FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3-11-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, March 11
• Baseball vs. Concord (W. Va.), 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis vs. Drury, 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 12
• Softball vs. Edinboro, 1:00 p.m.
• Baseball vs. Bryant (R.I.), 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 13
• Baseball vs. Missouri Western, 2:00 p.m.
• Baseball vs. Concord (W. Va.), 6:00 p.m. (@ Grayson Stadium)

Thursday, March 14
• Softball vs. USC Aiken, 1:00 p.m.

Friday, March 15
• Softball vs. Catawba, 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 16
• Baseball vs. North Florida (DH), Noon
• Softball vs. UNC Pembroke, 2:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 17
• Baseball vs. North Florida, 1:00 p.m.
• Softball vs. St. Andrews, 1:00 p.m.

Baseball (23-3 Overall, 4-2 Peach Belt, No. 6 Collegiate Baseball Division II)

The No. 6-ranked AASU baseball squad went a perfect 7-0 on the week in 2002 Savannah Invitational action, running its record to 23-3 on the season, the best start for the Pirates since the 1994 DII World Series team.

AASU opened up the week with a 19-1 pounding of Wayne State in a seven inning contest on Monday. On Tuesday, the pitching took over for the Pirates as junior Mike Roga hurled the ninth no-hitter in AASU history, blanking Northwest Missouri State 1-0 and tying a school record, while setting a Peach Belt Conference record by recording 17 strikeouts. Roga came within one walk of hurling a perfect game as he improved to 7-1 on the year.

The Pirates then defeated Gannon, 16-7, on Wednesday, erasing a 7-3 Golden Knight lead with eight runs in the sixth inning. On Thursday, the Pirates knocked off Grand Valley State, 7-3, then traveled across town to Chain Field in Garden City and beat Gannon, 12-6.

After a day off on Friday, AASU then shut out Hillsdale, 8-0, on Saturday, the third shutout of the season hurled by the Pirate pitching staff, then Sunday the Pirates defeated SIU Edwardsville, 11-2, as Mike Roga improved to 7-1 on the year by limiting the Cougars to two hits and one run in six innings.

This week, the Pirates continue action in the 2002 Invitational on Monday against Concord at 2:00 p.m., then Tuesday against Bryant at 2:00 p.m. AASU finishes up action in the Invitational on Wednesday against Missouri Western at 2:00 p.m. and against Concord at 6:00 p.m. at Grayson Stadium, before hosting PBC rival North Florida on Saturday at Noon and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in a key Peach Belt Conference series.

Men's Golf (No. 17 NCAA Division II)

The No. 17-ranked AASU golf team will be next in action on March 24-26 at the GC&SU Bobcat Invitational in Milledgeville, Ga.

Softball (7-1, 0-0 Peach Belt, No. 13 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad went 4-1 at the Francis Marion Invitational over the weekend in Florence, S.C., to improve to 7-1 on the season.

Senior Annie Sells hurled back-to-back no-hitters on Friday and Saturday, blanking Coker College, 2-0, and defeating Catawaba, 11-1. Sells tied her AASU and PBC record with 16 strikeouts against Coker, then struck out seven Catawba batters in five innings in defeating the Indians.

Even with Sells' performance, it took a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning from Lindsay Phillips to defeat Coker.

In the other contests, freshman Katy Perkins picked up two wins, defeating West Virginia Wesleyan, 10-6, in relief, while blanking Barton College, 12-0, on Sunday. AASU lost its first game of the season on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 3-1 decision to Limestone.

The No. 13-ranked Pirates will host five doubleheaders this week as they open up their home schedule, beginning on Tuesday against Edinboro at 1:00 p.m. AASU will then host USC Aiken on Thursday, Catawba on Friday, UNC Pembroke on Saturday and St. Andrews on Sunday.

Men's Tennis (6-4, 3-2 Peach Belt, No. 19 NCAA Division II)

The No. 19-ranked AASU men's tennis team split two matches on the week, rallying to defeat Columbus State, 6-3, on Friday, then falling to No. 13-ranked Florida Southern, 5-4, on Saturday.

The Pirates dropped two of three doubles matches to Columbus State on Friday, but rallied to win five of six singles matches to pick up the victory and climb over .500 in the conference with the win. On Saturday, the Pirates found themselves trailing Florida Southern, 2-1, after doubles but could only pick up three singles wins from Achim Roth, Caue Figueiredo and Michael Jezt.

The Pirates will face No. 5-ranked Drury on Monday at 2:00 p.m. at the AASU Tennis Complex, then will have the rest of Spring Break off.

Women's Tennis (12-1, 8-0 Peach Belt, No. 3 NCAA Division II)

The No. 3-ranked AASU women's tennis team dropped its first match of the season, a tight 5-4 decision to the No. 2-ranked team in NAIA, Brenau, on Wednesday, but rebounded to win three matches over the weekend, blanking PBC foes Columbus State and UNC Pembroke as well as No. 29-ranked Ferris State.

The Lady Pirates dropped two of three doubles matches against Brenau on Wednesday, then could only get three singles wins from Annamaria Forgacs, Michaela Kratochvilova and Laura Puch in suffering their first loss of the season.

AASU then remained perfect in PBC play by blanking Columbus State, 9-0, on Friday, and UNC Pembroke, 9-0, on Saturday. The Lady Pirates then shut out Ferris State, 9-0, on Sunday.

The Lady Pirates will take the next nine days off from competition for Spring Break, then return to action on Wednesday, March 20 against top-ranked NAIA foe Auburn-Montgomery in Jacksonville, Fla., at 3:00 p.m.

- Pirates -