Grizzlies eliminate Gold Rush for 3rd straight year

MOBILE, Alabama — The Xavier University of Louisiana men's tennis team's bid for a third consecutive berth in an NAIA National Championship final ended late Friday when the Gold Rush fell 5-0 to four-time defending champion Georgia Gwinnett.
     
The Grizzlies (26-0) swept the doubles, then won two singles matches to advance to a 1:30 p.m. Saturday final against second-seeded Keiser, a 5-0 winner against Reinhardt in the other semifinal.
     
Kevin Konfederak and Gilad Berman gave the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead on the first doubles court when they defeated Antoine Richard and Shaikh Abdullah 8-5. Ayed Zatar and Valentino Caratini followed with am 8-3 victory against Samir Chikhaoui and Pierre Andrieuon the third court, then the Grizzlies completed the doubles sweep when Rafael Coutinho and Federico Herrera Duran won the first three games en route to an 8-5 victory against Catalin Fifea and Chris Anders.
     
In singles, Konfederak defeated Fifea 6-3, 6-4, then Coutinho clinched with a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Chikhaoui. Georgia Gwinnett led in the four halted matches.
     
It was the second competition of the day for fourth-seeded XULA (13-12), which beat William Carey 5-3 during the morning in the quarterfinals.
     
The Grizzlies won their 81st consecutive dual match and improved to 19-0 in five seasons at nationals. The Grizzlies have won national titles every year since their first season of postseason eligibility in 2014.
     
XULA lost 5-2 to Georgia Gwinnett in the 2016 final and 5-0 to the Grizzlies in the 2017 final. The Gold Rush are 0-8 all-time against Georgia Gwinnett and have yet to win a singles match.
     
NOTES:  It was the first time in three months that the Gold Rush were shut out in a dual match . . . The tournament endured weather delays for the third consecutive day; the XULA men's semifinal start time was pushed back to 9 p.m. . . . It was the final college competition for Fifea, the only senior on the Gold Rush and the ITA/NAIA Region IV Most Improved Senior this season . . . The Gold Rush finished above .500 for the eighth consecutive season . . . XULA has not won an NAIA national team title in any sport.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Nuggets topple LSUA to advance to national semifinals

MOBILE, Ala.bama — Charlene Goreau and Farah Baklouti won in doubles and singles Thursday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 5-0 women's tennis victory against LSU-Alexandria in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championships.
     
The Gold Nuggets (19-7), ranked and seeded third, advanced to the semifinals for the fourth time in six years and the first time since 2015. They'll play No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett, the two-time defending national champion.
     
Goreau and Angela Charles-Alfred defeated Ariadna Cabezas and Maria Montenegro 8-0 in doubles, and Goreau clinched with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Miljana Milojevic. The singles victory was Goreau's 15th in a row.
     
Baklouti and Manon Bonada defeated Milojevic and Patricia Perez 8-1, and Baklouti beat Cabezas 6-1, 6-1 for her 11th victory in her last 12 singles decisions.
     
Mariia Borodii and Yi Chen Pao scored XULA's other point with an 8-1 victory against Alba Perny and Laia Charles. It was the second straight day that Borodii and Pao defeated a top-10 doubles team, and it was their 12th victory in their last 13 matches.
     
XULA extended its school-record win streak to 16.
    
LSUA (12-7), ranked 12th and seeded 11th, lost to XULA for the third time in as many duals this season. The Generals were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Rush reach NAIA quarterfinals for 7th straight year

MOBILE, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana's Pierre Andrieu defeated Alvaro Conesa 6-4, 6-3 Thursday to clinch a 5-1 men's tennis victory against Middle Georgia in the round of 16 of the NAIA National Championships.
     
The Gold Rush (12-11), ranked and seeded fourth, advanced to the quarterfinals for the seventh consecutive year. That's the longest active streak of quarterfinal appearances in NAIA men's tennis. XULA was the national runner-up in 2016 and 2017.
     
The Rush's quarterfinal matchup Thursday evening against William Carey was rained out and rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday. Semifinals will begin at 4:30 p.m.
     
XULA led 2-1 after the doubles. Antoine Richard made it 3-1 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) victory against Octavio Tamola, then Gabriel Niculescu defeated Santino Romeo 6-2, 7-5. XULA led in the three unfinished singles matches, including Catalin Fifea, up 4-3 in the third set against Nishanth Rebello after dropping the opening set.
     
Andrieu, a sophomore, was the only Gold Rush player to win twice. He and Samir Chikhaoui defeated Romeo and Perret 8-4 to tie the dual at one. Fifea and Chris Anders put the Gold Rush ahead to stay with a 9-7 victory against Tamola and Conesa.
     
Middle Georgia (12-6), ranked and seeded 13th and the Southern States Athletic Conference runner-up, got its only victory when Rebello and Alejandro Prada rallied from a 4-3 deficit for an 8-6 victory against Richard and Shaikh Abdullah.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Nuggets, despite rain delay, defeat Bees at nationals

MOBILE, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana women's tennis endured a weather delay of more than six hours Wednesday before defeating SCAD Savannah 6-1 in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championships.
     
The delay, caused by a lengthy afternoon thunderstorm, postponed all the men's matches. XULA's Gold Rush will play Middle Georgia at 8 a.m. Thursday at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center. Admission is free all week.
     
The Gold Nuggets (18-7) will play LSU-Alexandria in the quarterfinals at noon Thursday. LSUA defeated William Carey 5-3.
     
XULA won 2-of-3 doubles matches during the morning before the delay, then got singles victories during the evening from Manon Bonada, Charlene Goreau, Farah Baklouti and Yi Chen Pao. Baklouti clinched with her 6-1, 6-2 victory against Karina Rovira.
     
"Manon and Farah both stepped up today. They played one spot up in the lineup and really elevated their games," XULA coach Alan Green said. "We will need for them to continue to provide that for the team in order for us to be successful.
     
XULA, ranked and seeded third, improved its school-record win streak to 15. The Gold Nuggets denied SCAD Savannah, ranked ninth and seeded 14th, a sixth straight berth in the quarterfinals. XULA is 11-1 this season against top-20 opponents.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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2018-19 Bowl Schedule released

ATLANTA, Georgia --The 2018-19 College Football Bowl Schedule has officially been released by the Football Bowl Association. The FBA represents college football’s 40 postseason games.

With 40 total games including the College Football National Championship, 78 teams will play in a postseason game in 2018-19, which is 60% of the FBS.

The 2018-19 bowl season kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 15 with the Celebration Bowl at Noon ET on ABC. That game pits teams from the MEAC and SWAC from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

The Celebration Bowl is followed by five FBS bowl games on Dec. 15: Gildan New Mexico Bowl, AutoNation Cure Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, and R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

BOWL SCHEDULE

Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018

Bowl	Location	Time / TV	Tickets
Celebration Bowl MEAC vs. SWAC	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA	Noon ET / ABC	---
Gildan New Mexico Bowl MWC vs. C-USA	Dreamstyle Stadium Albuquerque, NM	2:00pm ET / ESPN	---
AutoNation Cure Bowl American vs. Sun Belt	Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL	2:30pm ET / CBSSN	---
Las Vegas Bowl MWC vs. Pac-12	Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas, NV	3:30pm ET / ABC	---
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl Sun Belt vs. MAC	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	5:30pm ET / ESPN	---
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Sun Belt vs. C-USA	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, LA	9:00pm ET / ESPN	---

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Borodii named ITA/NAIA National Rookie of the Year

MOBILE, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana's Mariia Borodii was named Intercollegiate Tennis Association/NAIA Women's National Rookie of the Year Monday evening at a banquet for all teams participating in the NAIA National Championships.

Borodii, a freshman from Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is 15-0 in singles — winning all those matches on the first court — and 15-4 in doubles with 10 victories in her last 11 decisions with Yi Chen Pao. Borodii is the only Gold Nugget ever to achieve top-3 national rankings in singles (No. 2) and doubles (No. 3).

Borodii was the Region IV (South) winner of this award. The other finalists were Ana Zavala of William Woods (Central), Lina Sachica of Lindsey Wilson (East) and Sarah Schaerer of San Diego Christian (West).

This is the third time that the Gold Nuggets received an ITA national award at the pre-tournament banquet. Alan Green was named Coach of the Year in 2012-13, and Nour Abbes — now a member of the coaching staff — was Rookie of the Year in 2013-14.

Receiving their regional awards at the banquet were XULA's Abbes (tasc Women's Assistant Coach of the Year), Charlene Goreau (Women's Player to Watch), Catalin Fifea(Men's Most Improved Senior) and Shaikh Abdullah (Men's Rookie of the Year). The ITA announced those awards last week.
     
Receiving NAIA Champions of Character awards were Pao of the Gold Nuggets and Samir Chikhaoui of the Gold Rush. Each team at the tournament can nominate one recipient who best exemplifies the Champions of Character traits of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
     
The tournament will begin Tuesday at Copeland-Cox Mobile Tennis Center. Both XULA teams have first-round byes and will play Wednesday in the round of 16 — the Gold Nuggets at 9 a.m. against SCAD Savannah or Cumberlands and the Gold Rush at 1 p.m. against Middle Georgia or Asbury.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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As an FCS independent, HU releases its 2018 schedule

HAMPTON,Virginia -- Faced with what he called “a boycott” by schools that refused to cooperate, Hampton University athletic director Eugene Marshall on Tuesday released this fall’s football schedule, which includes opponents from five different classifications.

There are no opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which HU will officially leave on July 1. The Pirates will play three teams from the Big South — Monmouth, Charleston Southern, and Presbyterian — which they will join for football in 2019.

Also, there are five Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Shaw, Tennessee State, Lane College, Virginia University of Lynchburg, and Mississippi Valley State. But Marshall was unhappy with the reception he received from other HBCUs in light of Hampton’s departure from the MEAC.

2018 Hampton Pirates Football Schedule
Sept. 1: Shaw, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8: at Monmouth, 3 p.m.
Sept. 15: Tennessee State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 22: at Northern Iowa, TBA.
Sept. 29: Charleston Southern, 2 p.m.
Oct. 6: Lane, 2 p.m.
Oct. 13: at Presbyterian, TBA
Oct. 27: Virginia University of Lynchburg, 2 p.m.
Nov. 3: at SUNY Maritime, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10: at Mississippi Valley State, TBA
Nov. 17: St. Andrews, 1 p.m.

BOLD: home games

CONTINUE READING

Bethune-Cookman Sweep At National Minority Golf Championships

PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida -- For Bethune-Cookman University, it was yet another impressive example of a dynasty in cruise control at the 32nd PGA Minority Collegiate Championship at PGA Golf Club.

The Wildcats captured a record seventh-straight—and 15th overall—Women's crown in collegiate golf's most culturally significant Championship. Meanwhile, the Men's team notched their third-consecutive PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and 10th title overall.

The teams from Daytona Beach rocketed right out of the gate and never let off the throttle throughout the 54 holes of competition. Paced by medalist Mackenzie Butzer who had a final round 1-under par 71 (70-75-71 216), the Bethune-Cookman Women (297-307-299 903) defeated runner-up University of the Incarnate Word by 27 strokes on the Ryder Course. North Carolina A&T finished third, another seven strokes back.

"This is overwhelming," said Butzer. "This is my last year, and I gave it all I had. I had fun and played easy. Everything seemed to be clicking."

Yudika Rodriguez (72-73-75 220 finished second four shots behind Butzer, while Isabela Miravite (73-80-77 230) was sixth and Samyra Lewis (82-79-76 237) tied for 11th.

Meanwhile, the Bethune-Cookman men (286-282-286 854) shot 10-under par for the Championship, winning by an amazing 57 strokes over Savannah State on the Wanamaker Course. The University of Incarnate Word placed third.

For Bethune-Cookman, it was a three-day showcase of utmost command. After closing out the Championship on No. 18, the women's team sprayed the men's team with a water bottle shower that would have rivaled a dramatic victory celebration.

"It was so fun to see our student-athletes end the season like this," said Bethune-Cookman Head Coach Danny Forshey.

The Bethune Cookman Men were led by medalist Marcus Sundlof, of Sweden (65-70-71 206), who bested his teammate Christian Hovstadius for the honor by seven strokes.

"It feels great," said Sundlof, a sophomore who overcame a wrist injury at the beginning of the year. "We had a lot of team wins, but I wasn't playing well personally. It's great to finish off the year this way."

The Wildcats had five of the top six individual scores in the team competition with Jake Lane (74-71-72 217) in third, Connor O'Brien (74-73-72 219) fourth and Dante Davis (79-72-72 223) sixth.

Division II was won by California State University-Dominguez Hills for the third time in four years, as the Toros recorded a 15-shot victory over Lincoln University. Virginia Union's Sergio Escalante took Division II Medalist honors.

"The rankings don't matter, because everyone plays from the heart," said Toros Head Coach Ron Eastman.

The University of Houston-Victoria won its third-straight NAIA title—and a Division record fourth overall—by defeating runner-up Governors State by 12 strokes. Governors State's Matt Contey was NAIA medalist with a three-day total of 222.

For the second straight year, the Men's Individual title was won by the University of Connecticut's Nabeel Kahn, who overcame a rusty start to the Championship for a 2-under par final round 70 (75-70-70 215), to win by 12 strokes over both Palm Beach Atlantic's Siyan Liu and West Florida's Joseph Stills.

The Women's Individual prize was earned by St. John's (N.Y.) University sophomore Linda Wang (72-73-73 218), who defeated runner-up Rachelle Orme of Savannah State by nine strokes.

RESULTS

In a weather-related quirk designed to get ahead of the heavy rains forecasted to arrive from Mother Nature on Mother's Day, the final round actually began on Saturday, as the teams played 27 holes overall, including the first nine holes of the Championship's final stanza. The final nine holes were completed on Sunday morning in slightly rainy and muggy conditions.

The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship is the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf. In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

XULA Athletics produces lofty graduation numbers again

NEW ORLEANS — One year after a record-setting graduating class, Xavier University of Louisiana Athletics nearly matched those numbers Saturday at the 2018 commencement.
     
Twenty-three current and former student-athletes received degrees, and the total number of athletic-related degrees was 33. A year ago those numbers were 29 and 35, the largest since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
     
It was Xavier's 91st annual commencement and its sixth in a row on campus at the Convocation Center.
     
"We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of each of our graduates," Director of Athletics & Recreation Jason Horn said. "They have all shown growth during their time here at Xavier, and we are excited for what the future brings for each of them."
     
Student-athletes graduating (with high schools in parentheses where available) were:
     •  Adam Albrecht, Ladna, Czech Republic (Gymnasium Breclav), men's tennis, bachelor of arts.
     •  Clarke Allen, Mendenhall, Miss. (Mendenhall), women's track and field/cross country, bachelor of science.
     •  Rondell Best, Boston, Mass. (Brockton), men's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Drew Chatters, Lake Charles, La. (St. Louis Catholic), women's track and field, bachelor of science . . . magna cum laude.
     •  Vincenzo Ciccone, Brooklyn, N.Y. (Aspirations), men's tennis, bachelor of arts . . . honors in theology.
     •  Brittany Everett, Baltimore, Md. (Western), women's cross country, bachelor of arts.
     •  Dasia Harris, Sugar Land, Texas (Elkins), women's tennis, bachelor of science.
     •  Trana Hopkins, Marietta, Ga. (Marietta), women's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Faith Hyacinthe, Rockford, Ill. (Auburn), women's basketball, doctor of pharmacy, Warren P. McKenna Service Award.
     •  Chelsea James, Gadsden, Ala. (Gadsden, City), women's track and field, doctor of pharmacy.
     •  Ireyon Keith, Tickfaw, La. (Independence), women's basketball/track and field, bachelor of science.
     •  Christopher Kennie, New Orleans, La. (Holy Cross), men's track and field, doctor of pharmacy.
     •  Emma Kranendonk, Heemskerk, The Netherlands (Kennemer College), women's tennis, bachelor of science.
     •  Tushar Mandlekar, Bhilai, India (Deepak Nagar), men's tennis, bachelor of science.
     •  Lucas Martin-Julien, Reserve, La. (Riverside Academy), men's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Amara Person-Hampton, Long Beach, Calif. (Troy), women's basketball, bachelor of science.
     •  Tylor Row, Baton Rouge, La. (St. Michael), women's track and field, bachelor of science.
     •  Tramaine Shannon, Baton Rouge, La. (McKinley), women's track and field, bachelor of science.
     •  Kaelan Temple, Houston, Texas (Lamar), women's volleyball, bachelor of science . . . cum laude, honors in biology.
     •  Simone White, Hot Springs, Ark. (Hot Springs), women's volleyball and spirit group (cheerleader) . . . honors in English, honors in philosophy.
     •  Ammiel Williams, Los Angeles, Calif. (Hamilton), men's track and field/cross country, bachelor of arts . . . cum laude, honors in theology.
     •  Aliyah Wilson, Florissant, Mo. (Crossroads College Prep), women's volleyball, bachelor of science . . . honors in philosophy.
     •  Morris Wright, Zachary, La. (Zachary), men's basketball, bachelor of science.
    
"Our responsibility is to provide every student-athlete who chooses Xavier with the support they need to achieve their most important goal — earning a college degree," Horn said. "That will always be our number one priority."
     
Also graduating were:
     •  Reginald Alex, New Orleans, La., women's basketball student manager, bachelor of science . . . Warren J. Barker Sr. Award.
     •  Kyla Baron, Marietta, Ga., spirit group (Gold Star dance), bachelor of science . . . magna cum laude, university service key award.
     •  Monte Bingley, Houston, Texas, men's basketball student manager, bachelor of science.
     •  Algeria Brisbon, Philadelphia, Pa., spirit group (Golden Girls pom), bachelor of science.
     •  Jessica Carmon, Humble, Texas, spirit group (cheerleader), bachelor of science . . . summa cum laude, honors in biology, honors in chemistry.
     •  Tatiana Collins, New Orleans, La., spirit group (cheerleader), bachelor of science . . . cum laude, honors in public health sciences.
     •  Minesha Estell, Terrytown, La., men's basketball student manager, master of arts in teaching.
     •  D'Lauren Falkner, Collierville, Tenn., spirit group (Golden Girls pom), bachelor of science . . . cum laude, honors in theology.
     •  Sarah Hale, Bolingbrook, Ill., spirit group (Gold Star dance), bachelor of science . . . cum laude, honors in chemistry, university service key award.
     •  Shalani Taylor, Sparks, Nev., spirit group (Gold Star dance), bachelor of science . . . magna cum laude, honors in public health sciences, university service key award.
     
XULA is one of 38 colleges listed as a "Best Buy School" in the 2018 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. XULA's intercollegiate teams compete in the NAIA and the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. Eight of XULA's nine sports programs qualified teams or individuals for NAIA National Championship competition in 2017-18.
     
NOTES:  Allen will study at Howard University's College of Dentistry in the fall . . . Chatters will attend University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry in the fall . . . Williams will attend the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies, where he will study international security. Williams also has won a Rangel Fellowship to attend graduate study toward a degree in international affairs.

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
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Seedings Set for 2018 MEAC Baseball Championship

2018 MEAC Baseball Championship Bracket | Championship Central

NORFOLK, Virginia —The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced the seedings for the 2018 Baseball Championship. Coppin State has claimed the top seed out of the Northern Division, while North Carolina A&T State will be the top seed out of the Southern Division.
 
The 2018 MEAC Baseball Championship will be held Wednesday-Saturday, May 16-19, at Embry-Riddle’s Sliwa Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla.
 
Despite being picked to finish third in the Northern Division this season, Coppin State will come into the tournament as the division’s top seed after going 18-4 in MEAC play. This marks the Eagles’ first Northern Division regular-season title since 1996, and Coppin State’s first tournament appearance since 2016.
 
Norfolk State, which had won the Northern Division each of the last three seasons before 2018, will be the North’s No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament after going 13-10 in conference play.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore used a late-season push to make the tournament for the second straight season, sweeping rival Delaware State on May 4-5 to clinch the division’s last spot.
 
In the Southern Division, North Carolina A&T State claimed the top spot this past weekend by taking two out of three games from Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Fla. – including a 25-15 win on Saturday in the regular-season finale. The Aggies, who went 16-8 in MEAC play, won five of six games this season against the Rattlers.
 
FAMU went 15-9 in MEAC play this season to take the No. 2 seed, and Bethune-Cookman – the two-time defending MEAC champion – will be the Southern Division’s No. 3 seed after going 14-10 in conference.
 
Only the top three teams in each division compete in the double-elimination tournament. Delaware State out of the Northern Division, as well as North Carolina Central and Savannah State out of the Southern Division, were eliminated.
 
The 2018 MEAC Baseball Championship will begin on Wednesday at 12 p.m. with South No. 2 Florida A&M taking on North No. 3 Maryland Eastern Shore. That will be followed at 3:30 p.m. by a game pitting North No. 2 Norfolk State and South No. 3 Bethune-Cookman.
 
The losers of those two games will square off at 7 p.m. in an elimination game. Wednesday’s winners will advance to Thursday to take on the top seeds, both of which earned byes and will not play on Wednesday.
 
Thursday and Friday will also feature three games each at 12 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday’s championship game will begin at 1 p.m., with an if-necessary game taking place later that afternoon should the team out of the elimination bracket win the first game.
 
The tournament champion will earn the MEAC’s automatic bid to the 2018 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which will begin with regional play. The selection show will air on Monday, May 28 at 12 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
Tickets to the 2018 MEAC Baseball Championship are $7 per day or $20 for all four days. Visit www.BCUathletics.com for more ticket information.

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Legendary Houston-area coach Ronnie Courtney to retire

Ronnie Courtney, best known for back-to-back state titles at Willowridge and coaching Texas Southern, is retiring – hard to believe, even for those close to him.

HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston is a hotbed for basketball talent at the high school level and that includes the coaches.

This past season was the final one for a man who has done and seen it all.

Ronnie Courtney, best known for back-to-back state titles at Willowridge and coaching Texas Southern, is retiring – hard to believe, even for those close to him.

For 37 years, Courtney has grown accustomed to the sounds of the hardwood as a coach. But the atmosphere of exciting high school basketball will soon be a thing of the past.

Still, it’s a coaching career that’s hard to forget.

“It’s been a rewarding career, one that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world,” Courtney says.

“I just can’t think of anything else at this level that I can do that says, ‘come back and keep doing it.’”

He finishes with 545 career wins. Courtney was the 2001 National Coach of the Year.

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SWAC Announces 2018 Baseball Postseason Honors

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Kamren Dukes of Texas Southern was voted the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player and Hitter of the Year, as the league announced its 2018 baseball postseason honors on Monday. The honors were voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

Dukes, a Pearland, Texas native, led the SWAC in batting average this season at .394, runs scored (57), and hits (84). The senior also racked up 40 RBIs, which ranked eighth. His 84 hits ranks third nationally.

In conference play, Dukes was fourth in batting average (.448), scored 26 runs, totaled 46 hits and 32 RBIs to help lead the Tigers to a West Division Title. Dukes also has an active streak of 34 straight games with a hit.

Aaron Solis of Texas Southern was voted the Pitcher of the Year. The senior and League City, Texas native had a 1.99 ERA, and a 7-1 record in SWAC play this season. Solis had an 8-3 record overall, which included three complete games.

Jose Tirado of Jackson State was voted the Relief Pitcher of the Year. Tirado finished the regular season with a 2.78 ERA, which ranked first on the Tigers. The senior from San Juan, Puerto Rico also led Jackson State in opposing batting average (.170), saves (13) and was second on the team in strikeouts (67). The 13 saves also ranked first in the SWAC.

Raul Hernandez from Jackson State was voted the Newcomer of the Year. The junior from Cidra, Puerto Rico was third in the league in batting average (.384) fifth in slugging percentage (.579), third in hits (.73) and fifth in RBIs (46). In SWAC play, Hernandez ranked tied for third in RBIs (32) and fifth in hits (40).

Nikelle Galatas of Jackson State was voted the league’s Freshman of the Year. Galatas was fourth on the Tigers with a 4.27 ERA. The Ladera Heights, Calif. native was second on the team with nine wins, and pitched the second-most innings (86.1). He also struck out 53 batters this season.

Alabama State head coach Jose Vazquez was voted the Coach of the Year. In just his second season at the helm of the Hornets baseball program, Vazquez led Alabama State to an 18-6 record in SWAC play (27-20 overall) and an East Division title.

Jackson State earned the most All-SWAC selections with seven players. Grambling State had the second-most players with six players voted All-SWAC, and Texas Southern earned five all-conference selections.

Alabama State had four players receive All-SWAC recognition and Arkansas Pine Bluff and Alcorn State each had one player earn All-SWAC honors.

The entire All-Conference honors are below.

Individual Awards

Player of the Year
Kamren Dukes (Texas Southern)

Pitcher of the Year
Aaron Solis (Texas Southern)

Relief Pitcher of the Year
Jose Tirado (Jackson State)

Hitter of the Year
Kamren Dukes (Texas Southern)

Newcomer of the Year
Raul Hernandez (Jackson State)

Freshman of the Year
Nickelle Galatas (Jackson State)

Coach of the Year
Jose Vazques (Alabama State)

First Team All-SWAC

C – Stephan Vidal (Jackson State)

1B – Christian Sanchez (Texas Southern)

2B – Gaudencio Lucca (Texas Southern)

3B – Ray Hernandez (Alabama State)

SS- Marshawn Taylor (Grambling State)

DH- Richard Ortiz (Grambling State)

OF – Kamren Dukes (Texas Southern)

OF – Joseph Estrada (Alabama State)

OF – Isaiah Torres (Grambling State)

SP – Aaron Solis (Texas Southern)

SP – Darrius Wright (Alabama State)

RP – Jose Tirado (Jackson State)

Second Team All-SWAC

C – Hunter Allen (Alabama State)

1B – Rafael Ramirez (Grambling State)

2B – Wesley Reyes (Jackson State)

3B – Jesus Santana (Jackson State)

SS - Horance LeBlanc (Texas Southern)

DH – Robert Perteet (Jackson State)

OF – Lamar Briggs (Jackson State)

OF – Sergio Esparza (Arkansas Pine Bluff)

OF – Desmond Chumley (Jackson State)

SP – Raul Baduel (Grambling State)

SP – Carlos Lopez (Alcorn State)

RP – Daniel Beizer (Grambling State)

SWAC MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Prairie View A&M wins first softball title in 20 years

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Prairie View A&M ended a 20-year title drought, besting Alabama State 5-3 and 4-3 to win the 2018 Southwestern Athletic Conference Softball Tournament championship.

Down 3-0, Prairie View (20-21) rallied in the bottom of the fifth, as Keona Hunter was plunked and Destinee Williams managed a single. After a sac bunt moved both into scoring position, Alyssa Garcia ripped a single to left to score Hunter. SWAC Softball Tournament Most Valuable Player Laurisa Hernandez then knotted things up with a RBI single to center that scored D. Williams, and Garcia came home thanks to an error in centerfield.

After a quick 1-2-3 sixth inning compliments of Crystal Castillo, Shelby Williams reached via error and alertly advanced to third after a groundout by Hunter. D. Williams then gave PVAMU the lead with a two-out RBI single to score S. Williams for the go-ahead run. Castillo retired the side to bring the Lady Panthers their first SWAC title since 1998.

A pitcher's duel through three innings, the Lady Hornets used the long ball to jump ahead in the top of the fourth, as Charlene Castro blasted one over the left field wall for the game's first run and Amira James (2-for-3) followed with a two-run shot, prompting Ashley Higgins to come on in relief of starter Vanessa Castro. Higgins was able to work out of a bases-loaded jam to limit the damage.

The Lady Panthers mounted a threat in the bottom of the frame with singles by pinch-hitter Alyssa Garcia and Hernandez. Although ASU starter Justine Jean struck Kylar-Ward Flowers with a pitch to load the bases with no outs, Jean buckled down to retire the side, with two strikeouts sandwiching the end of the rally.

D. Williams and Hernandez each had a pair of hits. Castillo earned her third win of the tournament with 2.0 innings of shut-out ball in relief.

GAME 1 (5-3, PVAMU)
Prairie View fended off a late rally attempt by Alabama State in game one, using a three-run first inning to surge ahead -- during which Hernandez belted a two-run double near the warning track out right, and Ward-Flowers added a RBI single. Alabama State got one back in the second as Kaitlyn Kilner scored on a RBI sac fly by Aimee Felicies.

Prairie View pushed ahead 4-1 with a RBI double by Hernandez, and went ahead 5-1 after Hunter delivered a RBI single that brought home Alexis Freeman.

In the sixth, Casey Durham tried to give the Lady Hornets a jolt with a solo blast over the left field wall, and Alabama State had a chance to win it in its last at-bat. MaKayla Burt drew a walk, and Felicies followed with a single. Vanessa Bradford brought home pinch-runner Marina Clark with a RBI single to right, prompting V. Castro to come in for relief of Prairie View starter Castillo.

V. Castro struck out pinch-hitter Natalia Rivera, and though Kimberlee Owens picked up a single, Hunter managed to gun down a hard-charging Felicies at the plate, with Amanda Ford making the tag to force the sudden-death game.

Kelsey Coronado went 1-for-3 with two runs. Castillo got the win with 6.1 innings of work, allowing five hits and three runs. She struck out three.

The All-Tournament Team is listed below.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
Tiana Sanders, Alabama A&M
Julia Bilbao, Texas Southern
Ta'Lyn Moody, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Jazmine Dukes, Southern
Tevanae Tate, Texas Southern
Justine Jean, Alabama State
Laurisa Hernandez, Prairie View A&M (2018 SWAC Softball Tournament MVP)
Crystal Castillo, Prairie View A&M
Casey Durham, Alabama State
Charlene Castro, Alabama State
Destinee Williams, Prairie View A&M
Kylar Ward-Flowers, Prairie View A&M

PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

‘Howard forever’: At Howard commencement, ‘Black Panther’ star celebrates grads

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Actor Chadwick Boseman, star of the box office smash “Black Panther,” returned to his alma mater Howard University on Saturday to urge its newest graduates to find purpose in their lives and persevere, even amid adversity.

“I don’t know what your future is,” said Boseman, who delivered the main address at the university’s 150th commencement. “But if you’re willing to take the harder way, the more complicated one, the one with more failures at first than successes . . . then you will not regret it.”

[“Black Panther” star returns to Howard]

Boseman, who graduated from Howard in 2000, spoke to hundreds of newly minted graduates and their loved ones, who had gathered on its iconic Yard to celebrate and consider their future.

“Purpose is the essential element of you,” Boseman told the graduates. “It is the reason you are on the planet at this particular time in history. Your very existence is wrapped up in the things you are here to fulfill.

“Whatever you choose for a career path, remember the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose,” he said.

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