Trojan sports this week...

Troy State hires Mr. Rogers

Troy State Hit & Run: Volleyball recruits announced/Baseball broadcasts on TSSN

TSU baseball team gearing up for playoffs

Softball team tops in the TAAC West

Trojans clean up at Troy State Invitational

Who says spring belongs to baseball?

Troy State hires Mr. Rogers

Joe Zwierzchowski/Sports Editor

Troy State University hired Cory Rogers as the new Sports Information Director.

Athletics Director Johnny Williams announced the hiring of Rogers Tuesday, April 7.

"Cory is a very talented young man," said Williams. "We are excited to have him on our staff and look forward to working with him."

Rogers, from Shreveport, La., comes to Troy State after a three-year stint as the assistant sports information director for the University of Central Florida.

"I think Troy State has a lot of things going for it both academically and athletically," said Rogers. "I graduated from a smaller school, and then went to a school of 28,000. This is kind of an in between school. I came here for a number of reasons."

While at UCF, Rogers helped promote the Golden Knights' move to Division I-A football in 1996. A move which many speculate TSU will be making in the future.

"I understand that situation having been at UCF during the switch from I-AA to I-A," said Rogers. "If that does happen here, it certainly helps to have someone around who's made that move before."

Rogers earned his bachelor's degree from Trans America Athletic Conference rival Centenary College in 1993.

Rogers insists that his ties to TAAC rivals will not affect his job performance.

"My first duty when I got to UCF was to announce the baseball game between Centenary and Central Florida," said Rogers. "It is really unusual to work at three schools in a conference as small as the TAAC, but it wasn't a problem before."

Rogers comes to Troy during a transitional period in athletics.

With the renovations to Memorial Stadium and Sartain Hall, the SID is not the only new addition to TSU's athletic program.

"I have ten years of sports information experience," said Rogers. "After ten years in the TAAC, I know this league very well."

After graduation, Rogers remained in Shreveport as Centenary's SID.

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TSU baseball team gearing up for playoffs

Jim Egan/Staff Writer

The Troy State University Baseball team played solid baseball over Spring Break.

TSU (22-13, 3-3) started the break by winning three of five games at the Troy State University Spring Tournament.

In the first round on March 12, the Trojans handed the Siena Saints a 13-5 loss.

Troy State was led by Fred Case and Eric Ernsberger.

Case had three hits and two RBI's and Ernsberger pitched eight innings only allowing three runs on eight hits. He also struck out 12 batters and walked two.

On March 13, the Trojans rallied in the late innings to beat Radford 8-7.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jorge Soto tied the score with an RBI double which allowed Rickey Rowe to score.

In the 10th inning, Rowe collected a two-out RBI single which drove in Kenny Krey for the winning run.

The Trojans were handed their first loss of the tournament on March 14 by the University of Illinois 8-5.

Down 4-0 in the fifth inning, TSU rallied when Krey doubled in Todd Walker and later scored on Rowe's sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 4-2.

TSU took a 5-4 lead in the sixth inning when Soto hit a solo homerun, and Walker hit a two-run homerun.

Illinois closed out the scoring with four runs in the seventh to put the final score at 8-5.

The Trojans got their revenge against Illinois the next day by wining 6-4.

Jason Borghese's two-run homerun in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Trojans over Illinois.

In the second game of the day, the Trojans lost to their old Mid-Continent Conference rival Eastern Illinois University 12-11.

EIU was able to produce five runs in the eighth inning to seal their one-run victory.

After the Spring Break Tournament, the Trojans traveled to Louisiana and took two of three games from Southeastern Louisiana University and split a two-game series with Southwestern Louisiana University.

The Trojans opened up the series defeating SELU 10-3 on March 20.

The Trojans took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back.

On March 21, the Trojans again opened up the game with an early 3-0 lead, but SELU was able to take the lead in the fifth inning and won 12-5.

TSU came back in the deciding game of the series and held on to a 5-4 victory over SELU on March 22.

TSU built a five run lead and held it until the eighth inning. SELU stormed back with two runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

TSU relief pitcher Craig Dowden came in the ninth inning and shut SELU's batters down.

The Trojans traveled to SWLU on March 24 where Soto hit a home run in the 10th inning giving the Trojans a 6-4 victory.

Unfortunately, SWLU answered back the next day by beating TSU 6-1.

The Trojans left Louisiana and traveled to Birmingham on March 27 to play in the Trans American Athletic Conference against Samford.

"These games in the TAAC are very important," said Head Coach John Mayotte. "Every game in the TAAC is important to win. It will set the tone to see who will go to the Division I Regionals at the end of the year."

The Trojans won their first game of the series when Tom Gregorio hit a three-run homerun in the top of the ninth inning giving the Trojans a 10-9 victory.

But the victory party stopped there because the Trojans dropped both games of the doubleheader the next day.

The Trojans returned home on March 31 and faced 18th ranked University of South Alabama and split two games with them.

The Trojans were shut out by the nationally ranked team 8-0 in their first game but were able to win a slug fest the next day 12-10.

Jeff Hammond put the Trojans over the top when he hit a grand slam in the seventh inning.

After playing USA, the Trojans were able to take two of three from TAAC rival Jacksonville State University on April 4.

JSU blew the Trojans out in the first game 21-8. The Gamecocks exploded for seven home runs in the game.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Trojans pulled out a 5-4 victory.

All the runs scored were due to solo home run shots by Borghese (2), Case, Jason Guynn and Krey.

The Trojans won the third game 10-8 the next day.

Troy State got the lead with a run in the second inning. The Trojans pushed ahead with five more runs in the third inning, giving them an early 6-0 lead.

JSU cut the lead to 6-2 with a run in the fourth and fifth innings.

TSU scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth to increase the lead 10-2.

The gamecocks began their comeback in the eighth inning. They scored one run in the eighth scoring and five runs in the ninth due to walks.

Dowden came in for the save. The winning pitcher for the Trojans was Ryan Alford (3-1). He pitched eight innings only allowing three runs on seven hits for the win.

"Every game from here until the end of the season are going to be very crucial in our strive for our goal," said Mayotte. "We would like to set a tone for the playoffs by going on a hot winning streak. We have great talent on the team, and the only thing that can stop us from achieving our goals is ourselves."

The Trojans will host Centenary College this weekend for a three-game series.

There will be a game on Friday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. A play a doubleheader will be played on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

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Softball team tops in the TAAC West

Joe Zwierzchowski/Sports Editor

The Troy State University softball team posted a 13-5 record over the break against such teams as division leading Georgia State University, Samford University and arch-rival Jacksonville State University.

Most recently, the Lady Trojans swept their series against Samford on Tuesday, April 7.

"We were very pleased to come back and sweep them today," said Melanie Davis, head softball coach. "When we played them in Birmingham, we didn't play very well. I'm not taking anything away from a very tough Samford squad though. They've beaten some good teams this year and had a lot of tough losses."

The victories put Troy State in first place of their division in the Trans America Athletic Conference.

"Right now we're 7-3 in the Western Division of the TAAC," said Davis. "That is a very solid first place. We were tied with Georgia State, with us holding the tie breaker by beating them three out of four times. It's a pretty tight race right now. Jax State is 6-4 with two conference games today, Georgia State is 5-3. It's tight, but we control our own destiny."

Allison Linderman pitched a complete seven inning game for the win in game one.

She gave up four hits and one run while walking none.

At the plate, it was Barbara Sherwood leading the way. She went 1-2 with a walk and a triple.

In game two, the Lady Trojans came from behind to win 5-3 against the Lady Bulldogs.

Jamie Dooley threw 6 1/3 innings of seven hit softball.

Dooley allowed two runs and struckout four to get the win.

Linderman came on in relief and retired the final two batters from Samford to seal the win.

From the plate, it was Janell Deslattes leading the way. She went 3-for-3 from the plate with a double and one walk.

Holly Mantooth also hit well for the Lady Trojans.

Mantooth was 2-for-2 on the day.

On April 4, the Lady Trojans swept Trans America Athletic Conference foe Georgia State in a doubleheader 7-0 and 7-4.

"These were two big wins for us today," said Davis. "We've currently won four in a row in conference over the two teams ranked right below us. We are extremely happy that our kids are doing what it takes to win."

Linderman won the first game for TSU.

Linderman threw five innings of no-hit ball, allowing one walk and striking out five.

Erica Powell came on in relief and picked up the save by giving up two hits, no walks and no strikeouts.

Mantooth went 3-for-4 from the plate to lead the hitting for Troy.

Dooley picked-up the second win for the Lady Trojans as she held the Panthers to five hits in five innings. She also struckout four.

Megan Schultz picked-up the save allowing two hits, striking out three and walking none.

Michelle Totty went 2-for-3 with the bat. Her and Mantooth each hit a homerun in the contest.

The Lady Trojans will be back in action April 10 as they travel to Shreveport, La. to take on Centenary College.

"We don't know a lot about this team," said Davis. "They haven't played many conference contests. They're 2-2 currently. Jax State beat them twice and they beat Samford twice. They've got a real tough schedule. Their season comes down to their last 12 games, all conference. We're the first of those teams, and we know they'll be ready for us. We just want to respond in Lady Trojan fashion."

TSU returns home on April 16 to face Georgia Tech. at 3:00 p.m. at Lady Trojan Field.

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Trojans clean up at Troy State Invitational

Joe Zwierzchowski/Sports Editor

The Troy State University track and field teams dominated the TSU Invitational at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 4.

The men won their meet by totalling 235 points on the day. Second place went to Samford who tallied just 90 points.

The women won in an equally convincing fashion. They beat out second place University of Alabama at Birmingham by 150 points. TSU scored 254; UAB scored 104.

Sharmeka Barnes scored TSU's first points. She and Millini Knox placed second and third in the 100 meter dash.

Barnes and Knox also went head-to-head in the 200 meter run along with teammate Carrie Faucher.

Barnes placed second, Knox fourth and Faucher ran sixth.

In the 400 meters, it was Lakicia Cooke finishing first ahead of Mandy Sewell for Troy State. Ahla Beverly placed fourth in the race. Faucher finished a distant eighth.

The 800 meter race had TSU's Tara Woodard winning by less than half a second. Alexa Suell placed ninth.

Kelly Heinzman and Shannon Phelan teamed up in the 1,500 meters and finished second and sixth respectively.

In the 3,000 meter race, Heinzman again placed second while Keri Britton placed fourth. Suell finished fifth, Anna Orton finished sixth, Melanie Phelan finished seventh and Shannon Phelan finished eighth.

In the 100 meter high hurdles, Troy State placed fourth through seventh. Leigh Ann Kennedy led the way as she claimed fourth with a time of 14.92 seconds.

In the 400 meter intermediate hurdles, Robin Fountain edged out Keesha Sanders for second place.

Troy took first place in both the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay races by more than two seconds over UAB.

In the field events, Melissa Dailey's debut in Trojan colors led to gold. She won both the high jump and pole vault.

Dailey also placed fourth in the long jump. Kennedy came in second place in the event followed by Jennifer Klemm. Keesha Sanders placed fifth.

TSU placed second through fourth in the triple jump.

Cooke took second place Christy Hall came in third and Klemm placed fourth.

Amanda Mason won the discus throw for Troy as well as the shot put and javelin throw competitions.

Barbara Brown finished third in both the discus and shot put. Shelby Naddaf placed fourth in the discus.

In the javelin, Kennedy placed second and Fountain finished third.

For the men, it was a near sweep of the gold medals as TSU finished first in all but three events.

Greg Garth took first in the 100 meter dash. Teammates Shaun Smith and Eric Sloan finished third and fifth respectively.

In the 200 meter run, TSU claimed first, second and third places.

DeVaughn Brown won the race by half a second. He was followed by John Hargray and Garth.

Brown also grabbed the gold in the 400 meters. Dion Hall placed third in the event, and Barry Dinkins ran a close fourth.

Josh Jackson and Cornell Jones fought for first in the 800 meter run. Jackson was the dominant of the two Trojan tracksters edging Jones by .4 seconds. Michel Gover placed sixth in the race for TSU.

The 1,500 meter run went to TSU. Michael Green claimed first place Phil LaPrad placed third, John Stanley sixth and John Fesh eighth.

In the 3,200 meter run, Green claimed another first place. Stanley came in fifth and Fesh placed sixth.

The 110 meter high hurdles was the first event that TSU lost. Robert Kennedy finished fourth.

Kennedy came back in the 400 meter intermediate hurdles to place second behind teammate Michael Finley.

In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Brandon Britton won by more than 16 seconds over the competition.

Troy State won both the 4x100 and the 4x400 meter relays over UAB and Samford University.

John Villacampa won the high jump for the men, and Jacod Schweinforth placed sixth in the pole vault.

The long jump saw two Trojans in the top spots as All-American cornerback Clifford Ivory placed first and Joseph Nelson placed second.

Ivory was the only competitor to clear 23 feet.

Nelson ousted Ivory from the top spot in the triple jump as he and Kennedy finished first and second. Ivory placed third for a TSU sweep of the medals.

Another football player took gold.

Defensive lineman Al Lucas won the shot put, and Marc McIntyre finished third.

McIntyre took first in the discus throw with a toss of 157'2" and Lucas placed sixth at 130'2".

McIntyre placed third in the hammer throw as well.

Kennedy and Villacampa finished the competition with fifth and seventh place finishes in the javelin throw.

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Who says spring belongs to baseball?

Joe Zwierzchowski/Sports Editor

The Troy State University football team began spring practices last Wednesday looking to improve last year's disappointing 5-6 record.

Head Coach Larry Blakeney was optimistic about this year's squad and its members.

"With all the starters we have returning, we have a solid core to build around," said Blakeney.

All football teams need a good quarterback. This spring the Trojans have four candidates.

Mareno Philyaw returns after limited action under center.

"We want to get the ball in Philyaw's hands in certain situations," said Blakeney. "He'll be moving in and out at other positions. We want to try to get him the ball."

Jon Peters, Brock Nutter and Ben Blackmon will also be in competition for a full-time spot in the backfield.

"Blackmon is a kid who played two years ago at Robert E. Lee (high school in Montgomery)," said Blakeney. "He decided to come out after being here for sometime. Nutter is looking good, and Peters is looking better."

The Trojan offensive line has several returning members who saw a good deal of playing time last season, said Blakeney.

"Matt Byerly was injured, and he's back," said Blakeney. "Brett McAliley was brought off of redshirt status, and he's back. Jason Collinsworth is a fourth year senior, and he's back. Leonard Shaughnessy is also back for his senior year. Brent Harrison is a true sophomore, and he is back as a starter as well."

A big piece of the TSU front line that is out is Cleve Robertson. Robertson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee during the winter.

Another key element of the offensive line up in the air is tight end, said Blakeney.

"Randy Ueberroth has the chicken pox," said Blakeney. "He'll be quarantined for a few days, and we'll just have to see how that works out."

If everyone returns healthy, the team will be three deep at all offensive line positions, said Blakeney.

Tyler Dees has been moved from special teams to fullback, to try his hand at carrying the ball. Thad Baton and Jason Ward are also strong candidates for the position, said Blakeney.

"Tailback should be a deep spot for us this year," said Blakeney. "Phillip Jones and Steve Kelley shouldered most of the load for us last year. Moreo Jones was injured in training camp and never could quite get over it. Tony Donnelson has been off the team for a year. He's been reinstated for his fifth year. Wayne Thomas and Webb are redshirt freshmen both trying for a spot."

Along with Philyaw, Danny Brown, Callarious "Pop" Williams and Clemson transfer Jason Wilson the picture is much brighter at wideout, said Blakeney.

Wade Wilson is back for his sophomore year, Latrell Brown is back for his true senior year and David Hill is back as a sophomore. Also in the receiving corps will be Lance Black.

"That's Shane Blacks' little brother," said Blakeney. "He can do some really good things out there on the field."

On the defensive side of the ball, Julius Terrell is still out after being injured in the first game of the 1997 season.

"He's not come along as well as we had hoped," said Blakeney. "The difference between his good leg and his injured one is such that if we were playing a game this week, he would not be able to.

"The defensive front as I see it, the guys to be shouldering the load look to be Marcus Spriggs, Al Lucas, Corby Johnson and Rod Walker."

Tony Judge is coming off of a broken leg from last year's training camp, and the team is still waiting to see if he can go, said Blakeney.

Anthony Rabb, last year's leading tackler returns to start at linebacker for Troy State. Nick Colbert saw some starting time last year and returns to the first team this season.

Damion Williams is third starting linebacker returning for the defense this season.

The defensive backfield is in need of help.

Antonio Thompson is the most solid back there, said Blakeney.

"We have a lot of people wanting to play corner for us," he said. "We have some good young players, hard workers and everyday students. We've got a lot of names and some players.

Right now we're just trying to sort through them all."

Both Matt Allen, place kicker, and Wes Gardner, punter, are returning on special teams.

One special team difficulty the Trojans faced last season was the long snapper position.

"Chandliss and Knight are the two snappers that have a chance to win the job," said Blakeney. "Baxter is a distant third."

Personnel is not the only change to this year's Troy State football team.

Memorial Stadium has undergone extensive construction to make it a premier football facility, said Blakeney.

"We tried to make it very fan friendly," said Blakeney. "In every aspect, from the bathrooms to the stands we've tried to make it better."

The stadium now seats an additional 17,000 fans.

The new field will be opened against Alabama State University in game one of the 1998 season.

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Troy State Hit & Run

VOLLEYBALL RECRUITS ANNOUNCED

The Troy State University volleyball team announced the signing of five recruits for the 1998 season.

Erika VanHootegem is a 5-foot-10-inch middle blocker / outside hitter from Downers Grove High School in Downers Grove Ill.

Andrea Ellisor is a 5-foot-11-inch middle blocker / outside hitter from B.T. Washington High School in Pensacola.

Cheryl Bridell is an outside hitter who stands 5-foot-8-inch. She comes from Collinsville High School in Marysville Ill.

Karen Smith is a 6-foot-1-inch outside hitter / middle blocker who comes from Escambia High School in Pensacola.

Melissa Keck, sister of Julie Keck, is a 5-foot-6-inch setter from Western Springs, Ill.

BASEBALL BROADCASTS ON TSSN

The Troy State Sports Network will be broadcasting 11 of the remaining TSU baseball games this season.

The games will be aired on WMCF in Monroeville, WOPP AM 1290 in Opp and WTBF 94.7 FM in Troy.

The April 10 game against Centenary College will be aired at 6:15p.m. The April 11 game against Centenary will be played at 12:45 p.m.

The April 15 game at home against the University of Alabama will be aired at 5:45 p.m. with the first pitch at 6:00 p.m.

The two games against Jacksonville State University will be aired at 3:15 p.m. on April 18 and noon on April 19.

The April 24 and 25 games against Samford University will be aired at 6:15 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. respectively.

On April 28 and 29, games against the University of South Alabama will be aired from Mobile at 6:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.

The final two regular season broadcasts will come from Shreveport, La. on May 2 and 3 as the Trojans take on Centenary once again.

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