Memphis Tigers News Archives

May 2007

05/31/07		Transfers providing the experience (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 31, 2007 Kyle Norrid and Ben Grisham have been where their University of Memphis teammates have only envisioned. It's been 13 years since the Tiger baseball program participated in an NCAA regional but a much shorter absence for Norrid and Grisham. Norrid, the UofM's third baseman, played in the NCAA regionals three years ago as a member of the University of Tennessee infield before the former Germantown High standout transferred back home. Grisham, a pitcher/outfielder, played in two NCAA regionals at Mississippi State before the former Senatobia (Miss.) star transferred to the UofM in 2006. When the Tigers open play Friday at 2 p.m. in the Nashville Regional, Norrid and Grisham will be back where they had hoped to lead the UofM program. And they intend to impart some of the knowledge they gained from playing in the postseason. ''Everyone's going to be excited because it's the first regional for this team in 13 years,'' Grisham said. ''But the key is to just relax and leave it all out there on the field. 'We're in the field of 64 now, 64 of the best teams in the country. We've got to come out ready to play. We can't make any mistakes. Any mistake will be magnified in a game like this.'' Grisham, one of the team's top three starting pitchers, played in the 2005 NCAA regional at Miami and the 2004 regional at Atlanta. He left a situation in which the postseason was a given for one in which it was a rarity. The Tigers are making their fifth NCAA appearance. ''I was looking for a place to play and contribute,'' Grisham said. ''I felt this was a program on the rise with coach (Daron) Schoenrock. It's been a great time to be part of this program.'' Grisham was confident of Schoenrock's ability to resurrect the program after having spent time with him at Mississippi State. Schoenrock was an assistant to Ron Polk at Mississippi State before taking the Memphis job in 2005. ''He's a great coach and a wonderful person as well,'' Grisham said. ''I can't say enough nice things about him.'' Norrid hit .297 in two seasons at Tennessee and started 106 of 109 games, mostly at third base. Perhaps because they didn't want to jinx the run to the postseason, Norrid and Grisham remained quiet. They'll break their vow of silence. ''We didn't really say anything before; people knew we had been,'' Norrid said. ''Now that we're going, we'll talk to the team more and tell them what to expect.'' Norrid is as excited as his teammates who are making their regional debuts. ''I haven't been since my sophomore year (at Tennessee), and after we got done with Rice (a 20-9 loss in the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament on Saturday), I thought we had kind of taken a step back,'' he said. ''I started looking on the Internet and (none of the projected regionals) had us getting in. I didn't know what to expect. But (Monday) we came up (during the NCAA Tournament selection show) in the first bracket playing Michigan. It was a huge surprise. It brought back memories of when I was at Tennessee and we got to play in the regionals.'' Schoenrock said Grisham's and Norrid's input will be welcome as the team prepares for Friday's opening game against Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan. ''I think (their experience) can play a role in everything that leads up to that first pitch Friday,'' Schoenrock said. ''The toughest part is leading up until 2 o'clock. And that's where they can help. Once 2 o'clock Friday comes, I'm not worried then because our league prepares you for this. Every (conference) weekend is a regional environment.'' And nothing may have recreated an NCAA regional experience better than last weekend's C-USA Tournament at East Carolina. Memphis battled Rice, the nation's second-ranked team, three times, including a 2-1 win Saturday that likely led to Monday's at-large selection. ''That was the most nervous I've ever been in a college game those last few innings,'' Norrid said. ''A lot of people thought they were unbeatable, but we played the perfect game. ''It's important to bring that momentum (from going 3-2 in the C-USA Tournament) into the regionals. We hit as good as we have all season, and a lot of our pitchers came up with some big innings. Hopefully we can carry that over into the regionals.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Nashville regional At Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field Friday's openers (3) Memphis (36-25) vs. (2) Michigan (39-16), 2 p.m. (1) Vanderbilt (51-11) vs. (4) Austin Peay (39-20), 7 p.m. Losers play Saturday at 2 p.m., winners at 7 p.m. Tournament concludes Sunday or possibly Monday Tickets: None available Fan events in Nashville The Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) and the University of Memphis Alumni Association will host a pair of parties before the baseball team's games Friday and Saturday in Nashville. The Friday event will be held at noon, while the Saturday event time will depend on what time the baseball team plays. Both events will be held under a big blue and white tent, located on the corner of Jess Neely Drive and Natchez Trace near Gate Two of the Vanderbilt football stadium. Fans must wear their Tiger Blue for complimentary food, drinks and pom-poms. For more information, contact the Tiger Scholarship fund at 678-2334 or tsf@memphis.edu or the Alumni Association at 678-ALUM or alumnievents@memphis.edu.

Back

05/30/07		TSF and Alumni Association to Host Pre-Game Parties at NCAA Baseball Regional -- Friday event will be held at noon, prior to a 2 p.m. first pitch (GoTigersGo.com)
		NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) and the University of Memphis Alumni Association will jointly host a pair of parties prior to the baseball team's NCAA Regional games, being held Friday and Saturday in Nashville. The Friday event will be held at noon, while the Saturday event time will be TBA depending on what time the baseball team plays on Saturday. Memphis will face Michigan at 2 p.m. (CT) on Friday. Both events will be held under a big blue and white tent, located on the corner of Jess Neely Drive and Nachez Trace near Gate Two of the Vanderbilt Football Stadium. You MUST wear your Tiger Blue for complimentary food, drinks and pom-poms. For additional information, please contact either the Tiger Scholarship fund at either 901-678-2334 (or by email at tsf@memphis.edu) or the Alumni Association at 901-678-ALUM (or email at alumnievents@memphis.edu). We look forward to seeing you in Nashville supporting Coach Schoenrock and the Tigers!

Back

05/30/07		For Tigers who endured '05 misery, this is sweet (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 30, 2007 It was a moment Adam Amar, K.K. Chalmers and Bill Moss couldn't have envisioned several years ago. But there they were Monday morning at the University of Memphis's Murphy Athletic Complex watching, along with their teammates and coaches, several years of mediocrity vanish on the big-screen television in the Tiger football locker room. All eyes were affixed to the NCAA baseball tournament selection show on ESPN, a show that validated the turnaround at the UofM. Memphis was chosen as an at-large selection -- the program's first invitation to an NCAA regional in 13 years -- to play in the Vanderbilt Regional starting Friday in Nashville. The announcement had Amar, Chalmers and Moss recalling a not-so-distant past, one that offered few promises of the postseason and included a 13-42 record in 2005. Amar, Chalmers and Moss are the only regulars who also appeared on the 2005 roster. Amar, a sophomore in '05, started at first base. Chalmers was a freshman center fielder. And although Moss missed the '05 season because of a back injury, he didn't avoid the frustration his teammates endured during what was the losingest campaign in the program's history. The season, coach Daron Schoenrock's first, included losing streaks of 10 and 11 games and shutout losses to Houston, East Carolina and Saint Louis. Opponents scored 10 or more runs in eight of the team's final 13 games. "It was kind of a rough start ... with the 13-42 season," Chalmers said. "Then last year we turned it around. So we came into the season with an expectation and a goal of making a regional. "I like to think that a lot of hard work and a lot of time and effort that a lot of people put in paid off." As a freshman, Chalmers, a Southaven High product, started 52 games and hit .269 with 17 stolen bases. Amar, as a sophomore, developed into a .300 hitter, batting .305 in 55 games. Moss was a redshirt after hitting a team-leading .342 in 2004, former coach Dave Anderson's final season. The UofM provided each an opportunity to play at the Division 1 level, even if the program couldn't guarantee a postseason experience. "When I came in I wasn't expecting to hear about the postseason a lot," Moss said. "But coach Rock always talked about how we need to work hard for this team to have a chance to go to the postseason." Chalmers, who has blossomed into the team's leadoff hitter and become an All-Conference USA player, knew the hard times would be brief. "In coach Rock's second year they had a good, good junior college recruiting class," Chalmers said. "A bunch of guys came in who are seniors this year. They came in and kind of guided this team to where it needed to be. "Now, at any given time, we have seven seniors on the field. It makes a big difference when you have guys with that much college baseball under their belts." Chalmers, a junior who earned a spot on the C-USA Tournament team, said there were sacrifices made during the offseason leading to success in the spring. "We worked in the fall in the weight room and we had practices in 25-degree weather," he said. "We hated it and didn't want to be there. We moaned and groaned, but you look back now and it ended up being worth it." While 2005 was the low point, Amar, who played for former Cy Young Award winner Frank Viola in high school in Florida, experienced a 29-28 season in 2004 and the 32-28 finish in 2006. "But we've never had this much success on the field," Amar said. "We've never won this many games in a season since I've been here. "It's rewarding. We're not going to take it for granted. We are going to live in the moment and do our best." Amar won the C-USA batting crown last year, hitting .395 in 55 games. He enters Friday's opening-round NCAA regional game against Michigan batting .351. "I've loved it here from Day 1," Amar said. "Coach Anderson gave me a great opportunity to play at the Division 1 level, and when coach Rock came in I had to earn my spot again and I did that. "I proved myself to be the first baseman at Memphis. I think I made a name for myself at Memphis." Amar, from Lake Mary, Fla., will leave the UofM as the program's career runs batted in leader. Moss, a member of two state championship teams at Christian Brothers High School, will depart as a career .330 hitter and likely be taken in next month's amateur draft. Schoenrock said what he finds particularly satisfying are the benefits veterans like Amar and Moss are reaping for their perseverance and patience. "If you rank the teams, Memphis was probably 200th when they came here and now we're 51 in the RPI rankings," Schoenrock said. "That's what's got to be special to these guys, to get in that elite company. "Now when they watch the (College World Series) this year, whether we're there or not, they know how close we are." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Regional tickets The University of Memphis athletic department has obtained a limited number of all-session reserved seating for the regional in Nashville. The ticket location is on the first-base line, and the cost is $60 per ticket. Fans wishing to purchase these tickets should call the UofM Ticket office at 678-2331 or come by the office at 570 Normal between 8-11 a.m. today.

Back

05/29/07		CSS TO AIR NASHVILLE REGIONAL -- Complete Coverage of Nashville Bracket Scheduled (GoTigersGo.com)
		Atlanta, Ga. - The "Road to Omaha" begins this week on Comcast / Charter Sports Southeast (CSS), as the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship gets underway. CSS will carry the complete Vanderbilt Regional live from Hawkins Field in Nashville, TN on June 1-4, 2007. Vanderbilt (51-11) was named the No. 1 national seed in the 64 team NCAA baseball tournament field. The Commodores will host No. 2 seed Michigan (39-16), No. 3 seed Memphis (36-25) and No. 4 seed Austin Peay (39-20) in the Nashville Regional. The Commodores are 51-11 on the year after winning the Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. They have been on top of the national rankings for 14 of the last 15 weeks, including nine straight weeks heading into NCAA play. "College baseball thrives in the South, so we are excited to extend our collegiate baseball broadcast season with live coverage of the NCAA Regional from Nashville" said CSS GM Mark Fuhrman. The complete broadcast schedule for the Nashville Regional follows: Friday, June 1 Game 1 - Michigan vs. Memphis 3:00 p.m. ET Game 2 - Vanderbilt vs. Austin Peay 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday, June 2 Game 3: G1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser 3:00 p.m. ET Game 4: G1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner 8:00 p.m. ET Sunday, June 3 Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser 3:00 p.m. ET Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner 8:00 p.m. ET Monday, June 4 Game 7 If Necessary 7:00 p.m. ET CSS is a 24-hour regional sports network serving approximately 5.7 million cable subscribers across twelve southeastern states. Launched in 1999, the network is a partnership between Comcast Corporation and Charter Communications. CSS carries a full slate of college sports programming including over 50 live football games, 110 college football replay games, more than 200 men's and women's live college basketball games and 50 live baseball games, as well as a comprehensive mix of sports news and in-depth sports analysis geared toward fans in the Southeast. CSS is only available on cable.

Back

05/29/07		Limited Number of Reserved-Seating Tickets to NCAA Regional Available (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - The University of Memphis Athletic Department has obtained a limited number of all-session reserved seating tickets for the NCAA Baseball Regional in Nashville. The ticket location is on the first-base line and the cost is $60 per ticket. Fans wishing to purchase these tickets are asked to call the U of M Ticket office at 901-678-2331 or come by the office in person at 570 Normal between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Back

05/29/07		Some select company -- U of M ends long NCAA drought (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 29, 2007 Daron Schoenrock was attempting to answer questions from the media, but the cell phone he held in his left hand kept interrupting his train of thought. It seemed as if everyone Schoenrock has encountered during a lengthy career in college baseball wanted to congratulate him Monday on what became a memorable Memorial Day for Schoenrock and the University of Memphis baseball program. For the first time in 13 years, the Tigers (36-25) earned an invitation to the NCAA Regional Tournament, where they'll open play Friday at Vanderbilt against Michigan, the four-team region's No. 2 seed. Vanderbilt, the nation's top-ranked team and Southeastern Conference Tournament champion, plays No. 4 seed Austin Peay in the other opening-round game in the double-elimination format at Hawkins Field on the Vanderbilt campus. Memphis, 13-42 in Schoenrock's first season in 2005, played itself into the NCAA Regional by winning three games in the Conference USA Tournament last week, including an upset of Rice, the nation's second-ranked team, in the semifinals. ''This kind of step ... is huge,'' Schoenrock said. ''Now the goal is going to be to sustain it. ''But this is where it starts, getting to that first one. What this does now is that for the next three or four years I can walk into a team meeting and say 'This is how a regional team prepares.' I couldn't do that the last two years. If I said something to them about the regionals in the past it was like asking them to go on a spaceship to the moon.'' Schoenrock's senior-laden team, which includes an all-senior infield, finished the season in a tie for fourth in a strong C-USA. Its 2-1 win over Rice in the C-USA Tournament boosted its RPI to the low 50s and gave the team the final push it needed for inclusion in the regional. Michigan (39-16) was the Big Ten Conference's regular-season champion and led the league in hitting (.337), home runs (44) and runs scored (403). It will be third straight NCAA Regional appearance for the Wolverines. Memphis will be making the fifth regional appearance in the school's history. Besides 1994, the Tigers participated in the 1976, '78 and '81 regionals. ''It's just fabulous,'' Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson said Monday. ''It's a fantastic job by Daron and his staff. They've come a long way from where we were a few years ago. I can't give him or his staff enough credit.'' Schoenrock debated assembling his team at the UofM's Murphy Athletic Complex to watch the NCAA Regional selection show on ESPN Monday, but he forged ahead despite the possibility the Tigers might not be invited. ''I told my staff that when you come to a program you envision this type of gathering,'' Schoenrock said. ''You want this to happen every year. ''We were a little apprehensive about (having a watch party), but I got the staff together and said, win or lose, we're going to gather everybody and see what happens. This is a very mature team. I felt like they could handle a little bad news. If we had received bad news, I had some things prepared to make 'em feel good about (the season) they had.'' Schoenrock said several factors helped influence the NCAA selection committee's decision to invite the Tigers. Besides the win over Rice, he pointed to a playing an early-season three-game series at No. 6 Clemson (and winning the opener 6-4). ''It actually worked in our favor that Rice was in our (half of the) bracket in the (C-USA) tournament,'' Schoenrock said. ''We wouldn't have had a chance to play them until the championship game. Being in their bracket was huge.'' Memphis joins Rice, East Carolina and Southern Miss from C-USA in the regionals. Rice is one of 16 host schools. Southern Miss will play in Oxford, Miss., in the Ole Miss Regional. A new experience for the majority of the team, two Tigers -- third baseman Kyle Norrid and pitcher/outfielder Ben Grisham -- will enter having participated in the postseason before: Norrid with Tennessee, Grisham with Mississippi State. ''I was so glad for the coaches and all the players,'' Norrid said. ''We all put in a lot of hard work, especially the coaches, who have put in a lot of hard work to build this program back up. This is just a huge step. It gets us out there, it makes us more legitimate in a lot of people's eyes.'' Amar, who hit the game-winning homer against Rice and was C-USA's leading hitter in 2006, called Monday ''a big day for all the seniors; we didn't know if we were in or out.'' Schoenrock said he received calls Monday after the announcement from, among others: members of the Mississippi State staff, where Schoenrock served as an assistant to Ron Polk before taking the Memphis job; from Tiger basketball coach John Calipari and from former players on the 1994 NCAA Regional team. ''The other programs I was in there was big-time tradition,'' Schoenrock said. ''Georgia had won a national championship. Mississippi State had been to (the College World Series in) Omaha seven or eight times. This is a true rebuilding.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 More info: Nashville regional at Vanderbilt's Hawkins Field Friday's openers: (3) Memphis (36-25) vs. (2) Michigan (39-16), 2 p.m. (1) Vanderbilt (51-11) vs. (4) Austin Peay (39-20), 7 p.m. Losers play Saturday at 2 p.m., winners at 7 p.m. Tournament concludes Sunday or possibly Monday Tickets: Call the Vanderbilt ticket office at (615) 322-4653 or go to vucommodores.com. Regional ticket packages are available for $35 and $25. Single game walk-up for $12 may be available.

Back

05/28/07		Tigers baseball team earn NCAA Regional bid (Commercial Appeal)
		The University of Memphis baseball team is on the road to Omaha, home of the College World Series. The Tigers (36-25) learned they had earned their first NCAA Regional berth since 1994 when the pairings were announced this morning on ESPN. The U of M is seeded third in the Nashville Regional hosted by overall No. 1 seed Vanderbilt. The Tigers will face second-seeded Michigan (39-16), the Big Ten regular-season champion, on Friday at a time to be announced. The Southeastern Conference champion Commodores (51-11) will face fourth-seeded Austin Peay (39-20) in the other first-round game in the double-elimination regional that runs through Sunday. "Memphis went out and played people on the road, really good teams, and the committee rewarded them," selection committee chairman Larry Templeton, who’s also Mississippi State’s athletic director, said on ESPN after the pairings were announced. Ole Miss and Arkansas are also in the 64-team field and will host regionals on their campuses. Mississippi State is seeded second in the Tallahassee Regional, while "bubble" team Tennessee was denied a bid. Memphis likely earned its bid with a 2-1 victory over Rice, the tournament’s No. 2 overall seed, Saturday at the Conference USA Tournament in Greenville, N.C. That was the Tigers’ 36th victory of the season, one better than the 35 they thought it would take to earn an at-large bid. Tickets for the Nashville Regional at Hawkins Field are available by calling Vanderbilt at 615-322-4653 or going to vucommodores.com.

Back

05/28/07		NCAA Regional Ticket Information -- Memphis to face Michigan in Nashville on Friday (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, TENN. - Tickets for the NCAA Regional hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville are on sale through the Vanderbilt ticket office. To purchase tickets, fans are asked to call 615-322-GOLD (4653) or go online to www.vucommodores.com and click on "Purchase Regional Tickets - Ticket Info." From there, click on "NCAA Regional Package." Fans will then have the option to purchase regional ticket packages for rightfield/firstbase bleachers ($35 each) or leftfield bleachers ($25 each). Please be sure to note Vanderbilt's Will Call information. Single game walk-up tickets ($12 each) may also be available for Friday's game vs. Michigan. Future single game tickets will depend upon the opponent. Game times for Friday and Saturday are expected to be 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Memphis' game time will be announced when available. Saturday's game time will depend on Friday's results. NCAA Regionals are double-elimination.

Back

05/28/07		The Wait is Over: Memphis Selected as No. 3 Seed In Nashville Regional -- Tigers make first NCAA Regional appearance in 13 years, Face Michigan at 2 p.m. on Fri., June 1 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Thirteen years (to the day) after its last NCAA Regional victory in 1994, the 2007 Memphis Tiger baseball team ended the postseason drought when it was selected as the No. 3 seed in the Nashville Regional today. Memphis, who received an at-large bid after finishing the C-USA Tournament with a 36-25 mark, will take on No. 2 Michigan in the opening contest at 2 p.m. on Fri., June 1. No. 1 national seed Vanderbilt will host the Regional. The Commodores with face annual Tiger foe Austin Peay, who earned the No. 4 seed. The Tigers have been grouped with three conference champions as Vanderbilt (SEC) and Austin Peay (OVC) garnered both regular season and conference crowns. Michigan took home the Big Ten regular season title, but was bounced from the league's postseason tournament after two games. Memphis has never met Michigan on the baseball diamond, but has a history with both Vanderbilt and Austin Peay. The Tigers hold an 18-26 all-time record against the Commodores. However, the two schools have not met since 2001, when Vandy defeated Memphis 10-6 in Nashville. Between 1992 and 2001 the Tigers and Commodores battled it out every year except 1998. Austin Peay is the most familiar opponent for Memphis in the Regional tournament. The Tigers and Govs have met twice a year for each of the last five seasons. Memphis holds a 27-18 advantage in the all-time series and swept the home-and-home series this season, defeating the Governors 4-3 and 13-7 in consecutive nights. Memphis is 8-8 all-time in four post season appearances. The Tigers fell a game short of the Regional title game in 1994, and just innings shy of the College World Series in 1978. The then-Memphis State baseball team made the program's inaugural NCAA Regional showing in 1976. On this day 13 years ago, a talented Memphis club posted it last two post season victories. The U of M found itself in the elimination stage of the tournament. Staring at a matchup with the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Tigers erupted for nine runs in the seventh inning and Collins Day struck out seven to send Memphis to a 12-4 victory. Jeff Hopkin's crew then jumped out to a 5-0 lead and put things away with a six-run seventh to eliminate Northwestern State 14-9. Tickets for the NCAA Regional hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville are on sale through the Vanderbilt ticket office. To purchase tickets, fans are asked to call 615-322-GOLD (4653) or go online to www.vucommodores.com and click on "Purchase Regional Tickets - Ticket Info." From there, click on "NCAA Regional Package." Fans will then have the option to purchase regional ticket packages for rightfield/first base bleachers ($35 each) or leftfield bleachers ($25 each). Please be sure to note Vanderbilt's Will Call information. Single game walk-up tickets ($12 each) may also be available for Friday's game vs. Michigan. Future single game tickets will depend upon the opponent.

Back

05/27/07		Tigers make case in split with Rice -- Upset keeps U of M on course for NCAAs (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 27, 2007 There's not much more the University of Memphis baseball team can do to campaign for inclusion in the NCAA Tournament's 64-team field. The Tigers made their strongest case Saturday in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament in Greenville, N.C. The U of M upset Rice, the tournament's top seed and the nation's second-ranked team, 2-1. The Owls had won 20 straight, but the U of M snapped the streak behind timely hitting and effective pitching for the program's biggest victory since knocking off No. 1-ranked Florida State in 1991. Since Rice was unbeaten in the tournament, a second semifinal was played Saturday and the Owls won the rematch, 20-9, to eliminate Memphis and reach today's title game. The Tigers (36-25) had lost four straight games -- all by three or fewer runs -- to Rice in the previous week, including a 7-5 decision in a second-round C-USA Tournament game. But Bill Moss and Adam Amar hit back-to-back solo homers in the fourth, righthander Will Hudgens allowed only three hits in five solid innings and relievers Dusty Davis and Matt Yokley held the Owls scoreless over the final four innings. ''I think it helped that our guys had played 'em close the previous four games,'' third-year Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock said. ''No one was nervous with the (one-run) lead because we had played 'em so close. ''This was really, really big for our program. It's like (basketball coach) John (Calipari) beating Duke or (football coach) Tommy (West) beating Southern Cal.'' Schoenrock said he wasn't certain if the victory over Rice would ensure the team's first trip to the NCAA Regionals since 1994, but it should make Monday's NCAA Tournament selection show must-see TV for the U of M. ''I think that win has to be significant for us,'' Tiger athletic director R.C. Johnson said. ''I'm just so proud of what Daron has done.'' After the win over Rice, Johnson contacted Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton, the chairman of the NCAA baseball selection committee, to plead the U of M's case. ''They deserve to get a shot,'' Johnson said. Memphis, the league's No. 2 hitting team behind Rice, was limited to four hits, but two were the consecutive home runs off Owls starter Chris Kelley. Moss' home run was his 13th of the season, tying teammate Joey Lieberman for the C-USA lead. Amar's was his third of the tournament. ''It came down to two timely hits,'' Schoenrock said. ''And what a great job by our bullpen.'' After Hudgens, a quarterback for the Tiger football team, completed his five innings, lefthander Dusty Davis entered and retired the first seven before pinch-hitter Chad Lembeck singled. Aaron Luna followed with a double and Davis intentionally walked Joe Savery, the C-USA Player of the Year, to load the bases with one out in the eighth. Closer Matt Yokley replaced Davis and quickly ended the threat. He induced pinch-hitter J.P. Padron to hit a high-comebacker to the mound and got the force-out at home. Yokley then ended the inning by forcing a ground-out. In the ninth, Yokley escaped another jam. Tyler Henley led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, but he was stranded as Yokley got a line out to left and strikeout of Brian Friday to end the game. Yokley's effort earned him a school-record ninth save. ''He threw him a 3-2 slider,'' Schoenrock said. ''You don't see that pitch thrown too much on full counts.'' Hudgens (5-2) pitched the best game of his brief baseball career. He joined the team this season and became a member of the weekend rotation after completing spring football practice in early April. ''It was a huge game for us,'' Hudgens said. ''Coach told us to go out and pound the strike zone and make them beat us.'' Schoenrock called it ''an unbelievable baseball game.'' ''Will was not intimidated,'' Schoenrock said. ''He competed, and the first three innings he overmatched them. That was just a great effort to keep us in there.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

Back

05/27/07		Tiger recruits look even better -- Rose always solid, but Robinson improves (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact May 27, 2007 From the moment he arrived at the University of Memphis more than seven years ago, John Calipari has assembled one talented recruiting class after another. But here's a quirky fact: None of those classes has included two top-40 players who actually enrolled in school. That's about to change. When Rivals.com published its final player rankings for 2007, Memphis signee Jeff Robinson moved up to No. 36, giving the Tigers a second top-40 player to go alongside No. 3-ranked Derrick Rose. Though recruiting rankings are subjective, can vary wildly from one publication to the next and are not always an indicator of college basketball success, it's interesting to compare Robinson and Rose with the two highest ranked players in previous Memphis classes: In 2006, Rivals.com ranked Doneal Mack 47th and Willie Kemp 53rd. In 2005, Shawne Williams was 15th and Antonio Anderson was 56th. In 2004, Darius Washington was 23rd, and Joey Dorsey was just outside the top 150. In 2003, Memphis signed Kendrick Perkins (No. 6) and Sean Banks (No. 32), but Perkins went to the NBA Draft instead of college. Nobody else in that class was ranked in the top 150. Memphis signed Amare Stoudemire, the No. 1 player in the country, to headline the 2002 class. But the only ones who enrolled were a couple of sleepers named Jeremy Hunt and Rodney Carney. Calipari's first recruiting class made a big splash with Dajuan Wagner, but there were no other top-50-type players alongside him. While Rose has long been thought of among the four or five best players of his age group, Robinson wasn't viewed among the 2007 class elite until recently. In fact, the 6-5 New Jersey guard was a borderline top-100 prospect when Memphis recruited him last summer. Since then, his stock has soared. Jerry Meyer, the lead recruiting analyst for Rivals, said Robinson didn't always play as hard and as disciplined as he should have during the AAU season last year when the initial rankings took shape. But the work Robinson did during his senior season at St. Patrick's raised his profile immensely, and Meyer expects him to contribute right away at Memphis. "I got to see St. Patrick's play live a few times, and they were on TV against O.J. Mayo's team, and we noticed he really disciplined his game," Meyer said. "I thought he refined his shooting ability. I really think he can shoot the 3-ball, and he's starting posting up more, rebounding stronger, doing things that a college team is going to need him to do. "On top of that, he's a perfect fit for Memphis' style of play. He's sort of a mini-version of Carney. So we always knew Jeff had a big-time player inside of him, and I think it sort of blossomed during his high school season." Golf tourney The 2007 Larry Finch Benefit Golf Tournament will be held Friday at Galloway golf course. The entry fee is $125 per person and benefits the long-term illness fund formed by the Friends of Larry Finch Foundation. The public is invited to participate in the four-man scramble, as are corporations, which can buy sponsorships for $3,000, $2,000 or $1,000. More information can be obtained at coachfinch.org. The Web site details the immense financial needs incurred by the former Memphis player and coach, who lives in a long-term care facility while recovering from a stroke. TV talk Word out of the C-USA meetings last week was that its television package for men's basketball will once again include six games on ESPN and ESPN2 -- all of which will involve Memphis. Plus, Memphis will be on ESPN/ESPN2 for two games in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and against USC in the Jimmy V Classic. There's also a possibility the games at Ole Miss and Cincinnati could be picked up by ESPN or ESPN 2 as part of the SEC or Big East television package, respectively. Speaking of ESPN exposure, that's the main reason Memphis-USC is a one-year, neutral site deal as opposed to a multi-year, home-and-home series. Fox Sports Net has the television rights to Pac 10 basketball, which offers far less exposure than an ESPN game. Last season, Memphis made a long, expensive cross-country trip to play Arizona in a weeknight game that got relatively little national TV coverage. Don't expect that to happen again. The schedule slots occupied by USC and Arizona will be replaced by marquee non-conference series in 2008-09. It's unlikely, however, that a Pac 10 team will be part of the equation. Camping with Cal Slots are still available 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 for $225. More information and registration can be obtained at coachcalipari.com or by calling 678-2346. To reach reporter Dan Wolken, call 529-2365; e-mail: wolken@commercialappeal.com

Back

05/27/07		Henry is new point of U of M focus -- Wirh Rose on way, Oklahoma City guard draws interest for next year (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact May 27, 2007 NASHVILLE -- Though Xavier Henry's visit to the University of Memphis last October was not completely overlooked, it was understandably overshadowed. As Henry, then a high school sophomore, watched Memphis Madness seven months ago with a large group of Tiger recruits, all eyes inside FedExForum were focused on Derrick Rose sitting just a few seats away. Though Rose was the more immediate object of Memphis' efforts on that Friday the 13th, there was an underlying hope that lightning might indeed strike twice. A few weeks later, Rose's scholarship papers were signed and sealed. Are Henry's next? "It was a fun night," Henry said Saturday after leading his Athletes First AAU team to victory over the Tennessee Travelers in the Nike Memorial Day Classic at Ensworth High School. "It was exciting throughout the whole thing." Like Rose, whom John Calipari recruited as intensely and personally as any player he's ever tried to sign, Henry is considered a "program changer." And like Rose, Calipari will have to go up against most of the country's elite programs to get the 6-6 guard from Oklahoma City ranked No. 2 by Rivals.com in the class of 2009. "I'll take a trip to Memphis again and Texas and definitely Ohio State and Louisville," Henry said. And that list doesn't even take into account North Carolina and Kansas, the latter of which has strong connections to Henry's family. His brother, C.J., committed to play basketball at Kansas before pursuing a professional baseball career instead. His father, Carl Henry, played for the Jayhawks. And his mother, Barbara, played in Lawrence. But Kansas' advantage is also Memphis' advantage: While at Kansas, Carl Henry played under a young assistant coach named John Calipari. "I think that's a good thing," Carl Henry said. "He's a good coach. I understand him, and he likes the way my son plays. To me, (Memphis) is just like Kansas. (Calipari) was there, and he would do the same things Bill Self could do for my son." Which, of course, is to get Xavier Henry to the NBA as quick as possible. Because even though he still has two more years of high school, Henry already projects as a future pro with a world-class lefty jumper to match size and strength in the mold of current Memphis guard Antonio Anderson. "He got that from me," Carl Henry said, laughing. "It's kind of scary. He was doing this last year, but it's real scary this year because he's stronger, and he can exploit it." Saturday, for instance, Xavier Henry immediately dominated on both ends of the court, blocking a layup on the game's first possession and then draining a 3-pointer seconds later. From there, he continued to show his array of skills, slashing for dunks, posting up for easy baskets and drawing fouls off the dribble. As the summer AAU circuit progresses this summer, Henry -- who said he uses the Spanish pronunciation ZAV-ee-yay for his first name -- said he is determined to justify the national hype building around him. "I pay attention to it, I won't lie," Henry said. "But I like to make sure, when people say I can do something, I want to make sure I can do it. ... I've developed more with my ballhandling skills and knowing what shots to take, and I added a couple shots into my repertoire." Whether Memphis will be the beneficiary of that repertoire is a decision Henry said he'll make next summer at the earliest. Though he encounters plenty of people who assume he's going to Kansas, Henry said his decision will come down to relationships. "My family has been a Kansas-playing family," Henry said. "Everybody went there, but I'm pretty open about it. I like knowing my teammates and knowing the coaches and having a great relationship with everybody so I know what I'm getting into." -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

Back

05/27/07		Tiger Notes: Football, Golf (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 27, 2007 Stricken fullback Jones 'encouraged' by progress University of Memphis fullback Stacy Jones, who was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in early February, is moving closer to recovery. "Right now, he is excited about having 98 percent of the tumor gone," said Pamela Jones, Stacy's mom. Stacy, 20, began treatments shortly after the diagnosis. He started six weeks of radiation treatments Wednesday and has eight chemotherapy treatments remaining. His chemotherapy could last until the end of the year. "All is well, and he is encouraged," Pamela said. "When he showed up with the cancer, there was only a 20 percent chance of survival. Now it's 98 percent gone." Stacy was diagnosed with desmoplastic small round cell tumor -- a rare, aggressive tumor that predominantly affects males in the second decade of life -- Feb. 9. He first noticed a small lump on his neck before Christmas and eventually experienced weakness in his left arm during offseason football workouts in the weight room. Overall survival rates for the tumor are less than 20 percent, but the location of Stacy's tumor -- in his neck -- was considered an omen. Most desmoplastic small round cell tumors are found in the abdomen. A redshirt in 2005, Stacy will be a sophomore this fall, but isn't expected to play while his rehabilitation continues. Pam said Stacy intends to be at the UofM's Sept. 1 opener against Ole Miss at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. "That is his gameplan," she said. Between chemotherapy treatments, Stacy has tried to do what he can to stay in shape, from watching his diet to power walking and carrying a 5-pound weight with his left arm. "There was a time when he couldn't carry a book in that arm," she said. The biggest battle now is getting through the mental aspect of the lengthy recovery. Pam said Stacy has been appreciative of the cards and letters he has received since his condition became public, and the warm get-well wishes have helped him through some difficult times. "I want to let everyone know," she said. "It is those letters and cards that have pushed him through the pain." Ex-Lady Tiger on a roll Former U of M women's golfer Stacey Tate, who finished her Lady Tiger career earlier this month at the NCAA West Regional, has begun post-college competition on an impressive roll. Tate won a women's U.S. Open local qualifier in Camby, Ind., Monday to advance to the 36-hole sectional qualifier June 11-12 in Houston. Tate shot an even-par 72 at the local qualifier. In Houston, she'll attempt to qualify for the 2007 U.S. Women's Open June 28-July 1 at the Lodge and Golf Club at Southern Pines in North Carolina. Two days later, she shot a 71 in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship Sectional Qualifier in Louisville. She finished one stroke behind Ashlee Rose, but qualified for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links June 18-23 in Lexington, Ky. Lady Tiger coach Jenny Bruun served as Tate's caddy at both events and trying to arrange her schedule so she can be on the bag for Tate at the U.S. Open sectional qualifer. ''It has been a great week for her,'' Bruun said. ''I was able to caddy for her. She asked me to carry her bag it worked out great. She didn't play her best, but she scored well.'' Bruun said the hectic pace earlier this week gave Tate ''a taste of what it will be like when she turns pro later this summer.'' ''She is good enough to (play professionally),'' Bruun said. A first-team all-Conference USA performer, Tate helped the Lady Tigers to their first league championship since 2001. Tate, 22, of Auckland, New Zealand, helped the Lady Tigers to the C-USA title by shooting a 4-under 68 on the final day. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

Back

05/26/07		Two to Represent Tigers at NCAA Championships -- Memphis fails to add qualifiers on day two of regional (GoTigersGo.com)
		COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Memphis track team was unable to add to its total of number of NCAA Championship qualifiers on day two of the Mideast Regional. Women's shot putter Gail Lee and men's hammer throw competitor Steffen Nerdal, who each qualified Friday, will be the Tigers two representatives at the championship meet. A bright spot for the Tigers Saturday was the performance of thrower Glen Edwards, who broke his season-best in the shot put with a mark of 56-01.25. The Baltimore native finished 14th in the event. Men's javelin thrower Christian McDonald had previously thrown a school record 213-00 this year, but the transfer from Hutchison Community College was able to reach only reach 184-09 on Friday, giving him a 19th-place finish. Senior Brandon Winbush's career came to an end as he was unable to make the top-five in his event for a second straight day. The Bartlett native finished 22nd in the long jump Friday and took 15th in the triple jump Saturday. Lee and Nerdal will compete in the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, Calif. on June 6-7.

Back

05/26/07		Tiger Baseball's Tournament Run Ends in 20-9 Loss to Rice -- Memphis now awaits possible NCAA Regional bid (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - Rice (48-12) 312 106 007 - 20 20 1 Memphis (36-25) 200 013 120 - 9 17 1 Just hours after knocking off the top-seeded Rice Owls, Memphis pounded out 17 hits, including Bill Moss' league-leading 14th home run. But an inexperienced and depleted pitching staff was unable to hold off Rice's strong offense as the Owls scored 20 runs and totaled 20 hits en route to eliminating the Tigers, 20-9, in the second semifinal game of the 2007 C-USA Baseball Championship at Clark-LeClair Stadium on the campus of East Carolina University. With the win, the Owls advance to face host and second-seeded East Carolina for the C-USA Championship on Sunday. Rice (48-12) jumped ahead early scoring three runs in the top of first. Chad Lembeck walked with one out and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jess Buenger was also walked and both runners scored on Aaron Luna's triple to right field for the early 2-0 lead. Starter Neil Schenk then tossed another wild pitch to score Luna. Memphis (36-25) answered right back, to cut the lead to one, 3-2 after one inning. Michael Murray doubled to right field with one out and then Bill Moss walked. Murray then went to third on a fielders choice and later scored on Kyle Norrid's single. Josh Irvin was next up and doubled home Norrid for the second score in the frame. The Owls then pulled away scoring 10 runs in innings two through six to build 13-3 lead. In that stretch the Owls banged out 11 hits and hit two home runs, one being a grand slam by Luna. Facing the threat of a run-rule loss, the Tigers rallied for three in the bottom of the sixth and then added one in the seventh and two in the eighth to cut the Rice lead to 13-9. Rice squashed any hope of a Tiger comeback in the ninth, scoring seven runs in the top of the frame, two of them coming on Buenger's second home run of the game. Buenger finished the afternoon 3-for-4 with two home runs, four RBI and five runs scored, which matched the championship record. Luna led all players with seven RBI, which also tied a championship record and hit 4-for-6. The sophomore also had two long balls. Tyler Henley also had a strong afternoon, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. The 29 runs scored tied the championship record for combined runs in a game. Houston and Charlotte set the record in the 1997 championship game, when the Cougars won, 22-7. C-USA Player of the Year Joe Savery was credited with the win for the Owls, improving to 9-1 on the season. Savery went 5.2 innings, scattering nine hits and striking out three. Neil Schenk took the loss, lasting only 2.2 innings, while giving up six runs and six hits. The Tigers used six pitchers in the contest.

Back

05/26/07		Back-to-Back Blasts Push Memphis Past No. 2 Rice 2-1 -- Matt Yokley earns record-setting ninth save of the year (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 5 Memphis (36-24) 000 200 000 - 2 4 0 No. 1 Rice (47-12) 000 010 000 - 1 6 0 Memphis managed just four hits in the game, but fortunately for the Tigers those two base knocks were back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches by Bill Moss and Adam Amar in the fourth inning. Reliever Matt Yokley then worked out a jam in the eighth and retired the side in the ninth to earn his single-season record ninth save of the year to lead Memphis to a 2-1 win over top-seed and No. 2 nationally ranked Rice in the first semifinal contest on day four of the Conference USA Championship. The win is the first against Rice for Memphis, and snaps an eight-game losing skid to the Owls. In a pitcher's dual, the Tigers were no-hit by Owl starter Chris Kelley through three innings before Moss belted a no-doubter over the leftfield wall to give Memphis a 1-0 lead. Moss 13th round-tripper of his senior campaign ties him for the league lead with teammate Joey Lieberman. Amar grabbed a hold on the momentum and cranked the next pitch just over the right centerfield for a two-run lead. Starter Will Hudgens (5-2) cruised through five innings and kept Rice from producing the clutch hit. Hudgens avoided danger and held the Owls to just three hits and struck out a pair before handing the ball to Dusty Davis. Hudgens' lone run came on a sac fly by Jared Gayhart in the fifth inning. Davis retired the first seven batters he faced before giving up a single to pinch hitter Chad Lembeck. Aaron Luna followed Lembeck with a double to the leftfield corner and it looked as if the Owls were poised to start a rally. Davis intentionally walked C-USA Player of the Year Joe Savery to set up a possible inning-ending double play. With the bases loaded Yokley induced a fielder's choice ground ball by pinch hitter J.P. Padron and a ground out to work out of the jam. Tyler Henley led off the bottom of the ninth with a single and was moved to second on a sac bunt. Yokley again came through, getting Jordan Dodson to line out to Tyler Huelsing in leftfield before ending the contest with a strikeout. His ninth save of the year passes the eight save captured by Chad Harville in 1996 and Jeff Ince in 1994. Kelley was tagged with the loss despite a strong effort. The loss snapped a C-USA record 20-game winning streak by the Owls. The junior worked seven frames, allowed four hits and fanned eight. Bobby Bramhall worked two scoreless innings. Memphis will now take on Rice for the sixth time in nine days at 4 p.m.

Back

05/26/07		Tigers make run for NCAA bid with another shot at Rice -- Grisham's complete game finishes Central Florida (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 26, 2007 The University of Memphis baseball team, vying to earn a spot in the NCAA Regionals for the first time in 13 years, will have another opportunity to convince the NCAA selection committee of its worthiness. Will the fifth time be the charm? Today at 8 a.m. (CDT) in the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament at Greenville, N.C., Memphis (35-24) will battle Rice, the nation's second-ranked team, for the fifth time in a week. A victory over the Owls, 47-11 overall and winners of 20 straight, might be enough to clinch an invitation when the 64-team field is announced Monday. The UofM has lost four straight to Rice, three games by two runs, including a 7-5 loss in a second-round tournament game Thursday. If the Tigers lose, they'll have to put their hopes in C-USA's recent history. At least four teams have played in the NCAA Regionals each of the past six seasons. Of the three league teams (Memphis, Houston and UAB) that ended the regular season in a fourth-place tie, only Memphis reached the semifinals. "A win (today) and we'd feel really good about our chances,'' Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock said. ''Thirty-five wins is great, but 36 would be better. With 36 wins, we'd be making the (NCAA) committee think.'' If the Tigers upend Rice, an elimination game between the two schools would follow at 3 p.m. The C-USA championship game is set for Sunday at noon. No. 2 seed and host East Carolina (38-20) is unbeaten in the other half of the bracket. The Tigers advanced Friday by beating Central Florida, 12-6, in an elimination game. The UofM got a complete-game performance from right-hander Ben Grisham, who scattered 11 hits and struck out five. Adam Amar and Josh Irvin led the Tigers' 13-hit attack as each player went 2-for-5 with three runs batted in. The Tigers, who scored five runs in the first and four in the second, are averaging nearly 10 runs a game during the tournament. ''Our offense is carrying us right now,'' Schoenrock said. Grisham (4-3) had a 9-0 lead after two innings and led 11-3 after five. He was aided by two double plays, including one that ended the game. ''I really felt good about the game (after getting the big early lead with Grisham pitching) because Ben is such a warrior,'' Schoenrock said. ''He only walked one guy. ''But that was typical of how this team wins. It's not real pretty, but we swung the bats well. It was a good offensive day.'' Grisham's complete game was the second for the UofM pitching staff in the tournament. Redshirt freshman Brennon Martin had a complete-game victory in the opener against Houston. ''I just wanted to go out there and pound the strike zone and let the defense work for me,'' Grisham said. ''We've got a lot of seniors on this team. We don't want to quit playing yet.'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

Back

05/25/07		Track Duo Earns NCAA Championship Bids on Day One of Mideast Regional -- Lee wins first ever regional title in women's shot put (GoTigersGo.com)
		COLUMBIA, Mo. - A pair of Memphis track and field athletes earned their spots in the NCAA Championships Friday during the first day of competition at the NCAA Mideast Regional as senior Gail Lee won the women's shot put and freshman Steffen Nerdal turned in a fourth-place performance in the men's hammer throw. "Both Steffen and Gail had a great day," Memphis head coach Kevin Robinson said. "Gail did what Gail does. When it's time to compete she steps up. This is only the second regional champion we've ever had and the first ever on women's side." Lee recorded a distance of 53-01.75 in the shot to earn the victory over Missouri's Krishna Lee. The win gives the two-time All-American the first regional crown of her career and her fourth trip to the NCAA Championships, tying her with former men's distance runner Paul Bannon for the most appearances in school history. The Fort Worth, Texas native never failed to reach the NCAA Championships in either of her indoor and outdoor seasons with the Tigers. Nerdal, who came to Memphis in January, surpassed his collegiate best and school record with a mark of 211-10 in the hammer. The Norwegian is the first men's athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships since Gaute Myklebust and Mate Nemeth in 2004. High jumper Chen Edri scored for the Lady Tigers in the high jump, tying for eight-place with a clearance of 5-07.25. Larry Harris narrowly missed qualifying for the finals of the men's 400-meter hurdles, finishing just three spots away from competing Saturday and clocking a time of 52.35 Several Tiger athletes are set to compete Saturday as eighth-seeded Christian McDonald will compete in the javelin and Brandon Winbush will make his first regional appearance in the triple jump.

Back

05/25/07		35 and Still Alive: Baseball Advances Past UCF, 12-6 -- Tigers reach C-USA semifinals for second straight season (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 8 UCF (27-32) 000 300 201 - 6 11 4 No. 5 Memphis (35-24) 540 020 10x - 12 13 2 For the second consecutive game, Memphis jumped got out of the gates with five runs in the opening frame. However, this time the Tigers were able to expand the lead, and behind a complete-game from pitcher Ben Grisham, advance to the Conference USA Championship semifinal round for the second consecutive season with a 12-6 triumph over UCF. The Tigers' 35th win of the year marks the most wins in a season since the 1994 squad finished with a school-record 52 victories. Memphis jumped on UCF starter Kyle Sweat from its first batter. K.K. Chalmers belted a double to the left centerfield gap, Michael Murray singled and Bill Moss drew a walk to load the bases. Adam Amar put the Tigers on the board with an RBI-single--the first of three on the afternoon for the senior. Josh Irvin made it 3-0 with a two-run double and Joey Lieberman smacked a two-run blast over the leftfield wall to cap the inning. Lieberman's homer was his 13th of the year and 26th of his career at Memphis. A four-run second put the game away and gave Memphis a comfortable 9-0 advantage. A two-run single by Amar, followed by back-to-back doubles from Josh Irvin and Kyle Norrid fueled the four-run inning. Grisham cruised through three scoreless innings of work, before UCF struck for three runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 9-3. UCF (27-32) cut into the Tiger lead with three runs of its own in the fourth. Kiko Vazquez led off the inning with a single through the left side and then advanced to second on another throwing error by Michael Murray. Ryan Richardson was safe at first on the play. Both runners then advanced a base on a passed ball. Eric Kallstrom was up next and singled up the middle to score both Richardson and Vazquez. Dwayne Bailey then tripled down the right field line to score Kallstrom and make the score 9-3. A two-run single by Murray in the fifth and a run-scoring single from Chalmers made it 11-5. The Knights crossed a run in the ninth for the 12-6 final. Seven Tigers posted multiple hits, led by Amar's and Irvin's 2-for-5 afternoons. Amar scored two runs, while Irvin scored once. They both drove in three runs. Chalmers, Murray, Moss, Norrid and Tyler Huelsing all had two hits. Chalmers, Moss and Huelsing each scored twice. Grisham struck out five to lead Memphis to win No. 35. UCF starter Kyle Sweat was saddled with the loss, only lasting one inning, while giving up five runs on four hits with two walks. Austin Hudson pitched the majority of the game for the Knights, lasting five innings. He gave up three runs on six hits and tallied two strikeouts. Memphis and Rice will battle at 9 a.m. Saturday morning. If the Tigers down the Owls, an elimination game will be needed at 4 p.m. If the Owls are victorious, they will advance to their second straight C-USA Championship game on Sunday.

Back

05/25/07		Rice rally frustrates Tigers -- Rice 7, Memphis 5 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 25, 2007 The nation's No. 2 baseball team doesn't take kindly to being upstaged. Nationally ranked Rice, the top seed in the Conference USA Tournament, fell behind by three runs in the first inning, but rallied to defeat the University of Memphis, 7-5, Wednesday at Greenville, N.C., to advance in the winner's bracket. Rice, which has won 20 straight, will have today off. Memphis (34-24) will drop into the loser's bracket and play Central Florida (27-31) in an elimination game at 3 p.m. today. The Memphis-UCF winner will advance to play Rice (47-11) Saturday. The Tigers allowed a two-out, two-run homer to Joe Slavery in the first, but recovered to score five times in the bottom of the inning. Michael Murray and Kyle Norrid had run-scoring singles, Josh Irvin a sacrifice fly and Tyler Huelsing a two-run double to give the UofM a 5-2 lead. Memphis knocked out Rice starter Ryne Tacker in the five-run first inning, but it was all the offense the Tigers would muster. Matt Langwell, who relieved Tacker, stopped the Tigers cold. Langwell, the conference's earned-run average leader (2.15), held the UofM scoreless over the next 71/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out nine. "We jumped on their starter, but their bullpen guy was really good," said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock. "He commanded the outer half of the plate and we didn't make a lot of adjustments as hitters. "He was really hitting his spots. He was really on top of his game. We couldn't mount anything against him." While the Tigers were having trouble putting together hits against Langwell, the Owls were gradually rallying. Rice scored two in the second -- a two-out, two-run single following a balk by starter Scott McGregor -- and another in fifth to tie the game at 5-all. Aaron Luna scored for the Owls on a two-out throwing error by Murray after advancing to second on a balk. Rice got the game-winning run in the eighth on a run-scoring single by Danny Lehmann. In addition to the balks, Memphis committed four errors. "We gave away too many things," Schoenrock said. "We kind of played outside of ourselves defensively. We threw to the wrong base a few times and we balked a few times. We gave away some freebies and they capitalized. "The errors didn't help. They tied the game on an error. But that's the way Rice wins. They don't make mistakes and they keep playing. Our team feels like they gave one away." It was the Tigers' third two-run loss in four games to the Owls. Memphis lost three straight to Rice (by a total of seven runs) to end the regular season. Rice finished with 12 hits. Reliever Dusty Davis (7-3) took the loss for the UofM. "We're playing for a chance to get back to Rice," Schoenrock said. "That's got to be our mindset." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Tigers in C-USA baseball tournament At Greenville, N.C. Today's game: No. 5 Memphis (34-24) vs. No. 8 UCF (27-31), 2 p.m. CDT Radio: WUMR-FM (91.7)

Back

05/24/07		Early Lead Not Enough as Memphis Falls to Rice, 7-5 -- Tigers score five in the first, but Owls soar back as Memphis falls into C-USA Tourney Loser's Bracket (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 1 Rice (47-11) 220 010 020 - 7 12 1 No. 5 Memphis (28-27) 500 000 000 - 5 7 4 If first impressions counted, the University of Memphis baseball team would have cake-walked through its game against regular-season champion Rice Thursday evening in day two of the Conference USA Tournament at Clark-LeClair Stadium. The loss was the eighth consecutive setback against the Owls and the fourth in a week's span. Unfortunately, one big-inning does not a victory make as the Tigers dropped a 7-5 decision to the Owls to fall into the loser's bracket. Trailing 2-0 after a half inning of play, Memphis hammered C-USA Pitcher of the Year Ryne Tacker for five runs on four hits in the home half of the first inning. Following a two-RBI double off the bat of left fielder Tyler Huelsing off of Rice reliever Matt Langwell, however, the Owls allowed just a pair of hits the rest of the way. Rice chipped away at the 5-2 first-inning deficit with a pair of runs in the second and one in the fourth to tie things up. With the score knotted at 5-all after seven, Owls got an RBI-single from Danny Lehman and then took advantage of a pair of Tiger miscues to go ahead 7-5 in the eighth. After coming on in relief of starter Scott McGregor, Dusty Davis was tagged with the tough loss despite giving up just three hits. Langwell (6-1) mowed the Tigers down through 7.1 innings, striking out nine--five of which were looking. Cole St. Clair closed the door in a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save of the year. Memphis will take on the eighth-seed UCF Knights tomorrow at 3 p.m. in one of two elimination contests.

Back

05/24/07		Tate Wins U.S. Women's Open Qualifier -- Finishes Second in U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Sectional (GoTigersGo.com)
		CAMBY, Ind. - - Former Lady Tiger golfer Stacey Tate won a local Women's US Open Qualifier at Heartland Crossing Golf Links in Camby, Ind., Monday. Tate was the only player to fire an even par 72 to earn the win and to advance to the 36-hole sectional qualifier, June 11-12, in Houston. Tate is trying to qualify for the 2007 U.S. Women's Open, which will be held June 28th-July 1st at the Lodge and Golf Club at Southern Pines in North Carolina. The regional qualifying win marked the beginning of a busy golf schedule for Tate, who finished two days later in the 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship Sectional Qualifier in Louisville, Ky. Tate carded a 71 in the 18-hole event, finishing one stroke behind Ashlee Rose's 70. The 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links Competition will be held June 18-23rd at the Kearney Hills Golf Links in Lexington, Ky. Tate recently finished her college career by finishing tied for 34th place in the NCAA West Regional after helping her Lady Tiger team to its first Conference USA Championship since 2001. Tate was a first-team All-Conference USA honoree and was one of just two C-USA golfers to break par in the 2007 league championships.

Back

05/24/07		Martin's nine-hitter helps U of M advance (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 24, 2007 University of Memphis baseball coach Daron Schoenrock was looking for five solid innings from freshman left-hander Brennon Martin in the opening game of the Conference USA Tournament Wednesday at Green- ville, N.C. What Schoenrock got was, well, beyond his expectations. Martin, a Harding Academy product, pitched a complete game, scattering nine hits in his first career start against a C-USA opponent. Backed by a 19-hit attack that included four home runs, Martin (4-1) helped the fifth-seeded Tigers to a 12-4 victory over fourth-seeded Houston. Deftly mixing three pitches -- fastball, curve and changeup -- Martin retired 12 straight Cougars during one stretch from the fourth to the eighth innings as the Tigers gradually extended their lead. ''He is a soft-contact pitcher with a good breaking ball and changeup,'' Schoenrock said. ''He doesn't get a lot of strikeouts, but he throws enough fastballs to keep (opponents) honest. He got a lot of ground balls, and we made the plays behind him.'' Memphis (34-23) advanced in the winner's bracket, where it will play No. 1 seed Rice, the nation's second-ranked team, today at 3 p.m. Rice swept the Tigers last week in the teams' final regular-season C-USA series, but none of the games was a lopsided Owl victory. In Wednesday's win over Houston (28-27), first baseman Adam Amar hit two home runs: a two-run shot off the rightfield foul pole in the first and a solo shot to center in the sixth. Outfielder Josh Irvin (a three-run homer in the third) and infielder Michael Murray (a solo homer in the sixth) also hit balls out of Clark-LeClair Stadium on the East Carolina campus. The Tigers, attempting to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years, benefited from several outstanding defensive plays, too. Center fielder K.K. Chalmers made a leaping catch to rob Houston's Ryan Lormand of a second homer in the eighth. Third baseman Kyle Norrid added two stellar plays, and Amar had a diving stop. Amar finished with three hits and five runs batted in. Irvin went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs. Chalmers finished with three hits. Martin's performance allowed the Tigers to rest their bullpen, which likely will be called upon in the tournament that runs through Sunday. Right-hander Scott McGregor is scheduled to start today's game against Rice, which won its opening game, 16-6, over UCF behind a 21-hit effort. Schoenrock compared Martin's outing Wednesday to a mid-season relief performance against nationally ranked Mississippi State, a game in which Martin threw four scoreless innings and kept the Bulldogs off-balance. Being staked to a big lead early -- the Tigers led 6-2 after four innings and 10-2 after six -- helped calm Martin. At that point, Martin said, he concentrated on ''trying to throw first-pitch strikes and keep it in the zone.'' Schoenrock said ''scoring first was huge'' for Martin's confidence. If the Tigers are able to upset Rice -- winner of 19 straight -- in today's winner's bracket game, they'll earn Friday off and gain considerable momentum toward a postseason at-large berth. If the UofM loses, it will play Friday at 2 p.m. against the Houston/UCF winner. ''It's a good position to be in,'' Schoenrock said. ''You never can predict the outcome of a game, but I think our guys will be anxious to play. They're now two wins away from being in a great position (for at-large consideration).'' -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Tigers in C-USA baseball tournament At Greenville, N.C. Today's second-round game Matchup: No. 5 Memphis (34-23) vs. No. 1 Rice (46-11), 3 p.m. Radio: WUMR-FM (91.7)

Back

05/24/07		U of M track program hits stride (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 24, 2007 Glance at the resumes, and the resulting success is understandable. The University of Memphis will be represented by a school-record 13 athletes (participating in 18 events) in the NCAA Mideast Track & Field Regional Championships, which begin Friday in Columbia, Mo. The impact of sprints coach Nic Fortenberry and distance coach Mike Power won't lag far behind. Fortenberry, in his first year as an assistant, was a member of the nationally regarded LSU track team in the mid-1990s. Power, also in his first year as an assistant, was a nine-time All-American at the University of Arkansas in the late 1990s and participated in the 2000 Olympics for Australia in the 5,000 meters. First-year Tiger coach Kevin Robinson said he pursued Fortenberry, an assistant at Houston High from 2000-05, because of his ''hard-nosed reputation.'' Robinson stayed in touch with Power for more than two years, aware there might be some ''changes on the horizon'' at the UofM, where Robinson was an assistant to longtime coach Glenn Hays. When Hays retired in 2006 after a 35-year career, Robinson was named coach and he quickly contacted Power to offer him a job as an assistant. ''He and I are so alike in terms of our goals and athletic backgrounds and academic backgrounds,'' Robinson said. ''We see things the same way.' ''And he has so much knowledge athletically and academically. It's hard to beat. And he relates well to the athletes. He can tell them why they're feeling what they're feeling.'' Two of Power's distance runners -- Tina Sherratt and Emily Malinowski -- qualified for the Mideast Regional. Sherratt, a freshman from Australia, will participate in the 1,500 meters and Malinowski, a sophomore from Albany, N.Y., will compete in the 3,000 Steeplechase and the 5,000. ''I think Emily is a primary example of Mike's influence,'' Robinson said. ''She has qualified for two events and broken a school record.'' As for Sherratt, Robinson said the talented teenager -- she recently turned 18 -- was attracted to Memphis because of Power's background and name-recognition in Australia. ''She comes in as the best we've ever had,'' Robinson said. ''She shattered our school record (in the 1,500 meters). Mike is very well-known, and very well-respected, in his country.'' Power was a five-time Southeastern Conference champion at Arkansas. He won back-to-back SEC cross country titles in 1998 and '99 and finished second in the NCAA cross country championships in 1999. ''I've been lucky with what I've accomplished, but I'd love to see and help others do that as well,'' he said. ''I've always wanted to get into coaching, it was just a matter of where and when I would do it. ''In 2005, I sat down and said to myself I'm 29 years old and there's still a chance I could do something in athletics personally, but I wanted to start my career as a coach.'' Power said he began investigating opportunities and discovered a common bond with Robinson at the UofM. ''We work well together,'' Power said. ''We know where we want to go. We've both had some personal success in the past, but now we are really focused on getting our team up there. I think this is a school that can improve dramatically in the next few years.'' While appreciative of Power's and Fortenberry's influence, Robinson, the UofM's career record holder in the shot put, has contributed to the team's success, too. He helped develop thrower Gail Lee into an All-American. She has qualified for three events -- hammer throw, discus and shot put -- in the Mideast Regionals. Lee ranks second in the region in the shot put with a toss of 54 feet. Fortenberry's standout pupils include Bartlett High product Brandon Winbush (long jump, triple jump), Willie Green (100 meters), Larry Harris (400-meter hurdles) and Stephon Greenlee (400-meter hurdles). Harris, injury free after battling hamstring problems his sophomore and junior seasons, said Fortenberry has had an impact. ''It was more structured this year,'' Harris said. ''We had specific warmups and workouts. It's all planned out. It's very detailed. I like that.'' Winbush, who ranks 10th in the region in the long jump, said Fortenberry began working with the jumpers in the fall shortly after jumps coach Lisa-Marie Hyman left. ''He's helped me technique-wise,'' Winbush said. ''That's the main thing.'' Fortenberry said the coaches didn't place any leadership responsibilities on the athletes. They only asked for consistent effort. ''The thing is, they've had the talent here, they just needed to be put in the right direction,'' Fortenberry said. ''They needed to have some structure and to be healthy at the right time of year. So far, they've all been healthy when it counted.'' As it did earlier this month when Memphis won its first Conference USA Track & Field title. ''Again, it gets back to the environment we feel like we've provided here to give them structure and to be consistent,'' Fortenberry said. ''It kind of came into play (at the C-USA championships). It was same across the board for all of our kids. We only had one kid who didn't score at the conference (championship) and he was hurt.'' NCAA TRACK & FIELD MIDEAST REGIONAL Memphis qualifiers Men Willie Green, 100 meters Amaechi Oselukwue, 110 hurdles Larry Harris, 400 hurdles Stephon Greenlee, 400 hurdles Brandon Winbush, long jump, triple jump Steffen Nerdal, hammer, discus Norbert Gulyas, discus Glen Edwards, shot put Christian McDonald, javelin Women Tina Sherratt, 1,500 Emily Malinowski, 3,000 steeplechase, 5,000 Chen Edri, high jump Gail Lee, hammer, discus, shot put

Back

05/23/07		Longball Powers No. 5 Baseball past No. 4 Houston, 12-4 -- Tigers set to take on No. 1 Rice/No. 8 UCF winner at 4 p.m. on Thursday (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - No. 5 Memphis (34-23) 203 113 101 - 12 19 0 No. 4 Houston (28-27) 002 000 011 - 4 9 0 Senior Adam Amar led a 19-hit, four home run offensive attack, with a pair of round-trippers, and redshirt freshman Brennon Martin scattered nine hit en route to his first career complete game, as No. 5 Memphis opened the 2007 C-USA Championship with a 12-4 triumph over No. 4 Houston on Wednesday morning. The Tigers will now meet the winner of the No. 1 Rice/No. 8 UCF contest on Thursday at 4 p.m. All nine Memphis starters hit safely as the U of M banged out a season-high tying 19 hits in the tilt. That output matches the 19 hits produced in the Tigers' 16-10 win over the Cougs in Memphis on May 12. Memphis crossed runs in every inning except the second and eighth. The 12 runs marked the most runs scored in an opening game of a C-USA Tournament, surpassing the 11 runs put up by UAB against Tulane in 2000. In a game that featured six home runs, Amar and the Tigers hit four. The senior first baseman got Memphis on the board in the opening inning of action with a two-run line drive into the rightfield foul pole. It did not take Memphis long to gain full control of the contest, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the third. Bill Moss, who went 2-for-5 on the morning, led off the frame with an infield single and Kyle Norrid reached on a one-out walk. Josh Irvin provided the crushing blow for Memphis and chased Houston starter Aaron Brown out of the contest, when he launched a towering three-run shot over the rightfield wall. The homer was Irvin's fourth of the year. Houston cut the deficit to 5-2 in the bottom of the third with back-to-back jacks from Chris Joseph and Ryan Lormand. However, that would be the last time the Cougars threatened the Memphis lead as Alex Fennell scored in the fourth and then drove in another run in the fifth for a 7-2 advantage through five stanzas. Memphis put the game away via the longball in a three-run sixth to claim a 10-2 cushion. Michael Murray started the rally when he launched his fourth homer of the season to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Amar struck for his second four-bagger of the day--a solo shot just over the glove of a leaping Zak Presley in centerfield. An RBI-single by Tyler Huelsing capped the inning. Amar finished the day with three hits and five RBI, and Irvin was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI. The senior fell a triple shy of the cycle. K.K. Chalmers had a solid day at the plate and in the field. He posted three hits, scored twice and made home run saving catch in the eighth--leaping over the left centerfield wall to rob Lormand of his second homer of the day. Moss, Kyle Norrid and Fennell each posted two hits. While the offense was clicking on all cylinders, so was Martin as the southpaw sat Houston down in order in the fifth, sixth and seventh in Memphis' second complete-game performance of the year. Brown lasted just 2.1 innings for Houston. He surrendered five runs on six hits before giving way to Barry Laird. Shea Hancock had the most impressive outing for the Cougars, striking out seven in three innings.

Back

05/23/07		Track Team Ready for NCAA Mideast Regional Championships -- 13 Tigers in field, seeking NCAA Championship positions (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS - Several members of the Memphis track and field team will be looking to earn a berth in the National Championships as competition begins Thursday at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Missouri's Audrey J. Walton Stadium in Columbia, Mo. The top-five finishers in each individual event as well as the top-three relay teams will advance to the NCAA Championships, June 6-9, in Sacramento, Calif. The most competitors the Tigers have ever sent to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in one season is six, and this year's squad could come close to reaching that number. "This is the big one," said Memphis head coach Kevin Robinson. "We've been training really well for the last week and everyone seems to be pretty healthy. Hopefully everyone can produce their best performance and have a chance to move on." As always the Mideast region contains some of the top men's and women's teams in the nation. Among this year's field seven men's and six women's teams rank among the top-25. Individually, the Tigers have 13 athletes and that have qualified for the regional meet. Memphis senior Gail Lee stands second in the Mideast in the shot put (16.47m), and is looking to for her fourth NCAA Championship appearance in that event. The two-time All-American will also compete in the hammer throw and discus. Freshman Steffen Nerdal enters the meet ranked in the top-10 in a pair of events. The Norwegian stands fourth in the hammer with his school record distance 211-2 (64.36m) of and seventh in the discus Several other competitors on the men's side rank in the top-10 in the region in their respective competitions and pose legitimate threat to reach the NCAA Championships. Javelin thrower Christian McDonald ranks ninth in that event, while Conference USA long jump and triple jump champion Brandon Winbush ranks highly in both of those contests. Cordova native Larry Harris stands eighth in the men's 400-meter hurdles. Competition from the regional championships gets underway tomorrow at 11 a.m. CST.

Back

05/23/07		Tourney title crucial for struggling Tigers -- NCAA bid unlikely minus C-USA crown (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 23, 2007 The University of Memphis' bats are against the wall. If the Tiger baseball team intends to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years, it may have to do something it hasn't done during roughly the same time span: win a conference tournament. The UofM, considered a viable candidate for an at-large NCAA bid several weeks ago, struggled as the regular season ended. The Tigers lost five of seven -- including three straight to No. 2 Rice -- and have fallen off most NCAA Tournament projection lists. To make the NCAA Tournament, the Tigers (33-23) may have to win the Conference USA Tournament and the resulting automatic NCAA bid. Fifth seed Memphis opens play in the double-elimination C-USA Tournament at 8 a.m. (CDT) today at Greenville, N.C., against No. 4 seed Houston (28-26). While it appears there's only one avenue for the Tigers to advance to the NCAA, UofM coach Daron Schoenrock isn't buying the 'win-the-league-tournament-or-else' approach. He remains confident a 35- or 36-win season would attract interest from the selection committee. "Our goal is still to get to 35 or 36 wins and see what happens," Schoenrock said. "If we're still playing on Saturday, we should be in good shape. If we get to Saturday, then it will fall into the hands of the committee." Schoenrock said working in the UofM's favor is a number of 30-win teams that finished with below-.500 records in their respective leagues. The Tigers finished 12-12. He also noted that the NCAA committee routinely invites four C-USA teams -- in addition to the champion -- to the Regionals. Of the three teams tied for fourth in C-USA with 12-12 marks, only Memphis has 30 or more wins. In today's opener against Houston -- a team that won two-of-three at Memphis two weeks ago -- the Tigers will start freshman left-hander Brennon Martin. Martin made mostly mid-week starts for the UofM this spring, but finished the season with several strong performances. Schoenrock also likes the fact Martin (3-1, 4.91 ERA) will pitch to a Houston lineup that features four left-handed hitters. "What he has done lately is throw three pitches (fastball, curve, changeup) in the strike zone," Schoenrock said. "He has been a pleasant surprise." Memphis will enter the C-USA Tournament with a first-team all-league selection. In voting released Tuesday, Tiger designated hitter/outfielder Joey Lieberman earned first-team honors and infielders Adam Amar, Bill Moss and Michael Murray were second-team picks. Lieberman hit .288 with 12 homers and 52 runs batted in. He tied for the league lead (with Moss) in home runs and ranked second in RBI. "He's very deserving," Schoenrock said. "He had a tremendous offensive year. He has gotten a lot of big home runs for us this year." Should the UofM beat Houston, it will play the winner of today's game between top seed Rice (45-11) and No. 8 UCF (26-30) at 3 p.m. Thursday. If the Tigers lose, they'll play at 8 a.m. Thursday against the loser of the Rice-UCF game. Schoenrock said the Tigers will be without starting catcher Chris Kirkland, who was injured in the opening game of the Rice series last week. Kirkland (.269, 4-23) was struck in the mouth by a thrown ball by a Rice infielder and suffered a fractured jaw. In his absence, junior Alex Fennell will catch. Schoenrock said if the Tigers get to 35 or 36 wins, the UofM administration will begin lobbying for the team's inclusion in the 64-team field. "I'd love to be in position to pick up the phone on Saturday and call (athletic director) R.C. (Johnson) to politick a little bit on our behalf," Schoenrock said. "We've come a long way from where we were two years ago (13-42), but we're not there yet." -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543 Tigers in C-USA baseball tournament At Greenville, N.C. Today's opener No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 4 Houston, 8 a.m. CST All C-USA tigers First team DH: Joey Lieberman, Sr. Second team IF: Adam Amar, Sr. IF: Bill Moss, Sr. IF: Michael Murray, Sr.

Back

05/22/07		Joey Lieberman Headlines Group of Four Tigers to Earn All-Conference Honors -- Lieberman and Bill Moss lead league in home runs (GoTigersGo.com)
		GREENVILLE, N.C. - Senior designated hitter/utility player Joey Lieberman highlighted a group of four Memphis seniors to be tabbed All-Conference USA performers as selected by head coached and media representatives around the league. Lieberman was named to the All-C-USA First Team, while first baseman Adam Amar, second baseman Bill Moss and shortstop Michael Murray were all Second Team All-C-USA selections. The four-man crew ties the most All-C-USA selections ever and is the biggest All-conference class since four Tigers earned Second Team All-Great Midwest honors in 1995. Memphis earned four postseason conference awards in 2006. Lieberman earns First Team accolades after leading Memphis in RBI and home runs for most of the season. He is now tied with Moss for the team and league with 12 homers. In two years at Memphis, the Vicksburg, Miss., native has pounded 25 round trippers--a feat the only three other Tigers have accomplished. Lieberman also leads the team and ranks second in the league with 52 RBI. Amar earns his second consecutive postseason all-league honors after being tabbed a first teamer after claiming the batting title a year. Amar is second on the Tigers' roster and eighth among C-USA players with a .346 average at the plate. A preseason All-American, Amar now holds Memphis' all-time record for games played, hits and RBI. Amar hits .435 in league play, a year after posting the league's third-highest average ever at .459. Moss, leads Memphis and is second in the conference with a .593 slugging percentage and 119 total bases. His 49 RBI ranks third in the league. The Germantown, Tenn., native hits .327 on the year and has banged out 14 doubles. He stands in third all-time at with 53 career doubles. He is also third all-time with 238 hits. He needs just two hits to surpass Steve Moss for second on Memphis' all-time list. Murray has had a breakout year in one of the league's most impressive offensive productions. The Baton Rouge, La., native leads Memphis, as well as the league with a .391 average. In league play, Murray hits .448, which stands as the fifth-highest in-league batting average in C-USA history. Murray was ranked in nearly every offensive category. In addition to leading the conference in hitting, Murray ranked second in on base percentage (.465), runs (53), hits (81) and doubles (19). He also ranked fifth with a .527 slugging percentage and eighth with 109 total bases. Memphis and Houston will get the 2007 Championship underway on tomorrow morning with first pitch slated for 9 a.m.

Back

05/22/07		Sign Up Now for Tiger Softball Camps -- Three different camps to be held in June (GoTigersGo.com)
		Registration is now open for 2007 Tiger Softball Camps. The University of Memphis softball coaching staff and current team student-athletes will conduct three camps in June. The first camp will be the Memphis General Softball Camp from June 4-6. The camp is for ages 10 to rising seniors and costs $245. The Memphis Tiger Advanced Softball Camp will run from June 11-13. The camp requires a minimum of one year of varsity softball at the high school level and a letter of recommendation from a high school coach or summer ball coach. Limited spots are available by position, and the camp costs $275. The third camp is the Memphis Tiger Hitting Camp from June 14-15. This camp is for ages 10 to rising seniors and costs $150. Enrollment is limited to 50 athletes. Memphis Tiger General Softball Camp June 4-6 Location: Tiger Softball Stadium, University of Memphis: Park Ave. Campus Time: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. each Day Cost: $245 Ages: 10 - Rising Senior This camp is for athletes 10 and older. The camp will cover all aspects of the game focusing on proper mechanics of fielding, throwing, and hitting. There will be a small amount of time for beginning pitching instruction as well. Players will be worked with by coaches on an individual and team level. Players will learn valuable skills and drills to help them develop into an elite athlete. This camp will be instructed by The University of Memphis coaching staff as well as current University of Memphis student-athletes. Students need to bring sack lunch, but will be provided with water, Gatorade, and fruit. Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt and a camp visor. Memphis Tiger Advanced Softball Camp June 11-13 Location: Tiger Softball Stadium, University of Memphis: Park Ave. Campus Time: 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. each Day Cost: $275 This camp is for student-athletes who have participated in a minimum of 1 yr varsity softball at the high school level. The camper must also submit a letter of recommendation from a high school coach or summer ball coach. Limited spots are available by position. 10 Outfielders 15 Infielders 5 Catchers 8 Pitchers 2 Utility This camp will be instructed by The University of Memphis coaching staff as well as current University of Memphis student-athletes. Students need to bring sack lunch, but will be provided with water, Gatorade, and fruit. Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt and a camp visor. Memphis Tiger Hitting Camp June 14-15 Location: Tiger Softball Stadium, University of Memphis Park Ave. Campus Time: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each day Cost: $150 Max # of Athletes: 50 Ages: 10 - Rising Senior This camp will offer intensive instruction to athletes who want to develop themselves as a hitter. For two whole days the players will work on a variety of hitting skills and drills to learn how to be a better offensive player in all aspects of the game, i.e. bunting, slapping, power. This camp is open to athletes 10 and up.

Back

05/22/07		Ben Grisham and Michael Murray Named to C-USA Baseball All-Academic Team -- Murray finishes regular season as C-USA Batting champ (GoTigersGo.com)
		IRVING, Texas - Eleven baseball student-athletes were named to the 2007 Conference USA All-Academic Team, as announced by the league office today. League-leading Rice led the way with three members on the team, while Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss and UCF all placed two members on the inaugural squad. To be eligible for the team, student-athletes must have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and be a starter of key reserve on their team. Six seniors, four juniors and one sophomore make up the 2007 All-Academic Baseball team. Memphis' two All-Academic selections are Ben Grishman and Michael Murray. Grisham graduated on May 5 with a 3.55 GPA in health and human performance. He is a member of Tiger 3.0 Club and is a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member. The senior settled into the Friday night starting role in 2007 and has excelled. He earned Conference USA Pitcher of the Week honors on April 2 after tossing eight innings of shut out ball and striking out a career-high six hitters vs. Southern Miss. Murray graduated on May 5 with a 3.35 GPA in biology and is also a Tiger 3.0 Club member and two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. Murray garnered Academic All-District V first-team honors and leads Memphis in batting average and on-base percentage. He was named C-USA Hitter of the Week on April 9 after going 9-for-11 in a 2-1 series win vs. No. 21 Tulane. Rice teammates Brian Friday, Danny Lehmann and Ryne Tacker were each named to the all-academic team after a capturing the top seed in the 2007 C-USA Baseball Championship. Friday and Lehmann hold identical 3.39 GPAs. Friday, a junior economics major, is a two-time ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VI and C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll honoree. He leads Conference USA in doubles and ranks among the league's best in batting, hits, runs, total bases and at bats. Lehmann is a kinesiology major and was just recently named to the Academic All-District VI second team. Also a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor member, the catcher has more walks than strikeouts to help maintain a .407 on-base average. Tacker carries a 3.55 GPA in kinesiology and was named the 2007 Rice University Scholar Athlete for Baseball in addition to earning Academic All-District VI first-team honors. The senior is a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member and has been featured as one of "Tomorrow's Leaders at Rice." Tacker leads his team and ranks among the C-USA leaders in wins, ERA and saves. He also earned the 2007 Most Outstanding Player of the Silver Glove Trophy Series against cross-town rival Houston. Houston's Jimmy Cesario and Josh Stirneman garnered academic recognition after leading their team to the fourth seed in this week's baseball championship. Stirneman holds a 3.85 GPA in business and has the highest GPA on the 11-member team. He is a two-time recipient of the C-USA Academic Medal and is a two-time member of C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll. The senior also was named to the Academic All-District VI first team. Stirneman ranks second on team in batting average, home runs and RBI and his numbers are even better in C-USA games. Cesario joined Stirneman on the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll the last two seasons and has been a two-time Academic Medal recipient. The junior was named C-USA Hitter of the Week on Feb. 12 and leads UH in batting average. He also tops the Cougars in hits, doubles, slugging percentage, on-base percentage. Southern Miss also placed two members on the squad. Patrick Ezell holds a 3.73 GPA in history and the senior has been a four-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member. He served as role model for special education and underprivileged children and has helped lead Southern Miss to three-straight NCAA Regional appearances and is close to securing the fourth after taking over the team's cloer role in 2007. Trey Sutton is a junior business administration major with a 3.75 GPA. He was named to the President's List in the fall 2006 and has made the Dean's List four times. A two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, Sutton leads the Golden Eagles in hitting, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and putouts. Both Ezell and Sutton were Academic All-District VI first-team selections. The UCF Golden Knights were the fourth team to place two members on the All-Academic team. Matt Horwath, a senior, is an accounting major with a 3.22 GPA. He has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll and was also an Academic Medal recipient. Horwath has started every game for UCF in centerfield, while leading his team in 11 different offensive categories. He is set to graduate Cum Laude this spring. Sophomore Kiko Vasquez rounds out the all-academic squad. He is a two-time Commissioner's Honor Roll member and is UCF's leading hitter. Vasquez earned C-USA Hitter of the Week honors on March 12 by going 7-for-14 with nine RBI and a 1.000 slugging percentage. The 2007 C-USA Baseball Championship gets underway on Wednesday, May 23, with four games at Clark-LeClair Stadium on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. Games will continue until the championship game of the tournament on Sunday, May 27. The contest will be televised on a same-day tape delay basis by CSTV and will air at 9:30 p.m. EDT. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. 2007 C-USA BASEBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM Name School Class GPA Major Jimmy Cesario Houston Jr. 3.46 Pre-Psychology *Josh Stirneman Houston Sr. 3.85 Business Ben Grisham Memphis Sr. 3.55 Health and Human Performance *Michael Murray Memphis Sr. 3.35 Biology *Brian Friday Rice Jr. 3.39 Economics and Managerial Studies *Danny Lehmann Rice Jr. 3.39 Kinesiology and Managerial Studies *Ryne Tacker Rice Sr. 3.55 Kinesiology and Managerial Studies *Patrick Ezell Southern Miss Sr. 3.73 History *Trey Sutton Southern Miss Jr. 3.75 Business Administration Matt Horwath UCF Sr. 3.22 Accounting Kiko Vasquez UCF So. 3.24 Physical Education *ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District selections

Back

05/21/07		Final Stop on TSF Spring Tour Tuesday Night -- Final event will be hosted at the Ridgeway Country Club (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The final stop of the 2007 Tiger Scholarship Fund (TSF) Spring Tour will take place Tuesday, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Ridgeway Country Club (9800 Poplar Avenue). The event will be hosted by Bill Ray of AT&T. Tiger football coach Tommy West and basketball coach John Calipari will speak at the Tuesday night event. Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages will be provided and fans are encouraged to bring a guest to the Thursday event. The TSF office also encourages fans to RSVP to either 901-678-2334 or by email to dlarivir@memphis.edu. The Tiger Scholarship Fund is the fundraising branch of the University of Memphis Athletic Department, and is charged with fundraising $5 million each year that is used to directly fund scholarships for over 300 Tiger student-athletes competing in 19 sports.

Back

05/20/07		Tiger baseball Takes No. 5 Seed into C-USA Tournament, Set to Face No. 4 Houston in Championship's Opening Contest -- Tigers vs. Cougars scheduled for 9 a.m. first pitch on Wed., May 23 (GoTigersGo.com)
		MEMPHIS, Tenn. - After ranking as high as second in the Conference USA standings, the University of Memphis baseball team dropped five of its last six league tilts to finish the season in a fourth-place tie with Houston at 12-12. The Cougars hold the head-to-head tie breaker over the Tigers, dropping them to the fifth seed in the upcoming C-USA tournament. Memphis and Houston will get championship play underway on Wed., May 23 with first pitch set for 9 a.m. EDT. The Tigers and Cougars met two weekends ago in Memphis, with visiting Houston taking two-of-three in a wild offensive series. The Tigers feature eight senior starters, led by 1B Adam Amar, the school's all-time leader in hits and RBI, and 2B Bill Moss (.333, 12 HR, 49 RBI). The Cougars feature sophomore OF Jimmy Cesario (.358, 13 2B), sophomore C Luis Flores (team-leading 9 HR) and freshman P Wes Musick (6-4, 3.18 ERA, 68 K's). Memphis and Houston will be meeting in the Conference USA Championship for the first time since 1998. Memphis will face either No. 1 Rice or No. 8 UCF in the next round of competition. The Owls and Knights (26-30) will face off in the second game of the tournament on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The Knights (7-17 in C-USA) punched their ticket to the tournament with a dramatic comeback victory on Friday night over Marshall. Rice is once again armed with one of the top pitching staffs in the country. Junior LHP Joe Savery, Freshman RHP Ryan Berry and Senior RHP Ryne Tacker lead a strong starting rotation, while closer Cole St. Clair is rounding back into form after missing the first two months of the season with an injury. Rice swept the three-game series between the teams in Orlando in April. The Tigers are 6-13 all-time in C-USA Championship action, including a 0-1 mark versus Houston. The Cougars own a 6-27 all-time series advantage against the Tigers.

Back

05/20/07		U of M Notebook: Track, Baseball, Football, Golf (Commercial Appeal)
		By Phil Stukenborg Contact May 20, 2007 Lucky 13 Tigers on track for titles A school-record record 13 University of Memphis men's and women's track and field athletes will compete in 18 events at next week's NCAA Mideast Regional Championships at Columbia, Mo. First-year coach Kevin Robinson's team won last week's Conference USA Championships in Houston by finishing 9.5 points ahead of UTEP and nearly doubling its point total from last year's C-USA Championships. The Tigers, who had 77 points in 2006, finished with 154.5 points. The title earned Robinson C-USA Coach of the Year honors. ''It was our goal coming into the season to win (the league title),'' Robinson said. ''We knew going in we had a pretty good team, but we didn't expect to win. Everyone stepped up. Of the 20 male athletes we took, 19 scored. For that to happen is amazing.'' The 13 athletes advancing to the Regionals are two more than participated last year and three more than went in 2003. ''It's a good place to start,'' Robinson said. ''I feel we'll get even better in the years to come. I want to get to the point where we are taking 20 athletes a year (to regional competition). We'll get there.'' Among those who will enter the NCAA Regionals with momentum for the Tigers will be jumper Brandon Winbush, sprinter Willie Green and hurdlers Amaechi Oselukwue, Larry Harris and Stephon Greenlee. Winbush, a Bartlett native, won C-USA titles in the long jump and triple jump. He was the meet's highest scorer with 20 points and qualified for the Regionals in the triple jump for the first time in his career. Green won his first C-USA title with a time of 10.47 seconds in the 100 meters. The hurdlers combined for 36 points, with Oselukwue winning the 110 hurdles and the group capturing second, third and fourth in the 400 hurdles. ''As a staff, we got together on Friday night and we started looking at the possibilities (of winning the meet),'' Robinson said. ''We saw where we were only 31/2 points out of first going into the final day and that we hadn't scored a lot of points (the first two days). I got the kids up on Saturday and said, 'We're going to win this meet.' Everyone got fired up.'' Dinger Deck 2 As the UofM baseball team departed the university's Park Avenue campus Wednesday for the airport, workers were busy constructing a second "Dinger Deck" at Nat Buring Stadium. This one might require its own nickname based on its location ... to the left of the foul pole beyond the fence. Unlike the deck behind the right fence, any ball reaching the leftfield deck will be a long foul ball, not a home run. Still, said Tiger coach Daron Schoenrock, the emphasis will be on creating a festive atmosphere, not necessarily catching a home-run ball. ''I'm hoping that one ends up being (used by) fraternities and sororities,'' Schoenrock said. ''I want to turn that one into a student-oriented deck.'' Schoenrock hopes the leftfield deck becomes to the baseball program what the "Blue Crew" cheering section has become for Tiger basketball. ''I wanted to get (the deck) up now so (students) in the fall can say 'Hey, we do have somewhere to go.''' Schoenrock said barbecue grills will be installed near each deck before the start of next season. The deck in rightfield, which was built this season, was used primarily for boosters and parents of Tiger players. ''The next step is to get student involvement,'' Schoenrock said. ''Maybe we could get marketing to let fraternities and sororities reserve it.'' Eventually, Schoenrock said he'd like to have a third deck installed in the centerfield area. ''Our new scoreboard is going to go up in August or September (in right-centerfield),'' he said. ''I'm going to see how much room the scoreboard allows for us to build a third deck. That deck will be more for alumni.'' Odds and ends Former Tiger defensive back Dustin Lopez has landed a spot on the roster of the United Indoor Football league team based in Rock River, Ill. Lopez, a three-year starter from Hopkinsville, Ky., completed his career last fall. ... The men's golf team participated in an after-the-season event, the Linger Longer Invitational in Greensboro, Ga., earlier this week, and junior Ian Rochester finished second with an 8-under 208 in the three-day tournament won by top-ranked Georgia. ''Ian proved he can play with some of the best in the country,'' said Tiger coach Grant Robbins. The UofM finished 10th overall. -- Phil Stukenborg: 529-2543

Back

05/20/07		Rice finishes off sweep of U of M -- (2) Rice 7, U of M 4 (Commercial Appeal)
		By Our Press Services May 20, 2007 HOUSTON -- Second-ranked Rice finished off a sweep of the University of Memphis, winning, 7-4, Saturday in the regular-season finale. The Tigers finish the regular season with a 33-23 record, 12-12 in Conference USA play. Houston is 45-11, 22-2. Rice starter Joe Savery struck out seven and held Memphis to three hits in 62/3 innings. The Owls' Brian Friday led off the game with a homer off former Ridgeway standout and losing pitcher Will Hudgens (4-2) and had a run-scoring double in his second trip to the plate. Michael Murray had a solo homer, and Adam Amar hit a two-run single in the eighth. The Tigers now prepare for the C-USA tournament, hosted by East Carolina, which begins Wednesday.

Back

05/20/07		C-USA boss says basketball on verge -- Banowsky: Growing league's programs vital (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dan Wolken Contact May 20, 2007 DESTIN, Fla. -- Since taking over as Conference USA commissioner in October 2002, Britton Banowsky has presided over a seismic shift in the league. But finally, two years after some of C-USA's flagship programs bolted to the Big East and Atlantic 10, there was a sense of continuity as league officials gathered for their spring meetings this week. Banowsky sat down with The Commercial Appeal for a state-of-the-union discussion that touched several issues important to the health of the league: Q: What kind of things were you interested in talking about or hearing this week? A: What we focus on at these meetings -- in addition to the social aspect, which is important -- is the business of the conference. We talk about making sure we're still growing revenues and doing those kinds of things and continued positive developments on that front. Then we talk about where we want to be and how to get there. How do we improve? My expectation is for all of our programs, particularly the high-profile programs, that we're focused and we're having open conversations and everyone is working together to get better together. That's where we're placing most of our emphasis. Q: Is there anything major you're looking at either in football or basketball? A: All of our (basketball) tournament site stuff won't happen right now. We put in place an incentive program a year ago and growth program that we saw positive trending, but we didn't get the outcome we're looking for (in postseason bids). We're staying the course and we're refining some of those plans, being a little more precise. We don't have a major announcement, if you will. All of our bowl stuff is done for three more years, and we have one additional bowl to the lineup for the next year so we'll have six tie-ins. This is a time where I don't see us doing a lot of that sort of thing; this is a time where we're flat out focusing on getting better. Q: You've talked in the past year about the league's football product being ahead of the basketball product. Do you see that continuing and football being your primary showcase sport? Or could it be basketball? A: I know football and men's basketball are very important to all these institutions. I know that's the case. Some places, one sport is more important than the other potentially, but not really. You look at the athletic administrators and the university administration, and they want them all to be really good. The reason I felt like the basketball is behind is because through the realignment, we felt like our football programs were going to come in and be very competitive across the board, one through 12 they were going to compete both inside and outside the conference at a pretty high level. That bore itself out. The market kind of embraced it with the number of bowl opportunities that we recorded through that process. In basketball, we lost a lot, and we got some quality programs in, but many of them were in the process of trying to get back, like the Tulsas and those kinds of programs. That's why, in my mind, the basketball was a step behind the football. I'm feeling right now that basketball is poised to catch up. Frankly, we're at a point where we've got to go up. Q: With the Missouri Valley Conference basketball phenomenon, people talk about the fact they've been able to keep good coaches in the league. If you aspire to get to where they are, where does keeping these coaches rank? A: The No. 1 ingredient in competitive success in college sports is the quality of the coaches. We had some turnover two years ago and some turnover last year, and we brought folks into the league like Matt Doherty (at SMU) and Larry Eustachy (at Southern Miss) and some really quality coaches that have a lot of experience. Keeping those guys focused on their program plans and growing those programs is important. Another example would be Mike Davis (at UAB), and so I think giving those guys time to get done what they know how to get done is critical. Q: A year ago at this time, there was some concern about Tulane with (Hurricane Katrina) and whether they were committed to staying at this level. Does hiring Bob Toledo as its football coach signal that Tulane is moving forward? A: They've already cleared the internal hurdles about re-activating all their other programs, so that process itself was a re-affirmation of their commitment to Division 1 athletics. Q: Is there anything new on the television front? A: The TV reports have been positive ones. The ESPN report was good. Our ratings are holding in a positive way. We have a two-tiered deal with ESPN and CSTV. With CSTV, they had a very positive report of the growth distribution for their network. They've doubled their distribution in the last year, and CBS continues to make a lot of investments in CSTV. So the questions about whether or not that's a company that has staying power are pretty much answered now. They've got enough traction in the market where they're going to continue to grow. We're pleased with that. We have four more years to go on these deals, so it will be awhile before we get back to the market. -- Dan Wolken: 529-2365

Back

05/20/07		C-USA contenders improved -- Cougars, Golden Eagles figure to push Memphis (Commercial Appeal)
		By Dam Wolken Contact May 20, 2007 DESTIN, Fla. -- Houston Coach Tom Penders has an interesting theory about Conference USA last season: Memphis' undefeated rampage through the league was more about Memphis than its competition. "The league was better," Penders said. "Memphis was just a great team." Penders and his colleagues expect Memphis to be a great team once again. One coach who shall remain anonymous said, "We might as well not even show up." He was only half-kidding. But if Penders' theory is correct, C-USA will once again have a hard time getting any recognition for being a better league in 2007-08 unless somebody beats Memphis. And barring injuries or other unforeseen developments, it's possible the Tigers could once again go 16-0. The consensus among the coaches here, however, is that C-USA should have five very solid teams, a group of three decent teams in the middle of the pack and four at the bottom that will probably struggle. Based on those conversations, here's an early look at how the league will shape up behind the Tigers. 2. Houston: By the end of last season, Penders had the league's second-best team. There's no reason to think he won't once again. Say what you will about his sometimes reckless style of play, but he's got legit guards in Robert "Fluff" McKiver and a finally healthy Lanny Smith. Houston's lack of size was a problem last year against good teams, but Penders said 6-11 Seton Hall transfer Marcus Cousin is "for real," and he's raided the Northeast prep scene for depth at other positions. With a home-heavy non-conference schedule, Houston has a chance to be ranked by the time league play starts. 3. Southern Miss: Larry Eustachy is a terrific coach, and he finally has the kind of talent to get him into the NCAA Tournament -- probably sooner rather than later. Though Eustachy said his team is still a year away, Southern Miss has enough athletes, toughness and swagger to overcome its youth. The freshman core of Jeremy Wise, Sai'Quon Stone and Andre Stephens really opened some eyes last season and should improve as sophomores. Eustachy is excited about adding 7-foot Brazilian Gustavo Lino, who practiced with the team for the second half of last season. 4. UAB: A lot of people will pick the Blazers to finish second based on a roster overhaul led by Indiana transfer Robert Vaden (a likely first-team all-C-USA guard) and Georgia transfer Channing Toney, plus a top-100 recruit in Keenan Ellis. But can those guys, while talented, really push UAB past teams like Houston and Southern Miss that have roughly equal talent and more experience playing together? Mike Davis' performance as head coach last season doesn't inspire much confidence he'll be able to take this group of vagabonds from eighth place to the NCAA Tournament. 5. Tulsa: Doug Wojcik is on schedule with what should be the league's second-best program. Despite inheriting a mess, Wojcik won 20 games in his second season, and the Golden Hurricane appears poised to move forward in 2007-08. Though Tulsa took a hit when talented forward Jamel McLean transferred, it has a solid backcourt with Rod Earls and Ben Uzoh and a promising big man in Jerome Jordan. Wojcik's teams are always good defensively; the question is whether there's enough offensive skill there to consistently beat the high-level clubs. 6. UTEP: Tony Barbee's team probably falls into the "one year away" category. Junior Stephon Jackson is one of the best scoring guards in the league, and Sheffield High product Randy Culpepper will add instant offense as a freshman. But UTEP will feature one of the league's youngest lineups, which makes it difficult to envision a top-five finish. 7. Tulane: Hiring Dave Dickerson, a former Maryland assistant, was the best thing Tulane ever did. His performance last season -- taking Tulane from 1-4 in the league to a fourth-place finish -- was perhaps the best under-the-radar coaching performance in the country. The Green Wave will have to replace sharpshooter Chris Moore, but don't expect this program to fall too far with talents like David Gomez and Kevin Sims still around. 8. UCF: After losing a couple solid players to graduation, this looks like a season where the Knights should take a step back. Then again, UCF has outperformed expectations each of its two years in the league, including last season's out-of-nowhere second-place finish. Out of respect for how far Kirk Speraw has taken the program and his solid incoming class, it wouldn't be a surprise to see UCF in the top half. 9. SMU: Anybody who questioned whether Matt Doherty could recruit to SMU should look at his incoming class: seven players, many of whom had high-major offers. While Doherty's future looks solid, SMU will be very young next season. Picking the Mustangs here, there or anywhere is a complete guess. 10. Marshall: Hiring Donnie Jones off Billy Donovan's Florida staff was a good move. He inherits a couple nice building blocks in senior guard Mark Dorris and junior forward Markel Humphrey, who could very well lead the Thundering Herd to a higher finish than this. 11. East Carolina: Ricky Stokes has had a couple rough years in Greenville. Expect to see some improvement in Year 3, but the Pirates won't move into the upper division any time soon. 12. Rice: With the Morris Almond era now over, it's no wonder Willis Wilson went job hunting this spring, interviewing for positions at Denver and Hawaii. To reach reporter Dan Wolken, call 529-2365