO, Florida  --  There’s some good news at Florida A&M University.

For the first time since its College of law was re-established in 2000, the the first-time pass rate for Florida Bar exam test takers exceeded the state average.  Twenty-three students took the test in February and 19 passed. At 82.6 percent, the FAMU College of Law beat the state average of 80.2 percent. It also came out ahead of five other law schools in the state.

“We are extremely pleased with the efforts of the administration, faculty and students of the FAMU College of Law,” said Larry Robinson, interim president of FAMU.  “This news could not have come at a better time.  The examination results clearly demonstrate that the right steps are being taken to ensure that our law students are prepared to enter their profession.  Congratulations to the FAMU College of Law.”

FAMU Interim Provost Rodner Wright, who also serves as vice president for academic affairs, was also pleased with the nearly 20-point increase in the passage rate. “It is clear that the university is committed to continuous improvement,” Wright said. “That commitment is evident in the hard work of the administration, faculty and staff of the College of Law.”

In addition to exceeding the state average for the first time, this rate represents the first time in FAMU’s history that the College of Law scored above 80 percent for either the February or July Bar Exam. The 82.6 percent rate represents a 17.1 point increase from the prior highest rate for February Bar that was achieved a year ago at 65.5 percent.

Among Florida's public universities, FAMU finished behind FSU (24 of 25, 96.0 percent) and Florida International University (33 of 36, 91.7 percent), but ahead of the University of Florida (16 of 22, 72.7 percent).

“We are very proud of our recent graduates and we commend them for the dedication they have shown to achieve this milestone,” said LeRoy Pernell, College of Law Dean. “These results are a testament to the excellent quality of our curriculum and academic support programs at the FAMU College of Law.”

The history-making bar passers will return to the College of Law on Monday, April 22 to be sworn in during the college’s ninth Oath of Admission Ceremony in the Ceremonial Moot Courtroom. The Oath of Attorney will be administered by the Honorable Belvin Perry Jr., Chief Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit.

 The public event will begin at 6:30 p.m.

February 2013 Examination Overall Passing Method Statistics (PDF - 36k) (Click here to view original letter shown below)

Former Alabama State OL Terren Jones to work out for Atlanta Falcons Friday

TERREN JONES
Hometown: Fort Walton Beach, Florida
(Courtesy ASU Athletics)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  Former Alabama State standout Terren Jones grew up idolizing big offensive tackles such as Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden and former St. Louis Ram Orlando Pace.

These days, Jones, a 6-foot-8, 338-pounder, hears from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, the team Ogden played for during most of his 12-year NFL career, three or four times a week, he said.

Jones will participate in his first workout for an NFL team Friday, when scouts from the Atlanta Falcons come to Montgomery to watch him showcase his talents less than a week before the NFL Draft begins next Thursday.

"I was like, you know, 'Man, I want to play in the NFL one day and now it's 10 days away," he said, recalling his childhood dreams which could soon be realized.

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NSU Men’s Basketball Coach Anthony Evans leaving for FIU

NORFOLK, Virginia  --  Norfolk University Men’s Basketball Coach Anthony Evans has stepped down and will become the new head coach at Florida International University.

Evans led the Spartans to their only NCAA tournament appearance two years ago when they defeated Missouri in the first round.

Evans has also helped lead the Spartans to back to back MEAC regular season titles.

Athletics Director Marty L. Miller announced the decision on Monday.

“We appreciate what coach Evans has been able to accomplish for our men’s basketball program during his tenure,” said Miller. “The success we’ve experienced has brought national recognition not only to the athletics program, but to the University as well. We wish him continued success at his next destination.”

“The University community has been well-served by the diligence and success of Coach Anthony Evans,” said Norfolk State president Dr. Tony Atwater. “I admire his commitment to students’ academic success and superior athletic performance. I wish him well in his new head coaching assignment.”

Evans spent six seasons as the head coach of...

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Hampton University women's basketball coach David Six receives 5-year contract extension

 DAVID SIX
HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
HAMPTON UNIVERSITY

 

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton University Department of Athletics announced on Monday that it has given head women’s basketball coach David Six a five-year contract extension.

“We are extremely fortunate to have David Six as our head coach and are pleased with the program’s success thus far,” Director of Athletics Novelle Dickenson said. “Coach Six has a great passion for Hampton and we are excited about what the future has in store.”

This extension keeps Six at Hampton through the 2018-19 season.

“Coach Six is a fine coach who understands the balance needed as an athlete and a student,” Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey said. “Not only do his young ladies perform on the basketball court, but they also perform well in the classroom. Hampton University is pleased to continue its long-term relationship with such a fine coach.”

Six is coming off yet another 20-win season and his fourth straight MEAC Tournament championship. The Lady Pirates went 28-6 this past season, setting a program Division I record for wins in a season, and they became the second MEAC program in conference history to win the tournament four straight times.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to continue to lead the Lady Pirates for five more years,” Six said. “I am also appreciative of the commitment and the support for me and my family from the university administration – in particular Dr. Harvey and Mr. Dickenson. My journey started here at Hampton; it has been rewarding and I have been blessed. However, there still remains some unfinished business and I look forward to the challenge.”

For his efforts, Six was named the MEAC Coach of the Year – marking the second time he’s earned that honor. The Lady Pirates went unbeaten in MEAC play in 2012-13, a program first and just the fifth time in MEAC history a women’s program went unbeaten in conference play.

Hampton is also the second women’s program in MEAC history to go unbeaten in conference play and win the conference tournament in the same season.

The 2012-13 season also saw the Lady Pirates go 3-3 against schools from so-called “BCS conferences” – while the rest of the MEAC was 1-24. Hampton beat such schools as LSU and Mississippi State, and the Lady Pirates set a program Div. I record with a 19-game winning streak from Jan. 2 through March 16.

The Lady Pirates have won the MEAC Tournament in each of Six’s four years at the program, and Hampton has also won the last three MEAC regular-season titles. In his first four years as a college coach, Six is 99-30 overall and 58-6 in conference play.

Six is also 12-0 in the MEAC Tournament.

The Lady Pirates led the nation in scoring defense this past season, giving up just 47.8 points per game. Hampton was second in the nation in scoring defense in 2011-12, 12^th in the nation in 2010-11, and 14^th in the nation in 2009-10, Six’s first at the helm.

This past season, Hampton was also third in the nation in both field goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense.

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.


 COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

VSU's Scott makes debut in Spring Game

ETTRICK, Virginia  --  On Saturday afternoon, Virginia State University fans got their first glimpse into the future of Trojan football. The annual Spring Game was a coming out party for first year head coach Latrell Scott and a team looking to return to former glory.

From 1993 to 1997, VSU posted a 41-11 record with a pair of CIAA championships in 1995-96. Over the next 15 years the Trojans posted only five winnings seasons, highlighted by an 8-2 run in 2010.

Last year VSU finished a disappointing 4-6 and signaled time for change. Enter Scott, a former Lee-Davis standout, returning to head coaching for the first time since his disappointing exit from the University of Richmond.

On Saturday, both Scott and the Trojans appeared rejuvenated.

“These kids have worked their tails off,” Scott said. “They’ve bought into our program. They’ve done it the right way and they’ve gotten better on a weekly basis. We’re not nearly where we need to be but we’ve taken some steps in a positive direction.”

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SU's Roger Cador appears on ESPN's Sportscenter

ROGER CADOR

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  On the day when Major League Baseball celebrates the legacy of Jackie Robinson Day, Southern baseball head coach Roger Cador appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter to discuss his appointment to the MLB On-Field Diversity Task Force.

Cador discussed his appointment to the 18-member group and the challenge of addressing the declining numbers of African-American on MLB rosters. The 29-year veteran also shared his thoughts on Jackie Robinson's impact on the game of baseball and society when Robinson broke baseballs color barrier 66 years ago.

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced the creation of an On-Field Diversity Task Force April 10 to address the talent pipeline that impacts the representation and development of diverse players and on-field personnel in Major League Baseball, particularly African-Americans.

The wide-ranging group, which includes representatives from club ownership, club front offices, MLB's central office, Minor League Baseball, former players, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the MLB Scouting Bureau, and collegiate baseball, will focus on the myriad of issues influencing on-field diversity at all levels of baseball.

"As a social institution, Major League Baseball has an enormous social responsibility to provide equal opportunities for all people, both on and off the field," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "I am proud of the work we have done thus far with the RBI program and the MLB Urban Youth Academies, but there is more that we must accomplish. We have seen a number of successful efforts with existing MLB task forces, and I believe we have selected the right people to effectively address the many factors associated with diversity in baseball."

Members of the Commissioner's On-Field Diversity Task Force:

* Stuart Sternberg -- Principal owner, Tampa Bay Rays; MLB Diversity Oversight Committee Chairman

* Dave Dombrowski -- President, chief executive officer & general manager, Detroit Tigers; On-Field Diversity Task Force Chairman

* Tom Brasuell -- MLB vice president of community affairs (representing Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities)

* Roger Cador -- Baseball head coach, Southern University (Historically Black College & University)

* Tony Clark -- Director of player services, Major League Baseball Players Association

* Larry Dolan -- Cleveland Indians; MLB Diversity Oversight Committee advisor

* Dennis Gilbert -- Special assistant to Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf

* Derrick Hall -- President & chief executive officer, Arizona Diamondbacks

* Wendy Lewis -- MLB senior vice president of diversity & strategic alliances

* Jerry Manuel -- MLB network analyst; Major League manager (1998-2003; 2008-2010); 2000 A.L. Manager of the Year

* Frank Marcos -- Senior director, MLB Scouting Bureau

 * Jonathan Mariner -- MLB executive vice president and chief financial officer

* Darrell Miller -- MLB vice president of youth & facility development (representing MLB Urban Youth Academy)

* Bernard Muir -- Athletic director, Stanford University

* Kim Ng -- MLB senior vice president of baseball operations

* Pat O'Conner -- President & chief executive officer, Minor League Baseball

* Frank Robinson -- Hall of Famer; MLB executive vice president of baseball development

* Ken Williams -- Executive vice president, Chicago White Sox

According to the Player Diversity Report (released on 11/13/12), the diversity of the Player Profile on 40-Man Major League rosters was 62 percent Caucasian, 28 percent Hispanic, 8 percent African-American, 1 percent Asian, and 0.2 percent Native American. And according to MLB records, which is a collection of data compiled by the clubs, the percentage of players on 2013 Opening Day, 25-man Major League rosters who identified themselves as African-American or black was approximately 8.5 percent, which is in a consistent range with the past few years. The first round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft featured the selections of seven African-American players, the most by total and percentage (7-of-31, 22.6 percent) since 1992.

Major League Baseball operates two youth initiatives designed specifically to address on-field diversity:

The Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and its Jr. RBI playing divisions provide opportunities for young people (ages 5 to 18) from underserved communities to play baseball and softball. RBI has served more than 1 million young people since 1989, and in 2012 had more than 210,000 participants around the country, in Canada and in Latin America. MLB Clubs have drafted more than 200 RBI participants, including 14 players in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

MLB Urban Youth Academies provide free, year-round and intensive baseball and softball instruction and educational programs for young people from underserved and urban communities. Seven MLB Urban Youth Academies are either operational or in development around the country and in Puerto Rico (Operational: Compton, Calif.; Houston, Texas; New Orleans, La.; and Gurabo, Puerto Rico; In development: Cincinnati, Ohio; Hialeah, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa). MLB Urban Youth Academies have served more than 10,000 young people, with more than 90 percent of participants in the United States reflecting a diverse segment of the respective local communities. Since 2006, nearly 200 Academy student-athletes have been selected in the First-Year Player Draft, including 17 in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.


COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Rush, Nuggets defeat Jackson State; qualifier is next

JACKSON, Miss. -- Kyle Montrel's 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 decision against Jose Luque clinched Xavier University of Louisiana's 4-3 men's tennis victory against Jackson State on Sunday.

Xavier's women extended their win streak to six duals with a 5-2 victory against Jackson State.

It was the regular-season finale for both XU teams. The Gold Rush (12-7), ranked eighth in the NAIA, and the Gold Nuggets (14-7), ranked sixth, will compete Friday and Saturday in an NAIA unaffiliated group tournament at Jonesboro, Ga. Winners will receive automatic berths to next month's NAIA National Championship.

Montrel, a freshman, won for the 11th time in his last 13 singles matches and earned his second dual-clinching victory of the season. Jackson State tied the dual at 3 when Carlos Martinez beat Nikita Soifer 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Loic Didavi and Viktor Svoboda also won in singles. Svoboda and Soifer clinched the doubles point with an 8-6 decision against Luque and Ernesto Morales. Svoboda and Soifer won for the 11th time in their last 12 doubles matches.

In the women's dual, the Gold Nuggets and won the final three singles matches to break at tie at 2. Freshman Brion Flowers clinched for the first time this season; she beat Harshini Reddy 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) at No. 2 singles.

Also winning in singles for Xavier were Kourtney Howell, Amber Brown and Vashni Balleste. Howell beat Karen Martinez 5-7, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4) at No. 1, and Brown -- playing at No. 3 for the first time this season after spending most of her time at No. 5 -- beat Rebekah Adewumi 6-0, 6-2.

The Nuggets clinched the doubles point when Nicole DeLoach and Jordyn Goody beat Laura Rojas and Adewumi 8-5. It was the first victory this season for that pairing, and it was Goody's first doubles victory since Feb. 17.

The dual victories were the Rush's fourth of the season and the Nuggets' third against NCAA Division I opponents. The XU women played Jackson State for the first time in four years.

Pairings for the unaffilated group tournaments will be announced Monday. New NAIA coaches polls will be announced Tuesday, and XU coach Alan Green expects his women -- who are 9-0 against ranked opponents and have victories against No. 2 William Carey and No. 3 Auburn Montgomery -- to climb to first or second. The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 12 duals, including their last five on the road.

Results: Men Women


By Ed Cassiere, SID
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

NSU Spartan Defense Turns up the Heat During 3rd Spring Scrimmage

Courtesy NSU Spartans Athletics

NORFOLK, Virginia – One of the benefits of spring football practice is the opportunity it provides backups who may not have seen considerable playing time in the fall to show coaches what they can do.

With inside linebackers Brent Singleton and Marcell Coke out of Saturday's scrimmage due to injury, that gave rising senior Mike Privott and rising sophomore Lamar Neal even more of a chance to show their stuff. The two led a strong defensive effort, highlighted by Neal's 57-yard interception return for touchdown at the Spartans' practice football field on Saturday morning.

The first-team NSU offense put together a nice drive to start the scrimmage, with soon-to-be sophomore Brendon Riddick ripping off two runs of 20+ yards during the first possession of the scrimmage. But a dropped pass on third down stalled the drive. On the following possession, rising senior defensive lineman Josh El ended the possession with a third-down sack of Zach Deutel.

The defense again held on the scrimmage's third drive, before Neal unexpectedly scored on the fourth possession. With the first-team defense matched up against the second-team offense, Neal picked off a Deutel pass over the middle, raced up the left sideline, eluded a would-be tackler and scored on a 57-yard return.

That got the defense even more fired up. Privott, poised to be one of the emotional leaders of the unit, had tackles for loss on two of the next three possessions to put the offense behind schedule. Along with his two TFL, Privott also had several other tackles for little or no gain.

“Both (Neal and Privott) have done a good job this spring,” NSU head coach Pete Adrian said. “They both have taken advantage of the additional reps they've gotten and have worked hard this spring.”

El (2.5) and outside linebacker Eugene Bazemore (1.5) also had solid scrimmages for the second unit, combined for four of the defense's five sacks. El also forced a fumble on one of his sacks, which safety Andre Bean recovered for another turnover.

The Spartans' offense bounced back nicely during the second half of the scrimmage, however. A 24-yard run by Riddick helped lead to the offense's first touchdown of the day, an 8-yard TD pass from Nico Flores to DeAndre Sangster as the first units matched up against each other.

The second units faced off on the final possession of the scrimmage, which proved to be an entertaining one. Walk-on quarterback Omari Timmons completed passes of 13 yards to wideout Wilonte' Roscoe and 12 yards to tight end James Lynch to move the offense into the red zone. A 9-yard carry by Dallas Simmons followed by an offsides penalty gave the offense a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two runs by Simmons were turned back short of the goal line by the middle of the NSU defense, prompting Riddick to get the call on 3rd-and-goal. Riddick plunged in from the 1 to give the offense its second and final score of the day.

Adrian was pleased with what he saw from his team Saturday.

“Considering the number of offensive linemen and some others we held out with injury, I thought both sides of the ball competed well today,” Adrian said.

Riddick led the offense with nine carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. Dre'Quez Lambert rushed four times for 34 yards.

The Spartans have two dates left in their spring practice, a regular practice at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and their final scrimmage at 7 p.m. Friday. The scrimmage will be played under the lights at Dick Price Stadium, and will be free of charge and open to the public.

By Matt Michalec, SID

NSUSPARTANS.COM

NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY

 

Sources: NSU's Evans to coach Florida International

COACH ANTHONY EVANS

NORFOLK, Virginia  -- Norfolk State basketball coach Anthony Evans will be named the new head basketball coach at Florida International University, said sources who asked not to be identified.

The Washington Post, quoting anonymous sources, also reported that Evans "is in line" to be the next Florida International coach.

Evans replaces Richard Pitino, who left Florida International to become head coach at Minnesota.

Evans, a Brooklyn native, has been at Norfolk State 10 years, six as the head coach. The past two seasons have been by far his most successful. His Spartans won the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament and then upset No. 2 seed Missouri in the NCAA tournament.

This past season, Norfolk State won the MEAC regular-season title with a 16-0 record and ended the regular season with 15 consecutive victories. The Spartans were upset in the first round of the MEAC tournament and lost to Virginia in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

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