News Nuggets, 02.29.04
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Compiled from staff reports
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Pirates launch LeClair Invitational in style
PREVIOUS NUGGETS |
02.28.04: Delayed
LeClair Invitational schedules first pitch for today... ..
SMU dismisses ECU alum Dement... .. Hot Tigers stalk cold
Cardinals... .. Coaches rebuked after frostbite incident... ..
More... |
02.27.04: Sponsors
hop aboard for LeClair Invitational... .. Updated C-USA
basketball standings, scoreboard & schedule... .. NCAA gives
green light to instant replay for Big Ten... ..
More... |
02.26.04: Martin
prime candidate for Kent head coaching job... .. USM
elevates Derrick Nix to tight ends coach... .. Great West
Football Conference born... .. Whaley quits Bearcats... ..
Latest C-USA scoreboard, standings, schedule... ..
More... |
02.25.04: Memphis
tightens grip on first place... .. Updated C-USA
standings... .. Judge guts Big East claims against ACC... ..
Tulsa beefs up football schedule... .. Ticket broker guilty
of fraud... ..
More... |
02.24.04: Bing
rings up Player of Week accolade... .. West named Tennessee
coach of the year... .. AP Hoops Poll... .. Baseball
America, Collegiate Baseball Polls... ..
More... |
02.23.04: WVU
football player charged with gun-dealing... .. Tar Heels
coach has near-fainting episode... .. Cards' Garcia makes
finalists' cut for Naismith Award... .. C-USA standings,
scoreboard, schedule... ..
More... |
02.22.04: Race
for C-USA tourney berths tightens... .. Just call him 'Coach
Harbaugh'... .. Report: Honor code violations get four BYU
players booted... ..
More... |
02.21.04: Marquette
assistant progressing after lung transplant... .. Stumbling
C-USA heavyweights collide... .. Saban officially hits the
jackpot... ..
More... |
02.20.04: Rimpf
recognized for off-the-field deeds... .. Wells leaving SID
post... .. Bonnies sentenced to three years... .. Ex-players
speak up for beleaguered Barnett... ..
More... |
02.19.04: C-USA
basketball standings & scoreboard... .. Aggies added to
revised Wake football slate... .. Little Vick faces multiple
charges... ..
More... |
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Though the First Annual
Keith LeClair Invitational started a
day late because of wintry weather, the outcome of the first day's action
turned out sunny and clear for the host team.
Ryan Jones had three hits
including a home run to help East Carolina break open a close game and
subdue Georgia Southern 7-1 Saturday afternoon, and pinch-hitter Drew
Costanzo delivered an 11th inning home run to seal a 3-2 upset win over No.
11 Clemson in the night game.
The wins extended the Pirates'
unbeaten season-opening start to 10-0 and initiated the tournament in a
fashion sure to have satisfied the event's namesake, ECU Hall of Famer and
former head coach Keith LeClair, whose
birthday happened to coincide with
Saturday's dramatics.
Clemson blanked Georgia
Southern 4-0 in the first game of the round-robin competition which is
sponsored by Trade Mart Stores and Wachovia Bank.
The tournament will conclude
Sunday with three more matchups. The Tigers and Eagles will meet again at 10
a.m. in the first of the final day's pairings, followed by repeat matchups
between the Pirates and Clemson at 1 p.m. and ECU and GSU at 4 p.m.
Both of Sunday's games
involving East Carolina will be broadcast live by Pirate Radio 1250 AM and
the station's audio feed will be simultaneously
streamed over the Internet via the
technology resources of Bonesville.net.
Following are the first day's
results and Sunday's schedule:
Saturday, Feb. 28
Clemson 4, Georgia Southern 0
East Carolina 7, Georgia Southern 1 [Box
Score]
East Carolina 3, Clemson 2 (11) [Box
Score]
Sunday, Feb. 29
10 a.m. Clemson vs. Georgia Southern
1 p.m. East Carolina vs. Clemson
4 p.m. Georgia Southern vs. East Carolina
Ex-ECU assistant takes over U of L
defense
LOUISVILLE — Mike Cassity has been named
defensive coordinator at the University of Louisville, replacing Mike
Gillhamer, who has been named a defensive assistant in the secondary for the
Carolina Panthers in the National Football League, announced head coach
Bobby Petrino.
Cassity served on former East Carolina
coach Bill Lewis's defensive staff in 1990-91.
Cassity, a former defensive coordinator and
defensive backs coach at Illinois, has spent 19 years as a defensive
coordinator and has 28 years of total coaching experience. He was hired in
December to assist in the secondary after serving the last three seasons
with the Fighting Illini, but now takes over a defense that returns eight
starters. He will also coach the safeties this season.
An experienced defensive mind, Cassity has spent his entire career on the
defensive side of the football. He turned around a struggling Illinois
defense into one of the top units in the Big Ten. Before Cassity's arrival,
Illinois ranked 11th in the Big Ten versus the run and allowed 232.5 yards
per game on the ground. In 2001, Cassity's troops ranked fourth in the Big
Ten in rush defense and allowed 147.0 yards per game, an improvement of 85.5
yards a contest.
Cassity came to Illinois from Oklahoma State where he served as defensive
coordinator for the Cowboys for two seasons. Cassity's defense held
opponents to only 126.0 rushing yards per game in 2000, and he guided a
defense that was ranked ninth in total defense in 1999.
After a two-year stint at OSU, Cassity, served two seasons as the assistant
head coach, defensive coordinator and secondary at Baylor. He coached the
secondary at Wisconsin in 1995-96, leading the Badgers to a Copper Bowl
title in 1996. He has been a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati (1994),
Georgia Tech (1992-93), East Carolina (1990-91), Northeast Louisiana (1989)
and Western Kentucky (1983-88).
Houston jockeys to drop LSU for Oklahoma
BATON ROUGE — The University of Houston is
asking out of its Sept. 11 game against LSU in Tiger Stadium, but will be
released only if LSU can get a replacement.
The Cougars want to play on that date at Oklahoma.
"There's a team on the table," said Dan Radakovich, LSU's senior associate
athletic director who handles football scheduling. He declined to name the
school.
OU officials have also been talking with Oregon State officials about a
possible two-game series with the Ducks playing at OU on Sept. 18.
If both deals are reached, Houston and Oregon State would replace Florida
A&M and Arkansas State on the Sooners' 2004 schedule.
If LSU can replace Houston, the Cougars will not be required to pay the
$175,000 buyout in the current contract between the schools, Radakovich
said.
Houston Athletic Director Dave Maggard said he understood LSU was "99
percent" done with securing a replacement for the Cougars.
Earlier this month, LSU signed Oregon State to play in Tiger Stadium on
Sept. 4 in the season opener for both teams. Oregon State replaced Virginia
Tech, which asked to postpone its visit to Baton Rouge until the 2007
season.
Sycamores retire Larry Bird's No. 33
TERRE HAUTE — No player has worn Larry
Bird's No. 33 since he left Indiana State 25 years ago. It was officially
retired Saturday.
Bird starred for Indiana State from 1976-79, leading the Sycamores to a 33-1
record and runner-up finish in the 1979 NCAA tournament. Then-Indiana State
President Richard Landini declared shortly afterward that no one would wear
Bird's number at the school again -- a declaration that was made official
with Saturday's ceremony before the Sycamores' game against Northern Iowa.
Bird was named national college player of the year for the 1978-79 season
and went on to a Hall of Fame NBA career with the Boston Celtics. He coached
the Indiana Pacers for three seasons and now is the team president.
Bird ranks first in scoring at Indiana State and fifth on the all-time NCAA
Division I list with 2,850 points. He also holds the Indiana State
rebounding record with 1,247.
"We had a special team. We played together, played to win and everyone knew
their roles ... Everyone knew I was going to take all the shots," Bird
joked.
The Sycamores lost to Magic Johnson and Michigan State in the 1979
championship, a loss that has haunted Bird ever since.
"I've always been heartbroken that I couldn't bring the championship back to
Terre Haute," he told the 7,000 fans in attendance.
Former Indiana State coach and player Duane Klueh's No. 54 was also retired
Saturday. He won a school-record 182 games as coach of the Sycamores from
1955-67.
Both jerseys were framed and hung on the wall at the Hulman Center.
News Nuggets are
compiled periodically from staff, ECU, Conference USA and its member
schools, and from Associated Press and
other reports. Copyright 2004
Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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