Gold Rush staying power results in 5-4 win vs. DI Troy

NEW ORLEANS — Samir Chikhaoui defeated Amer Bedwan 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 6-4 Saturday to give NAIA No. 2 Xavier University of Louisiana a 5-4 men's tennis victory against NCAA Division I Troy.
     
The Gold Rush (9-8), winning for the eighth time in 10 duals, won three three-set singles matches.
     
Both XULA teams will play host to DI Jackson State at noon Sunday.
     
Chikhaoui won in singles for the seventh time in the last nine matches and snapped Bedwan's six-match win streak.
     
Also winning in three for the Rush were Catalin Fifea, who beat Pelayo Antuna 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, and Gabriel Niculescu, who defeated former Troy teammate Jiaqi Duan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Niculescu won in singles for the first time since Feb. 23 and the second time since Jan. 28.
     
Freshman Shaikh Abdullah was the lone XULA player to win in doubles and singles. Abdullah and Antoine Richard cruised past Oskar Michalek and Mustapha Belcora 8-2 on the first doubles court, then Abdullah beat Andy Lau 6-3, 6-4.
     
Abdullah has won five of his last six singles matches. He and Richard are 3-1 as doubles team, 2-0 against DIs.
     
The Gold Rush have three victories this season against DIs and 40 in coach Alan Green's 15 seasons at XULA. In the three victories vs. DIs this season, Fifea and Chikhaoui are both 3-0 in singles.

Results

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Fort Valley Wraps up Spring Practice with Spring Game

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- The rain came but didn't spoil the annual spring football game. The Wildcats hit the field and were able to test some new plays and polish up some old ones in front of the faithful who didn't let the rain keep them away from their team. The coaches ran plays and designed action to test both the defense and offense. This observer noticed an increase in speed and agility on the field that will make what was a stingy offense last season even more so in the coming season. In addition, the offense has some new faces and different roles for some of last seasons' returners.

Head coach Kevin Porter when asked about todays' game said "we are happy with the work that we got done this winter and spring. The spring is the time to focus on the areas that need improvement and gives you an opportunity to explore areas where you can expand and grow. We feel confident that we were able to get many of those things done during the spring practice".

The Wildcats got ahead of the weather and the rain wasn't able to stop them. The fans and faithful followers of the team that has played in the last two SIAC championship games saw reason to believe the Wildcat football team will continue to be in front of the competition come fall 2018.

The first game of the season will be against Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Florida September 1, 2018.

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

GSU Tigers defense soaks up knowledge from DC Everett Todd

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling still has a few more spring practices before wrapping things up in their annual Black and Gold game next Saturday.

The offense gets a lot of the attention for the G-men, but the defense might steal the show.

The Tigers are led by defensive coordinator Everett Todd who enters his fifth year on that side of the ball, but his career has spanned well beyond that.

Grambling's been at the top of several defensive categories since he joined the coaching staff and redshirt junior Rodney Jackson believes the knowledge he receives from Todd is some of the best in college football.

"One of the most intelligent coaches that I've ever been coached under so I'm extremely appreciative of what he has and what he brings to the table and the amount of effort that he's put into me as a young man and helping me grow as a player," Jackson explained.

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‘Meet Me in St. Louis’: The Red Flash advance to St. Louis in win over Bowie State

ALTOONA, Pennsylvania -- - The Saint Francis bowling team opened the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 series win over Bowie State on Saturday at the Holiday Bowl. The Flash outlasted the Bulldogs 911- 698 during traditional match play while also winning 5-0 during baker match play.

"We knew these lanes would play tough. The oil pushed on both lanes, more so on the right lane. We stayed good with our pin count to keep ourselves clean," said head coach Tom Falbo. Between the break we committed to all playing much deeper to get a consistent reaction. The ladies executed the plan to what the lanes were giving. I'm so proud of how our ladies have performed this past month. Credit to Bowie State who never gave up, and now we look forward to an exciting week in Saint Louis "



During the Mega Match, Freshman Britney Grey (Cattaraugus, N.Y./Cattaraugus Little Valley Central) and Emma Wrenn (Arlington Heights, ILL. /John Hersey ), who was sensational all day, helped the Red Flash jumped out to a big early lead. Grey knocked down 209 total pinfalls as Wrenn chipped in with 190. Haley Carroll (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South), Sarah Littleton (Round Lake Beach, Ill./Grayslake North), and Kyra Udziela (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) also played a virtual role in the Red Flash traditional match victory as Carroll bashed 158, Littleton thumped 173 and Udziela whacked 181 total pinfall.

The Red Flash carried its momentum into the baker match as they were victorious with a 5-0 win and 920-692 total pinfalls. The Flash won, 193-147, 192-151, 194-119, 186-131, and 155-144.

The win helps Saint Francis notch its first NCAA Tournament win in school history and earns a trip to Saint Louis as the 7th seed in the double elimination NCAA National Tournament. The matches will begin on Thursday as times are to be determined. Make sure to follow @RedFlashBowling or sfuathletics.com to get all the information.

Flash Points:

• The Red Flash advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament
• Saint Francis finished with 911 total pin falls during traditional play

SAINT FRANCIS UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Lady Railsplitters advance in National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship with hard-fought win over Texas Southern

HARROGATE, Tennessee – The Lincoln Memorial University women's bowling team outlasted Texas Southern 105-72 in a five-frame roll-off Friday morning at Hillcrest Lanes in the opening-round match of the 2018 National Collegiate Women's Bowling Championship to advance to the eight-team double elimination bracket competition to compete for the national championship April 12-14 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Lady Railsplitters topped the Lady Tigers 897-844 in the traditional team round and rallied from a 52-pin deficit in the final of five Baker matches to tie the score at 871 and force a tiebreaker.

Lincoln Memorial improves to 25-5 in its past 30 matches and 72-50 overall.

"I thought both reams really fought hard," said LMU Director of Bowling and Women's Head Coach Joseph Slowinski.

Freshman Justine Brookover led LMU's balanced effort in the traditional team match by posting a score of 186. Sophomore Mary-Kate Kersting totaled 185 pins, and freshman Christine Hansen recorded 184. Freshman Tyra Sanchez and sophomore Marisol Dodson rounded out the team with scores of 179 and 163, respectively.

"I was very impressed with how well Texas Southern got out of the gate," Slowinski said. "We weren't making the best of shots, but we were sparing well, so we kept ourselves in the match. Through five frames, they were really the better team."

The Lady Tigers made some critical mistakes later in the match that Lincoln Memorial was able to capitalize on to pull ahead by converting spares and adding in some strikes.

"The gutter ball on a turkey flipped that team on a dime," Slowinski said. "They really responded with some key mistakes after. When somebody makes a mistake we want to respond, and we did. We stayed pretty clean throughout the rest and put the match away."

Texas Southern ended the first of five Baker matches with a 50-pin advantage in the second leg of the competition by outscoring the Lady Railsplitters 223-173. LMU battled back in the second match by outscoring Texas Southern 182-145 to cut the deficit to 13. The Lady Tigers increased their lead over the next two matches by outscoring Lincoln Memorial 148-133 and 212-188 to head into the final Baker match up by 52.

"We started off very poorly in that second format match, but we never gave up," said Slowinski.

Hansen's strike in the final frame put LMU ahead 195-143 and tied the overall score at 871 apiece to force a five-pin roll-off.

"She's done that over and over and over again," Slowinski said. "That's why I moved her. We had a lot of anchors and rotations throughout the day. We just keep fighting and find a way to make it work."

Lincoln Memorial will join Nebraska, McKendree, Arkansas State, Vanderbilt, Sam Houston State and North Carolina A&T in St. Louis next weekend to compete for the national championship. The winner between St. Francis (Pa.) and Bowie State in the other opening-round match will be the eighth and final team.

"Anything can happen," Slowinski said. "We will not just show up to show up. We are there to fight and to represent LMU in a world-class standard."

LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS SPORTS INFORMATION

Third TSU Football Spring Scrimmage in the Books

NASHVILLE, Tennessee --- The third scrimmage of the spring season for the Tennessee State football team included plenty of highlights on both sides of the ball at Hale Stadium on Thursday night.

“All in all, I thought it was a pretty good scrimmage,” Head Coach Rod Reed said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’re getting to see a lot of things. A lot of young guys were out there playing today with as depleted as the defensive line is. It’s always good to get out here and see it and go back and evaluate it on film.”

• Opening up with 7-on-7, Kalen Whitlow moved the offense with first-down completions to Chris Rowland and Steven Newbold.
• On the next 7-on-7 drive, it was Demry Croft’s turn to take the reins of the offense. The drive was highlighted by a 20 yard completion to DeVon Johnson and a 25 yarder to Al-Malik Moore.
• More big plays came from the offense on the first 11-on-11 drive of the day courtesy of Te’kendrick Roberson. After back-to-back short gains, Roberson broke off a 70-yard touchdown run up the middle.
• Seth Rowland continued the offense’s momentum with a 50-yard run on the right sideline. Croft capped the drive with a touchdown run from five yards out.
• It was the defense’s turn to make big plays on the next drive. After a Shakur Jackson pass breakup, Ronnie Killings came up with an interception on a tipped pass.
• Kicker Mitchell Boudreaux drilled a 42 yard field goal after the next drive stalled.
• On some of the last action of the day, running back Shawn McColley punched in a two-yard touchdown run, and linebacker Blair Edwards picked up an interception and 40-yard return.

HEAD COACH ROD REED

“I thought it went really well. It’s good to see the offense come out and have a fast start. Obviously, you don’t want to see that on the defensive side, but it was great to see the offense come out and make some big runs. “Te’kendrick (Roberson) and Seth Rowland had some really good runs, and I thought that Shawn McColley - he’s a big back – got down on the goal line and was able to punch one in. It was good to see that.”
- On the running backs

“I thought Demry (Croft) had good control of the offense. Michael Hughes had class tonight, so he couldn’t be here, but (Kalen) Whitlow turned the ball over with the interception. One was his fault, the other one was not his fault. We’ve got to cut turnovers down. On defense, we’ve got to continue to create turnovers.”
- On the quarterbacks

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

New UMES basketball coach has 1 year to make an impression on team — and his bosses

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Cliff Reed is used to the offseason at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

In the last few years, Reed has prepared for the upcoming men’s basketball season as a member of Bobby Collins’ coaching staff. But on March 27, UMES officials announced they would not renew Collins' contract after his four seasons as coach.

Less than a day later, Reed was appointed the interim head coach and assigned to coach the team for the 2018-19 season. After that, a national search for a permanent replacement is expected to be conducted.

However, Reed has a year to prove he has the tools needed to get UMES back to its winning ways.

Having coached at nearly every level of the sport, Reed brings years of experience to the table and a passion for helping athletes discover their true potential.

“I just want to build upon some of the big things we've established,” Reed said. “The main thing I want to do is create the culture I would like to see. I’m a military man, my thought process is a little bit different, so I want to create a culture that’s different, because that’s the foundation of a program and not just a team.”

CONTINUE READING

Mahorn credits Hampton teammates with his Virginia Hall induction

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Nearly four decades have passed since Rick Mahorn played basketball at Hampton Institute. The Pirates have subsequently upgraded to Division I, changed conferences twice and represent Hampton University, but Mahorn’s records endure.

Most points in a career and game. Most rebounds in a career and game.

Mahorn is proud of those standards, and they’re a primary reason for his Saturday induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. But there’s something in which Mahorn takes far more pride.



His lasting friendship with Hampton teammates.

A radio analyst for the Detroit Pistons, the franchise he helped to the 1989 NBA championship, Mahorn doesn’t see his Pirates crew in-person very much. But through the Marco Polo video conferencing app on his phone, he sees them almost daily.

“We talk about fatherhood, family life,” Mahorn said, the enthusiasm growing with every word. “These are my Hampton guys. These are my Pirates, baby!”

Marvin Payne, Rich Taliaferro and Darryl Warwick. Greg Hines and Antonio Washington.

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Nuggets shut out Southern for ninth straight victory

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women produced their first-ever dual-match shutout of Southern University with a 6-0 victory Friday at XULA Tennis Center.
     
The Gold Nuggets (12-7), ranked fifth in the NAIA, have a nine-dual winning streak, their longest since winning 11 straight in 2013. They also notched their first victory against an NCAA Division I opponent after five losses this season.
      
Southern (6-12) had only five available players. Doubles matches were not played.
     
XULA kept intact five singles streaks. Mariia Borodii is 12-0 this season after a 7-5, 6-2 victory against Tanaka Chakanyuka. Angela Charles-Alfred is 7-0 after her 6-3, 6-1 decision against Nicki Neal. Charlene Goreau extended her win streak to 10 by beating Stephanie Mbaya 6-1, 6-2. Yi Chen Pao defeated Mia Kent 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) for her seventh consecutive victory, and Farah Baklouti made it six in a row with her 6-4, 6-4 decision against D'Jeri Raymond.
     
Chakanyuka, Neal and Raymond all won in singles a year ago in Southern's 6-1 victory against XULA.
     
XULA's top three singles players, Borodii, Goreau and Charles-Alfred, produced the Gold Nuggets' first sweep at those positions against Southern in 11 years.
     
XULA's men will play host to NCAA DI Troy at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will play host to DI Jackson State at noon Sunday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Williams, Scott collect GCAC Player of Week awards

NEW ORLEANS — Strong performances by Xavier University of Louisiana's Ariane Williams and Tamia Scott earned them Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards in women's track and field for March 26-April 1.
     
Williams earned her first weekly track award of the season and the fourth of her career. Scott earned her second field award of 2018 — she's won in back-to-back weeks — and the fourth of her career.
     
Williams, a junior from Gonzales, La., and a graduate of East Ascension High School, won the 400-meter dash at the University of Mobile Invitational. Her time of 57.26 seconds is the Gold Nuggets' best in this event this season, and it met the B-qualifying standard for next month's NAIA National Championships. 
Williams was All-America in this event a year ago.
     
Scott, a sophomore from Lafayette, La., and a graduate of Carencro High School, won the javelin at the Mobile meet with a XULA PR of 34.81 meters/114 feet, 2 inches. Scott finished ahead of two NCAA Division I athletes.
   
Next for the XULA women and men will be the Southeastern Strawberry Relays April 14 at Hammond, La., then the GCAC Championships April 20-21 at Tad Gormley Stadium in New Orleans.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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Chikhaoui ties mark with 4th; Rush host Troy Saturday

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis standout Samir Chikhaoui tied a program record when he was named Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week for March 26-April 1.
     
It's the fourth GCAC award this season for Chikhaoui, tying him on the Gold Rush all-time list with Karan Salwan (2016), Thomas Setodji (2016) and Kyle Montrel (2013). Montrel holds the career mark with eight.
     
Chikhaoui, a sophomore from Lille, France, and a transfer from Eastern Florida State College, won in doubles and singles to help XULA win at Embry-Riddle (Fla.), the No. 8 team in NCAA Division II. It was XULA's first-ever dual-match victory against a top-10 NCAA D2 team. The next day Chikhaoui won in straight sets against Keiser's Adrian Frutos, No. 12 in the ITA NAIA singles rankings. Chikhaoui's doubles partner was Gabriel Niculescu.
     
The Gold Rush (8-8) will play a pair of NCAA Division I teams at home this weekend: Troy at 10 a.m. Saturday and Jackson State at noon Sunday.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Chowan Football Releases 2018 Schedule

MURFREESBORO, North Carolina. – The 2018 Chowan Football season is right around the corner as spring practice is underway for the Hawks.  Head Coach Tim Place released the 2018 slate on Thursday.

Chowan will wrap up the spring sessions on Saturday, April 14 with the Spring Game in Garrison Stadium kicking off at 3pm.

Coming off a 4-6 season and 4-3 record in CIAA play, the Hawks will kick off the season against Division I opponents Campbell and Davidson on August 30 and September 8 respectively on the road.  Chowan and Campbell will meet for the third time with the Fighting Camels taking both previous meetings.

CU will travel to Davidson, another member of the Pioneer Football League. The Wildcats went 2-9 last season picking up wins against DIII opponents Brevard and Guilford.

Then, Chowan travels to Raleigh, N.C. to face Shaw for the first time since 2013 for a CIAA cross-divisional contest.  The Hawks and Bears have split the series, 3-3, with CU taking the last three meetings in close contests.

Chowan will host McKendree University in their home opener on September 22 with kick-off at 1pm before hosting Fayetteville State (9/29), Bowie State (10/6) and Virginia Union (10/13).  The Broncos of Fayetteville State snuck out of Murfreesboro last season with a win, 24-21, and played in the CIAA Championships as the Southern Division champions.

The Hawks will face NCAA DII Regionals participant Bowie State prior to welcoming Virginia Union for homecoming.  Kick-off for those contests are at 6pm and 1pm respectively.

On October 20, the Hawks will travel to Elizabeth City State for a rivalry contest against the Vikings.  Chowan picked up the win last season, 28-18, on homecoming weekend. 

The final road contest of the season will feature defending CIAA Northern Division champion and DII Regionals participant, Virginia State, in Petersburg, Va. on October 27.  Chowan came up just short last season falling 26-23 at home.

CU will host Lincoln (Pa.) on November 3 at 1pm for the annual Hall of Fame Game.  The Hawks handed the Lions a 73-30 defeat in the finale.

FULL SCHEDULE

August 30, 2018	at Campbell	Buies Creek, N.C.	TBA
September 8, 2018	at Davidson	Davidson, N.C.	7pm
September 15, 2018	at Shaw *	Raleigh, N.C.	TBA
September 22, 2018	McKendree	Garrison Stadium	1pm
September 29, 2018	Fayetteville State *	Garrison Stadium	6pm
October 6, 2018	Bowie State *	Garrison Stadium	6pm
October 13, 2018	Virginia Union *#	Garrison Stadium	1pm
October 20, 2018	at Elizabeth City *	Elizabeth City, N.C.	TBA
October 27, 2018	at Virginia State *	Petersburg, Va.	TBA
November 3, 2018	Lincoln (Pa.) *$	Garrison Stadium	1pm

CHOWAN UNIVERSITY HAWKS SPORTS INFORMATION

Triple play highlights Spring Hill DH sweep of Tuskegee

Sophomore DH Hunter Romero (33) had three hits and three RBI on Friday

MOBILE, Alabama -- – The Spring Hill College (SHC) baseball team swept a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) doubleheader away from the visiting Tuskegee University (TU) Golden Tigers on Friday afternoon at historic Stan Galle Field by closing out the first game on a triple play for a 13-5 win followed by a 5-1 victory in the nightcap.
 
SHC grabbed a 4-0 lead in the 1st inning of the opener, but the Golden Tigers (6-25, 2-9 SIAC West) answered back to tie the game with four runs of their own in the top of the 2nd inning. The Badgers took back a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the frame when shortstop John Sklopanfound a hole on the left side for a run-scoring single and designated hitter Hunter Romero lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate first baseman Keaton Smith.
 
Three more runs would cross the plate for the Badgers in both the 3rd and 6th innings while Sklopan delivered another run-scoring single to center in the 5th inning. Sklopan would also end the game in the 7th inning when, with runners at 1st and 2nd bases, he hauled in a line drive, stepped on 2nd base and fired to Smith at 1st base to complete the first triple play by the Badgers this year.
 
SHC sent five pitchers to the mound in the first contest with Will Shaw (2-1) picking up the win in relief of starter Lucas Kunkel. Shaw pitched two innings, allowing one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. Trey Nelson (1-8) went five innings for Tuskegee with nine hits and five walks as well as three strikeouts.
 
Along with Sklopan and Romero's two hits and three RBIs each, right fielder Grayson Williamsand left fielder Brennan Fontenot both collected two hits for the home team. Romero slapped a triple into the corner in right field to lead off the 6th inning, Williams had his ninth and 10 doubles of the year, and Fontenot punched his team-leading 11th double to right in the 2ndinning. For Tuskegee, third baseman Gabriel Selochan had two hits and an RBI as left fielder Jalen Luter provided a two-run single to center in the 2nd inning.
 
The nightcap saw TU break on top 1-0 in the top of 3rd inning after second baseman Lajerrius Haralson led off the stanza with a triple to right-center and later scored off an infield throwing error by the Badgers. SHC responded to knot the game at 1-1 in the next half inning when an errant throw on the second half of an attempted double play combination from 2nd to 1st base skipped away, allowing third baseman Maverick Latour to scamper home from 3rd base.
 
Spring Hill took a 3-1 lead in the 4th inning when Smith scored from 3rd base off a wild pitch and second baseman Brandon Donoghue's ground ball to short was thrown away with two outs to bring in pinch runner Garrett Dearujo who had entered to run for Romero following his double to left field earlier in the frame.
 
Fontenot then crushed a solo two-out homer over the right-centerfield gate in the 5th inning and pinch hitter Chet Silveria would score off an infield bases-loaded double-play ball in the 6thinning.
 
Zach Paulene improved to 4-1 on the year in six innings with just two hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Rob Ewald closed out his second game of the day by striking out the first two batters of the 7th inning, hitting the next two opponents and then surviving an infield error that loaded the bases with a ground out to 2nd base to end the threat.
 
The Badgers (18-14, 10-0 SIAC West) will host the Golden Tigers in an SIAC single game on Saturday at historic Stan Galle Field beginning at 12 p.m.

SPRING HILL COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION

Four players transferring from NC Central men's basketball program

DURHAM, North Carolina  -- North Carolina Central will lose four players from its men’s basketball team, head coach LeVelle Moton confirmed Thursday.

Reserve guards C.J. Wiggins, Alex Mills, Alston Jones and Brandon Goldsmith will transfer from the program. All four would have been seniors next season.



“At this time, Alex, C.J., Alston and Brandon concluded that it was in their best interest to play their senior year elsewhere,” Moton said. “It was indeed an honor to coach these outstanding young men. Their character, unselfishness and personalities will be truly missed. These young men will leave as champions and are all on track to receive their degree. They've made me a better coach and I wish them nothing but success at their new institutions. NCCU Basketball is better because they were a part of it.”

North Carolina Central went 19-16 overall and 9-7 in the MEAC. They entered the league tournament as the No. 6 seed, but got hot at the right time, winning the conference tournament with a 71-63 upset win over No. 1 Hampton. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time under Moton, and all four players saw action during a 64-46 loss to Texas Southern.

CONTINUE READING 

N.C. A&T moves spring football game to Sunday

GREENSBORO,  North Carolina — N.C. A&T football's annual Blue and Gold Spring Game will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Aggie Stadium.

The game, originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, was postponed a day by the threat of inclement weather.

A&T is wrapping up its first spring practice session under head coach Sam Washington, who took over the program when Rod Broadway retired in January.

Washington was an assistant on Broadway's coaching staffs for 12 years dating back to their time at Grambling, and he takes the reins of a program coming off a 12-0 season with plenty of returning talent.

Quarterback Lamar Raynard, running back Marquell Cartwright and wide receiver Elijah Bell are all back after All-MEAC seasons, as are eight of 11 starters on defense.

The Aggies must replace four out of five offensive linemen, along with star kick returner Khris Gardin and linebackers Jeremy Taylor and Marcus Albert.

CONTINUE READING

FAMU football holds 1st spring scrimmage Saturday

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Springtime is a season where things bloom, but at Florida A&M, it’s a period of planting seeds for new beginnings for the football program.

The Rattlers are cultivating the soil under a new administration with the hopes of sprouting a return to the glory days.

Head coach Willie Simmons is no stranger to spring practices and weight training. However, the 2018 version of the seasonal marks his first time leading this squad, which has been entrenched in despair in recent years.

At the halfway point of the spring practice schedule, FAMU is making small steps toward shedding the stain of losing which lingers over the program.

The Rattlers continue spring practice with their first scrimmage Saturday.

“So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised, “Simmons said.

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Alcorn Musters Five Runs on Nine Hits in Defeat at UL-Monroe

MONROE, Louisiana – The offense took a step forward for the Alcorn State University softball program despite UL-Monroe finishing on top 13-5 in five innings Wednesday at the ULM Softball Complex.

Alcorn (5-22, 2-1 SWAC) registered nine hits which accounted for five earned runs against the Warhawks (19-13, 6-6 SBC). Four of the runs came in a big third inning which saw junior Victoria Tyler blast a three-run shot for her second homer of the year.

"We swung the bats well today. I like how we responded offensively after getting down early. It was good to get out and play against some great competition," said Alcorn head coach Josef Rankin.

BOX SCORE

Freshman Amari Ramsey extended her hitting-streak to 15 games and her on-base streak to 17 games. She doubled down the left field line and scored on a pair of passed balls to plate Alcorn's first run in the third frame.

Freshman Desirea Lindsey and senior Tyler Hughes both knocked singles in the third to score on Tyler's homer. Lindsey and Hughes both notched two hits in the contest as Hughes now has a team-high 12 multi-hit games on the year.

With the run scored, Hughes moved into a tie for third all-time in the Alcorn record book with 88 in her career. She's the all-time hits leader with 172.

The Lady Braves scored their first run in the second inning. With two outs, freshman Malea Dickerson singled through the left side and scored on an RBI double by freshman Bri Smith to left. Smith raised her batting average to .391 on the season which is the second highest on the team behind Hughes (.411).

Alcorn used three different pitchers in the match. Junior Winter Ridgeway got the start and did not allow an earned run in 1.0 inning. Freshman Lindsey Eldridge pitched the next 1.2 frames and sophomore Ambria Dorsey threw the final 2.0.

"We are working on the now, but our program has a promising future ahead of us. At one time today, we had seven freshmen in the lineup. We continue to see flashes against some of these bigger schools, but I believe the consistency will come as we continue to gain experience," Rankin said. "We have a great group of young ladies who have stayed committed to what's asked of them."

The Lady Braves used their 24th different batting order of the year.

The Warhawks extended their winning-streak to seven games including two wins over Jackson State 11-0 and 8-0. They were led by the head coach's daughter Cheyanne Lyon who went two-for-three with three RBI's and two runs scored.

It was the first time Alcorn and UL-Monroe have played since Rankin took
over at the helm in 2014.

"We are looking forward to heading north tomorrow to take care of step No. 4," Rankin concluded.

The Lady Braves have a quick turnaround as they travel to Jackson State tomorrow for a 4 p.m. conference doubleheader. The two teams will close out the series Friday with a game tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m. but can be moved earlier to avoid the threat of rain. Alcorn swept the Lady Tigers in a three-game series last year in Lorman, outscoring them 20-4.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS