DI Southern Miss wins every set against Gold Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS — The women of Southern Miss won every set and snapped a pair of lengthy Xavier University of Louisiana singles win streaks Thursday in a 9-0 victory at XU Tennis Center.
   
The Golden Eagles (15-2) won their seventh in a row and recorded their first-ever shutout of the Gold Nuggets (7-9). Southern Miss won 6-3 each of the previous two seasons.
   
At the top singles flight, Carolin Drescher defeated Charlene Goreau 6-4, 6-3 to end Goreau's 10-match win streak. At No. 4, Claudia Castella won her eighth in a row and snapped Sha'Nel Bruins' 5-match streak with a 6-4, 6-0 decision.
   
Southern Miss lost one game combined at the top two doubles flights, then Tjasa Jerse and Elena Roca pulled away late for an 8-5 victory against Bruins and Dasia Harris.
   
Tjasa Jerse clinched the dual with a 6-3, 6-0 victory against Brandi Nelson on the third court.
   
Xavier, ranked 15th in the NAIA, is 1-2 this season against NCAA Division I opponents. Five more DIs are on the Gold Nuggets' schedule, including 11 a.m. Saturday at home against Prairie View A&M. The XU men also will play host to Prairie View at that time.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 

Jackson State coach Bob Braddy, Named to 2016 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees announced:

ROBERT BRADDY

LUBBOCK, Texas -- The winningest coach and the winningest pitcher in college baseball history, as Robert Braddy
Jackson State University well as one of the leading hitters of his era, highlight the 2016 National College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class.

This year's class, which will be inducted as a part of the annual Night of Champions celebration of college baseball on July 1-2 in Lubbock, Texas, is headlined by University of Texas coach Augie Garrido, winner of five national championships and the winningest coach in college baseball history, and Florida State's JD Drew, a two-time consensus All-American and winner of five national player of the year awards in 1997.

"We are excited to induct this class," said Mike Gustafson, president and CEO of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. "It is remarkable that this is our 11th induction class and they are this accomplished."

Garrido entered the 2016 season with 1,950 wins and has led 15 teams to the College World Series. He has received National Coach of the Year honors six times. On March 25, 2014, he earned his 1,893rd win and passed 2009 College Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Gordie Gillespie to become the winningest coach in college baseball history.

Drew becomes the second inductee in the storied history of the Florida State program. In addition to winning five player of the year awards in 1997, he was consensus All-American in both 1996 and 1997. He was drafted fifth overall in1998 by the Cardinals and completed a 14-year major league career in 2011. In 1999, he was listed eighth in Baseball America's collegiate "Player of the Century" poll.

Also included in the class are Jackson State coach Bob Braddy, the winningest baseball coach in Southwestern Athletic Conference history with 824 wins and 12 SWAC championships; Marietta College pitcher Matt DeSalvo, whose 53 wins make him the winningest college pitcher in history; Arizona State outfielder Rick Monday, named National Player of the Year in 1965 by The Sporting News; the University of Houston's Tom Paciorek, a two-time first-team All-American who led the Cougars to the finals of the 1967 College World Series; and Valdosta State coach Tommy Thomas, the winningest coach in NCAA Division II history.

Braddy compiled an 824-546 record in 28 years at Jackson State. His teams advanced to the NCAA tournament three times and he was named NAIA District Coach of the Year twice and SWAC Coach of the Year eight times. He was the first African-American to be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2003, and he also was inducted into the JSU Sports Hall of Fame in 1985 and the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2005.

DeSalvo's 53-6 career record represents the most wins by any collegiate pitcher at any level, and his 603 career strikeouts are the second most of any pitcher at any level of college baseball. He was named the Division III National Player of the Year by ABCA in 2001 and was a three-time first-team D-III All-American.

Monday made the most of his one varsity season as an Arizona State Sun Devil, earning National Player of the Year honors from The Sporting News for the 1965 National Champions. He batted .359 with a school-record 11 home runs and blasted two home runs during the College World Series to earn All-CWS team honors. Monday was drafted No. 1 overall by the Kansas City A's in the first MLB amateur draft in 1965 and played parts of 19 years in the big leagues. ASU retired his number in 1997.

Paciorek was the first University of Houston Cougar player to receive first-team All-American honors in school history. Named first-team All-American in 1967 and 1968 by both ABCA and The Sporting News, he led Houston to the championship game of the 1967 College World Series by hitting .435 with 10 home runs in 32 games played. He later became the first Cougar to play in the big leagues, where he spent a total of 16 seasons.

Thomas owns the record for most wins in NCAA Division II history with 1,308. He graduated from Valdosta State after a four-year career where he played third base and batted .316. He was named head coach in 1967 and led the VSU baseball team to 34 winning seasons, eight trips to the national tournament and an NCAA Division II national title in 1979. He was named the National Coach of the Year by ABCA in 1979 and was inducted into Valdosta State's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

"I want thank our voting committee of over 200 strong for their time and effort in choosing this class," Gustafson said. "They represent so much history as college baseball media members, active and former coaches, retired umpires, past inductees, college baseball historians and, in several cases they are also former players, and their experiences and knowledge are reflected in this class."
Tickets for the 2016 induction are available on the Hall of Fame's website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

COURTESY www.collegebaseballhall.org.

President Boyd, Steve Harvey To Hold News Conference Saturday at ASU Stadium

WHAT: Steve Harvey & President Gwendolyn Boyd to make a major announcement.
WHEN: Saturday (April 2), at 6 p.m. - gates open at 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: The ASU Stadium on its football field - located on Harris Way. Montgomery, AL

Join Steve Harvey, nationally acclaimed star of television, radio and film, who will be hosting a news conference at Alabama State University on Saturday (April 2), at 6 p.m. at the ASU Stadium on its football field.

Harvey will be joined by ASU President Gwendolyn E. Boyd and Hornet head football coach Brian Jenkins to make a major announcement regarding the 2016 Alabama State University football season, which will benefit both the University and Montgomery. They will be sharing some very exciting and newsworthy information about the star and ASU's Hornet Nation working together.

The event is open to both the ASU family and the public and all are invited to attend, said President Boyd.

"ASU greatly values partnership opportunities and is honored to be able to have such a stellar-star as Steve Harvey share with the public on Saturday the exciting news of how he and the Hornet Nation will soon be working together," President Boyd said.

The news conference will begin promptly at 6 p.m.

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, at 334-229-4104.

ABOUT STEVE HARVEY
Broderick Stephen "Steve" Harvey is an American comedian, television host, radio personality, actor, and author. He hosts The Steve Harvey Morning Show, Steve Harvey, Family Feud and is the host of NBC's newest Sunday night hit Little Big Shots. He was born on January 17, 1957 in Welch, WV. His movie credits include: Think Like A Man, The Original Kings of Comedy, and much more. He is married and has seven children.

COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

Pittman Relieved as FVSU’s Head Football Coach

Keithen DeGrate

FORT VALLEY, Georgia -- Donald Pittman has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately. Assistant head coach Keithen DeGrate will serve as interim head coach for the Wildcats.

"On behalf of the university's athletics program, I'd like to thank Coach Pittman for his service to our football program over the past seven years," Murfree said. "However, after careful consideration, I believe this decision is in the best interest of our student athletes, the athletics department and the institution. We wish Donald Pittman well in his future endeavors."

Pittman had served as FVSU's head coach since December 2009 and had compiled a 40-33 overall record in seven seasons.

The university is launching a national search for a new head football coach.

FVSU's football team finished the 2015 season with a loss in the SIAC Eastern Division Title game against Albany State. The 2016 football season kicks off on Sept. 4 in Birmingham, Ala. against Miles College.

If, you should have any questions, please contact Willie Patterson, Sports Information Director at 478-825-6437.
Fort Valley State University Director of Athletics Dr. Joshua Murfree announced today that head football coach.

COURTESY FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

SSU Names Erik Raeburn Head Football Coach

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Savannah State University has selected Erik Raeburn as the new head football coach. Raeburn will be the 25^th head football coach in the history of the program.

Raeburn, 44, comes to SSU from Wabash College located in Crawfordsville, Ind.

A proven winner, in his eight years at Wabash, he accumulated a record of 78-13, earned five trips to the Division III playoffs and had 16 student-athletes earn All-America status. His 2015 squad posted a 12-1 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs.

Wabash was 10-2 in 2008, Raeburn's first season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. In 2009, the Little Giants went 9-2 and made another trip to the NCAA playoffs. Wabash missed the playoffs in 2010, despite an 8-2 record, but bounced back the following year where they went 12-1 and made it to the NCAA quarterfinals. That same year, Raeburn was named North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

The 2013 squad was ranked 17th in the nation in the final D3football.com Top-25 poll.

Raeburn led Wabash to a 10-2 record  in 2014, including a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs and finished 13th in the final D3football.com.

Before he became head coach at Wabash, Raeburn spent eight years as head football coach at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he posted a 51-26 record. Prior to arriving at Coe, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Mount Union College, where he served as offensive line coach and offensive coordinator.
                    
At Coe, Raeburn coached 65 All-Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IAAC) players, 40 All-Americans, and two Academic All-Americans. He guided Coe to its first IIAC title in school history in 2002, and followed with conference championships in 2004 and 2005. He was the 2002 IIAC Coach of the Year and Regional Coach of the Year. He led the Kohawks to a playoff appearance in 2002, advancing to the second round, and also led Coe to the playoffs in 2005.

Raeburn's overall record as a head coach is 135-39.

Raeburn earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Mount Union College and is currently pursuing his master's degree. As an assistant coach under Larry Kehres at Mount Union, he helped the Purple Raiders win six Ohio Athletic Conference Championships and three NCAA Division III National Championships (1996, 1997, 1998).

Erik Raeburn Timeline
Born: June 19, 1971
Playing career: Mount Union, 1989-92
Coaching career: Mount Union 1994-99 (assistant), Coe 2000-07 (head coach), Wabash 2008-15 (head coach), Savannah State 2016 (head coach)
View Photo Gallery Here

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS

Ivy has stepped up for Jackson State this spring

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Jackson State is looking for a quarterback who can serve as the leader of the team and be the face of the program.

LaMontiez Ivy has held that position down for the better part of the past two seasons, but Tigers coach Tony Hughes said there's a competition for the job this spring.

The knowledge Ivy gained from all those starts has paid off through through JSU's first four spring practices.

"The way he has taken command and the way he has competed (has been) really pleasing" Hughes said Tuesday. "Like we said, competition is open, and it is, but at the same time his experience has really shown, and he could really be a good football player, and we need him to step up and this spring he has stepped up."

Ivy is competing with Jarin Morikawa, Jordan Williams and Brent Lyles. Ivy, who was All-SWAC second team in 2014, and Morikawa both started multiple games last season, while Williams appeared in three.

CONTINUE READING

Next QBs step up into the spotlight

Grambling State - After losing Johnathan Williams, the SWAC offensive player of the year whose 37 touchdown passes tied for the most in the FCS, third-year coach Broderick Fobbs signed former Ole Miss third-string quarterback Deonte Kincade, a redshirt junior. He's basically been anointed as the No. 1 despite sitting out the spring with a broken foot suffered in Sugar Bowl warmups.

Bethune-Cookman - While it hurts to lose Quentin Williams, who played extensively over the last four years and was the FCS leader in passing efficiency last season, redshirt junior Larry Brihm has appeared in all but one game over the last two years. But considering the MEAC squad doesn't rely on one QB, junior college transfer Anthony Cruz, who at 6-5 is more of a pocket passer than a scrambler, and redshirt freshman Arkevious Williams have to be considered for playing time as well.

ONTINUE READING