This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics, 5-13-02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-13-02

This Week In Armstrong Atlantic State Athletics

Monday, May 13
• Women's Tennis at NCAA DII Women's Tennis Championships (Kansas City, Mo.)
National Championship Match
AASU vs. BYU-Hawaii, 10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, May 14-Monday, May 20
No Events Scheduled

Tuesday, May 21
• Men's Golf at NCAA DII National Championships (Winter Park, Fla.)
Freshman Nick Cowper competes individually in the 102 player field

Wednesday, May 22
• Men's Golf at NCAA DII National Championships (Winter Park, Fla.)

Thursday, May 23
• Men's Golf at NCAA DII National Championships (Winter Park, Fla.)

Friday, May 24
• Men's Golf at NCAA DII National Championships (Winter Park, Fla.)

Saturday, May 25
No Events Scheduled

Sunday, May 26
No Events Scheduled

Baseball (34-21 Overall, 11-18 Peach Belt)

The Armstrong Atlantic State baseball team, 34-21 on the season, had two players earn Verizon Academic All-District III honors this season - senior catcher David Harriman and senior designated hitter Matt Easterwood.

Harriman, a Surrey, B.C., native who carries a 3.67 grade point average in biology, earned national prominence this season with his 41-game hitting streak, tied for the second longest in NCAA DII history, and put together one of the finest offensive seasons in AASU history, hitting .412 with 14 home runs and 69 RBI. A two-time All-PBC selection at catcher, Harriman ranks ninth all-time in AASU history in home runs (23) and RBI (132) after just two seasons with the Pirates.

Easterwood, a Lithia Springs, Ga., native who carries a 3.67 grade point average in political science, was AASU's 2002 President Cup award winner, handed out every year by the Savannah Exchange Club to the school's top male and female student-athlete. A member of the AASU Honors program, Easterwood hit .298 with one home run and 29 RBI this season - his one home run coming in extra innings to give the Pirates a 11-8 win in 10 innings over St. Andrews this season.

Softball (40-7, 13-2 Peach Belt, No. 12 NCAA Division II)

The AASU softball squad was eliminated on Saturday from the 2002 South Atlantic Regional as they lost back-to-back one-run games after defeating Lenoir-Rhyne, 2-1, to open the regional.

The Lady Pirates led Kennesaw State, 3-2, on Friday as sophomore Stacey Richardson cranked her 16^th home run of the season with two on to give the Pirates the lead, KSU rallied and tied the game in the sixth, then scored the winning run in the eighth inning to win, 4-3.

AASU then played host North Florida on Saturday and trailed, 3-0, but scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning on three bases-loaded walks to tie the score at 3-all. UNF plated the winning run on a passed ball in the sixth to eliminate the Pirates, 4-3.

Senior Annie Sells wrapped up her spectacular four-year career by bring named to the All-South Atlantic Region team for the fourth time in her career. The two-time PBC Player of the Year, Sells joined sophomore Stacey Richardson and freshman Stacy Oliver on the All-Region team and all will have a chance to earn NFCA All-America honors, to be released this week at the DII College World Series.

Men's Tennis (13-12, 4-3 Peach Belt, No. 11 NCAA Division II)

The No. 11-ranked AASU men's tennis squad advanced to the Mid-Atlantic Regional final over the weekend, defeating Anderson College, 5-2, but losing in the final to host Lander University, 5-1, ending the Pirates' season at 13-12.

Freshman Dale White was named the ITA South Region Rookie of the Year. The Boston, England, native played No. 2 singles for the Pirates most of the season and finished the season with a 24-12 overall singles and a 19-14 overall doubles record.

AASU graduates just one player from this season's squad - senior John Stone - and will return six players next season.

Men's Golf (No. 21 NCAA Division II)

The No. 21-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State men's golf team finished fourth at the Atlantic/Southeast Super Regional, missing an at-large berth to the NCAA Championships by one slot, but freshman Nick Cowper will advance to the national tournament as the Kennesaw, Ga., native captured the region tournament with a three-day 12-under-par 204 total.

Cowper set a course record at the North Shore Golf Club in Sneads Ferry, N.C., with a first-round 63 and led wire-to-wire, capturing the title by two strokes over USC Aiken's Lee Harper. USC Aiken captured the team title with a 835 total, nine strokes ahead of Kennesaw State and 12 strokes ahead of Francis Marion. All three schools will be representing the Peach Belt Conference in next week's national championships. AASU shot rounds of 281, 293 and 285 to finish the tournament with an 859 total, five under par.

Freshman Ashley Loyd finished tied for 20^th individually after shooting 72-72-73=217, one over par, while sophomore David Roger finished tied for 24^th individually after shooting 73-76-70=219, three over par. Sophomore Thomas Whittaker finished 27^th individually, carding 73-76-71=220, four over par, and freshman Jonathan Cox rounded out the Pirates' scoring with a 75-75-73=223, seven over par.

Cowper becomes the second AASU golfer to advance to the NCAA Championships, joining Tom Carlyle, who competed at the 1975 NCAA DII National Championships and finished 82^nd. The NCAA DII National Championships will take place at the Mission Inn Golf Club in Winter Park, Fla., from Tuesday, May 21 through Friday, May 24.

Women's Tennis (26-4, 10-0 Peach Belt, No. 2 NCAA Division II)

The No. 2-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State women's tennis squad advanced to Monday morning's 2002 NCAA Division II National Championship match by winning three straight in Kansas City, Mo.

AASU blanked Northeastern State, 5-0, then knocked off Ouachita Baptist, 5-1, and Barry University, 5-1, to return to the national championship match after a two-year drought. The Lady Pirates captured titles in 1995 and 1996 and advanced to the finals in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

The Lady Pirates will face BYU-Hawaii at 10:00 a.m. CT. The Seasiders, winners of the DII National Championship in 1999 and 2000 and runners-up in 2001, defeated the Lady Pirates, 5-1, in the two teams' earlier meetings this year.

- Pirates -