Monday, April 30, 2012

LSC Scoop Afternoon Update 4-30


SAN ANGELO, Texas – The No. 10 Angelo State softball team claimed the top seed in the 2012 NCAA Division II Softball Championship South Central Regional and will host for the fourth time in school history May 4-6 at the ASU Softball Complex.

Central Oklahoma earned the No. 2 seed and will be the other host institution. Rounding out the South Central field will be (3) Emporia State, (4) Missouri Western State, (5) Texas Woman's, (6) Abilene Christian, (7) Incarnate Word and (8) St. Edward's.

South Central Regional
Complete NCAA Bracket

The Rambelles are 44-9 this season and finished the Lone Star Conference at 23-4 en route to their sixth Lone Star Conference Championship.  Angelo State's first game will be against No. 8 St. Edward's at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Hilltopers are currently 29-19 on the year.



Final LSC Scoop Softball Power Poll (Preseason LSC Poll)
  1. Angelo State - 68.41 (1)
  2. West Texas A&M - 61.74 (3)
  3. Texas Woman's - 60.39 (5)
  4. Abilene Christian - 59.60 (6)
  5. Tarleton State - 56.37 (7)
  6. Incarnate Word - 55.29 (2)
  7. Midwestern State - 52.50 (4)
  8. Cameron - 46.03 (8)
  9. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 44.36 (9)
  10. Eastern New Mexico - 41.31 (10)
Our rankings would indicate that West Texas A&M was deserving of an at-large bid.  Of the LSC schools, they had the third best winning percentage (behind ASU and TWU) against D2 schools, and their opponents winning percentage was second only to Cameron's.  But our rankings simply measure D2 winning percentage and strength of schedule.



LSC Scoop Baseball Power Poll (Preseason LSC Poll)
  1. Angelo State - 64.66 (4)
  2. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 61.32 (7)
  3. West Texas A&M - 56.37 (6)
  4. Incarnate Word - 54.35 (1)
  5. Tarleton State - 53.07 (2)
  6. Abilene Christian - 50.82 (4)
  7. Cameron - 47.69 (3)
  8. Eastern New Mexico - 42.56 (8)
LSC Scoop South Central Region Power Poll
  1. Central Missouri - 66.53
  2. St. Mary's - 64.87
  3. Angelo State - 64.66
  4. Southern Arkansas - 61.79
  5. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 61.32
  6. St Edwards - 60.46
  7. Southeastern Oklahoma - 58.29
  8. Missouri Western - 57.98
  9. West Texas A&M - 56.37
  10. Emporia State - 54.46

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll (South Central Region Teams only)
3. St. Mary's
5. Central Missouri
16. Angelo State
25. Texas A&M-Kingsville
28. St. Edwards
30. Southern Arkansas
Receiving Votes - Southeastern Oklahoma, Missouri Western, West Texas A&M.


LSC Baseball: Six teams set for championship tournament

The top six Lone Star Conference baseball teams will meet in San Angelo, Texas, May 5-8 for the annual LSC Baseball Championship.
    The tournament features six teams for the seventh straight year. The double-elimination event begins on Saturday and concludes on Tuesday. All games will take place at Foster Field on the campus of Angelo State University.
    LSC Champion ASU is the top seed and also earned its second league title. Texas A&M-Kingsville is the No. 2 seed, while Incarnate Word is third, followed by West Texas A&M, Tarleton State and Abilene Christian.
    For fans that can’t make it out to the games, all of the tournament action will be broadcast online via a free live webcast. The webcast will include both video and audio with viewers needing only a computer with a high-speed DSL or cable modem connection to the internet. The webcasts can be viewed at lonestarconference.org. Tuesday’s championship game will be on foxsportssouthwest.com.
LSC BASEBALL
The 2012 LSC baseball regular season is in the books.  During the last week of action, Angelo State and Tarleton State swept Abilene Christian and Cameron, respectively.  West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico split its four-game series, while Texas A&M-Kingsville and Incarnate Word went 2-2 against each other.
    LSC baseball teams are 203-169 overall this season.  In the NCAA South Central Region, the LSC is currently 39-33 overall including 17-17 combined versus Heartland Conference teams, 20-15 opposed to the Great American Conference and 2-1 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).

DIAMOND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTERS
Ryan Greer, Angelo State University, JR, LF, Glendale, Ariz., St. Mary’s Catholic HS

Greer blasted three home runs and drove in 12 runs in the Rams’ series sweep of Abilene Christian last weekend at Foster Field. Greer, a junior left fielder, had a six-RBI game in Saturday’s first game coming on a three-run home run and three-run triple. He finished the series in style, hitting two home runs in the regular season finale to take his season’s total to six home runs. He also added one steal to his conference-leading total to 26.

Garrett Hardey, Tarleton State University, SR, 1B, Weatherford, Texas, Arlington HS
Hardey torched opposing pitchers last week, batting for a .478 average and a 1.043 slugging percentage in Tarleton’s five wins. The senior first baseman led the team with four home runs, 13 RBI’s, 11 hits, 10 runs scored and 24 total bases over the five-game stretch. Hardey also went 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts and recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 32 chances.

PITCHERS
Pete Perez, Tarleton State University, JR, RHP, Sacramento, Calif., River City HS

Perez dominated in two appearances last week, including a seven-inning complete game shutout of Cameron in which he allowed just two hits and walked no one. The California native was 1-0 in two appearances and tossed his sixth complete game of the year. He also struck out five while walking zero and holding opposing batters to a .071 average.

Justin Kuks, West Texas A&M University, SR, RHP, Tracy, Calif., West HS
Kuks became the LSC’s only pitcher to record nine wins this season as he improved to 9-0 after his victory over Eastern New Mexico in Canyon on Friday. Kuks tied a club record for most victories in a season as well, after giving up just one run on nine hits and striking out four batters in 8.0 innings of work.  The school record stood for 17 years at WT.

LSC Roundup 4-30


LSC Softball Championship: UIW wins first tournament title - Courtesy of ASU Athletic Communications

In just the second season in the Lone Star Conference, Incarnate Word claimed its first LSC Softball Championship Tournament title and earned the league’s automatic qualification into the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Field with a 6-4 win over Angelo State at Pioneer Field on Saturday. The loss snapped the No. 10 Rambelles 10-game win streak dating back to April 10.
The Cardinals completed a memorable run through the tournament field as the seventh seed. UIW started its championship run by defeating No. 2 seed Texas Woman’s 5-1 in the opening round, then topped No. 6 Midwestern State 6-3 in the semifinals. (more, including all tournament team)


Rambelles Fall to Cardinals in Title Game, 6-4 - ASU Softball



Earlier Game Recaps from the LSC Website

Friday, April 27, 2012

LSC Roundup 4-27

ASU SPORTS: AD search down to four - San Angelo Standard Times



Red-hot Javelinas await Incarnate Word - George Vondracek, Corpus Christi Caller
ASU & HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Capsules, 4/27 ‎- San Angelo Standard Times
WT senior looks to extend hitting streak - Lance Lahnert, Amarillo Globe News ‎


This weekend's matchups....
Tarleton State at Cameron
What's at Stake - a berth in the LSC Tournament, with the #5 seed within reach for Cameron and #3 for Tarleton (though a longshot)
This is a play-in for these two teams.  We started to plot out the various tie-breaker scenarios, but there are just too many possibilities and the results of practically every series this weekend factor in.  Suffice it say, if Cameron sweeps they are in.  If they win three and are tied with only Tarleton, they are in.  Otherwise they may need help.  For Tarleton its much more clear, win two games are the Texans are in.  Otherwise it gets interesting.


Incarnate Word at Texas A&M-Kingsville
What's at stake - LSC Regular Season Title, LSC Tournament Seeding, Regional Ranking
Preseason favorite Incarnate Word has come on strong lately, winning 6 of their last 7 LSC games, including 3 of 4 against West Texas A&M last weekend.  Texas A&M-Kingsville has won 6 of their last 8 conference games, including the obligatory sweep of Eastern New Mexico last weekend.


Abilene Christian at Angelo State
What's at stake - For Angelo State the LSC Regular Season Title, LSC Tournament Seeding, Regional Ranking, for ACU they are trying to lock in to the LSC Tournament
ACU has yet to win an LSC series, but a big weekend could vault them up a couple of spots in the LSC rankings, if things work out in other LSC series.  Conversely, a poor weekend could have them missing the LSC tournament for the second season in a row.  Angelo State is looking for a big weekend and TAMK and UIW to neutralize each other.

Eastern New Mexico at West Texas A&M
What's at stake - for WTAM, an outside shot at the LSC Regular Season Title, LSC Tournament Seeding, Regional Ranking, for ENMU a chance to mess up WTAM's postseason positioning
The Buffs can win the regular season title with a sweep and ASU and TAMK losing 3 of 4 this weekend.  Otherwise they will likely be the #3 or #4 seed in the LSC tournament.  Look for  a ton of runs in this one.

Softball: Postseason awards announced




The Lone Star Conference recognized its softball standouts Thursday as the postseason awards were announce by league officials at the championship banquet.
      
LSC champion Angelo State had a league-high eight players receive All-LSC honors including four first-teamers.
      
Overall 40 student-athletes were honored by the all-conference program, with at least one player from nine of the ten LSC teams.  The awards are voted upon by the league coaches, who determined a 16-player first team by position, and second and third teams, each consisting of 12 players regardless of positions.
      
ASU, which won the conference title for the sixth time with a 23-4 record, was represented on the All-LSC first team by pitcher Claire Molina, catcher Kacie Easley, second baseman DeeshanaLynn Tafiti and third baseman Elsamartina Apo.
      
The Rambelles took home several special awards to boot. Apo was tabbed Player of the Year, Molina named Pitcher of the Year, April Breshears shared Newcomer of the Year, and Travis Scott claimed Coach of the Year honors.
      
West Texas A&M’s Allie Cranfill earned Freshman of the Year, while Abilene Christian’s Courtney Flanary was the co-Newcomer of the Year.
      
ACU had seven players named to the all-conference team, while Midwestern State and Texas Woman’s had six each. WTAMU had five players distinguished, Tarleton three with all first-teamers, Cameron and Incarnate Word two and Texas A&M-Kingsville one.
(Complete Teams)








SCHEDULE (single-elimination tournament)  
Friday, April 27 (Higher seed will be the home team) 
11:30 a.m. #3 Tarleton State vs. #6 Midwestern State
2:00 p.m. #2 Texas Woman’s vs. #7 Incarnate Word
4:30 p.m. #4 West Texas A&M vs. #5 Abilene Christian
7:00 p.m. #1 Angelo State vs. #8 Cameron

Thursday, April 26, 2012

LSC Scoop Afternoon Update 4-26

Finalists Named for ASU Athletic Director
 Finalists from four states have been named for the position of athletic director at Angelo State University to succeedKathleen Brasfield, who has announced her retirement effective at the end of May.
           

The four finalists are Amy Champion, former director of athletics, University of New Orleans; Sean M. Johnson, senior associate athletic director for external affairs at the University of North Dakota; James R. Reid, assistant athletic director and head coach for track and field at ASU; and Greg Waggoner, athletic director and director of development, Western State College, Gunnison, Colo.
             

The four, who will be scheduled for campus interviews by early May, were selected from more than 70 applicants nationwide.  The finalists were announced by a nine-member advisory committee made up of faculty, staff, student and community representatives.  Gerald Myers, former athletic director (AD) at Texas Tech University, has served as a consultant on the project.  The goal is to have the new athletic director named by ASU President Joseph C. Rallo before the May 31 effective date of Brasfield's retirement. 
            

Champion served as AD at the University of New Orleans from 2010-12.  She worked seven years as the university's head women's basketball coach.  Previously, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham she served six years as assistant head coach and then four years as associate head coach.  She was also head coach at Faulkner State Community College.  She holds a Bachelor of Science in education from Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., and a Master of Science in sports administration from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.  She has completed 16 hours on a doctoral degree. 
             

Johnson has held his current position at the University of North Dakota since 2008.  The previous two years, he served as associate AD and sports information director (SID) at Texas A&M-Kingsville.  He worked from 2001-06 at New Mexico State University, as assistant and then associate AD.  He was assistant AD at the University of North Texas from 1997-2001.  Johnson has had SID experience at five other institutions:  the University of Idaho, Angelo State University, University of Arkansas-Little Rock, University of Missouri-St. Louis and Lincoln University.  He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Missouri-Columbia. 
            

Reid has been affiliated with Angelo State University since 1993 when he was assistant coach for the men's and women's track and field teams.  In 1999 he became head coach for both track teams and cross country teams.  He has served as assistant AD since 2007 at ASU, where he earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education.  His Rambelles team won the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship.  His women's teams have won five Lone Star Conference titles, and he has been National Women's Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2010.
             

Waggoner has been affiliated with Western State College since 1985.  He initially worked as head wrestling coach until 1997 and assumed duties in 1994 as athletic director.  He picked up additional responsibilities in 2004 as director of development for the college, a joint appointment in addition to his athletic duties.  During his tenure, Western State has won 11 NCAA D-II national team championships and 89 top 10 finishes in 10 different sports.   Waggoner holds a Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Arts from Western State College.  He earned his doctorate in education from the University of Northern Colorado. 




Dillon Named DII Pitcher of the Week - TAMK Baseball
DALLAS, TEXAS – The National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association released its weekly NCAA Division II National Players of the Week awards for the period ending April 22th. Lock Haven’s sophomore outfielder Scott Zuback is the National Hitter of the Week while Texas A&M-Kingsville’s senior righthander Jaden Dillon is the National Pitcher of the Week.

Jaden Dillon (Bridge City/Bridge City HS) pitched to two batters over the minimum in a dominant performance over Eastern New Mexico on Friday. He tossed a 1-hit shutout without allowing a walk and struck out 11. He improved to 8-0 on the season and his league-leading ERA dropped to 1.39. The 11-0 win was a perfect jump-start to a series sweep of the Greyhounds.  Dillon and the Javelinas play host to Incarnate Word on Friday at 3 p.m.


Collums likes team development he saw during spring drills - ACU Football

LSC roundup 4-26





LSC TRACK AND FIELD
The Lone Star Conference has three men’s teams in the top 25 including three in the top-eight in the national team computer rankings (April 24) conducted by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with No. 4 Abilene Christian, No. 7 Texas A&M-Kingsville and No. 8 Angelo State. On the women’s side, the LSC is represented by No. 15 ACU and No. 18 ASU.

TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
MEN’S TRACK
Isaiah Samoei, Eastern New Mexico University, JR, Eldoret, Kenya, Iowa Western Community College

Samoei became the first Greyhound to ever notch an automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Championship Meet. Samoei turned in a sixth place finish at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif. turning in a 29:20.11 in the men’s 10,000 meter run. He is now ranked first in the Lone Star Conference and sixth in Division II.

MEN’S FIELD
LeVance Williams, Abilene Christian University, SR, Colfax, La., Grant HS

Williams climbed to third in the DII national rankings in the long jump after recording a winning distance of 25-01.25 (7.65m) at Baylor’s Michael Johnson/Dr. Pepper Classic. His NCAA automatic qualifying leap was his third of the year, but last week’s season-best performance at UTEP of 25-02.75 (7.69m) was nullified due to a strong 8.0mps wind. Williams’ competition included student-athletes from Baylor, Texas State, and several DII schools. Jarvis Gotch a freshman out of South Plains finished second to Williams, hitting the sand at the 24-08.50 mark (7.53). The two DII long jumpers currently ranked ahead of Williams are Keenan Soles of Pittsburg State (25’ 7.25”, 7.80m), and Aaron Hill of Grand Canyon (25’ 2.5”, 7.68m).
CO-WOMEN’S TRACK
Shennae Steele, Abilene Christian University, JR, Brampton, Ontario, Canada, St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary

Steele recorded a pair of season-best times in the 100m and 200m at last Saturday’s Michael Johnson/Dr. Pepper Classic that improved her DII national rankings to 13th and 11th in each event. Steele ran a 11.94 in the 100m, and a 24.33 in the 200m, both of which are below the NCAA provisional standard. She also helped the ACU 4x100m relay post a 14th-ranked time of 46.51. She was joined on the relay by Sydney Smith, Lexus Williams, and Karolyn Palmer.

Irma Garza, University of the Incarnate Word, FR, San Antonio, Texas, St. Anthony HS
Garza set an Incarnate Word school record and personal career best in the 1,500m at the Duckett Rice Twilight in Houston.  The freshman finished sixth in a time of 4:32.66, which topped her previous best time by 11 seconds.  She now has the top three 1,500 times in UIW history.  Garza provisionally qualified for nationals with the time, which ranks 18th in NCAA Division II.  She also gained her entry into the USATF Junior Nationals, an Olympic development program, set for this coming summer.

WOMEN’S FIELD
Aricela Alvarez, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, FR, Bishop, Texas, Bishop HS

Alvarez set a personal record in the triple jump by over a foot at the Rice Twilight Invitational. In the process, she took third place and provisionally qualified for nationals with a leap of 38-7.75 and is currently ranked second in the LSC.






Tennis: Three teams selected for regional - LSC Office


Three Lone Star Conference tennis teams were selected for the 2012 Division II Women’s Tennis Championship South Central Regional field.        
Abilene Christian's men's and women's teams were rewarded with home matches for the preliminary rounds after each finished the year ranked first in the region.  Cameron was also selected as the No. 3 seed on the women’s side.
      
The Wildcats' men's team (19-8) begins its tournament run versus Northwest Missouri State (19-4) on Monday, April 30, while the women's squad (23-3) will have a bye before facing the winner of St. Edward's (14-9) and Central Oklahoma (15-6) on Tuesday, May 1. All matches will take place at the Eager Tennis Pavilion, but times have not been determined.
      
The Aggies (22-4) will take on Southwest Baptist (22-2) at 12 p.m. on Monday, April 30 in Bolivar, Mo.
      
In the second half of the South Central Region's men's bracket, No. 2 seed Ouachita Baptist (15-6) will play host to No. 3 seed St. Edward's (12-9).
      
The regional winners advance to the national championship, which will take place May 16 to 19 in Louisville, Ky., as part of the Division II Spring National Championships Festival. 

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

First Baseball Regional Rankings are out

South Central Region

  1. Central Missouri (MIAA)  35-7
  2. St. Mary's (Heartland)  38-8
  3. Angelo State (LSC)  32-14
  4. Texas A&M-Kingsville (LSC)  28-12
  5. St. Edwards (Heartland)  29-11
  6. Southern Arkansas (Great American)  28-14
  7. West Texas A&M (LSC)  27-15
  8. Southeastern Oklahoma (Great American)  31-13

UPDATE - We have been informed that the South Central Regional tournament will remain a six team tournament as in the past, and that the MIAA, LSC and Heartland receive auto bids, but that the GAC does not.  So after the auto bids are accounted for, the three highest ranked teams will make the regional field as well.


And a story from the NCAA website...

LSC Roundup 4-25


LSC Scoop Spring Power Poll and Rankings
Baseball
  1. ASU - 64.26 - went 3-1 last week vs Cameron, next up 4 games vs. Abilene Christian
  2. TAMK - 62.30 - went 4-1 last week, 0-1 vs. St. Marys, 4-0 vs. ENMU, next up 4 games vs. UIW
  3. WTAM - 57.12 - went 1-3 last week at UIW, next up 4 games vs. Eastern New Mexico
  4. UIW - 54.88 - went 3-1 last week vs. WTAM, next up 4 games at TAMK
  5. ACU - 52.83 - went 2-3 last week, 1-0 vs. UTPB, 1-3 vs TSU, next up 4 games at Angelo State
  6. TSU 50.50 - went 4-1 last week, 1-0 vs Hardin Simmons, 3-1 at ACU, next up 4 games at CU
  7. CU - 49.96 - went 1-3 last week at Angelo State, next up 4 games vs. Tarleton State
  8. ENMU - 41.45 - went 0-5 last week, 0-1 vs. SW, 0-4 at TAMK, next up 4 games at WTAM
Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian switch places and Tarleton and Cameron flip flop as well.  Tarleton has a two game edge over Cameron, but will travel to Lawton to face the Aggies.  Abilene Christian has a one game edge over Cameron, but has to travel to #1 Angelo State.  The playoffs have started for TSU, ACU and CU.


Softball
  1. ASU - 68.94 - went 4-0 last week, 1-0 vs. ACU, 3-0 vs. TAMK.  #1 Regional ranking as of 4/18
  2. WTAM - 62.11 - went 2-2 last week, 1-0 vs. ENMU, 1-2 vs. TWU.  #8 Regional ranking.
  3. TWU - 61.04 - went 3-1 last week, 1-0 vs. TSU, 2-1 vs. WTAM.  #6 Regional ranking.
  4. ACU - 60.40 - went 1-3 last week, 0-1 vs. ASU, 1-2 vs. MSU.  #5 Regional ranking.
  5. TSU - 57.04 - went 2-2 last week, 0-1 vs. TWU, 2-1 vs. UIW. #9 Regional ranking
  6. UIW - 53.86 - went 2-3 last week, 1-1 vs. St. Marys, 1-2 vs. TSU.
  7. MSU - 52.63 - went 2-4 last week, 0-1 vs. CU, 0-2 vs. UCO, 2-1 vs. ACU.
  8. CU - 46.81 - went 2-2 last week, 1-0 vs. MSU, 1-2 vs. ENMU.
  9. TAMK - 44.36 - went 0-5 last week, 0-2 vs. UIW, 0-3 vs. ASU. Season Over
  10. ENMU - 41.40 - went 2-2 last week, 0-1 vs. WTAM, 2-1 vs. CU. Season Over
Switching places are TWU and ACU, UIW and MSU, and CU and TAMK.  The regional rankings above are now updated.  The LSC tournament is important on its own, but even more so for several teams.  Angelo State needs a strong performance to maintain is regional top seed (and hosting postseason games), while no one else is assured of a regional berth, especially if they fall out of the LSC tourney early.  The final spot is vulnerable as St. Mary's is currently #10 and the Heartland receives an automatic bid.


First Round LSC Tourney Matchups
Angelo State vs. Cameron
Tarleton State vs. Midwestern State
Incarnate Word vs. Texas Woman's
West Texas A&M vs. Abilene Christian


Men's Track Standings
  1. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 191.3 pts - (-2.7 from last week)
  2. Abilene Christian - 155.5 - +7.5
  3. Angelo State - 152 - +3
  4. West Texas A&M - 86.5  - (-10)
  5. Eastern New Mexico - 72 - +3.5
  6. Incarnate Word - 70.5 - (-3.5)
  7. Texas A&M-Commerce - 57.3 - +11.3
  8. Tarleton State - 36.5 - +0.5

Women's Track Standings
  1. Angelo State - 171.5 pts - (-2.5 from last week)
  2. Abilene Christian - 150.5 - +1.5
  3. West Texas A&M - 134.50 - (-20.5)
  4. Texas A&M-Kingsville - 84 - +11.5
  5. Tarleton State - 66 - +6
  6. Incarnate Word - 65.5 - +4.5
  7. Texas A&M-Commerce - 47 - (-0.5)
  8. Midwestern State- 24 - (-8)
  9. Eastern New Mexico - 16 - 0







Link to All Rankings
Men's National Rankings
4. Abilene Christian
7. Texas A&M-Kingsville
8. Angelo State
27. West Texas A&M
46. Tarleton State
48. Eastern New Mexico
56. Incarnate Word
66. Texas A&M-Commerce

LSC is #1 conference.




Women's National Rankings
15. Abilene Christian
18. Angelo State
35. West Texas A&M
67. Texas A&M-Kingsville
69. Tarleton State
83. Texas A&M-Commerce
85. Midwestern State
91. Incarnate Word
99. Eastern New Mexico

LSC is #7 conference


Link to all Regions
Men's Regional Rankings
1. Texas A&M-Kingsville
3. Angelo State
4. Abilene Christian
9. West Texas A&M
11. Incarnate Word
12. Texas A&M-Commerce
13. Eastern New Mexico
17. Tarleton State

Women's Regional Rankings
3. Angelo State
4. Abilene Christian
7. West Texas A&M
13. Texas A&M-Kingsville
14. Tarleton State
15. Incarnate Word
18. Texas A&M-Commerce
19. Midwestern State
21. Eastern New Mexico








LSC Softball: Championship on tap this week - LSC Office


The eight-team field has been determined for this week’s Lone Star Conference Softball Championship, which will be played Friday and Saturday at Pioneer Field on the campus of Texas Woman’s in Denton, Texas.
  
The top eight teams qualified for the single-elimination event.  The field includes Angelo State, Texas Woman’s, Tarleton State, West Texas A&M, Abilene Christian, Midwestern State, Incarnate Word, and Cameron.  ASU is the top seed after winning the LSC Championship for the sixth time by virtue of a 23-4 regular season conference record. TWU is No. 2, followed by Tarleton, WTAMU, ACU, MSU, UIW and CU.
  
Tournament play will begin on Friday, April 27, with four quarterfinal games scheduled to be played at 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7:00 p.m.  On Saturday, April 28, two semifinal games will be played at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The conference championship will be decided at 6 p.m.
  
All games will be played at Pioneer Field, located between the TWU Golf Course and the University Chancellor’s residence on the northeast side of the TWU campus.  Daily ticket prices will be $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for students. Children five and under will be admitted free of charge. Tickets will go on sale 90 minutes before the first game of each day.
  
For fans that can’t make it out to the games, all of the tournament action will be broadcast online via a free live webcast. The webcast will include both video and audio with viewers needing only a computer with a high-speed DSL or cable modem connection to the internet. The webcasts can be viewed at lonestarconference.org. Saturday night’s championship game will also be carried on foxsportssouthwest.com.


LSC SOFTBALL
The 2012 LSC softball season wrapped up last week.  This season, teams played a single round-robin schedule with a three-game series against every other team. Each series consists of a doubleheader one day and single 7-inning game the other day.
  
The overall LSC Champion was Angelo State with a 23-4 league record for the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason.
  
LSC softball teams are 272-218 overall this season.  In the NCAA South Central Region, the LSC is currently 99-62 overall including 59-29 combined versus Heartland Conference teams, 17-11 opposed to the Great American Conference, 20-14 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and 3-8 versus independent teams.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTER
Christina Roosmalen, Midwestern State University, JR, First Baseman, Plano, Texas, Plano West HS

Roosmalen blistered the ball at .647 pace and a 1.118 slugging percentage in her five games last week to extend her current hitting streak to eight games. The junior transfer from Southern Mississippi was 11-for-17 at the dish with two doubles and two home runs while driving in eight runs. The Plano native kicked off her week with a 4-for-4 effort with a homer, a double and three RBIs in Game 1 Wednesday at Central Oklahoma then added a second bomb in Game 2. Roosmalen drove in two more runs in opener against Abilene Christian before logging multiple-hit games two more times on Saturday against the Wildcats.


PITCHER
Larisa Garcia, Texas Woman’s University, JR, P, New Braunfels, Texas, New Braunfels HS

Garcia pitched in all three TWU wins on the road last week to help the team to two series wins and secure the number two seed in LSC Championship. She pitched 2.1 innings in relief against Tarleton State to recorded her LSC best eighth save of the season and the series win against the TexAnns. Garcia also started in the decisive game three against West Texas A&M and allowed just one earned run for her 12th win of the season. She shutout the Lady Buffs’ offense that scored 34 runs in the previous three games for six innings. Garcia also tossed 4.2 innings in a 9-6 win against WT and took a no decision. On the season she leads the team in ERA (2.90) and strikeouts (125). Garcia is currently ranked third in NCAA DII in saves.  

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

LSC Roundup 4-24

Softball Postseason Begins Friday With Lone Star Conference Championship - ACU Softball
TWU softball doubleheader versus Southeastern Oklahoma State cancelled - TWU Softball















Collegiate Baseball Poll (South Central Region Teams Listed)
2. St Mary's (LW 2)
6. Central Missouri (6)
19. Angelo State (21)
28. Southeastern Oklahoma (RV)
29. Texas A&M-Kingsville (29)
Receiving Votes - St. Edwards, Missouri Western, Southern Arkansas, West Texas A&M, Newman, Emporia State

Championship berths on the line - LSC Office

With just one week of regular season play remaining, Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville are tied atop the Lone Star Conference baseball standings.  ASU and TAMUK, along with Incarnate Word and West Texas A&M have earned a spot in the LSC Championship field with three teams - Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, and Cameron - vying for the remaining two berths.
  
In league action last week, ASU went 3-1 versus CU, while TAMUK swept Eastern New Mexico. UIW won three of four games against WTAMU and Tarleton State posted a 3-1 mark in its series with Abilene Christian.
  
This week’s schedule includes midweek non-conference games, followed by a full schedule of conference action.  Each LSC series includes a 9-inning game Friday, a 7x7 doubleheader Saturday and 9-inning contest Sunday.
  
The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason. The championship will be played May 5-8 in San Angelo, Texas.
  
LSC baseball teams are 184-152 overall this season.  In the NCAA South Central Region, the LSC is currently 39-33 overall including 17-17 combined versus Heartland Conference teams, 20-15 opposed to the Great American Conference and 2-1 against the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).
DIAMOND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTERS
Jason Stone, University of the Incarnate Word, JR, Outfielder, Georgetown, Texas

Stone was a key part of Incarnate Word winning 3-of-4 games from West Texas A&M this weekend, hitting an impressive 9-for-13 (.692) with 4 RBI and scoring 3 runs against the Buffs. Starting all four games at left field for UIW, Stone drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday for coach Danny Heep’s 500th career win. All nine of his hits were singles and he also recorded a sacrifice bunt. In addition, he  walked once and struck out just one time the entire weekend.

Cameron Dullnig, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, SR, 3B-OF, San Antonio, Texas, Clark HS
Dullnig sparked the Javelinas to a four-game sweep of Eastern New Mexico. He extended his hitting streak to 17 games and he was a terror on the base paths. He was a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base chances and scored seven times in the series, including the game-winning run in Games 2 and 3. In addition to going 6-for-9 at the plate, he was also hit twice and drew two walks for a .769 on-base percentage. On the mound, he picked up a save in the third game with a scoreless inning of relief to tie the school record with nine saves in a season.

PITCHERS
Jaden Dillon, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, SR, SP, Bridge City, Texas, Bridge City HS

Dillon pitched to two batters over the minimum in a dominant performance over Eastern New Mexico on Friday. He tossed a one-hit shutout without allowing a walk and struck out 11. He improved to 8-0 on the season and his league-leading ERA dropped to 1.39. The 11-0 win was a perfect jump-start to a series sweep of the Greyhounds.

Wade Myatt, Cameron University, SR, Pitcher, Eaton, Colo., Garden City CC
Myatt took the mound in the opening game of CU’s series with No. 18 ASU. Myatt delivered a dominate performance, keeping the Rams off balance at the plate. The Colorado-native recorded six strikeouts in the effort and scattered five hits over nine innings. His control was also on display, as the senior walked only one batter during the game. Myatt’s strong game on the mound allowed the Aggies to seal a 3-1 victory in the opener.




STEPHENVILLE - Tarleton football fans got a taste of the upcoming season for the Texans as they held their annual spring game Friday at Tarleton Memorial Stadium.  Over 1,500 fans were in attendance for the final practice of the spring.

With a mixture of young talent and veteran experience, the Purple and White squads battled it out for four quarters Friday evening.  There were a number of noteworthy plays that got fans and coaches excited for the upcoming campaign.

Vaughn Smith, a junior running back from Menlo, Calif., showcased his speed and why the Tarleton coaches were excited about his progress.  He rattled off an 80-yard run for a score, though it was eventually called back on a penalty. It was still a play that got the fans in attendance on their feet.

The spring game was a culmination of hardwork through the past 15 practices and allowed the offense and defense to get some actual game-like experience.

One player that is riding momentum from the success last season into this year is sophomore defensive back Dashaun Phillips, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter and returned it 30 yards.  It eventually set up the first touchdown of the game, a 15-yard run by freshman Savion Washington.
The action on the field took place after a hamburger cookout hosted by the Texans themselves.  Players and coaches served food to fans prior to the game, and interacted with the community before taking the field at 7:30 p.m.

The weekend did not end there though, and the football team hosted another event on Saturday in the annual Bobby Fox Memorial Golf Tournament.  Over 30 teams took place in the fundraising event that helps support the Tarleton football program in the upcoming season.

"I was happy with the way the game went and our guys got some live-game experience," said head coach Cary Fowler.  "It was important for the players to just get out there, have fun, and compete.  We hope it will spring board us into the fall season."

Coach Fowler also talked about the importance of the Bobby Fox Golf outing.

"We just want to thank everyone for coming out this year and supporting us," said Fowler.  "It means a lot to the program and these kids that they have the support of the community and the university.  It is fun every year and this year was one of the best yet."



Monday, April 23, 2012

LSC Roundup 4-23

Gholson: Silatolu poised to make Midwestern St. history - Nick Gholson, Times Record News
There are only two sure things for Amini Silatolu in the upcoming NFL Draft:  One, he will be the first Midwestern State player ever drafted into the league.  Two, he will go in either the first or second round.  It's no guarantee, but I would also bet that the MSU offensive tackle will be a top 50 selection.

The fun part now is trying to guess which team will get him.



UIW's Heep earns 500th baseball coaching victory - San Antonio Express-News 
WT stumbles against IWU  - Lance Lahnert, Amarillo Globe News
Baseball Sweeps Greyhounds - TAMK Baseball
Javelinas Sweep Twinbill - TAMK Baseball
Schultz Has Two Hits in Series Finale at Texas A&M-Kingsville - ENMU Baseball
Hedrick Wields Big Bat in Setback at Texas A&M-Kingsville - ENMU Baseball
No. 18 Rams Sweep Saturday's LSC Doubleheader Against Cameron - ASU Baseball


Javelina Men Tune Up at Rice Twilight - TAMK M Track







Courtesy LSC Office
LSC Tennis Championship: ACU claims men’s and women’s tournament titles
Abilene Christian captured the men’s and women’s tournament titles at the 2012 Firestone Lone Star Conference Tennis Championship in Southlake, Texas.

The Wildcats won their fourth straight league crown, ninth since 2002 and 13th overall on the men’s side, while the ACU women picked up their fifth consecutive, 10th since 2000 and 22nd overall title.

ACU’s women, who earned the league’s automatic qualification for the NCAA Division II Championship field, blanked Cameron 5-0, by sweeping all the doubles matches along with two singles wins. Emily Conrad defeated Florencia Tornero 6-3, 6-0, while Hannah Kelly topped Antonio Moberg 6-2, 6-0, at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions, respectively. The remaining four singles matches were left unfinished.

On the men’s side, the Wildcats won all three doubles match-ups, along with a pair of singles victories to defeat Incarnate Word 5-1. No. 1 Hans Hach (7-5, 6-1) and No. 6 Michael Morris (6-2, 6-4) prevailed at each of their respective singles matches.  UIW’s Leury Arias won at No. 3 singles, while the other three matches were incomplete.









COMMERCE, Texas -- A&M-Commerce wrapped up the spring portion of its 2012 schedule with the annual Blue-Gold scrimmage game Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. A crowd of nearly 1,000 people showed up on a perfect April afternoon to get their first glimpse at the 2012 A&M-Commerce football team.

"All in all, I thought it was a success," said head coach Guy Morriss. "We didn't run as many plays as we normally do in a spring game, mostly due to the fact that we've got a lot of guys still trying to get back to 100% and didn't want to take any chances. But it gave us the chance to work on a few things and no one got hurt, which is exactly what you want at the end of spring workouts. The guys looked good for the most part, and now we have some things to build on heading into the fall."

The Lions opened up the spring game working on situational drills by position before commencing with the spring game. A&M-Commerce ran 31 plays on the afternoon, giving the fans a look at who could come up big for the Lions once the fall season gets underway.

At the quarterback position, transfer Justin Gomez completed nine of his 13 passes for 95 yards, while sophomore Ryan Lusby was 4-of-7 for 25 yards. On the receiving end, Tevin Godfrey, who redshirted the 2011 season, looked impressive, hauling in four catches for 59 yards while Kenzee Jackson, seeing his first action since suffering a season-ending leg injury in the second game of the 2011 season, caught three passes for 30 yards, including a game-high 25 yard catch.

On the ground, junior Wayne Chapman carried five times for 40 yards, including a 34-yard scamper on the first play of the third drive for A&M-Commerce. Redshirt freshman Kaylon Alexander ran for eight yards on three carries, including the only offensive touchdown of the afternoon to cap the third drive.

Defensively, a handful of Lions stepped up, including senior Danny Mason and transfer Duke Wheeler, both of which had three tackles on the day with Mason recording a sack and the duo each recording an additional tackle for loss. Gage Windsor, Aaron Wingfield and Kristoddie Woods each had a pair of tackles on the day with Brandon Turner and Jake Williams combining for a sack as well.

One of the main highlights of the day was Joel Wren intercepting a Gomez pass at the seven-yard line, then scampering 93 yards down the far sideline to give the defense a touchdown as well - something A&M-Commerce fans grew accustomed to in 2011.

A&M-Commerce now sets its sights on August when the players report back for the first day of fall workouts in anticipation of the 2012 season. The Lions open up the 2012 campaign at home, hosting Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday, September 1 at Memorial Stadium. Stay tuned to LionAthletics.com for the latest on season ticket information.

Lone Star Conference

Angelo State University

Cameron University

Eastern New Mexico University

MSUMustangs.com

Texas A&M-Commerce

Tarleton State University

Texas A&M-Kingsville

Texas Woman's College

University of Texas of the Permian Basin

West Texas A&M University

Western New Mexico