B-CU Women's Tennis Downs SCSU For MEAC Title

Courtesy: B-CU Athletics

CAYCE, South Carolina – Alejandra Vidal perfectly capped off her first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament as Bethune-Cookman downed South Carolina State 4-0 in the championship game late Saturday.

The freshman delivered the clinching fourth point as the Lady Wildcats (22-6) won their first title since 2001 and snapped the ten-year dominance of the Bulldogs.

Named the tournament’s outstanding player, Vidal went all three of her singles matches – also clinching Friday’s semifinal over Florida A&M – and combining with 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie Of The Year Maria Garoz-Moreno on a pair of doubles wins.

Vidal rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set tiebreaker as she downed Smarananda Petreanu 7-6 (5) 6-3 at No. 6 singles.

Her fellow freshmen – Adel Musina and Garoz-Moreno – registered the second and third Lady Wildcat points as the B-CU upperclassmen were fending off strong challenges.

Mina Matsuba, the two-time MEAC Player Of The Year, dropped the second set of a long-awaited No. 1 match with SCSU’s Intissar Rassif, but had regained control of the third set to take a 5-2, but the window of Matsuba clinching the made closed when Rassif won two straight games to make it 5-4.

Seniors Maria Sablina and Chinatsu Kajiwara were both leading their matches when play was halted.

After a lengthy rain delay, B-CU clinched the doubles point when Matsuba/Salina got the one game they needed for an 8-2 victory. Garoz-Mareno/Vidal had won their No. 3 doubles match 8-0 earlier in the day.

Visit B-CUathletics.com for further coverage of the championship.

FINAL STATS

COURTESY BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Álabama State Hornets Sweep Alcorn State, Extend Winning Streak To 12 Games

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The Alabama State baseball team won both games of Saturday's doubleheader over Alcorn State, winning 14-9 and 15-2 in seven innings on Senior Day at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

 
The Hornets (27-11 overall, 15-3 SWAC) extended their winning streak to 12 games in scoring 6+ runs for the 19^th straight game, and scoring 10 more runs for the seventh time during the winning streak.
 
Prior to Saturday's game, ASU baseball honored its nine seniors - pitchers Michael Estevez, Michael Montgomery, T.J. Renda, Armando Ruiz, infielders P.J. Biocic, and Einar Muniz, and outfielders Waldyvan Estrada, Cesar Rivera and Marcus Swint.
 
"I got goose bumps today," Hornets' head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said. "Four years ago, I took a journey that a lot of people questioned. Alabama State University was the right place for me. With that move came a group of freshman that we brought in that bought into the idea, into the dream, and into the program. That group of seniors we honored today. We got a pair of big wins against a very aggressive offensive team in Alcorn State. I'm very proud of them. This group of seniors is very special to me."
 
Game 1 - Hornets 14, Alcorn State 9: Trailing 4-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth, Alabama State scored all its runs in the final three innings, starting with an eight-run sixth.
 
Three straight walks started the inning, and with the bases loaded, Yamil Pagan scored on a wild pitch. After a walk reloaded the bases, Swint's infield single scored pinch-runner Tyler Bender. After Joseph Estrada scored on a wild pitch, an RBI groundout scored Ray Hernandez to tie the score at 4-4.
 
Swint stole third and scored on a sac fly to put the Hornets ahead. After Chris Biocic was hit by pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch, Waldyvan Estrada walked before an infield single by Pagan scored Biocic. Manny Rodriguez' pinch-hit two run single scored Estrada and Pagan for an 8-4 Hornet lead.
 
Chris Biocic went 3-for-4 with four RBI, and Pagan, Swint, and Rodriguez each had two RBI as Charles Taylor (2-0) got the win in relief.
 
"I'm extremely proud of our ball club," Melendez said. "In the first game, Alcorn's pitcher (Nick Brooks) did a really good job getting out of jams. We didn't execute early, leaving a lot of runners in scoring position and he did a good job. However, we were able to get a big sixth inning with eight runs and the guys had very good at-bats."
 
Game 2 – Hornets 15, Alcorn State 2 (7 inn.): Alabama State hit four home runs in the nightcap, as Pagan's solo homer to left field and Swint's three-run homer to left center in a four-run second inning started the barrage.
 
After taking advantage of five walks and one error in a five-run fifth to extend to a 10-2 lead, the Hornets added five more runs in the sixth.
 
Pagan walked to lead off the inning. With one out, pinch-hitter Dillon Cooper hit a two-run to left to give the Hornets a 10-2 lead. With two outs, Swint walked ahead of Rivera's two-run homer to right. After P.J. Biocic walked and Chris Biocicsingled, Waldyvan Estrada's single to center scored P.J. Biocic.
 
Swint drove in four runs, and Rivera went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs. Rivera extended his hitting streak to 20 consecutive games, Waldyvan Estrada extended his on-base streak to 21 straight games, and P.J. Biocic extended his on-base streak to 34 consecutive games.
 
"I'm just really proud of our players," Melendez said. "It's a testament to how hard they've worked to get here and to win ball games. To do it consecutively is icing on the cake. We take it one game at a time. We know every game is going to bring a different challenge to us, and it will be as difficult as or more difficult than the previous game. We have to continue to work on the little things that have gotten us to this point. There are a lot of people that have assisted with this team, and I'm proud of everyone that has been and will continue to be involved in our ball club."
 
The Hornets begin an eight-game road trip Tuesday at Samford at 6 p.m. before returning to SWAC play in Birmingham against Alabama A&M next Saturday at Regions Field in a 3 p.m. doubleheader Saturday and 4 p.m. single game Sunday.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION                      

Shaw University Claims 2015 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships in Dramatic Fashion

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Shaw Bears and Lady Bears claimed both the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Men’s and Women’s Championships in dramatic fashion after a grueling day of competition at the 2015 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. After cruising to early wins in semifinals play earlier in the day, the Bears and Lady Bears both had to step up to upset the top-seeded Chowan Hawks and Lady Hawks.

The Lady Bears took home the championship after taking a 5-3 win over the CIAA Northern Division champion and top-seeded Lady Hawks while the men’s championship match went down to the wire with Shaw taking a clutch 5-4 win.

The Bears and Lady Bears had to overcome a pair of steep obstacles to take home the championships as both teams had just five players on their rosters and were hampered by forfeit losses at #3 doubles and #6 singles.

“I’ve been struggling all season long with my five players and for us to win here is just really, really special,” Shaw men’s and women’s tennis head coach Sunday Enitan said following the win. “We just had to focus on what we had to do. We had to win two doubles and if we could do that, then I knew that we could win.”

In addition to overcoming a short-handed roster, the Bears and Lady Bears had to defeat a Chowan team that handed them a pair of losses earlier this season.

The women’s match was a thrilling affair with Shaw taking a 5-3 win. The Lady Bears kicked things off with a win an 8-3 win at #1 singles, followed by an 8-5 win at #2 doubles. With the forfeit loss at #3 doubles and #6 singles, the score stood tied, 2-2. From there, the Lady Bears fell behind once again when Chowan took a 6-1, 6-0 win at #5 singles to put the Lady Bears behind 3-2. However, Shaw took a 6-3, 6-1 win at #3 singles, followed by a 6-2, 6-2 win at #4 singles that put them back on top 4-2. The final point was scored at #2 singles when senior Jessica Medina took a 7-5, 6-4 win at #2 singles to seal the championship victory.

While the women’s championship match was a thrilling affair, it turned out to be an exciting preamble to a classic men’s championship match. Once again, the short-handed Bears opened the match with a forfeit loss at #3 doubles and at #6 singles. However, the team tied the match with a pair of doubles wins. The Bears took an 8-2 win at #2 doubles to kick things off and then followed the effort with an 8-5 win at #1 doubles. The Bears struck first with a 6-0, 6-3 win at #3 singles that put the team on top, 3-2. From there, the Hawks struck with a 6-4, 6-0 win at #1 singles to tie the match 3-3. Things got interesting when a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 win at #5 singles, but Chowan answered with a 6-4, 6-3 win at #2 singles and tied the score, 4-4, and set the stage for a thrilling end. With the conference championship on the line, Shaw’s Juan Sanchez took a 7-5, 6-3 win at #4 singles to take the win. For his efforts, Sanchez was honored as the tournament MVP.

The two team’s thrilling wins were made even more exciting by the fact that the championship matches were the second of the day for both teams. The Bears advanced to the championship match by virtue of 5-2 win over Virginia State while the Lady Bears advanced to the championship match after taking a 5-3 win over Virginia State.

With the wins, the two teams claim the 2015 CIAA Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships and will await selection to the 2015 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournaments.

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MVSU's Marcus Mann headed to Community College HOF

PASTOR MARCUS L. MANN
First Baptist Church, Carthage, MS
https://twitter.com/pastormann

DECATUR, Mississippi — Marcus Mann of Carthage, a 1994 graduate of East Central Community College, will be inducted into the Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies April 28 on the Rankin Campus of Hinds Community College.

A native of Carthage and a graduate of South Leake High School, Mann helped lead East Central to its first state championship in men’s basketball in 40 years in 1993. He was a First Team All-American selection and was twice named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Region 23 and All-State teams.

Mann was inducted into the ECCC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. He is also a member of the East Central Academic Hall of Fame.

Mann went on to star for Mississippi Valley State University, leading the Delta Devils to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament against Georgetown University his senior season. He was selected SWAC Player of the Year and led NCAA Division I in rebounding.

After graduation from Mississippi Valley State University, he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 1996 National Basketball Association draft as the 11th pick in the second round and the 40th selection overall.

After reaching his goal of being a player in the NBA, Mann decided to ...

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Saint Augustine's Falcons, Lady Falcons Sweep CIAA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Saint Augustine's University swept the CIAA Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Irwin Belk Complex on the Johnson C. Smith University campus Saturday, April 18, 2015.

The Falcons scored 158 points to win their 18th consecutive CIAA men's championship. Virginia Union was second with 132.5 and Johnson C. Smith finished third with 120 points.
The Lady Falcons scored 178 points to capture their 14th CIAA women's title in 19 years and first since 2010. Winston-Salem State was second with 161 points and Johnson C. Smith was third with 74 points. The last time the Falcons and Lady Falcons swept the CIAA championships was 2010.

FINAL RESULTS

Matthew Huckabee of The Lincoln was named CIAA Men's Field Most Valuable Performer and Immanuel Hutchinson of Saint Augustine's was selected CIAA Men's Track MVP. Ebony Moore of Livingstone was chosen CIAA Women's Field MVP and Fanta Fofana of Saint Augustine's University was selected CIAA Women's Track MVP.

The men's winners on Saturday were Andrew Alexander of Johnson C. Smith (javelin throw), David Shaw of Saint Augustine's (triple jump), Hutchinson of Saint Augustine's (1500-meter run, 800-meter run), Justin Williams of Virginia State (110-meter hurdles), Omar Johnson of Saint Augustine's (400-meter dash), Daniel Jamieson (100-meter dash), Patrick Campbell of Johnson C. Smith (400-meter hurdles), Burkheart Ellis, Jr. of Saint Augustine's (200-meter dash), Luis Nieves of Virginia Union (5000-meter run) and Huckabee of The Lincoln (discus throw).

Johnson C. Smith won the 4x100-meter relay in 40.15 seconds which tied the nation's best in Division II this season. Saint Augustine's was the winner in the 4x400-meter relay.

The women's winners on Saturday were Tajanel McNeill of Winston-Salem State (triple jump), Kenrisha Brathwaite of Johnson C. Smith (100-meter hurdles), Quanera Hayes of Livingstone (200-meter dash, 400-meter dash), C'Evon Jones of Virginia Union (100-meter dash), Tia-Adana Belle of Saint Augustine's (400-meter hurdles), Raven Hamilton of Winston-Salem State (800-meter run), Brionna Singleton of Virginia Union (high jump) and Chelsey Fuller of Virginia State (discus throw).

Saint Augustine's captured the 4x100-meter relay in a nation's best time of 45.17 se
conds in Division II, and the Lady Falcons also won the 4x400-meter relay.

COURTESY SAINT AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Southern baseball team finally returns to diamond with doubleheader vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- The Southern baseball team has had an unusually long break from games and especially Southwestern Athletic Conference games.

The Jaguars hope the departure of week-long rain enables them to return to Lee-Hines Field and play a conference doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at noon Sunday.

Southern (11-18, 8-6 SWAC) hasn’t played a game since splitting a nonconference doubleheader against Loyola last Saturday and hasn’t played a conference game since winning at Prairie View 8-7 on April 4 to complete a series sweep.

“We really need to play in the worst way,” coach Roger Cador said Saturday. “I hope we’re not rusty. We’ve just hit in the cages all week because we haven’t been able to get on the field.”

The Golden Lions (19-12, 13-3) lead the Western Division. They have won their last eight games, including a four-game sweep against Prairie View last weekend and a three-game sweep against Texas Southern the weekend before that.

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Norfolk State Defense Edges Offense 39-31 in Green & Gold Spring Game

NORFOLK, Virginia – Brandon Walker's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, coupled with a stingy second-half defensive effort, lifted the Norfolk State defense to a 39-31 win over the NSU offense in Saturday's Green & Gold intrasquad scrimmage before roughly 3,000 fans at Dick Price Stadium.

Saturday's scrimmage, the last day of this year's spring practice for the Spartans and first-year head coach Latrell Scott, was played using a modified scoring system and consisted of four eight-minute quarters. The offense was awarded points for first downs and reaching the red zone in addition to normal scoring for touchdowns and field goals. The defense earned points for forcing punts, three-and-outs and turnovers, among other things.

Walker's interception, when he stepped in front of a Terrance Ervin pass and eluded several tacklers en route to the end zone, gave the defense the lead for good late in the second quarter. The defense built a double-digit lead in the third quarter by forcing four consecutive three-and-outs from the offense and held on late. The offense pulled within 39-31 with two first downs on its final drive of the game, but time ran out before the offense could find the end zone.

Walker's touchdown was the only one in Saturday's scrimmage. The offense started strong with a 15-play scoring drive to open the game. It appeared the offense found the end zone when Gerard Johnson scampered in from 19 yards out, but the touchdown was negated by a holding penalty. The offense settled for a 32-yard field goal by Cameron Marouf.



But aside from points for first downs, Marouf's field goal was the only scoring for the offense. The defense forced three turnovers: Walker's interception, a fumble recovery by linebacker Jay Anderson and another fumble recovery on a muffed punt. The defense also had a fourth-down stop, as the middle of the defense stuffed Shakeem Copeland on a 4th-and-1 run in the first half to earn more points for the defense in the modified scoring system.

Ervin completed 14-of-28 passes for 127 yards to lead the NSU offense. Johnson rushed for 39 yards and Copeland ran for 33.

"We still have a way to go, but I'm really pleased with the effort from our guys this spring," Scott said. "I was also excited about the (fan) turnout today. I think the community sees that we are building something special here and they want to be a part of it. We can't wait for the season."

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS

NSU Spartans' Win Streak Hits 11 with 21-3, 8-0 Sweep of Coppin State

HANOVER, Maryland -- The Norfolk State baseball team extended its own school Division I-era record winning streak to 11 games on Saturday with two more convincing wins, sweeping a doubleheader from Coppin State 21-3 and 8-0 at Joe Cannon Stadium.

Outfielder Syeed Mahdi had four hits and four RBI in Saturday's doubleheader sweep, while first baseman Ryan Kilmon homered in game two and also knocked in four runs on the day. Troy Applin added his first career homer in the opener, while the Spartans (17-10, 14-3 MEAC North) got two more solid outings from left handed pitchers Matt Outman (6-1) and Devin Hemmerich (3-2). Hemmerich threw a two-hit shutout, the first of his career, in the nightcap.

The Spartans scored early and often in the opener en route to tying their season high in runs scored in a game that was shortened to seven innings by the 10-run rule. NSU plated four runs in the top of the first, highlighted by Mahdi's two-run double.

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CSU (3-28-2, 2-15) answered with two runs on four hits off out Outman in the bottom of the first. RBI singles by Bryant Miranda a
nd Jack Kraft cut the Eagles' deficit in half.

But NSU scored 17 runs in the third through seventh innings to blow the game open. Catcher Omar Hotusing hit two RBI singles, one in the third and one in the fourth. Ismael Herrera doubled in two runs in the fourth and Alex Mauricio also knocked in a run with a double in NSU's four-run fourth.

Mahdi tacked on an RBI double and Kilmon delivered a two-run double in the fifth.

The Spartans substitutes did plenty of damage in the last two innings. Mikey Bruno (three RBI) and Kyle Vaas (two RBI) combined to drive in five runs with a pair of sixth-inning doubles. The crowning blow came in the top of the seventh and final inning. Troy Applin, who has seen most of his playing time as a reliever in his three-year NSU career before working as a backup infielder as of late, launched a two-run, opposite-field homer in his first career at-bat to cap the scoring for NSU in the seventh.

Outman won his fifth straight start. He allowed six hits and three runs with four strikeouts in five innings. Jonathan Mauricio and Matt Boone each pitched a scoreless inning to finish off game one.

Mahdi drove in a career high four runs in the opener and doubled twice. Kilmon also had two doubles and two RBI as the Spartans registered a season-high eight two-baggers in the game. Six Spartans had two hits and seven had at least two RBI in the opener.

Mahdi added two more hits and scored twice in the nightcap, while Kilmon blasted his first homer as a Spartan. They gave more than enough support to Hemmerich, who came within shouting distance of a no-hitter. Hemmerich surrendered just a pair of infield singles, both to Kraft, over a seven-inning, complete-game shutout.

The Spartans plated three runs in the second off CSU starter Anderson Burgess. Tony Leite singled in a run, and Robbie Hiser singled in both Herrera and Kilmon for a 3-0 Spartans' lead.

Kilmon's two-run homer highlighted NSU's four-run third inning. His blast to right field scored Mahdi, who singled earlier in the inning. Denathan Dukes also had an RBI single in the frame.

Hemmerich cruised in his third complete game of the season. Kraft hit slow rollers to second base in the second and seventh innings and beat out both for a pair of infield hits off Hemmerich. The Eagles hit just three balls out of the infield against Hemmerich, who walked one, struck out eight and induced seven ground-ball outs.

Mahdi and Herrera each had two hits in the nightcap. Mahdi was the only Spartan with four hits on the day, but Kilmon, Hiser and Herrera had three hits apiece. Herrera added four RBI on Saturday.

The teams cap their three-game set with a noon game on Sunday.

Matt Michalec, Asst. AD/Communications
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS 

N.C. A&T Aggies Throw It Around During Annual Spring Game

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – It what was perhaps the best attended Blue-Gold Spring Football Game in recent memory, the assembled Aggie fans at Aggie Stadium got to see a treat for free admission.

A&T’s top cornerback Tony McRae and A&T’s top receiver Denzel Keyes did battle for much of the afternoon and it was a display of the best against the best. McRae ended the afternoon with four pass breakups while Keyes made seven catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s pretty good isn’t he?” said head coach Rod Broadway about Keyes. Broadway will be entering his fifth season as the Aggies head man when the 2015 season starts. He is 28-17 at A&T with the 2015 MEAC co-championship added to his accolades.

“That’s what (Denzel) did for us last year,” he continued. “He is going to grow and develop. Hopefully, he’ll have a great fall for us.”

McRae, who also doubles as the Aggies kickoff return specialist, is coming off a season where he was a first-team all-conference corner and second-team return specialist. Saturday was good preparation for McRae because he will likely be matched up against the opponent’s best receiver on Saturdays in 2015.



“I have a lot of confidence in our defense,” said McRae. “We lost a lot of hitters from last year’s defense, but we have a quicker defense this year. Last year we played eight guys who were inexperience. This year we will be playing with experienced players.”

As the nature of spring games go, the Aggies were playing with a lot of inexperience on Saturday outside of Keyes and McRae. The Aggies spring game featured the Aggies offense against the Aggies defense for their entire afternoon. The Aggies offense scored five touchdowns while the Aggies defense made 10 stops including four three-and-outs.

A&T’s defense also produced two turnovers including a 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown by rising fifth-year linebacker Denzel Jones. The Aggies ‘D’ also had nine sacks with rising junior Angelo Keyes and rising sophomore Kenneth Melton getting two sacks apiece. Rising sophomore Marcus Albert led the Aggies with seven tackles while Jones finished with six.

On the offensive side, rising redshirt freshman quarterback Lamar Raynard took the majority of the 115 snaps for the Aggies. He finished 22-for-36 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a 10-yard touchdown. In addition to hooking up with Keyes several times, he was very good at throwing the ball to players coming out of the backfield. MEAC co-offensive player of the year and running back Tarik Cohen caught three passes for 44 yards including a 1-yard TD pass from Raynard.

Cohen’s backup on Saturday, converted cornerback Amos Williams, caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. He also ran in for another score. Oluwafemi Bamiro who started his career as a quarterback before moving to tight end and back to quarterback, served as the No. 2 QB on Saturday. Bamiro was 13-for-26 for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

“We would have liked to have gone 150 plays but because of a lack of depth we weren’t able to do that,” said Broadway, who led the Aggies to a 9-3 record overall and 6-2 mark in the MEAC in 2014. “But we need as many reps as we can especially with these young guys. Of course we held some of our real good players out. Tarik only played one series, so I don’t think that was a good picture of what we’re going to be like this fall.”

But that battle between McRae and Keyes was worth the time to come to Aggie Stadium on Saturday regardless.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Ed Hardin: A&T puts football talent on display in spring game

GREENSBORO, North Carolina — Football in April.

The sun was shining again at A&T as Rod Broadway walked the sidelines Saturday and surveyed a season. He liked what he saw.

Broadway has been looking forward to this upcoming season. Even as the Aggies football program dragged itself out of the storm and into fresh air in the last couple of years, all was not well. But come fall, Broadway will have seen the sweat equity finally pay the dividends he promised.

“I think this is going to be a good team,” he said.

Fall is a long way off, and a ...

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Sterling Smith transferring from Coppin State, mulling major program options

BALTIMORE, Maryland -- Coming out of high school in Chico, Calif., Sterling Smith didn't have any Division I basketball offers. After spending a year at a prep school in upstate New York, Smith had just two and chose Coppin State after former longtime coach Fang Mitchell saw the 6-foot-4 shooting guard play in a tournament in New Jersey.

Things were much different after Smith was recently granted his release from Coppin State following his junior year. Expected to graduate this spring with a degree in criminal justice, Smith began a whirlwind tour of higher-profile programs with a trip to Wake Forest earlier this week and to Rutgers this weekend.



It could get even more interesting next week when Smith is expected to visit Pittsburgh on Monday and Louisville on Wednesday. The interest from "between 20 and 30 schools," according to Smith, came after he made nearly 42 percent of his 3-point shots last season for the 8-23 Eagles.

"I'm a shooter, basically," Smith said Friday. "I want to go to a winning program and to a team that can use my talents for shooting."

Former Coppin State assistant Emeka Chiazor said he thinks Smith is more than just a shooter. Chiazor, now an assistant coach at Howard Community College, is helping Smith with his transfer.

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ITA Rankings: Abbes Remains No. 1, Montrel Climbs to No. 9

NEW ORLEANS --  Xavier University of Louisiana's Nour Abbes still was No. 1 in women's singles in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's NAIA individual rankings announced Wednesday, and XU's Kyle Montrel climbed to No. 9 in men's singles.
     

The rankings are the second of the spring semester and the final one before the NAIA National Championships. Postseason rankings will be announced May 27.
     

NOUR ABBES (L) and KYLE MONTREL(R)

Abbes is 5-0 since the previous rankings with three victories against top-25 opponents. She is 28-2 overall this season, 15-1 in dual matches. Abbes won the NAIA singles title at the ITA / USTA National Small College Championships in October and was runner-up to Lynn's Valentine Confalonieri in the "Super Bowl."
     

Montrel is 6-2 since the previous rankings with victories against three nationally ranked players — one from NCAA Division II — and one regionally ranked opponent. This is Montrel's highest-ever singles ranking, and he joins Loic Didavi (2011-12 and 2012-13) and Miroslav Vukicevic (2007-08) as the only Gold Rush singles players to reach the top 10.
     

The remainder of Xavier's national rankings are:
     •  Caroline Vernet, 16th in women's singles.
     •  Nikita Soifer, 36th in men's singles and 13th in doubles with Montrel.
     •  Vernet and Simone-Alyse Ewell, 11th in women's doubles.
     •  Abbes and Carmen Nelson, 20th in women's doubles.
     •  Tushar Mandlekar and Manav Chakma, 22nd in men's doubles.
     

In the South Region women's rankings, Abbes is first and Vernet seventh in singles. Vernet and Ewell are sixth in doubles, and Abbes and Nelson are seventh. In the men's South rankings, Montrel is sixth, Soifer 13th, Jordan Harrell 18th and Mandlekar 19th in singles. Soifer and Montrel are sixth in doubles, and Mandlekar and Chakma are ninth.
     

Harrell is ranked in singles for the first time at Xavier.
     

Abbes is a sophomore from Tunis, Tunisia, and a graduate of Lycée Sportif d'El Menzah. Vernet is a home-schooled freshman from Lyon, France. Nelson is a senior from Jonesboro, Ga., and a graduate of Faith Academy. Ewell is a junior from Detroit and a graduate of The Roeper School.
     

Montrel is a junior from Atlanta and a graduate of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Soifer is a senior from Beer Sheva, Israel, and a graduate of Hof Hasharon. Mandlekar is a sophomore from Bhilai, India, and a graduate of Deepak Nagar. Chakma is a junior from Agartala, India, and a graduate of Kendriya Vidyalaya Maligaon. Harrell is a sophomore from Lithonia, Ga., and a graduate of Martin Luther King High School.
     

Next for the Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will be West Florida at noon April 26 in Pensacola, Fla. Coach Alan Green said Thursday that the duals were pushed back one day because of UWF's final exam schedule.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Harris-Stowe president wants to help students just like him

SAINT LOUIS, Missouri -- Dwuan Warmack says his focus as president of Harris-Stowe State University is hard to forget, because it’s young men just like him.

At Friday’s formal installation in the position that he took over last July, Warmack noted that he didn’t have the best grades or the highest test scores in high school. “All the indicators said I wasn’t college material,” he told a crowd of friends, family and colleagues at the festivities, which included tributes, a bit of history and a video explaining to his young daughter why he wears a bow tie.

He added that people saw in him what he didn’t see in himself and pushed him to succeed. Now, as head of the area’s only historically black college or university, he says it’s time to give back.

“Our mission is to serve an underrepresented population that is in large percentage low socio-economic, first-generation,” Warmack said in an interview after the inauguration ceremony. “Sometimes, that’s the voice unvoiced. So my job is to make sure that population has a voice and that their voice can be heard.



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‘Bama State Style’ gives look into HBCU band life

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Lifetime is set to premiere its newest reality series “Bama State Style”

Bama State Style

Lifetime Network

Air date: Friday, April 17

Time: 11pm ET

 Friday night featuring the Alabama State University Mighty Marching Hornets.

The series chronicles the marching band from grueling practices to show-stopping performances during the fall of 2014. Viewers will get up close and personal stories of the band members, as well as interviews with their esteemed director, Dr. James Oliver.

"The viewers will really see the hard work that the Mighty Marching Hornets put in all week in preparation for our eight-and-a-half-minute halftime show. They are going to be right there with us as we go through our pre-drill, practice and performance," Oliver said. "Words cannot truly express how awesome this is for our band and for the University.”

Marching under the motto “The Price of Glory is High,” the world-renowned band was recently featured in Robin Thicke’s video for his song “Give It 2 U” and the MTV Video Music Awards.

Band members were treated to a private, advance screening of the show on Thursday on the campus of Alabama State University.

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Simmons College of Kentucky officially receives HBCU status

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky -- Simmons College of Kentucky is now the nation's 107th Historically Black College. Historically, the school has admitted students of all races and that will continue with this new status.

The walls and hallways of the historic college are lined with pictures of the men and women who helped organize the school more than a hundred years ago and these days, the halls are also filled with people like McCall. She is majoring in psychology and proud to be part of history.

"I'm really excited about that too," said Cheyenne McCall, Simmons Freshman. "For me to only be a freshman in college, this has definitely been a really exciting year."

Just in March of last year, Simmons received its accreditation -- before receiving its HBCU recognition this week.

"It was an amazing moment for the community; a simple phone call c Simmons College of Kentucky.
ompletely changed the aura around here," said Robert Harvey, COO


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HR Sports Star: Norfolk State baseball

PORTSMOUTH, Virginia -- PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – This week’s HR Sports Star is the Norfolk State baseball team. The Spartans are one of the hottest baseball teams in the country.

Winners of 9 straight and 11 of their last 12 games, the Spartans are currently in first place in the MEAC northern division.

The team swept MEAC honors last week. Denathan Dukes was named player of the week. Roger Hall was named the Rookie of the week and Stephan Butt was named the pitcher of the week.



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Family Christian's Mason Diaz signs with Southern U. baseball

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Another of the Baton Rouge area's top players will officially being playing his college baseball close to home.

Family Christian standout Mason Diaz, the Preseason NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune All-Baton Rouge Area Small Schools Player of the Year, signed Friday afternoon with Southern University.

"It's a big day, absolutely," Diaz said. "I'm excited to be a part of their program and just be a part of something bigger than myself, and I'll do anything I can to help them win ... I grew up probably ever summer since eighth grade playing tournaments there every summer.

"Coach (Roger) Cador's a real good guy. He's fun to be around. It's fun watching them play. I just love the atmosphere, and I'll be close to home. But yeah, once I met with coach Cador and really got to know him, I said, 'That's where I need to be.'"



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ASU: Isaiah Crowell knows something about second chances

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Since the end of his rookie season, Cleveland Browns running back Isaiah Crowell has spent some time talking to others about what got him to the NFL - a second chance. He's been to schools, football camps, even the Georgia General Assembly.

His message has been simple: Second chances are worth giving - and taking advantage of when given.

"I really just feel like with what I went through, it really molded me and grounded me into the person I am today," Crowell told UGASports.com. "It gave me a second chance, and I've had to take full advantage of it and not let anyone down. I'm not going to let anything come between me and my dreams."

Crowell entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie last year. Twenty-two running backs were drafted in 2014, but Crowell's eight rushing touchdowns topped the production of all the NFL's rookie running backs except the Cincinnati Bengals' Jeremy Hill, who had nine.

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Xavier University's Abbes in Position for Wire-to-Wire No.1 ITA National NAIA Singles Rankings

NOUR ABBES
 ITA National NAIA #1 Ranked Women's Tennis Player
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA Gold Nuggets
COACH: ALAN GREEN

ITA NAIA Men's Rankings | ITA NAIA Women's Rankings

KILLMAN, New Jersey --  The ITA National NAIA Rankings are published today, unveiling the Top 50 national singles players and Top 25 national doubles teams in NAIA men's and women's tennis. Regional Top 20 singles and Top 10 doubles rankings are also published (April 15, 2015) today.

Embry-Riddle's Deni Zmak and Xavier (LA)'s Nour Abbes are the top-ranked singles players in the nation for the third straight edition of the 2014-15 rankings. With a strong finish to the season, both players would post the second wire-to-wire No. 1 singles rankings of the past four years. Abbes would match Auburn Montgomery's Ana Veselinovic from the 2011-12 season, while Zmak would be completing his second straight wire-to-wire finish, as he held the No. 1 ranking for all of 2013-14 as well. This edition marks Zmak's eighth straight as the No. 1 singles player in the NAIA.

NOUR ABBES
XAVIER UNIVERSITY GOLD NUGGETS

Behind Zmak in singles, the Top 8 remains the same as last month's edition. Georgia Gwinnett teammates Jordan Cox, Kevin Konfederak and Matias Hatem check in at Nos. 2, 5 and 6, respectively, for the 11-2 Grizzlies. Vanguard's Stefan Kilchhofer retained his No. 3 ranking, as did No. 4 Edberg Espinosa of Lindsey Wilson behind him. Auburn Montgomery teammates Vincent Dubosclard and Nicolas Pinones-Haltenhoff are ranked No. 7 and No. 8. New to the Top 10 in this edition is No. 9 Kyle Montrel of Xavier (LA), who improved from No. 13 with a win over former No. 9 Daniel Rueda of Northwestern Ohio, who was bumped to No. 10.

On the women's side, only the Top 2 singles players remain in order from the previous rankings: No. 1 Nour Abbes and No. 2 Anastasia Baranova of Oklahoma Baptist. Georgia Gwinnett's Valeria Podda moves up from No. 4 to No. 3 in this ranking, her highest of the season. Auburn Montgomery's Alice Baudeigne is up from No. 6 to No. 4, while Lea Jansen of Aquinas enters the rankings this month at No. 5. Jansen has posted an 11-1 record this spring and is the new No. 1 ranked player in the Central region. Lindsey Wilson College's Alicia Rodriguez is ranked No. 6, followed by Westmont's Lauren Stratman at No. 7, Graceland's Jessica Worring at No. 8, Evangel's Amy Fritz at No. 9 and Concordia-Irvine's Ivana Vlakic at No. 10.

Men's doubles has a new number one this week in rankings entrant Rafael Lenz and Alvaro Iturriaga of Northwood (FL). Iturriaga is also ranked No. 23 in the national singles rankings. Ranked No. 2 behind Northwood's pair are Christian Wickenhauser and Till Guttenberger of Concordia-Irvine, up from No. 13 in last month's rankings. Gelawdiyos Haile and David Veliz check in at No. 3 from Southeastern (FL), former No. 1 Deni Zmak and Jaime Sanchez-Canamares Rios from Embry-Riddle are No. 4 and Lindsey Wilson's Edberg Espinosa and Francisco Charters are No. 5.

The women's doubles Top 5 is led for the third-straight edition by Anastasia Baranova and Kateryna Shkot of Oklahoma Baptist. The new No. 2 this week is Valeria Podda and Laura Wehner of Georgia Gwinnett, up from No. 4. Ranked No. 3 is Embry-Riddle's duo of Anna Gotz and Hui-I Huang, ranked No. 4 are Lindsey Wilson's Jessica King and Alicia Rodriguez, and rounding out the Top 5 are Graceland's Katherine Rodriguez and Jessica Worring.

Also published in addition to the National Top 50 singles and Top 25 doubles rankings today are the Regional Top 20 Singles and Top 10 Doubles rankings for each of the four regions. For complete men's national and regional singles and doubles rankings, click here. For complete women's national and regional singles and doubles rankings, click here.

About the ITA Rankings
As the governing body of college tennis, the ITA administers the ITA College Tennis Rankings (Singles, Doubles, and Team) that are designed to track the top men and women teams and singles and doubles players in NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, Junior Colleges and California Junior Colleges. For full rankings information, please visit http://www.itatennis.com/AwardsAndRankings/Rankings.htm.

COURTESY: ITA Tennis Release

Claflin University Freshman Trisana Fairweather Named SIAC 2015 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

Trisana Fairweather was named the SIAC 2015 Women’s Track Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, South Carolina -- Claflin University freshman Trisana Fairweather was named the 2015 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Women’s Track Athlete of the Year. In all four Lady Panthers earned All-Conference honors.

Fairweather, a 5-7, sprinter from Hope Bay Port Antonio, Portland Jamaica (Titchfield HS), currently has the second-fastest time in the league in the 100-meter dash with a NCAA provisional time of 11.94.  At the Terrier Relays, she set a provisional mark of 24.27 in the women's 200-meter dash.  Fairweather was named to the first and second team in the 200 meters and the 100 meters, respectively. 

In addition to Fairweather, sophomore Makayla Jackson, and juniors Carrie Byrd and Jameelah Thalley also earned post-season honors.  Jackson was named to the first team in the 400 meter hurdles and earned second-team honors for the 100 meter hurdles.  Byrd, who was the 2014 SIAC Cross-Country Champion, was named the second-team in the 400 meters and Thalley earned second-team honors in the javelin.

The all-conference team was announced on the first day of the 2015 SIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships which will run thru Saturday, Apr. 18 at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

COURTESY CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

CMPD officer expected to enter plea in Jonathan Ferrell (FAMU) case

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- A CMPD officer charged with manslaughter will enter a not guilty plea on Friday, according to the officer's lawyers.

Randall Kerrick's attorneys are planning to enter a not gulity plea in the death of 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013. Kerrick is claiming self defense in the shooting that killed Ferrell.

The former FAMU football player had gotten into a wreck and ran to a home for help. The homeowner may have mistaken Ferrell for a burglar and called police. Officers confronted him. Kerrick fired 12 shots, striking Ferrell 10 times.

In court, prosecutors offered evidence and asked Kerrick's attorneys to share anything their investigation revealed. The shooting was captured on at least one police dashboard camera but the tape has never been released to the public.

This case highlights national debate over deadly force by police officers after the recent rulings in Mike Brown's and Eric Garner's grand jury decisions.



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Talladega Tornadoes Luis Benitez Signs Pro Contract With Philadelphia Phillies

Luis Benitez
6'-3"/195 RHP
Philadelphia Phillies

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- Former Talladega College baseball player Luis Benitez signed a free agent contract with Philadelphia Phillies.

Benitez, right handed pitcher sign from Carolina, Puerto Rico. Appearing in 12 games for the Tornadoes in 2014. He posted 2 wins and 4 loses with. 6.03 ERA. He had 44 strikeouts for the season.

For Talladega College baseball this is the first player in school history to sign or be drafted from Major League Baseball team. We are thrilled for Luis to sign a free agent contract with the Phillies said Coach Head Coach Will Ramos. We expect that this is the first of many opportunities for our student-athletes to pursue their dreams of playing professional baseball in the future.

COURTESY TALLADEGA COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Mike Garrett resigns as Langston University athletic director

MIKE GARRETT

LANGSTON, Oklahoma -- Mike Garrett’s run as athletic director at Langston University is over after three years.

The 1965 Heisman Trophy winner from USC and the Trojans’ former athletic director told The Oklahoman on Thursday night that he has resigned and will move to Kansas City so his two 10-year-old boys, Michael and John, could spend more time with his wife’s family.

“Since I’m older, most of my family has passed away,” said Garrett, who turned 71 last Sunday. “So we decided a few years in Kansas City with her family would be good for them. And we get to stay in the Midwest, too. We really enjoyed Oklahoma City. Everyone was great to us, just really nice people.”

Garrett replaced Patric Simon as athletic director at the historically black university in June 2012. The former Kansas City Chiefs running back said he thinks he did a good job at Langston in fund raising and hiring quality coaches.

One of Garrett’s notable hires was legendary basketball player Cheryl Miller as women’s coach; the former USC All-American and Olympic gold medalist guided the Lions to the NAIA Tournament in her first season.

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XU'S Horn Selected Chair of GCAC Athletic Directors

JASON HORN

NEW ORLEANS -- Jason Horn, director of athletics and recreation at Xavier University of Louisiana, has been selected chair of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference athletic directors.

Horn was elected by his peers to a two-year term at a GCAC meeting at Jackson, Miss.

"I am excited to become chair of the GCAC ADs, and I look forward to moving our conference forward," Horn said.

Horn is in his second year as Xavier's athletics director. During his XU tenure he successfully negotiated multi-year deals with Ochsner Health System's sports medicine division, apparel provider A
didas and website provider SIDEARM Sports.

Xavier is a charter member of the GCAC, which consists of seven universities in five Southern states. This is the conference's 34th year.


Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Karr’s D’Andre Williams commits to play baseball at Southern

NEW ORLEANS -- Edna Karr senior D’Andre Williams knows all about his school’s rich football tradition.

Williams plays outside linebacker for the Cougars during the fall.

But he also plays catcher for the baseball team, and that’s the sport he plans to pursue in college.

Williams committed to Southern University on Monday.

“I’ve played baseball all of my life and it’s always been my favorite sport,” Williams said. “We want to be able to show people this is more than just a football school.”

Williams, who bats third in Karr’s lineup, is hitting .460 with 30 RBIs. His RBI total ranks second in the city, Karr coach Donnie Russell said.

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