FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-28-08
This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics
Monday, April 28
No Events Scheuled
Tuesday, April 29
Baseball vs. Erskine, 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 30
No Events Scheduled
Thursday, May 1
No Events Scheduled
Friday, May 2
Baseball vs. Lander, 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 3
Baseball vs. Lander, 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Sunday, May 4
No Events Scheduled
Baseball (24-20 Overall, 12-12 Peach Belt Conference)
The Pirates head into the final week of the regular season looking to play their way into the 2008 Peach Belt Conference baseball tournament.
Over the last two weeks, the Pirates have struggled against nationally-ranked foes, dropping six of seven games and scoring just 13 runs in the seven contests.
AASU lost a pair of midweek games to No. 18-ranked Valdosta State, losing 11-3 on Tuesday, April 15, and dropping a 6-0 decision to the Blazers on Tuesday, April 22.
The Pirates lost two of three at Columbus State on April 18-19, losing game one, 7-1, on Friday night, then watching the Cougars score 12 runs in an inning en route to a 16-2 victory. AASU salvaged a game of the series with a 6-5 win in Saturday’s second game.
This past weekend, AASU visited top-ranked Mount Olive and dropped a pair to the Trojans, 4-0 and 6-1. Sunday’s third game was rained out.
AASU will host No. 20-ranked Erskine on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m., then host Lander in the final regular season games on Friday and Saturday. For the Pirates to make the Peach Belt Confernce tournament, they will have to win two of three games from the Senators, which will make AASU the sixth seed. A sweep of Lander will make the Pirates the No. 5 seed.
Softball (27-21 Overall, 13-5 Peach Belt Conference)
The Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad will learn its postseason fate this week after finishing the regular season with a 27-21 overall record and a second-place finish in the Peach Belt Conference.
The Pirates tuned up for the PBC Championships by visiting Division I North Florida on Wednesday, April 16. UNF won both games, 6-4 and 9-1. At the PBC Championships, AASU won 4-1 over USC Aiken on the first day, but errors cost the Pirates in Saturday’s games, as GCSU defeated the Pirates, 1-0, thanks to an unearned run, then Columbus State won, 6-3, in 11 innings, eliminating AASU.
Three AASU players were named to the PBC All-Conference squad – senior second baseman Natalie Vogler, junior shortstop Ashley Bain and junior third baseman/pitcher Sam Floyd.
The Pirates, currently ranked seventh in the South Atlantic Region rankings, will hear an announcement of an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships from the NCAA later this week. The South Atlantic Regional will be on May 8-12.
Men’s Tennis (25-0 Overall, 8-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 1 ITA DII National Rankings)
The top-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men’s tennis team did not drop a game in winning its fourth straight Peach Belt Conference tournament title on April 18-20 at the AASU Tennis Complex.
AASU defeated North Georgia, Columbus State and GCSU by 5-0 scores, continuing its undefeated regular season and earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
Prior to the tournament, several Pirates were honored with PBC awards. Freshman Tim Johannsen was named the league’s Freshman of the Year, while Johannsen and Array earned All-PBC doubles honors and Johannsen also earned PBC singles honors. Head coach Simon Earnshaw was named the league’s Coach of the Year as well.
The Pirates now await word of the Mid-Atlantic Regional setup. AASU will host one of the two Mid-Atlantic regionals, to take place on May 8-9. The winner of the regional advances to the 2008 NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival, in Houston, Texas, on May 15-19.
Women’s Tennis (26-1 Overall, 10-0 Peach Belt Conference, No. 2 ITA DII National Rankings)
The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis team won its fifth straight Peach Belt Conference tournament title on April 18-20 at the AASU Tennis Complex.
The Lady Pirates defeated Lander, 6-0, and Columbus State, 5-0, before knocking off Francis Marion, 5-1, in the PBC Championship match. AASU earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships with the victory.
Several AASU players were honored by the league prior to the Championship. Senior Iuliia Stupak was named the league’s Player of the Year for a second straight season, while freshman Alida Muller-Wehlau was named the league’s Freshman of the Year. Stupak, Muller-Wehlau and senior Johanna Dahlback earned All-PBC singles honors, while the duo of Stupak and Gabriella Kovacs, as well as the duo of Muller-Wehlau and Martina Beckmann, earned All-PBC doubles honors. Head coach Simon Earnshaw was named the league’s Coach of the Year.
The Lady Pirates now await word of the Mid-Atlantic Regional setup. AASU will host one of the two Mid-Atlantic regionals, to take place on May 8-9. The winner of the regional advances to the 2008 NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival, in Houston, Texas, on May 15-19.
Men’s Golf (No. 16 GCAA DII National Rankings)
The AASU men’s golf team will make its seventh straight NCAA Championships appearance after earning an at-large bid to the 2008 DII Men’s Golf Championships.
The Pirates will head to the Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional on May 5-7 at the Point Lake Golf Club in Mooresville, N.C. The Super Regional will be hosted by Belmont Abbey.
AASU is the sixth seed in the Southeast portion of the regional, and the Pirates are one of six Peach Belt Conference teams in the field. The winner of the Southeast regional, the winner of the Atlantic regional, plus the next three lowest scoring teams regardless of region will advance out of the Super Regional to the 2008 NCAA DII Spring Sports Championships Festival in Houston, Texas.
Led by PBC Player of the Year Chris Wolfe, the Pirates will be looking for a third trip to the NCAA National Championships. Since reinstating men's golf as a varsity sport in 2001, the Pirates have advanced to the postseason every year since 2002.
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