This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 5-1-00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-1-00

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, May 1
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, May 2
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, May 3
No Events Scheduled.

Thursday, May 4
No Events Scheduled

Friday, May 5
Men's Tennis hosts NCAA South Regional
• Columbus State vs. Lincoln Memorial, 2:00 p.m.
Women's Tennis at NCAA South Regional
• AASU vs. North Alabama, 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, May 6
Men's Tennis hosts NCAA South Regional
• AASU vs. CSU/LMU winner, 11:00 a.m.
Women's Tennis at NCAA South Regional
• AASU/UNA winner vs. North Florida, 10:30 a.m.
• Track and Field at Georgia Invitational (Athens, Ga.)

Sunday, May 7
No Events Scheduled

Baseball (37-17, 15-15 PBAC, No. 25 – Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30)

Head coach Joe Roberts' AASU baseball team closed out the 2000 season by winning three of four games on the week to finish with an overall record of 37-17.

Wednesday, the Pirates pounded Newberry, 12-2, behind senior Kevin Bullard's two hits and three RBI. Simon Stoner pitched eight innings, allowing just two runs as the Pirates swept the season series from the Indians.

On Saturday, senior Joey Williams ended his Pirate career in fine fashion, hurling a complete-game victory over UNC Pembroke, 8-1. Williams scattered 10 hits and gave up just one run in recording his eighth win of the season and the 23^rd of his career, placing the Metter, Ga., native fourth all-time on the Pirate victory list.

Sunday, the Pirates split a doubleheader with UNC Pembroke, losing the first game, 5-1, but winning the second game, 5-3. Junior Jason Ackley picked up his 10th win of the season in the second game, giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings to become the 15th Pirate to record 10 wins in one season.

AASU has won at least 35 games in 18 of the past 20 seasons and the Pirates finished this season winning eight of their last 10 ballgames. Seven seniors leave the AASU program – Kevin Bullard, who ranks in the top 10 in seven different AASU career hitting categories; Joey Williams, whose 23 wins are fourth all-time; Shane Shelton, whose 64 games pitched are second all-time; Brian Chester, who played three years for the Pirates and is ninth in total at-bats; Ray Castillo, who is the

Pirates' all-time leader in being hit by pitches (32); Jimmy LaRose, who finished his two-year Pirate career with a .345 batting average; and Mike Cadwallader, who finished his two-year Pirate career with a .280 average and 23 stolen bases.

Softball (49-5, 18-2 PBAC, No. 1 – NFCA Coaches' Division II Top 25)

Completing a three-year rise to the top, the Armstrong Atlantic State softball squad ascended to the top of the NFCA Division II Top 25 rankings on Wednesday, becoming the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

The Pirates then finished out the regular season by winning three of four contests, sweeping Augusta State, 2-0 and 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon, then splitting a doubleheader at No. 22-ranked Columbus State, 1-0 and 0-3, on Saturday.

Sophomore Annie Sells continued to shine at the end of the season, hitting two home runs in the sweep of Augusta State and firing a one-hit shutout over the Jaguars. The three-time PBAC Pitcher of the Week then fired a four-hit shutout, striking out 11, in AASU's 1-0 win over Columbus State on Saturday.

AASU will compete next in the NCAA South Atlantic Regional on May 12 and 13 at a site to be determined. The four-team regional will be double-elimination format with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Softball Championships in Columbus, Ga., on May 18-21.

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

Both the men's and women's tennis teams had the week off as NCAA Division II regional bids were handed out by the selection committee.

The No. 3-ranked AASU men's tennis team will host South Regional action at the AASU Tennis Complex on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6. Lincoln Memorial and Columbus State will play at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5, with the winner facing Armstrong Atlantic State at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, for a berth in the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championships.

The No. 6-ranked AASU women's tennis team will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to take part in South Regional action at the University of North Florida. AASU will face North Alabama on Friday, May 5 at 10:30 a.m., with the winner facing the host Lady Ospreys of UNF on Saturday, May 6 at 10:30 a.m. for a berth in the NCAA Division II Women's Tennis National Championships.

The 2000 NCAA Division II National Championships will be held May 11-14 at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla.

Track and Field

The AASU men's and women's track and field squads will compete this Saturday, May 6, at the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Ga., with an eye on qualifying more runners for the NCAA Division II National Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Already, freshmen Paul McRae, Rebekah Mackie and junior Nikki Garland have earned provisional qualifying times and each will be running to improve on those times.

The NCAA Division II National Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held on May 26-27 in Raleigh, N.C.

- Pirates -