Jags Prepare To Open Regional Play In Starkville At 2pm Friday
The University of South Alabama baseball team prepares to open play in the 2013 NCAA Starkville Regional today at 2pm. The Jags, a #2 seed, will open against #3 seed Mercer at Dudy Noble Field on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi.
Senior Anthony Izzio (3-0) will get the start for the Jags against Mercer. He has three consecutive wins in his last three outings, one of them a start. He has only allowed two runs in the last 19 2/3 innings with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
Mercer (43-16) will start Brandon Barker (7-1) with a 2.35 ERA with 78 strikeouts and 26 walks in 84 1/3 innings pitched. He is also holding opponents to a .251 batting average against him.
All-time the Jags are 34-48 in NCAA Regionals with its 25th appearance this season, it’s first since 2006. The Jags also hold a 6-2 advantage over Mercer all-time with their last game a Jaguar win at Eddie Stanky Field to open the 2009 season. This will be their first time to face each other in postseason play.
South Alabama enters the Regionals ranked 27th in this week’s Collegiate Baseball poll. As they prepare to open play, they come into the game with a .301 batting average and a 4.21 ERA. While Jeff DeBlieux leads the nation with 10 triples while hitting .407 with four doubles, five triples, two home runs, 11 RBI during his current 14 game hitting streak.
Mercer enters the game with a team batting average of .301 and a 4.06 ERA. Chesny Young leads the team with a .394 batting average, 100 hits, three triples and an on-base percentage of .453. They are the regular season champion of the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 20-7 conference record.
The Starkville Regional is probably one of, if not the toughest regional of the 16 regional sites in the nation.
Along with being broadcast on 105.5 FM WNSP in the Mobile area and online on thier website http://wnsp.com/ the game can be viewed through ESPN3.com.
Jaguar Softball’s Hannah Campbell Becomes Program’s First All-American Selection
Hannah Campbell became the first USA Softball player to be selected as an All-American | usajaguars.com
On Wednesday, Hannah Campbell became the first South Alabama Jaguar to be named as an All-American. She was named to the second team of the 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association Division I All-American team.
Campbell earned NFCA First-Team All-South Region honors just two weeks ago. She was also named to the First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference team and the SBC Tournament MVP among other honors.
She finished the season with a 22-9 record and a 1.08 ERA. She struck out 168 batters in 207 2/3 innings pitched with 10 solo shutouts. She limited her opposition to a mere batting average of .184. She also set a new Jaguar record for saves in a single season with six.
Campbell hails from Satsuma, Alabama.
NFCA Division I All-American Teams
First Team
P Keilani Ricketts, Oklahoma
P Blaire Luna, Texas
P Hannah Rogers, Florida
C Amber Freeman, Arizona State
1B Lauren Chamberlain, Oklahoma
2B Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
3B Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
SS Madison Shipman, Tennessee
OF Janie Takeda, Oregon
OF Cassidy Bell, Penn State
OF Kayla Braud, Alabama
UT/P Kaitlin Inglesby, Washington
UT/Non-P or DP Alexa Peterson, Oregon
At-Large/P Chelsea Thomas, Missouri
At-Large/UT-P Lauren Haeger, Florida
At-Large/3B Taylor Hoagland, Texas
At-Large/P Rachele Fico, LSU
At-Large/P Jessica Moore, Oregon
Second Team
P Olivia Galati, Hofstra
P Dallas Escobedo, Arizona State
P Jolene Henderson, UC-Berkeley
C Megan Baltzell, Longwood
1B Alicja Wolny, Louisville
2B Katie Keller, Louisville
3B Shelby Pendley, Oklahoma
SS Cheyenne Coyle, Arizona State
OF Haylie McCleney, Alabama
OF B.B. Bates, UCLA
OF Brianna Turang, Oklahoma
UT/P Tatum Edwards, Nebraska
UT/Non-P or DP Cali Lanphear, Texas A&M
At-Large/SS Sierra Romero, Michigan
At-Large/2B Kaila Hunt, Alabama
At-Large/OF Emilee Koerner, Notre Dame
At-Large/OF Brianna Cherry, ULL
At-Large/P Hannah Campbell, South Alabama
Third Team
P Kaia Parnaby, Hawaii
P Aimee Creger, Tulsa
P Lacey Waldrop, Florida State
C Sarah Draheim, ULL
1B Geri Ann Glasco, Georgia
2B Kaylan Howard, Oregon
3B Kaitlyn Richardson, Minnesota
SS Taylor Thom, Texas
OF Tomeka Watson, Elon
OF Maggie Hull, Kansas
OF A.J. Andrews, LSU
UT/P Jackie Traina, Alabama
UT/Non-P or DP Brooke Short, Longwood
At-Large/P Sara Nevins, South Florida
At-Large/OF Jennifer Gilbert, Ball State
At-Large/C Stephanie Pasquale, Temple
At-Large/2B Ashley Lane, Michigan
At-Large/UT-P Mel Dumezich, Texas A&M
USA Travels To Starkville For First NCAA Regional Tournament Since 2006
There wasn’t any doubt that the South Alabama baseball team was going to make the field of 64 teams for the NCAA Tournament, their first since 2006. But there was hope that the Jags would be hosting a Regional in Mobile. Unfortunately those hopes did not come to fruition on Sunday when the regional locations were announced.
However the Jags will be playing just up the road in Starkville, MS regional as a #2 seed. They will be joined by the host and #1 seed Mississippi State, #3 seed Mercer and #4 seed Central Arkansas.
The Jags ended the regular season as co-champions of the Sun Belt with in-state rival Troy University with a 42-18 record. They were eliminated from the Sun Belt Tournament short of their goal of reaching the championship game, but they will now get ready to face #3 Mercer of the Atlantic Sun Conference at 2pm on Friday. Top seeded MSU will face Central Arkansas at 7pm on Friday. They defeated the Bulldogs earlier in the season.
Single Game tickets are $15 for reserved and $10 for general admission and will be available on Friday, May 31 at noon. All-Tournament passes are $90 for reserved and $50 for general admission and will go on sale Wednesday, May 29 at 8am.
The Jags fell to Mississippi State earlier this season in a close game.
Jags Vs ULL Postponed Until 12:30 Today
South Alabama’s second round game against Louisiana-Lafayette was postponed last night due to inclement weather in the Lafayette area. The game prior between Troy and FAU was suspended in the top of the ninth inning as well.
The Jags and Ragin’ Cajuns have been rescheduled for 12:30pm on today.
Jags Defeat UALR In First Round Of SBC Tournament
South Alabama defeated 7th seeded UALR 10-2 on Wednesday to advance in the Sun Belt Conference tournament. Anthony Izzio went a career-high eight innings while scattering eight hits and just two runs. He struck out three with only one walk for his third win of the season.
Brandon Boyle threw one shutout inning in relief.
A total of five Jaguars recorded multiple hits in the win. Jordan Patterson led the way by going 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Jeff DeBlieux, Nick Zaharion, Bud Collura and Robby Campbell were the others to record multiple hits.
Jags got on the board early by taking a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Patterson and Zaharion both hit RBI singles. Patterson would score later in the inning on a fielder’s choice by Dustin Dalken. Later Dorsey would deliver a sac fly to right-center.
The #2 seeded Jaguars will face tournament host Louisiana-Lafayette at 7:30pm on Thursday in a winner’s bracket game. ULL defeated FIU on Wednesday evening 9-6 to advance.
Jaguar Football Away Tickets On Sale Today
South Paw watches warmups at Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS in 2012.
South Alabama Athletic ticket office announced on Wednesday that road game tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday morning.
2013 South Alabama Football Road Ticket Prices
- Tulane (Sept.7) – $35
- Tennessee (Sept. 28) – $45
- Troy (Oct. 5) – $24
- Texas State (Oct. 26) – $20
- Navy (Nov. 16) – $38
- Georgia State (Nov. 30) – $15
Call the USA Ticket office at 251.461.1USA to order your away tickets today. Orders made through the USA ticket office will be assigned based upon Jaguar Athletic Fund priority points. Tickets for the Jags game against Tennessee will only be available to Season ticket holders in order to be eligibile to purchase tickets for the game.
You can choose to pick up your tickets at the Mitchell Center ticket office at a date yet to be determined or at South Alabama’s Will Call on the day of the game at the host stadium. No tickets will be mailed this year.
Sun Belt Officials Release New Logos
The Sun Belt Conference introduced two new logos for the conference on Tuesday that will begin being used on July 1, 2013. This will replace the existing conference logo that has been in place since 1997.
Along with the new primary and secondary logo, they also introduced a new mantra for the conference which will be the foundation and essece of the new logo, “Together We Rise”.
The new primary logo for the Sun Belt Conference beginning on July 1, 2013.
The new secondary Sun Belt Conference logo that will begin being used on July 1, 2013.
Calvi Named Coach Of The Year, Patterson Named SBC Player Of The Year
South Alabama received more accolades on Tuesday as the Jags baseball team prepare to open their 2013 Sun Belt Conference Tournament campaign against UALR on Wednesday.
Head coach Mark Calvi was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, Jordan Patterson was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and in all seven Jaguars earned All-Conference honors at the SBC Family Fun Night at M. L. “Tigue” Moore Field in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Patterson is the sixth Jaguar all-time to earn the award and the first since David Freese in 2006. The award is voted on by the conference’s coaches. He joins an impressive list of Jaguars who have earned the honor which includes: Mike Zimmerman (1990), Jon Lieber (1992), Marlon Anderson (1995), Juan Pierre (1998) and Freese.
Patterson was also named to the First-Team All-SBC team as a utility player. It is his second consecutive season he has earned All-Conference honors and his first first-team selection. Patterson is a junior.
Joining Patterson is Dustin Dalken (DH) and Robby Campbell (2B) on the first team. Matt Bell (starting pitcher), Kyle Bartsch (relief pitcher), Whitt Dorsey (C) and Nolan Earley (OF) were all named to the second-team All-SBC team.
USA and Louisiana-Lafayette tied for the most all-conference selections with seven each. It also marked the most by a Jaguar squad since the 2006 season when seven Jags were named to the All-SBC team.
Additionally, the Jags were recognized for their share of the regular season championship, the 14th Sun Belt title for the University.
Mark Calvi was honored after the team recognition as the SBC Ron Maestri Coach of the Year. It’s the eighth time a Jaguar head coach has been named the conference coach of the year with Eddie Stanky (1983) and Steve Kittrell (1992, ’96, ’98, 2001, ’03). Coach Calvi led the Jags to a 40-win season, which is the most since the 2003 season, and 20 conference wins which is the most since the Jags 27 in 1999.
Jags Announce Transfer of Danny Woodson To Program From Alabama
Danny Woodson Jr. catching a pass in practice in preparation for the Crimson Tide’s National Championship game. Photo credit: C. W. Griffin | Miami Herald
Head football coach Joey Jones announced a new addition to the South Alabama Football team on Monday. Though, he will have to sit out the 2013 season.
Danny Woodson, a 6’1″ 195-pound wide receiver, signed a grant-in-aid agreement with South Alabama. He was originally recruited by the Jags out of high school then sat out the 2011 season as a redshirt freshman while the University of Alabama won the BCS National Championship.
Last season, Woodson appeared in six games with one catch for nine yards in a 52-0 win over Arkansas in route to winning its second straight national title.
Woodson was a two-time first-team all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association while at LeFlore High School. He was named to the Super 12 by the ASWA as a senior after catching 78 passes for 1,360 yards. He scored 25 touchdowns as a junior.
He was rated a four-star recruit from ESPN.com and was among the top 150 prospects nationally. He was among the top 30 wide receivers in the nation according to ESPN.com (22nd on list), Rivals.com (25th on list) and Scout.com (28th on list). He earned honorable mention by the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern Team and was 64th in the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120. He was also #6 in the Press-Register’s Elite 18.
Woodson was also recruited by Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Texas Tech coming out of high school. His father, Danny Woodson Sr., played quarterback for the Crimson Tide in 1990 and 1991.
He will have two years of eligibility for the Jaguars after sitting out the 2013 season.
South Alabama Sports Weekend Roundup
Softball
On Sunday night, the South Alabama Lady Jaguar softball team’s season came to heartbreaking end. The Jags stared at the scoreboard after the game not believing what happened in the 7-6 loss to Florida State.
The Jags, facing elimination in the first game on Sunday, fought hard behind the pitching of Farish Beard to win 3-0. But in game two, Farish had a five run lead heading into the top of the seventh inning when the game got away. Along with the game went their chance to advance to the super regionals.
Florida State’s Kelly Hensley nailed a grand slam off of the Jaguar Field scoreboard to tie the game in the seventh inning. Pitcher Monica Perry worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh then Victoria East hit a home run over the fence in right center field in the top of the eighth inning to lead FSU to the super regionals in Austin, Texas.
This was South Alabama’s first time to host an NCAA Regional tournament and they were very close in advancing to the super regional. However a stunning comeback by the Seminoles turned the Jags away and gave them hearache that will not heal quickly.
The Jaguars end the season with a 48-9 record overall this season. Of the nine losses, all but one was by one run.
Congratulations on such a great season ladies. Jaguar Nation is very proud of what you accomplished this season.
Baseball
The South Alabama baseball team won one of the three game over the weekend against Troy to earn a share of the Sun Belt Conference regular season title. However, since they shared the title with Troy and had a 1-2 record against them, the Jags will be a #2 seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
USA (40-16 overall, 20-10 SBC) will open the tournament against #7 seeded Arkansas-Little Rock (28-16 overall, 13-17 SBC) at 4pm on Wednesday in Lafayette, Louisiana.
The Jags have more SBC Tournament wins than any other current or former school with 78-50 all-time tournament record.
THe Jags swept a three-game series against UALR earlier this season at Eddie Stanky Field and have a 2-1 record against them in SBC Tournament play.
#1 seeded Troy will face #8 Arkansas State on Wednesday prior to the Jags game against UALR. They also have FAU and WKU on their side of the bracket. While the Jags have UALR, FIU and ULL on their side of the bracket.
The Jags enter the tournament with a RPI of 17, which factors into their chances of hosting a regional tournament.