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PREVIOUS NUGGETS

06.29.07: Rice's Almond goes to Utah Jazz in first round
06.28.07: ESPN GameDay will set stage in Blacksburg ... ESPNU will conduct prep all-star grid game ... Two Owls women cagers on Canadian team ... Samford gridder arrested for bank robbery
06.27.07: Hokie Weaver is British amateur champion ... Owls third baseman Seastrunk on All-CWS team ... Blue Devils name Vincent golf coach
06.26.07: C-USA athletes turn in top 20 track finishes ... Former Gamecock gets call-up to A's ... Future Gamecock recovering from stab wounds
06.25.07: UNC-Chapel Hill repeats as CWS runner-up
06.24.07: Vols coach released from hospital ... Munson may just call Georgia's home games ... SMU names Longbotham women's tennis coach
06.23.07: Season tix going, going, almost gone at ECU ... Rice gets hoops transfer from Texas A&M ... Southern Miss's Reed on Jones Cup team
06.22.07: ISP, Conference USA announce pact ... Williams returning to Pirates golf scene ... Georgia Tech's mascot car takes turn for worse
06.21.07: Quartet from C-USA involved in World Bowl XV ... Nevada's wolf has familiar appearance ... Theus leaves New Mexico State for Kings
06.20.07: Judge's order ousts Nifong from DA position ... Tar Heels send Cardinals packing in CWS ... Indiana football coach Hoeppner succumbs
06.19.07: Floyd, Solares win
C-USA recognition in track ... Nifong stepping down July 13; Duke settles ... Hawes planning to take his game up a level
06.18.07: Rice jumps on Tar Heels early for 14-4 win ... Memphis, Georgetown plan hoops dates ... Lynch named to fill in for Hoosiers in 2007 ... Indiana gets verbal from top prep performer
06.17.07: Gavel comes down on DA Nifong: disbarment ... Syracuse swimmers getting the big freeze ... Sun Devils use long ball to subdue Anteaters
06.16.07: Pirates, Gamecocks announce football dates ... Owls open CWS by rallying past Cardinals ... Nifong steps down as Durham D.A.
06.15.07: Future dentist Krug gains postgrad scholarship ... FSU's Braman accorded national coaching honor ... Wieburg stepping down as Big 12 commissioner
06.14.07: First-round pairings set for College World Series ... Five from C-USA named to Nagurski watch list ... Outland list includes C-USA trio
06.13.07: Pirates-Hokies moves from "the Deuce" to ESPN ... ECU's Roller named to national frosh unit ... C-USA scholar awards go ECU's Krug, Williams
06.12.07: Irish to don throwback jerseys for USC game ... Herd soph on Athletes in Action Jones Cup team ... Seminoles capture back to back NCAA track titles
06.11.07: Pirates' Myers 12th in NCAA hammer throw ... ECU's Neitz taken by Giants in 37th round ... Anteaters nip Shockers to earn Omaha berth
06.10.07: Bulldogs beat Clemson to earn way to Omaha ... Heels, Gamecocks resume super regional today
06.09.07: Rice leads parade of C-USA draft picks ... Thompson to direct ECU's basketball operations ... Owls' Savery named finalist for Howser Trophy ... Tigers' Mays decides to return for senior season
06.08.07: Pirates bring aboard juco shooting guard ... ECU's Myers advances in NCAA hammer throw ... Robich back at ECU as women's hoops aide
06.07.07: Northern League recognizes Darryl Lawhorn ... ECU strength assistant gets national honor ... Highly-sought nose tackle verbals to Irish
06.06.07: Owls hosting Aggies in NCAA super regionals ... Beavers beat Virginia in deciding regional game ... Cavaliers, Nittany Lions set pair of football dates
06.05.07: Pirates-Hokies: High noon kickoff in Blacksburg ... Three Pirates on all-regional baseball team ... Tar Heels rally to earn super regional berth
06.04.07: Southern Miss loses lead, ousted from regional ... Campbell names Link defensive coordinator ... Stanford, USC's Lovemark win NCAA golf titles
06.03.07: Wolfpack postponed in Columbia regional ... Mailman delivers for alma mater La. Tech ... SEC won't push for Division I-A football playoff
06.02.07: Hargreaves joins East Carolina football staff ... Paper: Grant in the mix for Gators hoops job ... Tulsa's Korbe shares Byron Nelson honor
06.01.07: Kragthorpe boots pair from Louisville program ... Duke's Danowski is lacrosse player of year ... Dollars lure Donovan to Orlando Magic
05.31.07: Two Pirates on All- State softball team ... Panel will study academic performance in hoops ... Five from C-USA named academic All-America
05.30.07: 13-year drought ends for Memphis baseball ... LSU mascot, Mike V, led inspirational life ... Jayhawks ace facing comeback from surgery
05.29.07: C-USA sends four to NCAA baseball regionals ... Duke falls to Johns Hopkins in lacrosse final ... Kansas star decides no Rush on NBA draft
05.28.07: ECU duo set for NCAA hammer championships ... Duke, Johns Hopkins vie for NCAA lacrosse title ... Former Villanova star dies after beating
05.27.07: ECU's Myers hammers out NCAA track berth ... Dramatic goal lifts Duke into NCAA lacrosse final ... Blue Devil women earn national title on the links
05.26.07: C-USA baseball players visit children's ward ... Cavs, Heels meet for berth in ACC championship ... SEC will look at potential football playoff
05.25.07: East Carolina track standouts in NCAA regionals ... Two gridders planning to leave Virginia Tech ... Rolle through as role player in hoops for LSU
05.24.07: Slain Miami lineman's parents to get $2 million ... Georgetown hoops duo announces future plans ... Heels' stumbles persist in ACC baseball tourney
05.23.07: C-USA session tickets available ... League honors go to six Pirate baseball players ... Paper: Villanova legend beaten, near death
05.22.07: Aggies end Houston's softball season ... C-USA weekly honors go to Belanger, Luna ... Duke plows through Heels to lacrosse Final Four
05.21.07: Tulsa takes NCAA regional golf title ... Purdue plans $82 million expansion of arena ... Criminal activity in program leads to coach's exit
05.20.07: C-USA baseball pairings set, ECU faces Tulane ... USM's Eustachy gets raise, extension ... Houston slams Aggies in softball regional
05.19.07: C-USA moves toward 6th bowl partnership ... Tar Heels extend Williams' contract ... Rice's Savery semifinalist for Dick Howser honor
05.18.07: East Carolina women's hoops adds Georgia star ... Gastonia Ashbrook high jumper heading for ECU ... Va. tennis standout joins ECU women's team
05.17.07: Weatherbee: ECU football tix may get scarce ... Cougars face La-La in NCAA softball opener ... Southland Conference star pulls out of NBA draft ... Pa. justices hear arguments on Paterno's salary
05.16.07: Winthrop guard in coma following car wreck ...
C-USA announces track honors... Conference reaches agreement in 'Summit' talks
 

News Nuggets, 06.30.08
 —  —  —  —  —
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Compiled from staff and electronic reports
©2007 Bonesville.net.
All rights reserved.

For the third straight year, Conference USA produced a College World Series representative, with Rice winning a pair of games in Omaha for the second straight year.

The Owls were joined in the NCAA Championship by East Carolina, Memphis and Southern Miss, marking the sixth straight season that C-USA has produced at least four NCAA teams. The Conference also produced six All-Americans, the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year and a record five Academic All-Americans.

A look at some of the league's 2007 baseball accomplishments, as reported on conferenceusa.com:

  • Conference USA was the No. 5 ranked conference in college baseball, trailing only the ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac-10.

  • Rice advanced to its sixth College World Series since 1997. The Owls won a pair of games in Omaha for the second straight season. It was the third consecutive year that C-USA placed a team in the CWS. Tulane made the field in 2005.

  • C-USA placed four teams in the 2007 NCAA Tournament (East Carolina, Memphis, Rice and Southern Miss). It was the sixth straight year that C-USA produced at least four NCAA teams.

  • For the seventh time in the last eight years, a C-USA team hosted an NCAA Regional, as Rice welcomed Texas Christian, Baylor and Prairie View to the Houston Regional. The Owls also hosted a Super Regional against Texas A&M, marking the eighth straight season a league team has advanced to Super Regional play.

  • Rice (56-14) had the second-highest win total in college baseball. The 54 wins by the Owls prior to the World Series marked the fourth year in a row that C-USA has produced the team with either the most total wins heading into the CWS or the best regular season record in Division I. Rice in 2006, Tulane in 2005 and East Carolina in 2004 established the trend.

  • The Owls were the No. 1 ranked team in the nation several weeks of the season, the third year in a row that C-USA produced the top-ranked team in multiple weeks of the season. Rice in 2006 and Tulane in 2005 had extended stays atop the rankings.

  • East Carolina, Houston, Southern Miss and Tulane were each nationally-ranked at some point in the season, giving the league five ranked schools in 2007.

  • Seven of the nine C-USA teams won at least one game against a nationally-ranked, non-conference opponent.

  • C-USA teams posted a total of 27 wins over nationally-ranked, non-conference opponents during the regular season, including 10 against Top 10 foes.

  • Among the NCAA teams that C-USA defeated in 2007 were: North Carolina (Rice), Texas (Rice), Clemson (Memphis), Mississippi (Southern Miss), Texas A&M (Rice), Cal State Fullerton (East Carolina and Rice), Pepperdine (East Carolina), Long Beach State (Rice), TCU (Rice and Central Florida), Missouri (Memphis), Nebraska (Rice), Florida (UCF), LSU (Tulane and UCF), Louisiana-Lafayette (Southern Miss), Michigan (East Carolina and UCF), Louisville (Rice and Southern Miss) and Baylor (Houston and Rice).

  • Six different Conference USA players were honored as All-Americans, including consensus first team All-American Joe Savery of Rice.

  • Three C-USA players earned Freshman All-American honors, including Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman Pitcher of the Year Ryan Berry of Rice.

  • C-USA had three players that earned National Player of the Week honors.

  • A record five C-USA players earned recognition as 2007 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-Americans, including two first team selections from Southern Miss (Patrick Ezell and Trey Sutton). Two additional players earned Academic All-District honors.

  • Conference USA had 29 players chosen in the June Major League Baseball Draft, the second-highest total in league history. Rice's Joe Savery was the first of an NCAA record-tying 14 selections from Rice. Savery's selection marked the third straight year that C-USA has produced a first round pick.

  • Fourteen players from C-USA schools appeared on the opening day rosters of Major League Baseball teams, with seven schools represented.

From Conference USA


June 29, 2007

Rice's Almond goes to Utah Jazz in first round

Rice University's Morris Almond, a 6-foot-6 guard out of Powder Springs, GA, heard his name called by NBA Commissioner David Stern on Thursday night in the first round of the NBA Draft as the 25th pick by the Utah Jazz.

"I kinda had a hunch that I would go to Utah," said Almond shortly after getting selected. "The Jazz fit my style and I just think it's a perfect fit. It feels good to have the speculation over and now it's time to move forward. All of the years of practice and hard work since I left high school and entered Rice have led me to this point."

The last time Almond was in Salt Lake City, he scored 42 points by sinking 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, 12 of 14 from the free throw line and four of six three-point bombs against the University of Utah.

He becomes the first Rice player to be selected in the first round since Ricky Pierce was the 18th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. Almond is also the first Owl to be selected in the NBA Draft since Kenny Austin was a fifth-round pick, also by the Detroit Pistons, in 1983.

During his 2007 senior season, Almond was third in the nation in scoring by averaging a Conference USA record 26.4 points per game. For his efforts, he was named the 2007 C-USA Player of the Year and earned AP All-America honorable mention accolades.

From Conference USA


June 28, 2007

ESPN GameDay will set stage in Blacksburg

The season debut of College GameDay set for Saturday, Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. will originate from Blacksburg, VA, prior to the season-opening East Carolina at Virginia Tech football game, which will be televised on ESPN at noon.

Chris Fowler will host the program for the 18th season and will be joined by analysts Lee Corso, who has been affiliated with the show since its first year, Kirk Herbstreit, who joined in 1996, and Desmond Howard, who is entering his third year.

The telecast will be called by Mike Tirico with Todd Blackledge and Bill Curry as analysts.

ESPNU will conduct prep all-star grid game

The ESPNU High School All-American Game, an all-star football game for the nation's top high school seniors, will make its debut Jan. 5, 2008, at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, according to a Cincinnati Enquirer report.

National recruiting analysts and talent evaluators from ESPN Scouts, Inc., will select players for both teams from The ESPN 150, a nationwide ranking of top prep football prospects.

About 80 players will be invited to the game and a skills competition.

Officials have stated that more than 40 players have accepted invitations to participate in the 2008 game, including running back Jermie Calhoun of Van (TX) High School and quarterback E.J. Manuel of Bayside High School in Virginia Beach, VA.

Two Owls women cagers on Canadian team

Rice women's basketball players Kadie Riverin and Tara Watts have been selected to play for Canada's under-21 women's national team. This team will represent Canada at world championships beginning Friday in Moscow.

Samford gridder arrested for bank robbery

A Samford football player was arrested and jailed on federal bank robbery charges for allegedly holding up an AmSouth Bank in Hoover, AL.

Michael Sherrod Hall, a 20-year-old defensive end, was arrested in Douglas County, GA. Authorities said they found about $18,200 during a search of the vehicle.

Hall transferred to the Birmingham, AL, school from Arkansas in 2006 after being redshirted as a freshman. He is a native of Decatur, GA. Samford coach Pat Sullivan suspended Hall, who started nine games for the Division I-AA Bulldogs last season, from the program.


June 27, 2007

Hokie Weaver is British amateur champion

Virginia Tech golfer Drew Weaver defeated Tim Stewart of Australia, 2 and 1, to capture the 2007 British amateur championship, played at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in Lancashire, England.

Weaver, a rising junior from High Point, led by two strokes after the morning 18 holes in the 36-hole final. He eventually led by as many as six holes with six remaining before winning with the final margin. Stewart is the 2006 Australian amateur champion.

Owls third baseman Seastrunk on All-CWS team

For an outstanding series of games last week in Omaha, Rice freshman Diego Seastrunk was named the third baseman on the 2007 All-College World Series team. Seastrunk batted .316 in the Owls' four CWS games, hitting safely in 6-of-19 at bats with five RBI's, four runs scored and a double.

Blue Devils name Vincent golf coach

O.D. Vincent, who has coached UCLA's golf program to two Pac-10 championships and four top-10 NCAA finishes over the past five years, has been named men’s golf coach at Duke.

He follows Rod Myers, who died in March after guiding the Blue Devil program for 34 seasons.


June 26, 2007

C-USA athletes turn in top 20 track finishes

Houston's Jason Perez, Memphis' Gail Lee and Central Florida's LaKendra Thames finished among the top 20 in their respective events at the USA track and field championships in Indianapolis over the weekend.

Perez, a freshman, finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.92. He earned the right to race in the final after finishing third in the preliminaries on Friday. For his performance he was named a USATF Junior All-American.

Lee, a senior, staked her claim as one of the nation's best in the women's shot put with a top-10 finish. She took home a ninth-place showing after recording a throw of 53-03. The weekend was the final meet of a decorated collegiate career that included two All-American honors and four NCAA Championship appearances.

Thames, a freshman, finished among the top 20 athletes in the discus throw. The last thrower in the second of two flights, Thames posted toss of 137-11 to place 19th overall.

Perez was one of five Cougars to earn junior All-American status at the meet. The others, also freshmen, were Wesley Bray (decathlon), Quin'shundolyn McPherson (long jump, triple jump), Hyleta Young (long jump) and Brittani Williams (hepthathlon).

Bray finished second in the decathlon on Thursday and qualified for the Pan Am Junior Nationals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 13-29, 2007. He will compete as a member of the USA junior team.

Former Gamecock gets call-up to Oakland A's

Former South Carolina infielder Kevin Melillo has been called up to the major leagues, joining the Oakland Athletics as the team headed to New York for a weekend series with the Mets beginning on Friday night.

Melillo is now one of five former Gamecocks currently in major league baseball along with shortstop Adam Everett (Houston Astros), second baseman Brian Roberts (Baltimore Orioles) and pitchers Jon Coutlangus (Cincinnati Reds) and Marcus McBeth (Cincinnati Reds).

Melillo had been playing for the Sacramento River Cats in Triple-A with the A's organization. In 67 games, Melillo had a .267 batting average (73-for-273) with seven home runs, 40 RBI's, 21 doubles and 49 runs scored.

A three-year letter-winner for the Gamecocks, Melillo was a member of three consecutive College World Series teams from 2002-04. He was a captain on the 2004 squad, which topped East Carolina in a super regional in Columbia.

Future Gamecock recovering from stab wounds

South Carolina football recruit Quentin Richardson, 18, was stabbed early Sunday morning after an argument at an apartment complex in suburban Columbia, SC, according to reports.

The offensive lineman underwent successful surgery Sunday afternoon and was expected to be released from the hospital in a few days. Richardson missed most of his senior season at Spring Valley High School due to a knee injury.


June 25, 2007

UNC-Chapel Hill repeats... as CWS runner-up

Oregon State became the first team in a decade to repeat as College World Series champion, completing a dominant run through the tournament with a 9-3 victory over UNC-Chapel Hill on Sunday night.

The Beavers (49-18) won all five of their CWS games, including a sweep of the Tar Heels in the best-of-three finals, and trailed for only one of 45 innings they played in Omaha.

UNC-Chapel Hill was runner-up for the second straight year after the first CWS finals rematch since Arizona State and Southern Cal met in 1973. Oregon State is the first back-to-back champion since LSU in 1996-97 and the fifth overall.

Darwin Barney's two-run homer gave the Beavers the lead in the second inning of the decisive game. Jordan Lennerton hit his second homer in two nights, a two-run shot in the eighth.

The Tar Heels (57-16) didn't get much going against Oregon State's steady pitching and solid defense, and were shut down whenever they appeared on the verge of a big inning.


June 24, 2007

Vols coach Summitt released from hospital

Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt has been released from the hospital. She is at home and will be resuming normal activities, according to a statement on the Lady Vols website.

On Thursday, June 21, Summitt was admitted to the hospital because of dehydration. She was treated and kept under observation overnight.

Munson may just call Georgia's home games

Larry Munson, the legendary 84-year old radio play-by-play voice of the Georgia Bulldogs, may limit his descriptions to home games during the 2007 season because of declining health, according to reports.

Analyst Scott Howard likely would call the Dawgs' road games in Munson's absence.

SMU names Longbotham women's tennis coach

Lauren Longbotham has been named women's tennis coach at Southern Methodist. Longbotham served as interim head coach during the 2006-07 season. The Mustangs finished 19-5 under her guidance, their highest winning percentage since 1977.


June 23, 2007

Season tix going, going, almost gone at ECU

For the first time in school history, East Carolina is nearing a sellout of its entire football season ticket allotment.

With more than 18,000 season tickets already ordered, ECU now has less than 4,000 season tickets available with over two months remaining prior to the Pirates' home opener against UNC-Chapel Hill on Sept. 8.

ECU set an all-time high of 16,318 purchases last year in Skip Holtz' second season guiding the Pirates, surpassing the previous standard of 16,173 established in 2000.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.ecupirates.com or by calling the ECU ticket office at 1-800-DIAL-ECU.

Rice gets hoops transfer from Texas A&M

Bryan Beasley has left the Texas A&M basketball team and has transferred to Rice to become a member of the Owls basketball program. The six-foot guard was redshirted as a freshman during the 2006-07 season and did not see action.

A 2006 graduate from Pflugerville High School with a 4.3 GPA, Beasley was the Central Texas player of the year as he averaged 17.4 points per game. The all-state selection also played for Team USA at the 2006 Global Games in Dallas.

Coming out of high school Rivals.com rated Beasley as the state of Texas' top-ranked point guard and top-150 nationally. Additionally, Texas Hoops ranked him as the state's ninth-best overall prospect.

Southern Miss's Reed on Jones Cup team

Southern Miss junior guard/forward Kendra Reed (Bay St. Louis, MS) has been selected to represent the United States as a member of the U.S. William Jones Cup Team which will compete, July 11-17, in Taipei, Taiwan.

Reed will be joined by an all-star collegiate cast comprised of Rachel Allison and Jhasmin Player of Baylor, Heather Ezell of Iowa State, Briann January of Arizona State, Sarah-Jo Lawrence of George Washington, Jackie McFarland of Colorado, Angie Nelp of Colorado State, La Toya Micheaux of Texas A&M, Leah Rush of Oklahoma, Brittanie Taylor-James of North Carolina A&T and Katie Vieth of Kentucky.

Seven members of the 12-player roster participated in this year's NCAA Tournament.

Last season, Reed averaged 15.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.


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 2007 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

Page Updated: 06/30/2007 10:30 PM

 

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