Trip's Tigers: News Archives April 2007

04/30/07		Memphis Drops To Sixth After Round Two -- Two Tigers finish in Top-10 (GoTigersGo.com)
		TEXARKANA, ARk. - The University of Memphis men's golf team dropped four places after round two of competition, after going into the second round in second place. The Tigers are tied for sixth after falling 18 strokes behind the first place spot. Memphis finished round two tied for sixth place after shooting a 12-over-par 300. The Tigers fell four spots, after going into day two in second place. Memphis has a 12-over-par 588 on the tournament, going into the final round. The Tigers have two golfers in the Top-10. Tied at sixth with Memphis are SMU and UTEP. Leading the way for the Tigers is junior Ian Rochester. The Cordova, Tenn., native earned a sixth place finish on the day, after shooting an even 72. Rochester tallied three birdies in the second round. The junior has a 1-under-par 143 going into the final round. He is looking to improve his 29th place finish from last year. Two strokes behind Rochester is sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin. The Rockford, Ill., native is tied for eighth place, after shooting a 4-over-par 76 on the day. The sophomore tallied three birdies in the second round. Benjamin has a 1-over-par 145 going into the final round. He is looking to take the title after finishing third last year. Junior golfer Kyle Ritchie is just one spot away from finishing in the Top-20. Ritchie is tied for 21st place going into the final round. The junior shot a 3-over-par 75 on the day and will enter the final round with a 4-over-par 148. The Corning, Iowa, native had three birdies on the day. He is hoping to earn a spot on the leader board in his first Conference USA tournament. Brandon Bunn is tied for 43rd place going into the final round. The freshman shot a 5-over-par 77 on the day and tallied two birdies. Bunn will enter the final round with a 10-over-par 154. The Knoxville, Tenn., native is looking for a strong finish in his first Conference USA tournament. Junior golfer Robbie Greenwell is tied for 48th after two rounds of tournament action. Greenwell shot an 8-over-par 80 on the day, giving him an 11-over-par 155 going into the final round. The Georgetown, Ontario, native is looking to improve his 17th place finish from last year. Leading the tournament is Tulsa, shooting a 3-under-par 385 on the day. Tulsa will enter the final round with a 6-under-par 570. UAB has sole possession of second place and Houston has the third place position. Two teams are tied for fourth and three teams are tied for sixth. In individual competition, Ryan Henry from Tulsa and Jordan Irwin from Houston are tied for first place, each with a 140. Memphis will tee off for the final round on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. The winner of the Conference USA tournament will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Regional.

04/30/07		Lady Tigers Head to Utah for West Regional -- Memphis Earns a Spot in West Regional (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's golf team will head to St. George, Utah for the NCAA Tournament West Regional, the NCAA announced Monday. The Lady Tigers will compete in their first ever NCAA Tournament since 2002, when they finished 11th at the East Regional. "We are just happy to be in the championships" said Memphis head coach Jenny Bruun. "It will just be fun for us. We don't have any expectations and no one is really expecting us to do that well in the tournament. It will be a time to just have fun and play golf. When you are in that situation, you have no fears and it usually turns out better that way. We are just going to go out there and play." The West Regional will be played May 10-12 at the Entrada Course at the Snow Canyon Country Club in St. George, Utah. The tournament will be hosted by Brigham Young University. Memphis will leave Tuesday, April 8 to head to the tournament. Joining the Lady Tigers from Conference USA is SMU. Gerina Mendoza from UTEP and Lene Krog from East Carolina will be competing individually. "This week is going to be pretty light," said Bruun. "It is finals week and finals come first. School comes first, and so I have made all practices this week optional. Once we get through with finals, we will be back in gear. We have a lot of families coming in this weekend for graduation, so this week is going to be nice, but the team is ready to go. It is just great to be a Memphis Tiger right now. The team is peaking right now and they do not want the season to end. They are not ready to put their clubs away." The NCAA Tournament will consist of 63 teams battling for a national title, with each regional site hosting 21 teams and three individuals. In all, there will be 324 participants competing in a regional tournament. Of those players, only 126 will advance to the championship finals. Those 126 will be made up of eight teams and two individuals from each region. "This is a new challenge for us," said Bruun. "It is all new to them. I've been to a Regional as a player and as a coach. We are just looking forward to playing. It is going to be exciting." Memphis has never won a national title, but Christy Dristy earned a spot at the1982 NCAA Championship Finals. The championship finals will be held May 22-25 at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Florida. The University of Central Florida and the Central Florida Sports Commission will host the finals. 2007 West Regional Field (Conference automatic qualifiers in parenthesis) 1. Arizona State (Pacific-10 Conference) 2. Pepperdine 3. Florida 4. Oklahoma State 5. Brigham Young University 6. Stanford 7. Denver (Sun Belt Conference) 8. New Mexico 9. UC Irvine (Big West Conference) 10. San Jose State 11. UNLV 12. San Francisco 13. Hawaii 14. California 15. Idaho (Western Athletic Conference) 16. Washington State 17. Campbell (Atlantic Sun Conference) 18. Nebraska 19. Memphis (Conference USA) 20. Sacramento State (Big Sky Conference) 21. Columbia-Barnard (Ivy Group) Individuals: 1. Kay Hoey, Long Beach State 2. Jennifer Shipley, Fresno State 3. Lehua Wide, New Mexico State

04/30/07		Men's Soccer Announces 2007 Schedule -- Four C-USA Home Matches highlight the schedule (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Four home conference matches out of eight and a game against powerhouse Creighton highlight the 2007 men's soccer schedule, which was announced Monday by Memphis head coach Richie Grant. In preseason action, the Tigers will take on two neighboring teams. Memphis will face off with Lambuth University on Saturday, August 18. and will then take on Christian Brothers University on Wednesday, August 22. The 2007 season will open up with the Memphis Diadora Tournament, which will begin on Friday, August 3. Evansville will compete against Oral Roberts University at 3:00 p.m. The Tigers will take on Louisville that evening at 7:30 p.m. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, September 2, with Oral Roberts taking on Louisville at 5:00 p.m. followed by Memphis facing off with Evansville at 7:30 p.m. Memphis will then take the road to Fullerton, Calif., where they will compete in the Cal Fullerton Tournament hosted by the University of California-Fullerton. The Tigers will take on Cal Fullerton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 7. They will then battle against Cal Northridge at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 9. The Tigers will come home for one home game to battle Central Florida on Saturday, September 15. The time is to be announced. Memphis will then head to Evansville for the Evansville Tournament. The Tigers will face off against Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 21. On Sunday, September 23 at 12:00 p.m., Memphis will take on Mercer. The Memphis soccer team will come home for one game against Centenary on Saturday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m. before leaving to take on Conference USA member Tulsa on the road. The Tigers will play Tulsa on Friday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m. The next two games will be played at home, where Memphis will play host to 2006 NCAA Tournament team Creighton. That game will take place on Sunday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. Memphis will host Kentucky in a conference battle on Saturday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. The Tigers will hit the road to take on Marshall on Wednesday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. After Marshall, Memphis will have two home games. The Tigers will host the Gamecocks from South Carolina for a conference battle on Saturday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. Central Arkansas will come to Memphis to battle the Tigers on Wednesday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. The last four games of the season will split the Tigers with two games on the road and two games at home. The last two games in October will be with Memphis traveling to SMU on Saturday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m., followed by Memphis hosting Alabama A&M on Wednesday, October 31 at 7:00 p.m. Memphis will open up November with a conference battle against 2006 NCAA Tournament Team UAB on Saturday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m. The 2007 regular season will conclude with a conference match against Florida International at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Saturday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. The Conference USA Tournament will take place November 14-18.

04/30/07		TSF Spring Tour to Make Stops in Millington and Southaven This Week -- Tour to make third and fourth stops this week, beginning Tuesday in Millington (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) Spring Tour will continue this week with two stops, including Millington, Tuesday, and Southaven, Miss., on Thursday. Price Ford will host the Tuesday stop in Millington at the First Baptist Church (5010 West Union) beginning at 5 p.m. Chuck Roberts Commercial Real Estate will host the one stop in Mississippi, Thursday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the DeSoto Civic Center (4560 Venture Drive). Admission is free and fans are encouraged to bring new Tiger fans to the events. RSVPs to 901-678-2334 or by email to dlarivir@memphis.edu are requested.

04/30/07		McDonald relieved to be a Brown (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 30, 2007 University of Memphis defensive back Brandon McDonald tried to prepare his mother, Lisa Gant of Collins, Miss., for the NFL Draft. And, no, he didn't time her in the 40-yard dash or chart her vertical leaping ability. He tried to caution her about getting too caught up in the weekend. About watching too much of ESPN's coverage. About worrying too much about where her son would be taken. When McDonald's selection by the Cleveland Browns was announced Sunday -- McDonald was taken as the third pick in the fifth round and the 140th player overall -- Gant was mentally exhausted. ''You have no idea,'' she said. ''I kind of felt like that Brady Quinn did (Saturday).'' Quinn, the Notre Dame quarterback, was expected to be taken early in the first round, but wasn't chosen until, coincidentally, the Browns took him with the 22nd pick. McDonald, who spent the past two seasons at the U of M, had no preconceived notions about hearing his named called Saturday. ''I expected it to be Sunday,'' said McDonald, who was watching draft coverage at his father's home in Collins, Miss., when the announcement came. ''I had been marking off the cornerbacks (rated) ahead of me.'' McDonald said the St. Louis Rams chose ahead of the Browns in the fifth round and Cleveland officials called him to inform him they'd be taking him with the following selection. McDonald walked outside of his father's home when taking the call and returned in a playful mood. ''I wanted to make it a surprise,'' McDonald said. ''So when I walked back in the house I had a sad look on my face. Then they announced I was going to Cleveland.'' After a solid pro day at the U of M's Murphy Athletic Complex in late March, McDonald flew to Cleveland for a personal visit. That the Browns took him was no surprise. Still, he was glad he didn't have to wait any longer than he did. ''It was a sigh of relief when I found where I was going,'' he said. McDonald played two seasons at Jones (Miss.) County Community College after a successful prep career at Collins High. He helped Collins to back-to-back unbeaten seasons and consecutive state titles before signing with Jones County CC. At Jones, he played wide receiver and defensive back. For the U of M, McDonald started 11 games in 2005 and finished with three interceptions for a team that played in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit. Last year, McDonald played both safety positions and cornerback and led the Tigers with 84 tackles and four interceptions for a team that changed defensive schemes during the season and ended with a 2-10 record. McDonald earned second-team all-Conference USA honors. McDonald (5-10, 182) said he'll likely remain in Collins until the Browns bring him up to Cleveland for a minicamp in the next few weeks. He said his mom should be much more relaxed, but there's little he could have done to alter her viewing habits over the weekend. ''She likes that stuff,'' he said. Other second-day draft picks with area ties included Mississippi State defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (fifth round by Tennessee), former Cordova High cornerback Michael Coe (fifth round by Indianapolis) Also, former Melrose High and Central Arkansas product Jacob Ford went in the sixth round to the Tennessee Titans. Ford, from Melrose, played one season at the University of Memphis in 2001, but became academically ineligible. He didn't return to football until 2004 when he enrolled at Holmes (Miss.) Community College before signing with UCA. Two area players were taken in the seventh round -- Ole Miss cornerback Trumaine McBride by the Chicago Bears (221st pick) and Arkansas defensive tackle Keith Jackson Jr., selected by the St. Louis Rams, the 248th pick. "It feels good to get this opportunity, especially from a Super Bowl team like the Chicago Bears," McBride said. "I didn't know if they would draft me or not, but it really wasn't a surprise when they called my name. I heard a lot from the Bears during the NFL Combine and then again during our Pro Day at Ole Miss. They showed a great deal of interest in me." Rory Johnson, an outside linebacker from Ole Miss, was not drafted. Johnson declared for the draft after his junior season and was considered a potential late-round selection. He is expected to sign with a team as a free agent. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Staff writer Scott Cacciola contributed to this report.

04/29/07		Memphis In Second After Round One Of Conference Tournament -- Three Tigers in Top-20 after day one of play (GoTigersGo.com)
		TEXARKANA, ARk. - The University of Memphis men's golf team starts out strong after day one of competition at the Conference USA Championships in Texarkana, Ark. The Tigers finished second after round one of play, with three golfers in the Top-20 going into Monday's second round. Memphis finished second in round one, after shooting an even 288. The Tigers are just three strokes behind the leader. Memphis is looking to earn their first Conference USA title in school history, after finishing fourth in last year's competition. After day one, the Tigers managed to put three golfers in the Top-20. Sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin, who finished third in the conference tournament last year, is one of three tigers in the Top-20. Benjamin tied for second after shooting a 3-under-par 69, putting him one stroke away from first place. The Rockford, Ill., native had two eagles in the first round. He averaged a 3.80 (-2) on par four scoring and a 4.25 (-3) on par five scoring. Junior Ian Rochester is another Tiger in the Top-20 after the first round of competition. Rochester tied for fifth after shooting a 1-under-par 71. The junior tallied 15 pars. The Cordova, Tenn., native averaged an even 3.00 on par three scoring and an even 4.00 on par four scoring. Rochester is looking to beat his 29th place finish from last year. The third Tiger to finish in the Top-20 is junior golfer Kyle Ritchie. Ritchie tied for 17th after shooting a 1-over-par 73. The junior tallied 4 birdies in the first round and averaged an even 3.00 on par three scoring. The Corning, Iowa, native is competing in his first Conference USA tournament and his hoping to finish strong. Robbie Greenwell, the junior from Georgetown, Ontario, finished the first round tied for 28th place. Greenwell shot a 3-over-par 75. The junior finished the tournament in 17th last year and is looking to improve this year. Freshman Brandon Bunn is competing in his first Conference USA tournament. The Knoxville, Tenn., native finished the first round tied for 39th place after shooting a 5-over-par 77. Bunn also tallied one eagle in day one of competition. He is looking to improve over the next two rounds. In first place after day one of competition is Tulsa. Tulsa shot a 3-under-par 285, just three strokes ahead of Memphis. Right behind Memphis is UTEP, shooting a 3-over-par 291. In individual competition, Ryan Henry from Tulsa leads the way, shooting a 4-under-par 68. Tied in second with Benjamin is Garrett Osborn from UAB. The second round of the tournament will take place on Monday.

04/29/07		Memphis Completes Sweep of UAB -- Kubesch earns fourth victory of the week (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 UAB (29-27, 10-13) 001 000 0 - 1 5 1 Memphis (32-23, 7-12) 010 100 X - 2 6 1 Win: Kubesch (21-10). Loss: Nelson (19-15). Save: None. 2B: (MEM) McNulty (12). HR: (MEM) McNulty (7). MEMPHIS - Needing to end the season with a pair of three-game conference sweeps to earn a shot at a Conference USA Tournament appearance, the University of Memphis softball team accomplished half its goal with a 2-1 victory over UAB on Sunday. At the UM Softball Complex, the Tigers completed a three-game sweep over the Blazers with all three contests decided by a run. It is the first conference three-game sweep for Memphis in its two-year history. "These one-run games are the worst games to coach in," said Memphis head coach Windy Thees. "But when you look back on the season, these are the memorable ones. These are the ones you remember." Memphis will look to duplicate its results next week when it closes the regular season hosting UCF in a three-game series beginning Saturday. If the Tigers sweep the Knights, Memphis will finish anywhere between fifth and seventh in the conference. The top six team earn a spot in the C-USA Tournament. If Memphis loses once, the team is mathematically eliminated. "It's in our control, and that's nice," Thees said. "I'm proud of the way these girls are playing right now. If we peak at the right time, there's no doubt in my mind we can sweep." Jenna Kubesch (21-10) earned her fourth victory of the week and 21st of the year, picking up the win in all three games with UAB. The senior right-hander allowed one run on five hits, while striking out seven with one walk. "It's been a good week," Kubesch said. "We've played really good defense. It's about that time to leave a good mark and throw everything I have." Kubesch pitched in all seven Memphis games this week, compiling a 4-1 record with a save and a 0.84 ERA. The only loss came in a 1-0 three-hitter. She struck out 40 in 33.1 innings and walked only three. "She pitched unbelievable all week long," Thees said. "She's in a great state of mind right now. She's pitcher of my week, that's for sure." Leading the Tigers in hitting was Bridgette McNulty who went 2-for-3 in the game with an RBI and two runs scored. McNulty hit her seventh home run of the season in the second to give Memphis a 1-0 lead and then scored the winning run after doubling in the fourth. The 1-0 lead after McNulty's homer held until the top of the third when UAB scored its only run of the game. Lindsay Stanley hit her second-straight infield single and stole second to place herself in scoring position. Leigh Walker then hit a two-out single to the left side to score Stanley. The Blazers nearly scored a second run in the inning with runners on second and third. Nicole Tumlin hit a ground ball to shortstop Leila Dolfo who threw to McNulty at third to apply the tag for the third out. UAB managed only two base runners after the third inning. Memphis scored the winning run in the fourth inning on a run scored by McNulty. The senior led off the inning with a double to left and advanced to third on Leigh Rowan's second-straight hit in the game. Lindsay Kelso then knocked in McNulty with a sacrifice fly to right field. The Tigers will host UCF beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. The two teams will play the final game of the series on Sunday at noon with the six Memphis seniors being honored before the game. "The most important thing for our student-athletes right now is to focus on their finals," Thees said. "We're letting them finish up their papers and get their tests done in the next few days. Wednesday, we're going to regroup and put in our game plan against Central Florida. Hopefully, we take it one game at a time." Tiger Family Day will be on Saturday, May 5. A wristband will be given with paid admission, allowing access to both the softball doubleheader and the baseball contest against UCF. It will also allow access to the Family Fun Area between 2-4 p.m. with Kidz Kountry Petting Zoo, Giant Moon Bounce, Dunk Tank and more. Wristbands are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Children 5 and under are free.

04/29/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Memphis 2, UAB 1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		� This is the first three-game conference sweep for Memphis in the program's history. � Memphis is now 10-6 in one run games and has won four-straight games by one-run. The last five games have been decided by a run for Memphis. � Bridgette McNulty had her eighth multi-hit game with a double and a home run in a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored. � McNulty gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the second inning with her seventh home run of the season. She nearly had her eighth later in the game with a fly ball that was caught on the warning track in center field. � Leigh Rowan had her fifth multi-hit game with two singles. Picking up where she left off with four-straight hits on Saturday, Rowan began the game with two-straight singles. � Bridgette McNulty scored both Memphis runs in the game, including the game-winner in the fourth inning. She now has 32 runs scored and 31 RBI. The winning run is her fourth of the season. � Lindsay Kelso knocked in the winning run in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to right field. It is her 21st RBI and third game-winning RBI. � Leigh Rowan stole her first base of her career. � Jenna Kubesch became the first Memphis player to surpass 200 strikeouts in a season. The senior has 204 on the year and 362 in her two-year career. � Jenna Kubesch won her fourth game of the week and picked up the win in all three games against UAB. Kubesch pitched in all seven games in the week and went 4-1 with a save and a 0.84 ERA. She struck out 40 in 33.1 innings and walked only three. � The Tigers are 25-3 when scoring the first run of the game. � Memphis is now 4-2 all-time against UAB. � The Sunday win is the first for Memphis in conference play this season. The Tigers were 0-4 in Sunday C-USA games coming into today.

04/29/07		Brandon McDonald Drafted by Cleveland Browns -- McDonald was selected as the third pick of the fifth round (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - University of Memphis defensive back Brandon McDonald was selected as the third pick of the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon. McDonald was the 140th overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft. McDonald is the third Tiger football player drafted in the last two years. Tailback DeAngelo Williams was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round and kicker Stephen Gostkowski was picked in the fourth round by the New England Patriots in the 2006 NFL Draft. McDonald is the 48th Memphis Tiger to be drafted in the first five rounds. A native of Collins, Miss., McDonald played two seasons in the Tiger secondary after transferring from Jones County Community College. He started all but one career game and totaled 133 tackles, 15 pass breakups and seven interceptions in 24 contests. As a junior, McDonald tied for the lead in Conference USA with 11 pass breakups. In 2006, he started all 12 games and played every position in the Tiger secondary. He led the squad in tackles with 84, including 45 solo stops. In back-to-back games against Tennessee and UAB, he totaled double digit tackles with 14 stops against the Vols and 12 tackles versus the Blazers. He was credited with a blocked field goal against C-USA champion Houston that led to a Memphis score to take the game to overtime and registered two interceptions in the season finale victory over UTEP on the road. Following his senior campaign, McDonald was selected as the team's co-Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the All-C-USA Media second team and was selected to the All-C-USA third team by league coaches. McDonald also returned punts for the Tigers, ranking seventh all-time at Memphis with 46 career returns. He greatly improved his average from 2005 to 2006, averaging 4.8 yards per return as a junior and 10.9 yards as a senior.

04/29/07		Raise lifts Cal into top salary tier -- Elite Eight success bumps him to more than $1.8 million (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact April 29, 2007 John Calipari's latest raise from the University of Memphis makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball. According to a copy of the contract amendment he signed earlier this month, Calipari received a raise of more than $500,000, bringing his total guaranteed compensation to $1.816 million per year. While Calipari's base salary remained the same at $155,000, his radio/television appearance money was increased from $460,000 to $733,000. His compensation for public relations activities went from $385,000 to $658,922. Calipari's athletic shoe, apparel and/or equipment guarantee went from $300,000 to $270,000, with the $30,000 difference being re-distributed equally to assistants John Robic, Derek Kellogg and Chuck Martin. The only other change in Calipari's contract regards the bonus for won/loss record and graduation rates. Previously, if Memphis won 81 percent of its games and graduated 60 percent of its players, Calipari received a bonus of $160,000. Now, instead of using the graduation rate, the bonus will be based on the NCAA's four-year academic performance rating called the APR. If Memphis achieves an APR of 925 -- the NCAA cutoff point before sanctions are issued against a school -- Calipari is eligible to collect the bonus. Calipari will still collect a $2.5 million annuity if he stays at Memphis through the 2009-10 season. With this most recent raise, Calipari is now near the top 10 in college coaching salaries. Only a handful of coaches make $2 million or more, including North Carolina's Roy Williams ($3 million), Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (reportedly $3 million), Kentucky's Billy Gillispie ($2.3 million), Ohio State's Thad Matta ($2.1 million), Louisville's Rick Pitino ($2 million), Texas' Rick Barnes ($2 million) and Florida's Billy Donovan (his raise is currently under negotiation). Calipari's financial package is now on par with the likes of Michigan State's Tom Izzo ($1.8 million) and Marquette's Tom Crean ($1.7 million). Calipari received roughly a $300,000 raise after the 2005-06 season, when he coached the Tigers to a 33-4 record and an Elite Eight appearance. This year, athletic director R.C. Johnson approached Calipari about a contract renegotiation the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. On the heels of another 33-4 record and second straight Elite Eight, Memphis will likely be ranked in the top three of all preseason polls for 2007-08. -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

04/29/07		Calipari will recruit actively -- Mass exodus of talent could follow '08 season (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact April 29, 2007 Technically, the University of Memphis has just one scholarship to give for 2008: the one currently occupied by senior-to-be Joey Dorsey. Coach John Calipari said this week, however, he wants to sign as many as five players for the class of 2008. It's not hard to read between the lines. "In all likelihood," Calipari said, "we're going to clear the decks in another year." While Memphis has escaped this spring without any early defections to the NBA Draft, Calipari is not expecting the same thing next April. If the Tigers have the kind of season most people expect -- which is to say, a Final Four-type season -- Calipari is ready to re-stock his roster for 2008-09. "Obviously Joey will leave and maybe two, three, four of the other guys will have an opportunity to go if we do something unique," Calipari said. Certainly, Calipari will have to replace incoming point guard Derrick Rose. It would be a huge surprise if Rose, a projected top-three pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, stays at Memphis for more than one year. Chris Douglas-Roberts could also be a candidate to leave after his junior year. The Web site nbadraft.net currently projects Douglas-Roberts, the Tigers' leading scorer last season, as a late first-round pick in 2008. If forward Robert Dozier has a big junior year, he too could explore leaving early. Calipari also hinted at the possibility a scholarship will open up this summer, which he would save for the 2008 class. "This year we only had 12 guys on scholarship," he said. "Next year, I bet you we'll only have 12 guys on scholarship." For that to happen, somebody currently on the roster would have to transfer. Though all is quiet on that front, it wouldn't be a surprise if one of Memphis' little-used scholarship players leaves after the school year ends. For Tre'Von Willis, Hashim Bailey and perhaps even Kareem Cooper, it will be a struggle to break into the rotation next season. With Rose, Jeff Robinson and Iowa State transfer Shawn Taggart coming into the fold -- and all three are expected to contribute -- the Tigers project to have a 10- or 11-man rotation. The wild card is freshman Pierre Niles. If he commits himself to a rigorous summer conditioning program, he'll get plenty of minutes as Dozier's backup, which is something Memphis lacked last season. As far as who would fill the open scholarships, two of them are already spoken for. Twin forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris, who signed letters of intent last fall, will go to prep school as expected. With the three remaining slots, Calipari is looking for a wing, a guard and an athletic big man. Though it's still early, Memphis is recruiting a number of highly rated players for the 2008 class. St. George's guard Elliot Williams has been a top target all along, but he is thought to be favoring Virginia or Vanderbilt. The Tigers are also heavily involved with other guards like Tyreke Evans of Aston, Pa. (ranked fifth overall by Rivals.com), Jordan Theodore of Paterson, N.J. (ranked 56th), Chicago's DeAndre Liggins (ranked 90th), Craigmont's Terrico White and Brian Walsh, who is from Calipari's hometown of Moon, Pa. Memphis is also looking at several big men, including 6-9 Laron Dendy, a borderline top-50 player who originally committed to Clemson but has re-opened his recruitment and is listing Memphis among a number of schools including Arizona, Texas, Maryland and Florida State. Camp dates Memphis is now taking applications for the John Calipari Basketball School with four camps for ages 7 through 18. The first camp from June 4-7 focuses on practice skills and work habits and costs $175. The second, Mike Miller's shooting camp, runs from June 11-13 and costs $175. The Elite Overnight camp is June 15-17 and is $185. From June 25-28, Rod Strickland will run a camp with appearances by NBA players. The camp costs $225. More information and registration can be obtained at coachcalipari.com or by calling 678-2346. Back again The Memphis radio broadcast team will return intact for 2007-08. Learfield Sports, the parent company of Tiger Sports Properties, recently renewed the contracts of play-by-play man Dave Woloshin, color commentator Matt Dillon and studio host Forrest Goodman for another year. Jeff Brightwell has also been retained as the engineer. Dillon and Goodman will continue to co-host the pre- and post-game shows on WREC-AM (600). Dillon is entering his 35th season calling Memphis basketball on either television or radio. Etc.: Memphis' non-conference schedule, the details of which were reported in last Wednesday's editions of The Commercial Appeal, is based on a 16-game Conference USA slate. At one point, Calipari was going to lobby his league coaches to go back to the 14-game schedule used in 2005-06. But with other leagues going to an 18-game schedule, including the Big East, Calipari said he was fine with 16 C-USA games. ...Calipari will throw out the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday night at AutoZone Park for the UofM's baseball game against Ole Miss. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. To reach reporter Dan Wolken, call 529-2365

04/28/07		Memphis Still Believing After Doubleheader Sweep -- Tigers win two one-run games; keep tournament hope alive (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 Game Two UAB (29-26, 10-12) 012 000 100 00 - 4 9 2 Memphis (31-23, 6-12) 100 001 200 01 - 5 11 2 Win: Kubesch (20-10). Loss: Nelson (19-14). Save: None 2B: (UAB) Tumlin (7). (MEM) Dolfo (18). HR: (MEM) Hayden (5). Game One UAB 000 001 0 - 1 2 1 Memphis 100 010 X - 2 6 1 Win: Kubesch (19-10). Loss: Nelson (19-13). Save: None 2B: (UAB) Krzan (17). (MEM) Hayden (6). MEMPHIS - The University of Memphis softball team's back is against the wall, but Saturday at the UM Softball Complex the Tigers (31-23, 6-12) kept their conference tournament hopes alive with a doubleheader sweep over UAB (29-26, 10-12). Memphis won the first game 2-1 and the second 5-4 in 11 innings. For the U of M to make the six-team Conference USA Tournament, Memphis has no choice but to win. A victory in each of the team's remaining four games guarantees at least a sixth place finish. One loss will likely eliminate the Tigers mathematically. Memphis kept the dream alive in dramatic fashion in game two, coming back from a 4-2 deficit in the seventh inning to win 5-4 in the 11th. Jenna Kubesch (20-10) earned her second victory of the day and became the first Memphis 20 game winner after striking out 15 in a combined 10.1 innings. For a large part of the season, Memphis has struggled putting runners on in front of the team's slugging leader Leila Dolfo. But the Tigers came through with clutch hits from the bottom of the order, allowing Dolfo to knock in three runs. The sophomore shortstop went 3-for-6 in the contest and sent the game into extra innings with a game-tying two run single in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded in the 11th, Dolfo once again came through with a game-winning RBI single. Leigh Rowan led the Tigers with a 4-for-5 performance with a run scored and Kimmi Hayden hit in Memphis' first two runs of the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a solo home run. Nicki Johnson (11-13) started the game for Memphis and matched a season high nine strikeouts in seven and two-thirds innings of work. The senior allowed three earned runs on seven hits and walked three. Memphis pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the game, surpassing the program's previous record of 13. In game one, Kubesch had a no hitter going through five innings. The senior pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts in the Memphis victory. Kara Ross knocked in both Tiger RBI in the game with a 2-for-3 performance. Memphis scored in the first and fifth innings, compiling six hits in the game. The two teams will play the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. as the Tigers will look for its first conference sweep this season. Live stats and live audio is available for the game with links provided at GoTigersGo.com.

04/28/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Memphis 5, UAB 4 (11) - Game Two (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Leila Dolfo had her team-leading 17th multi-hit game with two singles and a double in a 3-for-6 performance. It is her fourth three hit game this season. � Leigh Rowan became the second player this season to compile four hits in a game. Her four singles is her fourth multi-hit game of the season. � Kimmi Hayden had her 14th multi-hit game of the year with a home run and a single in a 2-for-3 performance. � Jenna Kubesch became the first Memphis 20-game winner in the victory. � Memphis is now 3-2 in extra inning games this year. � The 11 inning game is a program record for length. Memphis played a 10-inning game last season, and the previous high for this year was nine innings against LSU. � Memphis is now 9-6 in one run games. � This is the first win for Memphis this season when trailing after five innings. The Tigers are now 1-18 when losing after five. � The Tigers are now 24-3 when scoring first and 14-2 when scoring in the first inning. � Nicki Johnson matched a season high with nine strikeouts. � The doubleheader sweep guarantees Memphis will have its first conference series victory of the year. � The game-winning RBI is the fifth of the season for Leila Dolfo and the game winning run is Christi Morrison's third. � The 33 putouts is a team single-game record for Memphis. The previous best was 30. � Leila Dolfo now has 25 RBI on the year and a team-leading 18 doubles. � With the two RBI, Kimmi Hayden has 21 on the year. She also hit her fifth homer of the season and the team's 45th. � Jenna Kubesch struck out 15 on the day after having 10 K's in seven innings in the first game. � Memphis pitchers combined for a program record 14 strikeouts in the game.

04/28/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Memphis 2, UAB 1 - Game One (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Kara Ross had her 13th multi-hit game with two singles in a 2-for-3 performance. She also had her team-leading 10th multi-RBI game with two. � Ross had her team-leading sixth game-winning RBI in the game and Kimmi Hayden scored her fourth game-winning run. � Ross continues to lead the team in RBI with 36. � The Tigers earned their 30th victory of the season with the win. � Jenna Kubesch struck out 10 in the seven innings. It is the fourth time she has broke the double-digit mark in the season. � Kubesch had a no-hitter going through the first five innings. Jennifer Nelson broke it up with a leadoff infield single to begin the sixth inning. Holly Krzan then broke up the shutout with a double.

04/27/07		Tigers Not Out of Conference Tournament Picture -- Memphis looks for strong finish in final six games (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 MEMPHIS - The opportunity for the University of Memphis softball team to reach the Conference USA Tournament has grown slimmer, but the possibility still remains. Despite being ninth in a league that only brings the top six to the tournament, Memphis still controls its postseason destiny with only six games remaining in the regular season. The Tigers (29-23, 4-12 C-USA) look to keep its tournament dreams alive in a three-game conference series with UAB (29-24, 10-10) at home on Saturday and Sunday. Memphis will host a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. at the UM Softball Complex. The two teams will then complete the series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Memphis will then conclude the season with a three-game home series with UCF next week. Mathematically, the only C-USA team to clinch a tournament spot thus far is Houston, a team that is assured at least a second place finish. Houston can clinch the regular season championship with one win against East Carolina. If Memphis wins all six of its remaining conference games, the Tigers are guaranteed at least a seventh place finish. The Tigers can get into the top six by winning all six of its games and one of the following happening: 1. UTEP loses two of its final six games against UCF and Tulsa. 2. Southern Miss loses three of its final six games against Tulsa and East Carolina. 3. Marshall loses all three of its final games against Houston. 4. Tulsa loses five of its final six games against Southern Miss and UTEP. 5. East Carolina loses all six of its final games against Houston and Southern Miss. After finishing its last 10 games 3-7, the Tigers' RPI has dropped to 77th with a strength of schedule ranked 78th. UAB is currently fourth in the conference and has a RPI ranked 47th and a strength of schedule ranked 27th. The Blazers have splits their last 10 games and are coming off of two victories in a three-game set with Southern Miss. Memphis now ranks 54th in the country in home runs per game with a .83 average, having blasted 44 dingers this season. The Tigers rank third in that category in the conference. Leila Dolfo is 31st in the nation in doubles per game and is second in the league with 17, while Bridgette McNulty is 17th in the country in walks per game and third in the conference with 38. Live stats and live audio are available for all three games. Live stats can be accessed through Gametracker and live audio through Memphis All-Access or CSTV All-Access with Daniel O'Brien calling the play-by-play. Ticket prices for the game are $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and youth ages 7-17. U of M students with their ID card and children under six are free. Tickets can be purchased at the stadium.

04/27/07		Rusty Clayton Selected to National Football Foundation Honor Society (GoTigersGo.com)
		DALLAS, TEXAS - University of Memphis deep snapper Rusty Clayton continues to receive recognition for his academic and athletic achievements. The Sumrall, Miss., native was selected to the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) inaugural NFF National Honor Society. A total of 345 players from 195 schools earned recognition as part of the inaugural class, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a 3.2 grade point average or better. "The inaugural class of the Honor Society contains an outstanding group of young men who simply set the standard for excellence on and off the field, and we are proud to showcase their accomplishments as a powerful example of football's unique ability to produce the next generation of great leaders," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We anticipate that the program will grow dramatically in the coming years, and we project recognizing hundreds of more student-athletes each year." Clayton, who was a senior on the Tiger Football team during the 2006 season. is currently working on a master's degree in criminal justice after earning bachelor's degrees in history and psychology. He is a three-time member on the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District team, including this season, and has been named to the U of M Dean's List five semesters. Clayton wrapped up a stellar career for the Tigers in which he was perfect during his four-year stint as the deep snapper, starting in all 49 of his career games. For his career, he logged flawless snaps on 160 PATs, 100 field goals and 189 punts. He had also earned C-USA All-Academic Football Honors and was a finalist for the ARA Sportsmanship Award this season. The National Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's current National Scholar-Athlete program, and further strengthens the NFF's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes who play football at the more than 700 college and universities with football programs. "It's a privilege to a part of this initiative," said Florida State President and NFF Honor Society National Advisory Committee Co-Chair Dr. T.K. Wetherell. "The NFF's efforts in promoting scholarship are unsurpassed in athletics, and I know that the Honor Society will significantly increase academic performance as coaches use membership as a tool to tap the competitive spirit of their teams and inclusion becomes a point of pride among their players." Qualifications for membership in the inaugural NFF National Honor Society include: * Being a starter or a significant substitute in one's last year of eligibility at an accredited NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, or an NAIA college or university; * Achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average throughout entire course of undergraduate study; and * Meeting all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements. The National Honor Society becomes the latest component of the organization's efforts to promote combined athletic and academic success. Launched in 1959, the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete Award program became the first initiative in history to credit a player for his combined academic success, football performance and community leadership. Since its inception, the NFF' National Scholar-Athlete Awards program has awarded $8.3 million to 678 top scholars and community leaders. Currently, the NFF distributes approximately $320,000 a year at the national level through the program to 15 to 17 individuals. Each winner of a National Scholar-Athlete Award receives an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. Upon the death of Vincent dePaul Draddy, a Manhattan College quarterback who served as the NFF Chairman for 19 years, the NFF added the Draddy Trophy to the program. First awarded in 1990, the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, selects one member of each year's class as the absolute best. The winner of the Draddy receives a total scholarship of $25,000 and a stunning 24-inch, 25-pound bronze trophy. As part of the launch, the NFF has established a national advisory committee, including representatives from the seven major conferences, a college president, a conference commissioner, an athletics director, and a Division I-A head football coach. Each one of these representatives provided comprehensive feedback in developing the Honor Society.

04/27/07		Benjamin Named To C-USA All-Academic Team -- Sophomore earns academic honors (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin earned academic honors for his success on the golf course, and his stellar performance in the classroom. The sophomore was one of five golfers named to the Conference USA All-Academic team Friday. Benjamin earned his first conference academic honor after being nominated by the university. The Conference USA sports information representatives then had to vote for five golfers out of the conference to receive the honor. Benjamin is working towards a bachelor's degree in management. He is a three-time member of the Tiger 3.0 Club, was a member of the Tiger Academic 30 for three semesters and was a two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The sophomore is a two-time Conference USA Academic Medal winner and has been a member of the Dean's List for three semesters. So far this season, Benjamin has posted two Top-20 finishes and was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week on April 10 after winning medalist honors at the Palisades Collegiate Classic. He holds the lowest stroke average on the team with a 74.00. As a freshman, Benjamin was a member of the 2006 Conference USA All-Tournament Team, after placing third at the conference tournament. The Rockford, Ill., native is the only sophomore on the academic team. The remaining members of the team are all seniors. Tulsa had the most members on the team with three. Joining Benjamin on the team are Mitch Cohlmia, Sam Korbe and Brett Myers, all of Tulsa, and Colby Lindsay of UTEP. The Tigers are on their way to the conference championships, which will take place in Texarkana, Ark. The conference tournament is scheduled for April 28-30.

04/27/07		Peterson to Retire From Women's Tennis Coaching Staff -- Former Lady Tiger stepping down from coaching duties (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Charlotte Peterson, the head coach for the University of Memphis women's tennis team, has announced that she will retire effective immediately it was announced Friday. Peterson recently completed her 32nd season at the helm of her alma mater. "On behalf of the entire Tiger Athletic Department, I would like to thank Coach Peterson for her many years of dedicated service to Lady Tiger tennis and the University of Memphis," said Athletic Director R.C. Johnson. "To have given 32-years of one's life for the betterment of collegiate tennis is indeed a tribute to Charlotte and shows her deep devotion to the University." In her 32 seasons at Memphis, Peterson coached 15 all-conference players, including 10 Conference USA all-league honorees. In 2003, Peterson's Lady Tiger team had its first-ever ranked doubles tandem, as Sabrina Lindemann and Monica Gonzalez-Gordo were ranked No. 31 in the country in the September rankings. Peterson also coached all three members of the Lady Tiger tennis program that are in the M-Club Hall of Fame. Stacy Seamans-Muzzi was the program's first inductee in 1992. Annika Ewaldsson, the program's all-time singles leader, was the second inductee in 2000 and Christina Ladyman was the most recent inductee in 2005. "After coaching for 32 years at the University of Memphis, I am ready to seek a new direction in my life," Peterson said. "I know I coached some of the finest young ladies over the past years at Memphis and I have been very blessed by the Lord to have had this opportunity to coach for so long. I am very appreciative of the confidence the university has placed in me as the coach and for the support they are giving me now in my leaving this position." Under Peterson's leadership, Memphis has earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team honors in each of the past six seasons. She has also had players named to the Conference USA Academic Honor Roll 64 times since the league's inception in 1996 and senior Christina Wieser was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team before this year's conference championships. Wieser was also named one of the department's Female Scholar Athlete award winners in April of 2007. The 2005-06 Lady Tiger team posted the athletic department's highest team GPA and the 2004-05 team had the highest women's tennis team GPA of any program in Conference USA. Peterson joined the Lady Tiger coaching staff in 1975-76 after completing both her undergraduate and master's degrees at then-Memphis State University. As a graduate student, she had served two years as an assistant coach under former Lady Tiger head coach Mary Lou Johns. A graduate of Kingsbury High School, Peterson, who specialized in doubles play in college, started a unique fundraiser for the women's tennis team. In 1997, Peterson formed the Lady Tiger Bass Fishing Tournament, which has been an annual tournament held at Sardis Lake, Miss., with funds benefiting the women's tennis program. In 2005-06, Peterson was one of a handful of Memphis tennis players who formed a camp introducing older players to tennis. Throughout her Lady Tiger career, Peterson has been an active member in the Memphis community, conducting clinics while also being active in church activities. Her Lady Tiger team finished second in the Metro Conference in 1981-82 and posted a top five finish in 13 conference tournaments, including the Metro Conference, the Great Midwest Conference and Conference USA. Peterson will remain on special assignment with the U of M Athletic Department. "Coaching is such a wonderful profession, but it does take its toll on the human side of the person," Peterson said. "I want to leave while my health is still good and see was I can accomplish in the future years ahead of me. My past players are my family and their love and support has been tremendous."

04/27/07		Tigers to Compete in Conference USA Championships -- Memphis travels to Texarkana, Ark. (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's golf team will head to Texarkana, Ark. Friday to take on conference rivals in the Conference USA Championships, which will take place April 28-30 at the Texarkana Country Club. The Tigers are looking to improve their fourth place finish from last year. Memphis finished fourth last year out of 12 teams, and will go into the conference tournament this year looking to take home the title. Last year the Tigers shot an 856 and had three golfers finish in the Top-20. The Tigers have never won the Conference USA title. "We are really excited about going into the conference tournament," said head coach Grant Robbins. "Everyone is playing really well right now, and we are going into this tournament with confidence. We are looking forward to getting out there and playing well and we are really looking forward to playing this weekend." Traveling to Arkansas and the line-up for the tournament is sophomore golfer Brad Benjamin, junior Ian Rochester, freshman Brandon Bunn, junior golfer Kyle Ritchie and junior Robbie Greenwell. Last year, Benjamin finished the tournament in third and Greenwell finished the tournament in 17th. Rochester is looking to improve his 29th place finish from last year's tournament. The 11-team field is going to be competitive, with one team in the Top-20 and three teams in the Top-50. Two teams are entering the tournament ranked in the Top-100, including Memphis, who is currently ranked 88th. Tulsa will enter the tournament ranked 16th. University of Alabama at Birmingham is ranked 39th, University of Central Florida is ranked 41st and Southern Methodist University is ranked 46th entering this tournament. The other team ranked in the Top-100 is Houston (73). Other teams competing in the conference tournament are East Carolina University (109), University of Texas at El Paso (134), University of Southern Mississippi (138), Rice University (143) and Marshall University (158). The defending champion of the tournament is Southern Methodist. They shot an 845 last year to take the title. In individual competition, Will Dodson of Southern Methodist won the crown, shooting a 203.

04/27/07		Tiger Notebook -- Track, Golf, Softball, Tennis (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 27, 2007 Better recruits boost Tigers -- Track team setting marks, qualifying The University of Memphis track program, under first-year coach Kevin Robinson, is operating at a record-setting pace. And the season isn't over. The UofM has set 18 school records and had 10 athletes qualify for the NCAA Regionals, which will be held May 25-26 in Columbia, Mo. The number of regional qualifiers represents the most in the program's history. Robinson, a former UofM all-American in the shot put, replaced longtime track coach Glenn Hays last year and made it a priority to upgrade recruiting and hire quality assistants. His staff includes former Australia Olympic distance runner Mike Power and former LSU track team member and Houston High assistant Nic Fortenberry. ''I think to build our program, it's going to have to come from (better) recruiting,'' Robinson said. ''Our recruiting has gone very well and we've taken the kids that were here last year and made them better, especially on the distance side (under Power). And the hurdlers have really blossomed.'' On the men's side, Larry Harris, Stephon Greenlee and Amaechi Oselukwue are ranked 1-2-3 in Conference USA in the 400-meter hurdles. Harris and Greenlee have qualified for the regionals. Other men's NCAA regional qualifiers are: Brandon Winbush (long jump), Steffen Nerdal (hammer throw, discus), Norbert Gulyas (discus), Glen Edwards (shot put) and Christian McDonald (javelin). The women's NCAA regional qualifiers are: Gail Lee (shot put, discus and hammer throw); Tina Sherratt (1500-meters) and Emily Malinowski (5000-meters, 3000-meter steeplechase). ''Tina is a true freshman who just turned 18,'' Robinson said of Sherratt, an Australian who enrolled in January. ''She has already qualified for the NCAA in the 1500-meters and she shattered the school record in the process.'' Sherratt ran the 1500-meter race in 4:27.36, trimming more than five seconds off Daniele Riendeau's mark set two years ago. Sherratt, in her four months as a track team member, owns four school records, including the first indoor mile run under five minutes (4:56.19). Selection Monday The women's golf team will learn of its NCAA regional destination Monday at 3 p.m. The Lady Tigers earned the program's first NCAA regional invitation since 2001 by winning the Conference USA tournament -- and the league's automatic bid -- Wednesday in Oneonta, Ala. Memphis struggled briefly on the back nine in Wednesday's third and final round, but won by two strokes over defending champion East Carolina. The NCAA will disperse teams to three regionals -- East (hosted by LSU), Central (hosted by Michigan) and West (hosted by BYU) -- for play to be held May 10-12. ''When I was at Campbell we went to the (NCAA) regionals but I was an assistant and I didn't have to do anything,'' said Lady Tiger coach Jenny Bruun, in her third season at Memphis after coming from the South Carolina school. ''I just went along for the ride and I didn't know what was going on. ''So I'm going to be calling my mentor (Campbell coach John Crooks) and asking him 'Okay, now what do I do?' He'll laugh and then he'll guide me along. He's been there several times. This is a new experience for me, but I'm so glad I get to experience it as a head coach with this group.'' Crooks has led Atlantic Sun member Campbell to 10 conference titles and 13 NCAA appearances in 17 seasons. Magnolia State Tigers With the Mississippi state legislature having approved a University of Memphis logo license plate -- the first such tag featuring an out-of-state school -- the group heading the efforts wants to finish fast to make the plate a reality by this summer. Organizers, led by Highland Hundred member Harold Alexander, need 200 applications before May 15. About 140 fans have completed the application and sent in their checks, Alexander said. The plate can be viewed at highlandhundred.com and an application can be downloaded from the site. For more information, call Alexander at 662-781-1108 or contact him by e-mail at HBA1943@aol.com. Odds and ends The Lady Tiger softball team, 4-12 in league play and battling to earn one of eight spots in the C-USA tournament, plays host to UAB in a three-game C-USA series this weekend at the UofM Softball Complex on the Park Avenue Campus (near the corner of Park and Getwell). The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday and a single game Sunday. ... Germany's Michael Garthoffner and Spain's Jorge Vazquez have signed National Letters of Intent to play tennis for the UofM next season. Vazquez, who attends Tyler (Texas) Junior College, is the No. 1 ranked junior college player in the nation according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. ... Volleyball's Christen Clayton, football's Rusty Clayton, softball pitcher Jenna Kubesch and women's tennis player Christina Wieser received top honors at Thursday's M-Club luncheon on the UofM campus. Christen Clayton received the Elma Roane Award (the highest honor a female student-athlete can receiver), Rusty Clayton was named the Male Scholar Athlete and Kubesch and Wieser shared the Female Scholar Athlete award.

04/26/07		Tiger Tennis Inks Two for 2007-08 -- Memphis inks No. 1 ranked junior college singles and doubles player for 2007-08 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis men's tennis team added two players for the 2007-08 season as Germany's Michael Garthoffner and Spain's Jorge Vazquez have signed National Letters of Intent with the Tigers. "Michael is one of the top German junior tennis players and loves tennis," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "He works very hard and should fit in great with our current team. Garthoffner will be the second German player to sign with the Tigers under Goebel's reign, following Michael Jetter (2005-06). He was 12-5 in doubles on the ITF Junior circuit, winning the doubles crown at a tournament in Malta on the hardcourts in 2005. In January of 2006, he advanced to the quarters of the CASIO ITF Junior tournament on carpet in Germany in doubles, after making a quarterfinal appearance at the Leeuwenbergh Open in 2005 on the clay in the Netherlands. Vazquez is the No. 1 ranked junior college player in both singles and doubles in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, and is the third player from Tyler Junior College to join Memphis in the past two seasons. "Jorge was a teammate of two of our current players (Benny Fischer and Amrit Narasimhan) and is one of the top junior college players in the country," Goebel said. "He has already gotten a lot of team experience and has a big, aggressive game style that will allow him to come into line-up right away at the Division I level. " Vazquez and his doubles teammate at No. 1 Tyler Junior College in Texas won the ITA Fall regional championship in doubles in October when teamed with Nahom Serekerberhan. That duo is the country's No. 1 ranked junior college tandem, while Vazquez tops the singles rankings. Also in the fall, the doubles duo advanced to the finals of the ITA Small College Tennis Championships, the "Super Bowl" of NCAA Division II and II and all NAIA and junior college tennis levels. The two signees will join a Tiger roster that loses just one player to graduation, as Garrison Pilant capped his Tiger career earlier this month.

04/26/07		Senior Student-Athletes Honored Thursday -- Christen Clayton named Elma Roane Award recipient (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - One of the largest senior classes in University of Memphis history gathered for one last time on Thursday afternoon for a luncheon hosted by the M-Club. Each head coached presented their senior student-athletes with a certificate and four student-athletes received special awards. Volleyball's Christen Clayton received the Elma Roane Award, the top award a female student-athlete at the University of Memphis can receive, while football's Rusty Clayton was named the Male Scholar Athlete. The Female Scholar Athlete award was shared by two people, softball pitcher Jenna Kubesch and women's tennis player Christina Wieser. Christen Clayton capped her four year Tiger career with AVCA All-Midwest Honorable Mention honors after the senior co-captain was noted as the league's top libero when she was named the 2006 C-USA Libero of the Year. She also was a Second Team All C-USA pick as well as an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 Third Team honoree. Clayton reset Memphis' single-season digs records in 2005 and 2006 en route to claiming the program's all-time digs record with 1,812. She is fourth all-time in Conference USA in career digs. Clayton is one of four Tiger volleyball players to ever post 30 or more digs in a match, when she set a personal-best with 32 digs in a five-game win over Rice. That mark is tied for second in Memphis' single-match recordbook. Rusty Clayton was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team and was a first-team selection on the All-Conference USA squad. At the team banquet, he was named the co-Special Teams Player of the Year, along with punter Michael Gibson. Clayton is working on a master's degree in criminal justice after already earning degrees in history and psychology. A native of Sumrall, Miss., Clayton is an Eagle Scout and former member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes leadership team. His community service includes working with a youth football team, volunteering at Special Olympics events and assisting with various youth football camps. Kubesch, who has been named the Conference USA Pitcher of the week two times already this season, and was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team following last season. Kubesch, who already has one degree in journalism and public relations, has been recognized on the Tiger 3.0 Club, the Dean's List and the Tiger Academic 30 in each her semesters at Memphis. She has also been named to the C-USA Academic Honor and received the Commissioner's Academic Medal. Wieser recently capped her collegiate career by being named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team as the lone senior representative of the seven members selected. The Kilb, Austria, native will complete her MBA in May of 2007, meaning she will leave the U of M with two degrees in four years. A multiple-time member of the C-USA Academic Honor Roll, Wieser was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete, a member of the Dean's List and the Tiger 3.0 Club and a Tiger Top 30 and Commissioner's Medalist honoree. Final exams begin at the University of Memphis on Friday, with graduation scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, at FedExForum. The 10 a.m. ceremony will be for graduates in the Schools of Audiology, University College, Communications & Fine Arts and Arts & Sciences. The 2 p.m. ceremony will be for graduates in engineering, education, nursing and business.

04/26/07		U of M women take title -- Golfers secure first NCAA berth since '01 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 26, 2007 Her 4-iron approach landed several paces off the 16th green. Moments later, University of Memphis women's golfer Stacey Tate calmly addressed the putt and knocked in a 30-footer for an eagle. Tate didn't realize how important her eagle putt was until she began her walk to the 17th tee. "One of the other players' father came up to me and said. 'Your team really needed that,'" Tate said. Tate's eagle and three birdie putts on 18 -- one by Tate and others by teammates Rachel Larson and Meghan Mahoney -- helped lift the Lady Tigers to a dramatic victory in the Conference USA Championships at Limestone Springs Golf Club in Oneonta, Ala. It also secured automatic entry into next month's NCAA Regionals. "You couldn't have asked for a better finish," Tate said. The championship gave the Lady Tigers their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2000-01 and the first for coach Jenny Bruun. In her third season at the U of M, Bruun earned C-USA Coach of the Year honors for leading the Lady Tigers to the third league championship in the program's history. Memphis advanced by holding off defending champion East Carolina, which closed by shooting 298 for a three-day total of 914. The Lady Tigers, who entered Wednesday's final round with a three-stroke lead over UTEP, shot 305 for 912. "The last two weeks, I had a feeling something special was going to happen," Bruun said. "We have a ton of ability, but, at times, we don't realize how good we are." Tate, who earned first-team all-conference honors, shot a 4-under 68 Wednesday to finish second to UTEP's Gerina Mendoza for individual honors. Tate finished with a three-day total of 212. Mendoza, who had a 1-over 71 Wednesday, shot 207. Larson closed with a 77 for 231 and Dawn-Marie Conaty shot 79-235. Larson and Conaty were third-team all-league. Bruun, a former University of Minnesota golfer, participated in two NCAA Regionals as a player. At one point Wednesday, she didn't know if she'd get the opportunity to participate in one as a coach. "We had a little trouble on the backside, we made some errors between (Nos.) 12 and 17," Bruun said. "We let some other teams get in the race, but the way we finished was a storybook finish." Mahoney and Tate chipped in on 18 for their birdies. Larson rolled in a birdie putt. Conaty and Kathryn O'Rourke had key pars. "We were behind going into the final hole," Bruun said. After Tate's birdie chip, she was greeted by ecstatic teammates. "They ran up and about tackled me," she said. "It was fantastic." Memphis' NCAA Regional site will be announced Monday. The Lady Tigers would like to play in the East Regional, hosted by LSU, since they participated in a tournament in Baton Rouge, La., earlier this year. The University of Michigan will host the Central Regional and BYU will host the East Regional. Regional play will take place May 10-12. -- Phil Stukenborg; 529-2543

04/26/07		In the News: Tigers set marks in rout of SEMO (Commercial Appeal)
		Wednesday was a record day for the University of Memphis baseball team. Adam Amar went 3-for-4 surpassing Steve Moss' total of 240 for first place on the school's all-time career hit list and the Tigers scored a school-record 12 runs in the fifth inning of a 19-8 victory over Southeast Missouri at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Tigers improve to 27-16 on the season while SEMO falls to 25-17. Joey Lieberman hammered a pair of homers in the game -- a three-run shot in the third inning and a grand slam in the 12-run fifth -- and drove in seven runs to lead the Memphis offense. The big inning surpassed the previous record of 11 set in a 1978 game when the Tigers scored 39 runs against Delta State. Chris Kirkland added a three-run homer in the fifth and went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI. Bill Moss (CBHS) homered and drove in five runs. The Tigers will have the weekend off before returning to action Wednesday against Ole Miss at AutoZone Park. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m.

04/25/07		Tiger Baseball Crushes Program Records in 19-8 Win -- Senior Adam Amar becomes Tigers' all-time hits leader as Memphis sweeps SEMO (GoTigersGo.com)
		CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Memphis (27-16) 103 3(12)0 000 - 19 18 2 Southeast Missouri State (25-17) 000 22 0 022 - 8 12 2 The University of Memphis record books were rewritten on Wednesday afternoon as the Tigers exploded for a school-record 12 runs in the fifth inning to take command of the ballgame en route to a 19-8 thrashing of Southeast Missouri in the series finale at Capaha Field. Adam Amar went 3-for-4 on the day to claim Memphis' all-time hits mark, surpassing former Tiger standout Steve Moss' 240 career hits. The Tiger offense reset a total of four single-inning marks with the 12-run outburst. Among those new records are the 15 plate appearances, 14 at-bats and the 18 total bases. The former mark for runs scored in a single frame was 11, set by the 1978 Tigers in a 39-run route of Delta State. Joey Lieberman hammered a pair of homers in the game--a three-run shot in the third inning, and a grand slam in the 12-run fifth--and drove in seven runs to lead the Memphis offense. Junior backstop Chris Kirkland joined Lieberman with a three-run homer to highlight the fifth inning. Kirkland was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and five RBI. Memphis, who pounded out 18 hits in the game, got two hits and five RBI from Bill Moss. Moss blasted his 11th home run of the year with a three-run homer in the third. In all, the U of M hit four homers and four doubles to clinch its second consecutive series sweep of SEMO. Kyle Norrid and Ben Grisham also produced a pair of base hits. Head Coach Daron Schoenrock was able to get 21 Tigers in the contest. Freshman Chase Sain knocked his first career hit in the tilt--a double to centerfield to leadoff the ninth inning. Scott McGregor was the winner after striking out five in five innings. He surrendered four runs in eight hits. Lance Scoggins and Nathan Hill each worked scoreless innings before giving way to Chris Novikoff and Mark Jobe.

04/25/07		Memphis Wins Thriller in Extra Innings -- Nance drives in winning run on double in eighth (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 Game Two Memphis (29-23) 001 000 01 - 2 8 0 Austin Peay (24-24) 000 010 00 - 1 4 0 Win: Johnson (11-13). Loss: Briscoe (5-6). Save: Kubesch (2). HR: Dolfo (11) 2B: Rowan 2 (5), McNulty (11), Nance (6) CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Game two between the University of Memphis softball team and Austin Peay proved to be another low scoring contest. At Lady Govs Field, Memphis used a extra-inning rally to break a one-all tie in the eighth inning to earn a 2-1 victory on Wednesday. Melissa Nance hit a RBI double in overtime to score Bridgette McNulty from first and secure a four-hit victory by pitcher Nicki Johnson. Both teams began with a runner on second base in extra innings, but Memphis' runner was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice by McNulty. With two outs, Nance delivered the game-winning hit, knocking down the Tigers fourth double in the game. Johnson (11-13) struck out three and walked two in seven innings of work, picking up her 11th victory of the season. The U of M scored the first run of the game in the third inning on a solo home run by Leila Dolfo. The two-out dinger to left field is her team-leading 11th of the season and gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The Lady Govs then put together two hits in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score at one. Game one hero Brittany Williams reached base on an infield hit that bounced off the glove of the pitcher and moved to second on a sac bunt. With two outs, Ami Bush delivered a single to right center to score Williams from second. The Tigers had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh inning, but were unable to advance a runner home and stranded the bases loaded. Austin Peay began the eighth inning with an infield single, but failed to advance the runner on second on the play. Memphis senior Jenna Kubesch then entered the game in relief and retired the side to earn her second save of the season. Memphis will next host UAB in a three-game conference series on Saturday and Sunday at the UM Softball Complex.

04/25/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Memphis 2, Austin Peay 1 (8) (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Leila Dolfo hit her 11th home run to give Memphis a 1-0 lead in the third inning. It is her second homer in as many days. Dolfo is one away from matching the Memphis record of 12 set by Bridgette McNulty last season. The RBI is her 22nd and the run is her team-leading 33rd. � With a single and a home run, Leila Dolfo had her 16th multi-hit game of the season. It is her third multi-hit game in a row. � Leigh Rowan hit her fourth and fifth doubles in the game. The two doubles is a career high and matches a Memphis record accomplished 10 times. � Bridgette McNulty had her 11th double of the season in the fifth inning to right center. � Leigh Rowan had her third multi-hit game of the season with two doubles. � Melissa Nance hit her sixth double of the season to bring in the winning run in the eighth inning. Nance now has 21 RBI. � Memphis is now 2-2 in extra inning games this season.

04/25/07		Tigers Lose Pitching Duel -- Austin Peay wins 1-0 shutout (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 Game One Memphis (28-23) 000 000 0 - 0 3 0 Austin Peay (24-23) 000 010 0 - 1 3 0 Win: Anderson (18-13). Loss: Kubesch (18-10). Save: None. 2B: (APSU) Longmire (3). (MEM) Dolfo (17), Gross (2) CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Early on it became evident the first team to score a run would most likely be the team that would pull off the victory. Austin Peay scored that run in the fifth inning to shutout the University of Memphis softball team, 1-0, on Wednesday in the first game of a doubleheader at Lady Govs Field. Memphis' Jenna Kubesch and Austin Peay's Natasha Anderson battled each other in a pitching duel with both hurlers allowing just one hit through the first four innings. The Tigers had three baserunners through four compared to one by the Lady Govs. The Tigers' chance to score that first run came at the top of the fifth inning. Memphis put together two hits in the inning. With two outs, Tori Gross doubled to left center. Leila Dolfo followed with her second hit in the game. The shortstop had trouble with the line drive but recovered in time to throw out Gross who tried to score from second. The Lady Govs succeeded in its scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth. Sarah Longmire led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt. Brittany Williams then hit a two-out RBI single to the left side. Austin Peay stranded runners on second and third to end the inning. Kubesch suffered the loss after allowing just one run on three hits and striking out five. The senior falls to 18-10 on the season.

04/25/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Austin Peay 1, Memphis 0 (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Leila Dolfo hit her team-leading 17th double of the season in the third inning. It was the first hit for the Tigers, who struck out in six of its first nine plate appearances. � Jenna Kubesch matched a season high in assists with four. � Tori Gross hit her second double of the season in the fifth inning to left center. � Leila Dolfo had her 15th multi-hit game and second in a row with a double and a single. She leads the team in the category. � The shutout is the fourth against Memphis this season. � Bridgette McNulty set a new Memphis assist record with seven in the game. The Tigers also matched its single game assist record of 13, reaching the mark for the third time.

04/25/07		Memphis Crowned Conference USA Champions -- The Lady Tigers end C-USA drought with three in the top-20 (GoTigersGo.com)
		ONEONTA, Ala. - The University of Memphis women's golf team was crowned the Conference USA Champions today, after putting on a stellar performance in the last four holes to take first place in the final round of conference action. Senior Stacey Tate was dominant in today's win, taking over the last three holes. The last time the women's golf team won the conference tournament was in 2001. Having finished sixth last year, the Lady Tigers went in to this tournament looking to end the drought and get back on top. Memphis shot a 17-over-par 305 today, and finished the tournament with a 48-over-par 912, two strokes ahead of defending champion East Carolina University. Tate, who was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, put on an outstanding performance today, entering the final round in second place. Memphis was down one stroke approaching the 15th hole, but Tate never gave up. She eagled the par-5 16th hole, parred 17 and then birdied the final hole, advancing the Lady Tigers to first place. The Auckland, New Zealand native finished in second place, with five birdies and one eagle on the day. She shot a four-under-par 68, giving her the lowest round of the day. Tate finished with a 4-under-par 212, just five strokes behind the leader, Gerina Mendoza. Tate was one of two golfers to break par. She finished with 2 eagles, 13 birdies and 29 pars in the tournament. Sophomore Rachel Larson was the second-lowest finisher for the Lady Tigers. She shot a 5-over-par 77 on the day and tallied one birdie in the final round of action. The Longmont, Colo., native was one of three Lady Tigers to birdie the 18th hole, finishing the tournament in 13th place, reporting a 15-over-par 231. Larson tallied four birdies and 34 pars in the tournament. She was named to the All-Conference Third Team. The next lowest finisher for the Lady Tigers was junior golfer Dawn-Marie Conaty. The Dublin, Ireland, native shot a 7-over-par 79 in the final round and tallied one birdie. Conaty finished the tournament in 16th place, reporting a 19-over-par 235, just four strokes behind Larson. She finished with five birdies in the tournament. The junior was named to the All-Conference USA Third Team. Senior Kathryn O'Rourke shot a 14-over-par 86 on the day and tallied one birdie. The Holmes, N.Y., native finished the tournament tied for 22nd place, reporting a 23-over-par 239. She tallied six birdies in the tournament. Meghan Mahoney finished just five strokes behind O'Rourke. The junior tied for 29th place, reporting a 28-over-par 244 in the tournament. The Nantucket, Mass. native tallied one birdie in the final round and shot a 9-over-par 81 on the day. She finished with four birdies in the tournament. Mahoney was also one of three Lady Tigers to birdie the 18th hole. East Carolina finished second in the tournament with a total score of a 50-over-par 914. ECU defeated the Lady Tigers in final round action, shooting a 10-over-par 298. In individual competition, UTEP's Gerina Mendoza took the crown after shooting a 9-under-par 207 in the tournament. Mendoza fell behind in the final round, reporting a one-under-par 71, just three strokes behind Tate. Joining the three Lady Tigers with 2007 Conference USA Awards is head coach Jenny Bruun. Bruun was named the 2007 Conference USA Coach of the Year, which is her first conference honor in her three-year career at Memphis. With the conference title, the Lady Tigers will advance to the NCAA Regionals. Memphis will play in one of three NCAA Regionals, which will be announced Monday, April 30th, at 3 p.m. Results 1 Memphis 912 (310-297-305) 2 Stacey Tate 212 (73-71-68) 13 Rachel Larson 231 (80-74-77) 16 Dawn-Marie Conaty 235 (80-76-79) T22 Kathryn O'Rourke 239 (77-76-86) T29 Meghan Mahoney 244 (80-83-81)

04/25/07		Tiger Tags Available for Mississippi Residents -- Please visit www.highlandhundred.com to get your Tiger tags for your Mississippi-registered vehicle (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis fans residing in Mississippi can get Tiger tags for their car. If 200 applications are filed by November, the Tiger-logo license plates will be made available by January of 2008. For more information on how to get a Tiger tag on your car, please visit www.highlandhundred.com.

04/25/07		Tigers vs. Vols on TV beefs up schedule -- Calipari says he 'over scheduled' with Arizona, Gonzaga, others (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact April 25, 2007 There are still a few details to work out, a handful of dates to finalize. But the University of Memphis' non-conference basketball schedule for 2007-08 is practically done, and it includes challenges at every turn. Perhaps the biggest of those will occur Feb. 23, when Memphis hosts Tennessee in what could be a matchup of two top-10 teams. ESPN has already committed to the game as its feature that night, and the network's "College GameDay" broadcast will originate from Memphis. Advertisement Memphis will face at least three more teams that project to be in the top-25, hosting Arizona on Dec. 29 and Gonzaga on Jan. 19. The schedule also includes a December trip to New York to face Southern Cal in a made for TV game. That contest will be billed as a matchup of arguably the top freshmen guards in the country in Derrick Rose and USC's O.J. Mayo. The Tigers will likely make another trip to New York to start the season in the Coaches vs. Cancer event. Should Memphis win two games at FedExForum against mid-major level opponents -- those are still unknown at this point -- it will advance to Madison Square Garden for the semifinals. The other regional hosts are Connecticut, Oklahoma and Kentucky. Memphis will play two true road games during the non-conference schedule, traveling to Cincinnati and Ole Miss. "I probably overscheduled again this year," coach John Calipari said. "But if you're going to do it, this is probably the year." The Tigers will play Middle Tennessee State at the Nashville Arena -- that game might be part of a double-header with Tennessee and another regional school -- and round out its schedule with home games against Pepperdine, Holy Cross, Appalachian State, Arkansas State and Austin Peay. Those "buy games" were chosen to help boost the Tigers' strength of schedule. Appalachian State, for instance, just missed an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament last season after going 25-7 including victories over Vanderbilt and Virginia. Holy Cross won the Patriot League last season and lost to Southern Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Ralph Willard, who coaches Holy Cross, upset Memphis in the 1993 NCAA Tournament when he coached at Western Kentucky. Though Pepperdine struggled to an 8-23 record, that team is expected to be better next season with a solid recruiting class coming in. Pepperdine is coached by Calipari's friend, Vance Walberg, who created the offensive system Memphis now runs. Arkansas State, Austin Peay and Middle Tennessee were kept on the schedule because Calipari believes they are going to be competitive in their respective leagues. "Those teams are going to win 20 games," Calipari said. The date of the Tennessee matchup is intriguing, because non-conference games are very rarely played that late in the season. Calipari's scheduling philosophy -- especially since Conference USA's reorganization -- has been to play one big non-conference game in January and one in February. The date of the Memphis-Tennessee game has been a point of contention for both sides the last two years, with UT coach Bruce Pearl unhappy that the 2005-06 game was played in January and Calipari upset last season that the Tigers had to go to Knoxville and play their third game in five days. But the amount of exposure ESPN will generate for this game is something both coaches can agree on. "ESPN's 'GameDay' will be there, and we're assured of tremendous exposure all day long because they'll be broadcasting from the early morning,'' Pearl told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "Normally, I would prefer to play the game during the traditional non-conference portion of our schedule.'' -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365 TIGER BASKETBALL 2007-08 non-conference opponents Unless noted, dates have not been determined: At FedExForum Arizona (Dec. 29), Gonzaga (Jan. 19), Tennessee (Feb. 23), Pepperdine, Holy Cross, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Austin Peay On the road Ole Miss, Cincinnati At Nashville Middle Tennessee At New York USC (in Jimmy V Classic), Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

04/25/07		In the News: Tigers romp past Southeast Missouri (Commercial Appeal)
		The University of Memphis baseball team erupted for nine runs in third and cruised to a 12-6 win over Southeast Missouri at Cape Girardeau, Mo., on Tuesday night. Tiger senior Joey Lieberman went 3-for-5 and fell a triple short of the cycle and Josh Irvin drive in three runs to lead Memphis to its fifth straight win over the Redhawks. Memphis used a pair of homers as bookends to the nine-run third that gave the Tigers a 10-2 lead. K.K. Chalmers led the inning off with a solo shot to right. Irvin's three-run triple to center field made it 5-2. Tyler Huelsing added a double in the next at-bat for a 6-2 advantage. After an RBI-single by Chris Kirkland, Michael Murray launched a three-run blast off the top of the wall in right center. Lieberman also blasted a mammoth homer to left in the fourth. Neil Schenk (2-0) was the winner after tossing three innings of shutout ball. He struck out five.

04/25/07		Fall sports preview: Football and men's soccer (Daily Helmsman)
		By: Shari Lofton Sports Reporter Issue date: 4/25/07 For those of us who are not graduating in two weeks, fall 2007 will be just another semester. However, for The University of Memphis football and soccer teams, next fall will be an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and erase the bad memories of 2006. Following one of their worst seasons ever, The U of M football team made several staff and personnel changes. After taking over defensive duties following the dismissal of Joe Lee Dunn midway through last season, Coach Tommy West has made seven changes to his coaching staff and brought in six new coaches. Three of the six positions filled were by defensive coaches, including new defensive coordinator Rick Kravitz. "Rick is a great fit for our players and staff. This search was well worth the time spent," West said. "I am excited that we have our staff complete now." Along with coaching additions, the Tigers also signed a total of 26 high school prospects and junior college transfers. Junior Freddie Barnett headlines all newcomers as a transfer from Trinity Valley Community College. Ranked by Rivals.com as one of the top-20 junior college prospects in the country, Barnett joins a Memphis defense that was ranked 111 out of 119 in Division I football last season. Memphis hopes that the addition of transfers will add some experience and depth to the defense. "I think that we raised our experience level at a number of key positions with the addition of some junior college transfers," West said. "Our defense will benefit greatly with these veteran players." As for the offense, Memphis has seven starters returning next season. Senior quarterback Martin Hankins will lead the offense for a second straight season. Following his 2,550-yard, 18-touchdown 2006 campaign, Hankins will not have the same receiving core of a year ago. Sophomore Duke Calhoun, junior Earnest Williams and transfer Steven Black will have to fill the shoes left empty by former Memphis wide receivers Ryan Scott and Mario Pratcher. "I think we have helped our offense with key signees at receiver and in the offensive line," West said. Shifting focus to the other football team, Memphis soccer will also hope to erase the bitter memories of last season. After starting the 2006 season 8-2-0, the Tigers were ranked 15th in the nation. However, Memphis lost six of their final eight regular season games and lost to Kentucky in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. "The start we got off to and finding ourselves ranked among the top 20 for the third season was encouraging," said Coach Richie Grant. "However, in the end, we realize that we still have a lot of work to do because we want to continue to climb the ranks of the C-USA." One positive the Tigers have going into next season is that they graduated only one player. Aside from defender Jamie Gilbert, all the players from last season will return and hopefully create a strong and experienced team. The Tigers also signed two high school prospects and a junior college transfer during the off season. "I think we are in a good position because we had only one graduating senior," Grant said. "I feel that it is important to strengthen this team, and I think this class will deepen the team."

04/24/07		Tigers to face Vols in late February (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact April 24, 2007 University of Memphis fans will have to wait until Feb. 23rd for the Tigers to host Tennessee next season. That's just one detail about the 2007-08 nonconference schedule, which coach John Calipari said Tuesday was almost done. Advertisement In addition to the Tennessee game, which will be part of ESPN's college basketball GameDay pregame show, Memphis will host Arizona on Dec. 29 and Gonzaga on Jan. 19. The other home opponents will be Pepperdine, Holy Cross, Appalachian State, Arkansas State and Austin Peay. The Tigers will also play a neutral-site game against Middle Tennessee at Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center. The Tigers will play road games at Ole Miss and Cincinnati and make two trips to New York. The first will be for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where possible opponents include Kentucky and Connecticut. The second trip will be to play Southern Cal.

04/24/07		Memphis Breaks Out with 10 Runs in Victory -- Nance and Gross both hit three-run shots in win (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 Game Two Memphis (28-22) 001 010 8 - 10 13 0 SEMO (16-26) 010 000 0 - 1 4 2 Win: Kubesch (18-9). Loss: Fisher (11-18). Save: None. HR: (MEM) Dolfo (10), Nance (5), Gross (2) 2B: (SE) Sperakos (7). (MEM) Hayden (5), Dolfo (16) CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The University of Memphis softball team exploded with an eight run seventh in the second game against Southeast Missouri on Tuesday at the SE Softball Complex en route to a 10-1 victory. The two teams split the doubleheader with SEMO winning the first game 4-3. Junior designated player Melissa Nance and sophomore second baseman Tori Gross both had three-run homers in the seventh as Memphis finally took advantage of putting runners on. The win snapped a program record five-game losing streak. The two teams waited through a 25 minute rain delay in the top of the fifth. Before athe brief downpour began and the tarp was brought out, the Tigers put the winning run on with a walk to Gross. Once the rain had lifted, Leandra Hines moved Gross to second with a sac and Kimmi Hayden followed with a game-winning RBI double that put Memphis up 2-1. The two-bagger was the second on the day for the sophomore catcher who had four RBI in the two games. Jenna Kubesch (18-9) won her 18th game of the season. The senior right hander scattered four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Kubesch had 12 strikeouts in nine innings in the two games. The Redhawks again scored the first run of the game and took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Center fielder Lindsay Pickering led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Elise Sperakos then brought Pickering home with a double down the left field line. Leila Dolfo tied the game up at one in the top of the third with her 10th home run of the season. The sophomorer shortstop blasted a towering two-out home run over the left field fence. Memphis' defense played itself out of a scoring opportunity for SEMO in the bottom of the sixth. The Redhawks' lead off hitter singled and advanced to second on a passed ball. With no outs, Stacia Dopudja lined a shot out of the glove of third baseman Bridgette McNulty. McNulty looked the runner back to third and fired her throw to first for the out. The runner on third then tried to advance to third, but first baseman Kara Ross threw to Dolfo at third to complete the double play. In the seventh inning, Dolfo led off with her 16th double of the season and advanced to third on Hines' second sac bunt of the game. The bunt was misplayed by SEMO, allowing Hines to reach first on an error. With one out, Ross delivered a two-run single to begin the eight run inning. Memphis put together six hits in the inning, capped by three-run homers from Nance and Gross. Memphis will next play at Ausin Peay on Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. There will be no live coverage of the games.

04/24/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- Memphis 10, SEMO 1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Leila Dolfo hit her team-leading 10th home run of the season in the third inning. The towering solo shot to left field is her 21st RBI and team-leading 31st run scored. Nine of her 10 homers have been solos. � Leandra Hines had her eighth multi-hit game of the season with two singles. � Kimmi Hayden knocked in her fourth RBI of the day with a double to give Memphis a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. She now has 19 RBI and matches a season best five-game hitting streak. The double is her fifth of the year. � Leila Dolfo had her 14th multi-hit game with a home run and a double. Dolfo's double is her team-leading 16th of the season. � Kara Ross had her ninth multi-RBI game with a two-run single in the seventh inning. She leads the team with 34 RBI. � Melissa Nance hit her fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot in the seventh inning. It is Nance's fourth multi-RBI game and third game with three or more RBI. Nance now has 20 RBI on the season. � Leigh Rowan had her second multi-hit game with two singles. � Lindsey Pridgen had her sixth multi-hit game with two singles. � Tori Gross hit her second home run in less than week in the seventh inning. After hitting her first career homer against Marshall over the weekend with a three-run shot, Gross hit another three-run dinger, this time against SEMO. Gross now has 16 RBI on the season. � The three RBI matches a career high for Gross and is the third time she has matched the total this season. She now has four multi-RBI games this year. � The three Memphis home runs matches a program record that has now been accomplished seven times. � Memphis matches its 2006 win total with 28 victories on the season. � Tori Gross scored her fifth winning run of the season and Kimmi Hayden had her third game-winning hit.

04/24/07		Rally Falls Short in Loss to SEMO -- Hayden knocks in all three Tiger runs (GoTigersGo.com)
		For Immediate Release Contact: Brandon Kolditz wkolditz@memphis.edu, (901) 871-5475 Game One Memphis (27-22) 002 000 1 - 3 8 0 SEMO (16-25) 103 000 x - 4 6 0 Win: Bradley (4-3). Loss: Johnson (10-13). Save: Fisher (3). HR: (SE) McDonald (8), Summers (10) 2B: (SE) Dopudja (10). (MEM) Hayden (4) CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Despite a 2-for-3 performance with three RBI from sophomore Kimmi Hayden, the University of Memphis softball team struggled to move runners around in a 4-3 loss to Southeast Missouri in game one of a doubleheader on Tuesday at the SE Softball Complex. Hayden matched a season high with the three RBI and gave the Tigers a brief 2-1 lead in the third inning with a two-run double. Memphis out-hit SEMO, 8-6, in the game; marking the third time in four games the Tigers have out-slugged its opponent in a loss. The U of M is now 24-4 when compiling more hits than the other team. The Tigers had their fair share of opportunities to create big innings. After Hayden's two run double in the third, Memphis stranded the bases loaded. The U of M later hit back-to-back one-out singles in the sixth, but failed to advance the runners. After Hayden brought the Tigers within one in the seventh inning with an RBI single, Memphis stranded the game-tying run on second. Kara Ross also had a big night at the plate for Memphis, finishing 3-for-3. The senior first baseman matched her career high in single game hits with the three singles. Senior Nicki Johnson (10-13) suffered the loss on the mound, allowing four runs on six hits in four innings with five strikeouts. Senior Jenna Kubesch pitched two hitless innings in relief with five strikeouts. Redhawk's shortstop Megan McDonald drilled a solo home run in the bottom of the first to give SEMO a 1-0 lead. McDonald's eighth homer of the season came with two outs in the inning. The Tigers then went ahead 2-1 with two runs in the top of the third. Lindsey Pridgen led off the inning with a single to the left side. SEMO attempted to putout Pridgen at second on a sacrifice bunt from Tori Gross, but the senior center fielder beat out the throw and both runners were safe. After Leandra Hines moved both runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, Hayden lined a two-run double down the left field line. Bridgette McNulty walked and Ross singled to load the bases, but Memphis stranded the runners. The Memphis lead did not last long as the Redhawks scored three runs in the bottom of the third to lead 4-2. Michelle Summers lined a one-out solo home run off the foul pole in left field for the first run. Second baseman Jennifer Vaszquez then singled and Stacia Dopudja doubled down the line to put runners on second and third with two outs. A wild pitch moved the runners up one with Vasquez scoring, and Lindsay Pickering then hit an RBI single to the left side to score the third run. The Tigers attempted a final hour comeback in the seventh inning. Gross led off the inning with a single and was replaced at first on a fielder's choice by Leila Dolfo. After a ground out moved Dolfo to second, Hayden brought Memphis within one with a RBI single down the left line. Hayden stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, but Memphis stranded its seventh runner to end the game.

04/24/07		Memphis Softball Game Notes -- SEMO 4, Memphis 3 (GoTigersGo.com)
		� Kimmi Hayden hit her fourth double of the season in the fourth inning. The two-run hit down the left field line marks her fourth multi-RBI game. � Kara Ross had her 12th multi-hit game of the year. Ross went 3-for-3 with three singles. � Ross matched a career high with three hits. It is the second time she has done it this season and third time overall. � Jenna Kubesch entered the game in relief in the fifth inning and struck out the side in order. � Kimmi Hayden had her 13th multi-hit game with a double and a single. She also had three RBI in the game, matching a season high. She now has 18 RBI. � Memphis out-hit SEMO, 8-6, in the game; marking the third time in four games the Tigers have out-slugged its opponent in a loss. The U of M is now 24-4 when compiling more hits than the other team.

04/24/07		Nine-Run Third Pushes Baseball past Southeast Missouri, 12-6 -- Senior Michael Murray hits first Division I home run (GoTigersGo.com)
		CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- - Memphis (26-16) 019 100 010 - 12 13 1 Southeast Missouri State (25-16) 202 200 000 - 6 5 1 After waiting out a 34-minute rain delay, Memphis erupted for nine runs in third inning and cruised to a 12-6 win over Southeast Missouri at Capaha Field. Senior Joey Lieberman went 3-for-5 and fell a triple short of the cycle, while Josh Irvin drove in three runs to lead Memphis to its fifth straight win over the Redhawks. Memphis used a pair of homers as bookends to the nine-run third that gave the Tigers a 10-2 lead. K.K. Chalmers led the frame off with a solo shot to right. Memphis' patience at the plate paid off as Redhawks starter Brent Lawson struggled with command and walked Michael Murray and Bill Moss in consecutive at-bats. A single by Norrid loaded the bases for Irvin, who belted a two-out triple over the head of SEMO centerfielder Asif Shah, to clear the bases and put Memphis on top for good at. Freshman Tyler Huelsing followed Irvin with an RBI-double in the next at-bat for a 6-2 advantage. Huelsing scored on an RBI-single by Chris Kirkland. Following a walk by Chalmers, Murray skipped a three-run blast off the top of the wall in right center. Murray's homer run was his first at the Division I level and came on his 356th at-bat. Tiger pitching allowed SEMO to stay in the game, as the Redhawks answered with two tallies in the home half of the third. Memphis starter Brennon Martin ran into control issues and walked the bases loaded, before a sac fly by Memphis native Phillip Riley made it a 10-3 ballgame. A throwing error allowed another SEMO run to score and cut the Tiger lead to 10-4. Lieberman blasted a mammoth homer to left in the fourth to put Memphis up 11-4 and help regain momentum. His ninth homer of the year and 22nd in just over a year-and-a-half sailed some 400 feet over the scoreboard in left field. The Redhawk offense, that scored four runs on just one hit in the third and fourth innings, got a leadoff walk in the fourth and Omar Padilla followed with a bloop single to leftfield. Another walk forced Martin out of the contest in favor of Neil Schenk. Schenk was unable to find the zone early and tossed a pair of wild pitches that allowed SEMO to score a run to cut the U of M cushion to 11-6. Schenk then settled down and went on to toss three innings of scoreless relief to pick up his second win of the year. The southpaw allowed just one hit and fanned five. Along with Dylan Cupples 1.2 innings of relief, and Matt Yokley's perfect ninth, Memphis was able to hold SEMO off the board over the final five innings of play. The Redhawks posted five hits in the game and just two over the last 5.2 innings. The Tigers tacked on an insurance run on consecutive singles by Moss, Lieberman and Norrid. Norrid's RBI-base hit up the middle made it 12-6. Memphis pounded out 13 hits in the contest, but more impressive was the fact that all nine Tigers hit safely, eight of the nine scored and eight of the nine drove runs in. Irvin and Murray both drove in three runs, while each of the first four hitters in the lineup--Chalmers, Murray, Moss and Lieberman--scored twice. Lieberman's three hits was a game-high. Norrid and Irvin came through with a pair of hits in the contest. In his first start in three years, Lawson took the loss after surrendering seven runs (all earned) on six hits in 2.2 innings. Lance Rhodes pitched 4.1 innings of relief and gave up four earned tallies. Sam Rosener closed the contest out with two innings of work. He allowed a run on three hits. Memphis and SEMO will wrap up the series on Wednesday with the first pitch set for 4 p.m.

04/24/07		Memphis Takes The Lead After Second Round -- Lady Tigers move up three strokes to claim the lead (GoTigersGo.com)
		ONEONTA, Ala. - The University of Memphis women's golf team moved up three strokes during day two of the Conference USA Championships in Oneonta, Ala., to give them sole possession of first place. The Lady Tigers not only moved into the driver's seat, but four of the five are in the Top-20. Memphis went into the second round claiming fourth place, just two strokes behind the leader. The Lady Tigers are itching for the title. After putting on a solid performance in the second round of play, the Lady Tigers are going into the final round with momentum. Memphis shot a 31-over-par 297 in the second round, giving them a total of 607 after two days. Stacey Tate entered the second round tied for second place. After shooting an even 71, Tate took over the second place position. The senior is just eight strokes behind the leader with a 144. Tate averaged a 3.38 (+3) on par three scoring, a 4.15 (+3) on par four scoring and finished first in the tournament for par five scoring with an average of 4.25 (-6). The Auckland, New Zealand native shot one eagle and eight birdies on the day. Another Lady Tiger in the Top-20 is senior golfer Kathryn O'Rourke. The Holmes, N.Y. native started out the day in seventh place, and put on a solid performance to keep her tied at seventh place. O'Rourke shot a 9-over-par 76, one stroke better than her performance on Monday. The senior averaged a 3.38 (+4) on par three scoring and a 4.10 (+2) on par four scoring. She shot five birdies and tallied 19 pars. Next in line for the Lady Tigers is sophomore Rachel Larson, who is one of the three Memphis golfers in the Top-10. Larson shot a 10-over-par 74, to give her a spot in 10th place. The Longmont, Colo. native put on a stellar performance to move her into the Top-10, after finishing 17th in the opening round. Larson averaged a 4.10 (+2) on par four scoring, shot 3 birdies and tallied 23 pars. Junior golfer Dawn-Marie Conaty is the fourth Lady Tiger in the Top-20 after the second round. The Dublin, Ireland native shot a 12-over-par 76, moving her from 17th place to 16th place after two rounds of play. Conaty averaged a 3.25 (+2) on par three scoring and an even 5.00 on par five scoring. She also was able to tally four birdies. The junior is looking to make her way to the Top-10 in final action on Wednesday. Meghan Mahoney is five strokes away from the Top-20, shooting a 19-over-par 83. The junior finished the second round in 28th place, where she averaged a 3.50 (+4) on par three scoring. The Nantucket, Mass. native averaged a 4.88 (-1) on par five scoring. She is looking to improve in the final round and move up to the Top-20 to join her teammates in the quest for a conference title. Three strokes behind Memphis, in second place, is the University of Texas-El Paso, shooting a 34-over-par 610. Tied for third place, six strokes behind UTEP are University of Central Florida and East Carolina University. For the individual competition, UTEP's Gerina Mendoza still leads the pack with an 8-under-par 136. Memphis will tee of at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday for the final round of action. Live scoring can be found at www.conferenceusa.com. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.

04/24/07		Lady Tigers Battle Saint Louis to 0-0 Draw -- Memphis ends the spring season with positive step (GoTigersGo.com)
		ST. LOUIS - Memphis ended its spring schedule with a hard fought draw against a talented Saint Louis squad, battling the Billikens to a 0-0 draw Saturday. "I was very pleased with the team effort we put together against Saint Louis," Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan said. "We played much better than we did earlier in the day. I was especially happy with the way our midfield performed." The match looked much different then the exhibition the two squads played last August at Mike Rose when Saint Louis came away with a 4-1 victory. Memphis controlled the majority of the action Saturday, keeping the ball out of the Billiken's control for virtually the entire first half. The Lady Tigers came dangerously close to scoring on several occasions as Memphis created multiple chances and even hit the cross bar on one attempt. "It was a great way to end the season," Monaghan said. "Saint Louis is a great team and playing well against them really gets our momentum going for next fall."

04/24/07		Blair Savage Basketball Camps Scheduled for June -- Two team Play Days included in the June schedule (GoTigersGo.com)
		The four Blair Savage Basketball Camp sessions have been set up for this summer, all occurring during the month of June. The first session will be a Play Day for teams from the region to see how they stack up against other competition. That Play Day is scheduled for June 2nd. Registration is $120 per team and includes a minimum of three games for varsity and AAU teams and a maximum of two games for Jr. Varsity teams. Each team must be made up of a minimum of eight players and can have no more than 13 players. The morning of the camp, registration will be from 8-9 a.m. at the Finch Center, on the corner of Echles and Spottswood across from the University Tennis Courts. The second camp will be the fundamental camp for girls ages 5-13. That camp will be held from June 11-15 in the Elma Roane Fieldhouse. Cost is $225 with a $90 non-refundable deposit. For families with multiple campers, you will receive $10 off per additional child for the Fundamental Camp. The camp will be held from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. June 11-14 and from 8:00 a.m. - noon on June 15th. The third camp will be on June 16th with Play Day II. The structure for Play Day II is similar to that of the first play day. Registration will be from 8:00-9:00 a.m. at the Finch Center and Varsity and AAU teams are guaranteed a minimum of three games and Junior Varsity teams are guaranteed a maximum of two games. The camp session season will wrap up with the Elite Camp for girls ages 13 and up, June 21st-22nd. This camp will be held in the Finch Center. Registration is June 21st from 3-4:00 p.m., and the camp will go until 9 p.m. that night. The following day, June 22nd, the camp will run from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cost is $85 for commuters and $110 for overnighters. University of Memphis faculty and staff will receive a $20 discount and families with multiple campers in this camp will receive $10 off per additional child. Additional information and registration forms can be obtained from the University of Memphis website at www.gotigersgo.com or from Coach Savage's website at www.BlairSavage.com. The complete camp brochure is located at: http://www.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mem/sports/w-baskbl/auto_pdf/07camp_brochure

04/24/07		Tiger's versatility may get him drafted -- Defensive back shows good speed, character (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact April 24, 2007 Correll Buckhalter, a former Nebraska running back and a veteran member of the Philadelphia Eagles, set the precedent. He was the first from Collins, Miss., a rural community of approximately 2,800