This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 4-29-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4-29-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, April 29
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, April 30
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, May 1
No Events Scheduled

Thursday, May 2
No Events Scheduled

Friday, May 3
• Women's Tennis hosts NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
AASU vs. Fayetteville State, 10:00 a.m.
GC&SU vs. Columbus State, 2:00 p.m.
• Men's Tennis at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional (Greenwood, S.C.)
AASU vs. Anderson, 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 4
• Women's Tennis hosts NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional
Championship Match, 11:00 a.m.
• Men's Tennis at NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional (Greenwood, S.C.)
Championship Match, 2:00 p.m.
• Baseball at Augusta State, 3:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 5
• Baseball at Augusta State, 1:00 p.m. (DH)

Baseball (34-19 Overall, 11-16 Peach Belt, No. 26 Collegiate Baseball NCAA DII)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball team dropped three close games over the weekend to No. 11-ranked Georgia College & State University, losing a 12-8 game on Friday, then falling in Saturday's doubleheader, 4-2 and 2-1.

On Friday, sophomore Stacy Bennett's grand slam home run in the bottom of the third inning put the Pirates up, 7-1, over the Bobcats. GC&SU climbed back into the game, scoring three runs in the top of the eighth inning to tie the game at 7-all, then busting the game open with five runs in the top of the ninth inning to win, 12-8.

Saturday's doubleheader saw the Pirates grab a 2-0 lead in the first game, but the Bobcats scored twice in the fourth and fifth innings to win, 4-2. In the nightcap, the Bobcats and the Pirates played extra innings, as Jason Samples' solo home run in the top of the eighth inning was the difference in the 2-1 victory.

In Friday's game, junior Mike Roga became just the eighth player in AASU history to record 100 strikeouts in a season. Roga tallied six strikeouts in seven innings pitched and now has 105 on the season.

The Pirates will wrap up the 2002 season this weekend with three games at Augusta State. AASU and the Jaguars will play a single game at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, then wrap up the season with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Sunday, May 5.

Softball (39-5, 13-2 Peach Belt, No. 12 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad, coming off of a runner-up finish in the Peach Belt Conference Championships for the second straight year, is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation. They are awaiting word of a possible NCAA Regionals berth, which, if received, will be the program's second in five years of competition.

The NCAA DII Softball South Atlantic Regional will take place from Thursday, May 9, through Saturday, May 11, at a site to be determined.

Six teams advance to the NCAA Regionals this season - three automatic qualifiers from the PBC, South Atlantic and Carolinas-Virginias Conference touranment winners and three at-large. Kennesaw State won the automatic berth from the Peach Belt, while Lenoir-Rhyne is in from the South Atlantic and Longwood is in from the CVAC. AASU, ranked No. 2 in the latest South Atlantic Region rankings, should be in line for an at-large berth.

Men's Golf (No. 19 NCAA Division II)

The No. 19-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's golf team earned its first NCAA Championships berth in school history on Friday evening as the championship field was announced. The Pirates will be a participant in the Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional from May 6-8 at the North Shore Golf Club in Sneads' Ferry, N.C.

Earlier in the week, AASU finished tied for second at the 2002 Peach Belt Conference Championships on Tuesday, firing a two-day 607 total and finishing seven strokes behind team champion USC Aiken. The Pirates, who led after the first day by seven strokes, finished the tournament tied with Kennesaw State for second place.

Sophomore David Roger finished in a three-way tie for first place individually, but lost in the playoff to finish second after firing a one-over-par 145 two-day total. Sophomore Thomas Whittaker - the defending PBC Tournament champion - finished tied for 11^th with a nine-over-par 153 total. Freshman Ashley Loyd finished 14th individually with a 10-over-par 154 total. Freshmen Jonathan Cox (159, T23rd) and Nick Cowper (final-round 77 after being disqualified in the first round) rounded out the Pirates' scoring.

Men's Tennis (12-11, 4-3 Peach Belt, No. 11 NCAA Division II)

The No. 11-ranked AASU men's tennis squad, coming off of a third-place finish at the Peach Belt Conference Championships, will be in action at the NCAA DII Mid-Atlantic Regional on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, in Greenwood, S.C.

The Pirates will face Anderson College on Friday at 2:00 p.m., with the winner advancing to the championship match on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. AASU defeated Anderson, 5-4, in the schools' earlier meeting this season.

The regional champion will earn a berth in the field of 16 at the 2002 NCAA Division II Tennis Championships in Kansas City, Mo., on May 9-12.

Women's Tennis (21-3, 10-0 Peach Belt, No. 2 NCAA Division II)

The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis squad will host one of two NCAA DII Mid-Atlantic Regionals on Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4, at the AASU Tennis Complex.

The Pirates will welcome in No. 11 Georgia College & State, No. 24 Columbus State and CIAA champion Fayetteville State for the regional. AASU will face Fayetteville State at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, followed by GC&SU and Columbus State at 2:00 p.m.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional championship game will take place on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.

The regional champion will earn a berth in the field of 16 at the 2002 NCAA Division II Tennis Championships in Kansas City, Mo., on May 9-12. The Lady Pirates have advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championships each of the last seven seasons.

- Pirates -