FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-12-01

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, March 5
• Baseball vs. Wayne State, 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 6
• Baseball vs. South Dakota State, 2:00 p.m.
• Softball vs. Lander, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis vs. Georgia College & State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis vs. Georgia College & State, 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 7
• Baseball vs. South Dakota State, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis vs. Ferris State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis vs. Ferris State, 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 8
• Baseball vs. Grand Valley State, 2:00 p.m.
• Women's Tennis vs. Lees-McRae, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis vs. Lees-McRae, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Basketball vs. Wingate (1st Round, South Atlantic Regional), 8:00 p.m.

Friday, March 9
• Men's Basketball at South Atlantic Regional (Charlotte, N.C.)

Saturday, March 10
• Baseball vs. SIU Edwardsville, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Basketball at South Atlantic Regional (Charlotte, N.C.)

Sunday, March 11
• Baseball vs. Quincy, 2:00 p.m.
• Softball at Hawaii-Pacific, Noon

Men's Basketball (25-7 Overall, 15-1 PBC, No. 5 Seed in South Atlantic Regional)

The Armstrong Atlantic State men's basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Peach Belt Conference tournament for the third time in the past four seasons, defeating USC Spartanburg, 82-74, and Columbus State, 76-71, but fell to the Augusta State Jaguars in the tournament final, 60-46.

The Pirates' season did not end with the PBC Tournament final, however, as AASU received an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships on Sunday evening, only the second DII postseason appearance for the Pirates in school history and the first since 1994-95.

At the annual Peach Belt Conference banquet, the Pirates garnered several awards, headlined by senior guard Robert Campbell, who was named the PBC's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Campbell, also a first-team All-Conference player, becomes only the second player to earn back-to-back PBC Player of the Year honors and is AASU's only three-time All-Conference honoree. Senior forward Greg Favors was named to the All-Conference second team and head coach Griff Mills was named the PBC Coach of the Year for only the second time in his 10 years at AASU.

The Pirates will enter the South Atlantic Regional as the No. 5 seed and will face Wingate, the No. 4 seed, in a first-round game on Thursday, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. at Johnson C. Smith, the host school for the regional. The winner of that game gets to play Johnson C. Smith, the No. 1 seed in the regional, on Friday and the championship game will be on Saturday.

Women's Basketball (10-16 Overall, 5-11 PBC)

Coach Hodge's Lady Pirates improved on last season's 7-19 mark this year, and one of the biggest reasons for the improvement was the play of sophomore Zandrique Cason. At the Peach Belt Conference's annual awards brunch, Cason was rewarded by being named to the PBC All-Conference first team, only the third AASU women's basketball player to be so honored. Cason joins Renee Rice and Nicole Smith as first-team All-PBC Lady Pirates.

Softball (5-1, No. 4 NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll)

The AASU softball team played in four games at the UNF Osprey Invitational over the weekend, but had its final two games cancelled because of inclement weather.

The Pirates lost their first game on Friday, 1-0, to Saint Leo, despite a no-hitter from junior Annie Sells. AASU rebounded to defeat Northwood, 8-0. Saturday, the Pirates picked up two more wins, defeating Barry, 3-2, and Eckerd College, 5-0. Sunday's games against Nova Southeastern and Florida Southern were rained out.

This week, the Lady Pirates open up their PBC season with a doubleheader against Lander University on Tues., March 6 at 2:00 p.m., then AASU embarks on its trip to Hawaii, where first up on the Lady Pirates' schedule will be Hawaii-Pacific on Sun., March 11 at Noon (Hawaii time).

Baseball (12-6 Overall, 5-4 PBC)

Head coach Joe Roberts' baseball squad went 2-1 on the week as AASU began play in the 2001 Savannah Invitational.

Wednesday, the Pirates opened the invitational successfully with a 12-3 win over Queens College. Junior Jason Pruitt led the Pirates by going 3-for-3 with two RBI and junior Rob Mills clubbed a two-run home run.

On Thursday, freshman center fielder Chris Dentler hit the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth inning for a home run, giving AASU a 7-6 win over NW Missouri State.

Friday, the Pirates' Adam Olejniczak was roughed up for eight hits and seven runs in five innings as Queens picked up its first-ever win over the Pirates, 10-6. Saturday's scheduled game against Northwest Missouri State was rained out.

AASU continues action in the Savannah Invitational this week with a Monday contest against Wayne State at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, the Pirates face South Dakota State at 2:00 p.m. each day, then on Thursday, the Pirates host Grand Valley State at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, AASU plays SIU Edwardsville at 2:00 p.m., then Sunday the Pirates play No. 25-ranked Quincy at 2:00 p.m.

Men's and Women's Tennis (Women: 6-2, 5-1 PBC; Men: 5-1, 4-0 PBC, No. 7 DII)

The AASU men's and women's tennis teams had two scheduled matches cancelled this week due to inclement weather. AASU's scheduled PBC doubleheader against Francis Marion on Wednesday has been moved to April 4, while the Pirates' scheduled match against Flagler on Saturday will not be made up.

This week, the AASU men's and women's teams host a flurry of action, beginning on Tuesday with a PBC Doubleheader against Georgia College & State at 2:00 p.m. AASU hosts Ferris State on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., then hosts Lees-McRae at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Golf

The Armstrong Atlantic State men golf team recorded its first Top 10 finish of the season with a seventh-place finish at the Wolverine South Intercollegiate at the Hunter Golf Course in Savannah, Ga.

AASU recorded a two-day total of 618 (313-305, +42) and finished 37 strokes behind the team champion and host University of Michigan. AASU, one of only three NCAA Division II teams participating in the primarily Division I field, finished one stroke ahead of USC Aiken.

Freshmen Thomas Whittaker and David Rogers each finished as the Pirates' low scorers, tying for 19th individually. Whittaker shot 77-74=151 while Rogers - playing in his first tournament for the Pirates - carded a 73-78=151.

Freshman Bill Faith finished tied for 33rd individually with a 78-76=154 score (+10), while Andrew Suggs finished tied for 66th (85-77=162, +18) and Travis Kelly finished tied for 76th (91-79=170, +26).

AASU will be next in action at the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Georgia College & State University, in Greensboro, Ga., from March 25-27.

- Pirates -