Catching up with Former TSU Robert Covington

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- Former Tennessee State men’s basketball player Robert Covington dropped by to recap his first year of playing professional basketball. He was signed by the Rockets, named MVP of the D-League All-Star Game and Rookie of the Year while playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Covington also gives new head coach Dana Ford a vote of confidence and details his summer plans. Watch the full video interview, below.




COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Tennessee State inks Florida Track Star Jemarruse Amos

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  --  Hurdler and jumper Jemarruse Amos has signed a letter of intent to become a member of the Tennessee State track and field team next season.

“With his ability to participate in the 110-meter hurdles and triple-jump, Amos gives us the ability to continue to be competitive on the track and in the field,” assistant coach Tara Myrick said. “I think he will come in, be a team player, a positive force and have a will to win.”

 

Amos is a highly-touted prospect from Jacksonville, Florida who ranks as the fifth-best 110-meter hurdler in the state and 21^st in the nation (14.04 seconds). He also has the 20^th best triple-jump mark (46 inches) while competing for William Raines High School.

 

The addition of Amos should help soften the blow of losing Michael Johnson, who will graduate this month.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Veney-Battle Named Virginia Union Head Volleyball Coach

Coach Shaquana Veney-Battle
Photo Courtesy VUU Athletics

RICHMOND, Virginia  --  Shaquana Veney-Battle has been named the new Head Volleyball Coach at Virginia Union University.

Veney-Battle comes to VUU after serving as a volleyball coach in Japan, where she trained high-school as well as college-aged student-athletes.  She spent a total of two years overseas preparing student-athletes for college careers.

In addition to her training student-athletes, Veney-Battle created a Special Olympics program in Japan.  The program consisted of training Japanese and American citizens with and without intellectual disabilities to play in the largest unified sporting event in Asia-Pacific.

Veney-Battle has coached numerous high school volleyball and track & field teams in the U.S.A., including AAU National Teams.

Veney-Battle was a stand-out player at Fayetteville State University from 2004-08.  Veney-Battle led the Lady Broncos to the 2007 CIAA Championship and was All-CIAA at libero (defensive specialist) the same year.

Veney-Battle, a Richmond, Va., native, played her high-school volleyball at Varina High School and was a part of the traveling AAU Team from Richmond, Va.

Veney-Battle received her Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from Fayetteville State in 2008 and received her Master's in Sports Management from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Veney-Battle is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and has been married since 2010.  She and her husband, Brackery, have one dog, Yoshi.

COURTESY VIRIGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Livingstone College Announces New Women's Basketball Coach

(L) LC Athletics Director Andre Springs and (R) Coach Anita Howard

Salisbury, North Carolina – The Livingstone College Athletic Director, Andre Springs, is proud to announce the hiring of Anita Howard as the new head women's basketball coach for the Lady Blue Bears team. Howard replaced Angelyne Brown, who resigned at the end of the 2013-14season.

"I'm honored to be here at Livingstone and become part of the Blue Bear family," said Howard.

Howard comes to the Lady Blue Bear women's basketball program with a successful coaching career.

"We at Livingstone College are excited to bring in Coach Howard. If you read about her and look at her history she is a winner, and that's the kind of spirit we want on campus," said Coach Andre Springs.

Coach Howard has spent the last two years as the head women's basketball coach at Salem College out of the Great South Athletic Conference, where she built a winless program into a conference championship team. She also had a player named the GSAC Player of the Year while her team finished the regular season undefeated in conference play. Howard was named the GSAC Coach of the Year in 2013.

Howard is no stranger to the CIAA. Prior to coaching at Salem she spent a season as the associate head coach for the Lady Falcons of Saint Augustine's University. She served as the head of basketball operations as well as being the recruiting coordinator and defense coordinator. Howard gained career experience at Shaw University. While serving as an assistant coach, she help guide the Shaw Lady Bears to their 2011 CIAA Conference Championship. She also served as an assistant coach at Winston-Salem State University during their transition back to the CIAA.

Joining Howard on the coaching staff will be Shayla Fields, who is returning as an assistant coach, and Latasha Shipman-Ganus, who will serve as the associate head women's basketball coach.

"I'm excited about my coaching staff," said Howard. "They both come from phenomenal backgrounds so we are looking to build a championship mentality around our student-athletes."

Howard graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State University Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Fine Art and Design. She played one season for AASU where she was the team captain and was named the team's defender of the year. She led AASU to their first ever Peach Belt Conference Championship in 2003 while leading her team to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.

Howard also played at Fort Valley State University where she was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and led FVSU to two Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Conference Championships in 2000 and 2001, and one SIAC runner-up finish in 1999.

Howard exemplified the term "student-athlete." While at FVSU she made the Dean's List twice.

"I'm a leader of women, so I like to develop my players as a whole, very similar to the college's theme of holistic learning. It's bigger than getting a ring. We want to make sure we do our due diligence and be citizens within our community," said Howard. "While being a student-athlete, it's about being connected with our community and speaking to the alumni because they are who push the institution."

COURTESY LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

MVSU student-athletes, others recognized at banquet

Banquet Program
Photo Gallery
COURTESY MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
 

ITTA BENA, Mississippi – The Mississippi Valley State Athletics Department recognized its student-athletes on Thursday, May 1 during the annual Athletics Banquet at the Charles Lackey Recreational Building on the MVSU campus.

Student-athletes, faculty, staff, alumni and MVSU family were all recognized during the formal event that featured a presentation by the Department of Mass Communications. MVSU Director of Athletics Dianthia Ford-Kee also presented awards to the Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Thompson Hospitality, Leflore County Civic Center, Chawla Management Company and the Greenwood Mississippi Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Graduating seniors were also recognized during the banquet.

Joyce Chumo, of the MVSU cross country and track and field teams, and Grant Reifers, of the MVSU baseball team, were awarded the President's Award for Academic Excellence for the highest cumulative GPA. Also, Alexandria Garland (volleyball) and Blake Ralling (men's basketball) were bestowed with the Athletic Director's Sportsmanship Award. Ashley Beals (women's basketball) and James Currington were selected as the Athletic Director's Rookie of the Year while Joyce Chumo (cross country / track and field) and Daniel Kibet (cross country / track and field) were named Athlete of the Year.

Meanwhile, the MVSU women's soccer team was recognized for the team with the highest GPA.

Team MVP
Shanesse Spratt (Women's Soccer)
Toussaint Brock (Men's Golf)
Ashley Taylor (Women's Golf)
Jasmyne Sanders (Women's Basketball)
Anthony McDonald (Men's Basketball)
Alexandria Garland (Volleyball)
Jonathan Parker (Baseball)
Daniel Kibet (Men's Cross Country, Men's Indoor Track & Field, Men's Outdoor Track and Field)
Joyce Chumo (Women's Cross Country, Women's Indoor Track & Field, Women's Outdoor Track & Field)
Antonio Griggs (Football - Offensive)
Avery Boykin (Football - Defensive)
Cherchen Galon (Football - Special Teams)
Alexandria Webb (Cheerleading)
Jasmin Brisco (Athletic Training)

President's Award of Academic Excellece
Joyce Chumo (Track and Field / Cross Country)
Grant Reifers (Baseball)

Athletic Director's Sportsmanship Award
Alexandria Garland (Volleyball)
Blake Ralling (Men's Basketball)

Athletic Director's Rookie of the Year Award
Ashley Beals (Women's Basketball)
James Currington (Men's Basketball)

Athletic Director's Athlete of the Year
Joyce Chumo (Track and Field / Cross Country)
Daniel Kibet (Track and Field / Cross Country)

Athletic Director's Special Awards
Greenwood Leflore Hospital
Thompson Hospitality
Chawla Management Company
Leflore County Civic Center
Greenwood Mississippi Convention and Visitors Bureau

FAMU Rattlers Win 4th Straight, Downs JU 5-4 In 10 Innings

Courtesy Florida A&M Sports Information

JACKSONVILLE, Florida Kendal Weeks’ RBI double in the 10^th inning lifted Florida A&M (23-24, 13-10 MEAC) to a 5-4 win over Jacksonville (15-29, 8-12 A-SUN) on Wednesday at John Sessions Field. The win is a season-high fourth straight victory for the Rattlers and 10^th straight win in games decided by one run.
 –  After letting the lead slip away in the ninth,

David Duncan (5-4) earned the win after pitching the final 1 1/3 innings, only allowing one hit with one strikeout and one walk. Jared Walker went 3-for-5 on the night with two doubles.

JU took a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the third inning. Alex Seifert led off the third with a single to center. Seifert would advance to third after a sac bunt from Garret Ruckel and a groundout by Cameron Gibson. Michael Babb’s RBI double down the right line plated Seifert for the early lead.

The Rattlers took their first lead at 2-0 in the fifth inning on Barlow’s two-run single. Walker led off the top of the fifth with double down the left line and Robinson reached on a throwing error by Dolphin shortstop Scott Schaub. Marlon Gibbs tried to lay down a sac bunt to advance the runners, but popped it up back to the pitcher for the first out. Walker and Robinson pulled off the double steal and Barlow then slapped the go-ahead single into right field to give FAMU their first lead of the game.

Robinson’s RBI single in the sixth pushed the FAMU lead to 3-1.

Florida A&M added a run in the top of the ninth to increase its lead to 4-1. Walker recorded his second double of the game to lead off the ninth and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Walker would score the fourth run of the game on a grounder to third by Gibbs.

The FAMU lead didn’t last as the Dolphins tied the game at 4-4 after scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth. Gibson’s RBI single scored Dylan Dillard from second and Babb’s two-run double into the right-center gap scored Ruckel and Gibson to tie the game.

Florida A&M took the lead for good at 5-4 on Weeks’ RBI double in the top of the 10^th inning. Logan Seymour pinch hit for designated hitter Michael Birdsong and led off with a walk. After Ryan Hutson popped up to short, Weeks crushed a double off the wall in right to bring home Seymour all the way from first in what proved to be the game winner.

Jacksonville reliever Andrew Ciacio (0-4), in his first career appearance, took the loss after giving up two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.

The Rattlers close out the regular season at home on Saturday with a single game against North Carolina Central. The game is a make up game that was rained out back on March 23. First pitch at Moore-Kittles Field is scheduled for 2:00 pm.

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

Box Score

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

Tennessee State Releases 2014 Football Schedule; Tigers To Split Home Games Between LP Field and Hale

NASHVILLE, Tennessee  -- On Wednesday, Tennessee State University announced its full schedule for the 2014 football season. The slate includes six home games, five away and one neutral-site contest.

On Aug. 30, Big Blue will square off against Edward Waters in the John Merritt Classic. Waters is an independent NAIA school from Jacksonville, Fla. The Tigers were 1-9 last year including a 63-12 loss at Alcorn State.

 

TSU will hit the road for non-conference action against Alabama State on Sept. 6. Tennessee State is 10-1 all-time against the Hornets, but the two teams haven’t met since 2000.

 

After the 25^th annual Southern Heritage Classic versus Jackson State, the Tigers will host their first September home game in Hale Stadium in 15 years when they host Tennessee Tech on Sept. 20.

 

TSU returns to LP Field on Sept. 27 for the earliest homecoming game since at least 1953 as Big Blue looks to improve to 4-0 against Florida A&M in the Rod Reed era.

 

The Tigers’ first OVC road contest is Oct. 4 at SEMO and then the squad will play back-to-back games in “The Hole”- one against Jacksonville State (Oct. 11) and the other versus UT Martin (Oct. 18).

 

Big Blue will then get a chance for revenge when they travel to the team that ended its season last year, Eastern Illinois, before hosting Eastern Kentucky at LP Field for Senior Day on Nov. 1.

 

After a trip to Austin Peay on the following Saturday and a bye on Nov. 15, TSU will wrap up the regular season at Murray State on Nov. 22.

 

The entire 2014 football schedule can be seen, here.

2014 TSU Football Schedule

Date Opponent Location Time (CT)

Aug 30 Edward Waters Nashville, Tenn.(LP Field) 6:00 p.m., John Merritt Classic

Sep 06 Alabama State Montgomery, Ala. TBA

Sep 13 Jackson State Memphis, Tenn. 6:00 p.m., Southern Heritage Classic

Sep 20 Tennessee Tech * Nashville, Tenn. (Hale Stadium) 2:00 p.m.

Sep 27 Florida A&M Nashville, Tenn. (LP Field) 6:00 p.m. Homecoming

Oct 04 Southeast Missouri * Cape Girardeau, Mo. 1:00 p.m.

Oct 11 Jacksonville State * Nashville, Tenn. (Hale Stadium) 2:00 p.m.

Oct 18 UT Martin * Nashville, Tenn. (Hale Stadium) 2:00 p.m.

Oct 25 Eastern Illinois * Charleston, Ill. 1:30 p.m.

Nov 01 Eastern Kentucky * Nashville, Tenn. (LP Field) 2:00 p.m.

Nov 08 Austin Peay * Clarksville, Tenn. TBA

Nov 15 OPEN

Nov 22 Murray State * Murray, Ky. 1:00 p.m.

Nov 29 FCS Playoffs TBA

* Conference Games

Legendary St. Aug's coach could hand off baton soon

RALEIGH, North Carolina -- Saint Augustine's University track and field is so dominant it's almost more noteworthy when they don't win a national title.  Legendary Head Coach George Williams and the nationally-renown Saint Augustine's University track & field team were featured on ABC 11 News on Tuesday, May 6, 2014.  Click HERE to view the video clip OR click on the video below.



COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION and ABC11.com

Ex-WSSU linebacker Fields awaits NFL Draft

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina  -- Linebacker Carlos Fields had such a fluid style of play during his four seasons at Winston-Salem State that it’s difficult to think about him stressed about anything.

But with the NFL Draft coming this week, Fields hasn’t been himself.
 
“I’m very nervous,” he said from his apartment in Winston-Salem.

Fields (6-1, 240) had an outstanding pro day at Wake Forest in March, and his draft stock has been rising since, with his speed drawing the most attention — he ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash on a cold, rainy day. The seven-round draft will start Thursday with the first round, then continue Friday with two rounds and Saturday with four.



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Young coaches lead young B-CU team in MEAC softball tourney



COACH SABRINA FERGUSON

COACH ASHTON HINDS

 DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- All season, Bethune-Cookman’s young softball team has had to step up. Now its young coaches know they have to do the same.

Assistant coaches Sabrina Ferguson and Ashton Hinds are just two and three years removed, respectively, from their B-CU playing careers. Now, they will try to lead the Wildcats to their third Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship in four years.

The Wildcats, seeded first in the Southern Division, open tournament play against Coppin State at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex. The championship is scheduled for Saturday.

Ferguson and Hinds were thrust into leadership roles when ...

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2014 MEAC TOURNAMENT BRACKET

Photo Couresy: Bethune-Cookman University Athletics Media Relations

Jefferson’s Mack signs with Texas Southern

JEFFERSON, Texas — Jefferson High School three-sport standout Leanna Mack, who will participate in the UIL State Track and Field Meet this weekend, locked up her college future on Monday when she signed a national letter-of-intent with Texas Southern University.

Mack is a four-time district champion and two-time state qualifier in the high jump.

“In the two years I have been here at Jefferson, Leanna has been involved in all of our athletic programes and she is one of those special ladies that is a joy to coach,” coach Mark Allen said. “This year she has been a vital part of a playoff volleyball team, a bi-district champion basketball team and now she’s advancing to state for the second year in a row in track.”

Allen said Mack took very few days off during her high school career.

“She always comes to athletics ready to make herself and her team better,” he said. “Her attitude and work ethic have helped her be successful in high school, and I know it will carry her through life.”

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Coppin State to hire Michael Grant as new men's basketball coach

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- More than a month after announcing that the contract of longtime men’s basketball coach Fang Mitchell would not be renewed, Coppin State athletic director Derrick Ramsey said Monday he will introduce Stillman College coach Michael Grant as Mitchell’s successor at a campus news conference Tuesday.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.



“I’m impressed with his work,” Ramsey said in an interview with The Baltimore Sun. “There are two things I’m looking for: the graduation rate, that’s critical to me, and he’s graduated over 80 percent of his kids. He’s won. Everywhere he’s gone he’s built programs.”

Despite Ramsey’s initial assertion that he wanted to hire a coach with a connection to Baltimore, Grant has no ties to the city where he will be employed. But what separated Grant from the other four finalists was a successful track record as a head coach and familiarity with the type of situation he is inheriting.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Now we’re going to have to work our butts off to recruit Baltimore. We’re not getting on a damn plane to recruit. We want Baltimore kids on our team. We are going to start here in Baltimore.” ... Derrick Ramsey

Stillman's Grant leaves to coach Division I Coppin State

HEAD COACH MICHAEL GRANT
Photo Courtesy: Stillman College Athletics

BALTIMORE, Maryland (May 6, 2014) – Stillman head men's basketball coach Michael Grant has accepted the same position at Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland. He will be the sixth coach to lead the Eagles program since 1964.

"While the Stillman athletic department will be losing a family member, it is good to see coaches and administrators advance to the next level," said director of athletics Paul Bryant. "Coppin State is a quality Division I program and they are getting a quality coach in head coach Michael Grant."

A fifteen-year veteran, who has won 56 percent of his games, Grant comes to Coppin State from Division II Stillman College, where he was the head coach for the last six years., Grant was also the head coach from 2003-05 at Southern University (La.) where he replaced the legendary Ben Jobe.

"There are two things that we were looking for in our men's basketball coach," Coppin State president Mortimer Neufville said. "The graduation rate and an ability to build programs. He's graduated over 80 percent of his student-athletes and everywhere he has been, he has won."

At the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign, Grant amassed a six-year school record of 100-73. In 2012-13, the Tigers finished the season with an 18-10 overall mark and a 12-5 SIAC record. Center Torrean Walker ranked first in the SIAC and seventh in Division II in blocked shots per game while guard Jeffrey Wherry finished first in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio. The Tigers led the SIAC in assists, blocked shots, scoring offense and three-pointers made per game.

"This was another opportunity for me to build a program," Grant said. "I am excited to be here and looking forward to playing an exciting brand of basketball. The way we play. There will be nobody in this conference that will be able to play the way I play. We're going to get up and down the floor. We're going to run and press. Every team that I've coached over the last 15 years, we've led the conference in scoring. Our goals are to make sure we're scoring over 80 points per game and leading the conference in rebounding and steals."

During the 2010-11 season, he guided Stillman to a 24-8 overall mark, a 19-5 conference record, second place in the SIAC and to the regional final of the Division II South Regional. The Tigers finished the season eighth in the NCAA with three-pointers made (9.4 per game) and blocked shots (4.2 per outing).

"We believe he's the best fit for our program," Coppin State Director of Athletics Derrick Ramsey said. "He has experience replacing a legendary coach, which is important. We're excited to have coach Grant join the Coppin State family."

Credited by former players as a "disciplinarian," Grant's coaching genius was first established at NAIA-turned-Division II member Central State (Ohio) University. In seven seasons, Grant led the Marauders to three 20-win campaigns and only one losing season—his first in 1996-97. During the 1999-00 season, Grant led Central State to the program's first victory in the NAIA National Tournament since 1979. By the end of his seven-year tenure at the school, Grant had become only the fourth Central State coach to have won more than 100 games in his career with the school.

Grant began his coaching career at his alma mater, Malone College in Ohio, where he first studied under Hal Smith as a student assistant. Grant then served on Smith's staff in 1985 as a full-time assistant before heading to the University of Michigan as a graduate assistant where he helped coach and develop his younger brother Gary Grant, who eventually became the Big Ten Player of the Year in 1988. Gary Grant was the 14th overall player chosen in the 1988 NBA draft.

Grant also coached at Kentucky State University, Alleghany College, Cleveland State University, and the University of Toledo. The Eagles will begin their season in November. One of Grant's biggest goals is to recruit from Baltimore and keep the talent within city limits.

"We have to show Baltimore some love," Grant said. "We have to be able to make sure we take care of home. Once we get one recruit from here, the rest will follow. I am looking forward to having an opportunity to go out in the community and meeting all of the high school coaches and building Coppin State starting at home first."

COURTESY STILLMAN COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

MEAC Announces Softball Academic Honors

Photo Courtesy: MEAC Media Relations

NORFOLK, Virginia – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced the 2014 Softball All-Academic selections, honoring 84 student-athletes, from the conference's 13 institutions who achieved academic success during the 2013-14 academic school year.

MEAC sophomore, junior and senior student-athletes with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average as well as transfer student-athletes who have been in residence at the institution for at least one year are eligible for All-Academic accolades.

"I commend our softball student-athletes who have maintained a 3.0 or better grade point average during this academic school year," said Commissioner Dennis E. Thomas. "I would further like to applaud the coaches and support staffs for their contributions to the academic success of these student-athletes."

Listed below are the 2014 Softball All-Academic honorees (by institutions):

BETHUNE-COOKMAN (7)
Melissa Berouty

Breanna Chaves

Wanda Darby

Shamaria Engram
Sophia Ortega
Kelsey Rodney
Calesha Shelley

COPPIN STATE (9)
Samantha Delinger
Victoria Lopez
Nicole Malave
Shelby Mendoza
Lauren Rogers
Michelle Saunders
Danielle Smith
Candice Van Horn
Gabriel Ziller

DELAWARE STATE (9)
Nicole Gazzola
Samantha Gross
Morgan Hobbs
Jessica Madrid
Nikili Matthews
Rachel Meagley
Chloe Oro
Rochelle Sablay
Jordan Stamps

FLORIDA A&M (6)
Naesha Lewis
Genesis Lopez
Raven Mosely
Alexsis Sandage
Alyssa Weaver
Amanda Weaver

HAMPTON (4)
Kerissa Burruel
Jailynn Jackson
McKalee Rouse
Margaret Wilkins

HOWARD (5)
Jenny Ly
Inaya Norman
Anasia Stinson
Asshley Turner
Breon Wise

MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE (4)
Emily Diseroad
Carmen Frazier
Rachel Vander Ven
Cherokee Williams

MORGAN STATE (5)
Brea Batson
Shareday Christina
Zina Constancia
Toni Hinton
Kimber Salvas

NORFOLK STATE (4)
Morgan Boyd
Alina Moriarty
Stephanie Wheatley
Whitney Williams

NORTH CAROLINA A&T (9)
Kimberly Brunson
Tranea Jones
Tiffany Macklin
Janika May
Dominique Smith
Raven Smith
Haley Snyder
Shelby Snyder
Jax Woodard

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (7)
Emerie Germ
London Germ

Camille Hampton

Tiphani Jackson

De’Onna Smith

Jennifer Tracy

Markell Wylie

SAVANNAH STATE (7)

Chloe Brett

Imani Gayle
Tamara Jones
Antonette Smith
Kylie Tierce
Megan Uhrman
Rachel White

SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (8)

Haley Austin
Kahla Caster
Kabraelyn Coleman
Vianney Gomez
Jasmine Greer
Keylsey Grochow
Jazmin Robinson
Nicole Sanders

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Reports link possible Lamar transfer to NCCU basketball

DURHAM, North Carolina -- Officials in N.C. Central’s athletics department are neither confirming nor denying media reports that Lamar University guard Nimrod Hilliard is transferring to NCCU.

James Dixon, assistant athletics director for media relations at Lamar, said Hilliard, the Cardinals’ leading scorer last season, is still on Lamar’s roster.

A Twitter account for Nimrod Hilliard IV has the guard bidding farewell to Lamar and hyping up future success as an Eagle with NCCU forward Jordan Parks. NCCU assistant basketball coach Brian Burg follows the Twitter account for Nimrod Hilliard IV.

If Hilliard, in fact, has decided to become an Eagle, he’d bring a scoring average of 14.1 points per game to an NCCU team that has lost some serious offensive production.

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Gold Rush will get a battle with Hastings in first round

NEW ORLEANS -- For the first time in four years, Xavier University of Louisiana's men's tennis team will play in the first round at the NAIA National Championship.

The Gold Rush (11-11), ranked ninth nationally, will play Great Plains Athletic Conference champion Hastings (13-12) at 1 p.m. on May 13 in Mobile, Ala. The NAIA announced Tuesday the top eight seeds and pairings for the five-day, 24-team tournament.

Copeland-Cox Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181) will be the site of all matches. All men's duals are scheduled for 1 p.m. Mobile is the tournament site for the 11th consecutive year.

Xavier will appear in the tournament for the sixth consecutive year. The Gold Rush received an at-large bid after losing 5-1 at home to third-ranked and unbeaten Georgia Gwinnett in the championship of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament on April 26.

Hastings is unranked this year and 0-3 in three previous tournament appearances, the most recent in 2012. The Broncos have won six straight and 10 of their last 12 duals since a 3-10 start.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Xavier and Hastings. The Gold Rush and Broncos have no common opponents this season.

The Xavier-Hastings winner will play eight-ranked and eighth-seeded Belhaven (16-4), which has a first-round bye, in the second round on May 14. Xavier defeated the Blazers 5-3 in the 2013 second round at nationals but lost 5-4 at Belhaven on Feb. 15.

Sophomore Kyle Montrel and junior Nikita Soifer are Xavier's best players. Montrel was 16th and Soifer 29th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA singles rankings, and Montrel and Soifer are 20th in doubles. Alan Green is in his 11th season as coach of XU's men's and women's teams.

The Rush last year became the first XU team in any sport to reach the national quarterfinals in consecutive seasons. Xavier is 4-5 all-time at nationals, 2-0 in the first round.

This is the fifth time in the last six years that both XU teams qualified for the national tournament. After completing final exams on Wednesday, they will depart for Mobile on Sunday afternoon and will participate in an NAIA Champions of Characater function -- a visit to a local school -- on Monday.

Bracket

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

Future SU Jaguars Basketball camp set for June 9-12

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana  --  On the heels of its 2014 SWAC regular season title, the Southern University Men's Basketball program will host its annual Future Jaguars Basketball camp June 9-12 at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The camp is open to all first through eighth grade boy and girls.

Campers who attend the  four-day camp will receive direct insturctions from Southern head coach Roman Banks, two-time Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and his current coaching staff. The camp is set to cover all of the basic fundamentals needed to build a solid basketball foundation and is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day.

Past and present Jaguar greats will also be available as guest instructors.

To register, parents are encouraged to fill out the Future Jaguars Basketball Camp form and return with the $70 camp fee. For more details, contact any member of the SU Men's Basketball coaching staff at 225-771-5609 or morris_scott@subr.edu.

CAMP REGISTRATION FORM  (.pdf)

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Top-seeded Nuggets await Davenport, Lewis-Clark State

NEW ORLEANS -- For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana will be the No. 1 seed in the NAIA Women's Tennis National Championship at Mobile, Ala.

The NAIA announced late Tuesday afternoon the top eight seeds and pairings for the five-day, 24-team tournament. The Gold Nuggets (15-6) have a first-round bye and will play in the second round at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14 against Davenport or Lewis-Clark State. The Panthers (22-4) and Warriors (5-16) will meet in the first round on May 13.

Copeland-Cox Tennis Center (851 Gaillard Drive, zip code 36608, phone 251-208-5181) will be the site of all matches. All women's duals are scheduled for 9 a.m. Mobile is the tournament site for the 11th consecutive year.

The appearance at nationals is the Nuggets' third in a row and their eighth overall -- all in the past 10 seasons.

Xavier is No. 1 in the two most recent coaches polls and has been in the top five in 11 of the last 12 polls. The Nuggets climbed from No. 2 to the top spot after winning 5-3 at home against then-No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett in the championship of the NAIA Unaffiliated Group 2 Tournament on April 26. That victory also earned Xavier an automatic bid to nationals.

A year ago, the Nuggets became the first XU team in any sport to reach the national semifinals. After beating Indiana Wesleyan and Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in their first two tournament duals, the Nuggets lost to William Carey in the semifinals.

Davenport was 16th and Lewis-Clark State 17th in the coaches poll announced Monday. Davenport, another unaffiliated group tournament champion, is making its second straight appearance at nationals and its second overall. Lewis-Clark State earned an at-large bid for its 14th appearance.

Xavier never has played Davenport or Lewis-Clark State.

The Nuggets' all-time record at nationals is 7-7, including five consecutive first-round victories. Their 5-0 decision against Indiana Wesleyan a year ago was their first victory in the second round.

Freshman Nour Abbes, senior Kourtney Howell and sophomore Brion Flowers are Xavier's top three players. Abbes was second, Howell 16th and Flowers 27th in the most recent Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA singles rankings, and Howell and Flowers are fifth in doubles. Alan Green is in his 11th season as coach of XU's women's and men's teams.

This is the fifth time in the last six years that both XU teams qualified for the national tournament. After completing final exams on Wednesday, they will depart for Mobile on Sunday afternoon and will participate in an NAIA Champions of Characater function -- a visit to a local school -- on Monday.

Bracket

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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Florida A&M Rallies To Defeat Jacksonville 6-5

Courtesy: Florida A&M Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- After trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning, Florida A&M (22-24, 13-10 MEAC) rallied to defeat Jacksonville (15-28, 8-12 A-SUN) 6-5 on Wednesday at Moore-Kittles Field. The win was the ninth straight victory for the Rattlers in games decided by one run. Ryan Kennedy, Jeremy Barlow and Michael Birdsong each recorded two hits in the win for the FAMU offense. Cameron Sims earned the win on the mound while Matthew Schaeffer notched his first save of the season.

Sims (3-0) pitched four solid innings of middle relief and only allowed one run on five hits with one strikeout. Schaeffer worked the final two scoreless innings with two strikeouts for the save.

JU grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Alex Seifert. Scott Schaub singled off the leg of pitcher Javom Johnakin to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Michael Babb was walked to put runners on first and second, Seifert’s RBI single to right plated Schaub for the first run of the game. Seifert wound up being thrown out at second trying to extend the play for the final out of the inning.

The Dolphins increased their lead to 4-0 in the fourth. Schaub and Dylan Dillard drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Braddock Rowe tried to lay down a sac bunt to move the runners up, but a throwing error to first by Johnakin allowed Schaub to score and leaving runners at second and third. Babb’s sac fly to left scored Dillard to make the score 3-0 and Garret Ruckel’s RBI double brought home Rowe for the inning’s third run.

FAMU answered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 4-3. Kennedy opened the home half of the fourth with a double to left center and Barlow followed with an infield single to put runners on first and second with no outs. Birdsong was hit-by-pitch to load the bases then Ryan Hutson reached on a fielder’s choice allowing Kennedy to score from third for FAMU’s first run of the game. Kendal Weeks then walked with one out as Florida A&M loaded the bases again. Peter Jackson reached on another fielder’s choice scoring Birdsong. With runners on the corners, Hutson and Jackson then pulled off the double steal as Hutson stole home for the third run.

Florida A&M tied the game at 4-4, in the fifth, on Birdsong’s RBI single. For the second consecutive inning, Kennedy and Barlow recorded back-to-back hits to get the offense going. With one out and runners on first and second, Birdsong’s bloop single into right scored Kennedy from second and moved Barlow to third. With two outs, Weeks walked again to load the bases only to see Jackson go down swinging to end the scoring threat.

Jacksonville regained the lead with a run in the top of the sixth inning, but the Rattlers came right back with a run of their own in the home half of the inning to tie the game at 5-5. Walker opened with a walk and advanced to third on a single from Bennie Robinson. Robinson took second on the play, on an error, as the right fielder was unable to pick up the ball cleanly. Marlon Gibbs tied the game at five as he ripped an RBI single through the right side.

The Rattlers took their first lead of the game and proved to be all they needed with a run in the seventh. After back-to-back walks to Robinson and Gibbs loaded the bases for FAMU with two outs, Dolphin reliever Nathan Disch walked in the go-ahead run as Kennedy walked on five pitches to bring home Jackson.

Jacksonville reliever Disch (0-3) was the losing pitcher after giving up one run in 1 2/3 innings with four walks and two strikeouts.

FAMU had lost 20 straight to Jacksonville before the 6-5 win back on April 8. The Rattlers have now won two in a row over JU.

Florida A&M will travel to Jacksonville tomorrow for game two of the mid-week series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm.

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

 

 Box Score

 

By Michael Morrell/Special to FAMU Athletics

COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Henry Neal Williams: Approach is key in FAMU-FSU talks

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  --  To be clear, the Legislature did the correct thing by referring the matter of the split of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering to the Board of Governors for study.

The passage of the bill that would have split the college would have been the same as enacting legislation to kill a FAMU engineering school. The Legislature’s action to refer the matter to the BOG removes the process from being under a cloud, and a dark one at that, to full sunlight — or so we hope.

Now for the BOG, one of its grand challenges in its examination of the issue is deciding on the proper approach of the investigation. The approach is very important, because it dictates not only the path the BOG will take but also what questions it will ask. It can take the narrow view and focus on how and what it will take to split the two schools, or the broader view and look more comprehensively at the joint school.

The first approach is myopic and likely to accomplish only ...

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FAMU Balances Budget, Gets Additional State Funding

TALLAHASSEE, Florida  -- The FAMU Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Committee held a workshop Monday to discuss the university's budget and budgeting processes.

Administrators say the budget is balanced. They says FAMU's overall operating budget is $171.5 million. They say the university received an additional $35 million from the legislature, plus $1 million to help with online degrees, and $10 million to complete phase two of the Pharmacy building.

Tola Thompson, the FAMU Director of Governmental Relations, says, "The college now currently does about $25 million in federally sponsored research. With additional research space in pharmacy phase two, they will be able to draw down additional federal research dollars which we think will have a huge impact on this community."

The athletics department says it will have ...

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Headed to Raleigh: B-CU Cats Earn 13-Seed in NCAA Regional

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- With its automatic bid from winning the inaugural Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship last week, the Bethune-Cookman University men’s golf team will travel to the Lonnie Poole Golf Club in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the 2014 NCAA Regional being held May 15-17.

Bethune-Cookman earns the No. 13 seed in the 13-team field that includes Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech as the regional’s top seed. Other participating teams include Washington, Florida State, Texas A&M, Mercer, Kentucky, Texas Tech, Wake Forest, South Alabama, Memphis, Minnesota and Rice.

“Lonnie Poole is a long course suited for our guys since they hit long,” said B-CU Director of Golf Loritz “Scooter” Clark. “They’re looking forward to it because they want to extend the season as long as they can. They were pumped after the announcement, and immediately went to the range to start hitting after the show.”

Six 54-hole regional tournaments will be conducted May 15-17.  Thirteen teams and 10 individuals not on those teams will compete at each of three regionals while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals not on those teams. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals.

The NCAA Regional will take place at Lonnie Poole Golf Club, an 18-hole, 7,358-yard course designed by Arnold Palmer and the design team at Arnold Palmer Design Company. The purpose of the facility is to provide a public golf course on the Centennial Campus of NC State University that serves as a venue for the men's and women's varsity golf teams.

For Bethune-Cookman, the upcoming trip will mark the first of its kind to the NCAA postseason as a team. The only other participation in NCAA postseason events for men’s golf has been individual performances in 1999 (Philip Worthington) and last year with current sophomore Ryan Fricker.

“I have to make sure the guys pace themselves, especially with the National Minority Championships coming up this weekend,” said Clark. “They want to give 200 percent for both events, but I need to make sure they don’t run out of gas by the time the NCAA Regional comes around. I kno
w it sounds cliché, but I don’t want them to peak too soon.”

For news and results on the B-CU men’s golf team, log on to BCUathletics.com and follow the team (@BCUgolf) on Twitter. You can join the conversation with the hashtag, #bcugolf. Make sure to “Like Us” on Facebook at BCUathletics.


COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Tuskegee Softball Heads to Huntsville for NCAA Regionals

Lady Golden Tigers Regional First Pitch will be in Huntsville

TUSKEGEE, Alabama (May 5, 2014) -- The 16 regionals have been set for the 2014 Division II Softball Championship. The Tuskegee Lady Golden Tigers are heading to Huntsville, Alabama where they will face the top seeded Chargers of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Tuskegee, received an automated bid into the tournament after sweeping the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Tournament, enters as the eighth seed. Regional competition will be held May 8-10 or May 9-11. Each winner will advance to the super regionals May 16-17 where they will take on the respective winner from their region (i.e., Atlantic 1 vs. Atlantic 2). The finals will be held May 22-26 in Salem, Va.

The Golden Lady Tigers and Chargers will meet on Friday, May 9th at 5:30 p.m. Live stats are available at: http://www.sidearmstats.com/uah/softball/. The website to follow the progress of the tournament is:

SOUTH 1 REGIONAL

GAME	DATE/TIME (ET)	MATCHUP
Host: Alabama-Huntsville Watch/Live Stats
1	May 9, 3:30 p.m.	No. 4 Rollins (37-11) vs. No. 5 North Alabama (38-16)
2	May 9, 6:30 p.m.	No. 1 Alabama-Huntsville (43-9) vs. No. 8 Tuskegee (29-14)
3	May 10, 1 p.m.	Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
4	May 10, 4 p.m.	Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
5	May 10, 7 p.m.	Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser
6	May 11, 2 p.m.	Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
7	May 11, 4:30 p.m.	Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (If Necessary)

COURTESY TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

WSSU softball team gets NCAA assignment

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The pairings for the NCAA Division II softball tournament were released Monday, and Winston-Salem State will be the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic 1 Regional at Brownsville, Pa., this weekend.

The Rams (28-11), who made the tournament as the CIAA champions, will take on California (Pa.) at 1 p.m., Friday. The top-seeded Vulcans (35-5) are the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champions and are the regional hosts. Also participating in the double-elimination regional are No. 2 seed West Chester (35-18) and No. 3 Bloomsburg (27-17).

ATLANTIC 1 REGIONAL
GAME DATE/TIME (ET) MATCHUP RESULT
Host: California (Pa.) Watch/Live Stats

1 May 9, 1 p.m. No. 1 California (Pa.) (35-5) vs. No. 8 Winston-Salem (28-11)
2 May 9, 3:30 p.m. No. 4 West Chester (35-18) vs. No. 5 Bloomsburg (27-17)
3 May 10, 10:30 a.m. Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
4 May 10, 1 p.m. Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser
5 May 10, 3:30 p.m. Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser
6 May 11, 1 p.m. Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner
7 May 11, 3:30 p.m. Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser (If Necessary)

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Alabama State Men's Golf Heads to Auburn Regional

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Men's Golf Champions from Alabama State will not have far to travel for their date in the NCAA Regional Championships.

The NCAA announced the six regional sites today on the Golf Channel and the Hornets found out they will be one of 14 teams to play at the Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala. The low five teams from each regional will advance to the NCAA Finals along with the low individual medalist whose team is not among the low five.

"We're excited about the opportunity to represent Alabama State and it's a great time to be a Hornet," Head Coach Dr. Gary Grandison said. "If our guys have their mindset where it needs to be we have a chance to do something really special."

The Hornets will not be the only team from the state of Alabama at the Auburn Regional. The University of Alabama, which is the defending NCAA champion and the top-ranked team in the nation, and host Auburn, will also be participating in the Regional.

The Auburn Regional will run May 15-17 at the Bill Bergin designed course which opened in 1999. The Auburn University Club is located on 225 acres which has a course rating of 75.3. The challenging course has a slope rating of 138 on Bermuda grass.

The Auburn University Club is not an unfamiliar course to the Hornets coaching staff as the Lady Hornets played the same course a year ago in the NCAA East Regional Championship.

"We played there last year in the women's regional," Grandison said. "We already have information and we are familiar with the course."

A total of four ranked teams will dot the Regional led by Alabama. Virginia Tech is ranked 12th, Texas is 17th and host Auburn is 25th.

Other teams involved in the regional are New Mexico, Brigham Young, Kennesaw State, Colorado, Louisville, North Carolina, California-Davis, Sam Houston State and St. John's.

There will be live scoring for all three days at GolfStat.com.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION