KSU's Jacquise Lockett signs contract to join Redskins

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- Former Kentucky State University Football standout Jacquise Lockett signed a contract as a free agent with the Washington Redskins in the National Football League on Saturday afternoon.

Lockett, a Fulton, KY native, signed a deal with the Washington Redskins about 10 minutes before Louisville's Gerald Christian was drafted as the last pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.

A two time 1st Team All SIAC running back, Lockett has rushed for 2,886 yards and 32 touchdowns in his career. He is the only running back in the SIAC to rush for over 1,000 each of the last two seasons and was the only running back in 2013. Over the past two seasons Lockett has averaged 112 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry for his career.

For his career Lockett has scored 198 points including 32 rushing touchdowns and 1 receiving touchdown. He also was the leading scorer for the Thorobreds the past two seasons.

Last season, Lockett went over the 100-yard mark five times including a 243 yard two touchdown performance against Central State University in the Circle City Classic.

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Kentucky State University Releases 2015 Football Schedule

FRANKFORT, Kentucky -- In the spirit of the Kentucky Derby, The Kentucky State Thorobreds are pleased to announce the 2015 Football Schedule. This year's schedule features several intriguing out of conference match-ups against the MEAC and CIAA, another visit to Lucas Oil Stadium as participants in the Circle City Classic and four home games.

Head Coach Josh Dean, who enters his second season as the head coach, will lead the Thorobreds into action on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 6 p.m. as the Thorobreds visit Hampton University to kick off their 2015 campaign. The Thorobreds will take a second trip to Virginia the following week to battle Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA. The home opener for the Thorobreds will be the second CIAA vs. SIAC battle as Johnson C. Smith University travels to Frankfort, on Sept. 19, 2015 with a 2:00 pm kick-off.

SIAC Conference play begins in week four with the rivalry between Central State and Kentucky State being played out during the Circle City Classic in Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 26.

October begins with a road battle vs. Benedict College in Columbia, SC before the Thorobreds return home to face the Wildcats of Fort Valley State University for homecoming in week six.

For game seven of the season, the Breds will travel to Fairfield, AL to face off against Miles College for their homecoming on Oct. 17th. They will then return home to battle the Golden Tigers of Tuskegee on Oct. 24th.  Lane College will be the Halloween match up for the Breds as they travel to Jackson, TN on Oct. 31 and the season will conclude with a battle against Stillman College on November 7 in Frankfort, KY at 1:00 pm.

Season tickets and Circle City Classic Tickets can be purchased beginning May 11, 2015 by calling the KSU athletics office at (502) 597-6011.

2015 Thorobred Football Schedule:

DATE DAY OPPONENT HOME / AWAY LOCATION TIME
9/5/2015 Saturday Hampton University A Hampton Roads, VA TBD
9/12/2015 Saturday Virginia State University A Petersburg, VA 2:00 pm
9/19/2015 Saturday Johnson C. Smith University H Frankfort, KY 2:00 pm
9/26/2015 Saturday Central State University * %
Circle City Classic N Indianapolis, IN TBD
10/3/2015 Saturday Benedict College * A Columbia, SC TBD
10/10/2015 Saturday Fort Valley State University * # Homecoming H Frankfort, KY 1:30 pm
10/17/2015 Saturday Miles College * A Fairfield, AL TBD
10/24/2015 Saturday Tuskegee University * H Frankfort, KY 1:00 pm
10/31/2015 Saturday Lane College * A Jackson, TN TBD
11/7/2015 Saturday Stillman College * H Frankfort, KY 1:00 pm
11/14/2015 Saturday SIAC Championship N Montgomery, AL TBD

* SIAC Opponent
% Circle City Classic
# Homecoming

COURTESY KENTUCKY STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

NSU's Trice-Hill Rejoins Columbia U. Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff

TRENA TRICE-HILL

NEW YORK, New York -- Trena Trice-Hill has rejoined the Columbia women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant coach in April 2015 head coach Stephanie Glance announced Monday morning. Trice-Hill brings over 10 years of coaching experience and 14 years of professional playing experience to the Lions.

Trice-Hill returns to Morningside Heights after a stint as an assistant coach at Norfolk State University over the past two seasons with prior stops at Virginia Commonwealth, Shaw University, North Carolina State and Hampton University.

Trice-Hill served as an assistant women's basketball coach at VCU for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. She helped guide the Rams women's basketball team to the WNIT both years to set a new program record with four consecutive postseason appearances. She was selected to participate in the 2011 NCAA and BCA Achieving Coaches Excellence (ACE) Program, which helps recognize and develop some of the game’s top assistant coaches.

Following a 14-year professional career in the WNBA and with the Federal International Basketball Association (FIBA), Trice-Hill joined the collegiate coaching ranks as an assistant at Hampton University in 2002. She helped guide the Pirates to back-to-back MEAC titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances before returning to her alma mater North Carolina State for a five-year stint under late Hall of Fame head coach Kay Yow. After her time with the Wolfpack, Trice-Hill accepted an assistant coaching position at Shaw University, where she spent the 2009-10 season.

Trice-Hill has specialized in developing talented post players. She mentored three WNBA Draft selections at NC State in Khadijah Wittington, Gillian Goring and Tiffany Stansbury. At VCU, she coached forward Courtney Hurt, who led the nation in rebounding (13.1 rpg) in 2011-12 and ranked second in double-doubles (23).

Trice-Hill has experienced success at each stage of her basketball career. As a player at NC State, she guided the Wolfpack to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances and ranks among the school’s all-time greats with 1,761 points and 984 rebounds. Trice-Hill also led the Wolfpack to a pair of ACC Tournament titles (1985 and 1987) and an ACC regular season title in 1985. She was named All-ACC all four seasons, including a pair of first team all-league honors, a second team selection and was a member of the All-Freshman team. In addition, she was a two-time ACC All-Tournament selection.

Trice-Hill was a Wade Trophy Finalist in 1986, which honors the nation's best women’s basketball player, and went on to participate in the 1988 Olympic Trials. She is just one of seven players to have her No. 15 jersey retired at NC State and was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team in 2002.

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Trice-Hill graduated with a degree in speech communication from NC State. She is married to Derrick A. Hill and has one daughter, Kiana.

COURTESY COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

GRU Augusta Jags Golf Headed To Chapel Hill For 19th NCAA Regional Appearance

AUGUSTA, Georgia – The No. 49 GRU Augusta men's golf team is headed to the NCAA postseason and will play at the UNC Chapel Hill regional as the eighth seed beginning on Thursday May 14 at the University of North Carolina Finley Golf Course.

Hosted by UNC, the NCAA Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C., will feature a 13-team field. The Jags competed at the UNC Finley Golf Course in their first event this fall Sept. `2-`4 at the Tar Heel Intercollegiate where GRU Augusta placed fourth at even par.

The Jaguars have made 19 NCAA Regional appearances (1993-95, 1998-2005, 2007-2012, and 2014). Last season marked the most recent trip for the Jags in the NCAA Regional when senior Alex Wennstam earned a spot as an individual competitor in 2014. The last time the team traveled for a regional was in 2012

GRU Augusta will be looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for the 14th time in 18 NCAA Regional appearances. The Jags finished in the top 10 in all 10 regular season meets and reached a No. 48 national ranking. The team placed in the top five in six different events, highlighted by a first-place finish at the 2015 MEAC Championship on April 25 to give the jags an automatic qualifying bid.

"We are excited to be participating in the UNC Chapel Hill NCAA Regional," Head Coach Jack O'Keefe said. "The field there is very challenging as are all of the sites, but we were fortunate to have played a preview tournament back in the fall. The guys like the golf course there and we hope to use our experience from the fall tournament to contend for one of the five spots that advance to the NCAA Finals in Bradenton, Florida. I am proud of our guys this year for playing well and earning a berth into the NCAA Regionals. We look forward to the challenge."

Six 54-hole regional tournaments will be conducted May 14-16. Thirteen teams and ten individuals not on those teams will compete at each of three regionals while the other three regionals will have 14 teams and five individuals not on those teams. The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the finals.

The low five teams and low individual (not on those teams) from each of the six regionals advance to the NCAA Men's Golf Championships, taking place May 29-June 3 at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. Golf Channel will air live coverage of the final three days of the NCAA Men's Golf Championships, June 1-3.

View all brackets and selections by clicking here.

NCAA REGIONAL - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA FINLEY GOLF COURSE – CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA

Hosted by University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Teams (seeded in the following order):

1. Florida State University

2. Stanford University [Pac-12 Conference]

3. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

4. Kennesaw State University

5. Wake Forest University

6. Clemson University

7. University of Florida

8. Georgia Regents University [Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference]

9. University of North Carolina, Charlotte

10. McNeese State University

11. Pennsylvania State University

12. Miami University (Ohio) [Mid-American Conference]

13. Loyola University Maryland [Patriot League]


GOLF CHANNEL NCAA MEN'S DIVISION I GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT COVERAGE

Monday, June 1 Final Round, Individual Stroke Play 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET (Live)

Tuesday, June 2 Quarterfinals, Match Play 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET (Live)

Tuesday, June 2 Semifinals, Match Play 3:30 -7:00 p.m. ET (Live)

Wednesday, June 3 Finals, Match Play 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET (Live)

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow GRU Athletics at www.jaguarsroar.com and receive short updates on Facebook at GRU_Jaguars and on Twitter at @GRU_Jaguars.

COURTESY GEORGIA REGENTS UNIVERSITY AUGUSTA ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

NSU Spartans get 1st no-hitter in nearly 20 years

NORFOLK, Virginia -- After coming oh-so-close to no-hitters in his each of his last two starts, Norfolk State sophomore left-hander Devin Hemmerich achieved the elusive feat Sunday in a 6-1 victory over visiting Coppin State in game one of the teams' doubleheader at Marty L. Miller Field. The Spartans won game two by the same 6-1 score to sweep their final MEAC Northern Division series of the season.

Hemmerich (4-3) threw the program's first no-hitter in the Division I era and fifth in school history to help the Spartans (23-13, 19-5 MEAC North) end their conference schedule in style. The Spartans' last no-hitter came on March 12, 1996, when John Coles (five innings) and Matthew Hemmis (one inning) combined to blank St. Paul's in a 39-0, six-inning win. Hemmerich walked the game's lead-off hitter, Colin Dower, who then stole second. Dower took third on a groundout and alertly took off for home when the NSU defense turned its back on him following the putout at first. Dower slid in safely ahead of the throw home to get the Eagles on the board.

CONTINUE READING

Florida A&M Baseball Wins MEAC Southern Division Title with Doubleheader Sweep

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Florida A&M (19-23, 15-9 MEAC) won the MEAC Southern Division title for the first time since 1997 after sweeping North Carolina A&T (9-36, 6-17 MEAC) by scores of 4-2 & 8-3 on Sunday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium. Winning the Division allows FAMU to have a First Round bye in next week’s MEAC Baseball Tournament. The two wins on Sunday helped the Rattlers set a program record with 15 MEAC wins this season after previously setting the record with 14 in 2014. Marlon Gibbs went 4-for-8 with a run scored, while Michael Birdsong was 3-for-6 with three runs scored on the day.

FAMU reliever Kendal Weeks (4-2) worked 3 1/3 innings and allowed just one run on four hits with four strikeouts in game one. Cleveland Westbrook gave up just one unearned run and just one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings for his first save of the season. Game two starter Ryan Anderson (1-3) picked up his first win of the season after allowing just one run on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. Anderson had one strikeout and two walks.

NC A&T had an early scoring opportunity after loading the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch in the first inning. Micah Carmony was hit-by-pitch to load the bases to force an early pitching change as Weeks came in for relief. Weeks would strike out the first two batters he faced as the Aggies stranded the bases full.

The Rattlers jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second inning. With one out, Brian Davis reached on an error by A&T second baseman Milton Rivera and Birdsong singled to right field to place runners on first and second. Jeremy Barlow then followed with a double down the right line to score Davis before Peter Jackson’s sac fly to center plated Birdsong from third for the second run of the inning.

FAMU added another run in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead to 3-0. Birdsong singled up the middle with one out and took second on a wild pitch before scoring on Jackson’s two-out RBI single through the left side.

A&T got on the board with a single run in the fourth inining, to cut the Rattler lead to 3-1, despite loading the bases twice. Brandon Mitchell singled through the left side with one out and Brandon Wilkerson singled up the middle with two outs before Milton Rivera was hit-by-pitch to load the bases. This brought in Cleveland Westbrook from the pen to face Adan Ordonez. Ordonez would reach on a fielder’s choice as Rivera beat out the play at second base allowing Mitchell to score from third. Carmony then popped up to first base in foul territory for the final out leaving three runners on.

Florida A&M added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning for a score of 4-1. Jared Walker opened the seventh inning with a double down the left line and moved to third on a wild pitch with one out. Gibbs then drove in Walker with an RBI single to center field for the only run of the inning.

The Aggies scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning for the final score of 4-2.

NC A&T game one starter Mitchell McQueen (0-3) allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits in four innings of work with one strikeout and one walk.

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

In game two FAMU came out hot with five runs in the top of the first inning for a quick 5-0 lead. Alec Wong, Gibbs and Kennedy recorded three consecutive hits with one out, including an RBI double from Kennedy, for the first run of the game. Elkins brought home Gibbs from third with a single up the line at third base. Birdsong would then draw a two-out walk to load the bases. Barlow followed with a two-run double into left center, but the left fielder misplayed the ball allowing Birdsong to also score on the play.

The Rattlers scored three more runs on three hits in the top of the third inning to put the game out of reach at 8-0. The inning was highlighted by Birdsong’s two-run single to right and Kennedy tied a career-high with his second double in as many at bats.

North Carolina A&T got on the board with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 8-1. Ordonez opened the home half of the fourth inning with a single to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single from Timothy Ravare.

A&T also scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings for a final score of 8-3.

Charles Cantrell (0-7), who started game two for the Aggies, recorded just two outs in the first inning and allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits with one walk for the loss.

Florida A&M will conclude the regular season on Wednesday, May 6 at Troy. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 PM ET..

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

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

BCU's Howard Returns to the Georgetown U. Hilltop with Women's Basketball

James Howard
Courtesy: B-CU Athletics

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Georgetown University Women's Basketball Head Coach Natasha Adair announced the hiring of James Howard as the associate head coach for the Hoyas. Howard returns to the Hilltop after serving as an assistant coach for the Blue & Gray during the 1997-98 season. He will assist Adair in all facets of the program and will focus on the defensive side of the ball.

"I'm honored and excited to have Coach Howard back on the Hilltop and, more importantly, back home," said Adair. "Jimmy is a D.C. native who is valued as one of the best in the business. He's a 28-year veteran of the game who will bring experience, stability and a wealth of knowledge to our program."

Howard comes to Georgetown from Bethune-Cookman University where he spent four seasons including the last three as the associate head coach. The Wildcats have had 10 or more wins every season and appeared in three MEAC Tournaments winning at least one game in the past two.

The Washington, D.C., native began as the recruiting coordinator and helped bring in two-time All-MEAC honoree, Kailyn Williams, who was named First Team All-MEAC a season ago.

At the end of the 2013-14 season, Howard took the helm for Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis when she went on maternity leave. During that span, he coached the Wildcats to a 4-5 record including a MEAC Tournament victory.

Prior to Bethune-Cookan, Howard was the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Howard University under former Hoya Niki Reid Geckeler. He went to Howard when Reid Geckeler got the job in 2008 and was there for three seasons moving into the role of associate head coach during the 2010-11 season. He also coached during Reid Geckeler's maternity leave and helped the Bison improve each year he was on campus.

Howard began his coaching career in the men's game as a student assistant coach at Greensboro College for two seasons (1997-99). He then served as an assistant coach at Wesley College before switching to the women's game in 1991.

Howard was the head women's basketball coach at Wesley from 1991-97 where he was 75-69 over six seasons. Following his one-year stint at Georgetown, he served as the director of basketball operations (1998-99) at the University of Maryland before being promoted to assistant coach (1999-2000).

In 2000, he moved on to George Mason University where he was an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for seven seasons. Howard spent one season (2007-08) at Delaware State before returning to the District to coach at Howard.

Howard is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Black Coaches Association. He was chosen by the NBA to do a coaches clinic in Bermuda and founded the first chapter of Future Farmers of America in Washington, D.C.

He received his bachelor's degree from Greensboro College in 1991. Howard has two grown sons, Marco and Michael.

"I have known for quite a while what a great place Georgetown is and I am so excited and grateful to have the opportunity to join Natasha's staff and to be a part of the Hoya family," said Howard. "That is a key word, family. The one thing I have found right off the bat is a close-knit group, not only of coaches, but of administrators and faculty here at Georgetown."

COURTESY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS