This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-17-00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-17-00

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 17
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, April 18
• Baseball vs. Valdosta State, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 19
No Events Scheduled

Thursday, April 20
No Events Scheduled

Friday, April 21
• Baseball vs. Georgia College & State, 3:00 p.m.
• Softball hosts AASU Pirate Peach Belt Blast

Saturday, April 22
• Men's Tennis vs. Rollins, 11:00 a.m
• Baseball vs. Georgia College & State, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
• Softball hosts AASU Pirate Peach Belt Blast
• Track and Field at Carolinas Intercollegiate (Pembroke, N.C.)

Sunday, April 23
No Events Scheduled

Baseball (31-14, 11-13 PBAC, No. 29 – Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30)

Head coach Joe Roberts' AASU baseball team dropped a midweek game at Valdosta State on Thursday, but rebounded to record its first PBAC series sweep of the year, taking three games from USC Spartanburg over the weekend at Pirate Field.

Lance Walker's two home runs helped the host Blazers of Valdosta State pick up a 12-6 win over the Pirates on Thursday evening. Freshman Nick Snow led the Pirates offensively with four hits, including a home run.

Saturday, the Pirates broke out the lumber, collecting 15 hits and scoring 12 runs in a 12-1 victory over USC Spartanburg. Senior Joey Williams pitched a complete game, scattering nine hits and giving up just one run for his 22^nd win of his AASU career, which ties the Metter, La., native for fourth all-time among Pirate players.

Sunday, juniors B.J. Brinkmeier and Jason Ackley pitched back-to-back shutouts as the Pirates swept the Rifles, 2-0 and 1-0. Brinkmeier limited USCS to four hits, while Ackley gave up just five. The double shutout was the first for the Pirates since 1992 when AASU blanked USC Spartanburg twice in a three-game series. That year, the Pirates gave up only run in the three-game series, an effort matched by this weekend's pitching.

This week, the Pirates host Valdosta State for a midweek matchup on Tuesday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m., then AASU entertains No. 10-ranked Georgia College & State in a weekend series at Pirate Field. The first game will be Friday, April 21 at 3:00 p.m., then the final two games will be on Saturday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m.

Softball (43-4, 15-1 PBAC, No. 3 – NFCA Coaches' Division II Top 25)

For the second week in a row, the Pirates swept a doubleheader from the No. 2-ranked team in the nation and strengthened their hold on first place in the Peach Belt Athletic Conference.

The Pirates swept midweek road doubleheheaders from Georgia College & State (10-0, 7-4) and Valdosta State (10-0, 6-0) before traveling to No. 2 North Florida for a Saturday matchup with the Ospreys.

In Jacksonville, Fla., the Pirates and the Ospreys went extra innings in game one, tied at 1-all. The Pirates plated four runs in the top of the eighth on no hits, using two UNF errors, two walks and a stolen base to take a 5-1 lead. Sophomore Annie Sells gave up a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth but closed out the win to improve to 17-2 on the year.

In the second game, Maria Lopez gave up just a two-run home run and the Pirates put together 12 hits and four runs to defeat the Ospreys, 4-2, and take the doubleheader sweep. Tesh Wiewel drove in two runs on two hits, including a triple, and Nicole Wierauch had three hits.

AASU now hosts the 2000 AASU Pirate Peach Belt Blast on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22. Kennesaw State, USC Spartanburg, USC Aiken, Georgia College & State and Francis Marion will join AASU in a six-team ASA format tournament over the two days. Friday's games will take place at Paulsen Field, while Saturday's games will take place at Pirate Field.

Men's & Women's Tennis (14-6, No. 6 (W), 18-5, No. 3 (M) – ITA/NCAA DII Team Rankings)

Head coach Simon Earnshaw's tennis teams finished second at the 2000 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Championships, held over the weekend at AASU.

Rain delayed most of the action until Saturday, then the Pirates advanced to the championship matches with two wins each. The short-handed women's team defeated Clayton College & State, 5-0, and Georgia College & State, 5-1, before succumbing to North Florida in Sunday's championship match, 5-0. The title for UNF is the first time an AASU team has not had a piece of the title since the first year the PBAC sponsored a women's tennis championship in 1992.

The men defeated Georgia College & State, 5-1, and Columbus State, 5-3, en route to a rematch with Lander University in the championship. The Pirates lost two of three doubles matches to the Senators, but won three quick singles matches and led, 4-3, but lost the remaining two singles matches. The championship was the ninth consecutive for Lander.

This week, the women's tennis team has the week off while the men host Rollins College in a match on Saturday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m.

Track and Field

Junior Nikki Garland became the third AASU track and field runner to provisionally qualify for the 2000 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships by finishing second in the 1500 meter race at the Emory Invitational on Saturday.

Garland finished in a time of 4:39.78, joining freshmen Paul McRae and Rebekah Mackie as Pirates who have earned qualifying times. Garland also finished second in the 800 meters at the event with a time of 59.71.

McRae continued his solid track season by capturing the men's 1500 meters in a time of 3:59.92 at Emory. Brant Speed finished fourth in the same race with a time of 4:09.79, while Drew Korenvaes finished ninth with a time of 4:25.75.

Senior Robert Crenshaw captured the 800 meter race with a time of 1:54.28, giving the Pirates two event winners at Emory. Speed finished third with a time of 2:05.42. Senior Gary Ginn finished fourth in the 5000 meter race with a time of 16:08.38, while freshman Chris Ramsey finished fifth in a time of 16:18.08.

Freshman Jillian Charles finished fourth in the women's 5000 meters with a time of 20:19.79, while teammate Amanda Lagesse finished eighth in a time of 20:48.48. Lagesse also finished eighth in the 3000 meters with a time of 12:16.35.

The AASU track teams will next compete at the Carolinas Intercollegiate in Pembroke, N.C., on Saturday, April 22^nd.

-Pirates-