This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-23-01

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-23-01

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 23
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, April 24
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, April 25
No Events Scheduled

Thursday, April 26
No Events Scheduled

Friday, April 27
No Events Scheduled

Saturday, April 28
• Softball at Kennesaw State, 2:00 p.m.
• Baseball at UNC Pembroke, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 29
• Baseball at UNC Pembroke (DH), Noon

Baseball (36-14 Overall, 16-11 Peach Belt Conference, No. 15 NCAA DII, No. 8 South Atlantic)

The Pirates went a perfect 4-0 on the week with all four wins coming at the expense of teams ranked in the Top 10 of the Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division II Coaches' Top 25 rankings. AASU defeated No. 9-ranked Valdosta State on Thursday, 9-7, then swept a three-game series from No. 3-ranked Georgia College & State over the weekend, running its Peach Belt Conference winning streak to nine straight games, the most consecutive conference wins for the Pirates since joining the Peach Belt in 1991.

Thursday, the Pirates spotted the Blazers a 7-0 lead after the first three innings, but came back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and a seven-run sixth inning to take the game, 9-7. Kirk Nordness went 4-for-4 at the plate to lead the Pirates.

Over the weekend, AASU traveled to Milledgeville, Ga., and swept No. 3-ranked GC&SU, winning 7-6 in Saturday's game and sweeping Sunday's doubleheader, 12-8 and 6-1. The PBC's Player of the Week for the second week in a row, David Harriman, sparked the comeback in Saturday's game with a leadoff home run in the eighth inning as the Pirates scored four runs to erase a 6-3 GC&SU lead.

This week, the Pirates wrap up their regular season with a three-game series at PBC foe UNC Pembroke on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. Saturday's single game is at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday's doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m.

Softball (33-12 Overall, 11-7 Peach Belt Conference)

The Armstrong Atlantic State softball team went 5-2 on the week, including a runner-up showing at the 2001 Peach Belt Conference Championships in Woodstock, Ga.

The Pirates tuned up for the PBC Tournament with a doubleheader sweep of USC Spartanburg on Wednesday, 2-0 and 2-1. PBC Pitcher of the Week Annie Sells hurled her eighth career no-hitter and second of the season against the Rifles in game one.

AASU then traveled to the East Cobb Softball Complex to compete at the 2001 PBC Championships. The Pirates won their first two games on Saturday, defeating Augusta State, 6-0, and No. 2-ranked Kennesaw State, 11-7, before losing to No. 10-ranked North Florida, 5-0. Coming back through the loser's bracket, the Pirates knocked off Augusta State, 3-2, to reach the championship game, where they fell to No. 10 UNF, 5-4.

Prior to the tournament, juniors Annie Sells and Breon Michel were named to the All-Peach Belt Conference squad. During the tournament, four Pirates were named to the All-Tournament team – Sells, seniors Tesh Wiewel and Crystal McCracken and junior Brea Smith.

This week, the Pirates wrap up their regular season with a trip to No. 2-ranked Kennesaw State on Saturday, April 28 for a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader.

Men's Tennis (14-9 Overall, 5-3 Peach Belt Conference, No. 4 ITA Division II Rankings)

The No. 4-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's tennis team finished fourth at the Peach Belt Conference Championships over the weekend, hosted by the Pirates.

The No. 4-seeded Pirates won their first-round match against USC Aiken on Thursday, 5-1, but lost to No. 1-seeded Lander, 5-2, on Friday, then lost to No. 2-seeded North Florida, 5-1, in Saturday's third-place match.

Prior to the tournament, several AASU players were honored at the PBC Tennis Championships awards banquet. Senior Blaise Tribolet was named the PBC Player of the Year and also earned All-Conference honors in singles and doubles. Senior Stefan Wirtz earned All-Conference honors in singles while senior Christopher Petersen earned All-Conference honors in doubles. Freshman Frederik de Beer was named the conference's Freshman of the Year.

AASU now awaits word on an NCAA Regionals berth as the Pirates try to return to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the seventh straight year.

Women's Tennis (19-5 Overall, 9-1 Peach Belt Conference, No. 8 ITA Division II)

The No. 8-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team captured their eighth Peach Belt Conference championship over the weekend, defeating North Florida, 5-2, in the finals to avenge last year's tournament final loss to the Lady Ospreys.

The Lady Pirates, seeded No. 2 in the tournament, won their first-round match over Francis Marion, 6-0, on Thursday, then defeated No. 3-seed Kennesaw State, 5-2, on Friday. The Pirates then knocked off the Lady Ospreys for the second time this season on Saturday.

Freshman Zsofi Golopencza capped a great weekend by being named the PBC Tournament MVP for going a perfect 6-0 in singles and doubles play. Golopencza was named the Peach Belt Conference's Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year on Wednesday, as well as earning All-Conference honors in singles and doubles. Junior Michaela Kratochvilova also earned All-PBC singles and doubles honors for the second consecutive season.

AASU now awaits word on an NCAA Regionals berth as the Lady Pirates try to return to the NCAA Division II National Championships for the seventh straight year.

Golf

Freshman Thomas Whittaker fired a final-round 73 and captured the Peach Belt Conference Touranment individual title by one stroke, becoming the first AASU golfer this season to capture an individual title and lead the Pirates to a sixth-place finish at the 2001 PBC Championships at the Woodside Plantation Country Club.

The Pirates - playing in their first PBC Championships - a final-rournd 304 and finished with a two-day total of 614, 38 strokes over par. Whittaker fended off Francis Marion's Matt Dura, who finished second with a 145 total, and was named to the six-man All-Tournament team by capturing the individual title.

Freshman David Roger was the next finisher for the Pirates, carding a two-day total of 154 and finishing tied for 10th. Bill Faith and Travis Best each finished tied for 28th with 158 totals and Clay Best finished 39th with an 183 total.

The PBC Tournament concludes the regular season for the AASU golfers and the Pirates will await word of a possible at-large berth to the NCAA Regionals by the selection committee.

- Pirates -