FAMU Rattlers Set For Orange & Green Game Saturday

COURTESY FAMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Florida A&M head football coach Earl Holmes will preview the 2014 edition of the Rattler football team tomorrow at Bragg Memorial Stadium at 2 p.m.  The reloaded Rattlers will showcase several new players that were added to the roster through aggressive recruiting.

The action begins at 12 noon with a Venom Kids Easter Egg Hunt in the North End Zone.  This event is free to kids who want to participate.  There will be music, a bounce house and of course Easter Eggs.

At 2 p.m., the 2014 Rattler Football team takes the field.  The team is looking to focus on improving from last year's 3-9 record.  The game will have a scoring system, consisting of points for defensive stops, interceptions, fumble recoveries and more.

Admission to the game as well as parking is free.

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

TSU Women’s Basketball Signs Markayla Parker

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State University head women’s basketball coach Larry Inman has announced the signing of Markayla Parker to a National Letter of Intent.

Parker, a native of Madison, Alabama played one season at Madison Academy after transferring from James Clemens High School.
 
“Markayla Parker is a great addition to the Lady Tiger program,” said head coach Larry Inman. "She’s a first class citizen,  good student and  great basketball player.”

 

During her lone season with the Mustangs she shot 46 percent from the field while helping lead the team to the Class 3A Northwest Regional championship game. The 6-1 Guard/Forward scored a team-high 15 points in a, 61-58, regional final loss to eventual state champ Lauderdale County.

 

During her stint at James Clemens HS, Parker averaged 10.2 points and eight rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field. She was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and garnered an All-Area Team selection.

 

In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Parker excelled academically. The National Honor Society member served as President of the Peer Helping Organization, Vice President of the Senior Class, Homecoming Queen and a member of the Anchor Club.

 

“She’s a very talented young lady with a promising future,” Inman continued. “She is 6-1 and can play the three or the four position, which makes her versatile. Her work ethic is off the charts and we are expecting her to come in and help us early.”

 

Parker also spent two seasons at Bob Jones High School where her team finished as the runner-up in the 2012 State Tournament.

Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers http://www.facebook.com/tsutigers  and Twitter @TSU_Tigers http://www.twitter.com/tsu_tigers

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Rock Hill (S.C.) to Host 2014 SIAC Track and Field Championships

ATLANTA, Georgia -- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference today announced that the 2014 SIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held from April 24-26 at the Irwin Belk Track & Field Complex on the campus of Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

"We are pleased to bring our 2014 SIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships to the city of Rock Hill," said SIAC Commissioner Gregory Moore. "These championships showcase both our outstanding student-athletes and member institutions as we continue to celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of the SIAC."
 

This marks the first season that the three-day conference championships will be held in Rock Hill, with 13 SIAC member institutions vying for the 2014 conference title.

"We are very pleased to host the SIAC championships for the very first time," said Auvis Cole, sports sales manager - Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We look forward to this new partnership and its success."

Events at the 2014 SIAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships will begin at 8:00 a.m. on April 24 -25, with the final day of competition starting at 9:00 a.m. on April 26. General admission is free to the public.

COURTESY THESIAC.COM

Kentucky State Set to Face the Marauders of Central State in Circle City Classic®

Photo Courtesy Kentucky State University Athletics

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Today it was officially announced that the Kentucky State University football program will be facing off against rival Central State this upcoming season in the 31st Annual Circle City Classic®.

The two teams will meet on October 4, 2014 for the Circle City Classic® game which will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The two teams, who played their first game in 1947, have been longtime rivals and will meet for the 55th time this upcoming season.
 

While the Thorobreds have beaten CSU in six straight seasons (2008-13) the Marauders have a 35-18 edge in the overall rivalry. In 1957 the two teams played in their only tie of the series, ending the contest knotted at 13-13.
 

In their most recent matchup, the Thorobreds traveled to Central State in their second game of the 2013 season and defeated CSU, 38-17. In that game, KSU running back Jacquise Lockett rushed for a season-high 240 yards against the Marauders. That game also marked the first time the teams met as Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponent's with Central State's football program joining the SIAC at the begging of the 2013 season.

The Circle City Classic® is a joint collaboration between Indiana Black Expo, Inc. and the Indiana Sports Corporation. The net proceeds from the classic help support youth initiatives for each organization. Additionally, each year the Classic's educational partner, the Indianapolis Black Alumni Council, host an educational college fair that exposes over 2,500 youth to colleges and universities with scholarship opportunities exceeding $3 million.

"We are thrilled to have these two teams and their strong bases of alumni to participate in Classic this year," said Tanya Bell, President & CEO. "We will rally together this year in the name of football, culture, music and tradition during the first weekend of October."
 

The theme for this year's Classic is "Buy One. Send One.," which reflects the purpose that Classic serves as a fundraiser to send Indiana students to college. "A ticket purchase will help pay for a student to attend college," Bell said. Since 1984, more than 3 million dollars in scholarships have been awarded to Indiana youth.

The Circle City Classic® game this year will feature the anticipated Battle of the Bands, one of the highlights of HBCU classics.

Kentucky State's Mighty Marching Thorobreds band is under the direction of Robert Griffin, Director of Bands. The Thorobreds marching band has performed in several classics and has participated in the Honda All-Star Battle of the Bands.

"We are so excited to be returning to the Circle City Classic," KSU Athletic Director Denisha Hendricks said. "This will be a great experience for our student-athletes and the entire KSU family."

Kentucky State's last Circle City Classic® appearance was in 2011 where the Thorobreds fell to Albany State University, 57-31. Central State has not played in Circle City Classic® since 2006.

Tickets for Circle City Classic® officially go on sale Monday, April 21, 2014. Tickets are available by calling the IBE Box Office at 317.925.2702, the Lucas Oil Stadium Ticket Office at 317.262.3389, online at www.ticketmaster.com or at any Ticket Master outlet.

More information about tickets and events at the 31st Annual Circle City Classic® can be found here: http://www.circlecityclassic.com/

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

VSU Trojans, WSSU Rams Advance to Semifinals of 2014 CIAA Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament

ETTRICK, Virginia – The Virginia State Trojans and the Winston-Salem State Rams kicked off the 2014 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s Tennis Championship Tournament in style when the two teams took 5-0 wins in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. With the victories, both teams will advance to the semifinal round of the tournament where they will take on the conference regular season co-champions Shaw and Chowan respectively.

The host Trojans opened the tournament with an impressive 5-0 win over their rival Virginia Union Panthers to open the tournament. The Trojans got things started with gutsy performance in doubles play. The team kicked things off in the #2 doubles when Nicholas Pfab and Evan Dirksen took an 8-1 win which was followed by an 8-6 win by Kwamane Tonkins and Delwin McCurdy at the #3 doubles. The highlight of the match came at the #1 doubles when Matthew and Nicholas Brown took a 9-8 (7-4) win at #1 doubles. From there, the Trojans wrapped up the match when Tonkins took a 6-0, 6-0 win at #5 singles while Pfab took a 6-1, 6-0 win at #3 singles.

The Rams played the nightcap match when the team took a 5-0 win over the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls. The match got off to an exciting start when the Rams took an 8-1 win at #1 singles behind Creighton Jones and Jonathan Aubrey’s strong play. The Rams kept things going when the tandem of Christopher Jeter and Christopher Shew took an 8-4 win at #3 doubles. Joshua Aubrey and Corey Bonnette rounded out doubles play with an 8-5 victory. In singles play, the Rams fininshed the match with Bonnette taking a 6-0, 6-0 win at #4 singles while Shew ended the match with a 6-0, 6-0 win at #6 singles.

Both teams will return to action tomorrow in the semifinal round of the tournament. The Trojans will take on the Shaw Bears while the Rams will take on the Chowan Hawks in a rematch of last season’s conference championship match. Tournament play will resume at 1:00 p.m. at the VSU Tennis Complex on the campus of Virginia State University.

COURTESY THECIAA.COM

Bill Proctor: (Florida's) Senate displays a dim view of black students

BILL PROCTOR
LEON COUNTY COMMISSIONER
DISTRICT 1

Bill Proctor serves the Leon County commissioner for District 1, in which both Florida A&M and Florida State universities are located. Contact him at ProctorB@leoncountyfl.gov.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- One cannot miss the influence of the controversial theories on race and intelligence of Arthur Jensen and William Shockley as the guiding core of the Florida Senate’s thinking in voting to separate the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. This legislative act bolsters white supremacy and further marginalizes black communities. Clearly, the Senate deems the majority of FSU’s students superior in intelligence and worthy of investing millions more of taxpayer dollars.

Sen. John Thrasher declares his budget amendment to separate the FAMU/FSU College of Engineering would strengthen Florida State’s stride toward becoming a Top 25 public (taxpayer-supported) universitiy.

Like Gov. George Wallace, why are Thrasher and the Senate, legislatively speaking, standing in the doorway of the College of Engineering and decreeing that FAMU students cannot come in? In effect, Thrasher and the senators want FAMU’s students to get out and stay out of engineering sciences at FSU. Does “pre-eminence” mean that students from a black school are not welcome to tag along and mess up the white members-only society?

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TSU Tigers Play at Home for Final Time This Season



HEAD COACH JEFFREY DABNEY
Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Tennessee State hosts SIU Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois for a pair of Ohio Valley Conference double headers on Friday and Saturday. TSU will take to Tiger Field for the final time this season with both days starting at 1:00pm. TSU will honor Olivia Gamache and Ashley Haynes on Saturday during the senior day celebrations.

 

The Tigers have dropped five straight, including three in conference play. TSU, still fighting for a spot in the OVC tournament, is in tenth and will have to go through the top two teams in the West Division in consecutive days. The games can be seen on ovcdigitalnetwork.com.

 

Gamache enters the weekend in the top 10 in several pitching categories. The senior is sixth in appearances and games started. Gamache is seventh in wins and is six strikeouts away from surpassing 200, to become just the fourth Tiger to cross the threshold.

 

Haynes is ninth in games played and is four starts away from entering the top 10. Haynes has walked 37 times in her career, good for eighth. The senior has made her mark defensively as well and is one putout out of tenth. Haynes is fifth in assists and has a .935 fielding percentage, eighth best in history.

 

SIU Edwardsville (20-19, 12-3)

2013 Record: 35-13

Conference: Ohio Valley

2013 Finish: 17-5/2nd West

Series Record: 2-6

Last Time Played: 4-6-13, L 1-8

Last Win: 5-6-12, 4-1

 

SIUE turns to Haley Chambers to handle most of the pitching duties appearing in 29 of the teams 39 games. Chambers has tossed 159.1 innings and has earned a 12-12 record and a 1.97 ERA. Chambers is second in the conference with 163 fanning’s. Erin Greenwalt offers support at 8-7 and a 3.94 ERA with 71 punch outs in 80.0 innings. Chelsea Yankolovich sits atop the Cougars stat page, leading in average (.315), hits (40), runs (26) and stolen bases (9). Allison Smiley is batting .308 with a squad leading 17 RBI.

 

Eastern Illinois (30-11, 10-4)

2013 Record: 36-14

Conference: Ohio Valley

2013 Finish: 20-3/1st West

Series Record: 11-36

Last Time Played: 4-7-13, L 1-7

Last Win: 4-2-11, 7-3

 

The Panthers are batting .288 as a team and have four players hitting over .300. Jennette Isaac and Brooke Owens lead the way each batting .350. Isaac is tied with Rey Hutchinson (.325) in stolen bases with 10. Owens has a team high 28 runs, 10 doubles and five home runs. Hannah Cole is hitting at a .348 clip with nine doubles, three triples, five dingers and a team best 31 RBI. EIU relies on the pitching duo of Hannah Mennenga and Stephanie Maday. Mennenga is 16-4 with a 1.87 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 146 innings of work. Maday has compiled a 13-5 record with a 2.13 ERA and has sat down 100 in 115 innings.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION  

Gold Rush defeat Privateers for third consecutive year



XAVIER UNIVERSITY TENNIS CENTER

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's men won five consecutive matches Thursday to score a 5-4 decision against the University of New Orleans at XU Tennis Center.

The Gold Rush (9-9), ranked 10th in the NAIA, have a season-best three-dual win streak and defeated the Privateers (6-9) for the third consecutive year. It was Xavier's second victory in five days against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Blake Gregor and Luis Albuquerque gave UNO its only lead when they defeated Tushar Mandlekar and Kevin Chaouat 8-5 at No. 2 doubles. But Xavier won the next five matches to clinch the dual.

Viktor Svoboda -- honored in a senior day ceremony before the dual -- and Adam Albrecht beat Gonzala Garcia and Chris Appelgren 8-5. Then Kyle Montrel and Nikita Soifer gave the Gold Rush a 2-1 lead with their 8-5 victory against Timo Kranz and Rui Silva at the top doubles flight.

Mandlekar, winning for the third straight time in singles, made it 3-1 with a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Gregor at No. 4. Montrel defeated Kranz 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1, and Soifer clinched at No. 2 with a 6-2, 6-4 decision against Garcia.

Soifer is 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles in two seasons against UNO.

"Good win today," XU coach Alan Green said. "UNO is always tough to play against. But it was different today because we played them on our campus for the first time. Hopefully this will carry us over to next week and the unaffiliated tournament."

The Gold Rush will play Alcorn State at 2 p.m. next Thursday at Xavier to conclude the regular season, then compete the following day in the opening round of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament in New Orleans.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Prairie View hires XU's Bussie as women's assistant

Coach Landon Bussie
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland

NEW ORLEANS -- Prairie View A&M University announced Thursday the hiring of Xavier University of Louisiana's Landon Bussie as a women's basketball assistant coach.

Bussie served the past four seasons on Xavier's men's basketball coaching staff, the last three as a graduate assistant. He was part of Gold Rush teams which won 97 games, won three consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championships and qualified four times for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship.

Bussie was a two-year letterman for the Gold Rush (2008-09 and 2009-10) after transferring from Livingstone College. He is from Baltimore, Maryland and a graduate of Woodlawn High School. Bussie received his bachelor's degree from Xavier in 2011.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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XU's Jackson chosen LABC Coach of Year for first time

Dannton Jackson's 249 victories rank first in
Gold Rush history.

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Dannton Jackson has been chosen Louisiana Small College Coach of the Year for 2014, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches announced Thursday.
   
This is the first time for Jackson to receive the award, which is chosen annually by the state's men's college basketball coaches. Jackson will receive the award May 3 during the LABC's 40th annual awards banquet in Baton Rouge.
   
Jackson became the Gold Rush all-time leader in coaching victories when Xavier won 71-66 at Spring Hill on Dec. 17. The Gold Rush were 23-9 in 2013-14, winning a third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship and qualifying for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship or the fourth straight year. Jackson retooled a program which had five senior starters the previous season, and his team produced seven victories against NAIA national tourney qualifiers, including an overtime home decision against top-10 William Carey.
   
Jackson set a GCAC record in 2013-14 with his third consecutive Coach of the Year award.
   
The Gold Rush's 97 victories during the past four seasons are the program's winningest four consecutive seasons since 1937-41.
   
Jackson's 11-year record with the Gold Rush is 249-107. His nine 20-win seasons trail only hall-of-famers Fred Hobdy (Grambling) and Dale Brown (LSU) in Louisiana men's collegiate history.
   
He is the second Xavier coach to win the LABC award and the first since Dale Valdery in 2001.
   
The Embassy Suites Hotel (4914 Constitution Ave., zip 70808) will be the site of the banquet, which will start at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $25.  

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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FAMU Completes Sweep of Alabama State With 2-1 Win

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  Florida A&M (17-21, 10-7 MEAC) held Alabama State (28-15, 16-2 SWAC) scoreless over the final eight innings, for a final of 2-1, to complete the mid-week sweep on Thursday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field. The win marked the eighth victory of the season for the Rattlers by one run and FAMU has now won six of their last eight games.

Rattler starter Chase Jarrell (4-2) earned the win while pitching five innings and only allowing one unearned run with three strikeouts. David Duncan pitched the final four scoreless innings to earn his first save of the season.

Bennie Robinson went 3-for-4 at the plate for FAMU with an RBI and a run scored, while Marlon Gibbs went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI in the third inning.



Alabama State picked up an unearned run in the top of the first inning for a 1-0 lead. Cesar Rivera singled into right center and stole second before scoring on a throwing error by Robinson, who overthrew third basemen Ryan Kennedy, trying to catch Rivera at third.

The Rattlers scored all they needed for the win with a pair of runs in the third inning, in what proved to be the final score of 2-1. Logan Seymour drew a one out walk and stole second. As Seymour stole second, Hornet catcher Richard Gonzalez tried to throw him out but the ball sailed into center field advancing Seymour to third. Robinson followed with an RBI single to plate Seymour for Florida A&M’s first run of the game. Robinson was aggressive on the base paths second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to setup what proved to be Gibbs game-winning RBI single.

Duncan came in in the sixth inning and pitched the rest of the way for FAMU. In the sixth, Duncan worked out of a bases loaded jam after two walks and a single from Richard Gonzalez. Dexter Price grounded out to third to end the inning, leaving the bases full for Alabama State.

The Hornets only had two hits over the final four innings.

Alabama State starter Michael Estevez (3-4) suffered the loss after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings of work. Estevez also struck out four and walked four Rattler batters.

Florida A&M is off over the Easter weekend, but next travels to face No. 18 Florida in Gainesville on Wednesday, April 23. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern signs BRCC’s Ashley Williams

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana --  The graduation of Adrian Sanders left the Southern women’s basketball team with some big sneakers to fill, but coach Sandy Pugh thinks she found someone who can do it.

The Jaguars signed Baton Rouge Community College’s Ashley Williams on Wednesday, adding a versatile leader to the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season champions.

“She’ll be able to step right into Adrian’s shoes,” Pugh said. “She can rebound and get up and down the floor. She’s a hybrid like Adrian was.



“She has toughness, which definitely will fill a void. She can put the ball on the floor and finish in the lane. She’s a natural leader.”

Williams, who played at Walker High School, averaged ...

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Alcorn Braves Sign Elite Class on Basketball Signing Day

COACH LUTHER RILEY
HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
Courtesy: ASU Athletics

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Head Coach Luther Riley was at it again this year signing a few elite players across the south region today on national day. The Braves will add four new faces to last year's team who went 12-19 this season.

The class includes, Juwan Henderson (Georgia), Reginald "Monsta" Johnson, Jr. (Louisiana), Tamarico Wilson (Holmes CC), and Xavier Graves (Coahoma CC).

Henderson, is a 5-11 point guard from Atlanta, Ga. who averaged 23.0 ppg and seven assists at Stephenson High School. He earned All-Distrcit, All-Region, All-Dekalb County and All-State honors during his senior year. He's known for his cat-quickness and ability to distribute the ball.

Johnson, is a 6-5 215 pound guard and forward who avearaged over 30 points per game, eight rebounds, and four assists. He attended Richwood High School in Monroe, La. where he led his team to a state championship, a runner-up in the state championship (2014), and four district 2-3A championships. He was also named the Class 3A MVP back-to-back years and this year was crowned as the 2014 Mr. Basketball for the State of Louisiana.

Wilson is a 6-2, 205 pound combo guard who attended Holmes Community College this past season. He averaged 12 points, four rebounds, which earned him a spot on the Mississippi JUCO All-Star Team this past season. He was also a member of the MACJC All-State 2nd Tema this year.

Graves (Bassfield, MS) was a force inside for the Tigers this season nearly averaging a double-double. His 13 points and nine rebounds per game, along with two blocks, were a big reason that CCC advanced to the MACJC playoffs for the second consecutive season. He was Co-MVP in the 2014 MACJC All-Star game.

"My focus during this recruiting period was to add quality players to go along with the nucleus that's returning next season," stated Head Coach Luther Riley. "Not only do I think we have good basketball players joining our program, but we have some great student-athletes with outstanding personalities."

Riley and his staff are planning on signing two more student-athletes later on before recruiting season is over.

COURTESY ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATIION

Alcorn State signs Louisiana's Mr. Basketball

LORMAN, Mississippi -- Alcorn State landed a big target Wednesday when Reginal Johnson Jr. signed with the Braves.

Johnson Jr. was recently named Mr. Basketball by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's Farm Bureau. The 6-foot-4 forward from Monroe, La., averaged 32 points and 15 rebounds for Richwood High School, which finished runner-up in the Class 3A. He chose Alcorn among offers from Arkansas-Monticello and LSU-Alexandria.

"We wanted to fill three spots. We wanted a point guard, a big and a utility guy like Reginal," Alcorn coach Luther Riley said. "And I think he has the body makeup, he has the toughness and mentality."

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AAMU Bulldogs play host to area high school coaches

NORMAL, Alabama – With nine practices down, the Alabama A&M football program hosted a high school coach's social and clinic Wednesday, April 16.

Head coach James Spady and his staff met with each and every coach introducing themselves then explaining their football philosophy.

The Bulldog coaching staff then went into the tenth session of spring football allowing the area coaches and opportunity to see the pistol offense and 4-3 defense in action.



After two and a half hours of work A&M ended their tenth practice of the spring with a controlled scrimmage that allowed the coaches to see certain plays in action.

Next up A&M will complete their "Taking the show to the community" event with their second scrimmage of the spring at Bob Jones High School on April 18, at 10 a.m.

Everyone is invited to witness Bulldog football "Spady Style"

COURTESY ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattlers Score 4 Unanswered Runs To Defeat ASU 4-3

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M (16-21, 10-7 MEAC) scored four unanswered runs to defeat Alabama State (28-14, 16-2 SWAC) 4-3 on Wednesday at Moore-Kittles Field. William Carrasco (3-3) earned his third win in 11 days after pitching 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits with four strikeouts. Ryan Kennedy and Marlon Gibbs combined to go 4-for-7 with two RBI in the win.

The Hornets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning courtesy of an RBI single from Einar Muniz. Dexter Price hit a double down the left line before advancing to third on a wild pitch with two outs. Muniz singled through the right side to score Price from third for the first run of the game.

Alabama State increased its lead to 3-0 on Richard Gonzalez’s two-run home run in the third inning.

Florida A&M cut into the Hornet lead with a run in the fourth inning to make it 3-1. Logan Seymour drew a leadoff walk for the first base runner of the game for the Rattlers. Seymour then stole second and moved to third as Kennedy singled through the left side to put runners on the corners with one out. FAMU got on the board with an RBI single from Gibbs to plate Seymour, but Michael Birdsong later grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the scoring threat for the Rattlers.

The Rattlers tied the game in the sixth, at 3-3, with three hits and two runs in the inning. After Ryan Debi grounded out to second for the first out of the inning, Seymour doubled and Bennie Robinson followed with a single into left center. With Seymour on third, Kennedy’s RBI single cut the lead to 3-2 and Gibbs was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Alabama State reliever Aramando Ruiz walked Weeks with the bases still full to bring in the game tying run.

Alabama State loaded the bases twice in the seventh inning but FAMU reliever Carrasco made a great defensive play fielding a slow grounder back to the pitcher and throwing out the would-be go ahead run at the plate. Carrasco followed his defensive gem by striking out Price to end the inning, leaving the bags full for AlabamaState.

For FAMU in the eighth, Robinson singled up the middle and Gibbs recorded a single of his own with one out to put runners at first and second. Blake Quillin came to bat and hit a ball deep into the hole at short. AlabamaState tried to throw Robinson out at third on a force out, but the throw from Hornet shortstop Emmanuel Marrero sailed high allowing Robinson to score what turned out to be the game-winning run.

FAMU held AlabamaState scoreless over the final six frames.

Alabama State reliever Patrick Coffin (3-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up the winning run in the eighth inning.

Florida A&M and Alabama State close out the two game series at Moore-Kittles Field on Thursday, April 17 at 2:00 pm.

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Southern, Banks negotiating new deal

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- One day after concluding a visit from NCAA officials, Southern turned its attention Wednesday to the future of men’s basketball coach Roman Banks.

Athletic Director William Broussard and Chancellor James Llorens met with Banks to discuss enhancing the coach’s contract and securing his services long-term.

Texas A&M contacted Banks last Friday about the vacancy for the top assistant’s position on head coach Billy Kennedy’s staff. Banks spoke twice with Kennedy, for whom he was an assistant for two seasons at Southeastern Louisiana (2003-05).

It’s unclear if Kennedy has made a formal offer to Banks, who put talks with the Aggies on hold while awaiting an opportunity to visit with Broussard and Llorens. But the Jaguars appear to be proceeding with a sense of urgency.

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GCAC champion Nuggets still 14th in NAIA rankings

DEVINN ROLLAND

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana's women are still 14th in the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field National Team Computer Rankings announced Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

This is the first season and the second week of the rankings, which are based on the best individual times and distances during the 2014 outdoor season.

Coach Joseph Moses' Gold Nuggets won their second consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference team championship on Saturday and their third in four years. GCAC individual champions for the Nuggets were Devinn Rolland in the long jump and the 100- and 200-meter dashes, Catherine Fakler in the 1,500, 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000, Angelica Alexander in the high jump and Terri Cunningham in the 400 hurdles.

Defending NAIA champion Indiana Tech remained No. 1, followed by 2012 champion Oklahoma Baptist, which climbed one notch from a week ago.

The top 25:

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

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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No. 2 Abbes one of five ranked Xavier singles players

XU freshman Nour Abbes has yet to lose a collegiate singles match.

NEW ORLEANS — Nour Abbes is No. 2, a record for a Xavier University of Louisiana women's player, in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA national rankings announced Wednesday.
   
Abbes is one of five ranked singles players from Xavier. Teammate Kourtney Howell is 16th, and Brion Flowers is 27th. On the men's team, Kyle Montrel is 16th, and Nikita Soifer is 29th.
   
Howell had been the highest-ranked Gold Nugget at No. 6 last season. But Abbes, a freshman from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah, reached No. 4 in the March 12 rankings. Abbes is 13-0 in singles — six victories against NCAA Division I opponents — and 11-2 in doubles.
   
In the NAIA national doubles rankings, Howell and Flowers are fifth, and Montrel and Soifer are 20th.
   
In the ITA's South region singles rankings, Abbes is second, Howell ninth and Flowers 16th. Montrel is fifth among men in the South, and Soifer is 13th.

Howell and Flowers are fourth in the South in doubles, and Montrel and Soifer are seventh.
   
Howell is a senior from Cypress, Texas, and a graduate of Cypress Woods High School. Flowers is a sophomore from Lafayette, La. (St. Thomas More), Montrel is a sophomore from Atlanta (Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy), and Soifer is a junior from Beer Sheva, Israel (Hof Hasharon).
   
The Gold Nuggets' next dual will be April 25 in the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament in New Orleans. Pairings and times will be announced next week. The Gold Rush will play the University of New Orleans at 3 p.m. Thursday at XU Tennis Center. Day and venue of that dual were moved.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Anderson tabbed as Mississippi Valley wide receivers coach

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Mississippi Valley State University head football coach Rick Comegy has added another member to his coaching staff. Sean Anderson has been hired as wide receivers coach and has already begun his new duties.

Anderson spent one season as Offensive Coordinator at Benedict College in South Carolina. While at Benedict, he took the offense to a fourth place finish in the conference in passing and had two wide receivers finish in the top 10 in receiving.

Anderson brings more than 10 years of coaching experience to MVSU. He previously served as wide receivers coach at Campbellsville University for one season. While at Campbellsville, he coached a pair of All-Conference wide receivers. One of his receivers set the school record for longest touchdown catch. He also coached a kickoff returner who became the fourth player in school history to collect more than 500 return yards in a season and 1,000 return yards in a career.

Prior to Campbellsville, Anderson coached one year at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, where he coached wide receivers. He coached a wide receiver who amassed 908 yards of total offense and is a record holder in kickoff return yardage.

Anderson spent four years at Lincoln University in Missouri, where he served as passing game coordinator, producing four all-conference players. During his tenure, he coached a receiver to more than 900 yards of total offense in three of his five seasons as a full-time coach. While at Lincoln, Anderson coached eight All-Conference academic performers as well as four All-Conference student-athletes. In 2007, Anderson coached a wide receiver who amassed 969 yards of total offense. In 2008, he coached a wide receiver who reached 1,057 of total yards of offense.

Anderson coached for three seasons at Jackson State University. While at JSU, he served as tight end, wide receiver, offensive line and quarterback coach. In 2006, JSU's scoring offense ranked 19th in the nation and first in the SWAC.  He coached former JSU standouts, Chris Jones, Cletis Gordon and Jaymar Johnson, whom all played in the NFL.

A native of St. Louis, Anderson earned his mass communications degree from William Jewell College in 2004 after transferring from Central Missouri State University following the 2000 season. While at William Jewell, he was a two-sport athlete, starting three years at wide receiver and lettering two years in track and field.

He has a son, Keelin, and he is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.    

COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

FAMU Rattler Tennis Teams Prepare For MEAC Tournament

NORFOLK, Virginia (April 14)  –  On Monday afternoon, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced the seedings for the 2014 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, set for Thursday through Saturday, April 17-19 at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center in Cayce, South Carolina. 

Both Florida A&M University teams made the tournament field from the Southern Division, and both will be seeded third in the championship event. 

The FAMU Men (9-13, 2-2 in MEAC) will face Northern No. 2 seed Hampton University, in Thursday’s opening round. 

Dr. Carl Goodman’s Rattler Men struggled some this season with a roster full of first-year players, led by the trio of Carols Agus Waitman (13-6), Admire Mushonga (12-8) and Zach Evenden (10-9), who turned in the top records in singles’ play this spring. 

Meanwhile, the FAMU Women (6-13, 4-2 in MEAC), who will square off against Northern No. 2 Morgan State in Thursday’s opening round, also had their ups and downs this season, with one of the highlights being a four-match win streak at midseason which aided their Top Four divisional finish. 

Coach Nikki Goldthreate’s squad was paced by Arrice Robinson (8-4) and Dominique Henry (9-8) in singles, with Henry and Alexis Dean (8-6), along with Robinson and Shantal Blackwood (9-8) turning in the top doubles’ performances of the spring.
 

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THE MEAC TOURNAMENT OVERALL

Morgan State men’s and Howard women’s teams earned the top seeds in the Northern Division, while the South Carolina State men’s and Bethune-Cookman women’s teams finished atop of the Southern Division.

On the women’s side, Howard (12-4) tallied a 5-0 unblemished mark in MEAC northern divisional play to claim the title. The Lady Bison enter the tournament as the number one seed, having won 11 out of its last 12 matches, including five straight in conference play.

Rounding out the north is Morgan State (N2), Delaware State (N3), and Hampton (N4), respectively.

Bethune-Cookman swept divisional play (6-0) and ended its regular season with an 18-9 overall record. The Lady Wildcats will face Hampton, the number four seed, on Thursday beginning at 8:30 a.m.

South Carolina State (S2) earned the number two seed, followed by Florida A&M (S3) and North Carolina Central (S4). 

On the men’s side, Morgan State (4-11) picked up its third straight men’s divisional title with a 4-0 conference mark. Bethune-Cookman, earned the number four seed in the south, and will face the Bears on Thursday, beginning at Noon. 

Hampton (N2), Coppin State (N3) and Howard (N4) wrap up the men’s northern division. 

South Carolina State completed the conference schedule with a perfect 4-0 mark and will meet Howard on Friday, beginning at Noon. The Bulldogs, the defending MEAC tournament champions, finished the regular season with a 9-7 overall record. 

Norfolk State (S2), Florida A&M (S3) and Bethune-Cookman (S4) secured the remaining spots in the southern division. 

Only the top four teams in each division compete in the championship tournament. Coppin State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T and Savannah State’s women’s teams were eliminated from tournament play as a result of their conference finish. Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina Central’s men’s teams were also eliminated. 

The 2014 MEAC Men's and Women's Tennis Championship begins with women's play on Thursday, April 17 at 8:30 a.m., while the men begin action at 12 Noon.

The women's semi-final rounds start on Friday at 8:30 a.m. followed by the men at Noon.

The Championship concludes on Saturday with the women's final beginning at 9 a.m. followed by the men's title match at Noon. The championship is free and open to the public.

Portions of this article appear courtesy of MEACSports.com
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Southern keeps working after NCAA leaves

University preparing more paperwork

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  The NCAA’s visit to Southern ended Tuesday afternoon, but the university’s marathon collection and submission of data continued into the night.

Two NCAA representatives spent Monday and Tuesday on campus meeting with university officials, examining documents and evaluating changes Southern has made to how it monitors student-athletes’ academic progress and records, and submits that information to the NCAA.

The discovery of “unusable data” pertaining to student-athletes’ Academic Progress Rates that had been submitted in recent years led to the NCAA instituting a postseason ban on all Jaguars athletic programs last year.

The two-day visit was the latest attempt by Southern to demonstrate sufficient improvement in its preparation to get the ban lifted.

Athletic Director William Broussard said Tuesday night that he felt the NCAA was impressed with “the culture change on campus” in terms of the implementation of new staff and task forces to support student-athletes.

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TSU's Miller to Take Part in PIT

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Tennessee State guard Patrick Miller was selected to take part in the 2014 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) on April 16-19.

Miller led the OVC in scoring, averaging 23.7 points per game and 26.1 in OVC contests; that ranked him fourth nationally while he also ranked sixth in the nation in minutes played at 37:44 per game.
 

The Chicago native scored 20-plus points 22 times and had 30 or more points in six games. He scored a career-high 38 points in the next-to-last game of the season at Morehead State, a contest that saw him hit the game-winning 3-pointer with two second remaining.

 

Each year for 60 years the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball players (seniors) from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team.

 

The P.I.T. has always claimed to be “more than a basketball tournament”.  Each year the P.I.T. contributes back to the community by awarding five $4,000 scholarships to student athletes from Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.  In addition to the scholarships, approximately $11,500 from the tournament proceeds is presented to local non-profit organizations and charities to help them make a difference in the local community, creating a grand total of over $31,500 given back the community each year.

 

Miller’s assigned squad is Cherry Bekaert and the team’s first contest will be April 17 at 9 p.m. ET against Portsmouth Partnership.

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Jackson leans on Jackson State QBs to lead

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Earlier this week, the Jackson State coaches held exit meetings with players.

The crux of the message they wanted to get across was the importance of studying the playbook, coach Harold Jackson said.

“We threw a lot at them,” Jackson said. “Now they (have) got a mix of what’s really happening, what’s really going on. All they (have) got to do is go and study and put it all together.”

JSU concluded the spring with the Blue and White game on Saturday, but the new coaches felt the 14-day, two-hour practices weren’t enough for the players to ...

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Florida A&M Student Garners National Boxing Title, Featured in Sports Illustrated

Photo: A sneak peek of Willie Ferrell's feature in the April 14 edition
of Sports Illustrated.  
Image courtesy: Sports Illustrated.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- Florida A&M University (FAMU) is the home of the 2014 U.S. Intercollegiate Boxing Association’s heavyweight champion.

FAMU student Willie Ferrell not only took home the championship belt earlier this month, but also defended his title as the 2013 heavyweight champion.

Ferrell’s journey to triumph in the boxing ring is depicted in the April 14 issue of Sports Illustrated, which is available now on newsstands and online.

The multi-page feature in Sports Illustrated also stories Ferrell’s extraordinary relationship with his late brother Jonathan, a former Rattler football player, whose controversial 2013 death has been attributed to alleged racial profiling.

Ferrell’s inspiring story of how his brother, even in death, encouraged him to defend his title is also told in an upcoming issue of FAMU’s A&M magazine.

“I was proud to represent my brother. I was proud that I was able to show the world what FAMU has to offer,” said Ferrell about what it felt like to be handed the championship belt once again.

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