Memphis Tigers News Archives

April 2006

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04/30/06		Tiger Baseball Sweeps Mississippi Valley State 13-3, 13-5 -- Tigers look to get back on winning track (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Game One Mississippi Valley State (23-24) 200 000 01 - 3 7 2 Memphis (22-21) 017 120 02 - 13 15 1 The University of Memphis baseball team pounded out 36 hits and scored 26 runs en route to a doubleheader sweep of Mississippi Valley State Sunday afternoon at Nat Buring Stadium. The Tigers used an overwhelming seven run third inning to breeze to a 13-3 seven-inning win in the opener. Mississippi Valley State posted two runs in the first inning, but it was all Memphis from then on. The Tigers got on the board in the second when Kyle Norrid drove a double to the left center gap and scored on a sac fly by Joey Lieberman. A leadoff homer by K.K. Chalmers and a grand slam from Ben Grisham highlighted a seven-run third to give the Tigers an 8-2 cushion. Memphis sent 12 batters to the plate in the frame. The Tigers crossed a run in the fourth and got a two-run blast from Will Petersen in the fifth to go up 11-2. The U of M answered a seventh-inning tally by the Delta Devils with a pair of unearned runs to end the game 13-3. Drew Jaudon picked up the win for Memphis after tossing two innings of scoreless relief. Petersen led the 15-hit attack with a 3-for-3 effort. Chalmers, Adam Amar, Michael Murray and Grisham had two hits each. Game Two Mississippi Valley State (23-25) 200 001 110 - 5 5 1 Memphis (23-21) 302 141 20X - 13 21 2 The nightcap started off in the same fashion as the first game, with MVSU jumping on top 2-0 on an infield fielding error and a wild pitch. However, Memphis erased the early deficit in the bottom half of the inning on a three-run bomb off the bat of Bill Moss. Memphis added two more scores in the third and another in the fourth, before opening the contest up with four tallies in the fifth for a 10-2 advantage. A two-run homer from Jordan Tolliver made it 13-4 in the home half of the seventh. Tolliver went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. The Tiger offense posted 21 hits in the win. Petersen, Norrid, Trey Wiedman and Alex Fennell joined Tolliver with three hits. Chalmers, who had two stolen bases, and Moss had two hits. Freshman Scott McGregor was the winner for Memphis. He struck out three in three innings. Five other Tiger hurlers held MVSU to three hits through the remainder of the contest. Memphis will return to the diamond on Friday when it opens a three-game Conference USA series with UAB.

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04/30/06		Softball Drops Home Finale To Marshall, 3-1 -- Kubesch posts solid effort in circle, but Lady Tiger offense held in check (GoTigersGo.com)
		Marshall (31-22; 15-9 C-USA) 201 000 0 - 3 4 0 Memphis (27-24; 9-11 C-USA) 000 000 0 - 1 2 2 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Jenna Kubesch allowed just four hits and three runs to a powerful Marshall offense, but Thundering Herd hurler Abigail Harter was even better, holding the Lady Tigers to one run on two hits, as the U of M dropped its final home game of the season, 3-1, Sunday at Greenbrook Park. Marshall scored two runs in the first and added another in the third to take a 3-0 advantage, and that was more than enough for Harter, who allowed just one run in the bottom of the sixth and took the complete-game victory. "Marshall is a great team and Abigail Harter pitched an outstanding ballgame," said Coach Windy Thees. "She knew what we wanted to hit and put it almost there, but never gave us the really good pitches to hit." The Thundering Herd came out of the box quick against Kubesch, plating a pair of runs on three hits to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Ashley Mitchell drew a walk and Rachel Folden doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. Jessica Williams then had a RBI single up the middle to score Mitchell, before Samantha Rodriguez plated Folden on a one-bagger through the left side. Memphis had one of its few true opportunities to score in the bottom of the second, putting runners on second and third with two outs. But Folden caught Bridgette McNulty too far off the base at third to end the threat. After getting Marshall out of the jam on defense, Folden came right back to give the Herd a three-run advantage in the top of the third as she hit her 18th homerun of the season to leftcenter, tying the C-USA record homers in a season. Following the three early runs, Kubesch settled down and held Marshall in check, not allowing a hit after the third inning. However, the Lady Tiger bats could never find an answer for Harter, as they could just manage just the one run in the bottom of the sixth. Leila Dolfo claimed the lone Memphis RBI, ripping a double to centerfield to score pinch-runner Brittany Gooch all the way from first and make the score 3-1. "We really asked a lot of Jenna this weekend in starting all three games, and she performed tremendously," said Thees. "We played well on defense too, but just couldn't get the big hits when we needed them." Memphis displayed some outstanding defensive plays on the day, with Lindsey Pridgen laying out for a highlight-reel catch in rightcenter and Dolfo making several tough plays from deep in the hole at shortstop. The Lady Tigers also had several chances to score, putting runners on base in five of seven innings. But they could bring just the one plateward, as Dolfo's double and a single by McNulty to lead off the second were the only hits the U of M could muster. Harter worked the full seven innings, giving up the one earned run, to move to 15-9 on the season. Kubesch was handed her second loss of the series and falls to 12-11 on the year after allowing the three earned runs and fanning five. With the loss, Memphis drops to 27-24 on the campaign and 9-11 in C-USA, while Marshall improves to 31-22 overall and 15-9 in league play. The U of M loss was made even more taxing by an East Carolina sweep over Southern Miss on the weekend, which allowed the Pirates to overtake Memphis by a half game for the sixth spot in the league standings. The Lady Tigers now sit in seventh-place, a half game behind both ECU and Southern Miss, with all three teams having three games left to play. On the bright side, however, should there be a tie in the standings, Memphis does hold tiebreakers over the Pirates and the Golden Eagles, after taking 2-1 series wins over both teams earlier in the season. The Lady Tigers will attempt to play their way into the Conference USA Tournament in their inaugural season next weekend when they wrap up the regular-season slate with a three-game series at Houston.

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04/30/06		Stephen Gostkowski Drafted in the Fourth Round By New England -- U of M record holder is first kicker selected in 2006 NFL Draft (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis kicker Stephen Gostkowski was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He was the first kicker selected in the draft, and was the 118th pick. Gostkowski, who is the first Tiger kicker ever to be drafted, joins fellow C-USA opponent Garrett Mills, a tight end from Tulsa University, who also was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round. U of M tailback DeAngelo Williams was drafted by Carolina in the first round on Saturday, marking the first time since 2003 that two Tigers had been drafted. A native of Madison, Miss., Gostkowski was named the 2005 C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year after hitting 22 of 25 field goals and all 35 of his PATs this past season. A Lou Groza Award candidate the last two seasons, Gostkowski was named to the first-team All-C-USA squad in 2004 and 2005. He holds C-USA and U of M records in scoring with 369 points, PATs with 159 and field goals with 70. "I am extremely proud that Stephen was drafted in the fourth round," said Head Coach Tommy West. "He has worked very hard to get to this point, and it is paying off for him. I can't express enough just how happy I am for he and his family today." Gostkowski finished the 2005 season ranked fifth nationally in field goals made per game and 26th in scoring. He hit 136 of his last 137 PATs, including his last 48 consecutive attempts. Gostkowski ended his career ranked 13th all-time in NCAA history in scoring by kickers with his 369 points, and tied for 14th all-time in field goals made with 70. In the last two years, Gostkowski was 18-of-19 from 40 or more yards. He hit all three of his field goal attempts of 50-plus yards in 2005, including a school-record 53 yarder in the season finale against Marshall. Following the Motor City Bowl in which he kicked field goals of 32, 25 and 50 yards, Gostkowski participated in the 2006 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Gostkowski originally came to Memphis on a baseball scholarship, and has continued to work as a two-sport athlete at the U of M. He has been a starter and a relief pitcher on the mound, and currently leads the Tigers in strikeouts with 35.

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04/30/06		To DeAngelo, it's sweet Carolina from now on (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact April 30, 2006 In the end, DeAngelo Williams said, it was worth the wait. Worth another year at the University of Memphis. Worth nearly four months of competing in a sport called the NFL Draft that at times barely resembles football. Even worth watching 26 players go before him in the first round of Saturday's NFL Draft, including two other running backs. After 4 1/2 hours, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue walked to the podium at New York City's Radio City Music Hall and told the world what Williams and his agent, Jimmy Sexton, had known for nearly 10 minutes -- the Carolina Panthers were taking Williams with the 27th pick in the draft. "This is beautiful, man," Williams told the Charlotte media. "This is the best place I could have ever been. "I'm definitely excited and I don't regret anything," Williams told the Memphis media -- and a horde of family, friends and fans who had assembled at a sports bar in Cordova. "I'm a Carolina Panther and I love their colors." ESPN's Chris Berman greeted the pick with a phrase uttered by many Memphians since Williams signed with the Tigers in February of 2002: "I love this kid." The "kid," it turns out, loves his new team. Loves the colors. Loves the geography. Loves the offense, the already strong tradition and the quarterback and receivers, too. He does not yet know the offensive linemen who will block for him. "No," he said, "but I'm gonna get to know 'em." Watching the draft alone at his apartment, Williams traded phone calls with Sexton at the offices of Athletic Resource Management in East Memphis. All day long, Sexton had tracked information that the Houston Texans, having chosen N.C. State defensive end Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall pick instead of USC running back Reggie Bush, wanted to trade into the 20s and take his client. After New England opted for bigger, more physical Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney over Williams at No. 21, other teams jumped into the Williams derby. At one point, six teams were talking to the Chicago Bears about trading for their first-round slot, at No. 26 and just ahead of Carolina. Three of those teams -- Houston, Carolina and Indianapolis -- all wanted DeAngelo. When Buffalo won the bidding, it became clear the Panthers would take Williams. The Panthers called Williams while Buffalo, which took N.C. State defensive tackle John McCargo, was still technically on the clock. Carolina declared its choice immediately. "We were hoping two or three picks before that that he would get to us," said Carolina GM Marty Hurney. "When he did, we were thrilled." There is much for Williams to love about his new home, and not just because, as he said Saturday, he could keep drinking sweet tea in Charlotte. Carolina's offense is based around the run, and injury problems last year forced the Panthers to use a fourth-string running back after advancing to the NFC Championship. Carolina played in the 2004 Super Bowl, narrowly losing to New England. Carolina coach John Fox said there was much to like about Williams, who joins regulars DeShaun Foster (who is oft injured) and Eric Shelton (a bruising back who did not play at all as a rookie) in the Panthers backfield. Williams became the No. 4 all-time leading rusher in NCAA Division 1 history and was just the fourth back in history to exceed 6,000 yards. He is the NCAA Division 1 all-time career leader in all-purpose yardage and yards per carry. Fox mentioned his new back's vision and compared him in style to Barry Sanders, if not substance. One thing is clear: Williams will not wear No. 20, his college and Sanders' old number. That belongs to defensive back Chris Gamble, so Williams said he would go back to No. 34, the number he wore at Wynne (Ark.) High. Panthers minicamp starts in a week. Contract negotiations will also commence immediately. Last year's No. 27 pick, UAB receiver Roddy White, got a signing bonus of $4.5 million and a five-year contract worth a base of $7.5 million and incentives of $2.5 million more. With the new salary cap, Williams will command a contract worth 10-20 percent more in all areas. "I start playing football now," Williams said. "I've been out of work for 41/2 years, I guess, and I finally got a job." Anything he wants to say to his new fans? "Yeah," he said, "get the sweet tea ready." -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564

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04/29/06		Softball Earns Split With Game-Two Win Over Marshall -- Lady Tigers fight through rain delay to win, 7-2, after dropping game one, 9-5 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Marshall (30-21; 14-8 C-USA) 006 120 0 - 9 17 0 Memphis (26-23; 8-10 C-USA) 004 001 0 - 5 7 1 Marshall (30-22; 14-9 C-USA) 000 020 0 - 2 7 1 Memphis (27-23; 9-10 C-USA) 103 300 x - 7 9 0 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - On a day when the weather played nearly as large a role as the players on the field, the Memphis softball team fought through the elements and the Thundering Herd of Marshall to win game two of a double-header at Greenbrook Park and earn a split of the C-USA twinbill. The Lady Tigers rebounded to win the second game of the day, 7-2, after dropping game one 9-5. "I hate that we had to play under such terrible conditions," said Coach Windy Thees. "I felt like the weather had a lot to do with both wins, and both teams are better than we were able to show today." The U of M and Marshall battled 20-30 mph winds, periodic rain and eventually a 56 minute weather delay, but managed to complete both games, with each team picking up a win. The Thundering Herd posted a six-run third inning and pounded out 17 total hits in game one en route to the 9-5 victory, which gave the Lady Tigers their first defeat of the year when scoring more than four runs. The U of M, however, came up with two big innings of its own in game two, plating three runs each in the third and fourth frames, while Jenna Kubesch kept a high-powered Marshall offense at least semi-silent on the way to the win. "Jenna threw her heart out in game two, and we came up with some big hits," said Thees. "We just have to find some more gas in the tank and come out strong against a great Marshall team again tomorrow." Memphis got on the board first in the second game of the day, as Leila Dolfo ripped a one-out double to leftcenter in the bottom of the first to score Cara Stiles and give the U of M a 1-0 lead. The Lady Tigers began another threat in the top of the third, putting runners on first and second with no outs before a rain and wind combination suspended the game for 56 minutes. Following the rain delay, though, the U of M went right back to work, as Bridgette McNulty lined a one-out double to leftcenter to plate Stiles, and put Memphis up 2-0. Kara Ross then shot a two-RBI single to leftcenter to score Kimmi Hayden and McNulty to put the U of M on top 4-0. The Lady Tigers plated three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-0 advantage. Hayden had a RBI double down the leftfield line to score Leandra Hines. Stiles scored on a passed ball, and Hayden came home on a single by Dolfo. Marshall cut the lead to 7-2 in the top of the fifth, as Sara Spenia singled and Amanda Williams doubled and both scored on a two-RBI double by Ashley Mitchell. But Kubesch shut the Herd down from there, retiring the final eight batters she faced to improve her record to 12-10 on the season. The junior allowed seven hits and the two earned runs while striking out four. Veronica Ralston was handed the loss for Marshall, and falls to 13-13 on the campaign. Ross and Dolfo each had two hits and two RBI to lead the U of M at the dish in game two, while Hayden added two hits of her own and picked up one RBI. The first game of the day appeared as if it might be a low scoring affair with the squads locked in a scoreless tie through two innings before the floodgates broke loose in the third. Marshall seemed to take control of the contest in the top half of the inning, plating six runs on seven hits. Samantha Rodriguez had a two-RBI single, while Amanda Williams, Rachel Folden, Jessica Williams and Spenia each registered a RBI one-bagger. The Lady Tigers would not go easily, however, plating four runs in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit to two. Ross dealt the big blow with a two-run homerun to right field, while Dolfo had a RBI single and McNulty had a RBI double. Marshall expanded the lead back to 7-4 in the top of the fourth, picking up four singles in a row to start the frame, but managing just the one run. Nicki Johnson, who relieved Kubesch in the circle in the third, used back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout to work out of the bases-loaded jam. The Herd then put the game away in the top of the fifth, plating two runs to take a 9-4 advantage. Folden picked up both RBI on a single that scored Amanda Williams and Mitchell. McNulty cut into the Marshall lead in the bottom of the fifth, leading off the frame with her 10th homerun of the season, a solo blast to left. But that would be the last threat for the Memphis offense, as Marshall took the 9-5 victory. McNulty led the Lady Tigers at the plate in game one going 2-for-2 with a homer, a double, and two RBI, while five additional Lady Tigers added a hit each. Kubesch took the loss in the circle, allowing four earned runs on four hits in just 2.1 innings of work, while Johnson gave up five earned runs on 13 hits in 4.2 innings of relief. Abigail Harter took the win for Marshall to improve to 14-9 on the year. The Herd recorded 17 hits in the contest, with Joscelyn Bitner going 4-for-4, Jessica Williams and Amanda Williams going 3-for-4 and Rachel Folden going 3-for-5 to lead the way. With the split, Memphis moves to 27-23 on the season and 9-10 in C-USA, while Marshall goes to 30-22 overall and 14-9 in league play. Weather permitting, the Lady Tigers and Thundering Herd are slated to wrap up the three-game series with a single game Sunday at 12 p.m. at Greenbrook Park. Jeff Brightwell will have all of the action on the U of M's campus radio station, WUMR 91.7.

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04/29/06		Tiger Baseball Rained out -- Tigers and Delta Devils to play doubleheader Sunday at Noon (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Due to inclement weather in the Memphis area, the University of Memphis baseball team's make up game versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff has been canceled. The Tigers will now play a doubleheader with Mississippi Valley State tomorrow, with the first pitch for the first game set for Noon. The Delta Devils were scheduled to play Arkansas-Pine Bluff this afternoon at 1 p.m., but also fell victim to rain.

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04/29/06		DeAngelo Williams Drafted By Carolina Panthers in First Round (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - University of Memphis tailback DeAngelo Williams was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft today by the Carolina Panthers. He was the 27th pick of the draft, and the third running back chosen. Williams, a three-time C- USA Offensive Player of the Year, holds the NCAA all-time record in all-purpose yards with 7,573. He also holds the NCAA record in career 100-yard rushing games with 34. Williams rushed for 1,964 yards last season and captured the NCAA season rushing title after averaging 178.55 yards per game. "Today, I am very proud and happy for DeAngelo and his family," said Coach Tommy West. "He has meant a great deal to the program over the last four years, and I am very happy for him." A native of Wynne, Ark., Williams is Memphis' first, first-round pick since Jerome Woods was selected as the 28th pick of the draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Since 1951, the Tigers have now had six players drafted in the first round, including Williams (27th; 2006), Woods (28th; 1996), Derrick Burroughs (14th; 1985), Keith Simpson (9th; 1978), Bob Rush (24th; 1977) and Harry Schuh (1965). Derrick Crawford was selected as the 24th pick in the 1984 supplemental draft. Williams holds all-time Tiger records in rushing yards (6,026), rushing attempts (969), rushing touchdowns (55) and all-purpose yards, as well as multiple season rushing records. His 6,026 career rushing yards also ranks him fourth in NCAA history. This past season, Williams was named an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press and Playboy. He was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and was also presented the inaugural ARA Sportsmanship Award. A 2005 Heisman Trophy candidate, Williams rushed for more than 200 yards in nine career games, including a 238-yard effort in the Motor City Bowl. He was named the MVP of the Motor City Bowl after helping Memphis to a 38-31 victory over Akron. Williams was also named the Offensive MVP of the 2006 Senior Bowl.

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04/29/06		Tough work starting for Tigers' Carney -- Player working diligently on improving NBA skills (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 29, 2006 The final workout of a five-day stretch began with an unconventional exercise. Rodney Carney grabbed the end of a blue tarp and walked, looking more like someone preparing for a rain delay than the NBA draft. Pull the tarp? Must be a new technique, right? Must've read about it somewhere, no? Actually, it was nothing more than a necessity. A tarp from a Thursday night function still covered the court at the Finch Center on Friday afternoon. And since you can't take a 3-pointer when you can't see the 3-point line, Carney's day began with a peeling, of sorts, that enabled the former University of Memphis standout to put in another 90-minute workout with Wayne Hall, otherwise known as the personal trainer of Rockets star Tracy McGrady. "He's been working me hard," Carney said. "I've never worked this hard in my life." Rodney Carney is destined to be a pro. There were times when this seemed in doubt, like when he enrolled at Memphis as an unheralded prospect. But there he was Friday in an isolated gym talking like a pro and training like a pro, having signed with a sports agency, Octagon, based just outside Washington, D.C., that manages plenty of other young pros, among them Chris Paul (Hornets), Kirk Hinrich (Bulls) and Francisco Garcia (Kings). "I talked to Chris Paul, and he had nothing but good things to say about them," Carney said explaining his choice of agency. "I just sensed they were the right people for me. It's where I needed to go." In many cases, it's only a few seconds after a prospect signs with an agent that he requests a line of credit and purchases that first house or car (or houses and cars). But Carney said he hasn't bothered with anything on that level and won't any time soon. "I'm just concentrating on getting better," Carney said. "I'm not worried about any house or car right now. I just want to get better." To do that, Carney will head to Houston next week, where he will remain the subsequent three weeks and continue his training sessions with Hall. Some others scheduled to participate are McGrady, Luther Head (Rockets) and JamesOn Curry (Oklahoma State). "Rodney needs to work on his change of direction, getting stronger for the NBA game and creativity. He just needs to be a more creative basketball player," said Hall, who has been with McGrady since the NBA All-Star's prep days at Mt. Zion Academy in North Carolina. "Fundamentally, I've been impressed with Rodney, and it takes a lot to impress me because I've worked with a lot of athletes. But I've been impressed. He has a lot of similarities to Tracy." Among them, not being a college graduate (McGrady turned pro out of high school). But Carney said when this semester is completed he'll be just a project and one class short of his degree, something he plans to finish online within the next year. "I'm going to get that done for me," Carney promised. "That's an accomplishment nobody will ever be able to take away." While Carney said he has been invited to participate in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando next month, he plans only to attend and not play. The idea is that his status as a probable lottery pick is secure and not worth risking in that atmosphere. As for his former Tiger teammates also trying to turn pro, Carney expressed optimism both sophomore Darius Washington and freshman Shawne Williams can make it. Like many others, he said he believes "Darius is gone" and is not considering returning to school under any circumstances. But Carney said he spoke with Williams recently and offered some advice that could perhaps lead the Hamilton High product back to college so long as he maintains his amateur status. "I talked with Shawne the other day, and he said he just wants to test the waters," Carney said. "I just told him to be careful and go out there and do what you can do. And then if you feel it's not going right, then come back (to school)." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/29/06		Tiger Notes: Golf, Softball, Tennis, Baseball, Football (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 29, 2006 Freshman golfer offers hope for next season -- Benjamin found game at C-USA tournament So who is Brad Benjamin? The University of Memphis freshman golfer, who had participated in one event before this week's Conference USA Tournament in West Point, Miss., needed only three rounds at Old Waverly Golf Club to make a name for himself. Benjamin, a slight-of-build lefthander from Rockford, Ill., qualified during team competition for the C-USA Tournament and made a determined run at the individual title. He shot 7-under 209 to finish third and was the only Tiger to finish under par. SMU's Will Dodson won the event with a 13-under 203, but needed a final-round 65 to pull away from Benjamin, who trailed by only two strokes after 36 holes. Benjamin, ranked 40th in the Golfweek junior amateur rankings coming out of high school, said he wasn't surprised by his solid spring debut. "I've been playing bad all year, but knew I could shoot these kinds of scores," Benjamin said. "It was just a matter of playing well consistently, which I hadn't been doing." Benjamin, who had rounds of 83-77-77 in his only fall event, opened with a 67 to trail the leaders (teammate Keven Fortin-Simard and SMU's Colt Knost) by one stroke. He closed with a 3-under 69 and was one of only 10 golfers to break 70 in the final round. "I just liked the course, to tell you the truth," Benjamin said. "There's not a whole lot of pressure off the tee. The strength of my game is my iron play and my putting. And my putting was pretty good." Tiger coach Grant Robbins said Benjamin went through a difficult adjustment period in college. But Benjamin fought through it. "Coach knows my game, and it was just a long struggle," Benjamin said. "I knew it was a matter of just shooting the (lower) numbers to qualify, like anyone else on the team ... I finally did it. "I shot a couple of rounds under par in the practice rounds (for the C-USA Tournament). I know I can play this good. I've done it before." Robbins hopes Benjamin's success carries over into next season. Fortin-Simard, a sophomore from Canada, is considering turning pro. "For a freshman to come in there and do what he did, I'm really proud of him," Robbins said. "It didn't surprise me he could play that well because he is a top 40 recruit. I knew he had the talent. He just had a tough time adjusting to college golf and the qualifying process. He got frustrated and down on himself because he wasn't playing well. But he kept at it, and the last two weeks he has played as well as anyone on this team." Odds and ends The Lady Tiger softball team will play the final home games of its inaugural season when it plays host to Marshall in a three-game Conference USA series beginning today at Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven, Miss. ... Lady Tiger golfer Stacey Tate should learn Monday if she's been selected as an at-large invitee into the NCAA Regionals. Tate, a New Zealand native, put herself in position by winning three of the final five events the Lady Tigers played. ... Two members of the men's tennis team earned all-conference recognition Friday. Senior James Spence was a second-team pick in singles in addition to being named all-league in doubles with partner Sam Withell. Spence and Withell are ranked 41st nationally in doubles. ... The Tiger baseball team plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff today at 5 p.m. and Mississippi Valley State Sunday at 1 p.m. in games added to the schedule to replace two against Ohio University canceled by inclement weather the first weekend of the season. ... The new Birmingham Bowl will match a C-USA team against a Big East opponent and be played Dec. 23 at Legion Field. The additional bowl gives C-USA the potential for seven tie-ins: AutoZone Liberty, GMAC, New Orleans, Fort Worth, Hawaii, Houston and Birmingham. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/29/06		DeAngelo's day has finally arrived (Commercial Appeal)
		By Zack McMillin Contact April 29, 2006 Where's DeAngelo going? What NFL team will automatically become the most loved NFL franchise by thousands of Memphians? What hue of red, blue, black or teal will color jerseys worn all over the city, with a big "WILLIAMS" on the back? It depends on whether you believe in a mother's intuition or Mel Kiper Jr. Sandra Hill, the woman who gave DeAngelo Williams his smile and charisma, has become something of an NFL Draft fanatic over the last three months, and she has her own opinion about where her son will be picked in today's first round. Hill says it's going to be the Indianapolis Colts trading up to take Williams, who set numerous school, conference and NCAA rushing records in his four years at the University of Memphis. If not that, it's going to be the San Francisco 49ers. If not the 49ers, then the New York Jets. Kiper, the NFL draftnik who has not hidden his affection for Williams, has the 5-9 running back going at No. 21, to the New England Patriots. Ditto for the mock draft compiled by two of ESPN's top NFL reporters, John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli. "Williams is a steal at this juncture," Pasquarelli wrote on ESPN.com. That seems to be the prevailing opinion, that Williams may be one of the top 15 players in the draft, but because of team needs, he will slip into the 20s. Or, according to Sports Illustrated, anyway, completely out of the first round. Jimmy Sexton, Williams' agent with Memphis-based Athletic Resource Management, said his office has spent most of the week talking to teams with picks 15 through 30. "We spent hours and hours and hours," Sexton said. "We're trying to figure out what they are thinking. You are not going to convince anyone to take your player at this point. They've spent millions of dollars researching it. You may answer some questions for them." Williams, who hosted a party on Friday night at a dance club, declared himself unworried about where he might land. "I'm staying away from the speculations," Williams said. "People think it's the day before the draft and I know where I'm going. I don't. I'm also not going to spend all day tomorrow speculating. I'll just get the call, and I'll probably be playing a video game or listening to the draft." As he did in his college career, when he became only the fourth back in history to exceed 6,000 yards rushing, Williams met or exceeded expectations during the nearly four-month draft process. At the Senior Bowl in January, he performed well all week, on the field and off, while being coached by the 49ers staff. At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Williams hit a new personal best on his bench press and dazzled the national NFL writers encountering him for the first time. At the UofM's pro day in March, Williams ran a sub 4.4 40-yard dash despite chilly weather and swirling wind. Yet, he has dropped in most mock drafts mainly because of the shifting needs of teams in the draft's top 20. Before the free agency period, it appeared that the Arizona Cardinals at No. 10 or the Baltimore Ravens at 13 might want to take the second running back in the draft (USC Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush will be the first), but Arizona signed Edgerrin James away from Indianapolis, and the Ravens retained Jamal Lewis. This is not necessarily bad news. As Sandra Hill points out, it would mean her son would have a much better shot at going to a playoff team and possibly winning rookie of the year. Some mock drafts have him slipping all the way to the Colts, which would be just fine with former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning. "He would look excellent in a Colts uniform, but I'm afraid he might not be available where we're drafting at No. 30. I sure hope he's available," Manning told the Nashville City Paper. "Edgerrin James is a guy, out of respect to him, that I don't even think you can try to replace. You just try to adjust as best you can. I think DeAngelo Williams is going to be a big-time NFL back, and I'd sure love to see him playing for the Colts." As the mother will also tell you, many of the best players in NFL history have gone late in the first round, while some of the biggest disappointments have gone in the top 10. And the way DeAngelo's mother explains it makes a lot more sense than many of the things ESPN's crew will say today. "It's just like watermelons in a watermelon patch," she said. "You can't look and say, 'That is the sweetest watermelon in the patch.' You actually have to cut open a couple. One is sweet, one is sweeter and one is the sweetest. "Now, you will find people thump watermelons and think they know. They don't. And that's what this whole process has been, a lot of watermelon thumping." -- Zack McMillin: 529-2564 -------------------- NFL DRAFT Today: Rounds 1-3 -- 11 a.m.-7 p.m., ESPN; and 7-9 p.m., ESPN2 Sunday: Rounds 4-7 -- 10 a.m.-5 p.m., ESPN Check commercialappeal.com or TheMemphisEdge.com/ for updates throughout the weekend.

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04/28/06		Men's Tennis Has Two Named to All-Conference Teams -- Spence and Withell named to the doubles team and Spence named to second team in singles (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis had two entries named to the 2006 Conference USA All-Conference teams it was announced by the league office Friday afternoon. Senior James Spence was named to two teams, while sophomore Sam Withell joined Spence on the all-conference doubles team. Spence earned second team honors in singles after going 8-11 in singles and teaming with two different doubles partners to spend the entire season among the country's national rankings in doubles play. Spence, a native of Christchurch, New Zealand, capped his three-year Tiger career with a 43-40 mark in singles while playing primarily in the top three singles slots and a 53-32 mark in doubles. He led the Tigers on the year with eight singles victories, including a 6-4 mark at No. 3. Spence and sophomore Sam Withell were named to the All-Conference Doubles Team. The duo was paired together after Spence lost fall partner Alex Jago to a season-ending wrist injury after climbing all the way up to No. 8 in the country in men's doubles. When Withell rejoined the Tigers from his native Australia in January, he was matched with Spence in the top doubles spot, and the tandem combined for a 12-4 record, capping their season the No. 41 ranked team in the country. The duo still awaits a slight chance that they receive an at-large entry into the NCAA Championships, which will be announced next week. Memphis has had at least one entry named to the All-Conference Team for six of the last seven seasons, including Spence earning Third Team honors in singles last year. The Tigers will hold their first-ever camp for junior tennis players in Memphis next weekend at the University of Memphis courts. For more information on the camp, contact Assistant Coach Lee Taylor Walker at 901-678-5309.

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04/28/06		Tiger Baseball Hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State in Non-Conference Weekend -- Tigers look to get back on winning track (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball team will makeup its two canceled games against Ohio this weekend when it hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State in a pair of weekend contests. On Sat., April 29, the Tigers will face UAPB in the twinbill of a doubleheader. The Golden Lions and the Delta Devils will play the early game at 1p.m., before Memphis and UAPB square off at 5 p.m. The U of M and MVSU play on Sunday at 1 p.m. The weekend's slate of games will replace the originally scheduled season-opening weekend versus Ohio that was canceled due to snow and ice in the Memphis area. The Tigers enter the weekend on a season-long eight-game losing streak. However, those losses have come to strong competition in No. 2 Rice, No. 15 Mississippi State and #19 Houston. Last weekend's series loss at Houston set the Tigers back from third to seventh in the Conference USA standings. The Tiger offense continues to put up impressive numbers, hitting .302 as a team. Adam Amar leads the charge and is currently 39th in the country with a .403 batting average. Memphis leads the league and ranks 26th nationally with 86 doubles. Bill Moss (18) and Will Petersen (16) rank fourth and 30th, respectively in doubles. Sophomore K.K. Chalmers, who has 28 stolen bases, leads the league and is 16th in the nation in stolen bases. He is seventh on Memphis' single-season list. UAPB enters the weekend slate with a 15-29 mark. The Golden Lions have dropped 12-straight contests. In those 12 losses, UAPB has been outscored 123-36. They are averaging three runs per game in the stretch and have been held to two runs or less six times, including a pair of shutouts. Arkansas-Pine Bluff most recently played in a four-game midweek set with Oklahoma State. The Cowboys swept the Golden Lions in a pair of doubleheader on Tuesday and Wednesday. OSU outscored UAPB 54-9 in the series, including a 17-0 rout in the series opener. Memphis and Arkansas-Pine Bluff have only met on the baseball diamond four other times prior to this weekend. Memphis has won all four contests. The series dates back to the 1998 season when Memphis shutout Pine Bluff, 12-0 in the first meeting between the two schools. The Tigers won the second game of the series 4-3. The Tigers raced to a 15-0 and a 12-3 win in the 1999 series. Memphis has outscored the Golden Lions 43-6 in the four-game series, with two shutouts. Mississippi Valley State is currently 23-23 on the year, but is second in the SWAC East division with an 18-6 mark. The Delta Devils got off to slow start, losing the first seven games of the season and battling to a 10-19 record midway through the season. Since the 10-19 mark, MVSU has won 13 of its last 17 contests to even the slate at 23-23. The Delta Devils are hitting .269 as a team, but ranks second in the nation with 180 stolen bases. Zach Penprase leads the team and ranks No. 1 in the nation with 54 stolen bases in 59 attempts. He is also 12th nationally with seven triples. Memphis and Mississippi Valley State have never met on the baseball diamond.

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04/28/06		Softball Hosts Marshall in Final Home Series -- Sixth-place Lady Tigers take on third-place Herd in another critical match-up (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis softball team will again host a critical C-USA match-up this weekend, as the Lady Tigers will try to hold on to sixth place in the league standings when they entertain the Thundering Herd of Marshall in a three-game series Saturday and Sunday at Greenbrook Park. The series will mark the final home games of the season for Memphis, as it finishes the regular season at Houston next weekend. The games will be the final contests of the regular season for Marshall, as it has the final week of the campaign as its off weekend. Marshall comes in to the weekend in third place in Conference USA, with a 13-8 league mark, while sporting a 29-21 overall record. The Thundering Herd is 5-1 in its last six games, with the lone loss coming to Tulsa in the final game of a C-USA series last weekend. The match-up will most likely come down to a battle between a stingy Memphis pitching staff, that boasts a 1.93 team ERA and a .212 opposing batting average, and a high-powered Marshall offense, which has been shut out just twice this season. Marshall is third in Conference USA with a .285 batting average and is led at the plate by C-USA Preseason Player of the Year and All-American candidate Rachel Folden. The sophomore leads the team in batting average (.363) homeruns (17) and RBI (50), with the homer and RBI totals leading C-USA, while her batting average ranks fifth in the league. The U of M will counter with a pair of hurlers, in Jenna Kubesch and Nicki Johnson, who have been extremely tough of late. Kubesch has lowered her team-leading ERA to 1.65, which is good enough for third in the league, while Johnson has slashed her ERA to 1.77 to move into the fifth spot in the conference rankings. On offense, Memphis will look to continue a hot streak, after it posted 14 runs in the final two games of last weekend's East Carolina series and put up 21 hits over the three-game set. Cara Stiles continues to lead the team with a .382 average, but a number of additional Lady Tigers, including Lindsey Pridgen, Kara Ross and Kimmi Hayden have stepped up recently, as each of the aforementioned three blasted homeruns last weekend. The U of M bats will face a Marshall pitching staff that has a combined ERA of 3.36, and has just two hurlers, junior Abigail Harter and senior Veronica Ralston with more than one start on the year. Harter is 13-9 with a 2.66 ERA in 22 starts, while Ralston is 13-12 with a 3.99 ERA in 27 starts. Action between the Thundering Herd and Lady Tigers is scheduled to get underway with a double-header at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday before a single game at 12 p.m. on Sunday. All three games of the series can be heard on the U of M's campus radio station, WUMR 91.7 with Jeff Brightwell on the call.

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04/28/06		C-USA Signs Agreement With Birmingham Bowl (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, TEXAS - Conference USA has reached a four-year agreement with the Birmingham Bowl to provide a team for its annual game beginning with the inaugural 2006 contest. The C-USA representative will play an opponent from the Big East Conference at historic Legion Field, the home of UAB football. The inaugural Birmingham Bowl will be played on Saturday, December 23 and will be televised by ESPN. "We are all very pleased about this bowl opportunity in Birmingham," said Commissioner Britton Banowsky. "Birmingham is important to Conference USA and we are committed to bringing college sporting events to the city. It is particularly helpful to have a game in proximity to many of our members." ESPN Regional Television (ERT), a subsidiary of ESPN, Inc., will own and operate the Birmingham Bowl and will be responsible for the bowl's organization, operation, sponsorship, marketing efforts and more. UAB will provide marketing, management and game day operations support for the Birmingham Bowl. ESPN Regional Television will assign an executive director to be based in Birmingham. Additional details, including sponsorship, are to be finalized. "We are very pleased to have worked with local officials and businesses to bring a bowl game back to this great college football market, which will provide nationwide exposure for the conferences, schools and players," said Pete Derzis, Vice-President and General Manager of ESPN Regional. "This exciting event will also allow sports fans in the Birmingham community to once again participate in the bowl experience." The Birmingham Bowl marks the return of postseason football to the city of Birmingham. The city previously hosted the Hall of Fame Bowl/All-American Bowl from 1977-1990. Tulane played in the 1980 Hall of Fame Bowl against Arkansas and Brett Favre quarterbacked Southern Miss in the 1990 All-American Bowl vs. North Carolina State as Jeff Bower made his head coaching debut for the Golden Eagles. The champion of Conference USA plays in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis and the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama has the second selection of all remaining C-USA teams. C-USA's other bowl agreements are with the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Fort Worth Bowl (which are both owned and operated by ESPN), the New Orleans Bowl and the Houston Bowl. Conference USA's 11th football season gets underway on Thursday, August 31.

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04/27/06		Senior Student-Athletes Honored At M Club Lunch -- Robyn Smart, Collin Bastien and Heather Woolls received individual awards (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Senior student-athletes from each sport were honored today at the annual University of Memphis M Club Senior Luncheon hosted at the Fogelman Executive Center. Former Tiger football player Nyrone Hawkins (1988-91) gave a special talk to the athletes about the importance of obtaining a degree. He also reiterated the point that "once you are a Tiger, you are always a Tiger." Three individuals were honored with special awards, as Heather Woolls received the Elma Roane Award, and Robyn Smart and Collin Bastien were honored as Scholar-Athletes of the Year. Woolls is a four-year letterwinner on the women's track and field and cross country teams. After walking on as a freshman in the fall of 2002, the Ripley, Tenn., native has been a key component in the rebuilding of the U of M's women's distance program. Wools specializes in a variety of distance events, including the 800m and 1-mile indoors and the 800m and 1500m outdoors. She will graduate with a degree in microbiology and molecular cell science with a concentration in biotechnology. This summer, she plans to do pharmacology research in Brazil before beginning work on a PhD in chemical biology at the University of Michigan in the fall. Smart, who received the Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, played in 74 games with 45 starts as both a midfielder and defender for the Lady Tiger soccer team. The Noblesville, Ind., native totaled four goals with six assists for 14 points. Smart was a CoSIDA District IV All-Academic First Team selection in both her junior and senior years. She has been a recipient of a Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Medal three times and a member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll three times as well. Smart played in 18 of the Tigers' 19 games as a senior and recorded two assists. Her defense helped the Tigers tie a school record with a 1.19 team goals-against average in 2005. Bastien, who received the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, has played two seasons on the baseball diamond for head coach Daron Schoenrock. A native of DuQuoin, Ill., Bastien has started in 14 of the 29 games he has played in as a Tiger. He has a career .224 average with two doubles, a triple and a home run. He hit his lone home run against Ole Miss at AutoZone Park in 2005. Bastien has seen limited action this year, making just five appearances, all as a reserve. However, he has made the most of his opportunities and is hitting .400 with two runs scored and an RBI.

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04/27/06		Women's Soccer Announces 2006 Schedule -- Five NCAA Tournament teams highlight fall season (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's soccer team will play five 2005 NCAA Tournament teams in its 2006 fall season schedule that was announced on Thursday. The Lady Tigers will open their season with two preseason games, including one against 2005 Atlantic 10 champion Saint Louis. The Billikens made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and are ranked No. 30 in Soccer Buzz's final 2005 national poll. Memphis will play Saint Louis at home at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 18. The U of M will also play at Christian Brothers University in a preseason exhibition match-up. For the first time in the program's history, Memphis will host a four-team tournament in September. Participants in the tournament include 2005 Ohio Valley Conference champion Samford along with Alabama and Arkansas State. The Lady Tigers will play Samford, a team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005, on Saturday, Sept. 2., and then will play Alabama on the following Monday. The Lady Tigers Fall Tournament will coincide with a four-team tournament hosted by the Memphis men's soccer team on Friday and Sunday, providing soccer fans with four-straight days of tournament soccer. In its non-conference schedule, Memphis will play four Southeastern Conference schools (Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi State), one Missouri Valley Conference School (Missouri State) and two Ohio Valley Conference schools (Southeast Missouri and Samford). Ole Miss is another team that made it to the NCAA Tournament last year and is a team that the Lady Tigers beat 3-0 during the spring. Memphis will conclude its 18-game regular season schedule with nine conference games. Among the Conference USA opponents are three teams that made it to the NCAA Championship in 2005; SMU, Rice and UTEP. 2005 C-USA tournament champion Rice and 2005 regular season co-champion SMU both made it to the second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Tigers will also play at new C-USA affiliate Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 2006 C-USA Tournament will be hosted by SMU in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 1-5. 2006 Memphis Women's Soccer Schedule 8/16 @ CBU (Preseason) Memphis, Tenn. 5 p.m. 8/18 Saint Louis (Preseason) Mike Rose Stadium 7 p.m. 8/25 @ Tennessee Tech Cookeville, Tenn. 4 p.m. 8/27 @ UT Martin Martin, Tenn. 2 p.m. The University of Memphis Lady Tigers Fall Tournament 9/2 Samford vs. Arkansas State Mike Rose Stadium 5 p.m. 9/2 Memphis vs. Alabama Mike Rose Stadium 7:30 p.m. 9/4 Arkansas State vs. Alabama Mike Rose Stadium 11 a.m. 9/4 Memphis vs. Samford Mike Rose Stadium 1:30 p.m. 9/8 @ Mississippi State Starkville, Miss. 7 p.m. 9/10 @ Ole Miss Oxford, Miss. 1 p.m. 9/14 Southeast Missouri Mike Rose Stadium 7 p.m. 9/17 Arkansas Mike Rose Stadium 1 p.m. 9/22 @ Missouri State Springfield, Mo. 7 p.m. 9/29 ECU * Mike Rose Stadium 7 p.m. 10/1 Marshall * Mike Rose Stadium 1 p.m. 10/6 @ UCF * Orlando, Fla. 7 p.m. 10/8 @ Southern Miss * Hattiesburg, Miss. 1 p.m. 10/13 @ Colorado College * Colorado Springs, Colo. 4 p.m. 10/15 @ UTEP * El Paso, Texas 1 p.m. 10/20 Rice * Mike Rose Stadium 7 p.m. 10/22 Houston * Mike Rose Stadium 1 p.m. 10/27 @ UAB * Birmingham, Ala. 7 p.m. 11/1-5 Conference USA Tournament Dallas, Texas

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04/27/06		Tigers falter in C-USA tourney -- Golf team ends up in fourth place after leading (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 27, 2006 WEST POINT, Miss. -- There were no scoreboards for the players to monitor during Wednesday's final round of the Conference USA Men's Golf Championships at Old Waverly Golf Club. And there were no updates available from the tournament desk via cell phones or personal digital assistants. In fact, the only way members of the University of Memphis golf team could determine their progress -- and if they were in contention for the tournament title and accompanying NCAA bid -- was by word of mouth. As the five Tiger golfers completed their rounds -- each in different threesomes -- the gradual scoring updates they provided one another yielded a painful revelation: Memphis would not be going to its first NCAA Regional in 18 years. Despite leading the tournament after the first two rounds, the Tigers faltered on the final day, shooting a 3-over 291 for a three-day total of 856. Memphis, which had only one golfer shoot under par, finished fourth behind champion SMU, the nation's 35th-ranked program. SMU closed with a 276 for 845, six strokes better than runnerup Central Florida. No. 24 Tulsa finished third at 853. SMU's Will Dodson won individual honors with a 7-under 65 for 203, five shots better than UCF's Sonny Nimkhum (208) and six better than UofM freshman Brad Benjamin (209), competing in his first tournament of the spring. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their only chance of playing in next month's NCAA Regional was winning the automatic bid that goes to the league's tournament champion. ''We had to have our studs play like studs,'' said Tiger coach Grant Robbins. ''Unfortunately, that didn't happen.'' Tiger sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard, named Wednesday as C-USA's golfer of the year, had an opening-round 66, but followed with 77-74 and finished in a tie for 17th at 217. Robbie Greenwell, another UofM sophomore, had a 2-under 70 Tuesday, but closed with a 2-over 74. Ian Rochester also closed with a 74. ''We had our chances, but we didn't take advantage of them,'' said Fortin-Simard, who is contemplating turning pro. ''We came into (the C-USA championships) after having had a couple of bad tournaments. It wasn't like we were the most confident team coming in. It was a pretty good tournament for us.'' The Tigers' chances of pulling off an upset faded on the back nine. The UofM was 4-under as a team through 15 holes, but shot 7-over on the final three. ''To win championships, you've got to step up at the end,'' Robbins said. A former UofM golfer, Robbins said the Tigers didn't help their chances in Tuesday's second round. ''We really let a lot of shots get away (Tuesday),'' Robbins said. ''Even Keven made a (quadruple-bogey) on the final hole. I was really disappointed because I knew those strokes were going to matter. Instead of having a four- or five-shot lead (going into Wednesday's final round), we were tied (with Houston)." Perhaps the most encouraging development for the Tigers was the emergence of Benjamin, a lefthander from Rockford, Ill., whose play earned him a spot on the all-tournament team. ''He had a solid day ... four birdies and a bogey,'' Robbins said. ''He really stepped up.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/26/06		Men's Golf Finishes Fourth at C-USA Championship -- Benjamin finishes third; Fortin-Simard named C-USA Golfer of the Year (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 WEST POINT, Miss. - After holding a four stroke-lead with Houston heading into the final round of the Conference USA Men's Golf Championship, the University of Memphis could not keep up with SMU on Wednesday. The Mustangs shot a 12-under 276 on the final day to win the tournament by six strokes. The Tigers finished fourth with an 8-under 856, nine shots behind SMU. Freshman Brad Benjamin led Memphis with a third place finish. In only his second tournament of the year, Benjamin shot a 3-under 69 on Wednesday to finish with a 7-under 209 (67-73-69). The Rockford, Ill., native was one of eight players named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing six strokes behind tournament medalist Will Dodson of SMU (70-68-65). UCF's Sonny Nimkhum finished one stroke ahead of Benjamin for second place with an 8-under 208 (72-66-70). Memphis sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard was named the C-USA Golfer of the Year and earned All-Conference First Team honors. The Roberval, Quebec native finished tied for 17th with a 1-over 217 (66-77-74). Sophomore Robbie Greenwell also tied for 17th and set a new collegiate 56-hole low (73-70-74). Sophomore Ian Rochester shot a 2-over 74 in the final round to place 29th with a 4-over 220 (70-76-74). Junior Lewis Clarke tied for 30th with a 221 (76-70-75) after a 3-over 75 on Wednesday. UCF finished six strokes behind SMU for second place with a 13-under 851 (288-283-280), while Tulsa finished third with an 853 (285-287-281). After sharing a second round lead with Memphis, Houston finished nine strokes behind the Tigers for fifth place. 2006 C-USA Men's Golf Championship Dates: 04/24-04/26, 2006 Round: 3 Final Results Par-Yardage: 72-7000 4 Memphis, U. of 276 289 291 856 3 Brad Benjamin 67 73 69 209 T17 Keven Fortin-Simard 66 77 74 217 T17 Robbie Greenwell 73 70 74 217 29 Ian Rochester 70 76 74 220 T30 Lewis Clarke 76 70 75 221 Fin. Team Scores 1 SMU 278 291 276 845 2 UCF 288 283 280 851 3 Tulsa, U. of 285 287 281 853 4 Memphis, U. of 276 289 291 856 5 Houston, Univ. of 285 280 300 865 6 UAB 286 291 292 869 7 Rice University 286 295 295 876 East Carolina Univ. 296 297 283 876 9 Southern Mississippi 292 291 294 877 10 Marshall University 302 297 288 887 11 Texas El Paso, U. of 291 311 294 896 12 Tulane University 308 315 314 937 C-USA Men's Golfer of the Year Keven Fortin-Simard, Memphis C-USA Freshman of the Year Nicolas Geyger, Tulsa C-USA Coach of the Year Tom Shaw, Tulane All-Conference USA First Team Pablo Acuna, Houston Keven Fortin-Simard, Memphis Colt Knost, SMU Sam Korbe, Tulsa Garrett Osborn, UAB All-Conference USA Second Team Mitch Cohlmia, Tulsa Brandon DeStefano, SMU Justin Elliott, Southern Miss Parker LaBarge, Rice Ricky Ramano, Houston All-Conference USA Freshman Team Jason Cuthbertson, Southern Miss Kyle Davis, UCF Greg Forest, UCF Nicolas Geyger, Tulsa Kyle Kelley, Rice All-Tournament Team Will Dodson, SMU Sonny Nimkhum, UCF Brad Benjamin, Memphis Colt Knost, SMU Garrett Osborn, UAB Mitch Cohlmia, Tulsa Sam Korbe, Tulsa Kyle Kelley, Rice

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04/26/06		Softball Inks Junior College Transfer From Arizona -- Lindsay Kelso will add solid bat, catcher to Lady Tiger lineup (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis softball coach Windy Thees has announced the signing of catcher Lindsay Kelso, a junior college standout from Phoenix College in Phoenix, Ariz., for the 2006-07 season. Kelso will transfer to the U of M after a year at Phoenix College, where she is currently hitting .395 with 15 doubles, four homeruns, and a team-leading 50 RBI. The Phoenix native also boasts a .559 slugging percentage and .443 on-base percentage and tops the team with 24 stolen bases in 25 attempts. Her Lady Bear squad was the pre-season No. 1 team in the Division II NJCAA softball rankings and presently has a 48-9-1 record entering the final week of regular season play. "Lindsay is a fabulous hitter and an outstanding catcher," said Thees. "When we combine her and Kimmi (Hayden) it will give us a solid catcher and DP combination." Prior to the 2006 season, Kelso spent her freshman year at NCAA Division II Grand Canyon University, leading her team with 10 doubles and three triples and ranking third with a .291 batting average. A member of the NCAA Division II All-Independent softball team, she threw out 14 of 25 would-be base stealers and had a 15-game hit streak in her first year of college. Kelso is a graduate of Greenway High School in Phoenix, where she helped the Demons to four regional championships and four state championship appearances. An All-State selection her junior and senior seasons, she earned All-Region honors all four years and was named to the 2004 Senior All-Star 4A South Team, helping the South squad to a 6-4 win and garnering the MVP award. In addition, she broke the Greenway single-season homerun record with 10 her senior year. Along with the on-field accomplishments, Kelso is a standout in the classroom. She currently has a 3.95 GPA in accounting at Phoenix College and was a member of National Honors Society and carried a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. "We are very excited to get Lindsay because she is a great player and a great student, and we feel like she fits perfectly into our team and our plans for the future," said Thees.

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04/26/06		Tiger pair test draft waters -- But Williams, Washington could return to school (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 26, 2006 What had long been expected became reality Tuesday when University of Memphis basketball players Shawne Williams and Darius Washington -- through various sources -- publicly acknowledged they intend to make themselves eligible for the NBA Draft. "I think for Darius and Shawne to explore things is fine," said coach John Calipari. "I think both want to feel the water and see where they are, and I support both of them." Assuming neither Williams nor Washington hire an agent and otherwise maintain their amateur status, it's possible both could return to Memphis next season because underclassmen with their eligibility intact have until June 18 to withdraw from the June 28 draft. And though Calipari said his understanding is that each prospect plans to keep that option viable, he didn't talk like a man expecting to coach Williams or Washington next season. "The great news is that we have a lot of guys coming back and a lot of guys coming in," Calipari said. "So for this program, yeah, you'd like to have some guys back. But it's about them at this point." A 6-9 forward, Williams is the superior prospect of the two. He averaged 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a freshman, and is projected by most analysts to be a middle-to-late first-round pick. "What Shawne told me is that he's going to enter the draft, but that if he's not (projected to be) in the top 20 then he will probably go back to school," said Williams' grandfather, Leon Williams. "He's torn on the decision because he enjoys school, but the (financial) needs overshadow everything else. The time is right if he can get the money and get a good contract." Washington's situation is more complex. On the surface it seems foolish for the 6-2 guard to turn pro considering he struggled through his sophomore season and finished with more turnovers (111) than assists (110). But the reality is that the former McDonald's All-American has a child to support and there are no guarantees his proverbial stock will ever improve because he's been labeled as an undersized scoring guard who is a liability on defense. Plus, Andre Allen is back. And Willie Kemp is coming. Those two players are true point guards who will demand time on the court, meaning it's fair to assume Washington would've been forced to play more off-the-ball during his junior season, which is no way to further his development as a point guard. Reached by cell phone Tuesday afternoon, Washington refused to comment on his decision and instead referred The Commercial Appeal to a written statement. "Check my Web site," Washington said. "Everything I want to say is on my Web site." The Web site is www.dwash.net. On it there was a message, one that gave no indication he is considering returning to the UofM under any circumstances. "It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce my decision to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft," the statement read. "Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. ... There were a lot of things to consider before I made my decision to enter the draft and after careful consideration I am confident that I made the best decision for me." Regardless the motives, Calipari declined to suggest Washington was making a mistake despite it appearing unlikely that he will be a first-round selection and garner a guaranteed NBA contract. "What if a young man wants to go and he gets picked in the second round, but he doesn't care because he wanted to go?" Calipari asked. "You can't say he's wrong. That's what he wanted to do. ... It's their lives. We're going to have a program that's going to be here 100 years from now. We're still going to have a program that's going to win year-in and year-out." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/26/06		Tigers share golf lead -- One round remains in C-USA tournament (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 26, 2006 WEST POINT, Miss. -- The University of Memphis men's golf team is tied with Houston after two rounds of the Conference USA men's golf championship. The Tigers shot a 1-over par 289 with the final round today. The Tigers are led by freshman Brad Benjamin, who is tied for third with Houston's Zach Mowbray with a 4-under 36-hole 140. Benjamin is two strokes behind the leader after shooting a 1-over 73 on Tuesday. Sonny Nimkhum of UCF and Will Dodson of SMU are tied for the tournament lead with a 6-under 138. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell and junior Lewis Clarke led Memphis in the second round with a 2-under 70 As a team, Memphis is 11-under with a 36-hole 565. The Tigers share a four-stroke lead with Houston over third place SMU (minus-7).

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04/26/06		Hard work gives Gostkowski bright football future -- U of M kicker thought he had better shot as baseball pitcher (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 26, 2006 He's worked out in Memphis for the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. He's had the Packers fly him to Green Bay for a visit and an interview. Today, he'll work out at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for the New Orleans Saints. For University of Memphis kicker Stephen Gostkowski, there hasn't been much down time since he ended his college career in the Tigers' victory over Akron Dec. 26 in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit. There have been all-star games, made-for-TV football challenges, NFL workouts and regular appearances as a right-handed pitcher for the Tiger baseball team. This weekend, he's expected to end his baseball career and take the first step toward what he hopes is a long NFL career. Gostkowski, the leading scorer in school history, is a possible late-round pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. If he goes undrafted, he'll likely sign as a free agent. "Our guys are anxious and excited for Gotty," said Tiger baseball coach Daron Schoenrock, who has used Gostkowski in his three-man weekend rotation. "They'll be keeping up with the draft." Considered one of the top three kickers by most draft analysts, Gostksowski is ranked second by former Dallas Cowboys executive Gil Brandt, senior analyst for NFL.com. GM Jr. Scouting, which analyzes the draft for CBS Sportsline, ranks Gostkowski third behind Missouri State's Jon Scifres and Ohio State's Josh Huston. Gostkowski said he owes not only a strong leg, but a high-profile teammate and the UofM coaching staff for his professional opportunity. Tiger All-America running back DeAngelo Williams, a likely first-round pick this weekend, attracted attention from NFL scouts and national TV cameras, and Gostkowski benefited from the exposure. "Everyone coming to see DeAngelo play certainly didn't hurt," Gostkowski said. "I put two really good seasons back to back my junior and senior years, but all the hype and attention DeAngelo got helped." While Williams rushed for 1,964 yards last season -- and more than 6,000 in his career -- Gostkowski posted some impressive numbers, too. Gostkowski made 22-of-25 field goals his senior year, including 10-of-10 from 40 yards and beyond. Among his kicks was a career-long 53-yarder. "It's hard to find a guy with such tremendous accuracy from long range," said Tiger special teams coach Tyson Helton. "He was making field goals consistently from 47, 50 yards. I haven't been around a kicker with his leg strength. He's as strong as most pro kickers." Gostkowski came to the UofM from Madison, Miss., four years ago on a baseball scholarship, but earned a spot on the football team in preseason camp. He said he never gave much thought to a pro football career until last season, one in which he was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year. "I thought my future might be better in baseball coming out of high school," Gostkowski said. "I had a lot of scouts looking at me. But I excelled better in football." Helton said he wishes he could take credit for Gostkowski's success, but said the talent was already there. When Helton joined the staff two years ago, he saw Gostkowski had leg strength and was fundamentally sound. But Gostkowski needed was to be more consistent. "Once he was able to get in a groove, he got better from a confidence standpoint, too," Helton said. Helton said Tiger coach Tommy West had a strong influence on Gostkowski's development from a solid college kicker to one with NFL potential. "Coach was hard on Gotty," Helton said. "He coached him like he was a linebacker. He coached him hard. And when Gotty had some success, we never backed down. We kept telling him he had a lot more in the tank." Gostkowski said he appreciated Helton and West "staying on me and making sure I got my work in." "I think he learned to deal with the pressure," Helton said. "He'll be able to handle that pressure at the next level. I'm just taking a guess at it, but I'd think he's one of the top two college kickers on every team's (draft) board. In my opinion, he is a pro guy. He has all the tools and the makeup to have a successful career." -------------------- NFL DRAFT When, where: Saturday and Sunday at New York TV: ESPN and ESPN2 First pick: Houston

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04/26/06		Tigers draft-bound (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Matt Laurie Sports Editor Sophomore Darius Washington Jr. and freshman Shawne Williams made themselves eligible for the June 18 NBA Draft yesterday. Williams' grandfather, Leon Williams, said the 6-foot-9 forward will hold off signing an agent, which leaves the door open to return to The University of Memphis next year, according to the Commercial Appeal. Washington, however, will remain in the draft although projections put Washington off the draft board and not being selected in either of the draft's two rounds. Washington left a message on his Web site to fans about his decision. "Dear Fans, It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce my decision to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft," the statement said. "Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember ... I have been fortunate to play for some great coaches over the years who have helped me prepare for the challenges of collegiate and professional basketball. There were a lot of things to consider before I made my decision to enter the draft and after careful consideration I am confident that I made the best decision for me. I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream." Washington averaged 15.4 points per game in 2004-05 while leading the team with 144 assists. Last season Washington averaged 13.4 points per game. Williams, in his first year with The U of M, averaged 13.2 points per game and 6.2 rebounds.

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04/25/06		Men's Golf Tied for First Heading into C-USA Championship Final Round -- Greenwell and Clarke lead Tigers in second round (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 WEST POINT, Miss. - Shooting a second round 1-over par 289 on Tuesday at the Conference USA Men's Golf Championship at the Old Waverly Golf Course, the University of Memphis is tied with Houston for first place heading into the final round. The Tigers are led by freshman Brad Benjamin who is tied for third with Houston's Zach Mowbray with a 4-under 36-hole 140. Benjamin, who only has one previous collegiate tournament under his belt, is two strokes behind the leader after shooting a 1-over 73 on Tuesday. Sonny Nimkhum of UCF and Will Dodson of SMU are tied for the tournament lead with a 6-under 138. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell and junior Lewis Clarke led Memphis in the second round with a 2-unde r 70 on the par 72, 7,000-yard course. The score marks career lows for both players. Greenwell is tied for the team's second lowest score with a 1-under 143 and is tied for 14th overall. Clarke is tied for 23rd with a 2-over 146. As a team, Memphis is 11-under with a 36-hole 565. The Tigers share a four-stroke lead with Houston over third place SMU (-7). UCF (-5) is six strokes back for fourth place, while Tulsa (-4) is fifth. Houston led the tournament in the second round with an 8-under 280, while the U of M's round total ranked fourth on the day. After taking a first round lead with a 6-under 66 in the opening round, sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard is tied for 14th with a 1-under 143. The Roberval, Quebec native shot a 5-over 77 in the second round and is tied with Greenwell for second on the team. Sophomore Ian Rochester is tied with Clarke at 23rd with a 2-over 146. The final round will begin on Wednesday with a shotgun start beginning at 7:45 a.m. The first Tiger player will tee off from the one hole beginning at 8:30 a.m. 2006 C-USA Men's Golf Championship Dates: 04/24-04/26, 2006 Round: 2 Par-Yardage: 72-7000 T1 Memphis, U. of 276 289 565 T3 Brad Benjamin 67 73 140 T14 Keven Fortin-Simard 66 77 143 T14 Robbie Greenwell 73 70 143 T23 Ian Rochester 70 76 146 T23 Lewis Clarke 76 70 146 Fin. Team Scores 1 Houston, Univ. of 285 280 565 Memphis, U. of 276 289 565 3 SMU 278 291 569 4 UCF 288 283 571 5 Tulsa, U. of 285 287 572 6 UAB 286 291 577 7 Rice University 286 295 581 8 Southern Mississippi 292 291 583 9 East Carolina Univ. 296 297 593 10 Marshall University 302 297 599 11 Texas El Paso, U. of 291 311 602 12 Tulane University 308 315 623

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04/25/06		Lady Tiger Basketball Adds Second Junior College Transfer -- Aroha Jennings joins Lady Tigers in 2006-07 from Dodge City Community College (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's basketball team added some international flavor with the signing of Aroha Jennings from Rotorua, New Zealand, Tuesday. Jennings has played her last two years of basketball at Dodge City Community College in Kansas. "Aroha will be one of the most complete players we have signed," Head Coach Blair Savage-Lansden said. "She can shoot the three and can penetrate and score or penetrate and get to the free-throw line. I'm excited to add someone with such strong leadership qualities to our young team for next year." A 5-11 forward, Jennings was the team captain and led the squad with 16.4 points per game at Dodge City. She was also third with 5.9 rebounds per game and added 17 blocked shots on the season. The team's leading free-throw shooter, hitting 125 of 150 attempts (83.8 percent), Jennings also shot 53.0 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from three-point range. A first team honoree on the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference All-West Team, Jennings was also an NJCAA Region VI Division I team honoree after helping the Lady Conquistadors to a 20-11 mark her sophomore year. As a freshman Jennings helped the Lady Conquistadors to a 26-6 record, a record-setting season at Dodge City CC. The 26 wins and the team's .821 winning percentage was the best in school history and the team ranked as high as No. 7 in the NJCAA national poll. A member of the New Zealand U18 roster in 2003-04, Jennings played as part of the New Zealand High Performance program. Her U18 team had its highest-ever finish at the Australian Championships in Newcastle, where they finished sixth. She was named to the Tournament Team at the U23 Women's Championships in Waikato and helped her prep team, John Paul College, to a runner-up finish in the Secondary Schools National Championships, where she was also named to the all-tournament team. Jennings also played in the WNBL in her native New Zealand for the Waikato Lady Titans in 2003. She also played for the Harbour Breeze in 2003. Jennings made the switch to basketball after a standout career as a netball player in New Zealand. She was named the NTIS Squad Athlete of the Year in netball in 2003 and captained the U19 Northern Territory Institute of Sport Netball squad in 2004 at the Underage National Championships in Launceston. The daughter of Phillip and Sandi Jennings, Aroha also has two sisters, Teao and Keri. Jennings is the eighth signee for Memphis and will have two years of eligibility left once she arrives in Memphis. She joins fellow junior college transfer Mercedes Thompson in the late signing period and freshmen Jasmine Brown (Drummonds, Tenn.), Alysse Davis (Flower Bluff, Texas), Se'erra Fantroy (Lincoln, Neb.), Jasmyn Green (Desoto, Texas), Robin Jones (Waco, Texas) and Adria Phillips (Fort Smith, Ark.) from the early signing period.

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04/25/06		Third Stop on Tiger Scholarship Fund Spring Tour Set for Tuesday at Bartlett -- Bank of Bartlett will host the third stop of the tour (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The third stop of the Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) Spring Tour is scheduled to be held Tuesday at the Wolfchase Branch of the Bank of Bartlett (7984 Highway 64). The event will be hosted by Harold Byrd of Bank of Bartlett from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Tiger fans are welcome to come out the stop to support their hometown Tigers. The Tiger Scholarship Fund is the fundraising branch of the University of Memphis Athletic Department, and is charged with fundraising $5 million each year that is used to directly fund scholarship for Tiger student-athletes. The fourth stop on the tour, and one of two to be held in Mississippi this year, will be held May 4th at Timbeaux's on the Square (333 Losher Street) in Hernando. That event will be hosted by Chuck Roberts from 5:30-7:00 p.m. RSVPs are still being accepted both both events. You can RSVP by dlarivir@memphis.edu.

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04/25/06		Tigers' Williams, Washington eligible for NBA draft (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 25, 2006 University of Memphis standout Shawne Williams plans to make himself eligible for the 2006 NBA Draft but will not immediately hire an agent, Williams’ grandfather told The Commercial Appeal today. Consequently, the freshman forward can maintain his college eligibility and return to the Tigers if he withdraws from the draft by June 18. The draft is June 28. "He’s torn on the decision because he enjoys school, but the (financial) needs overshadow everything else," said Leon Williams, who helped raise Shawne. "The time is right if he can get the money and get a good contract." Meanwhile, teammate Darius Washington has also announced his intentions to enter the draft. The sophomore guard declined to answer questions when reached by phone today, instead referring The Commercial Appeal to his personal Web site (dwash.net) where a statement had been published that explained his decision. "It is with a great deal of excitement that I announce my decision to declare for the 2006 NBA Draft," the statement read. "Playing in the NBA has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. ... There were a lot of things to consider before I made my decision to enter the draft, and after careful consideration I am confident that I made the best decision for me. I truly appreciate the support my friends, family, coaches and the fans have given me over the years and hope they will stand by me as I enter the next stage of fulfilling my lifelong dream." Though Washington wasn’t specific, his statement indicates he will remain in the draft no matter what despite no one projecting him as a first-round pick. On the other hand, a chance remains that Shawne Williams will play at Memphis again. Leon Williams said his grandson intends to maintain his amateur status and that if he is not projected as a top-20 pick "he will probably go back to school." As it stands, there is no guarantee Williams will go that high, though most analysts believe he’s a lock for the top 30. UofM coach John Calipari did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. — Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/25/06		New deal boosts West's salary $125,000 -- Tiger coach will receive $925,000 per season (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 25, 2006 University of Memphis football coach Tommy West will receive $925,000 per season -- a boost from $800,000 -- in his amended contract, which was signed by West and athletic director R.C. Johnson April 11 and by UofM president Shirley Raines April 14. Johnson announced two weeks ago a new agreement had been reached with West to extend his contract through the 2010 season. But Johnson declined to release the amended figures, which were obtained Monday by The Commercial Appeal. Under the terms of the new deal, West's compensation for radio and television appearances increased from $469,825 to $545,000; his pay for public relations responsibilities was boosted from $179,710 to $225,000 and his base salary jumped from about $150,000 to $155,000. West's bonus for leading the Tigers into a Bowl Championship Series game remained at $250,000. His bonus for directing the UofM into the AutoZone Liberty Bowl -- the destination for winning the Conference USA title -- increased slightly from $40,000 to $50,000, and his bonus for guiding the Tigers to any other bowl jumped from $15,000 to $25,000. If West is named national coach of the year -- by either the Associated Press or CNN-Sports Illustrated -- he receives $50,000, up from $25,000. There also is a bonus tied to the team's graduation rate, a sum not to exceed $25,000 annually. Additional funding will be made available to increase the financial package for his assistants. West's buyout is $300,000 in the first year of the amended agreement, $200,000 in the second and decreases by $50,000 annually in the remaining three years. West, hired in 2001, led the Tigers to their unprecedented third straight bowl game in December. Memphis beat Akron in the Dec. 26 Motor City Bowl in Detroit, following postseason appearances in the New Orleans Bowl (in 2003) and the GMAC Bowl (in 2004). In his five seasons at the UofM, West has compiled a 32-28 record and is the fourth-winningest coach in school history. Johnson said the new contract would have been in place earlier, but was delayed by several factors, chief among them West's health. West, 51, underwent triple-bypass heart surgery Feb. 3 and returned to work shortly before the start of the team's spring practice, which ran from mid-March to April 8. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/25/06		Memphis golfers take a 2-stroke lead at Conference USA tourney (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 25, 2006 WEST POINT, Miss. -- With three golfers shooting below par, the University of Memphis men's golf team jumped to a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Conference USA Championship on Monday at the Old Waverly Golf Course. After two lackluster tournament performances, sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard regained his stroke and led the Tigers in the opening round with a 6-under 66 on the par-72, 7,000-yard course. The score ties the Roberval, Quebec native with SMU's Colt Knost for first place. Memphis also received a top performance from freshman Brad Benjamin. Having played in only one tournament all year, the Rockford, Ill., native qualified for the conference tournament and shot a 5-under 67 in his first competitive round of the spring. One stroke behind Fortin-Simard, Benjamin, who was No. 40 in the Golfweek junior amateur rankings before coming to Memphis, is in third after the first 18 holes. The Tigers shot a 12-under 276 on Monday and led second-place SMU by two strokes. Memphis has a nine-stroke lead over Tulsa and Houston, who are in third with a 285, while Rice and UAB are tied for fifth with a 286. The 276 is the lowest round for the Tigers this season, surpassing the previous season low of 280. Sophomore Ian Rochester had the U of M's third under-par performance of the day with a 2-under 70 and is tied for 11th. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell is tied for 28th with a 1-over 73, and junior Lewis Clarke is tied for 46th with a 4-over 76. The second round of the tournament begins at 8 a.m. today with the championship concluding on Wednesday.

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04/25/06		Letters to the Editor: Basketball, Football (Commercial Appeal)
		Private donors bankroll 'big score' The front page of your April 23 Viewpoints section was a bit misleading, due to the picture of University of Memphis men's basketball coach John Calipari standing on a pile of $100 bills as compared to the generic professor standing on the short stack of twenties ("Cal's big score / Is it unfair that college professors make just a tiny fraction of what major college coaches earn?"). Yes, both your Viewpoints article and your editorial (April 23, "Paying to play at the U of M") point out some fair things, but more should be outlined. Neither really emphasized enough that professors at the U of M and at many other public universities (like me) are paid by the state, and that Calipari and many other high-level coaches are paid largely by private donors, alumni and individuals who want to see their university do well on all levels. I know for a fact that one of those donors not only helped to raise Calipari's salary the evening he came back from North Carolina State University but also donates heavily to the University of Memphis College of Fine Arts. Without this donor's help we would not be at the level we are in the School of Music. As far as I am concerned, donors can give Calipari $2 million a year if it means success for the U of M and getting the long-overdue recognition an NCAA championship would bring. But on the other hand, if Coach Cal does not do well he can be dismissed much more easily than a tenured professor; he is under far more pressure than I will ever see in my job. Jack T. Cooper Associate professor, University of Memphis Memphis Comparing apples to apples Your reporter is not comparing apples to apples when he compares the salary of an associate professor of English with Coach Cal's salary. If he took all of the basketball coaches in all the colleges and junior colleges in the United States and then took a mean average of those salaries, that might be closer to an apples-to-apples comparison. And if you took the Top 10 basketball programs out of the equation, I wouldn't be surprised if the salary of an associate professor of English was not higher than most of those coaches' salaries. Then how about this? How many students are attracted to the University of Memphis by the English program versus the U of M basketball program? Which is the most profitable to the university? Here's a puzzler to think about: Is Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., worth his salary? Is his company's stock really worth that much money? People just love controversy. So do reporters, especially when they write about it. Lawrence R. La Moore Memphis DeAngelo stars off the field, too I read your April 23 article, "DeAngelo looking to give back," and was reminded once again of what a great example DeAngelo Williams is to the people of the Memphis area. He seems to be a guy who has taken all of his talents and opportunities and made the most of them with hard work and enthusiasm and a megawatt smile. I had the opportunity to meet DeAngelo about 31/2 years ago when I took a group of Tigers cubs to tour the University of Memphis football training facility. We were there on a Monday, which is usually an off day for the team. DeAngelo was there doing weight training. Lish Trice, the assistant to the athletic director who was giving the tour, told us then that we would be seeing DeAngelo play on Sundays one day. Looks like Lish was right! It has been fun watching DeAngelo make a difference in Memphis; I can't wait to see what he does when he get to the pros. Maria Lingerfelt Cordova

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04/24/06		Men's Golf Takes First Round Lead at C-USA Championship -- Fortin-Simard tied for first; Benjamin in third (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 WEST POINT, Miss. - With three golfers shooting below par, the University of Memphis men's golf team jumped to a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Conference USA Championship on Monday at the Old Waverly Golf Course. After two sub-par tournament performances, sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard regained his stroke and led the Tigers in the opening round with a 6-under 66 on the par-72, 7,000-yard course. The score ties the Roberval, Quebec native with SMU's Colt Knost for first place individually. Memphis also received a spectacular performance from freshman Brad Benjamin. Having played in only one tournament all year, the Rockford, Ill., native qualified for the conference tournament and shot a 5-under 67 in his first competitive round of the spring. One stroke behind Fortin-Simard, Benjamin, who was No. 40 in the Golfweek junior amateur rankings before coming to Memphis, is in third after the first 18 holes. The Tigers shot a 12-under 276 on Monday and leads second place SMU by two strokes. Memphis has a nine-stroke lead over Tulsa and Houston who both are in third with a 285 (-3), while Rice and UAB are tie for fifth with a 286 (-2). The 276 is the lowest round for the Tigers this season, surpassing the previous season low of 280 by four strokes. Sophomore Ian Rochester had the U of M's third sub-par performance of the day with a 2-under 70 and is tied for 11th. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell is tied for 28th with a 1-over 73, and junior Lewis Clarke is tied for 46th with a 4-over 76. The second round of the tournament begins at 8 a.m. on Tuesday with the championship concluding on Wednesday. 2006 C-USA Men's Golf Championship Dates: 04/24-04/26, 2006 Round: 1 Par-Yardage: 72-7000 1 Memphis, U. of 276 T1 Keven Fortin-Simard 33-33 66 3 Brad Benjamin 33-34 67 T11 Ian Rochester 37-33 70 T28 Robbie Greenwell 39-34 73 T46 Lewis Clarke 36-40 76 Fin. Team Scores 1 Memphis, U. of 276 -12 2 SMU 278 -10 3 Tulsa, U. of 285 -3 Houston, Univ. of 285 -3 5 Rice University 286 -2 UAB 286 -2 7 UCF 288 E 8 UTEP 291 +3 9 Southern Miss 292 +4 10 East Carolina Univ. 296 +8 11 Marshall University 302 +14 12 Tulane University 308 +20

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04/24/06		Two Lady Tiger Basketball Signees Named to All Star Teams in Texas -- Tandem to play on opposite squads in May 5th game (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Two Lady Tiger basketball signees for the 2005-06 season have been named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' (TABC) All-Star teams. Robin Jones of Waco University School and Jazmyn Green of DeSoto High School will each play on opposite teams in the TABC All-Star game, held May 5th at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Jones, the MVP of District 16-4A, helped her prep team to a 24-10 record while advancing to the Region 2-4A tournament, where the team finished third. A TABC All-Region honoree in Region 2 and an All-State honoree in Class 4A, Jones helped her team finish the season as the No. 17 ranked team in Class 4A in Texas. She will play on the 4A &5A South Team. Green, the 7-5A District MVP, will play on the opposing North team after helping her DeSoto High School team to a 33-5 record, the 5A Region I finals and the No. 4 season-ending ranking in Class 5A. A Class 5A All-State honoree, Green was also an all-region honoree in Region I. The May game will be the first of two all-star appearances for Green, who was also named to the 4A-5A North Team for 2006 Basketball All-Star Games held July 13 on the campus of TCU in Ft. Worth, Texas. That game will be played at 7:30 p.m. following the completion of the 1A-2A-3A All-Star Game, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Jazmyn Green (DeSoto, Texas/DeSoto HS) Green, a 5-7 point guard, was a Street and Smith All-American honorable mention player in 2005 after averaging 15 points and four assists per game. She was named to the End of the Oregon Trail All-Tournament Team and was a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 5A All-Star as a junior. The No. 25 ranked senior in the state in a ranking by Texashoops.com for the Pre-season Class of 2006, Green was also named the Denton Record Chronicle Girls Basketball MVP following her junior season. At DeSoto, Green helped the Lady Eagles team win its first 25 straight games of the season and to a ranking as high as No. 2 in the state rankings. The Lady Eagles shared the District 7-5A championship before winning four playoff games, but fell one victory short of the state tournament in the 5A regional finals. In addition to her skills at the point, Green has hit 63 three-point field goals last year and was invited to participate in the USA Cup with her Team Ichiban Red 17U team. Robin Jones (Waco, Texas/University) The final Texan in the initial signing class of the early season is Waco, Texas' Robin Jones. Jones averaged 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game for University as a junior and hit 72.7 percent of her shots from the free-throw line. A 6-0 post at University, Jones was named a second team reserve on the Tribune Herald Super Centex Girls Team after averaging 11.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in a sophomore season in which she helped the Lady Trojans to a 24-8 record, the school's first playoff trip and what is believed to be the school's first district championship. TexasHoops.com ranked Jones the No. 25 senior in the state in the pre-season Class of 2006 rankings and she could play either forward or center for the Lady Tigers. This is the first signing class that Savage has gotten to scout and recruit since their junior years after she was hired in June of 2004.

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04/24/06		Tiger Notes: Baseball, Softball, Golf (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 24, 2006 Cougars outlast Tigers in 16-inning contest HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston rightfielder Matt Weston beat out a fielder's choice grounder that enabled Travis Cougot to score the winning run and give the 19th-ranked Cougars an 8-7 win in 16 innings, clinching a series sweep of Memphis on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field. The game was the longest in Memphis history since the Tigers battled to a 4-4 tie in 21 innings against Evansville on March 7, 1999. The contest also tied a Conference USA record for the longest game. The game took 4 hours, 49 minutes. The loss was Memphis' first extra-inning setback in five games this year. "Both teams had chances to win," said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock. "I thought we had more chances in the extra innings, but you have to tip your hat to Houston for executing in the clutch." Memphis looked to be in position to win in the 15th when Jordan Tolliver broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run single. However, Houston responded with a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning by Bryan Tully. Houston's Luis Flores scattered seven hits and struck out four over 72/3 innings. However, he received a no-decision after reliever Clayton Boone was unable to hold the Tigers' offense off the board in the final inning. In another development, the Tigers have scheduled two games to replace games against Ohio that were canceled because of wintry weather earlier in the season. The Tigers will host Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 5 p.m. Saturday and Mississippi Valley State at 1 p.m. on April 30. UAPB and MVSU will play at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Other developments Lady Tigers win: Kara Ross had a three-run homer and four RBI and Lindsey Pridgen hit her fourth homer of the season to lead the Memphis softball team to a 6-1 win in the C-USA series finale with East Carolina at Greenbrook Park. With the win, the Lady Tigers (26-22, 8-9 C-USA) take a 11/2 -game lead over the Pirates (33-22, 7-11) for the sixth and final spot in the C-USA Tournament, May 11-14. C-USA golf: The University of Memphis men's golf team will be one of 12 teams competing for the 2006 Conference USA Championship title, hosted by Southern Miss, beginning today at the Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss. The winner receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.

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04/23/06		#19 Houston Defeats Tigers, 8-7, in 16-inning Marathon -- Tigers return home for five-game homestand (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis (21-21; 6-9 C-USA) 100 010 102 000 002 0- 7 14 2 #19 Houston (28-15; 12-3 C-USA) 230 000 000 000 002 1- 8 13 1 HOUSTON, Texas - Houston rightfielder Matt Weston beat out a fielder's choice groundball that enabled Travis Cougot to score the game-winning run and give the 19th-ranked Cougars an 8-7 win to clinch a series sweep of Memphis, Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field. The game was the longest in Memphis history since the Tigers battled to a 4-4 tie in 21 innings against the Evansville Aces on March 7, 1999. The contest also tied a Conference USA record for the longest game. The game took 4:49 to play. The loss was Memphis' first extra-inning setback in five games this year. The Tigers had beaten Notre Dame, UT-Martin and Marshall twice in their four previous extra-inning contests. "Both teams had chances to win," said Daron Schoenrock. "I thought we had more chances in the extra innings, but you have to tip your hat to Houston for executing in the clutch." Memphis looked to be in position to win the game in the 15th inning, when Jordan Tolliver broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run single. However, Houston responded with a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning by Bryan Tully. The Tigers evened the slate in the ninth on consecutive hits by Lieberman and Norrid to lead off the inning. Josh Irvin sacrificed the runners to third and second, respectively before pinch-hitter Chris Newsom lined the first pitch he saw up the middle for a two-run, game-tying single. Memphis got on the scoreboard with a run in the first after Will Petersen lined a double into the leftfield corner and came around to score on a single by Adam Amar. A pair of two-run home runs pushed Houston to five runs in the first two innings. The Cougars took a 2-1 lead in the first on a towering drive over the rightfield wall by Matt Weston. A two-run homer to left by Jake Stewart highlighted a three-run second that put Houston ahead comfortably at 5-1. Cougar starter Luis Flores retired the next 12 Tigers before Tolliver doubled to the right centerfield gap and moved to third when UH centerfielder Bryan Tully mishandled the ball. Cory Barton's sac fly to right made it 5-2. Tolliver led Memphis with four hits on the afternoon. Memphis continued to chip away at the Houston lead with a trio of hits in the top of the seventh. Joey Lieberman singled to left and Kyle Norrid dribbled a single through the right side. Lieberman scored on a single to right by Tolliver. Freshman righthander Scott McGregor earned a no-decision for Memphis after giving up three earned runs in just three innings. Matt Yokley came on in relief to strike out four in 4.1 innings of relief. Ben Grisham was stellar in relief for Memphis, holding the Cougars to just two runs in 6.2 innings. He scattered six hits and struck out five. Lance Scoggins took the loss. In the game, Tiger relievers held UH scoreless for 11.2 innings. Houston got its third-straight pitching gem from Luis Flores, who scattered seven hits and fanned four over 7.2 innings. However, he was tagged with a no-decision after reliever Clayton Boone was unable to hold the Tigers' offense off the board in the final inning. Shea Hancock pitched a scoreless 16th inning to earn the win. The Tigers will now take the midweek off from competition, before returning to action on Sat., April 29 when they square off against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the nightcap of a three-team doubleheader. UAPB will play Mississippi Valley State at 1 p.m. Memphis and UAPB square off at 5 p.m. The U of M and MVSU play on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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04/23/06		Ross, Pridgen Homer, Softball Takes Series Finale From ECU 6-1 -- Lady Tigers take one and a half game lead in race for final spot in C-USA Tourney (GoTigersGo.com)
		East Carolina (33-22, 7-11 C-USA) 001 000 0 - 1 6 2 Memphis (26-22, 8-9 C-USA) 111 300 x - 6 7 0 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Kara Ross had a three-run homerun and four RBI and Lindsey Pridgen hit her fourth round-tripper of the season to lead the Memphis softball team to a 6-1 win in the C-USA series finale with East Carolina Sunday at Greenbrook Park. With the win, the Lady Tigers (26-22; 8-9 C-USA) take a one and a half game lead over the Pirates (33-22; 7-11, C-USA) for the sixth and final spot in the Conference USA Tournament, which will be hosted by Tulsa, May 11-14. "This was a huge win for us," said Coach Windy Thees. "It was great to see Kara (Ross) come up with the big hits and key RBI, and Lindsey (Pridgen) stayed hot and continued to hit the ball well." The U of M scored a run each in the first three innings and plated three on Ross' homer in the fourth, and that was more than enough help for Lady Tiger starter Nicki Johnson, as she scattered six hits and allowed just one run to take the win in the circle. "Nicki (Johnson) really stepped up and threw two great games for us this weekend," said Thees. "It is great to have two pitchers (Johnson and Jenna Kubesch), who can be No. 1's for us." Memphis took the lead in the bottom of the first, as Tori Gross reached on an infield single to plate Kimmi Hayden and give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead. The U of M extended the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the second, as Pridgen smashed her fourth homerun of the season, a solo shot to leftfield. ECU cut the deficit in half in the top of the third, using a pair of doubles by Alison Monce and Erin St. Ledger to make the score 2-1. Memphis went back on top by two in the bottom half of the third, with Ross picking up her first RBI with double down the rightfield line that scored McNulty, who had singled, and gave the Lady Tigers a 3-1 advantage. East Carolina attempted to cut into the lead twice in the top of the fourth, but saw two runners thrown out at the plate. Gross nailed pinch runner Brently Bridgeforth at home for the second out of the inning before Cara Stiles gunned down Krista Jessup from centerfield to end the frame. Ross then put the game away in the bottom of the fourth with her three-run bomb to rightcenter that set the final margin of 6-1. The shot was Ross' third round-tripper of the season, and scored Hayden, who singled, and McNulty, who walked. The pair two homeruns on the day gave the U of M its first multi-homerun game in C-USA play. The contest was also the first game with two or more homeruns since McNulty and Leila Dolfo each homered in the second half of a double-header against Grambling State on March 22. Following the big fourth inning, Johnson faced just one more than the minimum over the final three innings, as she scattered six hits and fanned four to improve her record to 12-8 with the complete-game victory. Keli Harrell took the loss for ECU, giving up seven hits and the six runs - five earned - in six innings and falling to 20-14 on the year. Ross led the U of M at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the double and the homer, while Pridgen, Hayden, Gross and Laura Mahoney added a hit apiece. The Lady Tigers will now have five days out of action to prepare for final exams before hosting Marshall in a three-game C-USA series, next Saturday and Sunday, April 29-30 at Greenbrook Park.

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04/23/06		Baseball Schedules Makeup Games against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State -- Games to replace canceled season-opening series vs. Ohio (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball team will makeup its two canceled games against Ohio on April 29-30 when it hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State in a weekend set. On Sat., April 29, the Tigers will face UAPB in the twinbill of a doubleheader. The Golden Lions and the Delta Devils will play the early game at 1p.m., before Memphis and UAPB square off at 5 p.m. The U of M and MVSU play on Sunday at 1 p.m. The weekend's slate of games will replace the originally scheduled season-opening weekend versus Ohio that was canceled due to snow and ice in the Memphis area. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley are both members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). MVSU, alma mater of Jerry Rice, is currently 19-21 on the year and 15-5 against SWAC opponents. UAPB was 15-20, 9-12 in SWAC play going into weekend action.

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04/23/06		Men's Golf Set to Compete in C-USA Championship -- Teams compete for automatic berth in NCAA Regionals (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 WEST POINT, Miss. - The University of Memphis men's golf team will be on of 12 teams competing for the 2006 Conference USA Championship title, hosted by Southern Miss, beginning Monday at the Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss. The winner of the championship receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals. Three teams--Tulsa (24), SMU (35) and Houston (42)--are ranked among the top 50 nationally by Golfweek entering the championship. The Cougars are the only previous team champion and have the most men's golf titles in C-USA history with five-straight wins from 1997 to 2001. Tulsa and SMU along with Marshall (163), Rice (105), UCF (58) and UTEP (141) are all making their C-USA championship debuts. The Tigers are the seventh lowest ranked team in the tournament and are currently ranked No. 82. Along with returning C-USA teams Houston and Memphis, East Carolina (124), Southern Miss (66), Tulane (209) and UAB (63) also compete in the tournament. Last year the Tigers place seventh in the tournament, which was won by former C-USA member TCU. Sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard led Memphis in the tournament with a 7-over 223 (77-71-75) to tie for 26th. Fortin-Simard will again look to lead the Tigers in the tournament in the No. 1 position. The Roberval, Quebec native has medaled three times in 10 tournaments this season, including two individual championships in the screen. Currently ranked No. 94 by Golfweek, Fortin-Simard has finished in the top 10 seven times this season and leads the team with a 72.8 stroke average. The Tigers' No. 2 will be sophomore Ian Rochester who is averaging a 74.4. Rochester has finished in the top 20 four times this season and is coming off a seventh place tie at the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell will compete in the No. 3 hole and has a 75.9 average with two top 20 finishes in nine tournaments this season. Junior Lewis Clarke, who is third on the team with a 75.8 average, will play in the fourth spot. Freshman Brad Benjamin completes the Tiger rotation. Benjamin, who has only played in one fall tournament, earned the final position in the lineup in pre-tournament qualifying rounds. Three of the top individuals that will compete against Fortin-Simard for the championship are from UAB and SMU. UAB's Garrett Osborn is the highest ranked individual in the conference at No. 27 and took fifth last year in the tournament. SMU has a pair of contenders in Brandon DeStefano (76) and Colt Knost (84). Fortin-Simard is the fourth-lowest ranked individual in the tournament. The championship consists of 54 holes over three days on the par 72, 7,000-yard course. The first tee time for each day of the competition will be 8 a.m. Central.

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04/23/06		DeAngelo looking to give back -- Foundation to aid breast cancer research and reading programs (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 23, 2006 He's less than a week away from embarking upon the next phase of his career and DeAngelo Williams can't wait. Yes, he's excited about the likelihood of being a first-round pick in Saturday's NFL Draft, but he seems just as enthused about being in position to have an effect on people's lives. Williams, who set practically every University of Memphis rushing record in his remarkable four-year career, will launch the DeAngelo Williams Foundation Friday night at Senses on Poplar. The public is invited beginning at 10 p.m. and the $5 admission will benefit the foundation. The foundation will raise money and awareness in hopes of finding a cure for breast cancer. The foundation also will be involved in reading programs for Mid-South area children. ''It means a lot to be able to do this,'' Williams said. ''It's a small way for me to give back to the community.'' For Williams, breast cancer is a subject with which he is too familiar. The disease took the lives of two of his aunts. His mother, Sandra Hill of Wynne, Ark., is a breast-cancer survivor. He said if his foundation can provide any assistance in finding a cure for breast cancer, it will be welcome because ''you can never replace lives.'' Williams said he also understood the impact reading to children can have. He was involved in such a program at the UofM where he and his teammates read to children in Memphis-area schools. ''We reached out and touched kids,'' he said. ''When you have someone come and read to you who is a professional (athlete), someone you look up to, and he tells you education is a must, you listen.'' Before the doors open to the public, a VIP function will be held and among those scheduled to attend are USC running back LenDale White and Minnesota running back Laurence Maroney, both of whom are expected to go early in the draft. Williams befriended both running backs during the various national functions he attended recognizing him as one of the top players in the country. Also expected to attend are NFL players Reggie Howard and Marcus Bell, who are former Tigers, Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton, Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau president Kevin Kane and Tiger coach Tommy West. Several Memphis Grizzlies could attend if their postseason schedule allows. Williams, a three-time Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, finished his career as college football's fourth-leading rusher. He gained more than 6,000 yards and helped the Tigers to three consecutive bowl games. Before Williams holds his Friday night function, he's scheduled to spend the middle part of the week in Los Angeles, where he'll appear on the "Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Fox Sports Net. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 DeAngelo Williams' draft party benefit When, where: Friday, 10 p.m., at Senses nightclub, 2866 Poplar Admission: A $5 donation to the DeAngelo Williams Foundation

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04/23/06		Where will he go? (Commercial Appeal)
		A sampling of where some mock drafts predict former University of Memphis star running back DeAngelo Williams will be selected in the first round of Saturday's NFL draft: Mock draft Pick Team Pete Prisco, Sportsline.com 21st New England Patriots Rob Rang, foxsports.com 25th New York Giants Todd McShay, ESPN.com 27th Carolina Panthers Scott Wright, nfldraftcountdown.com 28th Jacksonville Jaguars Clark Judge, Sportsline.com 30th Indianapolis Colts

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04/23/06		Houston hurler Hargrove stymies Memphis -- Tigers only able to push across one run (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 23, 2006 HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston starter Ricky Hargrove tied a career high with eight strikeouts and allowed just one run on seven hits in eight innings, leading the 19th-ranked Cougars to a 7-1 win over Memphis Saturday night at Cougar Field. After Houston (27-15, 11-3 C-USA) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, Memphis (21-20, 6-8) cut the Cougars' lead in half with a single run in the second on an RBI single by Ben Grisham. Advertisement Pitcher Stephen Gostkowski took the loss after giving up five runs on 11 hits in four innings. Adam Amar had a pair of hits for Memphis, which suffered its seventh straight defeat.

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04/23/06		Editorial: Paying to play at the U of M (Commercial Appeal)
		It's a fair question. How can anyone justify paying the coach of a local university's basketball team $1.3 million, plus incentives, in a city where the public schools are struggling and 21.5 percent of the families live in poverty? People may look back on this period of our history and shake their heads in wonder, too, at the $686 million Exxon Mobil paid Lee Raymond during his 13-year stint as CEO. According to the AFL-CIO, the average CEO of a Standard & Poor's 500 company made $11.75 million in total compensation last year while negotiating a ludicrously generous retirement package. There's no shortage of excess at various levels of society, it seems. The model Kate Moss still commands a reported $9 million a year after being photographed in a recording studio snorting cocaine. Actually, University of Memphis coach John Calipari may not make as much money as some of his players will when they turn pro. And while his salary does seem a bit staggering, it's important to look at the plus side of the Calipari ledger as well. As reporter David Williams reports in today's Viewpoints centerpiece, Calipari inspires private donors to cough up much of his salary and support the program in other ways. He generates pride and unity in the community. And during basketball season he helps make it possible for Memphis to enjoy the intangible benefits of national publicity. We haven't seen any polls on the issue, but our sense is that more than a few Memphians want the university to compete at the highest level in major sports such as basketball and football. Coaches who can move programs to that level and keep them there routinely command salaries in the seven-figure range. A Wall Street Journal report on college basketball salaries in 2005, when Calipari was making $1.2 million, listed seven coaches actually drawing more than that, stretching all the way up to Kentucky's Tubby Smith, at $1.9 million. Billy Donovan earned last year's $1.7 million, in the view of a lot of fans, when he guided the University of Florida Gators to a national championship this year. To dwell on the coach's salary leads to other, inevitable questions about the inflated role of athletics on major college campuses, and the business pressures that have distorted the concept of the student-athlete. While coaching salaries have escalated, though, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has usefully instituted sanctions against schools that don't put enough emphasis on the academic side. And under Calipari's watch the graduation rate among members of the U of M men's basketball team has improved. Everybody seems to agree that in intercollegiate athletics, in the words of U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson, things have gotten "out of proportion." And they will continue to be that way as long as members of the community with the means to do so dig deeply into their pockets to help the rest of us satisfy our longing to compete -- albeit vicariously -- at the highest level. As long as the hope of a national championship remains within the realm of possibility, chances are the urge to compete for it will remain strong.

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04/23/06		Cal's big score -- Is it unfair that college professors make just a tiny fraction of what major college coaches earn? (Commercial Appeal)
		By David Williams Contact April 23, 2006 The median salary for an associate professor of English at the University of Memphis is $55,070. John Bensko, who in that role is preparing today's classroom poets and creative writers for the next level, says his salary is shy of the median. And, he adds with a laugh, "I don't have any athletic shoe contracts coming my way for endorsement. I'm still waiting for adidas or somebody to come along. "I wear New Balance. ... I buy my own." So it's with humor, not outrage, that Bensko considers U of M basketball coach John Calipari's recent salary boost to $1.3 million, plus incentives. He even suspects Calipari may be worth those seven figures. "Somebody like Calipari creates a huge amount of enthusiasm for the university, and he does bring in a lot of donations," Bensko says. "I think actually that people start to look favorably at a university in all kinds of ways because of a good sports program." Waiting for the other New Balance to drop? Well ... "But at the same time," Bensko says, "I think you could also get a lot of prestige in other ways, too. ... If you spent, say, $1 million on a department, to bring in some Nobel Prize winner to be on the faculty -- how many Nobel Prize winners could you get for $1 million? And what would that do to the reputation of the university?" So it goes, as we wrestle with those million-dollar coaches' salaries on campuses across the country. To take a shade from the U of M's school colors, we're in gray area here. To pay a basketball coach more than $1 million may seem like the most misplaced of priorities. After all, shouldn't schools be putting their resources into training tomorrow's teachers and researchers -- not a select group of students who are gifted at a game, but only 1.2 percent of whom will make it in the pros? "I think it's a totally perverted situation," says Andrew Zimbalist, professor of economics at Smith College and a prominent critic of college sports' big-business tendencies. "It gets even worse when you contemplate what this whole enterprise is supposed to be about, which is education. "To me it sends a terrible message to not only the college students, but to the rest of the country, that here in American universities -- which are institutions of higher learning, and supposedly centers of academic and intellectual inquiry -- that a basketball coach gets paid two, three, four, five, six, seven times as much as the highest-paid professor." And yet ... how many professors can fill arenas to the rafters, driving revenue that funds other athletic programs? How many professors can rally and unite communities across geographic and economic lines? How many professors can get their schools on national TV and into newspaper headlines -- free advertising that the folks over in Admissions dearly love? "A lot of students come to a large state public institution for the full college experience," says Tom Harris, associate vice president for external affairs at the University of Kentucky, where basketball coach Tubby Smith is reportedly paid about $2 million. "One of the key college experiences and social aspects is college athletics." This is a difficult thing to measure, but a 2004 Wall Street Journal report chronicled the dramatic growth at Gonzaga University -- a doubling of both student applications and donations -- amid Bulldog basketball's ascension to national prominence. In an earlier era, it was dubbed the "Flutie Effect," for a rise in Boston College student applications that was supposedly sparked by quarterback Doug Flutie's Hail Mary touchdown pass to beat Miami in 1984. Even if such benefits are real, athletic administrators don't exactly enjoy what's happened to coaches' salaries. They're straining to pay them -- but pay they must, if they want to stay competitive in the games major colleges play. "I started in administration in 1979, after coaching for 13 years," says R.C. Johnson, U of M athletic director. "I have said from Day One: Intercollegiate athletics, in the grand scheme of things at a university, is way out of proportion. "But there is a price of doing business." Consider: Calipari's pay -- which comes not only from university funds, but from such sources as shoe contracts and private donations -- was increased after North Carolina State came offering about $2 million a year. "It almost becomes irrelevant if it's right or wrong," Johnson says. "It's just the way it is." Zimbalist says it doesn't have to be that way. But, barring an NCAA cap on coaches' salaries, does anyone really expect major colleges to "opt out of the game"? More likely, salaries will continue to escalate and colleges will continue to pay them, no matter how much it pains and strains them. And basketball coaches like John Calipari, and poetry professors like John Bensko, will continue to share a campus and a calling -- molding young minds, preparing them for life after college -- even if they seem to exist in different worlds altogether. "What he does is just in a totally different realm of endeavor," says Bensko of his basketball counterpart. "It's like being a movie star." -- David Williams: 529-2310

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04/22/06		Tiger Baseball Drops Seventh-Straight, 7-1 to No. 19 Houston -- Bill Moss hits 19th double of the year (GoTigersGo.com)
		HOUSTON, Texas - Memphis (21-20; 6-8 C-USA) 010 000 000 - 1 8 1 #19 Houston (27-15; 11-3 C-USA) 210 030 010 - 7 17 1 Houston starter Ricky Hargrove tied a career-high with eight strikeouts, and allowed just one run on seven hits in eight innings of work, to lead the 19th-ranked Cougars to a 7-1 win over Memphis Saturday night at Cougar Field. The series win was the fifth-straight Conference USA series victory for the Cougars. Memphis falls to 21-20 overall and 6-8 in C-USA action. Houston, who blew up for 17 hits in the game, got off to a fast start in the first as Jake Stewart and Isa Garcia led off with singles. Brad Lincoln ripped a two-run double down the rightfield line in the next at-bat for a 2-0 UH lead just three batters into the contest. Memphis cut the Cougars lead in half with a single tally in the second on an RBI-single by Ben Grisham. But Houston regained its two-run cushion in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by Bryan Tully. The U of M threatened to cross runs in the third, fourth and fifth, but left a combined four runners in scoring position in the three frames. Memphis left runners stranded in all nine innings, including leaving six in scoring position in its first five trips to the plate. Houston extended its advantage to 6-1 in a three-run fifth inning that was powered by a two-run blast by Matt Weston and a solo shot over the rightfield wall by Josh Stirneman. The Cougars added one run in the bottom of the eighth, on an RBI-single from Lincoln, for the 7-1 final tally. Stephen Gostkowski took the loss on the hill for Memphis after giving up five runs on 11 hits in four innings. Dusty Davis came on and struck out four in 3.2 innings of relief. Marcus Davis worked the final out of the eighth. Adam Amar had a pair of hits for Memphis and Bill Moss added his 19th double of the year. The Tigers look to salvage a win in the series on Sunday when the two teams matchup in the series finale at 1 p.m. Join "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell as he calls the live play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM. Coverage begins at 12:45 p.m.

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04/22/06		Men's 4x100m Team Qualifies for Regionals at Vandy Invitational -- Pair of Lady Tigers set new school records (GoTigersGo.com)
		NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Memphis men's 4x100m relay team qualified for NCAA Regionals and a pair of Lady Tiger distance runners set new school records to headline the action for the U of M at the Vanderbilt Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Tiger 4x100m relay team of Daniel Bandy, Daemien Jefferson, Marcus Thomas and Willie Green recorded a second-place finish, but more importantly qualified for Mideast Regionals with a time of 40.51. That makes them the second U of M men's 4x100m team to meet the regional standard since the regional format began four years ago. Junior Daniele Riendeau claimed the first of two Lady Tiger records, breaking the school mark in the 5000m, while taking medalist honors in a time of 17:14.82 and placing her name in the record books for a sixth time. Freshman Emily Malinowski registered the second school record, breaking the Lady Tiger mark in the 3000m with a time of 9:58.94 in a fourth-place finish. The school best is her second of the year, as she previously broke the U of M mark in the 3000m steeplechase. In other top performances, Gail Lee posted a new Regional qualifying mark in the hammer, with a toss of 184-02" (56.13m) to finish third. The junior also placed second in the shot put with a regional qualifying distance of 52-04.75" (15.97m), though that effort did not better her regional mark from last weekend. Chen Edri won the high jump with a season-best effort of 5-08.00" (1.73m), also placing third in the javelin with a throw of 128-09" (39.24m). Josetta Brooks and Whitney Bolton each took runner-up honors, with Brooks finishing second in the 100m hurdles with a time of 14.54 and Bolton placing second in the pole vault with a clearance of 10-11.75" (5.35m). For the men, J.D. Erickson was the top individual finisher, as he won the shot put with a throw of 57-02.00" (17.42m), while also claiming the discus with a throw of 168-09" (51.43m). Tyler Frazier was the second-highest finisher for the Tigers, as he placed second in the javelin with a throw of 182-08" (55.67m). Several additional athletes on both sides posted top-seven showings over the course of the two-day meet. Susan King placed fourth in the discus with a mark of 153-05" (46.76m). Carrie Corbett placed fourth in the 5000m with a time personal-best time of 17:58.65. Sivan Aballi finished fifth in the discus with a throw of 149-03" (45.49m) and sixth in the shot put with a toss of 46-01.50" (14.06m). LaShunda Flake finished fifth in the 100m with a time of 11.95 and seventh in the 200m with a time of 24.83, while Ashley Stewart finished sixth in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:06.69. Cassandra Harding and Gaylon Muhammad each logged season-bests and finished sixth and seventh, respectively in the triple jump with leaps of 36-11.00" (11.25m) and 36-07.50" (11.16m). For the men, Norbert Gulyas placed fourth in the discus with a throw of 159-08" (48.67m). Willie Green finished fifth in both the 100m and 200m, recording a personal-best time of 21.49 in the 200 and a season-best time of 10.65 in the 100. Amaechi Oselukwue finished fourth in the 110m hurdles with a personal-best time of 14.99 and Greg Norrid finished sixth in the javelin with a throw of 154-05" (47.08m). Elliot Montesi and Brian Prackett each logged a season best of 13-11.25" (4.25m) in the pole vault, as Montesi placed sixth and Prackett placed eighth based on jumps. The U of M track and field team will now have a weekend off to prepare for final exams, but will be back in action in two weeks at the ASU Mini Meet, the final tune-up before C-USA Outdoor Championships.

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04/22/06		Five Run Third, Hayden Walk-Off Give Lady Tigers Split with ECU -- Memphis rebounds to take game two 8-0 after dropping game one 4-1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		East Carolina (33-20; 7-9 C-USA) 003 010 0 - 4 7 0 Memphis (24-22; 6-9 C-USA) 100 000 0 - 1 8 2 East Carolina (33-21; 7-10 C-USA) 000 00 - 0 3 3 Memphis (25-22; 7-9 C-USA) 005 03 - 8 6 0 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - The Memphis softball team used a five-run third inning and a three-run, walk-off homerun by Kimmi Hayden to take game two of a double-header with East Carolina Saturday at Greenbrook Park and earn a split in the C-USA twinbill. The Lady Tigers rebounded to take the second game of the day 8-0 in five innings after dropping game one 4-1. Memphis took an early 1-0 lead in game one, but East Carolina came storming back with a three-run third inning to take command of the contest en route to the 4-1 victory. The U of M however, regrouped for the second game, getting a shutout from starting pitcher Nicki Johnson and clutch hits from Hayden and Jenna Kubesch, as it used two big innings to win by the eight-run rule. "I feel really good about coming away with a split against a very solid East Carolina team," said Coach Windy Thees. "We had much better approaches at the plate in game two and came up with big hits when we needed them." That second half of the twinbill was locked in a scoreless tie through two and a half innings, before Memphis broke the game open with the five-run third. The Lady Tigers sent 10 batters to the plate and scored the five runs, all unearned on four hits, two walks and two Pirate errors. Kubesch dealt the big blow, with a two-RBI single to leftfield to score Hayden and Bridgette McNulty. Cara Stiles, Tori Gross and Kubesch each scored a run, while Gross and Lindsey Pridgen picked up a RBI apiece. Johnson then kept ECU off the board in the next two frames to keep the score 5-0, and allow Hayden to end the contest with her homer in the bottom of the fifth. Pridgen reached on an error to lead off the inning and Stiles drew a one-out walk before Hayden blasted her third round-tripper of the season over the leftfield fence. Johnson took the win in the circle in game one, striking out five and allowing just three hits to improve to 11-8 on the season. Brooke Swann fell to 6-3 on the year for ECU, as she gave up five unearned runs in 2.2 innings of work. Five Lady Tigers picked up hits in game two, with Hayden going 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the way. The first half of the twinbill was a much different story, as Memphis took the lead in the bottom of the first, and out-hit ECU eight to seven, but could not come up with the clutch hits. The U of M went up 1-0 in the initial frame with McNulty scoring Cara from third on a sacrifice fly to leftfield. East Carolina came back to take a 3-1 advantage in the top of the third, plating three runs on four hits. Vanessa Moreno had a two-RBI single to rightcenter to score Joyce Roodenburg and Ashley Bibee, before Jessica Johnson doubled down the leftfield line to bring home Moreno. Following ECU's three tallies, the U of M had opportunities to cut into the lead in each of the next two innings, but left the bases loaded in the third and two runners on in the fourth. The Pirates then tacked on an unearned run in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead, and ECU starter Keli Harrell had little trouble the rest of the way, as she gave up just the one earned run and struck out four to improve to 20-13 on the season. Kubesch was handed the loss for Memphis, going the full seven innings, and allowing the four runs - three earned - on seven hits, while striking out seven. Stiles, Gross and Leila Dolfo each had two hits to pace the Lady Tiger offense in game one. "Harrell is a great pitcher," said Thees. "She really kept us off balance and made big pitches to get out of some jams." With the split, Memphis moves to 25-22 on the season and 7-9 in league play. ECU goes to 33-21 overall and 7-10 in C-USA to remain a half game behind the U of M and add even more importance to Sunday's series finale. The Lady Tigers and Pirates will wrap up the three-game set tomorrow at Greenbrook Park with the first pitch set for 12 p.m.

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04/22/06		Houston edges Memphis with run in ninth -- Tigers lose 6th straight to Top-20 opponent (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 22, 2006 HOUSTON, Texas -- Houston's Jake Smith lined a single just over leaping shortstop Michael Murray to drive home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, pushing the Cougars to a 3-2 baseball win over Memphis in the series opener Friday night. The loss was the sixth straight for the Tigers -- all against Top-20 opponents. The 19th-ranked Cougars (26-15, 10-3 C-USA) benefited from a hit batsman in the ninth and Bryan Tully singled to put the pressure on the Tiger defense. Luis Flores successfully executed the sacrifice bunt to move both runners over before Stewart's game-winner. Consecutive doubles from Adam Amar and Joey Lieberman put Memphis (21-19, 6-7) on the board in the second inning. Houston reliever Clayton Boone (3-1) picked up the win. Memphis starter Philip Utley (3-3) took the loss.

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04/21/06		Cal still hot on Robinson's trail (The Memphis Edge)
		With the recruiting season in full-swing, John Calipari is bouncing around the country like every other coach in America. Tonight and Saturday he’ll be in Pittsburgh to watch Class of 2007 standout Jeff Robinson at an AAU Tournament. Robinson is a 6-6 wing at St. Patrick’s High in New Jersey, where he plays with Villanova commitment Corey Fisher. Calipari conducted an in-home visit with Robinson last week, and the 68th-best prospect in the nation per Rivals.com spent part of this week in Memphis on an unofficial visit. In other words this is serious, and Robinson could follow Will Bogan (a center from Bell City, Mo.) to become the Tigers’ second Class of 2007 commitment in the next few weeks. Late Saturday, the plan is for Calipari and staff to fly to Houston, where they’ll attend the Kingwood Classic AAU Tournament. Then it’s back to Memphis, if only for a minute.

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04/21/06		#19 Houston Outlasts Memphis, 3-2 -- Tigers fall in pitcher's duel (GoTigersGo.com)
		HOUSTON, Texas - Memphis (21-19; 6-7 C-USA) 011 000 000 - 2 6 1 #19 Houston (26-15; 10-3 C-USA) 000 020 001 - 3 10 2 Houston leftfielder Jake Smith lined a single just over the glove of a leaping Michael Murray to drive home the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to push the Cougars to a 3-2 win over Memphis in the series-opener. The loss was the sixth-straight for the Tigers--all against Top-20 opponents. The Cougars benefited from a hit batsman in the ninth and Bryan Tully singled to left to put the pressure on the Tiger defense. Luis Flores successfully executed the sacrifice bunt to move both runners over before Stewart's game-winner. Consecutive doubles from Adam Amar and Joey Lieberman put Memphis on the board in the second inning. Lieberman led the U of M offense with two hits. The Tigers pushed the lead to 2-0 in the third when Will Petersen led off the frame with an infield single. He stole second and moved to third on a groundball out by Bill Moss. Kyle Norrid's ground out to shortstop brought Petersen home. Houston broke through the scoring column in the fifth inning. Travis Cougot got a two-out rally going when his groundball to shortstop hopped over the head of Murray and into centerfield for a single. Stewart then bounced a high-hopper into leftfield. Consecutive singles by Isa Garcia and Brad Lincoln tied the ballgame at 2-2. Stewart, Garcia and Tully had multiple hits for the Cougars Houston starter Brad Lincoln struck out 11 to increase his single-season total to 109, the sixth-highest in Cougar baseball history. He is the third Houston pitcher to ever record 100 or more strikeouts in multiple seasons. Reliever Clayton Boone (3-1) picked up the win after tossing a scoreless ninth. Memphis starter Philip Utley (3-3) took the loss. He matched the Cougars ace and tied a Tiger season-high with eight strikeouts in 8.2 innings. The eight strikeouts is a career-high for Utley. Drew Jaudon pitched a third-of-an inning in relief. The Tigers and Cougars will meet on the diamond tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Join "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell as he calls the live play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m.

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04/21/06		Softball Hosts East Carolina in Crucial C-USA Match-up -- Lady Tigers and Pirates battle for coveted sixth spot in league race (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis, Tenn. - The Memphis softball team hosts East Carolina in a critical, three-game C-USA series on Saturday and Sunday, at Greenbrook Park, as the two squads are separated by just a half game in the conference standings. Memphis currently holds the sixth and final spot in the conference tournament with a 6-8 mark in the league, while ECU is in the seventh position with a 6-9 record. East Carolina enters the weekend with a record of 32-20 overall and is currently on a three-game win streak after sweeping UTEP last weekend to surpass the Miners for seventh place in the league race. The Pirates are 7-3 in their last 10 games, with two of the three losses coming in C-USA action two weekends ago at Tulsa, and the third coming to No. 22 North Carolina, who also beat the Lady Tigers earlier in the season. ECU has been quite erratic over the course of the season, posting a record under .500 in the conference, but logging a number of impressive wins including victories over then No. 25 North Carolina and No. 6 California. Memphis goes into the three-game set with an overall record of 24-21, and is on a three-game win streak of its own after taking the series finale at UCF last weekend and sweeping Tennessee State in a double-header on Wednesday. Despite losing two of three against UCF, the Lady Tigers are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and are 3-3 in conference games over that stretch. Memphis is 9-4 home on the year and is 4-1 in home league games, while ECU is just 6-7 on the road for the season and is 2-4 in conference road games. The Lady Tigers and Pirates are slated to play a double-header starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, before rounding out the series with a single game on Sunday at 12 p.m.

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04/21/06		Men's Tennis Falls 4-0 to Host Tulsa at C-USA Tournament -- Tigers season likely at an end with top-ranked doubles team being upset by unranked tandem at No. 1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Tulsa, Okla. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 4-0 loss to host Tulsa in the opening round of the Conference USA championships, Friday. The loss drops Memphis to 6-14 on the season and may also end the seasons of James Spence and Sam Withell, as the duo lost 9-8 to the unranked team of Arnau Brugues and Aleksander Charpantidis. No. 42 Tulsa 4, Memphis 0 Doubles No. 1 -- Arnau Brugues/Aleksander Charpantidis (TU) def. #41 Spence/Withell (UM), 9-8 (2) No. 2 -- Connelly/Cunningham (TU) def. Bankester/Brewer (UM), 8-0 No. 3 -- Jetter/Pilant (UM) def. Camacho/R. Soriano (TU), 8-6 Singles No. 1 -- #57 Federico Soriano (TU) def. Sam Withell (UM), 6-3, 6-2 No. 2 -- #118 Ricardo Soriano (TU) vs. James Spence (UM), dnf No. 3 -- Will Gray (TU) vs. Matt Brewer (UM), dnf No. 4 --Diego Camacho (TU) vs. Michael Jetter (UM), dnf No. 5 -- Ross Cunningham (TU) def. Garrison Pilant (UM), 6-0, 6-0 No. 6 -- Andy Connelly (TU) def. Bryan Bankester (UM), 7-6, 6-0

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04/21/06		Women's Tennis Adds Amanda Brown for 2006-07 -- Peterson Inks Second Canadian for next season (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team added another Canadian product to the 2006-07 line-up with the signing of Amanda Brown from Whitby, Ontario, to a National Letter of Intent it was announced by Head Coach Charlotte Peterson, Friday. "Having the opportunity to go to Toronto gave me the opportunity to see Amanda in action on the court and I was very impressed with the power that came from such a little package," Peterson said. "Amanda will definitely contribute to singles and hopefully doubles right away next year. I can't wait to work with her because she is a very eager and hard worker on the court." Brown has been a provincially-ranked junior in Canada for nine years and was a finalist at this year's Newmarket Girls U18 tournament. She is currently the No. 42 ranked U18 singles player and the No. 32 ranked doubles player in the most recent Ontario Tennis Association rankings. The No. 1 player on the Trafalgar Castle School's U20 Tennis team from 2001-2006, Brown guided Trafalgar to its first-ever championship in 2005. The Girls U18 winner of the Rosedale Competition in 2004, Brown is also a bronze medalist from the Ontario Summer Games in the team competition and a silver medalist in ladies doubles in 2004. She was also a semifinalist in ladies doubles at the OFSAA tournament last summer. "I received a great impression of the school during my recruiting trip there and while having Coach Peterson watching me play," Brown said. "I love the urban setting that the school is in and the closeness of the team. I feel that the University of Memphis is a place to help me grow and achieve my goals and I am looking forward to being part of the Lady Tiger team in the fall!" The daughter of David and Laurie Brown, Amanda is the second signee for the Lady Tiger tennis team for 2006-07. She joins fellow Canadian Dara Toulch from Montreal, Quebec. Memphis expects to round out its recruiting class with one more signee later this spring. The University of Memphis is an NCAA Division I athletics program based in Memphis, Tenn., with over 20,000 students. The athletic department offers 19 varsity sports on the NCAA Division I level and competes in Conference USA. The Lady Tiger tennis program finished its 2005-06 season Thursday with a 4-0 loss to East Carolina in the first round of the C-USA Championships in Dallas, Texas.

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04/21/06		Top Ranked Junior in Wales Signs with Men's Golf -- Tigers complete 2006-07 signing period with fifth addition (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis men's golf coach Grant Robbins announced today the completion of his 2006-07 recruiting class with the signing of Wales native Mark Trow. Trow is currently the top ranked junior in Wales and was selected to the Welsh National Amateur Team in 2006. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2006 Spanish Amateur and won the 2005 Welsh Golfing Union Junior Order of Merit. Selected to the Great Britain and Ireland team that competed in the 2005 R&A Leglise Trophy Matches, Trow won two matches in the event. He finished fifth in the 2005 European Boys Championship and advanced to the round of 16 in the 2005 British Boys Championship. Trow is a member of the Welsh team that competed in the 2005 European Boys Team Championship in Italy. He finished in the top 20 in the stroke play portion with scores of 74-71. The fifth 2006-07 Memphis golf signee, Trow will join Philip Bredding of Morristown, Tenn., Brandon Bunn of Knoxville, Tenn., Hugo Lauzon of St. Jeroem, Quebec and Kyle Peterman of Sherman, Ill., on the Tigers' squad in the fall.

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04/21/06		Nine Student-Athletes Named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars -- Six earn first team honors for their respective sports (GoTigersGo.com)
		Nine student-athletes from the University of Memphis athletic department have been named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sport Scholar Award winners it was announced Friday. Six earned first team honors for their respective sports in the issue of Apr. 6th issue of DIVERSE. Senior Courtnee Melton (Bartlett, Tenn./Bartlett HS) and junior Shoko Mikami were both first team honorees in women's soccer. Women's track and field had three first team honorees. Sophomore Sivan Aballi, junior Josetta Brooks (Nashville, Tenn./Glencliff HS) and sophomore Chen Edri all earned first team honors. In football, redshirt sophomore Brandon Stewart (Jackson, Tenn./Central-Merry HS) and redshirt freshman Brandon Patterson (Germantown, Tenn./Germantown HS) were each first team award winners. Volleyball senior Hristina Slancheva was the lone second team honoree, while Avi Shaposhnik from the men's track and field team was the lone third team honoree. Named for Arthur Ashe, Jr., a scholar and athlete, the Sports Scholar Awards are handed out each year. Each postsecondary institution in the country is invited to nominate their outstanding sports scholars who exhibit not only academic excellence, but also community activism. To be included, student-athletes need to have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and be active on their respective campuses or communities. This year, approximately 600 male and female student-athletes from across the country were nominated.

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04/21/06		U of M's Tom II thriving at ultra-secret Mississippi pad (Commercial Appeal)
		By Toni Lepeska Contact April 21, 2006 The University of Memphis's mascot is settling in nicely as a Mississippi resident. Tom II, a 15-year-old Bengal tiger affectionately called "Fat Boy" by his self-described godfather, moved about a month ago from his former home in Collierville to new digs on 4 1/2 acres near Olive Branch. The exact location isn't being disclosed for security reasons. Much of Tom's luxury habitat, including bulletproof glass and two wading pools, was dismantled and moved for reuse at his new, $30,000 pad -- a mirror image of the old. The Highland Hundred booster club owns, feeds, insures and transports Tom to games. Whoever pays the bills, Tom seems perfectly at home on the new turf. "Hey, Fat Boy," Bobby Wharton, a member and former president of the Highland Hundred, says to the cat that eats 20 pounds of raw beef a day. "How's my Fat Boy?" He knows how to handle the tiger and how to get his attention. Wharton, standing a few inches away from the bars separating man and beast, turns his back on Tom and starts to call him. "Where's Tom? (pause) Where's Tom? (pause) Where's Tom?" Tom, who's perched himself on a raised portion of his habitat, takes notice. He steps quietly toward Wharton and begins to stalk him. Just as Tom gets within feet of the bars, Wharton spins around to face the tiger. "Ah ha!" Tom stops in his tracks, looking sheepishly, then walks up to Wharton. In India, natives often wear masks on the back of their heads to ward off tiger attacks, Wharton said. Tigers won't attack facing a human being. The new habitat was relocated and constructed with donated money and material, Wharton said. There's still work to be done. For example, Tom's handlers hope someone will donate asphalt to pave the gravel driveway to the site. "There was a lot of people instrumental in doing this," Wharton said, "some of them not even Tiger fans." Tom's new home is surrounded by private, undeveloped land. A keeper takes care of Tom's daily needs. Wharton, co-owner of Pro-Fire Equipment in Olive Branch, visits often. He raised Tom from a pup, so to speak. Wharton said the move to DeSoto County became necessary because houses were under construction 100 yards from his old 3,500-square-foot habitat, made of concrete blocks and bars. Also pushing the move was the sale of the 27-acre exotic animal farm where Tom's habitat was located in Collierville. The man who owns the property retired, and Tom's habitat was on a one-acre tract of the property. Rick Sparkman, a DeSoto County lawyer, was around Tom's predecessor, Tom I, quite a bit while a football player for the U of M between 1982 and 1985. He said having a live tiger as a mascot "was pretty impressive." While still a Tennessee resident, Tom strayed across state lines at Christmas as part of the Olive Branch and Southaven parades. DeSoto County resident Sue Dye, a UofM alumnus, was among the cheering fans. "Here you can really tell when he's going through the crowd," Dye said. "There's a lot of Memphis fans in Mississippi." The life expectancy for a captive Bengal tiger is 15 to 20 years. The Highland Hundred built the new habitat in anticipation of someday housing Tom II's successor. "It's a labor of love," Wharton said. "We're just so proud to be able to do it." -- Toni Lepeska: (662) 996-1409

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04/21/06		Tiger football adds 2 more TV games -- CSTV will broadcast visits from Tulsa, UCF (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 21, 2006 University of Memphis home football games against Conference USA division favorites Tulsa and Central Florida this fall will attract more than substantial crowds to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. They'll also draw a national television audience. The UofM announced Thursday the Tigers' Oct. 21 game against C-USA defending West Division champion Tulsa and the team's Nov. 11 game against defending East Division champion UCF will be shown on College Sports Television (CSTV). Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. kickoffs. An earlier announcement that the UofM's Sept. 30 non-conference game against Tennessee will be carried by either ESPN or ESPN2 gives the Tigers three national television games. "What we have this year in terms of national TV may be more special because it's a tribute to the program and what (coach) Tommy (West) has done," said Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson. Last season all-America running back DeAngelo Williams was the magnet that lured national television to the Tiger program. With Williams having completed his four years of eligibility, the national sports networks remain interested in the Tigers, Johnson said, because of the program's recent successes. "They expect us to be competitive," Johnson said. Memphis, behind West, has been to three straight bowl games for the first time in its history. Before earning a bid to the 2003 New Orleans Bowl, the Tigers hadn't been to the postseason since 1971. Memphis followed its New Orleans Bowl invitation with trips to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile in 2004 and to the Motor City Bowl in Detroit in December. Despite the loss of Williams, who ended his career as college football's No. 4 rusher, the Tigers are expected to have a potent offense, led by veteran receivers Ryan Scott and Mario Pratcher, junior running back Joseph Doss and a veteran offensive line. Their defense could benefit from a deep line. Johnson said what he found encouraging was CSTV -- in the second year of a six-year agreement with C-USA -- selected two Tiger games. "In our previous contract, everyone had to be on at least once," Johnson said. "Now, (CSTV) can pick who they want when they want." Johnson said getting home games reflected favorably on the team's attendance. The Tigers have averaged more than 40,000 the past three seasons. He added that more TV games could be added at a later date. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/21/06		Tiger Notes: Baseball, Softball, Tennis, Football, Golf (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 21, 2006 Another series, another ranked foe for Tigers -- Playing Owls, Bulldogs should help vs. Houston The parade of nationally ranked opponents continues for the University of Memphis baseball team. After dropping a three-game Conference USA series to No. 2 Rice last weekend at Nat Buring Stadium -- and two mid-week games to No. 15 Mississippi State -- the Tiger open a three-game C-USA series at No. 19 Houston tonight. The Cougars (25-15 overall, 9-3 in C-USA) moved into the national top 25 Monday, their first ranking in three years. Memphis (21-18, 6-6) made Mississippi State work for each of its wins in the two-game series. The Tigers hit three home runs and had 10 hits in a 12-8 loss Tuesday and dropped a 5-3 decision Wednesday night at AutoZone Park before more than 5,000. Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock said the stretch of high-caliber competition should prepare the UofM for a difficult weekend set in Houston. "There's no doubt about it that it should, with the quality pitching we faced and with the environment we played in," Schoenrock said. Houston will start right-hander Brad Lincoln, who has won seven straight and struck out 98 in 81 innings. Lincoln also leads the team with 11 home runs and 38 runs batted in. Memphis will counter with junior right-hander Philip Utley, who is 3-2 with a 7.71 earned-run average. The Tigers are 0-5 during their run against ranked teams, but centerfielder K.K. Chalmers said no one is discouraged. "We knew this would be a hard stretch," he said. "But we still feel we are competing with everyone. We're playing pitch for pitch." Key series for softball If the Lady Tiger softball team wants to earn one of six spots in next month's C-USA Tournament in Dallas, it will have to take advantage of its two remaining home series beginning with this weekend's set against East Carolina. Memphis and ECU play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday at Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven and single game at noon Sunday. Memphis (24-21) is sixth in the C-USA standings with a 6-8 record. ECU (32-20) is 6-9 and in seventh place. Only the league's top six teams qualify. The Lady Tigers, led by pitcher Jenna Kubesch, are 9-4 at home and have won three straight. Kubesch (11-8) is second in C-USA with a 1.58 earned-run average. Lady Tiger tennis falls The women's tennis team ended its season Thursday with a loss in the opening round of the C-USA Tournament in Dallas. East Carolina, the No. 6 seed, beat the 11th-seeded Lady Tigers, 4-0. Memphis ended its season with a 3-16 match record. The men's tennis team opens play in its league tournament today at 2 p.m. against No. 3 seed and host Tulsa. The Tigers, the No. 6 seed, are 6-13. Odds and ends As next weekend's NFL Draft approaches, Tiger running back DeAngelo Williams has been received increased attention as a player with tremendous upside. Williams was featured earlier this week on Around the South, FSN South's live, half-hour program showcasing athletes, coaches and teams from the region. ... The men's golf team opens play Monday in the C-USA Tournament at the Grand Bear Golf Club in Gulfport, Miss. Houston, SMU, Tulsa and Central Florida are considered the favorites. ... "Recruiting 101: An Inside Look at the Recruitment of College Athletes" will be held at 4 p.m. today in room 124 of Ball Hall on the UofM campus. Part of spring lecture series on college athletics, the discussion, which is free and open to the public, will include former Tiger and NBA basketball player Elliot Perry as a panel member.

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04/21/06		Tigers drop second to Bulldogs (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Trey Heath Sports Reporter Despite no-hitting No. 15 Mississippi State through the first five innings, The University of Memphis Tiger baseball dropped their fifth-straight falling to the Bulldogs 5-3 at AutoZone Park Wednesday night. "We played them tough both nights," said Daron Schoenrock, U of M coach. "But toughness is a misused word in baseball. They made the pitches they needed to make." The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when sophomore centerfielder K.K. Chalmers lead off with a single to right and advanced to third on two wild pitches. Rightfielder Will Petersen eventually drove in Chalmers off a sacrifice fly. "We came out and battled," Chalmers said. "We played Mississippi State wire-to-wire both games and we had a lot of confidence." But command problems from the Tiger's starter, Brach Davis, helped the Bulldogs back into the game in the top of the second. Mississippi State tied the game 1-1, despite going the entire inning with out a hit. Davis lead off the inning hitting Mississippi State first baseman Brad Jones who would later score after Davis balked. The Tigers would answer in the third with the help of a solid offensive performance by U of M second baseman Bill Moss who finished the night 2-for-4. Moss's RBI single in the third inning and solid work from U of M reliever and Mississippi State transfer Ben Grisham helped the Tigers to a 2-1 lead through five innings. "It felt pretty great," Grisham said. "I just came in and tried to throw strikes. I was kind of nervous pitching against some of my old teammates. A few of them even cracked a smile at the plate." Moss's second RBI opportunity was cut short when, after doubling to left field in the fifth inning, Petersen was thrown out at home after trying to score from first, ending the inning. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we feel like we are coming out here and competing," Chalmers said. But after holding Mississippi State hitless through five innings Bulldog designated hitter Brian LaNinfa ended State's hitless drought, crushing a Grisham fastball over the left-center field fence, tying the game 2-2. MSU centerfielder Joseph Hunter would later help State take a 5-2 the lead in the fifth with a two-run double. Joey Lieberman would make the game interesting in the bottom of the ninth with his team-leading 10th home run, helping The U of M pull within two runs. But MSU reliever Aaron Weatherford eventually retired the side for his second save of the year. "We just couldn't get a few hits when we needed them," Chalmers said. Although The U of M has lost both games this year held at AutoZone Park, the ability to host games there is a great tool for the Tigers program, Schoenrock said. "We want to get to the point where we are attracting these kind of crowds at home," he said. "Playing better, and winning these games is going to help us do that." Schoenrock said the more traditional style of play AutoZone Park allows will hopefully attract more fans to watch on The U of M at their home stadium. The Tigers series opener against Mississippi State at Nat Burring Stadium, on South Campus, produced an offensive shootout, with the Bulldogs eventually defeating The U of M, 12-8. But the size and depth of the AutoZone Park outfield limited both teams to only eight total runs Wednesday night. "We tried to pitch more in the middle of the plate (at AutoZone Park)," Schoenrock said. "You can beat guys with more velocity and fastballs. You don't have to try and trick them with as much. "You have to really play some guys who can defend in the outfield." The size of the park also limits the ability of teams to score runs in bulk, Chalmers said. "We have a lot more outfield to cover," he said. "That really limits the big run innings." The Tigers will face their third-straight ranked opponent when they kickoff a three-game series with No. 19 Houston in Texas. "We knew this was going to be a tough stretch of games," Chalmers said. "But we know we can go to Houston and pull out a win."

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04/20/06		Tigers Land Third Nationally-Televised Game for 2006 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis Tiger football team will have three nationally-televised games this season, with more to be possibly added at a later date. The current schedule calls for the match-up with Tennessee on Sept. 30 to be broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2. The game time has yet to be announced for this meeting. On October 21, the Tigers will host Tulsa in a game to be broadcast by CSTV. The match-up, which is tabbed as Memphis' Homecoming game, is slated for a 7 p.m. kick-off. On Wednesday, CSTV announced it would also air Memphis' contest with UCF on Nov. 11. That game is also set for a 7 p.m. kick-off. Last season, the Tigers ultimately had 11 games aired on either ESPN, CSTV or Pay-Per-View. Below is the Conference USA television schedule at this point. ESPN/ESPN2 9/16 Texas @ Rice 6:00 PM ET/5:00 PM Local ESPN2 9/23 West Virginia @ ECU Time TBA ESPN/ESPN2 9/26 Southern Miss @ UCF 7:30 PM ET/7:30 PM Local ESPN2 9/30 Tennessee @ Memphis Time TBA ESPN/ESPN2 10/3 Southern Miss @ Tulsa 7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM Local ESPN2 10/4 UCF @ Marshall 7:30 PM ET/7:30 PM Local ESPN2 10/13 Pittsburgh @ UCF 8:00 PM ET/8:00 PM Local ESPN 10/27 UTEP @ Tulsa 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local ESPN2 10/31 UAB @ SMU 7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM Local ESPN2 11/10 UTEP @ UAB 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local ESPN2 12/2 C-USA Football Championship CSTV 8/31 UTEP @ San Diego State 10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM Local 9/2 Houston @ Rice 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM Local 9/2 ECU @ Navy 5:30 PM ET/5:30 PM Local 9/9 Texas Tech @ UTEP 9:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local 9/16 South Florida @ UCF 2:30 PM ET/2:30 PM Local 9/23 Oklahoma St. @ Houston 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM Local 9/23 Tulsa @ Navy 1:30 PM ET/1:30 PM Local 9/23 UTEP @ New Mexico 5:00 PM ET/3:00 PM Local 9/30 SMU @ Tulane 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM Local 10/7 Virginia @ ECU 6:00 PM ET/6:00 PM Local 10/14 UAB @ Rice 6:00 PM ET/5:00 PM Local 10/21 Tulsa @ Memphis 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local 10/28 ECU @ Southern Miss 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local 11/4 Tulane @ Marshall 8:00 PM ET/8:00 PM Local 11/11 UCF @ Memphis 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local 11/18 UAB @ Southern Miss 8:00 PM ET/7:00 PM Local

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04/20/06		Tiger Baseball Takes on #19 Houston in C-USA Weekend -- Houston is Tigers' third-straight ranked opponent (GoTigersGo.com)
		HOUSTON, Texas - Head coach Daron Schoenrock and the University of Memphis baseball team look to return to its winning ways this weekend, when the Tigers travel to Houston, Texas for a three-game weekend series with the Houston Cougars. UH is Memphis' third consecutive opponent ranked in the Top-20. The Tigers have dropped five-straight, but have held their own against the second-ranked Rice Owls and No. 15 Mississippi State in the last five outings. Memphis was outscored 48-17 in last weekend's series versus Rice, but the offense touched the league's top pitching staff for a .327 average and 35 hits in the three games. The U of M tallied 11 hits and 17 hits in the final two games of the series, respectively. Memphis battled Mississippi State, but twice came up short as the 15th-ranked Bulldogs scored four runs in the top of the ninth to win Tuesday's contest 12-8. After leading most of the game on Wednesday, the Tigers were unable to hold off MSU in a 5-3 loss. Averaging 7.3 runs per game, Memphis' offense is one of the best in Conference USA. Junior Joey Lieberman slammed home runs in each of the Mississippi State games to become the first Tiger in five years to reach 10 home runs in a single-season. The Meridian Community College transfer leads the team and is among Conference USA's top three with 10 round-trippers in 22 hits. Led by junior first baseman Adam Amar's league-leading .403 average, Memphis is third in the league with a .309 team average. Amar leads the team with 39 RBI. Junior Kyle Norrid's season-long 15-game hit streak was snapped in the 5-3 loss to Mississippi State last night. Despite the end of the hit streak, Norrid is third on the team with a .344 average, and is second with 31 RBI. Junior second baseman Bill Moss is ranked in the league's top 12 with a .362 clip at the plate. He leads all C-USA hitters with 18 doubles. K.K. Chalmers is atop the C-USA charts in stolen bases with 27, and Memphis' 63 swipes are first in the league. Memphis is second in the league in hits (438), and doubles (86). On the mound, the Tigers have a 6.04 ERA, with 250 strikeouts, while opposing teams hitting .310 against the staff. Drew Jaudon has led the bullpen in ERA all year long, and has a team-low 4.88 clip coming into the weekend. The senior has struck out just eight hitters in 24 innings of work, but has been able to hold opponents to a .280 average. Jaudon, Scott McGregor and Philip Utley have three wins each to pace the staff. Dual-position player Ben Grisham has been a bright spot for the Tiger pitching staff, maintaining a 3.88 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 16 innings of midweek work. Memphis' defense has struggled this year and is last with a .958 fielding percentage. However, the Tigers lead the league with 44 doubles plays turned. At 25-15, the Cougars have won four-straight C-USA series after taking two-of-three from Southern Miss last weekend. Houston was selected to finish fourth in the league's preseason poll. UH is 15-4 at home this year and boast some of the conference's best talents in Brad Lincoln and Matt Farrington. Lincoln is 8-1 this year and has won seven in a row. Tabbed as the nation's 13th-best junior, he has a 1.78 ERA and has fanned 98 hitters. He has reached 10 or more strikeouts in a game three times. Lincoln has earned several preseason accolades that include being a Second Team All-American selection by Baseball America. Lincoln has also earned a spot on the 2006 Clemens Watch List. Farrington has been noted as a Wallace Watch list member as well as being tabbed a Preseason All-American by Street & Smith's. First pitch for Friday's series-opening contests is set for 7 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/20/06		Women's Tennis Season Comes to End With 4-0 Loss -- Wieser comes back after first set loss, but does not get to finish her match (GoTigersGo.com)
		DALLAS - The University of Memphis women's tennis season and the Lady Tiger careers of Andrea Feichtinger and Kristin Noble came to an end with a 4-0 loss to No. 6 seed East Carolina in the first round of the Conference USA Championships, Thursday. Due to expected rain in the area, the match started a bit early and started with singles play right away so the teams could get a match played outside before the weather turned. Sophomore Brooke Cowie won her opening set at No. 1 singles, 6-0, but ECU managed to get the first point on the board with a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles. Feichtinger then fell 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2, followed by Noble, who fell 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3, to put ECU up 3-0. The Pirates victory at No. 4, where Memphis freshman Ekin Zafir fell 6-1, 6-2, closed out the match. Memphis finishes its season with a 3-16 overall record. No. 6 East Carolina 4, No. 11 Memphis 0 Doubles Did Not Play Singles No. 1 - Brooke Cowie (UM) vs. Anca Dumitru, dnf No. 2 - Gillie Bailey def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM), 6-0, 6-2 No. 3 - Mireai Gol def. Kristin Noble (UM), 6-3, 6-0 No. 4 - Kirstin Buchanan def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-1, 6-2 No. 5 - Luiza Borges def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 6-0, 6-0 No. 6 - Christina Wieser (UM) vs. Presley Thomas, 2-6, 6-3, 0-2, dnf

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04/20/06		U of M Track and Field Teams Set for Vanderbilt Invitational -- Tigers and Lady Tigers will compete in Nashville on Friday and Saturday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis track and field teams are set to travel to Nashville., Tenn., on Friday and Saturday to take part in the Vanderbilt Invitational, which will be held on the campus of Vanderbilt University. The two-day meet is scheduled to get underway at approximately 4:30 Friday afternoon and will continue Saturday at 12 p.m. Outside of Memphis and host, Vanderbilt, nearly 35 teams are slated to compete, including Southeastern Conference powers Tennessee and Alabama and regional foes Southern Illinois, Arkansas State, Southeast Missouri and Middle Tennessee State. Entering the meet, a number of Tiger and Lady Tiger athletes sit near the top of the performance lists in their respective events and should be primed to compete for event titles. On the women's side, thrower's Gail Lee, Susan King and Sivan Aballi lead the way, with each ranking in the top eight in multiple events. Distance runners Daniele Riendeau (5000m) and Emily Malinowski (3000m) each rank second entering the meet, while Josetta Brooks is among the top competitors in the 100m hurdles and Chen Edri is near the top in both the high jump and javelin. For the men, J.D. Erickson leads the way, ranking near the top in the shot put, hammer and discus, while fellow thrower, Norbert Gulyas in the top five in the discus. Brandon Winbush and Tyler Frazier are the lone remaining U of M athletes with top seeds, as the two rank in the top five in the long jump and javelin, respectively. Results for the Vanderbilt Invitational will be available at www.alltraxtiming.com following the meet, while results and a recap will be posted at gotigersgo.com.

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04/20/06		Does that make sense to you? (The Memphis Edge)
		So the University of Memphis football and men's basketball teams traveled to Nashville Wednesday to be honored by the Tennessee General Assembly for their recent successes. Coach Tommy West's football team was recognized for appearing in its third straight bowl game in December. Coach John Calipari's basketball team was honored for reaching the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight last month. But did you catch the reason given for only five of nearly 100 student-athletes being allowed to attend the party at the State Capitol? U of M officials learned this week that it would be a ``compliance issue'' in the eyes of the NCAA if the student-athletes were forced to miss classes to attend the event. According to U of M provost Ralph Faudree, ``if you're promoting the university and you're an athlete, you're not supposed to be asked to do that if it means you miss classes.'' OK, so don't some of these same athletes miss several days of classes to, in essence, promote the university at a conference tournament? Or in an NCAA tournament? Or playing a Tuesday night football game in Hattiesburg, Miss., for a national audience on ESPN? What's the difference?

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04/20/06		Lawmakers honor Tigers -- NCAA rule cuts down on athletes attending (Commercial Appeal)
		By Richard Locker Contact April 20, 2006 NASHVILLE -- There was a big Tiger party at the State Capitol on Wednesday that would have made Blue hearts flutter. But it wasn't quite as big as planned. The Tennessee General Assembly, led by Shelby County's legislative delegation, honored the University of Memphis football and basketball teams, coaching staffs and athletic department for their respective seasons, including their Motor City Bowl and Elite Eight appearances. A large delegation of the university's officialdom, including president Shirley Raines, provost Ralph Faudree and football coach Tommy West, traveled to the Capitol for the honors. But only five student athletes, all football players, could attend. According to UofM officials, the school learned Monday that it could run afoul of the NCAA if it took players out of class to attend the event. So nearly 100 students who had planned to attend couldn't. "It was a compliance issue," said Faudree. "If you're promoting the university and you're an NCAA athlete, you're not supposed to be asked to do that if it means you miss classes. Someone from the C-USA office called our compliance office about it." The news, delivered at the Shelby delegation's weekly luncheon earlier Wednesday, was not greeted warmly. "It's ridiculous," said Rep. Joe Towns, D-Memphis, the delegation's chairman. Faudree said school officials told players before the compliance issue arose that they shouldn't make the trip if it would hurt their classes or studies for exams next week. But the day's enthusiasm was only slightly dampened. The university's chief legislative liaison, Kevin Roper, had distributed blue Tiger football and basketball jerseys to all Shelby legislators, and legislators and staffers from other areas with ties to Memphis, complete with their names on the back. The jerseys were worn over ties and dress shirts. The delegation entered and exited the House floor to the Tiger fight song. The players who could attend -- Sam Brewer, Patrick Byrne, Michael Gibson, Rubio Phillips and Brandon Stewart -- were recognized and spoke briefly, telling their hometowns, positions and majors. West said the athletes and coaches present were proud to represent the university and "proud of what we've been able to accomplish over the last three years, on and off the field." The luncheon was by far the best attended of the three-month-old legislative session, with several lawmakers from Middle and East Tennessee also present -- some of whom took a little good-natured ribbing for their otherwise Orange-tinted allegiances. "We are absolutely delighted to be here," said associate athletic director Bob Winn. "Our football team was up here a couple of years ago but this is a first for us collectively as the athletic department. It's a great honor for us." Basketball coach John Calipari was on a recruiting trip and couldn't attend. Assistant coaches Ryan Miller, John Robic and Milt Wagner attended. Others making the trip included football assistant coaches Clay Helton and Tommie Robinson and director of football operations John Flowers. Contact Nashville bureau chief Richard Locker at (615) 255-4923.

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04/20/06		Washington, Williams on fence about pros (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 20, 2006 With nine days remaining until the deadline and underclassmen declaring at a staggering rate, Darius Washington and Shawne Williams remain publicly undecided about whether to return to the University of Memphis or enter the NBA Draft. "We haven't decided anything," said Washington's father, Darius Washington Sr. "Shawne doesn't know yet," said Williams' grandfather, Leon Williams. So the wait continues. Previously, John Calipari said he expected both Washington and Williams to turn pro, even putting the odds at 60-40. And while that is still a strong possibility, the families of both Tiger stars remain non-committal on the issue, apparently set to have every bit of desired information before scheduling an announcement. The deadline is April 29, though that doesn't necessarily mean anything will be decided by then. Williams and Washington could announce that they are going to enter the NBA Draft and still return to college so long as they maintain their amateur status (i.e., don't hire an agent) and withdraw by June 18. For what it's worth, Washington is not projected to go in the first round, and it's unclear if he'd be selected at all. Still, there's little doubt the sophomore guard could earn a paycheck playing basketball somewhere next season if that is the goal. "Right now we're just focused on finishing (this semester of classes) strong," said Darius Washington Sr. "That's the only thing we're worried about." Williams' pro prospects appear much brighter. The freshman forward would likely be a first-round pick, but whether it's near the top or the bottom of the round is hard to predict, which is apparently why the decision is hard to make. "If he was in the top 10, I'd imagine he'd go, but other than that I don't know," Leon Williams said. "So he's just waiting, trying to see how high he could go." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/20/06		Bulldogs sweep tough-luck Tigers -- Mississippi St. 5, U of M 3 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 20, 2006 Ben Grisham didn't get result he had imagined, one he likely had played out several times before Wednesday night. In the perfect scenario, the University of Memphis right-hander, a transfer from Mississippi State, would have pitched four scoreless innings against his former teammates and recorded the first victory of his career. Instead, Grisham threw four quality innings in relief of starter Brach Davis but got the tough-luck loss, allowing two runs on four hits in a 5-3 Mississippi State victory before 5,122 at AutoZone Park. Designated hitter Brian LaNinfa belted two solo home runs, and former Germantown High standout Joseph Hunter hit a game-winning, two-run double in the seventh to lead 15th-ranked Mississippi State (28-9). The Bulldogs swept the two-game series, but Mississippi State had to hold off a determined Tiger team on both occasions. ''They're a good team,'' Mississippi State coach Ron Polk said. ''They wanted to win as much as we wanted to win. Joseph Hunter got the big hit for us.'' Memphis (21-18) led 1-0 after the first inning and 2-1 after the third, before the Bulldogs rallied with a single run in the sixth and two in the seventh to take the lead. Adam Amar had three hits for the Tigers, K.K. Chalmers scored two runs, and Joey Lieberman had a solo homer in the ninth. ''I'm proud of our guys,'' said Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock, an assistant under Polk at Mississippi State and Georgia. ''We faced good arms both nights and got our hits.'' Grisham, a junior from Senatobia, transferred to the UofM after last season to get an opportunity to play and pitch more. He saw limited playing time in two seasons at Mississippi State and pitched one inning. He entered in the third inning Wednesday night and pitched three shutout innings before La-Ninfa's first home run opened the sixth inning. ''It was good to see (his former teammates), but pitching to them was a different story,'' Grisham said. ''To be 60 feet away from them was weird.'' Schoenrock said Grisham (0-1) wanted to start, as he had in previous midweek games for the Tigers, but Schoenrock elected to use him in relief. ''It had to be tough pitching against (his former teammates),'' Schoenrock said. ''He showed me something how he did.'' The Tigers opened the scoring in the first. Leadoff hitter K.K. Chalmers singled to center and moved to third on two wild pitches from starter Chad Crosswhite. Chalmers scored on a sacrifice fly to deep right by Will Petersen. Mississippi State tied the score in the second in similar fashion. Brad Jones was hit by a pitch thrown by starter Brach Davis to open the inning, went to second on a walk to Matt Richardson and to third on a fielder's choice groundout. Jones scored on a back by Davis. In the third, Memphis kept the "manufactured-run" theme going to take a 2-1 lead. With two outs and no one on base, Chalmers reached on a fielding error by first baseman Brad Jones. Chalmers stole second and, after Petersen walked, scored on hit to right by Bill Moss. The Tigers had chances in the fourth and fifth against reliever Justin Pigott but failed to score. In the fourth, Adam Amar opened with a single to left and moved to third on two wild pitches, but Pigott (3-0) retired Lieberman, Josh Irvin and Michael Murray in order to end the inning. In the fifth, the Tigers threatened again with two outs. Moss followed with a one-hop double off the wall in the left-field corner with Petersen on base, but Petersen was thrown out at home on a perfect relay from shortstop Brooks Tinsley. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/20/06		Tate third, team sixth at C-USA Tournament (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Tim Miller Sports Reporter Sickness and all, Stacey Tate finished third individually at the Conference USA Golf Championship Tuesday while carrying The University of Memphis to a sixth-place finish in the overall team competition. Tate, the C-USA Golfer of the Year, shot a three-over-par 219 throughout three rounds en route to finishing just three strokes off the lead held by Lene Krog of East Carolina. "Stacey was much more run down than she would usually be," said head coach Jenny Bruun. "She did a very good job of keeping her concentration from start to finish." Had it not been for her illness, the junior sensation may have grabbed her fourth medal this spring. "I like to think if I wasn't sick maybe I could have won," Tate said. The Tigers got off to a slow start at the Ironwood Country Club in Greenville, N.C., shooting a 310 in the first round. The team rebounded in the following days, however, behind a round two score of 76 from freshman Rachel Larson and a final round of 75 from Kathryn O'Rourke. "The team continued to fight from start to finish and that's what a good team does," Bruun said. Host East Carolina (887) cruised to victory with a 10-stroke lead over second-place SMU. Tulsa and UCF tied for third with a total score of 902, and UTEP placed just ahead of the Tigers with a 907. Although The U of M never challenged ECU for the top spot at the C-USA Championship, the solid performance capped off a spring season of success for Bruun's sqaud. "We've had a great spring semester," Tate said. "Everything we did was positive." Memphis won their first tournament in four years at the Lady Eagle Invitational last week and placed second at the John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate the week before that. As a team, the C-USA Championship marked the end of the season for the Tigers. However, Tate is expected to be chosen to one of three spots at the NCAA Regionals offered to players whose teams did not get invited. "Looking at last week's rankings, Stacey is basically a lock as far as getting into the NCAA Regionals is concerned," Bruun said. "With her outstanding play this spring she has put herself in a good position, and I look forward to finding out where she will be headed on May 1 when the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships selection committee announces their Regional bids." If Tate is selected, it will be the first time The U of M has been represented in the NCAA tournament since the team qualified in 2002. This week, Tate said, she is going to take a break and concentrate on finals like every other student on campus. In the following weeks, however, she will be back on the golf course training for the NCAA Regionals. "I'm going to have one-on-one practices with coach (Bruun)," she said. "I have to be prepared." Tate's teammates, meanwhile, look forward to getting back out on to the greens next season in hopes of joining the junior star at the NCAA tournament. "I have believed in this team from our first day of practice in September, and I think they are starting to believe in themselves which is an accomplishment in itself," Bruun said. "We have made great strides in the right direction, and I can't wait for next season to get started."

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04/19/06		Baseball Falls to 15th-ranked Bulldogs, 5-3 -- Tigers look ahead to Conference USA series at #19 Houston (GoTigersGo.com)
		#15 Mississippi State (28-9) 010 001 201 - 5 7 2 Memphis (21-18) 101 000 001 - 3 8 0 Mississippi State designated hitter Brian LaNinfa went 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs to power the 15th-ranked Bulldogs to a 5-3 win over Memphis, Wednesday evening at AutoZone Park. MSU has now defeated the Tigers in five-straight contests. Memphis wasted little time plating the game's first run as sophomore centerfielder K.K. Chalmers led off with a single and moved to third on two wild pitches by Mississippi State starter Chad Crosswhite. Chalmers gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead on a sac fly to rightfield by Will Petersen. State responded with a run in the second without the aid of a hit. Brad Jones was hit by a Brach Davis offering and later scored on a balk. The Tigers recaptured the lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI-single by Bill Moss. Two innings later Moss, who finished the night 2-for-4, laced a double to the leftfield corner, and with Petersen on first, it looked as if Memphis would take a two-run cushion. However, the rally was thwarted when Petersen was tagged out at the plate. After being no-hit through five innings, LaNinfa made the Bulldogs' first hit a big one, as he launched a home run into the left centerfield bullpen to knot the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth. State got a two-run double from Joseph Hunter to take its first lead of the game, 4-2. After LaNinfa's second homer gave MSU an insurance run at 5-2, Joey Lieberman made it a two-run game with his team-leading 10th home run. But Bulldogs reliever Aaron Weatherford was able to retire the side without giving up another run to record his second save of the year. Justin Pigott picked up his third win in as many decisions, while Ben Grisham was saddled with the loss. The Tigers will hit the road for a three-game C-USA series with Houston. The Cougars and second the league standings behind No. 2 Rice. First pitch for Friday's series-opening contests is set for 7 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/19/06		Two Big Innings Propel Softball to Double-Header Sweep of Tennessee State -- Lady Tigers pick up pair of shut out victories 3-0 and 4-0 (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis (23-21) 000 030 0 - 3 4 0 TSU (16-27) 000 000 0 - 0 2 3 Memphis (24-21) 000 000 4 - 4 6 0 TSU (16-28) 000 000 0 - 0 4 1 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Lady Tiger softball team scored three runs in the fifth inning of game one and four runs in the seventh inning of game two and Memphis pitchers tossed a pair of shutouts, as the U of M swept a double-header for Tennessee State Wednesday at TSU Lady Tiger Field. Each of the two games was tight early on with Memphis and TSU pitchers matching one another blow for blow to keep the contests scoreless. However, the U of M made the most of its two big scoring opportunities and starting pitchers Jenna Kubesch and Nicki Johnson did the rest, leading Memphis to 3-0 and 4-0 victories. In game one Memphis, used three hits and a pair of TSU errors to take 3-0 advantage in the top of the fifth. Leandra Hines singled to lead off the inning, stole second, moved to third on a sac bunt by Cara Stiles and scored on a double down the leftfield line by Leila Dolfo. Dolfo then scored on a single to rightcenter by Kimmi Hayden, who later scored on a throwing error. The three runs would be all that Memphis would get, but that was all Kubesch needed, as she continued to shut down the Tennessee State offense the rest of the way to pick up her sixth shutout of the season. The junior fanned six and walked none, while tossing a two-hitter to move her record to 11-8 on the year. The U of M bats totaled four hits in the first game of the day, with Hayden leading the way, going 2-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Game two started much the same way with Johnson and TSU hurler Lauren Weber locked in a pitcher's duel. But this time, zeros would remain on the board until the seventh inning. Memphis had three solid opportunities to take leads before the final frame, but each time saw runners thrown out at the plate. In the top of the third, Lindsey Pridgen was gunned down by TSU centerfielder Diana Clifford when she attempted to score on a flyout by Stiles. The U of M then had two runners punched out at the plate in the fifth inning, as Brittany Gooch was taken down at home on a fielder's choice to second base by Hines, before Tori Gross was caught trying to score on a wild pitch. Memphis did not, however, let the missed chances come back to haunt it, posting the second big inning of the day in the top of the seventh in the second half of the twinbill. Kara Ross singled to lead off the inning, before Gross walked and Laura Mahoney reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Pridgen then dealt the big blow, lining a bases-clearing double to the fence in centerfield to give the U of M a 3-0 lead. Stiles followed with a one-out single to score Pridgen to set the final margin of 4-0. As she had done the entire game, Johnson mowed TSU down in the bottom of the seventh to take the win and push her record to 10-8 on the season. The Tucson, Ariz., native allowed only four hits, while striking out three and walking just one. Memphis registered six hits in game two, with six different players logging a hit apiece. Pridgen led the way, going 1-for-2 with the double and three RBI, while Stiles, Hayden, Gross, Hines and Ross each recorded a base hit. With the pair of wins, Memphis moves to 24-21 on the season, while Tennessee State falls to 16-28. The U of M will be back in action Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, when it hosts East Carolina in a three-game, C-USA series at Greenbrook Park. Games times are set for 1 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday against the Pirates, who are just a half game behind the U of M for the sixth spot in the conference race.

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04/19/06		Mercedes Thompson Signs NLI With Lady Tiger Basketball -- Junior college player will have three years of eligibility remaining at Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The recruiting class of 2006-07 grew by one for Lady Tiger Head Coach Blair Savage-Lansden with the signing of junior college forward Mercedes Thompson it was announced Wednesday. Thompson comes to Memphis after spending two seasons at Indian Rivers Community College (IRCC) in Florida. Despite two years at the JC level, Thompson will have three years of eligibility remaining at Memphis after she suffered a knee injury and had to redshirt her freshman year at Indian River. At IRCC, Thompson played on a young team that featured seven new freshman and which finished with a 13-17 record on the season. She averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game at Indian River in her sophomore season. "Mercedes brings us a dimension that we didn't have on last year's team," Savage said. "She is known for her rebounding and for getting out and scoring in transition. And we're excited to have her at Memphis, especially since we'll have her for three years instead of just two." Thompson prepped at Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Fla., where she was a Florida Sports Writers Association Third Team honoree as a senior. Also a highly-regarded volleyball player, she helped her team to the 6A Florida State Championship as a senior and was named to the 2003 All-State Volleyball Team as a junior. The daughter of Billy and Cynthia Thompson, Mercedes is one of five children. Her dad, Billy, was a member of Louisville's national championship team in 1986 and was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers' roster for their 1987 and 1988 championship teams. At Louisville, he was a teammate of current Tiger men's basketball assistant Milt Wagner. Mercedes is majoring in education at IRCC. Thompson is the seventh signee for Savage for the 2006-07 season and will join fellow Florida native Jessica Hall (Tallahassee, Fla./Florida A&M HS) on the Lady Tiger roster for the upcoming season. Thompson joins six members from the early signing class, including Jasmine Brown (Munford), Alysse Davis (Flower Mound, Texas), Se'erra Fantroy (Lincoln, Neb.), Jasmyn Green (Desoto, Texas), Robin Jones (Waco, Texas) and Adria Phillips (Fort Smith, Arkansas). Memphis returns five letterwinners from the 2005-06 team for the upcoming season and will have Hall back after she underwent a pair of surgeries, forcing her to redshirt the 2005-06 season. Hall was named the team's Most Valuable Defensive Player following her freshman season. Memphis may sign as many as two more players before the late signing period closes on May 17th.

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04/19/06		Women's Tennis to Face ECU at C-USA Championships Thursday -- Lady Tigers earns No. 11 seed (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team (3-15) will face East Carolina (18-8) in the first round of the Conference USA Championships, Thursday, at 2 p.m. The first round match will be a rematch of a regular season contest between the two foes, where ECU prevailed 6-1. That loss started a nine-match Lady Tiger losing streak that Memphis will carry into Thursday's match. ECU comes into the first-round match having won three of their last four matches and having set a new school record for dual season victories with its 18th win of the spring last Saturday. In that last ECU match, the top two Lady Pirates were the same as the first meeting with Memphis. Anca Dumitru has played at the top of the singles line-up, carrying a 6-15 mark, while Gillie Bailey is playing No. 2, where she is 10-7 on the season. But Memphis has lately switched the top two singles players, with Brooke Cowie winning two of her last four matches at No. 1 singles, where she is 3-4 on the year. Cowie also teamed with Alex Tjioe to give the Lady Tigers' their first win of the year at No. 1 doubles, winning 8-4 in the SLU match. Senior Andrea Feichtinger will be looking to wrap her career on a high note, and is looking for her 58th career singles victory. While playing at No. 2 in the last four matches, Feichtinger is 1-3, but she is 3-3 on the year from the No. 2 spot. Unlike the first meeting, ECU sophomore Mireia Gol is now playing No. 3 singles, where she is 12-2 on the season. Memphis typically counters with senior Kristin Noble at No. 3, but Noble missed the last two matches of the regular season with the flu, but will hopefully be healthy enough to look for her 42nd career singles win in the ECU match. Freshman Ekin Zafir will be playing in her first conference tournament for the Lady Tigers, and hopes to snap a drought. With not as much depth, and with Zafir getting moved up in the lineup late in the season with injuries to Cowie and illnesses to Noble, the freshman has lost 17 straight matches after winning her collegiate opening dual match against Chattanooga back in January. The Lady Tigers have had some solid play throughout the season from the junior class playing No. 5 and 6 singles. Alex Tjioe is 6-12 on the season, but is 5-6 at No. 6, while Christina Wieser is 6-7 at No. 6. Wieser is also 6-12 on the season and has played throughout all four bottom spots of the singles line-up this year. Unlike past league championships, there is no consolation draw, so all first round losers will tie for ninth in the final league standings. The first match of the day will feature No. 8 seed UCF against No. 9 UTEP at 10 a.m. The second bank of matches will feature No. 7 Rice against No. 10 Southern Miss and No. 6 ECU against No. 11 Memphis. The winner of the ECU/Memphis match will advance to face No. 3 seed Houston, at 2 p.m., Friday. Host SMU is also the top seed of the tournament, and will face the winner of the UCF/UTEP match. The tournament will be played on the courts at the Garland Tennis Center on campus. Tickets are $5.00 per day for adults and $3.00 for youth 18 and under. The winner of the tournament will receive the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.

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04/19/06		Men's Tennis Draws No. 6 Seed and Host Tulsa in First Round -- Tigers to face 10th nationally-ranked opponent of the season (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team (6-13) is the No. 6 seed heading into the Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship, which begins Friday at the University of Tulsa (14-10). The Tigers will face No.42 Tulsa at 2 p.m. in the first round of the tournament, with the winner advancing to face the winner of the SMU/East Carolina match, Saturday at 2 p.m. Unlike past Conference USA tournaments, there will be no consolation bracket to play out to determine third, fifth and seventh place, so it will be imperative that the Tigers get off to a strong start. "We played so well at Middle Tennessee," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "The match score did not show how close that match really was. At one point, it looked like we were going to win the match before we had a few mental mistakes that cost us." Memphis heads in to Friday's action having already faced the Golden Hurricanes once this season. That match was also played at Tulsa's on-campus facility, where the then-No. 50 Golden Hurricane downed then-No. 75 Memphis, 6-1. But both teams now play a significantly-different line-up than they used in that meeting. Sam Withell and James Spence have now moved atop the Tigers' singles line-up after playing No. 4 and 3 singles, respectively, in the first meeting, and Matt Brewer, who scored Memphis' lone point with a win over then No. 73 Diego Camacho and No. 2, has played a majority of his matches at No. 3 or 4 in the last few weeks, trying to give the Tigers' some points from the middle of their singles line-up. Getting points early from the lower part of the line-up is especially important at the C-USA tournament, where the lower ranked singles players will be put on the courts first if there is a crunch for space. Tulsa still has Arnau Brugues at the top of the singles ladder, but Diego Camacho, who played No. 2 in the first meeting, last played at the No. 5 spot against Oklahoma. The new No. 2 is Federico Soriano, the No. 57 ranked singles player in the country. Soriano played at the No. 4 slot in the first meeting with Memphis against Sam Withell, coming back from a 6-3 first set loss to win 6-3, 6-2 to pick up the win. The third nationally-ranked singles player for Tulsa is No. 118 Ricardo Soriano, who did not face Memphis in the first meeting. The sophomore played at the No. 3 spot in Tulsa's last match, a slot occupied by Aleksander Charpanti in the first meeting with the Tigers. Charpanti did not play singles against Oklahoma or SMU, but played at No. 3 singles in a 4-3 loss to No. 44 Auburn on Apr. 12th, demonstrating that the Golden Hurricane depth will be something the Tigers have to prepare for. Memphis will be facing their 10th nationally-ranked opponent this year. Three of the Tigers' last five opponents were nationally-ranked to wrap up the regular season, and Memphis will look to again jump on the doubles point competition to get the momentum rolling. The Tigers battled No. 32 Middle Tennessee to three 9-8 losses in the last regular season match, and the duo of Sam Withell and James Spence likely need the team to advance deep in the league tournament to improve their chances for an NCAA at-large bid. Under the new selection criteria for the NCAA At-Large, the NCAA will take one doubles team from each conference that has at least two nationally-ranked doubles teams. Conference USA sports two ranked teams, No. 20 Robert Searle and Konstantin Haerle of Rice, and No. 41 Spence and Withell of Memphis. With Rice the top seed and in the other half of the bracket, the Tigers would need to advance to the conference finals to give Spence and Withell a shot at upending Searle and Haerle and strengthening their chance for one of the at-large berths. The Conference USA Championships will be just a three-day event and will be held at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the TU campus. The winner of the tournament receives the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Tickets are $5.00 for single day tickets for adults and $3 for youth 16 and under. An all-session pass is available for $12.00.

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04/19/06		Should They Go? (The Memphis Edge)
		OK, Tiger fans and especially you Tiger bloggers, here's one for you. The big question on the table, now that John Calipari is back in the fold, is whether Shawne Williams and/or Darius Washington Jr. will be back next year. Let me know what you think by commenting here. The question isn't "do you want them to stay?" It's "what do you think they should do?". Williams has tremendous upside. He made an early name for himself and was always what Calipari referred to as one of the stars on a team laden with talent. He's 6-9, he can shoot it, he can rebound it, he can run the floor and he has good basketball sense. It seems like he could benefit from another year with the Tigers. Now that Rodney Carney is gone, Shawne could step up and be the focal point that Rodney was. Barring injury, it would seem that his stock can do nothing but rise. But here's the flip side of that argument: If he's assured of going into the NBA in the first round -- meaning a guaranteed contract for millions of dollars -- it's pretty tough to say no. The difference between first-round and second-round in the NBA is huge from all aspects, but the biggest is that contracts are guarantees in the first round and not in the second. Washington, we're not so sure about. There was talk he might have followed point guard foe Sebastien Telfair straight to the NBA two years ago, but he decided to learn his craft with the Tigers. Even though he had the missed free throws vs. Louisville at the end of his freshman season, he was a fan favorite here and well regarded nationally. But in 05-06, he didn't seem to grasp the point position any better, even though he's clearly a skilled player. When Andre Allen and Darius were on the floor together, Darius was clearly a better 2-guard. The problem with that is that he isn't big enough to be considered a shooting guard at the NBA level, so he needs to have better point guard skills. The problem with THAT is that Willie Kemp is coming from Bolivar with the idea of claiming the point guard spot for himself. It doesn't take a crystal ball to see that Darius could spend even more time at shooting guard next year if he stays in Memphis. So what do you think? What's going to happen? by Gary Robinson

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04/19/06		Bulldogs rough up Tiger pitching -- MSU 12, U of M 8 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 19, 2006 If it's any consolation to the University of Memphis pitching staff, tonight's 7 p.m. game against 15th-ranked Mississippi State at AutoZone Park represents the end to what may become known as the most difficult five-game stretch in the program's history. In a Conference USA series last weekend at Nat Buring Stadium, second-ranked Rice roughed up the Tiger staff for 48 runs on 51 hits for the three-game sweep. Tuesday night before about 2,000 at Nat Buring, Mississippi State, which was ranked No. 1 earlier this season, picked up where Rice hitters left off. The Bulldogs, with a majority of the crowd cheering for them, scored 12 runs on 13 hits, in a 12-8 victory. Brad Jones led the onslaught with a pair of homers and drove in six runs. Joseph McCaskill added a two-run homer in the seventh and scored three times. ''The ballpark played kind of small tonight,'' said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock, a former Mississippi State assistant under Ron Polk. ''So guys may have been nibbling at the strike zone a bit.'' Jones' three-run homer in the ninth -- which followed a two-run homer in the eighth -- allowed the Bulldogs (27-9) to withstand a determined comeback effort by the Tigers (21-17). Trailing 8-3 in the eighth, the Tigers rallied for five runs to tie the game. Kyle Norrid and Joey Lieberman each hit two-run homers in the inning after Bill Moss had started the rally with a run-scoring double. In the ninth, Tiger reliever Matt Yokley walked leadoff hitter Edward Easley, who eventually scored on an RBI-single by pinch-hitter Brian LaNinfa. Jones, a lefthanded hitter, added his three-run blast to deep right-centerfield off lefty reliever Neil Schenk. ''When your team has battled back to tie the game, you can't go out and walk the leadoff guy,'' Schoenrock said. ''That will come back to haunt you.'' Memphis had chances early. After Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a base hit by Easley, the Tigers struck back taking advantage of a throwing error by starter Matt Lea, the former Houston High standout. After walking Michael Murray to start the inning, Lea attempted pickoff throw was wild and sent Murray scampering to third. Murray scored on a sacrifice fly by former Bulldog Ben Grisham. Lea left the game with one out in the third because of a shoulder problem. A double play ended a Tiger threat in the inning and another double play stopped a potential big inning in the fourth. ''We've got to put better at-bats together early in the game,'' Schoenrock said. ''But credit our offense. We attacked one of the best relievers (Brett Cleveland) they had (for seven runs on eight hits in five innings)." While the Tigers were able to get to Cleveland, they didn't have an answer for Jones, who entered the game in an 8-for-39 (.205) slump. Jones went 3-for-5. Jones' hitting helped a Bulldog team that had dropped five of six. ''Our problem recently has been when we get down we stay down,'' Jones said. ''But we came out with a positive attitude. We all decided that we were sick of this losing streak.'' Tiger lefthander Lance Scoggins allowed only three earned run in six strong innings, but left after throwing 72 pitches. ''Early on I thought Lance was outstanding,'' Schoenrock said. ''He was pounding the strike zone and executing the game plan. That's three pretty good starts in a row for him. ''Even the three-run inning that he gave up, they didn't really hit a lot of balls hard. They found holes.'' Memphis finished with 10 hits, including four for extra bases. ''Coach Rock constantly preaches that we play till the last out,'' said K.K. Chalmers, who had one of the UofM's three homers. ''We feel like we can put up a big inning anytime ... especially in this ballpark. But we knew this stretch of games was going to be a tough road to hoe.''

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04/19/06		Comeback falls short against Bulldogs (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Adam Comer Sports Reporter It is a known fact that cats and dogs do not get along, and the Memphis Tigers and Mississippi State Bulldogs were no exception to the rule last night. The Tiger baseball team hosted No. 15 MSU (27-9, 7-7 Southeastern Conference) at a packed Nat Buring stadium last night and lost a heartbreaker 12-8. The game was full of drama, with six homeruns between the two teams as well as a five-run Tiger rally in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game. However, in the end Memphis (21-17, 6-6 Conference USA) couldn't muster enough magic to steal a win. "Coach Schoenrock always tells us to play till the last pitch is thrown," said sophomore outfielder K.K. Chalmers. "It's tough losing one like this, but we never thought we were out of it." The game began as a pitcher's duel. Junior Lance Scoggins started for Memphis and held the Bulldogs to just two hits and one run scored in the first five innings. The Bulldogs started Freshman Matt Lea, a Collierville native, who likewise held the Tigers to just one run through five innings. Things shifted in the 6th inning, when after a three-run outing by the Bulldogs, Chalmers connected on a two-run homer to bring the tigers within one. "I felt good in the box," he said. "I saw the pitch coming, connected, and it happened to go out." Unfortunately, MSU scored the next four runs, and the Tiger bats were unable to make any advances, until the bottom of the 8th. The rally started when Bill Moss doubled in Cory Barton to bring the Tigers within four. On the next at-bat, Kyle Norrid smashed a two-run homer over the left-field fence, followed two at-bats later by another two-run homer by Joseph Lieberman. Heading into the 9th the Tigers had overcome a five-run deficit, and seemed poised to claim victory in the bottom of the inning. The Bulldogs managed a rally of their own, however, and blasted in four runs of their own. Memphis was unable to recover from the new deficit. While the loss was difficult, there were positives to take from the experience. The Tigers were never out of the game, and the offensive explosion was a nice recovery from the weekend series sweep by Rice. Heading into the final games of the season, Memphis is still considered a serious contender for a high seed in the conference tournament. Coach Schoenrock is making sure the team is focusing on things one game at a time. "Coach 'Rock is always concerned that we play sound baseball; pitching, hitting and defense," said Chalmers. "As long as we keep doing that, then we should finish the conference schedule strong." The Tigers host Mississippi State at AutoZone Park tonight at 7:00 to finish the series, before traveling to Houston on Friday for a weekend series with the Cougars.

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04/18/06		#15 Mississippi State Nips Tigers, 12-8 -- Kyle Norrid extends his hit streak to 15 games (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - #15 Mississippi State (27-9) 001 003 224 - 12 13 3 Memphis (21-17) 001 002 050 - 8 10 2 Mississippi State first baseman Brad Jones capped a four-run ninth inning with his second home run of the game as the 15th-ranked Bulldogs outlasted Memphis, 12-8 in front of 2,063 fans at Nat Buring Stadium. The three-run blast came after MSU pinch-hitter Brian LaNinfa produced what proved to be the game-winning hit, driving in Ed Easley on a single to leftfield. Memphis used a five-run, two-out rally in the eighth inning to tie the ballgame. Will Petersen reached on a fielder's choice groundball and scored on Bill Moss' team-leading 17th double the left centerfield gap. Kyle Norrid then cut the Bulldog's lead to 8-6 with a towering homer over the trees beyond the leftfield wall.Adam Amar kept the inning alive with a single to center and Joey Lieberman tied things up at 8-8 with his ninth home run of the year. The two teams were locked in a pitcher's dual early on before MSU crossed the first run of the game on an RBI-single by Easley. Memphis answered back with a single run in the bottom of the inning after Michael Murray reached on a walk and advanced all the way to third on a throwing error by Mississippi State starter Matt Lea. Former Bulldog Ben Grisham made it 1-1 with a sac fly to deep centerfield. The Bulldogs seemingly took control of the contest with three runs in the top of the sixth, to go up 4-1, but K.K. Chalmers kept things close with a two-run longball over the leftfield wall. A seventh-inning two-run home run by DH Joseph McCaskill and Jones' first home run--a two-run shot to right center made it 8-3. MSU reliever Mitch Moreland was the winning pitcher. The southpaw came on in relief of Brett Cleveland to fire 1.1 scoreless innings. Tiger freshman Matt Yokley was the losing pitcher after giving up two runs in just a third of an inning. The two teams will lock up at AutoZone Park tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. for the series finale. The game is the nightcap of a double header with the Memphis Redbirds, who play the Oklahoma Redhawks at 1:10 p.m.

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04/18/06		Softball Travels to Tennessee State for Mid-Week Twinbill -- U of M takes on TSU Lady Tigers at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis softball team will travel to Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, April 19, to take on the Tennessee State Tigers in a mid-week, non-conference double-header at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Scouting Tennessee State: Tennessee State enters the twinbill with an overall record of 14-17 and is 2-14 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while carrying a record of 4-4 in home games. The Tigers are coming off a 2-1 series defeat at the hands of OVC foe Eastern Illinois over the weekend. TSU took game one over the Panthers in convincing, 7-0 fashion before dropping two tight decisions in the final two contests, as EIU claimed game two 3-2 and game three 3-2 in 10 innings. TSU is hitting .260 as a team, but has just two players, seniors Leena Worrell and Nira Robbins, with averages above .300. Worrell tops the squad in batting average (.376), while also leading the way in homeruns (6) and RBI (30). Robbins is second on the team in average (.356), but leads the Tigers in runs (19) and hits (37). As a team, TSU has been outscored by its opponents 139-108, yet the figures are much closer in other categories including hits, where opponents lead 213-202 and homeruns where the numbers are even (14-14). The Tennessee State pitchers have a combined ERA of 2.38 and have allowed an opponent batting average of .270. The squad is led in the circle by junior Candice Hildebrand, with freshmen Samantha Hurst and Stephanie Kemme and sophomore Lauren Weber each seeing significant time on the mound. Hildebrand tops the squad in ERA (2.50) innings pitched (61.2), and opponent batting average (.244), while tying with Hurst for the lead in wins (5). The three remaining hurlers each have double-digit appearances, with Hurst leading the way in strikeouts (37) and Kemme making the most starts on the team (9). Memphis Trends: The U of M enters the double-header with an overall record of 22-21 and is in sixth place in Conference USA with a 6-8 mark. The Lady Tigers are just 8-12 in road games this season and are coming off a weekend series at UCF in which they went 1-2, losing Saturday's two games 2-1 and 4-3, before rebounding to take Sunday's series finale 3-1. The Lady Tigers continue to lead C-USA in hitting with a team batting average of .294. Cara Stiles and Bridgette McNulty remain atop the squad in a majority of statistical, with Stiles leading the way in average (.403), hits (56), runs (33) and stolen bases (18), while McNulty is second in average (.363) and heads the lists in RBI (35), homeruns (9), and doubles (13). Junior Lindsey Pridgen, who recently made a transition to rightfield, has been hot of late, as she was tops on the team last week with a 6-for-12 effort with a homerun, three stolen bases and three RBI. In the circle, Jenna Kubesch has moved into the No. 1 spot in the rotation, as she leads the team and is second in C-USA in both ERA and opposing batting average, with marks of 1.67 and .191, respectively. The junior has been on fire recently, compiling a 0.45 ERA in eight appearances over the past three weeks, while allowing just three earned runs and striking out 43 in 47.0 innings of work. Fellow junior Nicki Johnson has also been hot of late, lowering her ERA to 2.00 in a stretch where she has boasted a 0.68 ERA and allowed just three earned runs in her last five appearances. Up Next: Following the two games with TSU, Memphis will return home, as it entertains East Carolina in a three-game C-USA series at Greenbrook Park on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23. The Pirates (6-9 in C-USA) are currently just a half game behind the Lady Tigers for the coveted sixth spot in the conference race.

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04/18/06		Memphis Golf Announces Additional Signing -- Illinois native becomes fourth Tiger signing for fall 2006 (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis head men's golf coach Grant Robbins announced today that Kyle Peterman has signed a national letter of intent to attend the university and participate in golf beginning in the fall. Peterman, a senior at Williamsville High School in Sherman, Ill., is currently ranked No. 41 nationally in the class of 2006 by Golfweek Magazine. He is also the No. 1 ranked senior in Illinois by Golfweek. Peterman qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur in both 2004 and 2005 and finished third in the 2005 Illinois State High School Championship. He shot a 6-under par 66 to win the 2005 Havanna High School Invitational and finished third in the 2005 Pepsi Little Peoples Championship with scores of 69 and 71. Other highlights include an eighth place finish in the 2005 AJGA Indianas-Chicago Junior Open and tied for eighth at the FCWT Regional Championship at the TPC Sawgrass. "Kyle is an extremely talented player, and he has excelled at the national level," Grant said. "He will come into our program next season with the ability to provide an immediate impact." Other 2006 Memphis signees include Philip Bredding of Morristown, Tenn., Brandon Bunn of Knoxville, Tenn., and Hugo Lauzon of St. Jerome, Quebec.

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04/18/06		Tate Places Third at Conference USA Championship -- New Zealand native named C-USA Golfer of the Year (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 GREENVILLE, N.C. - University of Memphis women's golfer Stacey Tate finished third in the Conference USA Championship at the Ironwood Country Club on Tuesday. The junior, who was named the C-USA Golfer of the Year, shot a final round 1-over 73 to finish at 219 (74-72-73). Tate finished three strokes behind tournament medalist Lene Krog of East Carolina. Krog was named the conference Freshman of the Year and finished with a 216 (74-72-70). SMU Jennifer Ackerson finished second with a 217 (75-68-74). Tate, who makes a strong case for an at-large bid as an individual in the NCAA Regionals, is the first Memphis player to finish in the conference top three since Meaghan Francella earned medalist honors in 2001. Tate is also only the second Lady Tiger to be honored as the C-USA Player of the Year. Kim Hunt earned the award in 1997. The Lady Tigers finished sixth in the tournament with a 919 (310-304-305). Tournament host East Carolina added on to its day two lead and finished with a 10-stroke victory with an 887 (297-294-296). SMU finished second at 897 and Tulsa tied with UCF for third with a 902. UTEP finished 12 strokes ahead of Memphis for fifth with a 907. Junior Kathryn O'Rourke shot the team's second best round on Tuesday with a 3-over 75 and finished tied for 24th with a 232 (77-80-75). Sophomore Dawn-Marie Conaty shot a trio of 78s to finish tied for 26th with a 234 (78-78-78). Freshman Rachel Larson finished 32nd with a 238 (83-76-79), and senior Bernie Rosero ended her collegiate career with a 242 (81-78-83) to place 36th. The NCAA Regionals will take place on May 11-13 with the East Regional being hosted by Wake Forest at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, N.C. The NCAA East Regional is made up of 21 teams plus three individuals not on those teams. C-USA Women's Championship Dates: 04/16-04/18, 2006 Round: 3 Final Results Par-Yardage: 72-6216 6 Memphis, Univ. of 310 304 305 919 3 Stacey Tate 74 72 73 219 T24 Kathryn O'Rourke 77 80 75 232 T26 Dawn-Marie Conaty 78 78 78 234 32 Rachel Larson 83 76 79 238 36 Bernie Rosero 81 78 83 242 All-Tournament Team Lene Krog, East Carolina (medalist) Jennifer Ackerson, SMU Stacey Tate, Memphis Jullianne Kim, UTEP Cas Bridge, Tulsa All-Conference USA First Team Lene Krog, East Carolina Stacey Tate, Memphis Laura Cross, SMU Lacey Jones, SMU Michaela Cavener, Tulsa All-Conference USA Second Team Jennifer Ackerson, SMU Kristina Rothengatte, SMU Leisl Hasbrouck, Tulsa Jullianne Kim, UTEP Gerina Mendoza, UTEP All-Conference USA Third Team Heidi Helliesen, East Carolina Kate Ackerson, SMU Holly Boot, UCF Ashley Grier, UCF Kristy McLaughlin, UCF Conference USA Freshman of the Year Lene Krog, East Carolina Conference USA Golfer of the Year Stacey Tate, Memphis Conference USA Coach of the Year Todd Selders, SMU

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04/18/06		Tiger Football and Basketball Teams Will be Honored in Nashville -- Teams will bus to Nashville on Wednesday for presentations by the House, Senate and Governor Bredesen (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Members of the University of Memphis football and men's basketball teams, as well as representatives from the administration and coaching staffs, will travel to Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, April 19 to be recognized by not only the House and Senate but also by Governor Phil Bredesen. Buses will depart Memphis early Wednesday morning, and will arrive in Nashville at approximately 11:30 a.m. Upon arrival in Nashville, the team will travel to the Capitol, where lunch will be hosted by members of the Shelby County Delegation at approximately 11:45 a.m. At approximately 1:15 to 1:30 p.m., the combined squads will walk over to the Capitol and will proceed to the House Floor. All legislators will be given commemorative T-shirts and are being asked to wear them. The 22 Shelby County Delegation members and others from across the state that are U of M graduates will be given football and basketball jerseys to wear on the floor. The ceremony will take about 15-20 minutes. Proclamations will be read and certificates given out to those in attendance. There will be brief remarks from the coaches and Dr. Shirley Raines, the President of the University. Provost Dr. Ralph Faudree will also be in attendance. At approximately 3 p.m., Governor Bredesen will address the team and at approximately 3:30 p.m., the entourage will go before the Senate for a final proclamation and remarks.

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04/18/06		Tiger Baseball Set for Midweek Action Versus #15 Mississippi State -- Tigers look to snap four-game losing skid to Bulldogs (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Tigers to Take on No. 15 Bulldogs The road gets no easier for the University of Memphis baseball team as they prepare to host the 15th-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in a two-game series at Nat Buring and AutoZone Park. Tuesday's series-opener will be held at "The Nat" at 6:30 p.m. The team's will change venues on Wednesday's contests, playing the game at AZP as the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Redbirds, who play the Oklahoma Redhawks at 1:10 p.m. A $15 ticket that gets fans into both games is available. Call the Memphis Redbirds ticket office at (901) 721-6000 for more information. WKNO/Channel 10 to Televise AutoZone Game Wednesday night's game with MSU will be aired live on WKNO/Channel 10, Public Television for the Mid-South. Coverage begins at 7 p.m., with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at AutoZone Park. The "Voice of the Tigers" Jeff Brightwell will give the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by former Tiger standout, Jonathan Lyons. About Mississippi State The Bulldogs come into the midweek series with a 26-9 mark. Mississippi State was ranked as high as fifth last week, but dropped an SEC series to Auburn, 2-1. State got off to the nation's best start, reeling off 18-straight wins to start the season. The feat earned them a No. 1 national ranking. However, since the 18-0 start, MSU is 8-9 and had lost five of its last six. The Bully offense is hitting .307 with 227 runs batted in and 70 doubles. Thomas Berkery, who had a 30-game hitting streak snapped earlier this year, leads the team with a torrid .411 average. He is tied for the team lead with four home runs, while ranking second with 54 hits. Five other regulars are hitting .300 or higher. Jeffrey Rea is atop that group and ranks second among Bulldog hitters with a .372 batting average. Ed Easley (.340) and Jeff Butts (.319) are tied for the team lead in doubles with 10. Butts' 28 runs driven in and two triples and also a MSU-highs. Defensively, The Bulldogs are fielding at a .962 clip with 51 errors. On the mound, Mississippi State's staff has a combined 3.28 ERA and holds opposing teams to just a .255 average against them. Just one pitcher with at least eight appearances has an ERA over 5.00. Freshman Matt Lea, leads the team with five wins in six decisions. Lea is a native of Germantown, Tenn. and is the son of former Tiger standout and Major League Baseball All-Star, Charlie Lea. The freshman has a 2.13 ERA and has fanned 26 in his six starts. Aaron Weatherford (1.27), Jesse Carver (1.29), Brett Cleveland (1.62) and Chad Crosswhite are all under 2.00 ERA's. Weatherford is 4-0 in 11 outings. He averages a strikeout and inning (21k, 21.1 ip). Cleveland has landed the role as closer and has five of the bullpen's eight saves. Brooks Dun leads the staff with 36 nbatters struck out. The Series Mississippi State leads the all-time series 40-20. State won last year's series in the a cold set that saw a suspended-game on day one, before the teams were able to finish the series the next day. The Bulldogs swept the 2004 series, 10-2 in game one, and 7-2 in six innings in game two. The teams split the season series in two games at AutoZone in 2003. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 12-3 in the opener, before Ryan Martin hit a 10th-inning home run to lift the Tigers to a dramatic 8-7 win in the finale. About the Tigers Like MSU, Memphis comes in on the heels of a conference series loss. However, the Tigesr fell three times to the No. 2 inthe country, Rice Owls. Despite the three losses, Memphis hitters fared well against the league's top pitching staff. The U of M hit .327 against Rice to improve its season average to .311 and its C-USA average to .334, which ranks first in the C-USA only games. Overall, the Tigers lead Conference USA in stolen bases (62), while ranking second in hits (420) and doubles (84). Junior Adam Amar continues to shine and leads C-USA with a .397 average. He is second in slugging and on base percentage, and fifth with 39 RBI. Sophomore K.K. Chalmers has swiped a league-high 26 bases, while Will Petersen and Bill Moss pace all C-USA hitters with 16 doubles each. DH Joey Lieberman is fourth with eight round-trippers. On the bump, 2005 ERA-leader Drew Jaudon is again in form and leads the team with a 3.68 ERA and a 3-1 record. Freshman Matt Yokley has the next lowest ERA at 5.18. Marcus Davis leads the squad with 32 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .312 against Tiger pitchers. Last Time Out #2 Rice 19, Memphis 8 Rice designated hitter Adam Zornes slammed a pair of home runs and the second-ranked Owls hitters combined for a season-high six round-trippers to complete the sweep of Memphis, 19-8 in the series finale. Memphis falls to 6-6 in Conference USA play. Craig Crow was the winner for the Owls, who have won 15-straight. He was tagged for five runs on 11 hits in five innings. Scott McGregor took the loss for Memphis after giving up nine runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. Bobby Bramhall recorded his second save of the year in four innings of relief work. On Deck Memphis will make the trip to Houston to take on the league's No. 2 team, the Houston Cougars. Houston is 9-3 in league play and has won all four weekend series'.

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04/18/06		Tiger teams to be recognized on Capitol Hill (Memphis Business Journal)
		The University of Memphis Men's Tigers basketball team couldn't get past the NCAA Elite Eight this year, but they'll be part of the Elite Two in Nashville Wednesday. The men's basketball and football teams, along with coaches and athletic staffers, will be honored guests on Capitol Hill, meeting with members of the General Assembly plus Gov. Phil Bredesen. The event is planned to recognize the teams' success this past academic year. Tiger basketball team had a record breaking season, winning 33 games in a season that saw them finish as the C-USA champions as well a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time. The Tiger football team finished its season 7-5 and captured the championship in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, Mich., the team's third bowl game in three seasons. The teams will leave the university by bus in the morning, arriving in Nashville in time for lunch hosted by members of the Shelby County delegation. Members of the House and Senate have been asked to wear Memphis T-shirts during Tiger Day on the Hill. Shelby County members will wear basketball and football jerseys. Ceremonies will include the reading of proclamations, plus remarks by Bredesen, U of M president Shirley Raines, and U of M provost Ralph Faudree.

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04/18/06		No shockin U of M contract -- Calipari's raise spread several different ways (GoTigersGo.com)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 18, 2006 Compared to the back-and-forth of last week, the actual amendment that brought closure to University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari's flirtation with North Carolina State is uneventful. There are raises across the board, yet nothing out of the ordinary was found when The Commercial Appeal reviewed a copy of the contract Monday. The main origins of pay increase come from Calipari's UofM base salary, radio and television package and public relations fee. The base salary went from $139,050 to $155,000, the radio and TV package went from $310,000 to $460,000 and the public relations fee went from $251,000 to $385,000. Combined with a $300,000 guarantee in shoe/apparel/equipment money, the promised total package Calipari will receive annually comes to $1.3 million, not including various incentives, bonuses and the opportunity to secure additional shoe contract money. For instance, Calipari -- per this fifth amendment to his contract originally signed on March 11, 2000 -- is now allowed to negotiate a shoe deal with any company and keep all the income. Previously, he shared the revenue with the school. Next year, that money – from adidas -- is expected to be $225,000, meaning Calipari will at least earn $1.525 million while coaching the Tigers for a seventh season. Beyond that, most everything stayed the same, including the $2.5 million annuity Calipari will collect if he finishes the 2009-2010 season. The only notable difference is that he dropped a percentage of his win/loss record and graduation rate bonuses so that, if achieved, $40,000 of those bonuses will now go to his assistants, who had spent the past few seasons underpaid in comparison to assistants at other programs. Calipari negotiated an additional $130,000 in salary for his assistants that he will divide among Tony Barbee, Derek Kellogg, John Robic and Milt Wagner as he sees fit. They will also divide $40,000 in summer camp guarantees. Calipari's new contract runs through the 2010-2011 season, and the UofM reserves the right to offer two one-year extensions over the next two years. Calipari's buyout remained at $200,000, and his annual clothing allowance remained at $15,000. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/18/06		Sports in Short (Daily Helmsman)
		Tennis The Lady Tigers dropped two weekend matches to Saint Louis University and Missouri. A 5-2 loss at Missouri and a 6-1 loss to Saint Louis pushes the Lady Tigers to a 3-16 record on the season. The team will start C-USA Championship play Thursday against SMU in Dallas. The team signed Dara Toulch of Montreal, Quebec last week. She is the No. 14 ranked player in the Under-18 and won the MVP award at the 2003 Junior Maccabiah Games. The men's team fell 7-0 at No. 32 Middle Tennessee. The team lost all three doubles matches 9-8. Baseball The Baseball Tigers were swept by new C-USA member and No. 2-ranked Rice University in a three-game series over the weekend. Facing their toughest competition of the year the Tigers lost 7-3, 22-6 and 19-8. This marked the first time K.K. Chalmers failed to steal a base in a C-USA series this year. Golf After two rounds of the C-USA Championship the Lady Tigers are in sixth place. Junior sensation Stacey Tate is within three strokes of the leader. Track and Field The Lady Tigers of the Track and Field teams had a good showing at the Lee Calhoun Memorial picking up two event titles and setting three school records. Gail Lee broke her personal bests in the hammer and shot put with distances of 56.01m and 16.09m respectively. Lee finished second in the two events. Daniele Riendeau finished second in the 10,000m at Sea Ray beating her personal best by over three minutes. The two event titles came of the speedy feet of LaShunda Flake and Ashley Stewart. Flake won the 100m with a time of 11.92 and Stewart beat all-comers in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:06.02. Other finishes include a second in the 200m for Flake, a second place finish in the 100m hurdles for Josetta Brooks, another second in the long jump for Maria Majzik and a second in the triple jump for Cassandra Harding. Men - Brandon Winbush qualified for regionals for the second-straight year with a long jump of 7.37m. Deante Lamar won the 100m event with a time of 10.93.

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04/18/06		Former players hold gala to raise funds (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Justin Kissell Sports Reporter It's crunch time for former Tiger basketball coach Larry Finch and his former players are working the April 27 shot clock to pull through for their coach. Ken Moody, who played at The University of Memphis (then Memphis State) from 1985 to 1987, and Rodney Douglas, who played from 1985 to 1989, have spearheaded two upcoming events to raise funds and awareness for Finch. "As much as he's done for us, we should do our part for him," Moody said. The players, part of the Friends of Larry Finch organization, have helped plan a gala dinner on April 27 to help raise funds for Finch's rising medical bills. The dinner is new to this year's festivities, which also includes a golf tournament for the second year in a row. "We're just trying to be the messengers for Coach Finch," Douglas said. "Being unable to move a lot gives him a huge challenge, and we feel compelled to help." Finch has suffered strokes and a heart attack and remains confined to a wheelchair in a long-term care facility. But he doesn't pass the days alone. Former players and friends visit him regularly, which is part of the reason Douglas wanted to help his former mentor so badly. "I went to see him in the hospital one time and his foot had been injured badly, in addition to the strokes and heart attack," he said. "My heart was hurting the whole way home because of what I witnessed." Finch is also diabetic, something that makes his condition worse. But Douglas said whatever his condition, the coach always perks up when someone stops by. "The nurses have told us when he saw a former player, he did better with his attitude and motivation for a while," he said. So how much does Finch mean to The U of M? Douglas said he is the "legacy of Memphis basketball." Moody said it "all started with Larry Finch." Former Tiger Herb Hilliard, who played from 1966 to 1969 and was the first African-American player in school history, said Finch helped bring the city together when racial tensions were high in Memphis. "To me, he's done more for this city than any other person I know," he said. "He did an awful lot for the people of this city." And he helped the Bluff City in numerous ways - on the court and then on the bench with his trademark rolled-up paper. Finch (the player) started his Memphis career in 1970. He led the Tigers to the 1973 national championship game against UCLA, averaging almost 27 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. Finch (the head coach) started in 1986 and promptly led an underdog team to a 26-8 record and won the Metro championship. He went on to sign local high school stars Anfernee Hardaway, Elliot Perry and Lorenzen Wright in his career. In 1992 Finch participated in his 500th game as either a player or coach. He also led the Tigers to an Elite Eight appearance in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, the furthest a Memphis team advanced until the 2005-06 Tigers. Finch ended his coaching career after the 1996-97 season, when he stepped down from his position. "The Memphis Tigers were (to me) created by Larry Finch," Douglas said. Maintaining the Finch legacy on campus is something Moody and Douglas are trying to accomplish with their work - something the current staff seems well aware of. "Coach Cal has been awesome through all this," Moody said. "He's done everything we've asked." That includes getting comments and video messages from famous basketball personalities throughout the country, like Dick Vitale and former UCLA star and Tiger fan favorite Bill Walton. Finch undoubtedly helped make Memphis into a basketball town, one reason some believe the NBA awarded the Grizzlies to the city. Their relocation helped spur one of the most emotional moments in Memphis/Larry Finch history. On Jan. 20, 2003, the Grizzlies hosted a Martin Luther King Day game against the Portland Trail Blazers that included a halftime show involving many prominent African-Americans. Bob Johnson, BET founder and the first African-American NBA team owner, as well as actor Danny Glover were some of the participants. But the most emotional moment came last. NBA Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell brought Finch on the court in his wheelchair. The darkened arena, which had been loud throughout the ceremony, rumbled even louder as teary-eyed fans rose to their feet chanting, "La-rry!" It was one of the ways Memphians have given back to their legendary coach. They now have another opportunity to do so, and his former players and friends are pleading for help. "We want people to embrace what he did and who he did it for," Douglas said. "Just please give your heart with Larry Finch." Hilliard said the city has an obligation to help Finch. He described Finch as a model citizen when he was a player and coach, did all the right things and always had time to talk to anyone. "I used to go to the mall to go Christmas shopping with him," he said. "We'd always be stuck there for about four hours because everyone wanted to talk with him, so I told him next year I couldn't go with him." He described Finch's personality as that of current NBA star Shaquille O'Neal. Finch related well to both kids and adults, Hilliard said. "We're doing this because coach always told us to give back," Douglas said. "We've dedicated our lives to him because of all he did for us." Moody said one large change the group has made to this year's fund-raiser is the ability for people to write off any of their donations on their taxes. Donations received and profits from the golf tournament and dinner will be used towards Finch's medical bills and to start a youth foundation which would pair up Memphis high school students with former Tiger players as mentors. The Friends of Larry Finch Gala Dinner will be held April 27 at the Finch Center. Tickets are $100 per person and $1,000 for a table. On April 28, the group will host two shotgun starts at the Larry Finch Golf Tournament. It will be held at Galloway Golf Course and tickets are $125 per person or $500 per group.

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04/17/06		What offseason? (The Memphis Edge)
		The weekend was busy and productive for some connected to the University of Memphis basketball program. On Friday, John Calipari and assistant Tony Barbee conducted an in-home visit with Jeff Robinson, a 6-5 small forward from Elizabeth, N.J. rated as the 68th-best prospect in the nation. Afterward, they crossed the Hudson River and went into Manhattan so Calipari could appear on ESPN2’s “Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith.” Then they immediately flew to Fayetteville, Ark., to spend the weekend recruiting at a prestigious AAU Tournament. Meanwhile in Louisville three Tiger signees – namely Willie Kemp (above, playing for Bolivar Central), Pierre Niles and Tre’Von Willis – started for and led the White Team to a 118-106 victory over the Black Team in the adidas Derby Festival All-Star Classic in front of an estimated 14,000 fans at Freedom Hall. Among the more-interesting tidbits was that Niles proved the Louisville-Memphis rivalry is alive and well despite the prospect of any future meetings by reportedly wiping his feet in an animated way on the UofL logo during pregame introductions. Not to be outdone, Louisville signee Derrick Caracter carried a cleaning spray bottle to halfcourt and shined the logo to a standing ovation. by Gary Parrish

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04/17/06		Tate Within Three at C-USA Championship -- Tigers remain in sixth after second round (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 GREENVILLE, N.C. - Stacey Tate drew within three strokes of the leader in the second round of the Conference USA Championship on Monday as the University of Memphis women's golf team showed improvement while remaining in sixth place. Tate shot an even-par 72 in the second of three rounds to bring her 36-hole total to a 2-over 146. The junior from New Zealand is tied for fourth in the tournament held at the Ironwood Country Club. UTEP's Gerina Mendoza and SMU's Jennifer Ackerson lead the tournament with a 1-under 143. The Lady Tigers shot a 304 in the second round and have a 614 total. Tournament host East Carolina jumped into the lead with a 294 to bring its 36-hole total to 591. The Pirates have a five-stroke lead over SMU and Tulsa. Day one leader UTEP is tied with UCF for fourth place at 597. Marshall, UAB and Southern Miss round out the nine-team tournament and are all tied at seventh with a 637. Freshman Rachel Larson improved by seven strokes from her first round total and carded the U of M's second lowest score in the second day with a 76. Larson is tied for 33rd with a 159 along with senior teammate Bernie Rosero who shot a 78 on Monday. Sophomore Dawn-Marie Conaty is second on the team with a 36-hole 156 and is tied for 25th, while junior Kathryn O'Rourke is tied for 28th with a 157. Memphis will compete in the final round of the tournament on Tuesday. C-USA Women's Championship Dates: 04/16-04/18, 2006 Round: 2 Par-Yardage: 72-6216 6 Memphis, Univ. of 310 304 614 T4 Stacey Tate 74 72 146 T25 Dawn-Marie Conaty 78 78 156 T28 Kathryn O'Rourke 77 80 157 T33 Rachel Larson 83 76 159 T33 Bernie Rosero 81 78 159

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04/17/06		Owls win in a breeze, polish off series sweep vs. U of M -- Windy Nat Buring yields home runs by the bucketful (Commercial Appeal)
		By Bryan Brasher Contact April 17, 2006 (2) Rice 19, U of M 8 If you're in the market for some cheap used sporting goods, you might want to browse through the stand of pine trees just beyond the outfield fence at Nat Buring Stadium. After the last three days, there should be enough Rawlings baseballs out there to fill a five-gallon bucket -- and most of them didn't come off the home team's bats. The second-ranked Rice Owls homered six times Sunday on their way to a 19-8 victory over Memphis and a three-game Conference-USA sweep. For the series, the Owls scored 48 runs on 51 hits. Of their 26 extra-base hits, 11 reached the Nat Buring pines. "They did a good job of getting the ball in the air on a day when the wind was blowing out," said Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock, referring to the 25-mph breeze that blew constantly during Sunday's game. "We had a couple of pitches that got away -- a couple we would sure like to have back -- and they just don't miss too many mistake pitches." Just as they did during Saturday's 22-6 bashing, the Owls lit up the scoreboard early on Sunday. Rice batted around in the top of the first inning, scoring six runs on three extra-base hits -- a double by Josh Rodriguez and homers by Brian Friday and Adam Zornes. The Tigers clawed back into the game with four runs in the bottom of the first, but the Owls' hit parade marched on. Rice got solo home runs from Greg Buchanan in the second and Zornes in the fourth. Zornes' shot -- a towering blast that dented the scoreboard in left field -- was his second of the game and fourth of the series. "The one I hit in the first inning was definitely a fast ball," said Zornes, who came into the series with only one homer all season. "I think the one I hit in the fourth was, too. I was just seeing the ball really well this series. I felt good every at-bat." Trailing 8-4 in the bottom of the fourth, Memphis got a solo home run to left-center from former CBHS standout Bill Moss to pull within three runs. But Rice added an unearned run in the sixth and blew the game open with five runs in the top of the seventh. The big blow in the seventh was a two-run home run to right field by leadoff batter Tyler Henry. "They are just a tremendous ball club," Schoenrock said. "I was glad we were able to get two freshman pitchers in the game today to face a team like Rice. Hopefully it will make them better down the road." Freshman right-hander Scott McGregor started the game for Memphis and allowed eight earned runs on eight hits in 51/3 innings to take the loss. Freshman Matt Yokley from Collierville High gave up three runs in 11/3 innings, but struck out four batters. Rice starter Craig Crow (5-1) was tagged for 11 hits and five runs in five innings, but still managed to get the win. Bobby Bramhall worked four innings of relief, allowing three runs on six hits. Memphis out-hit the Owls 17-16, but the Tigers left 11 runners on base. Moss and Adam Amar had three hits apiece to lead the offense. "We hate losing," said Moss, who finished 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and two RBIs. "But playing teams like this is only going to make us better." -- Bryan Brasher: 529-2343

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04/16/06		Lady Tigers Tied for Sixth After Opening Round of C-USA Championship -- Tate tied for eighth with a 74 (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 GREENVILLE, N.C. - The University of Memphis women's golf team shot an opening round 310 on Sunday and is tied for sixth in the Conference USA Championship. Junior Stacey Tate led the Tigers with a 2-over 74 and is tied for eighth in the three-round tournament at the Ironwood Country Club. Tate, who has won three of her last four tournaments, shot a 1-over 37 in both the front and back nine on the par-72, 6,216-yard course. She is five strokes behind the leader, Gerina Mendoza of UTEP who shot a 3-under 69 on the first day to take a two-stroke lead. UAB's Christina Wentworth and Tulsa's Michaela Cavener sit in second with a 1-under 71. A total of 45 golfers played 18 holes in Sunday's opening round on a sunny, 90-degree day. Behind Mendoza and two other players who are in the top six, UTEP took a three-stroke lead with a 292. The University of Tulsa is in second place in the nine-team tournament with a 295, and tournament host East Carolina is five-strokes behind the leader with a 297 for third place. After capturing a spot on the tournament roster with a strong performance at the Lady Eagle Classic, junior Kathryn O'Rourke had the second best score in the round. O'Rourke carded a 41 in the front nine but followed with a team best 36 in the back nine to finish the round with a 5-over 77. The Holmes, N.Y., native is in 26th place. Sophomore Dawn-Marie Conaty finished the day one-stroke behind O'Rourke with a 78 and is tied for 27th. Rounding out the Lady Tiger squad, senior Bernie Rosero is tied for 36th with an 81 and freshman Rachel Larson is tied for 38th with an 83. The teams will play the second round of the tournament on Monday with the final round on Tuesday. C-USA Women's Championship Dates: 04/16-04/18, 2006 Round: 1 Par-Yardage: 72-6216 T6 Memphis, Univ. of 310 T8 Stacey Tate 37-37 74 26 Kathryn O'Rourke 41-36 77 T27 Dawn-Marie Conaty 40-38 78 T36 Bernie Rosero 41-40 81 T38 Rachel Larson 39-44 83

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04/16/06		Women's Tennis Falls 6-1 in Regular Season Finale -- Christina Wieser posts team's lone point with win at No. 5 singles (GoTigersGo.com)
		Columbia, Mo. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team wrapped its 2006 regular season with a 6-1 loss at Missouri, Sunday. The loss means Memphis closes its regular season with a 3-16 regular season mark with the Conference USA tournament on the horizon, beginning Thursday at SMU in Dallas, Texas. Missouri 6 Memphis 1 Sunday, April 16, 2006 Green Tennis Center Columbia, Mo. Singles 1. Lubica Nadasska (MU) def. Brooke Cowie (MEM) 6-4, 6-3 2. Erika Josbena (MU) def. Andrea Feichtinger (MEM) 6-1, 6-4 3. Amanda Pratzel (MU) def. Ekin Zafir (MEM) 6-1, 6-1 4. Chrissy Svetlic (MU) def. Alex Tjioe (MEM) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) 5. Christina Wieser (MEM) def. Stephanie Johns (MU) 6-4, 6-2 6. Charlotte Bellis (MU) def. Flavia Russo (MEM) 6-1, 6-1 Doubles 1. Olshanskaya/Svelic (MU) def. Cowie/Tjioe (MEM) 8-5 2. Pratzel/Josbena (MU) def. Feichtinger/Wieser (MEM) 8-1 3. Nadasska/Bellis (MU) def. Zafir/Russo (MEM) 8-0

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04/16/06		Lady Tiger Track and Field Team Posts Strong Showings at Weekend Meets -- U of M women pick up three school records, five regional marks at Sea Ray and two event titles at Lee Calhoun Memorial (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Lady Tiger track and field teams posted a number of tremendous showings at a pair of meets this weekend, as the squad saw three school records and five regional marks at the Sea Ray Relays and two event titles at the Lee Calhoun Memorial. Gail Lee was the top performer for the U of M, breaking her own records in both the shot put and hammer, while also bettering previous regional qualifying marks in the two events. The junior finished second both the shot and hammer at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., recording marks of 52-09.50" (16.09m), and 183-09" (56.01m), respectively. Daniele Riendeau posted the final Lady Tiger record, as she finished second in the 10,000m at Sea Ray with a personal-best time of 37:21.51, bettering the previous record in the event by over three minutes. Throwers Sivan Aballi and Susan King added the remaining three regional-qualifying marks in Knoxville, though neither of the two bettered previous regional efforts from earlier in the season. Aballi posted two regional marks, finishing seventh in the discus and eighth in the shot put with throws of 156-06" (47.70m) and 48-10.75" (14.90m), respectively, while King placed seventh in the shot put with a toss of 49-01.50" (14.97m). The two Lady Tiger event titles came at the Lee Calhoun Memorial in Macomb, Ill., where LaShunda Flake and Ashley Stewart claimed a win apiece. Flake won the 100m in a personal-best time of 11.92, while Stewart won the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:06.02. On the men's side, the top performances were not as prevalent, though one Tiger did qualify for regionals at Sea Ray, while another took an event title at Lee Calhoun. Brandon Winbush inked his name in the regional lineup for a second-consecutive year in the long jump with a leap of 24-02.25" (7.37m), which was good enough for seventh in the strong field. Deante Lamar, competing in his first meet as a Tiger, took the event crown, winning won 100m in Macomb with a time of 10.93. U of M athletes also registered several more solid showings at the Lee Calhoun Memorial. For the Lady Tigers, Flake added a second placing second in the 200m in a time of 25.00 to her win in the 100m. Josetta Brooks placed second in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 14.41. Maria Majzik finished second in the long jump with a season-best leap of 18-02.50" (5.55m) and Cassandra Harding finished second in triple jump with a bound of 36-01.00" (11.00m). On the men's side, Willie Logan was the only other athlete to claim a top-two finish on the weekend, as he finished second to Lamar in the 100m with a time of 10.99. The U of M track and field team will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vandy Relays on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22.

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04/16/06		Baseball Swept by No. 2 Rice, Falls 19-8 in Series Finale -- Tigers prepare for battle with No. 5 Mississippi State (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - No. 2 Rice (32-8; 11-1 C-USA) 610 101 514 - 19 16 1 Memphis (21-16; 6-6 C-USA) 400 100 021 - 8 17 2 Rice designated hitter Adam Zornes slammed a pair of home runs and the second-ranked Owls hitters combined for a season-high six round-trippers to complete the sweep of Memphis, 19-8 in the series finale. Memphis falls to 6-6 in Conference USA play. The game got off to a wild start as the two teams combined for 10 runs in the first inning. Rice sent nine hitters to the plate and scored six, but Memphis answered with four runs to keep things close early-on. Home runs by Brian Friday and Zornes highlighted the Owls six-run outburst. Will Petersen got the Tiger rally started with an infield single and Bill Moss, Kyle Norrid and Adam Amar each produced hits in the next three at-bats. Norrid's RBI double that was just out of the reach of Rice third baseman Josh Rodriguez extended his career-long hit streak to 14 games. The Owls' third homer of the game--a blast over the centerfield wall by Greg Buchanan--put them up 7-4 and Zornes knocked his second four-bagger of the day in the fourth to put Rice up by four runs. Memphis, who drops to fourth-place in the league standings with Southern Miss' win over Houston, attempted to keep the game within striking distance as Moss homered for the second time this year in the fourth. Rice put the contest out of reach with a five-runs seventh. Doubles by catcher Travis Reagan and pinch-hitter Kenny Ford made it 12-5 before Tyler Henry capped the frame with a two-run shot to right. After another Owls' homer, Memphis continued to battle, plating two runs in the eighth frame when Amar's bases-loaded shot to right centerfield bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double for a 15-7 score. RU scored four in the ninth. Patrick Hope led off the ninth with a double to left centerfield and later came around to score the Tigers' final tall for a 19-8 final. Craig Crow was the winner for the Owls, who have won 15-straight. He was tagged for five runs on 11 hits in five innings. Scott McGregor took the loss for Memphis after giving up nine runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. Bobby Bramhall recorded his second save of the year in four innings of relief work. Memphis will now set its sights on a midweek series with No. 5 Mississippi State beginning Tuesday. The Tigers will host the Bulldogs at Nat Buring on Tues., April 18 before the two teams face off at AutoZone Park on Wednesday. First pitch for Tuesday's series-opener is set for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/16/06		Calkins: Finch, city's basketball soul, needs an assist (Commercial Appeal)
		Larry Finch sits in his wheelchair, in room 106 of the nursing home, drawn up tight against a rolling table, in reach of a plastic cup and a straw. He has been in this place since January. He may remain here for a very long time. There's a TV mounted to the wall. A simple bed. A photo hangs on the far wall. It's a photo of Finch playing in the NCAA Championship game against UCLA. He's in the lane, up in the air, and the possibilities are infinite. "He was incredible," says a friend, Randy Wade. "But, hey, watch this." Wade puts his cell phone on the bed, just to Finch's right. "C'mon, big fella," he says. "Let's see what you can do." Finch turns slowly to his right. He painstakingly lowers his hand so that his pinkie finger brushes against the phone. The process takes 30 seconds, at least. Wade gently slips the phone into Finch's hand. "Now put it on the table," he says. Finch slowly raises his hand and drops the phone on the table. "Yeah! Way to go! You did it, big fella!" Wednesday night, as news started to spread that the University of Memphis had found the money needed to keep John Calipari in town, former Memphis player Ken Moody watched the reports on TV. "I'm thinking, 'How can they raise $600,000 just like that?'" Moody says. "If we can do that for John, why can't we do it for the man who has done more for Memphis basketball than anyone else?" Moody does not mean this as a shot at Calipari. He understands how times change. Beyond that, Calipari has always been supportive of Finch. "He's been a jewel," Moody says. And yet, it's hard to fathom, isn't it? That this community can find the money to bump Calipari's salary from roughly $1.1 million to roughly $1.6 million in less than a week, but hasn't done more to ensure Finch has enough money to pay his medical bills? Turns out there is a coach in town who needs financial help. He's just not in much shape to ask. Finch suffered a stroke four years ago. He can't speak clearly, can't change his clothes, can't lift himself in and out of bed, can't walk. "His care is expensive," said Moody. "He needs us and he needs us now." That's why Moody and others have formed the Friends of Larry Finch, a 501(c)(3) organization to raise money on the coach's behalf. They're throwing a charity gala and golf event April 27-28. At the very least, the organizers want to raise enough money to help pay for Finch's health care. Ideally, they'd like to raise enough to launch a youth program in the name and spirit of their old coach. Moody tells a story about his recruitment to Memphis. It came in the wake of a Sports Illustrated expose on the program's failure to graduate players. "Coach Finch was an assistant then," he said. "He stood on the front porch and promised my mother I'd graduate. She knew he'd be true to his word." Not long after, Moody dropped by the Memphis office to talk about signing up. Dana Kirk, the head coach at the time, pulled the papers out of his desk. "I was going to sign right then," Moody said. "But Coach Finch walks in and says, 'Where's your mama? You need to go home and get your mama because you're not signing anything until she's here to watch.'" Finch understood Memphis that way. Memphis kids and mamas, too. Finch's own decision to play for the Tigers -- over the objection of many in the black community -- is the stuff of legend now. But why did he do it? Wait. Finch wants to answer this one himself. "Take a deep breath, Larry," says Wade. Finch takes a deep breath. He rocks back and forth. He looks up toward the ceiling, as if gathering his strength. "My mama," he says, in a jumbled whisper, which you can hear if you lean in close. And this is the way the hours pass now, each moment an effort, an act of will. "He used to ask me one question over and over," says Leonard Draper, another friend. "'What did I do wrong?' " What did he do wrong to be trapped inside a broken body? What did he do wrong to be confined to a nursing home at age 54? He didn't take care of himself. Well, neither do most Americans. But they can still tie their shoes. Finch has three nurses who tend to him. He wakes every morning around 8. He watches basketball. He watches Jerry Springer. (Hey, it's the closest thing to Memphis-Louisville you can find anymore.) "OK, watch this," says Wade. "Larry, lift your legs." Finch moves his legs maybe six inches. "He didn't used to be able to do that," says Wade. "He's come so far." There's no way of knowing exactly what is going on inside Finch's mind, of course. The people who know him best say he's the same generous guy. Someone mentions that George Lapides, the radio host, is in the hospital. Finch rocks, then whispers. "I should go visit him." He weeps more than he used to. He's alternately determined, or lonely, or stubborn. "Who was the best player you ever coached?" Finch shakes his head. "I loved all of them," he says. He will spend today at the nursing home. Yes, it's Easter. It's also his life. What would he like by way of celebration? A big dinner? Some candy? He rocks, then whispers. "I'd like to walk." To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or send an e-mail. HELPING LARRY FINCH The Friends of Larry Finch Gala & Golf Tournament will take place April 27 and 28. The dinner is Thursday night, April 27, at the Finch Center. George Gervin is the keynote speaker. Tickets are $100 per person or $1,000 per table. The golf scramble is Friday, April 28, at Galloway. The price is $125 per person or $500 per team. Beyond that, you may send contributions to Friends of Larry Finch at BancorpSouth, 7800 Winchester, Memphis, TN 38125, attention John Prince. Or for more information call Ken Moody at 758-8753, or write him at moodykenneth@bellsouth.net.

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04/16/06		5 questions that must be answered before next season (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 16, 2006 John Calipari, new contract signed, is on board for the future. That means University of Memphis basketball fans have one less thing worry about. Still, many questions linger. Here, we'll try to answer five. Q: Will Shawne Williams and Darius Washington return to school? A: The short answer is that it's unclear. Over the past week, people close to the situation have offered contrasting opinions with some stating the outlook changes daily. It breaks down like this: Williams will be a first-round pick if he turns pro, and that means a guaranteed contract worth millions of dollars. His family is aware of this, and his grandfather is a proponent of leaving school, noting life offers no promises if a sophomore slump brings problems. On the other hand, Williams is the kind of prospect who could go from the middle of the first round to near the top of the lottery by returning to Memphis and delivering a more-polished and consistent effort next season. That would garner even more money, not to mention better position the Hamilton High product to contribute immediately at the NBA level, which is crucial considering the second contract of most players is the one that typically defines their careers, and it's hard for a person to get a lucrative second deal if he hasn't done much early. As for Washington, the options aren't as promising. Nobody projects him as a first-round pick, and it's debatable whether he'd be selected at all. So for the most part jumping to the NBA now seems silly unless Washington doesn't believe his proverbial stock will increase and the goal is to draw a paycheck now no matter what. On the other hand, in returning to Memphis Washington would be part of a logjam at point guard that could force him to play more off-the-ball. The positive is he would probably flourish in that role and become one of the best shooting guards in the nation. The negative is that the NBA is not looking for 6-2 shooting guards, so abandoning the quest to become a "true" point guard may hinder his longstanding pro aspirations. In other words, stay tuned. Q: Will all four signees qualify and be available next season? A: It appears so. Those close to the program have said Willie Kemp, Hashim Bailey and Pierre Niles are all fine academically, and should enroll in the first summer session of classes at the UofM. Tre'Von Willis is also OK. But he may be unable to enroll until the second summer term, though only because his high school year lasts longer than normal. Q: Will the Tigers sign anyone late who can help next season? A: Probably not. At one point, Tyler Smith was an option, but now it appears he's headed elsewhere, perhaps Pittsburgh. As always, there could be a walk-on, and Calipari acknowledged Saturday via cell phone while recruiting at an AAU Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark., that he is considering taking a transfer (Oklahoma State freshman Roderick Flemings is a possibility, though at this point only a possibility). Either way, walk-ons -- at least those not sponsored by Streets Ministries -- don't tend to contribute at this level, and any transfer wouldn't be eligible until the 2007-08 season. So there's probably nothing unknown that will help next year. Q: How is the recruitment of the Class of 2007 going? A: Good, by all accounts. Memphis already has a commitment from Will Bogan, a center from Missouri. Meanwhile, the Tigers are on solid ground with several of Rivals.com's Top 100 prospects, among them Illinois point guard Derrick Rose (No. 8), Texas center Anthony Randolph (No. 25), Ohio forward Alex Tyus (No. 36), New Jersey forward Jeff Robinson (No. 68), Memphis point guard Maurice Miller (No. 82) and Mississippi forward Ravern Johnson ( No. 93). Q: What about next year's schedule? A: Good news came from last week's meeting of the NCAA Management Council. One thing finally nixed -- though it still has to go through the board of directors, which shouldn't be a problem -- was the two-in-four rule that prohibited schools from playing in more than two exempted tournaments every four seasons. Had that stayed in place, the Tigers would've been unable to participate in the Maui Invitational because they played in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic two years ago and the NIT Season Tip-off last year. But with the rule now apparently out of the way, it's off to Maui for games on Nov. 20, 21 and 22. Other teams participating in the event are UCLA, Kentucky, Oklahoma, DePaul, Purdue, Chaminade and Georgia Tech. Memphis is guaranteed three games against those teams, though the bracket has not been set. Meanwhile, the Management Council also raised the total of regular-season games from 27 to 28 with exempted tournaments counting as one game. So because the Tigers will get a three-for-one deal in terms of accounting in Maui, they will play 30 regular-season games, 16 of which will be non-conference. Already on the schedule are contests at Tennessee, Arizona and Gonzaga. At home, the Tigers will have Ole Miss and Cincinnati. Beyond that, there will be a handful of "buy games" with opponents such as or similar to Winthrop and Louisiana Tech, and Calipari said Saturday there will be at least one more home game against a yet-to-be-determined Top 20 team. It's doubtful the schedule will be finalized before September. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/16/06		Sound off: Glad Calipari's staying (Commercial Appeal)
		Coach (John Calipari's) decision to remain at UofM once again proves that he is a "class act." He has been a tireless promoter of not only the university but of Memphis and many local activities as well. His insistence on academic progress as well as athletic progress by his players has brought new respectability to the program. Not being from this area, his personality has been difficult to understand by some. Sometimes it takes the possibility of a loss to appreciate what we have. Hubert Dellinger Jr. Memphis

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04/16/06		Powerful Rice humbles Tigers -- Owls get 27 hits in mercy-rule rubout (Commercial Appeal)
		By Bryan Brasher Contact April 16, 2006 Despite a much-improved record over a year ago and a nice midseason winning streak, the Memphis Tigers are still a young team dealing with youthful issues. They're experiencing the usual growing pains -- and growing pains are never more obvious than when you stand toe to toe with the biggest, meanest kid on the block. The Rice Owls, ranked second in the nation and firmly entrenched atop the Conference-USA standings, clobbered the young Tigers' pitching staff for 22 runs and 27 hits Saturday en route to a 22-6 victory before 1,023 at Nat Buring Stadium. The game was called after seven innings due to a special mercy rule that allows C-USA games to be stopped early if one team is leading by 15 runs or more after the seventh. Memphis (21-15, 6-5) lost to the Owls for the second straight day after entering the series with an eight-game winning streak. Rice (31-8, 10-1) has now won 13 straight games. "As soon as an opponent makes a mistake, they pounce," Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock said. "Your mistakes always hurt you more against a team like this. Every mislocated pitch is dangerous." Rice's offensive dominance was so complete it can only be described in mind-blowing bits and pieces: The 27 hits were a season-high for Rice, and all nine starters had a least two hits apiece. Every starter also scored at least one run. The Owls had 11 doubles from seven different players. Shortstop Brian Friday went 4-for-6 with four doubles and five RBI. The bottom three hitters in the Rice lineup, presumably the worst the Owls have to offer, each had home runs. Adam Zornes and Aaron Luna -- the Owls' eighth and ninth hitters -- had back-to-back homers in the second. Seventh hitter Jordan Dodson went 3-for-5 with a solo shot in the fifth. "They came out swinging the bats and put the ball where they needed to put it," Memphis centerfielder K.K. Chalmers said. "They're a good ball club. Their pitching keeps them in games, and they showed today that their offense can get rolling, too." The Rice offense looked like it would roll on forever in the second inning as 16 batters came to the plate, pushing 12 runs across home plate. The Owls had seven extra-base hits (five doubles and two home runs) against a pair of Memphis pitchers. When the dust settled, the game was out of reach. "During this winning streak, we've really been scoring most of our runs late," said Friday, who doubled twice during Rice's second-inning merry-go-round. "It was nice to get some runs early. You relax more at the plate. You're not as tight." But honestly, four doubles in one game? "I've never had four doubles in one game," Friday said. "I usually feel good if I get that many in a week or two." The Owls added three runs in the third and fifth innings and two each in the sixth and seventh. Memphis never threatened to get back in the game, but the Tigers continued battling and managed to score a few runs for peace of mind, if nothing else. Chalmers finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. First baseman Adam Amar went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, and catcher Alex Fennell was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Rice starting pitcher Bobby Bell (4-0) allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings to earn his fourth win. Memphis starter Phillip Utley (3-2) was touched for eight runs on eight hits and lasted just 12/3 innings to take the loss. The teams will meet in the series finale at noon today at Nat Buring Stadium.

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04/15/06		Winbush Qualifies for Regional in Long Jump for Second-Consecutive Year -- Lamar wins 100m at Lee Calhouns (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - It definitely was not the best weekend of the year for the Memphis men's track and field teams, yet the squad still got a regional qualifying performance out of Brandon Winbush at the Sea Ray Relays and an event title from Deante Lamar at the Lee Calhoun Memorial. Winbush inked his name in the regional lineup for a second-straight year in the long jump with a leap of 24-02.25" (7.37m), which was good enough for seventh in the strong field. Lamar, competing in his first meet as a Tiger, took the event crown, winning the 100m in Macomb with a time of 10.93. Willie Logan was the only other athlete to claim a top-two finish on the weekend, as he finished second to Lamar in the 100m with a time of 10.99. Several additional Tigers did post solid results at the Sea Ray Relays, though none logged top-ten showings. Most notably, Larry Harris clocked the fastest time in C-USA this year in the 110m hurdles, setting a personal best with a time of 14.33s, while logging a season best in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.92. Daniel Bandy set a personal and season best in the 100m at Sea Ray with a time of 10.85, while Willie Green was the top finisher for the U of M in the 100m, clocking a time of 10.82. On the women's side, the top performances were much more prevalent, as the Lady Tiger squad saw three school records and five regional marks at the Sea Ray Relays and two event titles at the Lee Calhoun Memorial. Gail Lee was the top performer for the U of M, breaking her own records in both the shot put and hammer, while also bettering previous regional qualifying marks in the two events. The junior finished second both the shot and hammer at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville, Tenn., recording marks of 52-09.50" (16.09m), and 183-09" (56.01m), respectively. Daniele Riendeau posted the final Lady Tiger record, as she finished second in the 10,000m at Sea Ray with a personal-best time of 37:21.51, bettering the previous record in the event by over three minutes. Throwers Sivan Aballi and Susan King added the remaining three regional-qualifying marks in Knoxville, though neither of the two bettered previous regional efforts from earlier in the season. Aballi posted two regional marks, finishing seventh in the discus and eighth in the shot put with throws of 156-06" (47.70m) and 48-10.75" (14.90m), respectively, while King placed seventh in the shot put with a toss of 49-01.50" (14.97m). The two Lady Tiger event titles came at the Lee Calhoun Memorial in Macomb, Ill., where LaShunda Flake and Ashley Stewart claimed a win apiece. Flake won the 100m in a personal-best time of 11.92, while Stewart won the 400m hurdles with a personal-best time of 1:06.02. Lady Tiger athletes also registered several more solid showings at the Lee Calhoun Memorial. Flake added a second placing second in the 200m in a time of 25.00 to her win in the 100m. Josetta Brooks placed second in the 100m hurdles with a season-best time of 14.41. Maria Majzik finished second in the long jump with a season-best leap of 18-02.50" (5.55m) and Cassandra Harding finished second in triple jump with a bound of 36-01.00" (11.00m). The U of M track and field team will be back in action next weekend as they travel to Nashville, Tenn., for the Vandy Relays on Friday and Saturday, April 21-22.

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04/15/06		Women's Tennis Falls 5-2 -- Tjioe and Wieser pick up straight set wins (GoTigersGo.com)
		COLUMBIA, Mo. - Playing without senior Kristin Noble, the Lady Tiger tennis team picked up wins at No. 4 and 5 singles, but fell to 3-15 on the season with a 5-2 loss in a neutral site match against Saint Louis University, Saturday. Juniors Alex Tjioe and Christina Wieser each picked up straight set wins, but the remainder of the Lady Tiger line-up was unable to bounce back from the doubles point loss. Saint Louis 5, Memphis 2 Doubles No. 1 -- Brooke Cowie/Alex Tjioe (UM) def. Katerina Lozanova/Tara Grant, 8-4 No. 2 -- Amanda Hellberg/Ana Renda def. Andrea Feichtinger/Christina Wieser, 8-0 No. 3 -- Rachel McCullagh/Caitlin Bokulic def. Ekin Zafir/Flavia Russo, 8-4 Singles No. 1 -- Amanda Hellberg def. Brooke Cowie (UM), 6-1, 6-1 No. 2 -- Katerina Lozanova def. Andrea Feichtinger (UM),6-0, 6-0 No. 3 -- Ana Renda def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-2, 6-3 No. 4 -- Alex Tjioe (UM) def. Tara Grant, 7-5, 6-4 No. 5 -- Christina Wieser (UM) def. Rachel McCullagh, 6-2, 7-6 (5) No. 6 -- Jo Becker def. Flavia Russo (UM), 7-5, 6-3 Records: Memphis: 3-15

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04/15/06		Men's Tennis Falls 7-0 at No. 32 Middle Tennessee -- Tigers tangle with Blue Raiders, but fall 9-8 in all three doubles matches (GoTigersGo.com)
		#32 Middle Tennessee 7, Memphis 0 SINGLES 1. (74) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. Sam Withell (UM), 6-4, 7-5 2. Marco Born (MT) def. James Spence (UM), 6-3, 6-3 3. Kai Schledorn (MT) def. Matt Brewer (UM), 4-6, 6-4, 10-6 4. Brandon Allan (MT) def. Michael Jetter (UM), 7-5, 3-6, 10-5 5. Greg Pollack (MT) def. Garrison Pilant (UM), 6-4, 6-4 6. Rishan Kuruppu (MT) def. Bryan Bankester (UM), 6-1, 6-0 Order of Finish: 6,2,1*,5,4,3 DOUBLES 1. (5) Born-Siljestrom (MT) def. Spence-Withell (UM), 9-8 (4) 2. Allan-Schledorn (MT) def. Brewer-Bankester (UM), 9-8 (3) 3. Pollack-Richard (MT) def. Jetter-Pilant (UM), 9-8 (5) Order of Finish: 1,2*,3

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04/15/06		Softball Rebounds to Take Series Finale From UCF -- U of M gets solid hitting and pitching in 3-1 victory (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis (22-21; 6-8 C-USA) 001 100 1 - 3 8 0 UCF (16-30; 2-16 C-USA) 001 000 0 - 1 7 0 ORLANDO, Fla. - Kara Ross drove a RBI single to leftcenter in the top of the fourth to bring home Bridgette McNulty for the game-winning run and Memphis went on to claim a 3-1 win over UCF in the C-USA series finale. Jenna Kubesch took the win for the U of M, giving up just one run in seven innings. The Lady Tigers and Golden Knights scored a run each in the third inning, but Kubesch held UCF in check from there and Memphis scored the game winner in the fourth and added an insurance tally in the seventh to seal the victory. The U of M took the first lead of the game in the top of the third, with Lindsey Pridgen singling to lead off the inning, stealing second, moving to third on a single by Cara Stiles and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Leila Dolfo. UCF knotted the score at one in the bottom half of the third with back-to-back, two-out hits. Amber Lamb doubled to leftcenter and Cici Alvarez followed with a single to right to score Lamb on a bang-bang play at the plate. The Lady Tigers reclaimed the lead for good in the top of the fourth, as Ross' long single to leftcenter scored McNulty, who walked, and gave the U of M a 2-1 advantage. Memphis later gave itself a two-run cushion with a run in the top of the sixth. Leandra Hines and Stiles registered a pair of singles to start the inning. Dolfo moved the runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, and Kimmi Hayden picked up a RBI groundout to plate Hines and give the U of M a 3-1 lead. Kubesch then retired the side on three flyouts in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win and push her record to 10-8 on the season. The junior gave up just the one earned run, while fanning seven and walking one in the complete-game victory. Allison Kime took the loss for UCF, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and falling to 11-14 on the year. Stiles led the U of M at the plate, going 4-for-4 with four singles, as she was the only Lady Tiger with more than one hit and logged her 18th multiple-hit game of the year. With the win, Memphis improves to 22-21 on the season and 6-8 in Conference USA play. UCF falls to 16-30 overall and 2-16 in the league. The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Wednesday, April 19, when they travel to Nashville, Tenn., to face Tennessee State in a double-header at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The next home games for the U of M will be Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, when it hosts East Carolina in a three-game C-USA series at Greenbrook Park.

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04/15/06		No. 2 Owls Route Tiger Baseball, 22-6 -- Memphis looks to salvage a game in series finale on Sunday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - 2 Rice (31-8; 10-1 C-USA) 0(12)3 032 2 - 22 27 0 Memphis (21-15; 6-5 C-USA) 0 0 1 300 2 - 6 11 1 The second-ranked Rice Owls sent 16 batters to the plate and exploded for 12 runs on 12 hits in the second inning to cruise to a 22-6 route of Memphis Saturday afternoon at Nat Buring Stadium. The Owls knocked a school-record 11 doubles in the game, including four two-baggers from shortstop Brian Friday. Friday hit two doubles in the second inning and finished the day 4-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored. Friday's two doubles were joined by three other Rice doubles, but the highlight of the frame was back-to-back home runs from Adam Zornes and Aaron Luna. Rice scored three more runs in the third to go up 15-0 before the Tigers notched their first run of the game on an RBI-single from K.K. Chalmers, who went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Adam Amar posted one of his two run-scoring hits in a three-run fourth. The junior launched his sixth home run of the year over the right centerfield wall to make it 15-2. Alex Fennell and Chalmers teamed up to drive Memphis' next two runs. Rice scored three in the fifth, two in the sixth and seventh for a 22-4 cushion. Consecutive singles from Kyle Norrid and Amar brought Chalmers and Will Petersen home, respectively, before the game was called in the seventh. Norrid extended his hit streak to 13 games with the single in his final at-bat of the game. Amar and Chalmers were the lone Tiger hitters to record multiple hits inteh game. Rice starter Bobby Bell picked up the win. He struck out seven in five innings of work. Philipi Utley was the losing hurler for Memphis after giving up eight runs on eight hits in an inning-and-a-third. Memphis will try to salvage a game in the series on Sunday. First pitch is set for Noon at Nat Buring Stadium.

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04/15/06		Tigers push No. 2 Rice before falling (Commercial Appeal)
		By Bryan Brasher Contact April 15, 2006 Rice pitcher Eddie Degerman didn't look like an unbeaten pitcher with a barely visible ERA. As a team, Rice didn't look like an NCAA powerhouse vying for its second national title in four years. But even at three-quarter throttle, Degerman and the second-ranked Owls were too much for the upstart Memphis Tigers to handle. Rice carried a three-run lead into the seventh inning and withstood several late charges from Memphis to down the Tigers 7-3 before a vocal crowd of 1,435 at Nat Buring Stadium. Memphis (21-14, 6-4 Conference-USA) saw its winning streak come to an end at eight games while Rice (30-8, 9-1) won for the 12th straight time and maintained sole possession of the conference lead. "I would love to have a couple of pitches, a couple of plays back," said Memphis coach Daron Schoenrock. "We pushed them. We had them on the ropes a couple of times. But there were some plays we needed to make, and we weren't able to." Degerman, a preseason all-America pick who entered the game with a 7-0 record and 1.01 ERA, was fairly sharp through the first six innings. The 6-4, 205-pound right-hander held Memphis scoreless on four hits and seemed to be on pace for his first complete game of the season with Rice leading 3-0. But things came unglued for Degerman in the seventh when he walked a pair of Tigers batters and uncorked three wild pitches. Memphis took advantage of his minor meltdown, scoring twice to pull within a run at 3-2. Thanks to the big bat of Rice's Adam Zornes, Memphis didn't stay within easy striking distance for long. With a runner at second and one out in the top of the eighth, Schoenrock lifted starting pitcher Stephen Gostkowski in favor lefthander Neil Schenk. Schenk promptly allowed a moon-shot two-run home run by Zornes that bounced off the top of the scoreboard in left centerfield. The home run gave Rice a comfortable lead once again at 5-3 and put Memphis back in desperation catch-up mode for the remainder of the game. The Tigers finally chased Degerman when Bill Moss led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to left. They even managed to score a run off C-USA's top relief pitcher Cole St. Clair when Adam Amar pushed Moss home with a single. But Schenk allowed two more runs in the top of the ninth, and St. Clair closed the door with two walks sandwiched between three strikeouts in the ninth. Despite his shaky exit, Degerman improved to 8-0 and 17-2 for his career. St. Clair picked up his league-leading sixth save. Gostkowski (1-3) had perhaps his best start of the season for the Tigers, allowing six hits and three earned runs. But he was strapped with his third loss of the season. Schoenrock was pleased with his team's effort against one of the tougher opponents in the country. But he planned to stress the minute details to his Tigers before Game 2 of the series today. "I thought our offensive approach was good," Schoenrock said. "We had some good swings, and 'G' (Gostkowski) was solid for us. But we're going to talk about making plays -- about doing the little things you have to do to beat a team like this." The two teams will meet again at 2 p.m. today at Nat Buring Stadium.

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04/14/06		The winning formula -- Success on the court doesn't always mean more fans (Memphis Business Journal)
		If you've attended both college and NBA basketball games at FedExForum this season, you may have noticed something different at University of Memphis Tigers games -- cheering fans. The U of M men's basketball team saw attendance increase by almost 77,000 fans for the season. The average attendance increased from about 10,000 fans to more than 14,000 fans per game. Since John Calipari took over in the 2000-01 season, the Tigers have ranked consistently in the NCAA's top 10 for attendance, with the exception of 2004-05, placing as high as sixth in the nation his first season. To the contrary, the Memphis Grizzlies, which are coming off their second-ever playoff appearance, are seeing attendance drop this season to an average of 15,767 fans that seem to spend more time waiting to cheer than actually cheering. The Grizzlies, which cracked the NBA's top 20 for attendance last season, have fallen out this year, with an average attendance ranking only above the Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Portland Trailblazers. None of those teams are likely to make the playoffs this season, and all have losing records. Dave Woloshin, who has covered the Tigers since 1981 and covered the plethora of professional teams Memphis has had over the years, as well as the Dallas Mavericks, says the NBA game has become more of a business since attention to the game itself doesn't exist until the fourth quarter. "You have announcements that, due to sponsorship agreements, have to be announced during games, but that's part of the package and it pays the bills," Woloshin says. "The Grizzlies do a good job of making the entire experience of the game an event, but that isn't based on the game itself. With the NBA, things don't even come alive until the fourth quarter." Woloshin, who grew up in Chicago, says he noticed the changes in the mid-1980s when he was announcing games for the Mavericks. Now games are productions, with pyrotechnics, soundtracks and dancers filling up every single moment. "It is all an orchestrated, choreographed big-time business," Woloshin says. NBA noise has been talked about so much all season that the Mavericks decided to host a "silent" game this season that featured no announcers, no music and no dancers. The only sounds were the sounds on the court and the amplified noise of the ball going through the net. The experiment, says Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, was eerie. "Some people were trying to get defense chants going on their own," Cuban says. "A lot of people told us to never do that again." Despite the distractions that go along with games, Woloshin says FedExForum has been a real homecourt advantage for the Tigers, which lost only one game there this season. He says it is a big improvement from The Pyramid, which didn't amplify the noise level as much as the Mid-South Coliseum, the Tigers' other previous home. While teams like Louisville, Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky have legendary on-campus facilities that are menacing for opposing teams to play in, the Tigers are beginning to experience that same advantage in FedExForum, even if the Grizzlies don't. "The Tigers have been Memphis' sports franchise since the '50s and the sports fans of this city have always been captivated by them," Woloshin says. "There are other teams like Georgetown and DePaul that don't play on campus, but the Tigers have always captured the enthusiasm of the college game without being on campus." That enthusiasm, says Tigers alum and season ticket holder Jim Phillips, who was a senior when the Tigers played UCLA for the national championship in 1973, has led him to follow the Tigers during his global travels until he moved back to Memphis to oversee the creation of the FedEx Institute of Technology. "When the team moved from near anonymity to the top of the college basketball charts, that transformed me to where Tiger basketball to this day ranks above golf, fishing, hunting, and ... uh, I better stop there," Phillips says. "When I was with Motorola living in Chicago, I would drive 20-35 miles to a big hill where I received the Tiger radio signal. Once I could pick up on Jack Eaton saying something like 'Great Scott, if it weren't for gravity that shot would have even missed the floor,' I felt transported back to my hometown, content to be at virtual ringside for my favorite team in the world." Phillips makes sure he has a live feed to Tigers games if he isn't in town, but is also surprised by the number of empty seats he's seen in FedExForum. Bill Lofton, associate director of athletics management at the U of M, says the Tigers have averaged 14,800 fans this season after a slow start. The bigger the crowds, the better it has been for the Tigers. As part of the deal the team has with the Grizzlies and FedExForum, the university is guaranteed $800,000 per season. They pay $10,000 in rent per game, with the Grizzlies keeping parking, concessions and suite sales revenue. The Tigers get revenue from tickets, extra courtside signage, the first ring of advertising on the scoreboard and Tiger merchandise sales. If they don't average 10,000 fans for the season, they get a percentage of the $800,000; if the team averaged attendance of 9,000 fans per game, they would get 90% of the $800,000. The Tigers have met their end of the deal both seasons in FedExForum. Rob Hoerter, an account executive with Sossaman & Associates, the advertising firm that creates ad campaigns for the Tigers, says basketball has always had fan support. "You've got amazing season ticket holders here because we're always in the top 10 (in college basketball) in attendance, win, lose or draw," Hoerter says. "As we've won more this year, more people are interested in the program." Having two successful basketball teams seems like a fan's dream, but both teams could be victims of their own success. With preseason games and at least two playoff games, Grizzlies fans have 47 opportunities to see their team at home, while Tiger fans have 20 home games. Woloshin says fans could just be trying to pace themselves. "We're a small market, but support for the Tigers and Grizzlies has been very compelling," he says. "Both teams are flourishing with good crowds, but a lot of fans are picking the games they want to go to." While he agrees crowds are good, Grizzlies' owner Michael Heisley says trying to figure out their likes, dislikes and how to keep them coming is very difficult. "Basketball is a very, very complex business," Heisley says. "How you attract the fans and what you do to keep them is one of the most challenging things I've done. We've still got a lot of work when it comes to getting a fan base so we can sell every game out like we should. I don't know why we're not." msheffield@bizjournals.com | 259-1722

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04/14/06		Baseball's Win Streak Snapped in 7-3 Loss to No. 2 Rice -- Tigers and Owls play again Saturday at 2 p.m. (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - #2 Rice (30-8; 9-1 C-USA) 010 002 022 - 7 8 3 Memphis (21-14; 6-4 C-USA) 000 000 210 - 3 7 2 Memphis battled hard, but a pair of Owl home runs eventually sent the Tigers to a 7-3 defeat in the series-opening contest at Nat Buring Stadium Friday evening. The first blow the No. 2 Owls dealt Memphis came in the sixth inning. After Memphis rally fell short, Rice stole the momentum with a one-out solo homer off the bat of third baseman Josh Rodriguez that put Rice on top 2-0. The Owls would plate another run in the inning to make it 3-0. Rice's second home run came in the eighth after Memphis crossed two runs to close the gap to 3-2 through seven innings. Joey Lieberman singled and came around to score on three wild pitches by Owl starter Eddie Degerman. A groundball out scored Michael Murray, who walked. RU against ran off with the momentum via a two-run homer by pinch hitter Adam Zornes to reclaim the three-run advantage, 5-2. Memphis answered with a run in the eighth on an RBI-single by Adam Amar. But Rice again responded with a run on a Tiger fielding error and a sacrifice fly for the 7-3 final. Degerman improved to 8-0 on the year, while Cole St. Clair picked up his sixth save of the season after giving up three runs on two hits in an inning-and-a-third. Stephen Gostkowski was the hard-luck loser for the Tigers. The senior starter scattered six hits and allowed just one earned run in seven-and-one-third innings of work. He fanned seven. The two teams will meet again tomorrow with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/14/06		Softball Suffer Two One-Run Setbacks at UCF -- Golden Knights hand Lady Tigers 2-1 and 4-3 defeats (GoTigersGo.com)
		Memphis 000 010 0 - 1 4 2 UCF 200 000 x - 2 5 1 Memphis 000 012 0 - 3 10 5 UCF 000 103 x - 4 3 1 ORLANDO, Fla. - The Memphis softball team had trouble scoring in game one and had trouble stopping the UCF offense in game two, as the Lady Tigers suffered a pair of one-run setbacks at the hands of the Golden Knights. The U of M dropped the first half of the twinbill 2-1 before falling 4-3 in the nightcap. Jenna Kubesch posted a solid outing in the circle for Memphis in the first game of the day, but the Lady Tigers were unable to recover after giving up two first-inning runs. Game two was a back-and-forth affair, with the U of M appearing to have the upper hand as it scored two runs in the sixth to take a 3-1 advantage. However, Memphis made five costly errors in the contest and UCF plated three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth on a homerun by Ashley Van Ryn and claimed the victory. The Golden Knights used three hits and a Lady Tiger error to claim their 2-0 advantage in game one. Ashley Baker picked up a sacrifice fly and Breanne Javier added a RBI single to score the runs. Memphis cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth, plating a run to make the score 2-1. Tori Gross reached on an error to start the frame, then stole second and scored on a two-out single up the middle by Cara Stiles. Memphis had a shot to tie the score in the top of the sixth, after a pair of two-out base hits by Melissa Nance and Kimmi Hayden, but UCF starter Allison Kime worked out of the jam and tossed a perfect seventh to seal the victory. The sophomore allowed just the one unearned run and struck out six to move to 11-13 on the year. Kubesch took to loss, striking out four and allowing only one earned run, but dropping to 9-8 on the season. The U of M totaled just four hits in game one, with Stiles, Nance, Hayden and Leila Dolfo picking up a base hit apiece. In game two, Memphis starter Nicki Johnson and UCF hurler Ashley Baker kept zeros on the board until the fourth inning. The Golden Knights nearly took the lead in the bottom of the third, but Stiles made a perfect throw to the plate to gun down Cici Alvarez when she attempted to score on a single by Javier. UCF broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth with Magon Dean tripling and scoring when McNulty bobbled a Kacie Feaster bunt. Lindsey Pridgen then tied the score in the top of the fifth, blasting her third homerun of the season, a solo shot to leftcenter. The U of M took a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth when Nance singled to center and the ball was misplayed by Kacie Feaster in centerfield, allowing Hayden and McNulty to score. Hayden had doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on a single by McNulty. UCF however, came right back to reclaim the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, as Brittany Walters walked, Lindsay Dean reached on an error and Ashley Van Ryn hit a two-out, three-run homerun to rightcenter to give the Golden Knights a 4-3 advantage. Johnson took a tough loss in the circle, as she did not give up an earned run, but was haunted by the five Lady Tiger errors and the mistake to Van Ryn and fell to 9-8 on the year. Baker took the win for UCF to improve her mark to 2-8. Memphis recorded 10 hits in game two, as Pridgen was 2-for-2 with the homerun and a double, Kara Ross was 2-for-3 with two singles and McNulty was 2-for-4 with two singles to lead the way. With the pair of losses, the U of M falls to 21-21 on the season and 5-8 in C-USA, while UCF improves to 16-29 overall and 2-15 in league play. The Lady Tigers and Golden Knights will complete their three-game series Saturday afternoon in Orlando, with the first pitch set for 12 p.m.

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04/14/06		Hot Memphis Women's Golf Team Prepares for C-USA Championship -- Tate enters tournament with lowest conference stroke average (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 GREENVILLE, N.C. - After a high of winning its first tournament in four years, the University of Memphis women's golf team will attempt to bring the emotion into the Conference USA Championship beginning on Sunday. The three-day tournament will be played at Ironwood Country Club, a 72-par, 7,151-yard course. The Lady Tigers enter the championship after winning the Lady Eagle Invitational by 13 strokes on Tuesday. Junior Stacey Tate won her third individual championship in four tournaments at the event. Tate is one of the favorites to win the tournament and leads all C-USA individuals with a 74.3 stroke average. The New Zealand native is averaging a 71.8 in four spring events and a 215.2 tournament average. After correcting a flaw in her swing over the winter break, Tate shaved off 4.7 strokes from her average and 14.7 strokes from her tournament average. A four-time C-USA Women's Golfer of the Week selection and three-time honoree this spring, Tate has finished in the top eight in six of her eight tournaments. In spring competition, she has medaled in three out of four events and tied for fourth in the other. Memphis is the fourth highest ranked team in the tournament coming in at No. 84 by Golf Week. First-year conference member SMU is the highest ranked team at No. 23. The Mustangs have finished in the top four in six out of 10 tournaments this year and have placed second in their last two events. SMU is one of three conference teams to have played in the NCAA Regional in 2005 with Tulsa and East Carolina being the other two. Tulsa is another high-ranked newcomer that enters the tournament at No. 35. The Golden Hurricane are looking to win their eighth-straight conference tournament after winning seven-in-a-row in the Western Athletic Conference. Tulsa is the only current C-USA school to have played in the NCAA Championship in 2005. Tournament host East Carolina is the third highest ranked team in the tournament with a No. 63 rating. Other top 100 schools include No. 89 UCF and No. 91 UTEP. Southern Miss, Marshall and UAB round out the seven-member conference. The tournament was to be hosted by Tulane who won the C-USA Championship in 2005 at Memphis. After Hurricane Katrina, the event was moved to Greenville, N.C., and Tulane dropped its women's golf program. Tate, ranked No. 105 by Golf Week, will have several challengers in the competition. Tulsa's Michaela Cavener is the highest ranked player in the tournament at No. 43. The sophomore has finished in the top 20 in seven of eight tournaments and has a 75.2 stroke average. SMU's junior Lacey Jones is ranked No. 76 and has a 75.9 average while junior teammate Kristina Rothengatte is ranked No. 103 with a 75.8 stroke average. East Carolina freshman Lene Krog is ranked No. 77 with a 74.5 average. After the success in the Lady Eagle Invitational, Memphis will bring its same roster to the conference tournament. Sophomore transfer Dawn-Marie Conaty will be the No. 2 golfer behind Tate. The Ireland native set a career tournament best with a 224 at the Lady Eagle Invitational and finished tied for 4th. She is averaging a 77.9 through four tournaments with a 72 as her low round. Freshman Rachel Larson will be in the No. 3 position. The Lone Tree, Colo., native is one of two Memphis players to participate in all eight tournaments. Larson is averaging a 79.3 and has two top 20 finishes. In the spring, Larson is averaging a 78.9 and finished tied for 17th in her last event. The only senior on the roster, Bernie Rosero, will play in the No. 4 slot. The Ecuador native played the best tournament of her career at the Lady Eagle Invitational. Rosero shot a career best 231 and a career low 73 in the first round to tie for 13th. Junior Kathryn O'Rourke rounds out the Lady Tiger squad in the No. 5 position. O'Rourke had a strong performance in her first tournament of the spring at the Lady Eagle Invite, shooting a 231 to tie for 13th. The Holmes, N.Y., native has played in three tournaments this season and is averaging a 79.7. Tate is a strong candidate for an at-large individual bid into the NCAA Regional tournament in May. However Memphis head coach Jenny Bruun said she believes a strong performance by the Lady Tigers in the tournament could be enough to give the team an at-large bid. For that to happen, Memphis would have to at least finish in the top three. The Lady Tigers finished seventh at the 2005 C-USA Championships in Memphis with a 961. Tate led the team with a 239 to tie for 25th. The last time the U of M won the conference tournament came in 2001. The Tigers have won the tournament two times in the 10-year history of the conference.

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04/14/06		Calipari To Be On ESPN2's Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith Friday -- Show scheduled to air at 10 pm (CT) (GoTigersGo.com)
		NEW YORK, N.Y. - University of Memphis head coach John Calipari will be a guest on ESPN2's "Quite Frankly With Stephen A. Smith" Friday, April 14. The show is slated to air at 10:00 p.m. (CT). Calipari, who guided the Tigers to a school-record 33-4 record and an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in 2005-06, has been a frequent guest on national sports shows this year. He was on "Quite Frankly" two times during the NCAA Tournament in March. Most recently, Calipari served as a guest host on Fox Sports Net's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" April 4-7.

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04/14/06		Tigers pumped about chance to slug it out with highly-regarded Owls, 'Dogs (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 14, 2006 It may have happened at some point in the University of Memphis baseball program's past, but Jason Redd, the media relations baseball contact, can't readily find examples. Suffice to say what will transpire in the next six days is as much a rarity for Tiger baseball as it is an opportunity. During the span, the UofM will play host to two of the nation's top 10 programs, beginning with a three-game Conference USA set tonight against second-ranked Rice and continuing Tuesday and Wednesday against No. 10 Mississippi State. Five of the six will be played at Nat Buring Stadium on the UofM's south campus. Wednesday's game will be held at AutoZone Park. ''It's unbelievable,'' said outfielder K.K. Chalmers. ''All we've been talking about is how fun it's going to be. We have Rice and Mississippi State back-to-back ... it doesn't get any better than that. Those are two of the top programs in the nation coming to your park to play.'' Memphis has played, and defeated, top 25 programs -- including Alabama, Tulane and Southern Miss -- this season, but Rice and Mississippi State will present greater challenges. Rice's weekend rotation of Eddie Degerman, Craig Crow and Joe Savery is among the nation's best. Degerman, a 6-4 senior, is 7-0 with a 1.01 earned-run average in 622/3 innings. Crow, a 6-2 junior, is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA. And Savery, a 6-3 sophomore lefthander, is 4-1 with a 1.68 ERA. Savery, a consensus preseason All-America selection, was chosen C-USA Preseason Player of the Year. ''What sticks out with the Rice and Mississippi State series is the kind of pitching we'll see,'' said second-year Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock. ''We've got to stay on an even keel. ''Rice pitches so well that it changes how they play offensively. They try to score one or two runs and out-pitch you. That's what good pitching staffs do. What you've got to do is score when you get the opportunities. You've got to get the two-out hits.'' Memphis (21-13) is entering the stretch having won eight straight games, the longest streak since the 1994 team -- the last to earn an NCAA Tournament bid -- won 16 in a row. The Tigers, who surpassed last year's total of 13 victories earlier this month, won two-of-three at nationally ranked Southern Mississippi two weeks ago and swept Marshall last weekend on the road. The sweep was the first on the road for the Tigers since 2002. The UofM is prospering behind a hard-hitting lineup and an opportunistic defense. In Tuesday night's non-conference win over Murray State, the Tigers turned an NCAA-record tying seven double plays. First baseman Adam Amar, who leads C-USA with a .385 average, is one of five players in the starting lineup batting .300 or better. ''Our depth is the big thing,'' Amar said. ''We are deep at all positions. And we're getting good, timely hitting and good, timely pitching.'' Amar said an influx of transfers has quickly transformed a team that was 13-42 a year ago, including 5-25 in C-USA play and 4-20 at home. The Tigers are 6-3 in the conference entering tonight's game against Rice. Among the transfers are shortstop Michael Murray, outfielders Ben Grisham and Will Petersen and third baseman Kyle Norrid. Grisham is a former Mississippi State player and Norrid, a former Germantown High star, transferred in from Tennessee. ''We are so confident now that we can get the job done,'' Amar said. ''Coach has had us prepared since the beginning of the year. That's why it's so much fun to play these games. It builds your confidence and prepares you (later) for playing at the conference tournament.'' Schoenrock said he's looking forward to the stretch of games and seeing how his young team reacts to the challenges. ''Our kids are aware of where these teams are ranked,'' Schoenrock said. ''But I think this team will show up and play. They are battle-tested.'' Memphis opened the season with victories over Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. They won two games in 11 innings last weekend at Marshall and are 4-0 in extra-inning games. ''Coming into this year we knew we were going to be able to compete,'' Chalmers said. ''We knew we were going to be in ballgames. The guys have really come together and we are playing more like a team. At the beginning of the season we were still getting a feel for one another. We're out here now having fun and keeping ourselves in ballgames.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/14/06		Players' hopes swayed Calipari (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 14, 2006 John Calipari met with media members Thursday for the first time since signing a new contract with the University of Memphis. Among his constant themes was that loyalty to his current players was more important than the additional money he could've made by accepting an offer to be the next basketball coach at North Carolina State. "This wasn't about money because if it was I wouldn't be standing here," Calipari said before a YES Foundation function at the Holiday Inn on the UofM Campus. "You're sitting here and you have a staff and their families, and then you have your other family -- those 13 or 14 basketball players. And at the end of the day there are a lot of young people pinning their hopes on what we do. We have a good group of young people, and I'm ecstatic about coaching them." Calipari's remarks came near the close of a whirlwind week that began with N.C. State offering a deal worth close to $2 million per year that he ultimately rejected in favor of agreeing to an extension with Memphis. While details of the new contract have not been disclosed, sources told The Commercial Appeal it will increase Calipari's base salary from less than $1.1 million to about $1.3 million, though that number does not include additional shoe contract money or various incentives that will escalate the package. So in the end, everything worked out. Memphis got the coach it wanted. The coach got what he wanted. But make no mistake, none of it came easy, the negotiations got testy and Calipari, at times, said he felt like he was on the verge of cardiac arrest. He wasn't eating. He wasn't sleeping. He was guzzling coffee like a Hummer does gas. "I had chest pains so bad one night in bed and told my wife and she said 'Go to sleep' and I said, 'I won't wake-up. What are you talking about go to sleep?'" Calipari said with a laugh. "This is not something I wanted to go through or plan on going through again." Now all the focus turns towards Darius Washington and Shawne Williams, each of whom has a decision to make about whether he will also return to the UofM. While analysts agree both could benefit from at least another year of college, Washington, a sophomore point guard, and Williams, a freshman forward, are admittedly considering turning pro. Players who want to enter the NBA Draft have until April 29 to file the proper paperwork. However, Calipari said Washington and Williams could announce their decisions "in the next couple of weeks" while adding through implication he'd have no issues if either or both opted to at least test the process without hiring an agent. Under that scenario, the duo could work out for teams and participate in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp June 6-10. They would then have until June 18 to withdrawal. "How can I tell them if they want to look at things not to?" Calipari said in reference to his serious look at N.C. State this week. "I'll meet with Darius and his father and Shawne and his grandfather. ... But this is not about us. This is about them." -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/14/06		Tiger Notes: Basketball, Softball, Football, Tennis, Volleyball (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 14, 2006 Daughter of ex-Louisville star set to join Lady Tigers The University of Memphis women's basketball team is expected to add two players during the spring signing period, including the daughter of former University of Louisville standout Billy Thompson. Mercedes Thompson, a 6-foot forward from Indian Rivers (Fla.) Community College and New Zealand native Aroha Jennings, a 5-9 guard from Dodge City (Kan.) Community College, are expected to sign as early as today. The spring signing period started Wednesday. Thompson's father was the leading scorer for the 1986 national champion Louisville Cardinals and played alongside Milt Wagner, a UofM men's basketball assistant under John Calipari. Thompson led Louisville with a 14.9 average and Wagner averaged 14.8 points. Wagner and Thompson are lifelong friends. Both came to Louisville in the early 1980s from Camden, N.J. Mercedes, a strong rebounder who can run the floor, averaged averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds for Indian River CC last season. She will enter the UofM as a sophomore. Jennings was among the top scorers in NJCAA Region 6. In 31 games she averaged 16.4 points, which ranked seventh in the region, and shot 53 percent, which ranked 10th. A player who can score from the perimeter as well as the low block, Jennings shot 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. Not afraid to drive to the basket, she attempted the third-most free throws (150) in the region. Up front admirers The first-year Lady Tiger softball team, which nearly swept league-leader Southern Miss last weekend, plays at Central Florida in a Conference USA weekend series starting with a doubleheader today in Orlando. The teams will wrap up the three-game set with a single game Saturday. Coach Windy Thees' team has quickly earned the respect of veteran league coaches, including Southern Miss' Gay McNutt. McNutt, in her 12th season as a softball coach, said Thees should be proud of the progress her first-year team has made. ''I think Memphis did a great job in hiring Windy Thees,'' McNutt said. ''She is enthusiastic and she's put together some good kids. And they play hard. It doesn't matter if it's your first year or your 15th year, if your kids don't play hard it's going to be frustrating. ''She doesn't seem frustrated. She seems encouraged about her program's future. She took two games from the No. 1 team in the conference. That should give them a big boost.'' Good news on injuries Two Tiger football players injured in last Saturday's Blue-Gray scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium received encouraging news this week. Receiver Maurice Jones and linebacker Greg Hinds, who had knee injuries, underwent MRIs and neither is expected to face surgery. Instead of torn anterior cruciate ligaments, Jones and Hinds were found to have torn medial collateral ligaments. Jones also had a torn posterior cruciate ligament. Hinds' injury was termed a ''mild MCL.'' Jones, a sophomore-to-be, is expected to spend the next four-to-six weeks on crutches and may be available for preseason workouts in August. Hinds, who will be a junior, also is expected to be available in August. Odds and ends The Lady Tiger basketball team held its awards banquet earlier this week and juniors Devin Necaise, Ashley Howard and Megan Gooch earned top honors. Necaise, from Necaise Crossing, Miss., was voted Ms. Offense after averaging 14.1 points per game; Howard, from Durant, Miss., was the recipient of the Ms. Defense award and Gooch, from Georgetown, Texas, was named Most Improved. ... The men's tennis team, which is 6-12 in spring matches, will finish its season Saturday at Middle Tennessee. For the Tigers, the No. 1 doubles team of James Spence and Sam Withell will attempt to win for the 13th time in 15 matches. ... The Lady Tiger tennis team (3-13) closes out its regular season with weekend matches at former C-USA member Saint Louis and Missouri. ... The Tiger women's tennis program went to Quebec to sign its first of three spring signees, inking Dara Toulch of Montreal, Quebec, to a National Letter of Intent to play her collegiate tennis in Memphis. ... The Tiger volleyball team signed Rachel Theard of Houston, Texas, a 5-10 outside hitter and middle blocker, and Emily Underwood of Ontario, a 6-3 middle blocker.

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04/14/06		Women's golf earns first win since '02 (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Trey Heath Sports Reporter The University of Memphis women's golf team has been oh so close to ending their four-year tournament victory drought. The Tigers were one shot away from a victory March 3 in the John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate Tournament in Georgia, but ended up tying for second But The U of M would not be denied in the following Lady Eagle Invitational Tournament in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. "We just really had to come together," said Stacey Tate, U of M junior. "Everybody mad better decisions and knew where to place their ball." Smart play by the Tigers and a final round score of 305 helped The U of M crush the 11-team competition at the Southern Miss hosted tournament with a 54-hole score of 892, the second-best score posted by a U of M team since the 1997 squad finished with an 892. "I think we turned a lot of heads in our last tournament in Georgia because we beat a lot of good schools," Tate said. The Tigers record-setting performance followed an opening score of 292, which also tied the programs record for best team score at The U of M. While Tate said the recent success of the Tigers women's golf program is attributed to a true team effort, Tate's performance this season has made her one of the hottest golfers in all of Conference USA. The New Zealand native was named C-USA Women's Golfer of the Week for the second straight week Wednesday. "It all feels pretty good," Tate said. "It has been a lot of hard work, but our teamwork has really paid off this season." Tate has finished in first place individually in three of the Tigers last four tournaments, wining the Pat Bradley Women's Championship, John Kirk/Lady Panther Intercollegiate as well as the Lady Eagle Invitational. Despite Tate's success, team chemistry is what has truly helped the Tigers find success this season, Tate said. "We are a very close team," Tate said. "I love to travel with the team and we all have a lot of fun and we have great team chemistry." The Tigers will now focus on the C-USA tournament that is hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 16-18. "Our Conference USA goal is to finish in the top three," Tate said. After the C-USA tournament, Tate will focus her attention to the regional tournament were she is expected to be invited. Although she will be without her teammates for one of the first times this entire season, there is some comfort in playing by yourself, Tate said. "The game of golf makes you a selfish player," she said. "When I play by myself and I hit a bad shot, I don't have to worry about letting my team down."

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04/14/06		Calipari finally breaks silence (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Matt Laurie Sports Editor Before a banquet at the Holiday Inn near The University of Memphis campus, basketball coach John Calipari finally talked to the media. Fifteen minutes later, the silence was shattered and Calipari told why he didn't leave Memphis for North Caroline State. "It was the players, it wasn't the deal," Calipari said. "If it were the deal I'd be at the other school." Along with staying in Memphis Calipari earns a new contract that will, in theory, keep him here through the 2010-11 season. According to reports, Calipari's base salary will increase from $1.1 million to $1.3 million, not including incentives that boost the package to $1.7 million. The new deal also stipulates a raise for Calipari's assistants and improvements to the Finch Center. However, Calipari admits, the N.C. State job was enticing. "You're talking about an ACC job, unbelievable facilities and resources, you're talking about quality of life," he said. "There's just so many things when it got to where 'Maybe I should look at this,' So I did." Calipari confirmed that a flight was taken to N.C. State and equated the trip to a CIA mission, completed under secrecy. U of M Athletic Director R.C. Johnson, who was on the road with the Tiger Scholarship Fund, was not there for the press conference, but said in a statement released by the athletic department earlier today, "Six years ago we hired John Calipari as head coach for our basketball program and he made three commitments," said Johnson. "First, graduate student-athletes under his tutelage. Next, place this basketball program on a national stage and compete for championships. Finally, rekindle and strengthen the bond between the city and the basketball program. He's accomplished all three. John has committed to the university and the community, just as we have committed to him." Calipari said the relationship between he and Johnson is fine and both Johnson and University President Shirley Raines knew every step he was taking in looking at N.C. State. "The thing that was most important to me is the vision that I have for the program, and that everyone is on the same page," Calipari said. When asked if there was a job that could make him leave Memphis, Calipari said, "…not right now." In his six years at Memphis, Calipari has compiled a record of 148-59 and a record of 341-130 in 14 seasons. He's won four NCAA championship games while at Memphis and has averaged almost 25 wins per season. His 148 victories are the most by a Memphis coach in any six-year span. However, with that success, he still hasn't completed what he's set out to do at Memphis. "What I want to do here we haven't accomplished yet," he said.

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04/13/06		Baseball Set to Host No. 2 Rice in Three-Game Conference USA Weekend -- Tigers ride eight-game win streak (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis will face its stiffest test of the season this weekend when it hosts No. 2 Rice in a three-game Conference USA series and Nat Buring Stadium, beginning Fri., April 14. First pitch for the series-opener is set for 6:30 p.m. Game times for Saturday and Sunday are slated for 2 p.m .and Noon, respectively. Scouting the Owls The No. 2 Owls come to Memphis on an 11-game win streak and a 29-8 mark. The Conference USA Preseason favorite, Rice is 8-1 in Conference USA play with wins in each of its last eight league contests. The Owls swept a three-game series from UAB last weekend to take over sole possession of first place in the C-USA standings. Rice has held C-USA opponents to an average of just 2.77 runs per game. Rice hits .295 as team on the season and just .261 in league action. Rice ranks among the league's top five teams in hits (362, 4th), RBI (228, 3rd), runs scored (256, 3rd) and home runs (34, 2nd), triples (13, 2nd). They are the league leaders in doubles with 82. Just four Owl regulars are hitting over .300 with Greg Buchanan leading way and ranking sixth among C-USA players with a .359 average. The senior second baseman leads the team with 52 hits. Sophomore Brian Friday is ninth in the league with a .346 batting average. The Owl shortstop is hitting a blistering .429 in conference action and is tied for third in C-USA with 33 runs scored. Jordan Dodson and Tyler Hensley hit .313 and .302, respectively. Hensley is the C-USA leader with six triples. His six home runs is tied with Aaron Luna for the top spot on the squad. 2006 Baseball America Third Team All-American selection Josh Rodriguez is hitting just .296, but is fourth in C-USA with 324 RBI to go with 10 doubles. Dual position standout Joe Savery hits at a .298 clip, but has posted a team-high 13 doubles. Savery was tabbed Conference USA's Preseason Player of the Year, as well as earning 2006 Baseball America First Team All-American honors. In addition, the sophomore was noted as a Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, NCBWA, Rosenblatt Report and Street & Smith's First Team All-American. The southpaw is also on the Clemens Watch List (for nation's top pitcher) and Wallace Watch list (a national player of the year award sponsored by the College Baseball Foundation). Rice has the best pitching staff in Conference USA and one of the best in the nation. As a staff Rice leads the conference with a 2.67 ERA, 363 strikeouts and a .218 opponent batting average. Ace Eddie Degerman is undefeated in seven decisions and leads the team and the conference with a 1.01 ERA. Degerman is a Third Team All-American selection and joins Savery on the Clemens Watch list. The senior righthander has already won C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors twice this year. Degerman has struck out 10 or more batters in a game four times this season and seven times in his collegiate career. He has a team-high 86 strikeouts in just 62.2 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .161 against him--second in C-USA only to teammate Cole St. Clair's 1.26 opposing batting average. The sophomore is fourth in the league with a team-best five saves. He ranks third with a 1.47 ERA, but has an astounding 0.84 clip in league action. He has 66 strikeouts in 43 innings. Savery is 4-1 with a 1.68 ERA. Craig Crow and and Bobby Bell are both undefeated at 4-0, and 3-0, respectively. About The Tigers The nation's No. 2 team isn't the only team riding a winning streak coming into the series. The Tigers ride the momentum of an eight-game streak into the three-game set. The eight-straight wins is the most for a Tiger team in 12 years-since the 1994 team won 16-straight on its way to a NCAA Regional appearance. Memphis has gotten solid play in all facets of the game to build the longest streak in over a decade. The Tiger offense has pounded out 10 or more hits in six of the eight games, while its defense has also been solid. Memphis leads Conference USA after turning an NCAA record seven double plays in a 12-1 win over Murray State on Tuesday night. The U of M is third in the league with a .310 team batting average. Adam Amar leads both the team and the conference with a .388 average. Junior Kyle Norrid has an 11-game hitting streak and trails Amar with a .358 clip, good for eight among C-USA hitters. Designated hitter Joey Lieberman has hit homers in each of the last two games to take control of the top spot in Conference USA's home run s list with eight. Half of his hits have landed over the wall for home runs. Bill Moss and Will Petersen are tied for the team and league lead with 15 doubles each. Moss is hitting .350 while Petersen checks in at .342. Sophomore K.K. Chalmers leads all league players with 26 stolen bases. He has been thrown out just once. On the mound, Memphis has a staff ERA of 5.22, but opposing hitters are hitting at a .301 clip against them. Reliever Drew Jaudon has the squad's best ERA at 3.61. Junior Dusty Davis and freshman Matt Yokley are next with 4.28 and 4.30 ERA's each. Senior Marcus Davis has a team-high 31 strikeouts. Memphis is 21-13 overall and 6-3 in Conference USA play. The Tigers won just 13 games overall and five in league play in 2005. The U of M claimed it first road sweep in C-USA action since 2002 with a sweep of Marshall last week. The Series Memphis and Rice have never met on the baseball diamond.

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04/13/06		Softball Travels to UCF for Friday-Saturday C-USA Series -- Lady Tigers look to improve on sixth-place standing in league race (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis softball team travels to Orlando, Fla., this weekend to face UCF in a three-game C-USA series on April 15-16. The games were moved to Friday and Saturday due to the Easter holiday, as the Lady Tigers and Golden Knights will square off in a double-header Friday night at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. (CST), before playing a single game at 12 p.m. (CST) on Saturday.

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04/13/06		Track and Field Teams Split Up For Weekend Meets -- Squads travel to Sea Ray Relays and Lee Calhoun Memorial (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis track and field teams will split up this weekend for a pair of meets, as portions of the squads will travel to the University of Tennessee for the Sea Ray Relays, while others will head to Western Illinois for the Lee Calhoun Memorial. All of the U of M men who will compete this weekend - several sprinters, along with the field event athletes - will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., for Sea Ray. On the women's side, the team will be a split-squad in every sense, as portions of the both the distance and field groups will participate in each of the two meets. The only group of Lady Tigers that will all travel to the same meet are the sprinters and hurdlers, who will go to the Lee Calhoun Memorial. Coach Cash takes her runners to Macomb, Ill., each year for WIU's meet that honors the Lady Tiger coach's late father and bears his name. Lee Calhoun, is a former Olympic champion, who won the gold medal in the 110 yd. hurdles in both 1956 and 1960 before becoming the head men's track coach at Western Illinois. The Tigers and Lady Tigers taking part in the Sea Ray Relays will compete both Friday and Saturday, starting at approximately 9 a.m. both days, while those at the Lee Calhoun Memorial will compete on Saturday, beginning at approximately 10 a.m. Results and recaps for both meets will be posted at gotigersgo.com. Live results for the Sea Ray Relays can be followed at www.utsports.com.

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04/13/06		Memphis-Mississippi State Tilt at AutoZone Park to be televised on WKNO/Channel 10 -- Tigers Take on Bulldogs April 18-19 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis Tigers baseball game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Wed., April 19, will be aired live on WKNO/Channel 10, Public Television for the Mid-South. Coverage begins at 7 p.m., with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at AutoZone Park. The "Voice of the Tigers" Jeff Brightwell will give the play-by-play, with color commentary provided by former Tiger standout, Jonathan Lyons. Going into conference action this weekend, the Tigers are 21-13 and are riding an eight-game win streak--the program's longest win streak since a 16-game stretch in 1994. Ron Polk's Bulldogs are currently ranked eighth in the country after climbing as high as No. 1 after an 18-0 start. Memphis and Mississippi State split the season series in two games at AutoZone in 2003. The ninth-ranked Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 12-3 in the opener, before Ryan Martin hit a 10th-inning home run to lift the Tigers to a dramatic 8-7 win in the finale. Memphis is 8-19 all-time at AutoZone Park.

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04/13/06		Calipari To Remain As Tiger Basketball Coach -- He has a 148-59 record in six seasons at Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced today that John Calipari, who led his Memphis Tiger basketball team to a Conference USA Championship and a number one seed in this year's NCAA Tournament, has signed a new contract which will keep the renowned coach at the helm of the Memphis program through the 2010-11 season. "Six years ago we hired John Calipari as head coach for our basketball program and he made three commitments," said Johnson. "First, graduate student-athletes under his tutelage. Next, place this basketball program on a national stage and compete for championships. Finally, rekindle and strengthen the bond between the city and the basketball program. He's accomplished all three. John has committed to the university and the community, just as we have committed to him." Calipari guided the Tigers to a record-setting year in 2005-06. Memphis posted a 33-4 record, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament titles, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. The 33-4 record and the 33 victories were the best in school history. The league regular season title was the Tigers' second in three seasons (2004, 2006), and the conference tournament crown was the program's first since 1987. The No. 1 seed was the first in school history, and the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance was the Tigers' first since 1992. Memphis finished the year ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, the highest final poll ranking in school history. "My statements have never wavered," said Calipari. "As long as the school was committed to having a top-10 national program, I wanted to stay. Obviously, I feel that this has been done in the past and will continue to be done in the future. I look forward to coaching this wonderful group of players to heights unseen in this program's history." In 14 seasons, Calipari's record stands at 341-130 (.724 winning percentage), and he has averaged nearly 25 wins per season in his six years at Memphis (148-59 record; .715 winning percentage). He moved into the top 10 (No. 6 spot) for victories through a coach's first 14 seasons. In the 2004-05 campaign, Calipari joined Roy Williams, Everett Case, Denny Crum, Jim Boeheim, Tubby Smith and Nolan Richardson as the only coaches in the history of NCAA Division I basketball to win 300 or more games in their first 13 seasons. In 2005-06, Calipari joined more elite coaching company when he led the Tigers to a top-10 national ranking, becoming only the 13th coach in NCAA Division I history to direct two different teams to top-10 spots in the national polls. Calipari's UMass team went to No. 1 in 1995 and 1996, while the Tigers reached as high as No. 3 in the 2005-06 campaign. Calipari also joined Roy Williams as the only two coaches in NCAA Tournament history to lead two different programs to No. 1 seeds in the "Big Dance." Calipari's 148 victories are the most by a Memphis head coach in any six-year span. He is the only Tiger mentor to guide the program to 20-plus wins and a postseason berth in each of his first six years at the helm.

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04/13/06		Dara Toulch Signs With Lady Tiger Tennis -- Montreal, Quebec native will join the line-up in 2006-07 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis program went to Quebec to sign its first of three spring signees, inking Dara Toulch of Montreal, Quebec, to a National Letter of Intent to play her collegiate tennis in Memphis it was announced by Head Coach Charlotte Peterson, Thursday. Toulch is currently the No. 14 ranked player in U18 in Quebec and spent this past summer representing Canada at the World Maccabiah Games in Israel. The recipient of the MVP award at the 2003 Junior Maccabiah Games, Toulch is a three-time gold medalist at the provincial tournament. "I'm excited to have Dara not only as a tennis player, but also as a very fine young lady. I know she will contribute not only to the success of the team next year, but also to the continued success that we have experienced in the classroom. I had the opportunity to watch Dara in training in Florida over her holiday break and felt that she has the potential to develop into a very competitive player for our team." A 4.0 student majoring in communications, Toulch will continue to study communications at Memphis, intending to pursue a career in advertising after receiving her degree. She is currently in the top three in her English class and will graduate this spring. She is coached by Eric Giguere and Simon Larosse at Club CDL, and has played tennis since she was six years old. She has been a member of her provincial sports-study program since she was 15, and also considered Niagara and Elon for her college tennis. "I just really liked the team and love the atmosphere of the city and school," Toulch said. "The girls were so nice and I love the coach. I also loved the urban feeling of the school." She is the daughter of Steve and Jo-ann Toulch and has one sister, Alex. She will come to Memphis in the fall of 2006 to start her collegiate tennis career. Toulch becomes the Lady Tigers' first signee out of Canada since Laura Hughes graduated in 2002. She will be joined by two more Lady Tiger tennis signees in the early signing period. Memphis will lose two players to graduation following the 2005-06 season. Andrea Feichtinger and Kristin Noble will each complete their collegiate playing careers with a pair of regular season road matches against Saint Louis University and Missouri before participating in the Conference USA Championships, Apr. 20-23rd.

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04/13/06		Tiger Volleyball Adds Three to 2006 Signing Class -- Tigers add depth with talented additions (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis head coach Carrie Yerty announced the signing of a trio of prep products Thursday, as Christine Bach, Rachel Theard and Emily Underwood signed their national letters of intent to play volleyball at Memphis. Bach will come the Memphis from Dresden, Germany, by way of Royal High School in Elroy, Wisc., where she spent the 2003-04 school year as a foreign exchange student. She played middle blocker at RHS and was tabbed conference MVP as well as earning all-state recognition in just one year. While in Wisconsin, Bach played club volleyball for the Wisconsin Power 17-1, the top team in the club. A versatile player, she playes setter and libero for the Power, helping guide the club to a National Tournament appearance at the 17U age group. In Germany, Bach played club volleyball for Dresdner Sports Club and helped her team to a German Championship in 2000. She currently plays for Beach Volleyball Club Dresden in Germany. BVCD plays in the Regional League--one of the top leagues in Germany. Theard, a product of Mirabeau-B. Lamar High School in Houston, will don the blue and gray after a solid high school and club career. At 5-10, Theard has played both outside hitter and middle blocker in her career. She was a three-year letterwinner and helped lead Lamar HS to a third-place finish in the regional tournament as well as a third-place showing in the Big South Qualifier. Theard was an all-district selection as a high school senior. She played club volleyball for the Texas Tornados and was a teammate of Tiger signee, Katlin Inglish. "Rachel is a versatile athlete," said Yerty. "She plays middle Blocker for one of the best club teams in Texas and was trained by a former Olympian. She will add great court awareness and a positive court personality to our team. We look for her to come in and provide depth at middle hitter." Underwood comes to Memphis from Port Elgin, Ontario, where she prepped at Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS). The 6-3 middle blocker was a four-year starter for SDSS and served as team captain her sophomore and senior years. She earned MVP honors as a sophomore. At SDSS, Underwood led her squad to the Bluewater Athletic Association title and an appearance in the Central Western Ontario Secondary School Association tournament as a senior. The 6-3 Underwood has a standing reach of 8-1 and a wingspan of 7-10. "Emily is one of the top prospects out of Canada," said Yerty. "She brings size, mobility and quickness to our team. We are looking for her to add depth to our middle hitter position. She has unlimited potential, and as she continues to train, I expect that she will develop into a great Division I player." Underwood played both middle blocker and right side for her club volleyball team, the Waterloo Tigers. She helped the team to gold medal finishes in the 2005 18U Ontario Girls Provincial Cup and was selected as one of 40 athletes in Ontario to participate in Provincial High Performance Camp in 2005. She played in the 17U Nationals in 2005 and will participate in the 20U National Tournament this month and 18U Nationals in May.

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04/13/06		Wrath of a salesman (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Commentary by Tim Miller Rumors swirled the last couple of days in regards to the future whereabouts of basketball coach John Calipari. Some said he was on a plane en route for Raleigh, N.C. to tour the basketball facilities at North Carolina State. Others said he was enjoying a half-chicken at Central BBQ just down the road from The University of Memphis campus. My sources told me that he was aboard a spaceship headed to the moon to meet with secret service agents about highly classified matters. Of course, those rumors mean nothing now. Calipari will remain in Memphis as head coach of the Tigers for at least one more season thanks to a restructured contract, according to reports, that will up his base salary from $1.1 million to $1.3 million, not including incentives that boost the package to $1.7 million. The new deal also stipulates a raise for Calipari's assistants and improvements to the Finch Center. It was recently brought to my attention in an ESPN.com column by Pat Forde that George Mason coach Jim Larranaga has won as many NCAA tournament games (4) in one year as Calipari has won in six years at Memphis. But that isn't the issue here. College basketball is a business and coaches have every right to negotiate for more dollars. Calipari did, after all, put Memphis basketball back on the map and had the Tigers ranked in the top-five for much of last season. If he wants more money, fine. But the problem with the whole ordeal lies within Calipari's snake oil methods of negotiation. A few weeks ago he said he wanted to stay with the Tigers as long as The University treated him fairly. However, when N.C. State officials came knocking on his door, the last thing Calipari had in mind was fairness. He manipulated the situation and made the trip to Raleigh for the sole purpose of flexing his muscles and bullying U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson: Meet my demands or I'll leave. This is not the first time Calipari has pulled such a stunt. In 2001, he used a South Carolina offer as leverage to increase his salary at Memphis from $550,000 to $1 million. And that was after the Tigers recorded a third-place finish in the NIT. You might be thinking, if it's money he's after, why didn't Calipari just take the $2 million to coach the Wolfpack? Simple. It's for the same reason he didn't go to South Carolina or Pittsburgh, his hometown, when he had the chance. He knows he can't be successful in a big-time conference like the ACC. His recruiting abilities alone would not be enough to compete with teams like Duke and North Carolina that are loaded with talent every year. He'd have to rely on his coaching abilities. Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski would have their teams running circles around Calipari's squad. Enough said. Despite popular opinion, Johnson is not to blame for the recent saga. The bulk of coach's salaries come from booster contributions. It wasn't like Johnson had a stash of $1 billion hidden in a vault in the athletic offices. He didn't simply refuse Calipari's demands. Johnson most likely scrambled to lobby high profile boosters to give more money so Calipari would stay. And, in the end, Calipari is still here, isn't he? Johnson did his job. Johnson is also responsible for bringing Tommy West to Memphis. No one would deny the wonders that West has done for the football program. Behind closed doors this past week, the two worked together and successfully restructured West's contract. West didn't have to threaten to leave to get his money, either. He's not that type of guy. Let's not forget about baseball coach Daron Schoenrock. Johnson hired him in 2004. At the halfway point this season, Schoenrock's Tigers (20-13) have already surpassed last year's win total by seven games. The Tigers are also in contention for a Conference USA title, something that seemed improbable in years past. The bottom line: Johnson has done a lot for Memphis athletics. He is not the villain. Calipari is not a villain, either. He's just a snake oil salesman. He didn't handle things the right way. But that's all over with now. If he gets the Tigers to the Final Four, then I couldn't care less about all of this. I'd forgive him of murder if he brought a title to this city.

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04/13/06		Contract ready, but Cal hasn't signed yet (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 13, 2006 Despite reaching an agreement in principle, John Calipari did not sign his new contract Wednesday, meaning no official release came from the University of Memphis. Multiple sources told The Commercial Appeal there are no problems or hang-ups. It's just a matter of getting Calipari's signature on the proper documents. "Calipari reached a verbal agreement on a contract extension," confirmed UofM media contact Lamar Chance. "The paperwork is in the process of being drawn up." Calipari agreed to terms Tuesday while in turn rejecting an offer to become North Carolina State's next basketball coach at the reported rate of close to $2 million per year. While details of his new contract are unclear, it's believed to include a raise that will push Calipari's base salary from less than $1.1 million to around $1.3 million, though that number does not include additional money from a shoe contract or various incentives that could escalate the package. Furthermore, Calipari is scheduled to receive a $2.5 million annuity if he coaches the Tigers through the 2009-2010 campaign. Calipari has a 148-59 record at Memphis. The Tigers have won at least 20 games in each of Calipari's six seasons. He took the Tigers to the 2002 NIT title, two NIT semifinals and three NCAA berths. According to various reports, Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler offered Calipari a similar deal to the one Texas coach Rick Barnes declined over the weekend. Barnes also got more money from the Longhorns, although a new contract hasn't been announced yet. Herb Sendek was 191-132 in 10 seasons with the Wolfpack, and he led them to appearances in the NCAA Tournament during each of his final five seasons. That tied the late Jim Valvano for the best run in school history. Sendek was introduced as the new coach at Arizona State on April 3. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365 The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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04/13/06		Lady Tiger golfer tearing up course (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 13, 2006 Jenny Bruun, the women's golf coach at the University of Memphis, can't remember witnessing such a torrid streak in her career in the sport. But when the Lady Tigers open play in the Conference USA Tournament Sunday at Ironwood Country Club in Greenville, N.C., her No. 1 golfer -- Stacey Tate -- will enter as not only the hottest golfer in the league, but perhaps one of the hottest in the NCAA East Region. Tate, a junior from New Zealand, has won three of the past four events in which the UofM has participated, including this week's Lady Eagle Invitational at Hattiesburg, Miss. In the Lady Eagle Invitational, Tate shot a 1-under 70 for a three-day, school-record total of 211. Her performance helped the Lady Tigers win a tournament for the first time in four years. ''On our way back from Hattiesburg I told her I've never been around someone who has won three of four events in a particular season,'' said Bruun, a former University of Minnesota player and an ex-Campbell University assistant. ''And I told her I've never been around anyone playing in such a zone like she is. ''It hasn't been a two-week thing. It's been a two-month thing and I think it's going to get better. She's at a level where she has a chance to win every tournament she plays. It's been phenomenal to watch. She's living a dream right now.'' Tate's three tournament wins in a season are a school record. So are her four career victories. She beat runnerup Elin Andersson of South Alabama by nine strokes in the Lady Eagle Invitational. In the UNLV Spring Invite -- the only event she failed to win this spring -- Tate finished in a tie for fourth. Much of her success in the spring has come from an adjustment in her swing, suggested by Bruun. Bruun worked with her in the fall to correct the flaw, but it was a challenging process. ''She shot an 85 in a tournament in Kiawah (S.C.) in November,'' Bruun said. ''That was probably the lowest point in her career. I think it served as a wakeup call, too.'' Bruun said Tate took a break from golf in December and early January and returned to her home in Auckland, New Zealand. When she returned to Memphis in late January, Bruun tried a different approach in an attempt to keep Tate's club face square. ''We were practicing at (TPC at Southwind) and I changed up the words,'' Bruun said. ''I told her the same thing, but with different wording. Something clicked. She has been on fire ever since. She's loving golf.'' Tate is averaging 71.8 strokes per round, 4.7 strokes better than last fall. Her tournament average has improved by a remarkable 14.3 strokes since the fall season. ''She basically went back to the basics with me,'' Tate said. ''What I had been going through was draining my confidence. I was so excited to see (the flaw in her swing) gone. It's something I'd had in my swing for seven years. I was so excited I wanted to be out there playing every day.'' Tate, a likely at-large invitee to the NCAA Regionals if the Lady Tigers fail to qualify as a team, has had several impressive performances during the spring. In the final round of the Pat Bradley Women's Golf Championship in Miami, hosted by Florida International, Tate, trailing by one when the day began, opened with six consecutive birdies, shot a 5-under 68 and won the tournament by a stroke. ''Everything came together for those six holes,'' said Tate, whose longest birdie putt during the stretch was a 30-footer. Bruun said Tate, whose strength is her ability to make ''great decisions'' on the golf course, will help the Lady Tigers challenge favorites SMU and Tulsa for the C-USA title. ''With the way she's playing now, she can be aggressive on her approach shots,'' Bruun said. ''Now she expects to be 10 feet or closer. She can take dead aim at every pin. It's been fun to watch.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/13/06		Tiger winning streak reaches eight (Commercial Appeal)
		Joey Lieberman homered for the second straight game and K.K. Chalmers drove in three runs as the University of Memphis baseball team ran its winning streak to eight games with a 6-2 victory over Arkansas State Wednesday at Nat Buring Stadium. The Tigers improve to 21-13 and have their longest winning streak since the 1994 team won 16 straight. Arkansas State falls to 17-16. Lieberman's home run, off Arkansas State starter Joel Boeschen in the second inning, opened the scoring and was his eighth of the season, tops on the team. The Tigers return to action Friday, hosting second-ranked Rice in the opener of a weekend series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

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04/12/06		Baseball Extends Win Streak to Eight Games with 6-2 Decision over Arkansas State -- Joey Lieberman hits second home run in as many nights (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Arkansas State (17-16) 000 101 000 - 2 8 3 Memphis (21-13) 010 001 13X - 6 9 1 Memphis scored broke a pitcher's dual with five unanswered runs to extend its win streak to eight games in a 6-2 triumph over Arkansas State Wednesday evening at Nat Buring Stadium. The eight-game string is the longest for a Memphis team since the 1994 squad put together a streak of 16 -straight wins en route to the program's last NCAA Regional appearance. Joey Lieberman broke the scoreless tie in the second when he launched a Joel Boeschen offering over the centerfield to put Memphis on the board 1-0. The junior college transfer's homer was his team-leading eighth of the year and his second in as many games. A-State first baseman Elliot Jacobs, who finished with three hits, evened the slate in the fourth with a towering drive to rightcenter. The Indians took their first and only lead of the contest in the sixth, when leadoff hitter Tyler Doke drove Tiger reliever Marcus Davis' first pitch off the right centerfield wall for a double. He later scored on a double play for a 2-1 Tribe advantage. That would be the final time ASU scored as Memphis plated the game's final five runs. Kyle Norrid led off the hoe half of the sixth with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a groundball out by first baseman Adam Amar. Heady base running landed Norrid on third after a wild pitch squirted away from Indian catcher Drew Rogers. A passed ball allowed Norrid to score the game-tying run. An unearned run in the seventh, by Memphis made it 3-2. Michael Murray reached on a fielding error and later came around to score the go-ahead run on K.K. Chalmers' sacrifice fly to rightfield. Memphis put the game away in the eight, pushing across three runs for the 6-2 final. Murray again came up big with a run-scoring single, and Chalmers drove in Murray and Robbie Goss with an RBI-single to center. Chalmers was the only Tiger to record multiple hits as Memphis managed just nine base knocks in the contest. He also had three RBI. Tigers' reliever Drew Jaudon picked up the save for the Tigers after coming in for Marcus Davis in the eighth. Davis pitched two innings of relief and gave up one run on four hits. Tiger starter Ben Grisham was solid in five innings of work, fanning two and allowing just three hits. Indian starter Boeschen took the loss after giving up just one earned run and scattering five hits in six-and-two-thirds innings of work. The Tigers will be back in action on Fri., April 14, when they begin a three-game Conference USA series with No. 2 Rice. First pitch for the series-opener is set for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/12/06		Tate Earns Second-Straight C-USA Golfer of the Week -- New Zealand native garnishes fourth career weekly honor (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release IRVINE, Texas - University of Memphis junior women's golfer Stacey Tate was named the Conference USA Women's Golfer of the Week on Wednesday for the second-straight week after her tournament play during the week of April 5-11. The New Zealand native has earned the honor three times this spring and four times in her career, an all-time high at Memphis. She was also named the C-USA Player of the Week n March 1 and April 5. Tate won medalist honors for the third time in her last four outings, and second straight, as the top individual at the Lady Eagle Invitational in Hattiesburg, Miss. Leading Memphis to its first team tournament victory in four years, Tate carded a 1-under 70 in the final round to finish with a 2-under 211 to better her own school record by three strokes. She also outshot the runner-up by nine strokes for the tournament. The win is the fourth-career victory and she becomes the only Memphis women's golfer to medal in four career tournaments. Tulsa freshman Nicolas Geyger was named the C-USA Men's Golfer of the Week after placing second at the Courtyard by Marriott Intercollegiate in Cary, N.C.

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04/12/06		Softball Splits Double-Header With MTSU -- Kubesch one-hit shut-out, key hits lead Memphis to game-one victory (GoTigersGo.com)
		MTSU 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 Memphis 001 001 x - 2 3 1 MTSU 100 001 1 - 3 7 1 Memphis 011 000 0 - 1 10 2 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Jenna Kubesch tossed a one-hit shut-out and Bridgette McNulty and Lindsey Pridgen picked up key RBI singles to lead Memphis to a 2-0 win in game one of a double-header with MTSU Wednesday at Greenbrook Park. Missed opportunities, however, haunted the Lady Tigers in the second half of the twinbill, as the Blue Raiders earned a split with a 3-2 win in game two. Kubesch recorded her fourth-consecutive solid outing in game one, allowing just one hit and no runs in a complete-game victory. The junior retired 18 of the last 19 batters she faced, while fanning four and walking only one. Memphis took the lead in the bottom of the third, with McNulty picking up her 35th RBI of the season on a single to leftfield. The base-knock scored Leila Dolfo, who reached on a one-out walk. The Lady Tigers added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, when Pridgen singled up the middle to score Brittany Gooch, who pinch ran for Kimmi Hayden after she reached on a base hit. Kubesch then did the rest, shutting the Blue Raiders down the rest of the way to push her record to 9-6 on the spring. Pridgen, McNulty and Hayden each registered a single for the U of M in game one, while Pridgen and McNulty picked up a RBI apiece. In game two, missed opportunities were the key for the U of M, as it left 10 runners on base before MTSU scored two late runs to take the 3-2 victory. The Blue Raiders took an early lead in the top of the first, using a Lady Tiger error and a double to take a 1-0 advantage. Memphis evened the score in the bottom of the second when Tori Gross hammered a double to leftfield and scored on an RBI single by Pridgen. The Lady Tigers then took a 2-1 lead in the third, plating a run on three hits, but missing a chance to increase that advantage. Cara Stiles, Dolfo and Kara Ross picked up back-to-back-to-back singles to begin the inning. McNulty hit a sharp ground ball to second base to score Stiles, but MTSU turned a double-play to put Dolfo on third with two outs. Then, following two walks, MTSU pitcher Trish White got Gross to flyout and the U of M came out of the inning with just one run despite putting five runners on base. Memphis had another great opportunity to take control of the game in the fourth, again loading the bases with no outs. But this time, Ashley Katinas, who relieved White in the circle, induced pop-ups on three-consecutive pitches to work out of the jam. MTSU took full advantage of the Lady Tiger misfortunes, coming back to tie the game in the top of the sixth, before plating the game-winner in the seventh. Kubesch took the loss in game two, working just one inning, but allowing an unearned run on two hits after relieving starter Nicki Johnson in the seventh. Johnson tossed the first six innings, giving up five hits and two runs - one earned - while striking out four and walking four. The Lady Tigers out-hit MTSU 10 to seven in the second game of the day behind a 3-for-4 effort from Stiles and 2-for-3 showings by Pridgen and Gross With the split, Memphis moves to 21-19 on the season, while Middle Tennessee improves to 11-30-1. The U of M will be back in action on Friday and Saturday, April 14-15, when it travels to Orlando, Fla., to face UCF in a three-game C-USA series. Game times are set for 4:30 and 6:30 (CST) on Friday and 12 p.m. (CST) on Saturday.

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04/12/06		All's well: Calipari expected to stay at U of M -- Coach decides against N.C. State, sources say (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 12, 2006 Ending 48 hours of speculation, John Calipari agreed in principle Tuesday to remain at the University of Memphis and in turn reject an offer to become the next basketball coach at North Carolina State. Multiple sources told The Commercial Appeal that Calipari reached the decision following an afternoon meeting with athletic director R.C. Johnson. Though details of the new deal are unclear, sources said it includes a raise for Calipari that will push his salary from less than $1.1 million to around $1.3 million plus incentives -- that could take the package to about $1.7 million -- through the 2010-11 season. His assistants will enjoy pay increases and there is a guarantee that improvements will be made to the Finch Center practice facility. An announcement is expected today. "It's an all's-well-that-ends-well situation," said Harold Byrd, a prominent UofM booster. "I think all the fans wanted coach Cal to stay, and coach Cal just wanted to know he was respected and wanted. It's good that he's staying. As I said before, he is like the Muhammad Ali of coaches. He brings attention from around the nation." According to sources, when N.C. State chancellor James Oblinger and athletic director Lee Fowler visited Calipari on Sunday the school offered a package worth nearly $2 million per year. In the subsequent 48 hours, Calipari mulled the situation and considered accepting. But ultimately he turned away dollar signs for the opportunity to remain in Memphis and continue coaching a team that is coming off an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and expected to challenge for a Final Four berth next season. The UofM players gathered at Calipari's home in East Memphis around 5 p.m. Tuesday for a meeting where their coach apparently relayed the news. But while exiting, they each avoided much dialog. "He just told us to keep going to class," said point guard Andre Allen, who, like his teammates, claimed at the time he remained unsure whether Calipari was rejecting N.C. State. However, when Allen was asked whether he thought he'd be playing for Calipari next season, he didn't hesitate, answering, "Yeah." In other developments, assistant Tony Barbee told The Commercial Appeal on Tuesday afternoon that he was withdrawing from Murray State's coaching search after recently interviewing for the job. "I want to stay with Cal," he said. Late Tuesday, Murray State athletic director Allen Ward told the Associated Press the school will hire Miami assistant Billy Kennedy to replace Mick Cronin, who left last month to coach at Cincinnati. Also, Darius Washington and Shawne Williams each said Tuesday they remain undecided on whether to return to school to play for Calipari or enter the NBA Draft. Washington said he is still "exploring all options." Williams added he is "gathering all the right information" to make an educated decision. But sources close to the UofM have said Calipari's loyalty to the program could help sway the talented underclassmen to return. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/12/06		Calkins: Frenzy ends without incident (Commercial Appeal)
		You are now free to go back to your regularly-scheduled life. Do those taxes. Fertilize that lawn. Don't waste another minute fretting that John Calipari is going to bolt for North Carolina State. Calipari is staying right where he is. As expected, Memphis barbecue carried the day. Or Memphis hospitality. Memphis humidity? It wasn't the Memphis dollars, anyway. North Carolina State offered Calipari roughly $2 million a year. Memphis kept him by offering: A base salary of roughly $1.3 million. A salary bump for his assistants. Improvements to the Finch Center. Wait, you're saying. What else was there? A modest share of the Memphis riverfront? The Zippin Pippin? Mineral rights to Shelby Farms? No! That's it. It's going to be a hard day for cynics, isn't it? Calipari decided to stay in Memphis for roughly $700,000 a year less than he was offered by North Carolina State. Go ahead, read that again. Calipari decided to stay in Memphis for roughly $700,000 a year less than he was offered by North Carolina State. The guy took less money to stay in a city he likes, to coach a team he believes in. That's what you call a life lesson, isn't it? So endeth our civic mini-drama and it's hard not to feel a little ridiculous about it all. Just look at the way we've acted the last few days. Over a basketball coach. By agreeing to meet representatives of North Carolina State, Calipari caused otherwise reasonable people to do unreasonable things. Witness the scene at Olive Branch Airport early Tuesday morning. ESPN.com had been reporting that Calipari went to Raleigh, N.C., for a visit. Shortly before midnight, word traveled by fan message board that a jet from Raleigh was arriving at Olive Branch Airport. How did the fans know this? Because of a Web site called flightaware.com, which tracks the flights of private planes. Punch in a departure site and a destination, and you'll get a list of all the planes making that trip in a defined time period. There was a flight from Raleigh scheduled to arrive in Olive Branch at 12:20 a.m. So the news hit the message boards and, soon, hundreds of fans were tracking the flight on its lonely trip through the skies. Mind you, there was no evidence to suggest Calipari was actually on the plane. It could have been a businessman, drawing up an agreement to buy a North Carolina timber farm, blissfully unaware he was being tracked. Gary Parrish, who covers Tiger basketball for this paper, went to the airport to meet the flight. "There were two cars of fans already there," he said. It was after midnight, on a Tuesday, and two groups of fans showed up to watch a basketball coach get on or off a plane. Oh, and the plane was diverted to Memphis International Airport. Nobody saw a darn thing. But why let a detail like that get in the way of our fervor, or should we call it craziness? Calipari's decision notwithstanding, the coaching arms race has gotten out of hand. When one school is desperate enough to pay a coach $2 million a year, every other school eventually has to do the same. A decade ago, $500,000 was a hefty salary for a basketball coach. Now $1.1 million is a slap in the face. How long before the number hits $5 million? Or $10 million? Is any number too high? Ahhhh, that's just the market at work, you say. Just like anything else. But it's the market at work in a university setting, and doesn't that change things a bit? Shouldn't universities have values apart from market values? If not, what's the difference between college and pro teams? The nice thing is, Memphis now has its two high-profile coaches signed to long-term deals. Calipari agreed to his new contract Tuesday. Tommy West put the finishing touches on his, too. So y'all can relax and get back to whatever you were doing before the panic broke out. It's done, over. At least until next year. To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail

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04/12/06		West, U of M settle contract -- Deal extended with raise for coach, aides (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 12, 2006 University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson rewarded football coach Tommy West with a contract extension and pay raise Tuesday, three months after West directed the Tigers to an unprecedented third straight bowl appearance. West's contract, which paid him $800,000 annually, was extended through the 2010 season. Neither Johnson or West would comment on the amount West will be paid under the new contract, but a university official said it will not surpass $1 million. West's previous contract was announced in December 2004 before the UofM's appearance in the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala. It included an extension through 2009 and a boost in total compensation from $400,000 to $800,000. This contract also offers a boost in incentive bonuses for West and additional money for his assistants. ''We've increased everything,'' Johnson said. In five seasons as coach, West, 51, has directed the UofM to a 32-28 record. His victory in December's Motor City Bowl in Detroit moved him into fourth on the school's career win list. ''I'm proud of the accomplishments we've made, and I'm appreciative of how we've been treated,'' West said Tuesday. ''I've realized in the past couple of months how fortunate I am to be doing what I do and to be coaching where I want to coach.'' West received a scare in early February. He underwent triple-bypass heart surgery and spent more than a month recovering at home. He returned in mid-March to direct the Tigers through spring football practice, which ended last weekend with the annual Blue-Gray scrimmage. ''I think we would have had this contract done a lot sooner if I hadn't had the complications I had,'' West said. ''The only holdup was my health.'' West said there were few complications with the negotiations once they began. ''Again, Jimmy Sexton (West's agent) does all my stuff, and he does a tremendous job,'' West said. ''He and R.C. and (university counsel) Sheri Lipman work well together. We are all on the same page.'' West, a former Clemson coach, said the most important part of the new agreement was the additional compensation for his assistants. ''We are trying to get it to where it's harder for (assistants) to leave to take jobs in another conference,'' West said. ''I lost two (assistants) this year to the (Atlantic Coast Conference), and I don't think either one wanted to leave, but, financially, they couldn't afford to turn it down. ''But I'm glad for my coaches. They've done their jobs. We don't want something for nothing. I'm just appreciative that our guys have done a good job and are being rewarded.'' Johnson, who's week has been dominated by basketball coach John Calipari's contract and North Carolina State's interest in luring Calipari, said West is certainly deserving of the extension. ''I am extremely pleased not only for the university and the community, but the football program, as well,'' Johnson said. ''I think the job Tommy has done has been absolutely outstanding, and we wanted to reward him.'' Johnson said he normally likes to handle the football and men's basketball situations separately, but an overlap was unavoidable this year. ''I always try to do football right after football and basketball right after basketball,'' Johnson said. ''But between (football) recruiting and his health, it just didn't seem like the right time.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/12/06		Tiger Notes: Baseball, Golf, New Orleans Bowl (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services April 12, 2006 Tough Tiger defense sinks Murray State -- U of M turns 7 double plays to tie NCAA record in win The Memphis defense accomplished a feat that had not been done since 2003, and had been done just twice since 1985 en route to a 12-1 win over Murray State, Tuesday night at Nat Buring Stadium. The Tigers turned double plays in each of the first six innings and then again in the ninth to tie the NCAA record and set a new program mark with seven double plays in a single game. It is just the fifth time the feat has been completed in NCAA history. Long Beach State was the last team to turn seven double plays, doing it in 2003. Memphis starter Lance Scoggins cruised to his second win of the year and faced the minimum through six frames, and saw just two batters over the minimum in his eight innings of work. He added a career-high eight strikeouts. The Tiger defense was not the only facet of the game where Memphis excelled as the offense hammered out 13 hits, including nine extra base hits, in its eighth straight win. The Tigers scored early and often, beginning with a four-run first that was powered by Joey Lieberman's team-leading seventh home run. The junior made it 4-0 with a long blast to left. A solo shot by Will Petersen and an RBI single by Adam Amar put Memphis ahead 6-0 after three innings and three more Tigers scores in the fourth put the game away. Other developments Lady Tiger golfers end drought: Behind Stacey Tate's third individual victory in the past four tournaments, the University of Memphis women's golf team claimed its first tournament victory in four years, winning the Lady Eagle Invitational at Hattiesburg, Miss. The Lady Tigers earned a 13-stroke victory in the 11-team competition with South Alabama coming in second and Middle Tennessee in third. Memphis shot a 305 in the final round to finish at 893. The Lady Tigers' last tournament victory came in the fall of 2002 at the Memphis Women's Intercollegiate. All five U of M golfers finished in the top 17, with Tate earning her second straight Lady Eagle Invitational. Sophomore transfer Dawn-Marie Conaty tied for fourth, while senior Bernie Rosero and junior Kathryn O'Rourke tied for 13th. Freshman Rachel Larson finished fifth on the team and tied for 17th. Tate carded a 1-under 70 in the third round to finish with a 2-under 211. The junior New Zealand native beat runner-up Elin Andersson of South Alabama by nine strokes. New Orleans Bowl changes days: The New Orleans Bowl, which has kicked off the bowl season since its inception in 2001, will move to a weekend night this year -- and give up its leadoff spot.

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04/12/06		Lady Tigers end spring with shutout (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Adam Comer Sports Reporter The University of Memphis women's soccer team finished their spring season on Sunday by splitting a doubleheader against Columbus State and the Georgia ODP squad. The Lady Tigers dropped their first game against Columbus State 1-0. Columbus State was the 2005 Peach Belt Conference regular season co-champions, and they handed Memphis just their second loss of the spring season. Coach Brooks Monaghan said it served as a good lesson for the team. "It was just one of those games," Monaghan said. "We weren't prepared to play that game, and we learned you can't afford to take anyone for granted." After the loss, Memphis regrouped with a determination to end the season on a high note, and the Georgia ODP squad was the unfortunate victim in their conquest. "We had a long discussion between games and challenged ourselves to come out and end the season well," Monaghan said. "It was a test to see if we could rebound after a tough loss, and we were able to respond." The team rebounded by scoring four first-half goals en route to a 5-0 win. Memphis transfer Geneil Newbern scored two of the Lady Tigers' goals. The other goals were contributed by freshmen Kylie Hayes, Laura Pfeffer and Lauren Everhart. Monaghan has been impressed with the play of midfielder Pfeffer this spring. "She keeps improving from game to game consistently, and she always is one of the hardest workers at practice," he said. "She always gives 110 percent...she is a coach's dream." The spring season has been productive for Memphis. The Lady Tigers finished with a 6-2-1 record while outscoring their opponents 25-7. Junior Shoko Mikami led all other players with eight goals on the season, and Newbern finished with six. The team has installed a new 4-3-3 system of play to complement the personnel the team has in place. Monaghan said the team has adjusted well, and he is pleased with the play of Caroline Barrett and Nicky McLeod, who are learning different positions on the team to accommodate the new system. Memphis used this spring to play some quality opponents and learn the new style of play. Monaghan said the team has high hopes for the fall, and he hopes the success in the spring season will lead to a success next season. "Coming into spring we were unsure how quickly we could adapt to things, and we still have things to work on," he said. "The team is becoming comfortable with things though, and we are returning almost all of our players so we are ready for the fall season to start."

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04/11/06		One down, one to go? (Commercial Appeal)
		Well, the Tigers got their contract situation ironed out with ... Tommy West? The school announced today that West's contract had been extended a year (through 2010), and the agreement includes a raise and incentive bonuses for him, and more money for his assistant coaches. West has led the Tigers to three consecutive bowl berths -- unprecedented success for the football program -- and owns a 32-28 record in his five seasons at the schol. Meanwhile, the mystery of John Calipari's 2006-07 coaching assignment remains unsolved. Reports now are that he went to Raleigh, home of current suitor North Carolina State, last night at some point, and that he was supposed to meet with Memphis officials at some point today. Everyone has sources and everyone's sources are saying different things. You can hear that his deal with N.C. State is done, and you can hear that he's definitely leaning toward staying in Memphis. Just depends on where you're listening. Stay tuned. by Gary Robinson

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04/11/06		Sources: Calipari staying at Memphis (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 11, 2006 University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson and John Calipari met Tuesday afternoon, and the result was that Calipari will remain the basketball coach at the U of M, barring a late change of plans. Multiple sources told The Commercial Appeal that while no contract has been signed, an official offer has been presented that could boost Calipari's salary to between $1.5 and 1.7 million per season. An official announcement could come Wednesday. The new deal for Calipari comes in the wake of North Carolina State offering the Tigers' sixth-year coach a package worth close to $2 million per season.

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04/11/06		Well, if you gotta go, you've gotta go (Commercial Appeal)
		Sometimes, there has to be a fiscal line drawn in the sand in college athletics, especially at a financially-strapped university like Memphis. U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson needs to draw that line with basketball coach John Calipari. No doubt that Calipari had his best season yet this year after six years on the job. At this point, he should have all his underclassman back. But Johnson has tapped as many deep-pocketed boosters as he can to raise Cal's pay from a base of $1.1 million (which goes a long way in this city) to between $1.5 million and $1.7 million. Here's the problem. Almost every time that Cal has an ounce of postseason success, he ups the ante, and he holds the school hostage for more money. Maybe that's the American way. It sure seems to be Cal's way. There's no doubt that he has improved the program in many areas. But who's to say next year that if Memphis gets to the Final Four, that he'll demand more money. Or the year after that if he wins the national championship and he'll ask for even more money. Johnson is backed up against the wall, because if Cal leaves, Johnson will get nailed by Cal lovers saying that Johnson wasn't committed to keeping a basketball coach that put Memphis back on the national map. It's pretty simple. There are other quality coaches out there, who have been to the Final Fours, who would love to coach Memphis for a price cheaper than Cal's asking price. Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who built three Final Four teams using Memphis-area kids and won a national title in 1994 with a runner-up in 1995, would coach in Memphis in a heartbeat. So would LSU's John Brady, who was in the Final Four this year. And there are others. If it comes to pass that Cal wants to leave, them wish him well for his work here and move on. Memphis had two Final Four teams and an Elite Eight team in the past before Cal got here. They'll have more after he leaves. Sometimes, you've got to say a program is bigger than the coach. If Cal leaves, you simply find someone who's a great recruiter who's known to kids throughout the nation. Cal's not the only coach that falls into that category. There are others. It would be wise for Johnson. to have that list handy and stop sweating if Cal leaves. Because this shouldn't be an exercise that Johnson and Memphis fans should have to go through almost every year. by Ron Higgins

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04/11/06		Baseball team hits close to the record (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Justin Kissell Sports Reporter This year they're breaking records. The Tigers swept Marshall over the weekend to continue their six-game winning streak before starting their seven-game homestand that begins tonight. By sweeping the Thundering Herd on the road, Memphis (19-13 overall, 6-3 Conference USA) earned its first road C-USA sweep since 1998, when the Tigers swept Cincinnati. "It's a great feeling (to set the milestones)," said sophomore outfielder K.K. Chalmers. "After last year didn't go so well, we came into this year and we know we could compete in C-USA." On Friday, Memphis topped Marshall (12-16, 1-8) 7-4 in 11 innings for their first back-to-back C-USA wins since 2004. The Tigers had previously beaten Southern Miss 15-6. Chalmers helped the cause by going 2-5 with an RBI and two stolen bases. "Coach 'Rock' (Daron Schoenrock) is always talking about ways to score runs," Chalmers said. "We all run the bases well, and I think if I can steal a bag or two it gives us a better chance to win." Josh Irvin got the game-winning hit when he got a ground-rule double in the 11th inning and knocked home infielder Michael Murray. The Tigers followed that game with a not-so-close meeting on Saturday that ended quickly for Memphis. The team hit for eight runs in the third inning and put away Marshall early, winning 14-4. Many Tigers stood out in the victory - Will Petersen went 3-4 with four RBI, Chalmers went 3-6 with an RBI and had three stolen bases and Adam Amar went 2-4 with two RBI. With the win, Memphis notched their fifth C-USA win of the season, the same as all of last season. Chalmers had a triple in the game, his fifth of the season and ninth of his career -good for sixth place all-time at The U of M. "We try not to think about stuff like that," he said. "It's always in the back of my mind and it's a good feeling. "Being so close to something like that (a record) is exciting because it's nice to think about holding a record at Memphis." Memphis finished up the sweep on Sunday with a 9-8 extra-innings win. Petersen went 3-6 with three RBI and Michael Murray went 4-5 and had two RBI. The Tigers were forced to make a comeback to tie the game, and the team got two runs in the top half of the ninth to send the game to a 10th inning. Memphis is now 3-0 in extra-innings games this season. Memphis fell behind 4-0 in the first inning after they gave up a home run to Roddy Stieger. But Memphis countered with a five-run fifth inning led by Petersen, who helped the cause with a two-run home run to centerfield. "Any win is a good win for us," Chalmers said. "Coach always tells us to play 'til the last pitch is thrown. "It's not like last year ... we come out expecting to win." The Tigers face Murray State tonight at Nat Buring Stadium at 6:30.

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04/11/06		Tiger Defense Ties NCAA Record with Seven Double Plays in 12-1 Win over Murray State -- Tigers flip double plays in each of the first six innings (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Murray State (8-25) 000 000 100 - 1 7 2 Memphis (20-13) 402 311 010 - 12 13 0 The Memphis defense accomplished a feat that had not been achieved since 2003, and had been pulled off just twice since 1985 en route to a 12-1 win over Murray State, Tuesday evening at Nat Buring Stadium. The Tigers turned double plays in each of the first six innings and then again in the ninth to tie the NCAA record and set a new program mark with seven double plays in a single game. The seven double plays is a new Memphis baseball record and is just the fifth time the feat has been completed in NCAA history. Long Beach State was the last team to turn seven double plays, doing it in 2003. Prior to that, the last time seven double plays had been turned in a single game was back in 1985 when Old Dominion turned seven against Western Kentucky. Miami has recorded seven DP's twice, back in 1976 and 1971. Memphis starter Lance Scoggins cruised to his second win of the year and faced the minimum through six frames, and saw just two batters over the minimum in his eight innings of work. He added a career-high eight strikeouts to a strong 93-pitch outing. He benefited from inning-ending double plays in each of the first six innings. The Tiger defense was not the only facet of the game where Memphis excelled as the offense hammered out 13 hits, including nine extra base hits, in its eighth-straight win. The Tigers scored early and often, beginning with a four-run first that was powered by Joey Lieberman's team-leading seventh home run. The junior made it 4-0 with a long blast to left. A solo shot by Will Petersen and an ARBI-single by Adam Amar put Memphis ahead 6-0 after three innings and three more Tigers scores in the fourth put the game away. Petersen and Amar teamed up again for the next two Memphis runs. Petersen plated Cory Barton with an RBI-double in the fifth and Amar launched his fifth round tripper to make it 11-0 in the sixth. After Murray State's lone tally in the seventh frame, Jordan Tolliver's single scored Robbie Goss to cap the scoring, 12-1. Petersen led Memphis with three hits and three RBI. He was a triple shy of the cycle. Bill Moss, Kyle Norrid and Amar had two hits. Lieberman knocked in three. Thoroughbred's starter Jon Newton was the losing pitcher after being roughed up in two innings. He gave up six runs on five hits. Memphis will now prepare to host Arkansas State tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/11/06		Men's Tennis Falls at UALR, 5-2 -- Michael Jetter wins both his singles and doubles match (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn - The doubles tandem of James Spence and Sam Withell improved to 12-2 on the season at No. 1 doubles with an 8-3 win over Eduardo Autran and Karlis Miljons, and Memphis used a win at No. 3 doubles to claim the doubles point, but UALR would win five of six singles matches to claim the match, 5-2, Tuesday. Michael Jetter won both his singles and doubles match, teaming with Garrison Pilant for the 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles, and winning his singles match handily, 6-1, 6-2. Memphis will wrap up the regular season Saturday at Middle Tennessee at 1 p.m. UALR 5, Memphis 2 Doubles No. 1 - No. 39 James Spence/Sam Withell (UM) def. Eduardo Autran/Karlis Miljons, 8-3 No. 2 - Edson Abrao/Dinko Halachev def. Matt Brewer/Tezar Putra (UM), 8-3 No. 3 - Michael Jetter/Garrison Pilant (UM) def. Rain Roigas/German Perez, 8-3 Singles No. 1 - Eduardo Autran def. Sam Withell (UM), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 No. 2 - Dinko Halachev def. James Spence (UM), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 No. 3 - Edson Abrao def. Matt Brewer (UM), 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 - Michael Jetter (UM) def. Ivan Milivojevic, 6-1, 6-2 No. 5 - Gerard Galindo def. Tezar Putra (UM), 6-1, 6-2 No. 6 - Juan Carlos Nunez def. Garrison Pilant (UM), 6-3, 6-2 Match Notes: UALR: 18-2 Memphis: 6-12

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04/11/06		Softball Hosts MTSU in Final Home, Mid-Week Games -- Lady Tigers will look for two more victories following 2-1 series win over USM (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Coming off a 2-1 series win over C-USA foe Southern Miss over the weekend, the Memphis softball team will host its final home, mid-week games of the season Wednesday, as it entertains Middle Tennessee State in a double-header at Greenbrook Park. The Lady Tigers will look to carry momentum off the weekend series in which the squad swept the Golden Eagles on Saturday before taking a heart-wrenching, 2-1 loss in 10 innings in Sunday's series finale. The Memphis pitchers also bring major head of steam into the non-conference twinbill, as they combined to allow just one earned run in 24 innings pitched against Southern Miss. Jenna Kubesch led the way, tossing a no-hitter on Saturday and amassing 10-consecutive no-hit innings between games one and three of the series. The junior allowed just one earned run and struck out 15 in 17 innings of work. Fellow hurler, Nicki Johnson, also did her part in the circle, shutting out the Golden Eagles in game two, while scattering four hits and five walks and striking out four. The Lady Tiger pitchers will look to continue those trends Wednesday, as they face a 10-29-1 MTSU team that is hitting .238 as a team. The Blue Raiders are led by freshman Shelby Stiner with a .320 batting average, and junior Muriel Ledbetter, who is second in average (.308), but leads the Blue Raiders in runs (21), homeruns (7), RBI (17), doubles (10) and walks (20). The MTSU pitching staff sports a combined earned-run average of 4.73, with Freshman Laura Moore tops on the squad at 3.70 and junior Trish White second at 4.31. Middle Tennessee is just 2-13-1 in road games this season and enters the game having lost seven of their last 10. The first pitch of the double-header between the Lady Tigers and Blue Raiders is set for 2 p.m. at Greenbrook Park, with game two to follow at approximately 4 p.m.

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04/11/06		Memphis Reaches Agreement With Football Coach -- Tiger football coach has his contract extended (GoTigersGo.com)
		University of Memphis Athletic Director R.C. Johnson announced today that an agreement has been reached with Tiger football Tommy West which will extend his contract through the 2010 season. "I am pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with our football coach which will keep him in Memphis for years to come," said Johnson. "Our football team has experienced a great deal of success both on the playing field and in the classroom under Tommy and we want to keep him right here at the University of Memphis to continue building a football program that has already become successful". The new contractual agreement, a five-year deal, will add one year to West's current contract, increase his salary, as well as add monies for incentives reached each season. Additional funding was also made available for the coach to increase the financial package of his assistant coaches. "Our football program has gained national media attention over the past three seasons due to its successes in bowl games and the national attention received by individual players. However, Coach West has also recruited student-athletes who compete not only in athletic settings but in the classroom as well. He has created the exemplary type of program we ask of him when he was hired". West, who was hired in 2001 as the head football coach, has led the Tiger football program to three consecutive bowl appearances, a feat that had never been previously accomplished at the University of Memphis. His 2003 team compiled a 9-4 record and defeated North Texas in the New Orleans Bowl. The 2004 Tiger football team posted an 8-4 mark with an appearance in the GMAC Bowl and last season, Memphis was 7-5 and captured the championship in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, Michigan. "I am extremely pleased with the contract I was given and am excited about the direction our football program is taking," said West. "Over the past two months I have had time to sit and reflect on where I am and what I am doing. I can honestly tell you that I feel very fortunate to be doing what I am doing, and even more fortunate to be coaching at the University of Memphis". The former Clemson head coach has compiled an overall record of 32-28-0 in his five seasons at Memphis and with the Tigers' victory in the Motor City Bowl, became the fourth winningest coach in Tiger football history.

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04/11/06		Lady Tigers Claim First Tournament Victory Since 2002 -- Tate earns medalist honors for third time in four tournaments (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Behind Stacey Tate's third individual victory in the past four tournaments, the University of Memphis women's golf team claimed its first tournament win in four years, earning top honors at the Lady Eagle Invitational on Tuesday. The Lady Tigers earned a 13-stroke victory in the 11-team competition with South Alabama coming in second and Middle Tennessee in third. Tournament host Southern Miss finished fourth with a 931 in the invitational held at the Shadow Ridge Golf Club. Memphis shot a 305 in the final round to finish at 893. The 54-hole total ranks second all-time in the program's history behind an 892 shot at the Lady Tar Heel in 1997. The Lady Tigers' last tournament victory came in the fall of 2002 at the Memphis Women's Intercollegiate. All five U of M golfers finished in the top 17 with Tate earning her second-straight Lady Eagle Invitational. Sophomore transfer Dawn-Marie Conaty tied for fourth, while senior Bernie Rosero and junior Kathryn O'Rourke tied for 13th. Freshman Rachel Larson finished fifth on the team and tied for 17th overall. Tate carded a 1-under 70 in the third round to finish with a 2-under 211. The 54-hole total surpasses Tate's previous school record of 214 by three-strokes. The junior New Zealand native beat runner-up Elin Andersson of South Alabama by nine strokes. Tate medaled in all but one spring tournament, earning a tie for fourth at the UNLV Spring Invite. The three season victories and four career victories are also program bests. Conaty scored a three-round 224 to break her previous low by 12 strokes. The North Carolina State transfer out of Ireland earned her first top 20 finish at the varsity level after placing three times in the top 18 at the junior varsity level at NC State. Rosero also set a new career tournament record with a 231 to finish tied for 13th. The Ecuador native beat her previous low by six strokes and earned her second top 20 finish. Filling in for the injured freshman Kayla Stewart, O'Rourke carded her second-best three-round low with a 231 to tie Rosero at 13th. Larson matched a career best 232 and finished in the top 20 for the second-straight time. The Lady Tigers will now prepare for the Conference USA Championship hosted by East Carolina in Greenville, N.C., on April 16-18. Southern Miss Lady Eagle Invitational Dates: 04/10-04/11, 2006 Round: 3 Final Results Par-Yardage: 71-6109 1 Memphis, Univ. of 292 296 305 893 1 Stacey Tate 71 70 70 211 T4 Dawn-Marie Conaty 73 74 77 224 T13 Bernie Rosero 73 75 83 231 T13 Kathryn O'Rourke 75 77 79 231 T17 Rachel Larson 75 78 79 232

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04/11/06		Three Lady Tiger Softball Camps Scheduled for June -- One session will be a General Skills Camp Held at Greenbrook Park in Southaven, Miss. (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis softball program will offer three camps for softball athletes during June. The first two camps will run June 12-14th, with the Lady Tiger Pitcher/Catch Camp running from 9 a.m. - noon and the Hitting Camp running from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m., both on the University of Memphis South Campus. The pitching camp is open to athletes 10 and up and will offer three half days of individualized instruction of proper mechanics, drills and problem-solving taught by college coaches and student-athletes from the University of Memphis. The hitting camp is also open to athletes ages 10 and up, and offers instruction to athletes who want to spend two whole days working on a variety of hitting skills and drill to work on all aspects of the game, including bunting, slapping and power. Both the pitcher/catcher camp and the hitting camp cost $150 per child. The final camp will be the Lady Tiger General Softball Camp, which will be held June 19-21 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Greenbrook Park in Southaven, Miss. This camp is for athletes 12 and older and will cover all aspects of the game, including the proper mechanics of fielding, throwing and hitting. There will also be a small amount of time for beginning pitching instruction as well. Players will be worked with by coaches on an individual and team level and will learn valuable skills and drills to help them develop into an elite athlete. University of Memphis coaches and student-athletes will teach the General Camp, which costs $245.00 for the three full days of instruction. For more information, please contact Marla Pinkston, Assistant Coach, at mpinkstn@memphis.edu or by calling 901-678-1195. Also watch www.gotigersgo.com under camps in the left hand column for on-line camp registration. Payment can be made by check to: Memphis Softball, Lady Tiger Softball Camp, 201 Athletic Office Building, Memphis, TN 38152.

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04/11/06		Tigers prepare offer for Cal -- AD tries to counter big N.C. State deal (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 11, 2006 University of Memphis officials spent Monday assembling a financial package to counter North Carolina State's lucrative offer in an attempt to keep Tiger men's basketball coach John Calipari from bolting to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Multiple sources told The Commercial Appeal several prominent boosters have informed Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson they are willing to present a package that would advance Calipari's annual base salary to between $1.5 and $1.7 million. That would still be less than the nearly $2 million per year N.C. State reportedly is offering, but the sources believed it could be enough to show Calipari the school is committed to being a Top 10 program, which is what Calipari said would be the only prerequisite to remaining at Memphis. "People just need to relax, take a few deep breaths and remove emotion from the equation," said Rick Spell, a prominent UofM booster who is close with both Johnson and Calipari. "If it's best for John to go to N.C. State, then that's what I want him to do, though there are a lot of people advising him that it's not the best business decision for him. But I just want him to make the best decision without emotion being involved." The "emotion" Spell talked about was in reference to what sources said have become heated negotiations between Calipari and Johnson. Calipari, who has been at Memphis six years and led his team to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in March, publicly expressed his desire to rework his deal on March 27, and two days after that he was asked by The Commercial Appeal whether the deal was close to getting done. "No," Calipari said. When do you want it done? "Yesterday," Calipari answered. Shortly thereafter, Herb Sendek announced he was leaving N.C. State for Arizona State, and Calipari's name surfaced as a possible replacement. But while N.C. State courted Texas coach Rick Barnes -- for a reported $2.2 million annually that Barnes eventually declined -- Calipari and Johnson made little progress. A source said the UofM initially offered to increase Calipari's pay by less than $100,000 to an estimated $1.1. million. Calipari considered that insulting. Then N.C. State moved in, and chancellor Larry Oblinger and athletic director Lee Fowler met with Calipari on Sunday in Memphis. That's when they offered the job with a contract reported to span as many as six years. Late Monday there were conflicting reports about whether Calipari visited N.C. State. ESPN.com reported Calipari and his staff toured the N.C. State campus early Monday. But as of 9:30 p.m., a source close to Calipari told The Commercial Appeal that Calipari had not left Memphis all day, although it was possible he could make a late-night trip to Raleigh. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/11/06		All eyes on Calipari -- Wolfpack queued up for his services; but he's here eating 'cue (Commercial Appeal)
		Geoff Calkins Sometime after noon on Monday, John Calipari walked into Central BBQ, sat down and ate lunch with his assistant coaches. "Yeah, he was here," said Andy, who answered the phone. Ah-hah! And this even as ESPN.com was reporting that Calipari was "set to visit North Carolina State with his staff Monday." "He had a half-chicken," said Andy. But did he eat it slowly, wistfully, like it was the last bite of Central BBQ he would ever eat? "I can't say," said Craig, another employee. "But he was giving everybody real big hugs, so I don't know what that's all about." It must mean he's leaving. Or staying. Or hungry, at the very least. But will the man be eating Memphis barbecue next year? Will he be switching to Carolina barbecue? And why would anyone willingly trade Memphis barbecue for Carolina barbecue? This is what the city wants to know. This is what the city spent much of Monday obsessing about. "I don't blame him for looking around," said Andy. Even though Calipari wasn't really looking around. That's the remarkable part. In previous years, Calipari has been in the mix, or tried to be in the mix, for jobs at South Carolina, Pittsburgh and St. John's. This year, he came right out and said he wanted to stay in Memphis. He told this paper he would stay as long as the university was "fair." He told the "Best Damn Sports Show" that he was staying, period. And he said those things because he meant them. Only problem? Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson didn't act fast enough. And when he did act, he offered a pay raise that enraged Calipari. Mind you, the figures we're talking about are all ridiculous. In six years at Memphis, Calipari has pulled in more than $6 million. He has a base salary of roughly $1.1 million and made about $1.3 million this year. All this is on top of the $15 million Calipari made as head coach of the New Jersey Nets. The guy needs more money like he needs speech lessons. But money is just a shorthand for Calipari, a way of keeping score. If Tom Crean is making $1.65 million at Marquette and Kelvin Sampson is making $1.5 million at Indiana, Calipari isn't going to settle for $1.1 million at Memphis. So Calipari fumed, and Johnson dithered, and North Carolina State took advantage of the opening. The school is desperate for a big-name coach. The first big name was Rick Barnes, of Texas. When Barnes declined an offer of $2.2 million a year, North Carolina State officials flew into Memphis to woo Calipari. "We're aware of the meeting," said Johnson, and small wonder he was terse. At worst, his foot-dragging will cost the university its basketball coach. At best, it's going to cost a lot of money. Monday, Johnson was racing around, trying to put together a package for Calipari with a base salary of between $1.5 and $1.7 million. That's several hundred thousand more than Calipari would happily have settled for two weeks ago. Johnson has made a lot of smart moves during his decade in Memphis, but his handling of this contract situation isn't one of them. Calipari isn't necessarily the best tactician in the world, or the easiest guy to get along with. But he's indisputably good for the program and the city. Remember the excitement of last season? That was Calipari, delivering on all his promises. He recruited good kids, he made them go to class, then he unleashed them on a stunned opposition. It almost didn't matter that Memphis was left behind in a crummy conference, because the Tigers were above all that, soaring into the Top 5, playing in front of big crowds in big places. Calipari did exactly what he said he'd do when he came six years ago. He turned Memphis into a national program. And it wasn't just a one-year deal, either. He came right out and said so. But now? Now the city waits and wonders. "I hope he stays," said Andy, back at Central BBQ. "He's one of our regulars." To reach Geoff Calkins, call him at 529-2364 or e-mail

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04/11/06		Defense shows strength in last Blue/Gray game (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Matt Laurie Sports Editor In the last practice of the spring on a day that feels like fall, The University of Memphis football team showed what they could do in front of about 1,400 fans. It would be safe to say the defense showed a bit more than the offense. Split on two teams, offense (Blue) and defense (Gray), coach Tommy West put the team through 94 plays, 43 pass and 51 rushing switching first and second teams throughout the day. "Overall I thought it was good," West said. "Our defense has gotten better." Chris Huffman was the star of the defense returning a fumbled handoff between quarterback Martin Hankins and wide out Carlton Robinzine 62 yards for a touchdown. Huffman also tallied five tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack on his way to being named Paul Gingold MVP. The defense sacked the blue's quarterback three times on Saturday and pressured quarterbacks to a 17-of-40 passing performance, 43 percent. However, to the credit of the quarterbacks, winds and the weather weren't conducive to the passing game. The first two scores of the game came on runs of one and two yards. The first came from Joe Doss, who projects to be the No. 1 back come fall. The second came from freshman T.J. Pitts on the 44th play of the game. Doss and Pitts had 10 carries each and gained 23 and 24 yards respectively. "Once I got warmed up and got things going I think I did a great job," said Doss. Quarterback Martin Hankins took most of the snaps in the game and finished 12-of-26 passing for 86 yards, one TD and one interception. Ryan Scott was the Blue team's leading receiver with 64 yards on six catches.

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04/10/06		Lady Tigers Wrap up Basketball Season at Banquet -- Junior class earns all three team-voted awards (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's basketball team wrapped up the 2005-06 season with its annual Lady Tiger Banquet at the Holiday Inn on the University of Memphis campus Monday night. The award honored the team as well as seniors Tamika Butler and Jamie Bradley and featured presentations from the coaching staff and the Lady Tiger Fastbreak Club. Junior Devin Necaise garnered the team's Ms. Offense award as the team's offensive MVP. The junior from Necaise Crossing, Miss., finished the year 10th in the league in scoring with 14.1 points per game and led C-USA with a 90.9 free throw shooting percentage. Necaise also ranked seventh in C-USA in three-point field goals made as the Lady Tigers as a team set a new school record with 134 shots sunk from beyond the arc. In 2005-06, Necaise set a new career high in scoring three different times, including 28 points against No. 13 Arizona State, which helped her earn all-tournament honors at the ASU Tournament. On the season, Necaise hit 56 threes, tying Kitty Allen for the second-best single season total in Memphis history. Necaise also set a school record with 24 consecutive free-throws made and became the fifth Lady Tiger in Memphis history to hit 100 or more career threes. Her 396 points scored this past season was 58 points more than her first two years combined at Memphis and she will work with the team's Ms. Defense in guiding the 2006-07 Lady Tiger squad. Junior Ashley Howard garnered the team's Ms. Defense award after leading the team in rebounding in her first season in a Lady Tiger uniform. The Durant, Miss., native also backed up senior point guard Tamika Butler, finishing second on the team with 76 assists and 51 steals. A 5-8 guard, Howard led Memphis with four double-doubles and added 21 blocks as a guard. Howard ranked fourth in Conference USA in rebounding, and was tied for ninth with 4.5 defensive rebounds a night and was second with 3.71 offensive rebounds. A first year letterwinner at Memphis, Howard also added 6.9 points per night. Rounding out the team-voted awards was another junior as junior center Megan Gooch was voted Most Improved. The 6-3 center, who was recently inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society this spring, played in 27 of Memphis' 28 games, starting in 24. She scored her first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against East Carolina and capped the year with a career-high three blocks in the Lady Tigers' 80-73 loss to Marshall in the C-USA Championships. Senior Tamika Butler received the Les Phillips Award presented by Phillips' widow Eva Phillips. Butler was the team's lone returning starter at the beginning of the season and the senior point guard responded with some of her best numbers of her four-year career. She finished her Lady Tiger career with 860 points and 226 rebounds and started in 66 of the 113 career games she played in. Her 374 assists ranks her fifth in the Lady Tiger record book and she became the first Lady Tiger point guard since Kalara McFadyen in 2001-02 to have more than 100 assists in a singles season. The Marianna, Ark., native also scored 20 or more points in four games in 2005-06, including a double-double of 22 points and 12 assists against Ole Miss. In her final game as a Lady Tiger, she scored 22 points. She will graduate from Memphis in August with classmate Jamie Bradley. Bradley wrapped her two-year Lady Tiger career with 118 rebounds and 46 total blocks. She became the first Memphis player since Melissa Abraham to eclipse the 30-block mark in a single season and at one point, had a streak of 10 straight games with a block. The Northern Oklahoma junior college transfer will graduate in August. The team was also recognized for their off-the-court accomplishments, which included three Lady Tiger members on the Dean's List, one C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medalist, five members on the Tiger 3.0 Club and two Lady Tigers named to the Tiger Academic 30. Team manager Micah Gill also received the Lady Tiger Award for going above and beyond what was asked of him during the season. Memphis will return five letterwinners for the 2005-06 season. That core will be joined by the six early signees and more signees that will be announced when the early signing period opens on Wednesday, Apr. 12th.

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04/10/06		Lady Tigers Take Lead On Stellar First Day at Lady Eagle Invite -- Tate in first place individually at 1-under par (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 HATTIESBURG, Miss. - All five members of the University of Memphis women's golf team finished the first two rounds of the Lady Eagle Invitational in the top 17 as the Lady Tigers took a commanding opening day lead on Monday. Memphis, which has not won a tournament since 2002, matched a program team 18-hole record with a 292 in the opening round and followed with a 296. The Lady Tigers 36-hole 588 is 14 strokes better than second place Middle Tennessee State and 18 strokes lower than third place South Alabama in the 11-team field. The 36-hole total ranks as the program's second lowest total ever with the record of 581 shot by the 1997 squad at the Lady Tar Heel. Last year's Lady Eagle Invitational medalist Stacey Tate leads the tournament with a 1-under 141. Tate shot par in the first 18 holes of the par 71, 6,109 yard course at the Shadow Ridge Golf Club and then followed with a 1-under performance in the second round. The junior from New Zealand has a four-stroke lead over second place UAB's Christina Wentworth. Tate has medaled in two of her last three tournaments and has finished in the top 4 in three-straight competitions. Sophomore transfer Dawn-Marie Conaty carded the Lady Tiger's second-lowest score in the first day with a five-over 147 and is in a tie for fourth. The Ireland native is on pace to shatter her previous career 56-hole low of 236. Conaty needs to shoot better than an 89 in the final round to set a new low. Also attempting to set a career 56-hole low is senior Bernie Rosero who is one of three Lady Tigers in the top six. Rosero shot a career low 2-over 73 in the opening round and followed with a 4-over 75 to total 148 on the day. The Ecuador native also needs to card a score of 88 or better to set a new career three-round low. Junior Kathryn O'Rourke is fourth on the team and tied for 14th overall. The New York native is playing in her first spring tournament of the season, filling in for freshman Kayla Stewart who is missing the tournament due to a neck injury. O'Rourke had rounds of 75 and 77 to total a 152 on Monday. The Lady Tigers No. 5 golfer on the day, freshman Rachel Larson, is tied for 17th individually. Larson shot rounds of 75 and 78 for a 153 36-hole total. The Longmont, Colo., native needs a 78 or better in the final round to set a career low. Memphis will compete in the final round of the tournament on Tuesday. The tournament will resume with a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start. Southern Miss Lady Eagle Invitational Dates: 04/10-04/11, 2006 Round: 2 Par-Yardage: 71-6109 1 Memphis, Univ. of 292 296 588 1 Stacey Tate 71 70 141 T4 Dawn-Marie Conaty 73 74 147 6 Bernie Rosero 73 75 148 T14 Kathryn O'Rourke 75 77 152 T17 Rachel Larson 75 78 153

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04/10/06		Baseball Begins Seven-Game Homestand with Midweek Games versus Murray State and Arkansas State -- Tigers look to extend win streak to seven games on Tuesday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball team will be back in front of the home crowd this week when it begins a seven-game homestand with midweek contests against Murray State and Arkansas State on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Memphis, who is 19-13, has won six-straight and seven of its last eight. The Tigers are riding the momentum of its six-game streak that has been highlighted by a three-game sweep of Marshall over the weekend. In both the series opener and finale, Memphis found itself behind by two runs in the ninth inning, but managed to plate two runs to tie before winning in extra-innings. The Tigers got game-winning hits from Josh Irvin in the opener and Alex Fennell in the finale. The sweep was Memphis' first road sweep in Conference USA action since the 1998 season. Memphis' Tuesday opponent, Murray State, come to town with an 8-24 mark. The Breds have lost 13 of the last 14 games, including a stretch of 11-straight losses. The Tigers handed MSU a 13-6 loss on Mar. 14. Adam Amar went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Michael Murray also posted multiple hits in a 2-for-3 performance to help the Tigers to the ninth win of the year. The Thoroughbreds committed five errors in the game. Memphis holds a 57-30 mark all-time against Murray. The Breds are hitting just .261 as a team and have hit three home runs in 32 games. In addition they have struck out 223 times. Seth Hudson leads the team with a .368 average, while Tyler Pitman is the power man with a team-high 12 doubles and 19 RBI. Murray State pitchers have a combined 5.76 ERA, but have given up a .302 average to opposing hitters. Arkansas State is 17-15 after sweeping Arkansas-Little Rock in Sun Belt play this weekend. The Tribe has won each of its last four games, one of which was a 6-5 triumph over Murray State. ASU defeated Memphis 5-3 earlier this year. The Tribe held the Tigers to four hits. A triple by Adam Amar and a two-run home run by Robbie Goss highlighted a three-run second inning, but that was all the runs Memphis' offense could muster. The Indians offense sports a .291 average, but is just 3-9 on the road this year. Brett Kinning is swinging a hot bat with a .402 average. Josh Yates and Tyler Doak are the only other regulars with averages above .300. ASU pitchers have held opponents to a 278 clip at the plate and have a 6.00 ERA. Brian Schuck paces the staff with a 3.33 ERA in 11 appearances, while closer Tim Egart leads the staff with four wins and four saves.

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04/10/06		Lady Tigers End Spring Schedule with 5-0 Shutout -- Four different players score in sixth spring victory for Memphis (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 OXFORD, Miss. - Ending its spring schedule with a victory, four different players scored for the University of Memphis women's soccer team in a 5-0 blanking of the Georgia ODP squad in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday. Led by two goals from transfer Geneil Newbern, the Lady Tigers went up on the ODP team 4-0 at the half. Memphis also scored goals from freshmen Kylie Hayes, Laura Pfeffer and Lauren Everhart. "I could not be happier with our performance against the Georgia ODP," said Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan. "I felt we came out and set the tone early with a strong opening. Everybody played well, and we showed discipline as a team rather than as individuals. The game was a good way to end our spring." The win is the sixth for the U of M in its spring exhibition schedule as the Lady Tigers finish with a 6-2-1 record. In those games, Memphis outscored its opponents 25-7. Junior Shoko Mikami led the Lady Tigers with eight spring goals, while Newbern finished second with six. Hayes led all freshmen with four goals and finished third on the team. "Overall, I'm pleased with what we have accomplished this spring," Monaghan said. "The team worked hard adjusting to a new style of play. They overcame their initial frustrations and gained a strong belief in our new system." In the first game of the doubleheader, the Tigers dropped only their second game of the spring to Peach Belt Conference 2005 regular season co-champion Columbus State in a 1-0 defeat. The Lady Cougars went 15-6-1 in 2005 and featured PBC Freshman of the Year Kellie Myles and PBC Coach of the Year Jay Entlich. "I told the team that this was one of the best things that could have happened to us in the spring," Monaghan said. "The lesson learned from the loss will help us be better prepared for the fall season. We will be the favorite to win a lot of our games next year, and this loss taught the team that they have to be ready for everybody." The Lady Tigers now look forward to the 2006 season in the fall and will open the schedule with a home preseason game against Saint Louis University. "We are excited for the fall," Monaghan said. "Our players have set high expectations for the next season, and we are looking forward to it. We had the chance in the spring to play against several teams with different types of systems, and we've learned to adapt to the way we need to play to succeed in the fall." 2006 Memphis Spring Goal Scorers Shoko Mikami, 8 Geneil Newbern, 6 Kylie Hayes, 4 Laura Pfeffer, 2 Lauren Everhart, 1 Candace Halvorson, 1 Nicky McLeod, 1 Asuka Kubota, 1 Emiko Schwab, 1

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04/10/06		Kubesch Named C-USA Co-Pitcher of the Week -- Junior hurler earns U of M softball team's first-ever weekly honor (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - After throwing a no-hitter in game one against league-leader Southern Miss and giving up just one earned run in 23.0 innings pitched last week, Memphis hurler Jenna Kubesch was named the C-USA Co-Pitcher of the week; it was announced Monday by the conference office. The weekly award is the first for the junior transfer, who shared pitcher of the week honors with UAB freshman Kayla Harris. It is also the first-ever weekly accolade for the Memphis program in its inaugural season. In three outings on the week, Kubesch boasted a 0.30 ERA in 23.0 innings of work, while allowing just three runs - one earned - on nine hits, striking out 23 and walking only four. The Weimar, Texas native picked up the first victory of the Lady Tigers' 2-1 series win over USM in no-hit fashion, to log her second no-hitter of the season. The first zero-hit effort came in a perfect game at Grambling State on February 28. In addition to her game-one win, Kubesch tossed 10.0 innings of five-hit ball in a 2-1 extra-inning loss to Southern Miss in Sunday's series finale. In that contest, she allowed just one earned run, while fanning 10 and walking only one. Kubesch's third outing of the week was another stellar performance, as she struck out eight and allowed just one unearned run and four hits, but took a 1-0 loss to UT-Martin. For the season, Kubesch leads the Lady Tigers with a 1.88 ERA, 109 strikeouts and a .188 opponent's batting average. The Memphis softball team will be back in action Wednesday at Greenbrook Park in Southaven, Miss., when it hosts Middle Tennessee State in a mid-week double-header at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The squad will then travel to Orlando, Fla., to face UCF in a three-game C-USA series on Friday and Saturday.

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04/10/06		Calipari, staff not visiting N.C. State today (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 10, 2006 John Calipari and his staff are in Memphis and have no plans to visit North Carolina State today, a source close to the situation has told The Commercial Appeal, contradicting an afternoon report at ESPN.com stating Calipari and his staff "were on their way to Raleigh" to tour N.C. State’s facilities. As of 3:40, the source said Calipari and his staff remained in town. Still, it’s unclear whether the University of Memphis has presented Calipari with a concrete counter to N.C. State’s offer that is reported to be near $2 million annually. Advertisement The Commercial Appeal learned earlier today that multiple UofM boosters are working with athletic director R.C. Johnson to compile a package that could push Calipari’s base salary to between $1.5 and $1.7 million per year. That combined with the $2.5 million annuity Calipari can collect if he finishes the 2009-2010 season may be enough, the source said, to make the sixth-year Tiger coach reject the offer to replace Herb Sendek at N.C. State.

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04/10/06		Tigers try to sweeten the pot for Calipari (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 10, 2006 Several prominent University of Memphis boosters have spent this morning working with athletic director R.C. Johnson in hopes of assembling a financial package that could convince John Calipari to turn down an offer to become North Carolina State’s next basketball coach. A source close to the situation told The Commercial Appeal that the U of M will likely present a package that consists of a base salary of between $1.5 and $1.7 million annually, which would be a raise of between $400,000 and $600,000 per year. Regardless, that would not meet the package of close to $2 million N.C. State has reportedly offered, but the source said it could still be enough to keep Calipari, considering he already has a $2.5 million annuity in his contract that will be collected if he coaches at Memphis through the 2009-2010 season. Advertisement As of noon, Calipari remained in Memphis without making public comment. There is no timetable for a decision. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/10/06		N.C. State talks ball -- Perhaps much bigger bucks are in the air for Tiger coach Calipari (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 10, 2006 North Carolina State University officials flew to Memphis on Sunday and discussed the school's basketball coaching vacancy with John Calipari in a development that could lead to the end of his tenure as the University of Memphis' coach. The meeting lasted about two hours, and consisted of Calipari, N.C. State Chancellor James L. Oblinger, athletic director Lee Fowler and other university officials. As of presstime, no deal had been struck, sources told The Commercial Appeal. But it's clear Calipari is N.C. State's top priority as it searches for Herb Sendek's replacement. Texas coach Rick Barnes reportedly turned down an offer worth more than $2 million per year. It's uncertain whether a similar offer was or will be extended to Calipari. Upon returning to Raleigh, N.C., via a private jet owned by a prominent Wolfpack booster, Fowler -- a former Tiger assistant on Dana Kirk's staff in the 1980s -- declined comment to the assembled media, though sources said he and Calipari could speak again as early as today. "We were aware of the meeting," UofM athletic director R.C. Johnson said Sunday night. But beyond that he declined comment while continuing to attempt to rework the contracts of Calipari and Memphis football coach Tommy West. Calipari did not return a phone message seeking comment. According to sources, if Calipari remains at Memphis it will be because he doesn't want to leave a potential Final Four team even though he would likely be compensated at a lower rate than what N.C. State could pay. Calipari makes a salary of about $1.1 million, and there are incentives that can push his total package to as much as $1.5 million annually. He earned a minimum of roughly $1.3 million this season, thanks to $200,000 in NCAA Tournament bonuses. Johnson has indicated multiple times that he will rework Calipari's contract, which runs through the 2009-2010 season and features a $2.5 million annuity that can be collected if Calipari fulfills what would be his 10th season at Memphis. Johnson canceled a scheduled trip to Georgia on Sunday to remain in Memphis and focus on rallying donors to upgrade the package. But it's now been two weeks since Calipari first publicly expressed his desire to remain at the UofM so long as the school is "fair" and "committed to being a Top 10 program," meaning it's safe to suggest negotiations have not gone as smoothly as either side had hoped. Calipari is 148-59 in six seasons at Memphis. He's reached the NCAA Tournament three of the past four years, achieving what was ultimately a first-round loss (to Arizona State in 2003), a second-round loss (to Oklahoma State in 2004) and an Elite Eight loss (to UCLA in 2006). In Calipari's three other seasons, the Tigers went to the NIT, reaching the semifinals twice (in 2001 and 2005) and winning the event once (in 2002). -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/10/06		Lady Tigers can't pull off a sweep (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 10, 2006 Southern miss 2, Memphis 1 The 2-1 loss in 10 innings was almost too painful for words. Sunday at Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven, the first-year University of Memphis softball team had multiple opportunities to complete a three-game sweep of Conference USA leader Southern Miss. And that's why Lady Tiger coach Windy Thees had a difficult time rehashing the blown chances. There was the third inning when the Lady Tigers failed to score after leaving two on base and had a baserunner thrown out at third. There was the fourth inning when the Lady Tigers scored their lone run, but failed to chase freshman Lacey Gros. Gros walked three and allowed a base hit in the inning, but the U of M scored only on a bases-loaded walk. There was the seventh inning when the Lady Tigers had the game-winning run on third with two outs, but couldn't get Cara Stiles home. And there was the 10th when the Lady Tigers, needing a base hit to win the game with one out, left two runners in scoring position. Gros (12-11) struck out the final two Lady Tigers she faced. Memphis (20-18, 5-6 in C-USA) stranded 13 runners, including seven in scoring position, to help Gros overcome eight walks. ''I think at the end of the season, knowing the type person I am, I'll look back at and be extremely excited about how our first-year program performed,'' Thees said. ''But while I'm in it, it's hard. We had opportunities to win (this) game like we've had opportunities to win some of the others we've lost." The Lady Tigers were dominant in a doubleheader sweep of USM Saturday. They got two 4-0 wins, including a no-hitter by Jenna Kubesch, the tough-luck loser Sunday. Kubesch (8-6) walked one and struck out 10 in 10 innings Sunday. Southern Miss won the game with a two-out run-scoring single in the 10th by Melissa Prouty. Nichole Chisolm scored from second on the hit, but only after Lady Tiger catcher Kimberly Hayden failed to hang on to a strong throw from Stiles in centerfield. Thees said it was encouraging to see her team recover from what she termed a ''mid-season slump.'' The Lady Tigers had lost seven of nine before opening the three-game set with USM. ''We've never played this much while going to school and having (softball) be so much of your everyday life,'' Thees said. ''You get to that tired point. It's always a turning point. Either they choose to continue the season and give it all they have and get rejuvenated or they hang it up. ''From this weekend it was good to see. Our girls wanted these games. They wanted them so bad they could taste them. We did everything we could to get them all, but we fell short by one.'' Lady Tiger infielder Bridgette McNulty, who leads the team in homers (nine) and RBI (34), said ''it would have nice to take down the top team three straight games ... but (taking) two of three, you can't complain; I think we gained some respect.''

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04/09/06		First Two Stops of the TSF's Spring Tour Scheduled for This Week -- Members of the TSF and the Tiger Coaching Staffs will be on hand at two different locations this week (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A pair of stops, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday, have been scheduled for the 2006 Tiger Scholarship Fund's Spring Tour. Reggie Barnes and John Stokes will host the first stop on the tour at Morgan Keegan Tower on 50 North Main Street, on Tuesday from 5:00-6:30 p.m. Various coaches from the Tigers' Athletic Department will be on hand at various stops throughout the tour. The Millington Telephone Company will host the second stop of the tour, at 4880 Navy Road in Millington on Thursday from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Anyone who plans on attending either event is asked to please RSVP to 901-678-2334 or via email to dlarivir@memphis.edu for planning purposes. The next two stops on the tour will be April 25th when Harold Byrd of the Bank of Bartlett will host the Bartlett/Cordova/Arlington reception at 7984 Highway 64 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

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04/09/06		Rochester Ties for Seventh as Tigers Place Sixth at Billy Hitchcock -- Memphis next prepares for C-USA Championship (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz>br> wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 678-2444 AUBURN, Ala. - The University of Memphis men's golf team carded a 304 in the final round of the Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate on Sunday to finish the tournament sixth with a 56-hole 901. Sophomore Ian Rochester led the Tigers with a seventh place tie individually after winning the intercollegiate in 2005. Rochester shot a 77 in the final round of the par-72, 7,207 yard course at the Auburn University Club and finished with a 2-over 218. Tournament host Auburn University won the tournament led by the intercollegiate medalist Stuart Moore who shot a 7-under 209 for the victory. Auburn also had two players tied for second individually and carded a team 860 to win the tournament by 21 strokes. Charlotte placed second with an 881 while Ole Miss finished third at 883. The top 20 finish is the fourth of the season for Rochester and his second placing in the top 10. The tie for seventh is a season best for the Cordova, Tenn., native who tied for his second career best 56-hole total. Sophomore Robbie Greenwell had the best round on the final day with a 75 to finish tied for 47th with a 234. Junior Lewis Clarke and senior Mike Regenold both carded a 76 on Sunday. Clarke finished second on the team and tied for 31st overall with a 228, while Regenold finished tied for 36th with a 229. Sophomore Keven Fortin-Simard struggled on the final 18 holes of the tournament and finished tied for 54th with a 238. The Tigers will now prepare for the Conference USA Championship held at Southern Mississippi University on April 24-26. Billy Hitchcock Intercollegiate Dates: 04/07-04/09, 2006 Round: 3 Final Results Par-Yardage: 72-7207 6 Memphis, U. of 296 301 304 901 T7 Ian Rochester 70 71 77 218 T31 Lewis Clarke 75 77 76 228 T36 Mike Regenold 74 79 76 229 T47 Robbie Greenwell 78 81 75 234 T54 Keven Fortin-Simard 77 74 87 238

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04/09/06		Softball Drops 10-Inning Heart-Breaker to Southern Miss -- Kubesch posts another stellar effort, but takes 2-1 defeat (GoTigersGo.com)
		Southern Miss 000 100 000 1 - 2 5 2 Memphis 000 100 000 0 - 1 7 2 SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - A day after throwing a no-hitter to lead Memphis to a game-one win over Southern Miss, Jenna Kubesch posted another stellar effort in the circle Sunday against Southern Miss, but it would not be enough, as the Lady Tigers dropped a 2-1 heart-breaker in 10 innings. As was the case in the first game of the series, Kubesch and USM starter Lacey Gros locked up in a pitcher's duel from the onset. However, unlike in Saturday's game, the Lady Tiger offense was not able to break through on Gros, who held the U of M to one run on seven hits. The Golden Eagle bats were not much more successful against Kubesch, but managed a run in the fourth and added the game-winner in the top of the 10th to claim their lone win of the series. "Jenna threw another tremendous game," said Coach Windy Thees. "I just hate that it had to end the way it did." Memphis had several chances to take the lead early, putting two runners on in both the first and third innings, while leaving five stranded in the first three frames. The Lady Tigers then saw Southern Miss take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, with Charity Butler picking up the Golden Eagles' first hit of the series off Kubesch, before scoring on an infield single by Jennifer Fox. Memphis, however, came right back to tie the game in the bottom half of the fourth. The U of M loaded the bases on walks to Laura Mahoney and Tori Gross and a single by Cara Stiles, then knotted the score at one when Mahoney scored on a walk to Leila Dolfo. The contest remained deadlocked for the next five frames, with Kubesch and Gros allowing just two hits apiece in the fifth thru ninth innings. Southern Miss reclaimed the lead in the top of the tenth when Nicole Chisolm reached on a fielder's choice, stole a base and scored an unearned run on a single to centerfield by Melissa Prouty. The Lady Tigers mounted a rally in their half of the tenth, with Kimmi Hayden reaching on a fielder's choice and Gross doubling to put runners on second and third with one out. The U of M was not able to take advantage, however, as Gros recorded a pair of strikeouts to preserve the 2-1 win for the Golden Eagles. "Southern Miss is a great team at the top of our conference," said Thees. "Their freshman pitcher (Lacey Gros) kept us off balance all day, and we just couldn't find an answer." Gros took the win in the circle, working the full ten innings and striking out 10 Lady Tigers to move to 12-11 on the season. Kubesch received the loss, also working the complete ten innings and fanning 10, while allowing the two runs - one earned - on five hits to fall to 8-6 on the season. Bridgette McNulty, who was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and Stiles, who was 2-for-4, also with a pair of one-baggers, led the way at the plate for the Lady Tigers. Despite the Sunday's loss, Memphis picked up its second C-USA series win of the season to move to 20-18 on the spring and 5-6 in league play. Southern Miss goes to 22-26 overall and 8-4 in the conference. The U of M will be back in action Wednesday at Greenbrook Park when it hosts Middle Tennessee in a double-header at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The next conference games for Memphis will be next Friday and Saturday against UCF in Orlando, Fla.

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04/09/06		Baseball Completes Sweep of Marshall with 9-8 Comeback Win -- Tigers extend win streak to six games (GoTigersGo.com)
		CHARLESTON, W.V. - Memphis (19-13; 6-3 C-USA) 005 001 002 1 - 9 17 0 Marshall (12-16; 1-8 C-USA) 400 121 000 0 - 8 12 0 For the second time in three games, Memphis used a ninth-inning rally to send the game into extra innings and then scored the game-winner in extra frames to complete a 9-8 extra-inning win over Marshall at Appalachian Power Park. Memphis, who is 3-0 in extra-inning contests, notches its first Conference USA road sweep since taking three from Cincinnati back in 1998. Trailing 8-6 and down to its final two outs of regulation, Memphis staged a two-run rally to send the game to the bottom of the ninth. K.K. Chalmers got things going with a lined double to the left centerfield gap. Will Petersen made it a one-run game, 8-7, with a double to the rightfield corner. Bill Moss made it three-straight hits when he reached on an infield single and Kyle Norrid tied it up at 8-8 with a single through the left side. The Tigers won the game in the 10th after Michael Murray led off with a single through the left side and stole second. Alex Fennell then drove in the game-winning run on a single up the middle. The hit was Fennell's second game-winner in four games. Marshall jumped out of the gates quick as first baseman Roddy Stieger highlighted a four-run first inning with three-run homer over the leftfield wall. Catcher Cory Barton ignited the third inning that saw the Tigers claim a 5-4 lead. Barton led the frame off with a bloop single to rightfield and two batters later Petersen put the U of M on the board when he launched a Brian Chrisman offering over the centerfield wall. Moss followed with a single and scored on a double by Joey Lieberman. A two-run single off the bat of Murray gave Memphis the lead. The Thundering Herd evened the score at 5-5 in the home half of the fourth inning on a single up the middle by Brendan Murphy. Marshall regained the lead, 7-5, on Adam Ptacek's fifth-inning two-run homer to right centerfield. Memphis put a single tally on the board in the sixth on an RBI-single by Barton to make it a one-run ballgame, 7-6. But a solo home run by Adam Frederick recaptured the two-run cushion for the Herd. Murray had a team-best four hits in the contest. Petersen and Moss finished with three base knocks. Petersen had three RBI. Lieberman and Barton had two hits each. Memphis hammered out 17 hits. Tigers' reliever Drew Jaudon (3-1) picked up the win for the Tigers after tossing two innings of shutout ball. Herd reliever Brian Knipplemeyer was tagged with the loss. He gave up a run in an inning-and-a-third. The U of M bests its 2005 league mark of 5-25 with its fifth consecutive win. The Tigers will now return home for a seven-game homestand that begins on Tues., April 11, when Memphis hosts Murray State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Listen to live action as "The Voice of Tiger Baseball", Jeff Brightwell calls the play-by-play action on WUMR 91.7FM.

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04/09/06		Lady Tigers Win Top Two Singles Matches in 5-2 Loss to MTSU -- Andrea Feichtinger wins her last home match in straight sets (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Despite wins from the top two singles slots, the University of Memphis women's tennis team (3-13) fell 5-2 to Middle Tennessee in the Lady Tigers' home finale, Sunday. Senior Andrea Feichtinger closed out her home career in style, while a 6-3, 6-3 win over Marlene Chemin at No. 2 singles, while Brooke Cowie picked up her second straight win at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-4, over Claudia Szabo. Feichtinger's win snapped a four-match losing streak and pushed her to the four-win mark on the season. Cowie picked up her team-leading five victory with two regular season matches remaining before the Conference USA tournament. Memphis will face former C-USA member Saint Louis, Saturday, and will play at host Missouri, Sunday, to close out the regular season. Middle Tennessee 5, Memphis 2 SINGLES 1. Brooke Cowie (UM) def. Claudia Szabo, 6-4, 6-4 2. Andrea Feichtinger (UM) def. Marlene Chemin, 6-3, 6-3 3. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom def. Kristin Noble (UM), 6-1, 6-4 4. Elvira Yusupova def. Ekin Zafir (UM), 6-1, 6-1 5. Kelly Adams def. Alex Tjioe (UM), 3-6, 6-4, 10-3 6. Pooja Kommireddi def. Christina Wieser (UM), 6-3, 6-2 DOUBLES 1. Chemin-Szabo def. Tjioe-Cowie (UM), 8-4 2. Siljestrom-Adams def. Feichtinger-Wieser (UM), 8-1 3. Kommireddi-Yusupova def. Noble-Zafir (UM), 8-1

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04/09/06		Tough Situation (Commercial Appeal)
		Talk about being between the proverbial rock and hard place ... Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson can't be happy about the position he's in. John Calipari's success has brought more suitors, including the apparently uber-seriousNorth Carolina State. Calipari wants Memphis to show it's serious about continuing a great program by giving him a raise, but Memphis is already having to dig deep in the pockets of its biggest boosters to finance Calipari's current deal. And isn't a package that can get as high as $1.5 million a sign that a school like Memphis is serious? But I digress. Now let's say that Johnson can convince the big-money Tiger boosters to ante up enough to convince Calipari to stay and coach here. What does he do for Tommy West, who has brought unprecedented success to the Tiger football program? Reality check: Memphis is not in a BCS conference. Money is always going to be an issue here. John Calipari has done remarkable things with a basketball program that was teetering on the brink of falling into the abyss known as mid-major status. He's brought the spirit back and had this city fired up as few had seen it in the past. But you can only do so much in Memphis as the man charged with overseeing the entire athletic program. All that's left is for R.C. Johnson to figure out his best offer, make it and see what happens. If it's good enough, great. If it isn't, well, there would be quite a few solid coaches willing to come here and take over what Calipari's built.

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04/09/06		U of M coach eyed for North Carolina State job (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 9, 2006 North Carolina State University officials flew to Memphis today and discussed the school’s men's basketball coaching vacancy with John Calipari. The meeting lasted about two hours, and consisted of Calipari, N.C. State chancellor James Oblinger, athletic director Lee Fowler and other university officials. No deal was struck, sources said, but it’s clear Calipari is N.C. State’s top priority as it searches for Herb Sendek’s replacement. Texas coach Rick Barnes reportedly turned down an offer worth more than $2 million per year. It’s unclear whether the same offer will be extended to Calipari. He makes a base salary of about $1.1 million at Memphis plus incentives that could push his total package to as much as $1.5 million per year. For example, thanks to a trip to the Elite Eight this past season Calipari made a minimum of $1.3 million, which included $200,000 in NCAA Tournament bonuses. Calipari and U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment. -- Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/09/06		Tiger defense comes through with big plays in scrimmage (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 9, 2006 His teams have been known for their offensive production the past three seasons, a characteristic that has carried coach Tommy West's University of Memphis football teams to three consecutive bowl games. So if Saturday's Blue-Gray spring scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium was somewhat lacking from an offensive standpoint, West wasn't overly concerned. He knows the Tigers possess the depth and experience to be a formidable offense next fall, even without All-America running back DeAngelo Williams. What pleased West after the 95-play scrimmage was the continued development of his defense, one that struggled at times last year but consistently made plays Saturday. There was a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown by freshman defensive back Chris Huffman, who earned game MVP honors. Defensive back Rod Smith had a 22-yard interception return, in addition to five tackles and a quarterback pressure. Senior defensive back Brandon McDonald broke up two passes and returned an interception 25 yards. Linebacker Heath Grant, who had a solid spring, finished with six tackles, including one for lost yardage. Linebacker Mike Snyder had six tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, a pass breakup and a near interception on the scrimmage's sixth play. And the defensive line, depleted by injuries last season, was active, too, behind newcomers Jada Brown and Corey Mills, transfers from Ole Miss, and redshirt freshman Greg Terrell from Birmingham. ''I think our defense has gotten better,'' West said. ''I think the addition of those defensive linemen -- Jada Brown, Greg Terrell, Corey Mills -- I don't think there's any question that those guys make a difference. ''If you look, those are guys making plays and our defensive linemen (hadn't) been making enough plays. They made plays this spring and they made plays today.'' Shortly after McDonald's interception early in the workout, running backs Joe Doss and T.J. Pitts scored on short runs capping lengthy drives of 54 and 65 yards. No score was kept in the scrimmage. After a short intermission, play resumed and Huffman came up with the scrimmage's highlight. He scooped up a Carlton Robinzine fumble and sprinted 62 yards for a touchdown. Robinzine had fumbled on the previous play, too, but recovered. On the second bobbled handoff from quarterback Martin Hankins, Robinzine wasn't as fortunate. Huffman darted in, picked up the loose ball and battled, briefly, to gain control. He eventually secured the football and raced to the end zone. ''The ball was trying to bobble out of my hands so I just had to get everything correct,'' Huffman said. ''I kind of felt somebody on my back, but I just kept running. I was trying my best to get into the end zone and make a play.'' On the ensuing possession, Hankins, starting at the defense's 40-yard line, moved the offense inside the 20, but had a fourth-and-10 pass tipped by receiver Ryan Scott and intercepted by Rod Smith. Smith returned it to the 22-yard line. The offense began again at the 40 with quarterback Will Hudgens, but the drive stalled in three plays as defensive back Derek Clenin rushed in to drop Hudgens for a 12-yard loss on third-and-9. A few series later, Hankins zipped a 6-yard strike to receiver Antonio McCoy on a slant pattern for the scrimmage's final touchdown. The scoring drive survived despite Terrell dropping Michael Grandberry for an 8-yard loss on second-and-6 from the defense's 11-yard line. Fittingly, the workout ended on a sack by Huffman on a fourth-and-goal from the 5. ''As a whole, we've been running to the ball better than we did last year,'' McDonald said. ''We're making tackles, we're making plays. We've just got a hunger to get to that football.'' West had hoped to give the roughly 1,000 fans who braved a stiff northerly wind -- and temperatures in the upper 40s -- an opportunity to see the offense produce. ''I really wanted to come out and throw the ball, but it wasn't quite the day,'' West said. ''But if we keep improving defensively, we're going to have a good team. Our defense will have to be good, in particular early in the year, for us to be good. I have a lot of confidence in them right now.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

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04/09/06		Blue-gray Wrapup (Commercial Appeal)
		Offensive star There wasn't one. Gusty winds from the north played havoc with some of quarterback Martin Hankins' throws, reducing him to an uncharacteristic 12-of-26 for 86 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Running back Joe Doss ran in typical tough fashion, finishing with 23 yards on 10 carries, roughly what freshman T.J. Pitts gained. Receiver Ryan Scott had six catches for 41 yards to cap a solid spring. Defensive star Defensive back Chris Huffman won game MVP honors with an impressive performance highlighted by a 62-yard fumble return for a touchdown and two tackles for loss, including a sack. Falling into place If the Tiger defense makes the strides in preseason camp beginning in August that it made this spring, it will bode well for the UofM. The Tigers got production throughout their defense Saturday, from Huffman to defensive lineman Clinton McDonald, linebackers Heath Grant and Rod Smith and defensive backs Brandon McDonald, Derek Clenin and Deante Lamar. Falling on its face It might be harsh to label the offense as falling on its face, but it was not the crisp performance that it showed in last weekend's scrimmage at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. Hankins said he was disappointed that he didn't play the final week of spring as well as he had the first three, but the transfer from Southeastern Louisiana impressed the coaching staff in several areas. Odds and ends Before Saturday's scrimmage, the annual spring game awards were announced. Tight end Brett Russell, wide receiver Michael Grandberry and defensive back Brandon Patterson received the Chris Faros Award for most improved. Doss and defensive back Wesley Smith received the Glen Jones Award, given to the players who lead through desire, dedication and courage. Offensive lineman Paul Edwards earned the Rex Dockery Award, named after the former Tiger football coach and given to the incoming freshman who shows high academic accomplishment. Receiver Carlos Singleton received the Ralph Hatley Award, given to an incoming freshman majoring in health, physical education or recreation. And four players -- Smith, defensive back Sam Brewer, offensive lineman Abraham Holloway and receiver Antonio McCoy -- earned the True Tiger Award, presented by the football staff to the players who ''exemplify what a true Tiger should be.'' Receiver Maurice Jones and linebacker Greg Hinds suffered knee injuries during the scrimmage. Jones was given crutches and had his right knee placed in an immobilizer. Tiger coach Tommy West said Jones and Hinds would undergo MRI tests this week to determine the extent of their injuries. ''We just hope they're both sprains,'' West said. It wasn't as entertaining as the UofM marching band or parachutists landing at midfield, but the game's halftime show had its moments. A group of former Tiger players gathered for a brief game of touch football, highlighted by former running back Marcus 'Doc' Holliday's two touchdown receptions. WMC-TV (Ch. 5) sports anchor Jarvis Greer, a defensive back for the Tigers in the late 1980s, caught the game's first TD pass. Three players -- Trey Adams, Kittrell Smith and Joey Mack -- shared kicking duties Saturday. West said those three will be joined in August by incoming freshman Matt Reagan of Knoxville and senior quarterback Patrick Byrne, who kicked off for the Tigers in 2003 and '04. ''I think there's enough ability there for us to have a good kicker,'' West said. Audible ''He's not quite DeAngelo (Williams), but he did OK,'' - West, after watching an excited/animated Huffman give a brief interview for winning game MVP honors. - Phil Stukenborg

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04/09/06		Tiger AD cuts trip for Calipari talks -- N.C. State focused on U of M coach, reports say (Commercial Appeal)
		By Gary Parrish Contact April 9, 2006 While John Calipari reportedly surged to the top of North Carolina State's coaching wish list, University of Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson canceled a trip Saturday to remain in town and focus on reworking the contract of his most-visible employee. "I have a NCAA Management Council meeting (this) morning (in Savannah, Ga.,), but I have called (C-USA commissioner) Britton (Banowsky) and told him I am not going to make it," said Johnson, who is simultaneously working on a new deal for football coach Tommy West. "I'm going to work diligently to get both contracts reworked. That is my focus right now." Johnson's change of plans came as multiple media outlets reported that N.C. State's attention will now turn toward Calipari following Texas coach Rick Barnes reportedly declining an offer of more than $2 million per year. It's unclear whether N.C. State will make an official offer to Calipari, and if so whether it would be similar to what it offered Barnes. But, Johnson said Saturday no school has requested permission to speak with Calipari, which is a common courtesy in coaching searches, though not a prerequisite to engaging in talks. "Just about every year it's been like this with John, and I'm OK with that," Johnson said. "The more successful we are, this is going to happen. ... The good thing is that we've developed a pretty good core of donors." With Calipari back in town following a week in which he fulfilled national TV obligations and went recruiting, he and Johnson could meet as early as today and potentially end this N.C. State speculation. Though Calipari has repeatedly expressed his desire to remain at Memphis, he has constantly been mentioned as a possible replacement for Herb Sendek, who left for Arizona State last week amid rabid criticism from fans. Ironically, Calipari, unprovoked, took issue with that criticism before Memphis and N.C. State both played in the NCAA Tournament last month in Dallas. "There are some people saying they should buy out Herb Sendek," Calipari said. "That is the business we are in. ... It is ridiculous." Calipari's current contract runs through the 2009-2010 season and has a base salary of about $1.1 million per year plus incentives that could push the total package to roughly $1.5 million per year. For example, Calipari recently earned $200,000 in NCAA Tournament bonus money thanks to the Tigers advancing to the Elite Eight, which this year placed his pay at a minimum of close to $1.3 million (the season-ending loss to UCLA, it's worth noting, cost Calipari an additional $100,000). Furthermore, Calipari will collect a $2.5 million annuity if he finishes the 2009-2010 campaign. Add that to the fact that the Tigers are expected to be Final Four contenders again next season, and leaving would require Calipari to walk away from a lot in favor of rebuilding N.C. State in the shadows of Duke and North Carolina. Regardless, Johnson doesn't want things to get that far. That's why he's turned his focus toward securing a better deal for Calipari and his assistants as soon as possible. "The analogy I use is that I'm the director of a Broadway play and my two lead actors are my football coach and my basketball coach," Johnson said. "They are the ones out front. They are the ones who get the perks and salaries and attention. I just direct the Broadway play. But my job as the director is to keep my two lead actors as happy as I possibly can, and that's what I'm trying to do." - Gary Parrish: 529-2365

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04/08/06		Blue-Gray Scrimmage 2006 (Commercial Appeal)
		Observations from the 15th and final University of Memphis football practice, otherwise known as the Mutual of Omaha Blue-Gray Game: (Hey, so why do they call it a game? It's a scrimmage. As has been the case for years, there's not enough depth to field two teams. So let's call it what it is: the Blue-Gray Scrimmage. Put the ball down at the 20- or the 35- or the 50-yard line and trot out the No. 1 offense and the No. 2 defense and play.) Now that we have that minor point out of the way, here are some observations/comments from Tiger coach Tommy West following Saturday's 95-play scrimmage at a chilly Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. 1) ON THE QUARTERBACK SITUATION. West said Martin Hankins, the junior transfer from Southeastern Louisiana, will be the No. 1 quarterback when practice resumes in August. But he said Patrick Byrne, last year's opening-game starter, will be in the mix. Byrne broke his leg in the season-opener and was unable to scrimmage this spring, although he participated in practices. "I think Patrick deserves a chance to compete for it. I don't know how I'd start it out (as far as pre-season depth chart). I don't think you can penalize Patrick for being hurt and not being here (to scrimmage) but I'm not going to penalize Martin Hankins for what he's done this spring, either. I guess I'd start Hankins with the 1s when we come back. When we come back we don't have a lot of of time to jack around. We've got to get ready for the first game." 2) ON THE TEAM'S IMPROVED DEPTH. "From a depth standpoint right now we're as good as we've ever been, with solid players. They may not have as much experience, but they are solid players. If you start looking around there's four backs (Joe Doss, T.J. Pitts, Miguel Barnes and Jamarcus Gaither), and we're two to three deep in the D-line. The only place we're a little bit lacking is at linebacker, but when we get Quinton (McCrary) back, I think we'll be OK." (McCrary did not scrimmage this spring while recovering from a thigh injury). 3) ON TINKERING WITH A 4-MAN DEFENSIVE FRONT. "We worked it some early in the spring, but I don't know if we'll play it or not. I think the key to that is how we'll do at linebacker. If we think we have enough linebackers and we're good enough there, then we'll probably stay with a three-man front." 4) ON THE DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT THIS SPRING. "My No. 1 priority going into spring was to try to build on how we finished the season defensively. We were really bad on defense at one part of the season. But then we went to Knoxville (to play Tennessee) and we played really well from Knoxville on. I wanted to continue to build that and get better. And I think we did. I think we are better today than the day we started (spring practice). I'm OK with where we are right now on defense." 5) ON THE OFFENSE'S PROGRESS. "We're better than we were Day 1 (of spring practice). We didn't have the dropped balls and the offsides. We had a little bit of an exchange problem between Hankins and C-Rob (Carlton Robinzine), but we'll ge that worked out."

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04/08/06		Lee Breaks Lady Tiger Records in Pair of Regional Qualifying Efforts -- Malinowski betters own record in 3000m steeplechase (GoTigersGo.com)
		OXFORD, Miss. - In a pair of regional qualifying performances Saturday at the Ole Miss Invitational, Memphis thrower Gail Lee improved her stance in the Lady Tiger record books as well, breaking her own U of M records in two events. Freshman Emily Malinowski added another school record for the Lady Tigers, also bettering a mark the she previously held. Lee registered a toss of 182-10" (55.74m) in the hammer and posted a throw of 50-06.75" (15.41m) in the shot put to break her previous school marks in both events. Both marks also qualified the Fort Worth, Texas native for NCAA Mideast Regionals, as she surpassed the regional mark in the hammer for the first time, while bettering a previous regional effort in the shot put. Malinowski broke the Lady Tiger record in the 3000m steeplechase for the second time this season, posting a time of 10:55.92 to win the event and better her previous mark by over 10 seconds. In other top showings, Susan King finished third in both the shot put and discus with a tosses of 49-08.50" (15.15m) and 155-08" (47.45m), respectively. Both marks topped the Regional standards for the events, while the effort in the shot was a new personal-best. Memphis native, J.D. Erickson won the discus with a throw 169-01" (51.53m), while finishing second in the shot put with a mark of 56-00.50" (17.08m) and third in the hammer with a regional qualifying mark of 184-01" (56.11m). Several additional U of M athletes posted top-six showings on the day. Tyler Frazier finished second in the javelin with a throw of 185-01" (56.42m), while Chen Edri finished second in the high jump with a clearance of 5-05.00" (1.65m), also placing sixth in the javelin with a throw of 123-11" (37.78m). Norbert Gulyas and Sivan Aballi finished fourth in their respective discus competitions, recording tosses of 160-02" (48.82m) and 148-03" (45.20m). Mary Claire Dake finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase with a time of 1