5 questions the Tigers must answer

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Five quarterbacks are set to battle this spring for the job held by Casey Therriault, the most prolific QB in JSU history.

The Tigers return 16 of 22 starters but without a capable QB JSU might find itself reliving the 3-7 season of 2009. Long-time backup Dedric McDonald, junior Mark Thigpen, sophomore Tevin Chapman and walk-ons Drew Jackson and Termarcus Conner (East Mississippi CC transfer) will vie for the gig. Come fall practice, Lamontiez Ivy, a three-star rated signee from Illinois is expected to join the mix.

Who is the starting QB?

The Air Raid is expected to make its return to JSU for Year 3 but this year it will be without offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson, who brought the offense to Jackson in 2010 but now coaches at Hampton.

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Grambling women's basketball coach Donnita Rogers let go

GRAMBLING, Louisiana -- Grambling State women's basketball coach Donnita Rogers has been let go, which was confirmed by GSU spokeswoman Debra Johnson. Johnson didn't comment when asked about details of Rogers' dismissal.

Rogers coached four years at Grambling, finishing the 2011-12 season with a 15-15 record and 10-8 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (sixth in the league. Grambling had winning records in the SWAC for the last three seasons under Rogers, going 10-8 in both 2010-11 and 2009-10.

Rogers overall record over four seasons was 51-67, 36-36 in the SWAC. In the four previous seasons before Rogers, Grambling posted a 41-75 mark and a 28-43 conference record.

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B-CU's QB Matt Johnson signs with Saskatchewan Roughriders

QB MATT JOHNSON

Regina, Saskatchewan Canada -- The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced today that they have agreed to terms with import quarterbacks Levi Brown and Matt Johnson. Financial details were not released.

Johnson (5’9 – 168 lbs) appeared in 32 games over four seasons at Bethune-Cookman throwing for a total of 3,283 yards on 243 completions as well as 18 TD’s. As a senior, Johnson led the Wildcats to a program-best 10-2 record and a share of the 2010 MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Championship.

The 2010 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference in total offense (2,753 total yards) and completion percentage (65.1%). He also ranked second in the MEAC and FCS in passing efficiency (152.5) and sixth in the MEAC in scoring touchdowns (20). The 24-year-old signed as a free agent with the B.C. Lions in 2011 and went on to attend training camp with the team.

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Wiley on field as S.C. State begins spring practice

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The start of spring offered plenty of excitement for the South Carolina State football team Tuesday night at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

It was evident in the eyes and actions of quarterback Derrick Wiley. For the first time since tearing his meniscus five months ago, the rising senior was running, throwing and making plays on the field again.

“I’m happy to be back,” Wiley said. “For the first time, I’m excited. Very excited. Right now, I’m back at Square One. Taking mental reps. Taking it one day at a time with the knee. I’m still rehabbing. So I’m looking to move forward.”

Bulldogs’ head coach Buddy Pough also sensed a high level of enthusiasm despite coming off a 2011 in which his team failed to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and reach the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs for the first time in four years.

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Five questions facing the Bulldogs as spring practice begins

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina - The arrival of spring today ushers in the return of football in Orangeburg at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.

At 8 p.m. tonight, South Carolina State will hold the first of 15 spring practice in preparation for the 2012 season. Coming off a 7-4 season and a second-place finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Norfolk State, the Bulldogs look to rebound from a season marked by inconsistency, injuries and an influx of new talent.

“We want to work hard this spring to get better and smarter,” S.C. State head football coach Buddy Pough said. “A big part of this spring will be improving our short-yardage and goal-line offense. We need to figure out how to get our fullbacks and tight ends going, get them more involved in our offense.

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ASU Hornets step up to the Challenge

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Alabama State officials have not finalized the Hornets’ 2012 football schedule, but they have contracted to play the season opener against Bethune-Cookman in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge on Labor Day weekend.

ASU athletic director Stacy Danley and Southwestern Athletic Conference commissioner Duer Sharp had discussed the possibility of the Hornets playing in the Sept. 2 game, but continued to explore options with several Football Bowl Subdivision teams while awaiting a deal.

Now the signed contract with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference power Bethune-Cookman and a nine-game conference schedule leaves only the 11th game open. Alabama State and Tuskegee officials continue to negotiate details of a renewal of the Turkey Day Classic.

While at least four SWAC schools will use their open date to play FBS schools, the Hornets finally opted for...

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VISIT: www.meacswacchallenge.com.

WSSU Announces Restructuring of Athletics Program

March 21, 2012

Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) today announced that it was restructuring its athletics program as part of its strategic plan to be more competitive at a national level.

“We are more aggressively striving to elevate our sports programs to a higher level of regional and national success,” said Bill Hayes, athletics director. “We cannot, however, develop and sustain a consistently high caliber program within our current budget. Therefore, we have made the decision to reallocate funds currently supporting three of our athletic teams to provide more financial support for our remaining program.”

Effective August 2012, WSSU will eliminate its men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, and men’s golf teams. The change will impact one coach and 13 scholarship-supported student-athletes.

“The university will request that the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) provide a waiver to the effected students that would enable them transfer to other conferences without facing any penalties,” Hayes said. “In addition to supporting students who want to find a new sports home, we have committed to providing financial support to any of the students who stay with us for the next academic year.”

Even with the reduction of the three teams, WSSU athletics will still be above the minimum number of sports required for NCAA Division II and CIAA membership. The elimination of these men’s teams will also improve the gender equity of the overall program.

“We have been trying to support 16 sports when the NCAA only requires that we field 10 teams,” Hayes explained. “If we want to be a DII national contender, then we need to focus our efforts on getting better at the things we do best.”

We believe that we can be successful at a higher level both regionally and nationally if we have fewer teams. Our recent performances have proven that we can compete on a regional basis in women’s track and field, women and men’s tennis, softball, volleyball and baseball. We also have begun to show that we can compete at the national level in DII football and, with additional resources, we believe we can strengthen that position and also improve our standing in women’s and men’s basketball as well as in the other sports.

“While this was a difficult decision because it does affect our students and our staff, the vision for Rams athletics continues to be to create and preserve an elite DII athletics program,” Hayes continued. “The additional resources that this restructuring will provide can make a difference in our ability to recruit the additional talent we need for our football and basketball teams. We also are focusing on additional fundraising efforts to support our efforts to renovate facilities, upgrade equipment and, most importantly, to see that our student-athletes meet our academic goals as well.”

By Kevin Manns

Assistant AD for Media Relations/Communications

Winston-Salem State University

VISIT: WSSURAMS.COM

Shaw downs Pittsburg State to advance

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Shaw battled back from an eight-point deficit in the second half to down Pittsburg State 61-58 and advance to the NCAA Division II semifinals for the second consecutive year in a game played Tuesday night at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary’s University.

The Lady Bears outscored the Gorillas 9-1 midway through the second half, and battled to build and hold onto a small lead as PSU found a hot shooting touch from beyond the arc.

Shaw (27-6) advances to the national semifinal where they will take on Rollins. Last season, the Lady Bears lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Clayton State 63-46. Pittsburg State finishes its season with a 27-6 mark.

The Lady Bears shot only 29 percent on the evening, but held the Gorillas to 35.1 percent and forced 20 PSU turnovers, compared to only 12 for Shaw. The Lady Bears scored 17 points off the miscues.

“Sometimes you have to win ugly,” said Shaw head coach Jacques Curtis. “This was the type of game we expected. At this level, everyone can play. This was two teams battling it out and not wanting to go home. Our girls just found a way to win.”

Shaw’s defense carried the game, holding the normally high-powered PSU offense – which averages 71.6 points per game – to only 58.

“Defense is our image,” said Shaw senior Kyria Buford. “I’m not the best at defense, but I do what I can. We do well in either 2-3 [zone] or man-to-man.”

The Lady Bears ran the risk of losing the game in the first half, trailing the Gorillas by eight, 27-19, with 2:39 remaining on the first half clock. Sparked both by five points from Aslea Williams and a defensive effort by Shaw substitute Shemieka Brown, the Lady Bears scored nine in a row to close out the half and take a one-point lead into the locker room.

Box Score Highlights

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Bordewick, Gorillas ousted by Shaw Lady Bears

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The best season in Pittsburg State women's history came to a disappointing end Tuesday night.

Despite a team-high 16 points from Topeka native Alexa Bordewick, the Gorillas dropped a 61-58 decision to Shaw in the Elite Eight at Bill Greehey Arena on the campus of St. Mary's University.

Aslea Williams scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Shaw (27-6) advanced to a national semifinal game against Rollins. Kyria Buford added 13 points for the Bears.

Shaw won despite shooting only 29 percent and trailing by eight with less than 13 minutes to play. The Bears relied on a strong defensive effort that forced 20 Pitt State turnovers and limited the Gorillas to 35 percent shooting.

"Sometimes you have to win ugly," Shaw coach Jacques Curtis said.

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TSU Netters Host Pair of Midweek Matches

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State University's men's and women's tennis teams continue a three-match homestand with contests against Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday and Western Kentucky on Thursday afternoon at the TSU Tennis Complex.

Tuesday's Ohio Valley Conference match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first serve, while Thursday's non-conference tilt is tabled for 3 p.m.

The netters dropped a season opener to Morehead State, as the men (0-1, 0-1 OVC) fell 5-0 and the women (0-1, 1-0 OVC) 4-0 to the Eagles.

Eastern Kentucky's men enter Tuesday's match with an 11-6 record (1-0 OVC), but fell last weekend to No. 7 Virginia, 7-0. Before that, EKU had won four straight including a 4-3 decision over Jacksonville State.

The Colonels women (8-5, 1-0 OVC) have dropped four of their last seven decisions. On March 11, EKU snagged a 7-0 shutout at Jacksonville State.

The Western Kentucky men are 4-6 this season victories in four out of their last five contests. The Hilltoppers knocked off Alabama A&M 6-1 on March 9 and return to the court for the first time in nearly two weeks.

WKU's women are off to a 7-3 record with wins in seven out of the last eight matches. WKU has won three straight with victories over North Alabama, Alabama-Huntsville and Alabama A&M.

After the conclusion of Thursday's match, the Tigers hit the road for a pair of matches at SIUE and Eastern Illinois. Results of this week's midweek matchups will be posted online at TSUTigers.com.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Gold Nuggets return to top 25, lose to UCO; Rush still 9th

NEW ORLEANS — Central Oklahoma defeated Xavier University of Louisiana 7-2 Tuesday in a women's dual match at City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center.

The Gold Nuggets (3-15) climbed to 24th in the NAIA coaches poll earlier in the day. Central Oklahoma (8-4) is ranked 42nd in NCAA Division II.

XU sophomores Kourtney Howell and Nicole DeLoach defeated Rose Cabato and Anto Rossini 8-6 at No. 2 doubles, and freshman Amanda Materre — winning for the ninth time in her past 11 singles matches — beat Julia Shviadok 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2.

Howell, despite two match points in the super-tiebreaker, lost 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (11-9) to Elizabeta Abramovic at No. 1 singles.

The Gold Nuggets — aided by a 5-2 road victory against then-No. 21 Belhaven and a 5-4 loss to No. 18 Martin Methodist — are in the top 25 for the first time since March 8, 2011. They dropped out of the ensuing poll to end a streak of 44 consecutive top-25 appearances. Nine of the Nuggets' losses this season are to NCAA Division I opponents.

Both XU teams will play their final home duals of the season at 4 p.m., Saturday against Auburn Montgomery at the University of New Orleans Tennis Center. AUM's women are No. 1 in the NAIA, and the men are fifth. Xavier's men (10-3) remained ninth in the poll. It's the sixth straight time and the ninth time in the past 10 polls that the Gold Rush are in the top 10.

NAIA Men's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

 Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Fresno Pacific (11) 14-1 281 1

2 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 10-1 272 2

3 Oklahoma Christian 6-2 260 3

4 Azusa Pacific 11-1 256 4

5 Auburn Montgomery 7-6 243 5

6 Vanguard 7-4 238 6

7 Point Loma Nazarene 7-4 227 8

8 Concordia (Calif.) 4-3 214 11

9 Xavier 10-3 210 9
10 Westmont 2-4 197 7

11 William Carey 5-2 192 13

12 Lindsey Wilson 10-4 187 12

13 Aquinas 10-1 169 14

14 Bethany (Kan.) 6-3 161 15

15 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 158 17

16 Cumberland 5-0 144 RV

17 Belhaven 8-2 121 25

18 Warner 8-2 115 16

19 Campbellsville 4-4 113 22

20 Martin Methodist 4-3 105 24

21 Our Lady of the Lake 3-4 102 RV

22 Shorter 7-8 94 10

23 Webber International 11-5 85 18

24 Lewis-Clark State 5-6 69 19

25 Northwestern Ohio 10-3 59 RV

Others receiving votes: Pikeville 56, McPherson 36, Northwood (Fla.) 34, Spring Arbor 34, Tennessee Wesleyan 22, Roberts Wesleyan 12, Biola 11, Asbury 4, Mobile 3, St. Thomas (Fla.) 3, Cumberlands 1, Missouri Valley 1, Taylor 1.

NAIA Women's Tennis Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, March 18)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Auburn Montgomery (11) 12-1 281 1

2 Fresno Pacific 12-3 272 2

3 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) 11-1 263 3

4 Oklahoma Christian 5-0 254 4

5 Azusa Pacific 10-1 245 5

6 Point Loma Nazarene 8-3 236 6

7 Brenau 6-3 227 7

8 Concordia (Calif.) 6-3 218 8

9 William Carey 6-5 204 10

10 Southern Nazarene 1-2 203 9

11 SCAD Savannah 2-2 184 11

12 Lindsey Wilson 8-2 179 14

13 Shorter 14-4 178 15

14 Lewis-Clark State 4-10 164 16

15 Vanguard 4-6 156 12

16 Lee (Tenn.) 5-1 148 13

17 Indiana Wesleyan 14-0 139 17

18 Martin Methodist 4-3 125 18

19 St. Thomas (Fla.) 2-2 110 20

20 Campbellsville 4-3 104 22

21-tie Westmont 3-6 80 RV

21-tie Oklahoma Baptist 4-3 80 RV

23 Marian (Ind.) 18-4 77 25

24 Xavier 3-14 74 RV

25 Davenport 13-5 73 24

Others receiving votes: Belhaven 69, Webber International 57, SCAD Atlanta 38, Indiana Southeast 33, Bethel (Kan.) 27, Taylor 8, Northwood (Fla.) 8;, Northwestern Ohio 5, The Master's 3, Cumberlands 1, Milligan 1, Nebraska Wesleyan 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU alum, presidential appointee to speak at awards banquet

Youshea Berry

Call (504) 520-7329 to purchase tickets by March 26

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will honor its student-athletes next month at its annual awards banquet. XU alum and presidential appointee Youshea Berry will be the guest speaker.

The banquet will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 20 in the University Center ballroom (third floor). Driving directions to the University Center can be found online by using 4915 Drexel Drive and the 70125 zip code as the destination.

A limited number of tickets are available to fans and parents for $25 each. Call (504) 520-7329 by Monday (March 26) to reserve tickets.

Berry was a women's cross country runner and a women's basketball manager/trainer for Xavier before graduating in 1998. She was appointed in 2011 by President Obama to the Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development. A graduate of Emory University School of Law, she started her own law firm in Washington, D.C., and has served as legislative counsel for Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. In 2008 she received the American Bar Association's National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, and she completed her first marathon in 2009.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

Grambling reassigns head coaches for basketball

GRAMBLING, Louisiana — A Grambling State athletics spokeswoman says men’s basketball coach Bobby Washington and women’s coach Donnita Rogers have been “reassigned” within the university and relieved of their coaching duties.

La’Monica Scott says a formal announcement has yet to be made and she could not immediately provide further details on Grambling’s decision.

The men’s team went 4-24 this season, playing under a postseason ban and with a reduction in scholarships because of poor scores on the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rates report. Teams have low APR scores when their players have low grades or leave school early in poor academic standing.

The women’s team was 15-15, including a 10-8 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

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NCAA Division II Elite Eight Final: Shaw 61, Pittsburg State 58

SAN ANTONIO, Texas  -  The #2 seed Shaw University Lady Bears moved on to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals with a thrilling three point victory over the #3 seed Pittsburg State University (KS) Gorillas, tonight.  The Lady Bears made enough clutch free throws in the final minute to secure the berth by a score of 61-58.

Shaw will face the winner of tonight's final game between #4 seed Lander University Lady Bearcats (Greenwood,SC) and #1 seed Rollins College Tars (Winter Park, FL). 

The Lady Bears next game is Wednesday, March 21, at 3:30 p.m.  Fans can watch the games live at NCAA.com or Click here.

In the other brackets, #1 seed Bentley University Falcons knocked off Wayne State (NE) by a final score of 72-67.  Bentley will face #1 seed Ashland University Eagles (OH), a 71-51 winner over the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves.

The championship game is scheduled for Friday, March 23, at 8:00 p.m. EDT and can be viewed at NCAA.com.

More to follow later...

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Players showcase skills at Pro Day

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Thirty or so former college football players had what amounted to final job interviews Monday morning — various drills in front of scouts from nearly every NFL team during Pro Day at Wake Forest.

"You can't hold back now," said running back Nic Cooper, one of five players from Winston-Salem State who went through the nearly four-hour session. "My main thing is to do my best and hopefully the scouts see what I can do, and if it happens, it happens."



Wake Forest had several players take part, including wide receiver Chris Givens, who didn't go through all of the drills but did catch passes and run routes. "This is another opportunity to showcase my skills," Givens said. "This is the next chapter in my life. I'm ready to take it on and go from here. I want to continue to work hard, put God first, and let the rest take care of itself."

Defensive back C.J. Washington, who played three seasons at Wake Forest and his final season at WSSU, is undersized for the NFL at 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, but he posted one of Monday's fastest 40-yard dash times.

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PSU gears up to play Shaw Lady Bears in the Elite Eight

WATCH ALL DIVISION II ELITE EIGHT GAMES LIVE AT NCAA.COM (CLICK HERE

All Games are played at posted  Eastern Daylight Time at Bill Greehey Arena, San Antonio, Texas.

Bentley University (MA) vs. Wayne State University (NE)  1:00 pm

Ashland University (OH) vs. University of Alaska-Anchorage 3:30 p.m.
Pittsburg State University (KS) vs. Shaw University (NC) 7:00 p.m.
Lander University (SC) vs. Rollins College (FL) 9:30 p.m.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Pittsburg State (Ks.) women’s basketball team started its season in the South Central Regional Challenge hosted by St. Mary’s and now it will end its season on the same floor as eight teams begin their quest for the National Championship Game on Friday.

“We’re excited,” Pitt State head coach Lane Lord said. “I know the community’s excited. We started our season in San Antonio about five months ago when we played St. Mary’s, host school of this national tournament, and Tarleton State. Here we are five months later at the same exact gym.”

Pitt State (27-5) defeated No. 20 Tarleton State and St. Mary’s its opening weekend, 76-64 and 61-56. Brooke Conley scored a game-high 25 points against Tarleton and Lizzy Jeronimus added 15 in her collegiate debut. Larissa Richards paced the Gorillas with 19 points against the Rattlers of St. Mary’s.

Players and coaches discovered Bill Greehey Arena would be hosting the national championship and it became a conversational piece for the Gorillas.

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VISIT: PITTSTATEGORILLAS.COM
VISIT: SHAWBEARS.COM 

NSU’s success resonates with ECSU

ELIZABETH CITY, North Carolina - Even though Elizabeth City State was not playing in the NCAA basketball tournament, the Vikings got a boost when the CBS broadcast team mentioned ECSU.

Early in Norfolk State’s loss to Florida in the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament Sunday, Craig Sager brought up its November defeat by the Division II Vikings, a game in which the Spartans committed 34 turnovers.

“Yesterday, I got about 50 calls saying, ‘They’re talking about you on CBS,’” said ECSU coach Shawn Walker, whose team beat Norfolk State 69-57 in Norfolk on Nov. 30.

“That made me feel good,” said ECSU junior guard Quintin Spady, a Norfolk native.

The exposure Norfolk State received after upsetting second-seeded Missouri on Friday in the second round of the NCAA tournament also shined the light on the Vikings. And Walker, who is currently on a recruiting trip, will definitely ...

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NSU Spartans should benefit from NCAA exposure

OMAHA, Nebraska -- First came the winning, then the attention. For Norfolk State, the goal now is to capitalize on the national exposure that the school received when its basketball team became just one of six No. 15 seeds to win at the NCAA tournament.

"There are many benefits from that — like increased enrollment, increased positive image and a higher profile," said NSU's president, Dr. Tony Atwater. "I think all those things were positive returns from the season."



For a school that has lived in the shadow of nearby Old Dominion, and, to a lesser extent, MEAC rival Hampton, it's an opportunity for the Spartans to forge their own identity. NSU has competed in Division I men's basketball for only the past 15 years, having moved out of the CIAA, which it dominated, to try to find its way in the MEAC.

Recruiting has been hard for the school, which has a roster stocked with transfers and players from the New York City area. Coach Anthony Evans hopes he'll be able to lure more home-grown talent.

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­­Spring Football Update: TSU Takes Day 2 in Shells

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Tennessee State football concluded its' second day of spring practice on Monday evening as the Tigers dressed in shells.

It was an usually warm 80 degrees on the official last day of winter as TSU Coach Rod Reed saw room for improvement after his squad's 20-plus period practice on Monday.

"I was a little disappointed in the way we came out in our tempo," said Reed. "On the first day, guys came out fired up. We came out today and dragged around a little bit. That generally happens when you go into pads and it is warm."

There was some noticeable improvement from the big guys in the trenches, while others had a few miscues.



"I think we are seeing a lot of improvement in our offensive and defensive line play," Reed noted. "We had a lot of dropped balls by our wide receivers, some misreads from our quarterbacks and dropped coverages from our linebackers. Those are things that we've got to straighten out."

Despite some of the miscues, Reed is optimistic about the team's improvement later this week.

"In some of those positions, especially linebackers, we are extremely young," said Reed. "It's going to take some time to get those guys come around a little bit. They are a work in progress. The good thing about practice is you have it on tape and can take a look at it tomorrow."

The Tigers went full contact on Monday, just one of 12 days TSU is allowed per NCAA rules. TSU dresses in full pads for practice on Wednesday.

TSU hosts its annual pro day Friday, which is closed to the public. A scrimmage is slated for Saturday with a 10 a.m. start time. All practices and scrimmages are free and open to the public.

UPCOMING SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, March 21 - 4 p.m.
Friday, March 23 - Pro Day (closed to the public)
Saturday, March 24 - Scrimmage - 10 a.m.
Monday, March 26 - 4 p.m.

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

SU, LSU baseball game moved to Tuesday at 5 p.m

BATON ROUGE, La. – Due to projected severe storms in the Baton Rouge area, Southern University's baseball game at LSU has been moved from Wednesday night to Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Alex Box Stadium, LSU announced Monday morning.

The weather forecast on Wednesday calls for significant storm activity prompting LSU officials to move the game to give the teams the best chance to play.

Southern (8-10) avoided consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference series sweeps with a 7-1 victory over Prairie View A&M at Lee-Hines Field Sunday. Southern snapped a 7-game losing streak that dating back to a 9-3 loss to Northwestern State in the 2012 home-opener.

Meanwhile, No. 10 LSU (16-4) opened SEC play taking 2-of-3 from Mississippi State this past weekend but fell 7-1 to the Bulldogs on Sunday. LSU, which is 14-4 at home, has already claimed two wins of SWAC opponents this season, demolishing Alcorn State 19-0 and outscoring Grambling 17-10.

Live Stats for Tuesday's game are also available at lsusports.net.

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Grambling State Baseball Upset No. 5 Ranked Rice Owls

HOUSTON, Texas - Grambling State jumped on the scoreboard for three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and hung-on for a 5-4 upset victory over the nationally-ranked Rice baseball team Sunday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.

The Tigers took advantage of two Rice fielding errors, and made the most of two free baserunners in their first time up.

Chris Wolfe led off the game and reached on an Owl fielding error and both of the next two batters, Joe Gill Jr. and Darren Farmer were both hit by a pitch on consecutive pitches. Cleanup batter Thomas Brown III reached on another fielding error that allowed Wolfe to score with the bases still loaded. Gill Jr. scored a ground out to the right side and Farmer then came home on a passed ball. Grambling was in front 3-0 without recording a base hit in the inning.

Rice answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Michael Ratterree walked and Michael Fuda reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on first and second base. Ratterree scored on a single to right-center by Jeremy Rathjen. Fuda went to third on a single by Craig Manuel and scored on Shane Hoelscher's sacrifice fly that made it 3-2.

"We had a very poor start that put us behind the eight-ball, but after we got those to runs back I thought we can still get ourselves back on track," said Rice head coach Wayne Graham. "We were able to hit the ball, but it was right at people and they made plays. They made plays because they are a good team. You can't give any team any runs, which is exactly what we did today in the first inning."

Grambling extended its lead in the top of the fifth. Wolfe led off with a single and a one-out walk to Farmer put runners on first and second. Brown III singled-home Wolfe and Farmer later scored on a base hit by Brian Knuckles to stretch the Tiger lead to three, 5-2.

Rice freshman pitcher Jordan Stephens entered the game out of the bullpen in the fifth and kept the Tigers in check while the Owls tried to battle their way back. Stephens finished the day with another 4.1 shutout innings, giving him a total of 18.0-consecutive scoreless innings dating back to a March 4 start against Tennessee in the finale of the annual College Classic held at Minute Maid Park.

The Blue & Gray rallied for a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Christian Stringer hit safely to right and advanced into scoring position on a balk. He hustled home on Ratteree's single through the left side that made the score 5-3.

Rathjen led off the bottom of the eighth with a double into the left field corner. He went to third on a ground out and scored on Hoelscher's second sacrifice fly of the game that cut it to one, 5-4.

Grambling starter Richard Bautista worked eight innings, but the Tigers went to Zach Moreau out of the bullpen for the start of the ninth. Moreau retired the Owls in order to preserve a win for Bautista (2-0) and notch his third save of the season. The Tigers improved to 11-7 on the year. Rice fell to 15-6 overall.

"Their starter went out and threw a lot of strikes," coach Graham added. "We struck out only two times today, but we could have had some better at bats in some specific situations. Some of the other areas where we needed more attention to details were important to the outcome today. We didn't win the game today, but we have a chance to be better now by learning from it. I think we learned something."

The Owls closed-out the weekend series with Grambling, but Rice still has two more games in its current homestand. Rice next hosts state rivals Texas-San Antonio and Lamar on March 20-21 (Tues.-Wed.) respectively. The start times for both home games is set for 6:30 pm at Reckling Park.

BOX SCORE 

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Rice Defeats Grambling State 12-1 Saturday At Reckling Park

HOUSTON, Texas -- Rice senior pitcher Matthew Reckling struck out a career-high 13 batters while his teammates on offense collected 17 hits, including five for extra bases, as the No. 5 ranked Owls baseball team coasted to a 12-1 victory over visiting Grambling State Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.

Reckling's 13 strikeouts was the most by an Owl pitcher since Ryan Berry struck out 13 in a home game against Southern Miss in 2008. Reckling struck out the side twice in the game and fanned six-of-eight Grambling hitters in one stretch. The Houston native didn't allow the Tigers a hit in the game until the top of the sixth inning. He left with a 10-1 lead after 6.0 innings having allowed just one run on three singles and two walks to improve to 3-0 on the year.

"Matthew had wonderful stuff today," said Rice head coach Wayne Graham. "He was throwing hard, getting up to 93 (mph), and his curveball is always one of the best in college baseball if not the best. We had a lot of good at bats. Today we did a better of job of paying attention to details in every phase of the game. We have to be on top of our game every pitch."

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COURTESY RICEOWLS.COM

SCSU Track Teams Record 12 Top Tens at Shamrock Invitational

MYRTLE BEACH, South Carolina – The SC State track and field teams recorded twelve (12) top ten finishes, eight by the men, during the three-day (Mar. 15-17) Shamrock Invitational hosted by Coastal Carolina at Doug Shaw Stadium. Over 50 squads from colleges and universities across the nation participated in the annual event.

The SC State women's 4x100 meter relay team of Yazmin Hicks, Alexandria Jones, Antavia Owens and Keziah Brown recorded the school's only first, completing the course in a time of 46.16, ahead of Liberty, the runner-up. The Lady Bulldogs also got two individual top ten finishes from Jones, who was third in the 400 meters in a time of 54.6, and ninth in the 200 meters in a clocking of 24.3, and a ninth-place finish from Yazmin Hicks in the 100 meters in a time of 12.03.

Recording top ten finishes for the SC State men were Seymour Walter, second in the 800 meters (1:51.64), Donta Young, third in the 110-meter hurdles (14.27), Xavier Molette, fourth in the discus with a throw of 4.35m (158-07 ft.), Noel Facey, fifth in the shot put with a toss of 16.27m (53-04.50 ft.), Lorenzo Johnson, ninth in the pole vault with a leap of 4.00m (13-01.50 t.), Zackary Hasty, tenth in the 100 meters (10.6), and the 4x100 meter relay team (Young, Marcus Stevens, Hasty and Eric Sparkman), third in a time of 41.18, and the 4x400 meter relay squad (Young, Aaron Worthy, Walter and Brandon Lowery), ninth in a clocking of 3:18.25.

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Norfolk State Wins 2012 Bowling Championship

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Norfolk State University defeated Bethune-Cookman University, 4-0, en route to their first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Bowling Championship title on Sunday afternoon at Gate City Lanes in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The No. 4 Spartans dominated the match winning 177-160, 209-168, 199-185 and 183-171 in Baker play.

No. 6 Bethune-Cookman battled the defending MEAC and NCAA national champion No. 2 Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks during the morning's semifinal match. The Lady Hawks won the first Baker game by one pin to take the 1-0 lead. Bethune-Cookman rallied back and won the next four games to earn their place in the final.

NSU's Thea Aspiras earned Outstanding Tournament Performer honors. "I am so happy I made it this far with my team, said Aspiras. Our hard work paid off." Aspiras led the Spartans with a 201.5 averaged during the five team games.

2011/12 MEAC BOWING CHAMPIONS
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPARTANS
ROSTER  

Head Coach Wilhemina Harrison of Norfolk State was named Outstanding Coach for the first time in her career. "We talked before we came to the championship about our game plan, explained Harrison. We didn't have a great day the first day but we came back yesterday and stayed positive. We stuck to our game plan today and were able to win.

Joining Aspiras on the All-Tournament Team is Staci Hilliard of Bethune-Cookman, T'Nia Falbo of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State's Jazmyne Hefflefinger, and Lauren Graupmann of Norfolk State.

The MEAC Bowling championship finale will air in a tape-delayed format on Monday, March 26 at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

For more information on MEAC Bowling or other sponsored sports, visit www.meacsports.com.

2012 MEAC All-Tournament Team

Jazyme Hefflefinger, Delaware State University

T'Nia Falbo, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Staci Hilliard, Bethune-Cookman University

Lauren Graupmann, Norfolk State University
Thea Aspiras, Norfolk State University

Outstanding Performer: Thea Aspiras, Norfolk State University
Outstanding Coach: Wilhelmenia Harrison, Norfolk State University

COURTESY MEAC MEDIA RELATIONS

Stillman wins two more games at SIAC Crossover

JASPER, Alabama | The Stillman College women’s softball team got two more wins Friday in the SIAC Crossover — 4-0 over Benedict and 10-2 over Paine.

In the opener, Bailey Braughton opened the Stillman scoring with a home run in the bottom of the first inning. In the fourth, after a Brittney Perry walk and a Chelsea Nix sacrifice bunt, Danielle Hewitt homered for a 3-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Hewitt homered again for the final run.

Stillman’s Ashley Savage earned the complete game victory, throwing 113 pitches, 83 for strikes. She allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out 14 batters, giving her 94 strikeouts thrown on the season. Michelle Gray went 3-for-3 while Gabrielle Quarles and Hewett each had two hits.

Against Paine, the Lady Tigers pushed their win streak to 14 games.

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TSU Tigers Lose to Mercer Bears in Final At Bat

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Tennessee State rallied on three separate occasions only to see the final game of the 2012 Tiger Classic slip away at the end. The Tigers dropped a 6-5 contest to Mercer on Sunday afternoon and fell to 7-15 in the final weekend of non-conference play.

Jennifer Givens would put TSU on the board early with her legs. The junior beat out a bunt to open the game and then needed only one pitch to cross home plate. Givens stole second base and took third as the throw made its way into centerfield. Mercer's Mackenzie Woody attempted to throw Givens out at third, but the ball arrived late, hit the speedster and ricocheted far enough away to scamper home safely.

The Bears picked up a two-out RBI double in the first and an unearned run in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. The Tigers came right back in the top of the fifth inning, once again Givens would cross the plate for the TSU. Givens reached on a fielder's choice as the Mercer defense forced out Tayler Shimizu at second, after she reached on a walk. Givens once again stole second and advanced to third and home as Mercer pitcher Kassie Bailey had problems holding onto the ball during her delivery.

As soon as the Tigers tied the game, the Bears regained the lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Shea Morris surrendered a home run to allow Mercer to take a 3-2 lead into the sixth. But TSU come right back once again in the top of the sixth. With one out, Kate Morris reached base and advanced to second on an errant throw giving the Tigers a runner in scoring position. Savannah Gutierrez took advantage as she drove a ball through the left side of the infield into left center for an RBI double tying the game at 3-3.

Mercer picked up two more unearned runs in the sixth. The Tigers picked up two quick outs before an error gave the Bears some extended life. Mercer recorded back-to-back hits driving in the two runs for a 5-3 lead entering the seventh.

For the third time, TSU came charging back with two runs in the seventh. Kelly Troglin opened the inning with a single and moved to second when Alford was hit by a pitch. After a Jordan Rehl sacrifice bunt, Devin Amar ripped a ball into the left field corner for a double chasing home Troglin and Alford to tie the game at 5-5. A batter latter, Kate Morris singled into left field giving Amar an opportunity to round third and head for home challenging the Mercer defense. The Bears were up to the task and threw out Amar at home.

Mercer put the nail in the coffin in the bottom of the seventh as they took advantage of a hit and two Tiger errors. Tiffany Phillips led off with a single to second and advanced one base on a throwing error. Phillips moved to third on a bunt and set up the final play of the game. Alford backhanded a ball at shortstop and threw home to Amar in time. Phillips slammed on the breaks and headed back to third. Amar chased Phillips, but was not able to connect with Rehl during the run down allowing Phillips to return home for the winning run.

Olivia Gamache fell to 2-3 in a relief appearance where she surrendered just one hit and no earned runs in .2 innings of work. Gamache, who was selected to the All-Tournament team by appearing in all three of TSU's games without allowing an earned run and just one hit, replaced Shea Morris who gave up five runs, two earned, on nine hits with four strike outs.

Troglin and Amar paced the offensive attack with two hits apiece.

The Tigers return to Ohio Valley Conference play on Wednesday, March 21. The doubleheader with Austin Peay is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Tiger Field.

2012 Tiger Classic All-Tournament Team

MVP - McKenzie Woody, Mercer

Kristin Marko, Mercer

Jessica Holsinger, Mercer

Alicia Herron, Ohio State

Taylor Watkins, Ohio State
Vanessa Spears, Ohio State

Jen Sansano, St. Bonaventure

Christine Watson, St. Bonaventure

Olivia Gamache, Tennessee State

Nicole Burr, Mississippi Valley State
Ashley Byers, Belmont

Tournament Champion - Ohio State*
*Run Differential

Tiger Classic - Day 3 Scores
Ohio State 8 St. Bonaventure 2

Belmont 7 Mississippi Valley State 3

Mercer 8 Mississippi Valley State 0 (5)

Mercer 6 Tennessee State 2

Tiger Classic - Day 2 Scores

Mercer 8 St. Bonaventure 0 (5)

Ohio State 15 Belmont 3 (6)
St. Bonaventure 3 Tennessee State 1
Mississippi Valley State 8 Belmont 1
Ohio State vs. Mercer - Cancelled
Tennessee State vs. Mississippi Valley State - Cancelled

Tiger Classic - Day 1 Scores
St. Bonaventure 7 Belmont 1
Ohio State 6 Tennessee State 0

COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Defense shines as Southern holds annual spring game

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- Fighting off linemen, dropping ballcarriers and bum-rushing quarterbacks, Casey Narcisse had already put in a full day’s work.

Then, toward the end of Saturday’s spring football game at Southern University, Narcisse found himself in just the right spot. He had the chance to make the play of the day.

It hit him right in the face.

Narcisse, a defensive tackle who will be a senior this fall, teamed with Delwin Williams on a stunt. As the 5-foot-9, 286-pound Narcisse came out of his loop, he saw Williams tip the pass near the line of scrimmage, sending the football skyward.

“It hit me all in the face mask,” he said. “It was crazy. It was a blessing. ... But I caught it, and I made it into the end zone.”

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Norfolk State's dream turns into nightmare against scary Florida

OMAHA, Nebraska -- This is why we can't have nice things. Well, Florida is why we can't have nice things. Norfolk State from the MEAC was a nice thing, brazenly beating second-seeded Missouri in its first game and then winning us over with two days of charming press conferences, making us dream that these brazen, charming Spartans might become the first No. 15 seed to make it to the Sweet 16.

It was a nice dream. And Norfolk State was a nice thing. But this NCAA tournament will continue without both of them, because Florida is a scary basketball team when it's playing like it played Sunday in the Round of 32.



Which is to say, better than Florida played on Friday in the Round of 64.  And on Friday, Florida beat Virginia by 26 points.

Two minutes into the second half on Sunday, Florida was beating Norfolk State by 31. The final was 84-50, and it shouldn't be dismissed as a prectable SEC blowout against an outmanned team from the MEAC. That victory Friday by Norfolk State against Missouri was no fluke, no matter how ungraciously Mizzou coach Frank Haith tried to spin it afterward.

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