News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

10.23.06: Jenkins' three lifts Gold in scrimmage ... ECU volleyball takes sixth straight C-USA win ... Bools finishes sixth in Lady Pirate golf

10.22.06: Pirates volleyball on record streak ... Mountaineers handle Huskies, stay unbeaten ... Georgia golfer gets call to play in South Africa

10.21.06: Report: UNC-Chapel Hill's Bunting to resign ... Coaches' challenges yield few reversals ... Southern Miss prepared for Hokies

10.20.06: ECU's Roach nominated for Draddy Award ... Memphis picked first in C-USA basketball ... 4th-ranked UTEP runners coming to Greenville

10.19.06: Koren Robinson suspended by NFL ... Miami broadcaster axed over brawl comments ... Dartmouth, Holy Cross row gets investigation

10.18.06: League teams busy; ECU ends homestand ... C-USA names football players of week ... ECU's Krug captures C-USA weekly honor

10.17.06: ACC, Miami announce additional suspensions ... More suspensions also on Sun Belt's agenda ... Duke lacrosse under "60 Minutes" scrutiny

10.16.06: Coker suspends eight Miami players after brawl ... Pirate volleyball continues roll at UCF ... Szilard leads ECU women's soccer win ... Harris Poll's top 5 varies from BCS Standings

10.15.06: Stokes convenes season's first hoops practice ... Pirate volleyball wins third straight ... ECU women open basketball practice at Rose

10.14.06: EA Sports video game features ECU baseball stadium ... Pirates announce Tickets for Troops drive ... Six C-USA gridders in All-American Classic

10.13.06: Pirate basketball gets national TV dates ... ECU women's hoops getting tube time, too ... East Carolina baseball to host winter camp

10.12.06: ECU hoops scrimmages set for Homecoming ... Camels stun No. 3 UNC-Chapel Hill in soccer ... ECU picked 7th in C-USA women's hoops

10.11.06: Dougherty gets
C-USA special teams honor ... Pirate promotions abound for Tulsa game ... UCF versus Pitt on TV Friday night

10.10.06: Tulsa netter Brugues takes national title ... Miami (OH) reeling after sixth loss ... Pirates host unique diving competition

10.09.06: Buckeyes, Trojans, Gators top Harris Poll ... Denny O'Brien's Harris Poll ballot ... Gators continue success in Swamp ... Pirates stun Memphis in volleyball ... ECU soccer shuts out Herd

10.08.06: Jeff Blake bows out of hall induction ... NCAA's tax status under investigation ... North Dakota challenges NCAA mascot policy

10.07.06: Amato continues mastery of Seminoles ... ECU volleyball triumphs at home over UAB ... Millican continues bid for spot on LPGA Tour

10.06.06: Big Ten announces fines, reprimands ... Central Florida wins late field goal battle ... Millican shoots 74 in qualifying event

10.05.06: Gold captures ECU World Series with 8-7 win ... Tulsa runs past Southern Miss ... Former ECU golfer Millican in LPGA qualifying

10.04.06: TV exposure continues for C-USA teams ... Former UVa stars make $1 million gift ... SMU takes two of three weekly league honors

10.03.06: Curry to receive Stagg award ... Inspired by fallen teammate, Rice whips Army ... ECU women's golf team finishes 11th

10.02.06: Takeaways, sacks mean good things for UVa ... Gators pull even with WVU in Harris BCS poll ... Swofford presented with Homer Rice Award ... Tulsa win streak continues at ECU's expense

10.01.06: Cavs blast Duke 37-0 in Durham ... Vols deal Memphis a resounding defeat ... Pirate women's cross country wins meet

STEVEN BAKER (6-7, 250) DL, Northern Nash ... Also competes in the shot put in track and in basketball for the Knights. ... Rocky Mount Telegram reports that Baker always sits in the second seat on the right on the team bus and likes to go home and sleep following Friday night games. ... coached by Richard Bunch. ... Received an offer from East Carolina prior to the 2006 season and committed to the Pirates on October 18. [Posted 10.24.06]

MICHAEL BYRD (6-4, 226), TE, Thomasville ... committed to East Carolina after attending the Pirates' game with West Virginia. ... Was impressed by ECU's fan support and family-like atmosphere within the coaching staff. ... had two touchdown catches in first eight games of 2006 but used primarily as a blocker in Thomasville's scheme. ... primarily recruited by ECU wide receivers coach Donnie Kirkpatrick. ... Team off to a 9-0 start, outscoring opponents 366-35. ... Bulldogs are 4-0 in the Yadkin Valley 1-A Conference, outscoring foes 185-7. ... Byrd runs 40 yards in 4.8 seconds. [Posted 10.24.06]

MATT THOMPSON (6-2, 190) S, Eastern Alamance ... projected as outside linebacker by programs such as Clemson, N.C. State and Georgia Tech, which all showed recruiting interest but persuaded by Pirates offer to play safety. ... Also considered fact that ECU will lose three senior safeties this year. ... fast, physical player who led his team in tackles last season with 126. ... attended West Virginia-East Carolina game and committed shortly afterward. ... considers Pirates a "program on the rise." ... prep coach is John Kirby. ... 40-yard time is 4.6 seconds. [Posted 10.24.06]

Virginia Tech had fireworks off the field and Branden Ore provided the fireworks on the field as the Hokies got back in the win column with a 36-6 victory over Southern Mississippi on Saturday night in Blacksburg, VA.

Ore rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns in front of 66,233 fans at Lane Stadium, boosting Tech's record to 5-2 overall, according to a report at hokies.com. Southern Miss fell to 4-3 with the loss.

The win provided some healing for the Hokies, who last celebrated a victory nearly a month ago when they defeated Cincinnati 29-13 on Sept. 23. In the intervening month, the Hokies dropped two ACC games and suffered through some tumultuous off-field distractions. But the Hokies put those things behind them and were all business in this one, efficiently dismantling the Golden Eagles.

The East Carolina women's swimming and diving team improved to 3-0 with wins over College of Charleston, 154-87, and Gardner-Webb, 142-97, at Minges Aquatic Center on Saturday, according to an ECU athletic media relations report.

The men's team also maintained an unblemished record after defeating College of Charleston, 145-90, to improve to 2-0 on the season.

"We swam very fast today especially for such an early start," said Pirate head coach Rick Kobe. "It was a great team effort and we're very excited to get off to such a great start."

The Pirates swept nine of 13 events, including all four diving events. Ryan Hunt and Christie Icenhower each claimed first place scores on the one-meter and three-meter boards.

North Carolina was the overwhelming choice of ACC media to win the conference men's basketball title.

The Tar Heels won 62 of 65 first place votes. Duke was picked for second place and Boston College third, followed by Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Virginia, Clemson, Wake Forest, Miami and N.C. State.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from electronic services and other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.