South Alabama Athletics Weekend Update
Men’s Basketball
The Jaguar Men’s basketball team defeated North Texas at the Mitchell Center on Saturday night 69-57. Four Jags scored in double figures with Javier Carter earning his third career double-double on Senior night.
The Jags started their conference home schedule with a loss, but ended it against North Texas with seven consecutive wins. This improved the Jags to 16-10 overall and 13-5 in Sun Belt Conference play. UNT fell to 11-19 and 6-13 in Sun Belt play.
Senior Wendell Wright set a new career high in scoring with 10 points and a season best five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Mychal Ammons led all scorers with 18 points. Augustine Rubit was held to nine points, but came down with 15 rebounds.
The Jags never trailed in the game.
USA continues to hold onto second place in the conference with a 13-5 record, one game ahead of Arkansas State who clinched the western division title with a 12-6 Sun Belt record.
The Jags basketball team travels to Western Kentucky for a Thurday night tip-off set for 7pm. It will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Women’s Basketball
The Lady Jaguars defeated North Texas 65-61 behind Mansa El’s 19 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in her final game at the Mitchell Center.
The trio of seniors, Mansa El, Camille Reynolds and Mary Nixon combined for 44 points to lead the way for the victory.
The Lady Jags improve to 15-12 overall and 8-10 in Sun Belt play. They are fifth out of six schools in the Sun Belt’s Eastern division, one-half game behind FAU for a tie for fourth place and in eihth place overall in the conference.
The Lady Jags will travel to Western Kentucky and play the Lady Toppers on Wednesday night with tip-off set for 7pm.
Baseball
The Jags set a new school record Friday night at Eddie Stanky Field by defeating former conference foe University of New Orleans 29-6 after a 13 run eighth inning.
Their Saturday game was rained out, but they were able to get in a double-header on Sunday which the Jags sweeped with more modest scores of 4-1 and 5-2.
The Jaguars baseball team improved their record to 7-0 on the season. They will return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday when they travel to Jacksonville, Alabama to face Jacksonville State University for a two-game mid-week series. First pitch for Tuesday’s game is set for 6:30pm at Rudy Abbot Field.
Softball
The Lady Jags traveled to Jacksonville, Florida for the Jacksonville University Tournament. They went 4-0 before their final game was cancelled due to field conditions.
The Jags earned their seventh run-rule win of the season when they defeated Mount St. Mary’s 12-2 in 5 innings in the early Friday game. They then turned around and faced host school Jacksonville University and came away with a 7-0 win.
On Saturday, the Jags had another two game schedule. Their first was against Seton Hall which they earned their eighth run-rule win of the season with an 8-0 win in 6 innings. Their late game on Saturday was against Delaware which they won in a 1-0 decision.
The Lady Jags will be back in action on Thursday when they travel to Tuscaloosa for a make-up game against the University of Alabama. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00pm.
Track and Field
USA had two all-conference performances in the first day of the Sun Belt Conference Indoor Championships on Sunday. They also had a new school record set on the first day.
Nick Farrell came in first place and earned all-conference honors in the men’s pole vault when he cleared 5.00m. While his teammates William Henley and Connor Smith finished as part of a three-way tie for fifth place by vaulting 4.70m.
Briana Aiken also earned all-conference honors in the women’s long jump when she set a new school record of 6.01m. She finished in third place.
Complete results can be found here on the Jaguar Athletics website.
Day two will begin on Monday at 9am.
USA Softball’s Moss Named SBC Player Of The Week
South Alabama Softball outfielder Julie Moss was named Sun Belt Player of the Week for her performance at the Mardi Gras Invitational last weekend hosted in Mobile, AL.
This is Moss’s first time being honored as SBC Player of the Week and the first Jaguar to be named PotW since Brittany Fowler in February of last year.
Moss is from Birmingham, Alabama and led the team with a batting average of .538 over the weekend by going 7-of-13 with four RBI, two doubles and her first homerun of the season. The Jags went a perfect 5-0 over the weekend with her help from the plate.
Moss started 20 games last season and has started eight of the Jaguars nine games this season. She has already tied her mark for runs scored from last season with nine, seven of them coming over the weekend in the Mardi Gras Invitational. She also had 11 hits last season and already has nine this season.
Jags Softball Go 5-0 Over Weekend To Sweep Mardi Gras Invitational
The Jaguar Softball team completed a big weekend in the Mardi Gras Invitational hosted by South Alabama over the weekend. They won all five games over the weekend.
They opened on Friday when they hosted Central Arkansas and defeated them 11-2 in six innings in their second run-rule victory of the week. Seven Jaguars had hits in the game with Hannah Campbell retiring 13 straight Central Arkansas batters.
Then they came back for two games on Saturday. The first against Ole Miss which the Jags won 4-2. The Jags would strike first with two runs in the second inning, then again in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead into the top of the fifth. The Rebels would manage to get onto the board with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth, but would not be able to get any more runs across the plate.
Blair Johnson would double to right center to drive in the Jaguars first two runs. Then Julie Moss would hit a solo home run over the center field wall for the first run in the fourth inning, then freshman Sephanie Pilkington would also hit a solo home run for their fourth run of the game.
The Lady Jaguars then turned around and played Lamar later in the day to an 8-0 win in five innings for their third run-rule victory of the season.
Jessica Dobson and Kaleigh Floore would combine to hold the Cardinals scoreless with only two hits and no walks. While the Jags would score in each of the five innings of play in the game.
On Sunday, The Jags would defeat Central Arkansas again in a 7-4 game. THey would score four runs in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and take a 6-2 lead. Britany Campbell would score the final run of the game for the Jags on an inside-the-park home run for a 7-3 lead.
In the final game of the tournament, the Jaguars would defeat Jackson State 10-2 in five innings for their fourth run-rule game of the season.
Jessica Dobson would pitch four innings of hitless ball while her teammates would build up a 3-0 lead. JSU would finally get on the board with two runs in the fifth. Two runners would get on base with walks and would then be advanced a base by a sacrifice bunt. Both scored on a single to center.
The Jags would answer with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to trigger the run-rule.
The Jags finished a perfect 5-0 on the weekend and improved their record to 8-1 early this season. It’s the best start for the program since it’s inception in 2007.
Hannah Campbell was named the tournament MVP with a tournament record of 1-0 and ERA of 2.03 while striking out eight batters and only allowing eight hits in 10.1 innings pitched.
Jaguar’s Beard Named SBC Pitcher Of The Week
The Sun Belt Conference announced Monday that Jaguar Sophomore pitcher Farish Beard was named the Pitcher of the Week for the opening-week of the season. She is the first Jaguar pitcher to earn this honor since Beth Pilgrim back on May 10, 2010.
Beard went 2-0 in three appearances in South Alabama’s opening weekend at the Bulldog Kickoff Classic in Starkville, Mississippi. She notched 16 strikeouts and only allowed two runs to earn an ERA of 1.02 in 13.2 innings pitched.
She pitched over five innings of hitless ball in six innings against Georgia State. She pitched 3 2/3rds innings in relief for the Jags against Tennessee State, holding them to no hits and struck out five as the Jags rallied to score eight successive runs following her entry into the game. She was also voted a member of the All-Tournament team for her effort over the weekend.
With her help, the Jags have started the season 3-1, the Jags final game of the Classic against Mississippi State, that was scheduled for Sunday, was cancelled due to weather.
Beard hails from Fairhope, Alabama.
The Jags were scheduled to play the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa today, but the game has been postponed due to weather. The next game the Jags are scheduled to play is on Friday, February 15 against Central Arkansas in the Mardi Gras Invitational here in Mobile, Alabama. The Invitational runs through Sunday.
USA Softball Down Mississippi State To Open Season
The South Alabama Softball team earned a big season-opening win over Mississippi State Thursday night in Starkville, Mississippi. The Jags gave up two first-inning runs but battled back to earn a 3-2 win over the bulldogs.
MSU’s third batter to the plate knocked a two-run shot over left center to take the early 2-0 lead over the Jags. The Jaguars could not manage a hit against MSU’s Alison Owen until the fourth inning, but back-to-back doubles by Brittany Fowler and Kaitlyn Griffith followed by a sacrifice fly by Meghan Collins would tie the game at 2-2.
Then the Jaguars designated player Blair Johnson would hit her first collegiate home run over right center to give South Alabama their final score of the game.
Hannah Campbell earned the win for the Jags by pitching three shut-out innings and striking out four of the 10 batters she faced and only allowing one hit.
The Jags, 1-0 on the season, will face Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 4:00pm and Tennessee State at 7:30pm as play continues in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic continues.
Lady Jags Picked 2nd In Conference, Three Players Picked To All-SBC Team
The South Alabama Softball team was chosen to finish second in the regular season behind five-time defending regular-season champion Louisiana-Lafayette this season by a vote by conference head coaches. The Jags are the defending Sun Belt Tournament champions and earned eight of the nine second-place votes.
Also three Lady Jaguar student-athletes were named to the 2013 All-Sun Belt Conference Team on Monday.
Hannah Campbell a junior pitcher, Blair Johnson a sophomore outfielder and Britany Campbell a senior At-Large choice were selected to the 17 person team as voted by conference head coaches.
Hannah finished the season last year with a 2.03 ERA while winning 24 games and striking out 199 batters that she faced while pitching 28 complete games. She earned four consecutive wins in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, striking out 14 batters and had a 0.32 ERA on her way to earning the Most Outstanding Player in the Jags first-ever postseason conference title. In 2011, she was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year then in 2012 she was named Sun Belt Conference Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Also, she is a two-time All-Conference and National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Regional selection. Hannah is from Satsuma, Alabama.
Johnson, coming off of an outstanding freshman season, earned All-Sun Belt Conference in the outfield. She started all 57 games for the Jaguars, was fourth on the team with a .315 batting average, had a slugging percentage of .414, and a .372 on base percentage. She was tied for first on the team with 57 hits and 14 doubles. She accumulated 33 runs, 27 RBI’s, 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. Johnson is from Kimberly, Alabama and Mortimer Jordan HS.
Britany Campbell is a regular in center field for the Jaguars. She recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 2012 while also leading the team in stolen bases with 24. She batted .237, while scoring 24 times and earning 13 RBI’s. She set a Jaguar single-game record for RBI’s in a game against Southeastern Louisiana with six. She had a five-game hit streak and a nine-game on-base streak last season. Britany is from Phoenix, Arizona and Thunderbird HS.
Congratulations and good luck in 2013!
Seven Jag Softball Players Named All-America Scholar Atheltes
The South Alabama softball team had seven team members honored as All-America Scholar Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. This number matches the total number the school has placed on the list since the program began in the 2007-’08 season.
Hannah Campbell, Meghan Collins, Jessica Dobson, Kaitlyn Griffith, Blair Johnson, Katy Neal and Julie Moss were all honored as All-America Scholar Athletes. The honor is given to players submitted by a member coach who achieved a 3.50 GPA or higher during the 2011-2012 academic year.
Collins has been honored three times now, earning the honor each year she has attended South Alabama. Campbell and Moss, both juniors, have been selected twice each.
“These awards are a testament to the work ethic and focus of these young ladies,” Jaguar head coach Becky Clark said. “The amount of time and energy it takes to play a Division I sport and take care of business in the classroom is tremendous, so for these young ladies to excel the way they have is remarkable. I am extremely proud of the way they represent our program and the University of South Alabama.”
In October, South Alabama was ranked 37th on the 2011-’12 list of NCAA Division I All-Academic Teams by the NFCA. This was a 12 place improvement from the previous season and the best ranking in the program’s short history.
USA Softball Team Earns All-Academic Team Honors
The South Alabama Softball team earned All-Academic team award from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
They were ranked 37th, up 12 spots from last season, as the Jags earned a 3.32 GPA. Since the program began in 2007, South Alabama’s program has either been ranked in the top-50 or had a handful of individuals named to the All-Academic Scholar Athletes by the NFCA.
“I am extremely proud of our student-athletes and their effort in the classroom,” said Jags head coach Becky Clark. “I think it says a lot about the kind of young ladies we have in our program for them to have had the success they did on the field, but to also have had that same success in the classroom. They are truly student-athletes and they do a tremendous job representing our program and South Alabama.”
Jaguars Soccer Season Finale, Senior Night On Friday At The Cage
The South Alabama Jaguars soccer team will be hosting Troy on Friday at 7pm at The Cage. This will be the regular season finale for the team.
It is also Senior night where two Jaguar seniors, Natalie Parsons and Rylle Pannell will be honored before the game. In addition, the Jags will be wearing pink uniforms in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
The Jags, (8-8-3, 3-4-2 SBC) has a conference total of 11 points, good for sixth best in the conference. They took four points during their Louisiana road trip last week with a 4-0 win over ULM and a 1-1 double-overtime tie at ULL.
Troy (8-9-2, 3-5-1 SBC) is one point behind the Jags in seventh place with wins last week over both ULM and ULL to earn it’s fourth consecutive SBC Tournament berth. Three points by either team could translate into a higher seed in the tournament as well.
Come out to The Cage on Friday for the 7pm game and support your Jags!!
Lady Jags Soccer Annual Alumni Game Set For Saturday
The Jaguar Soccer team will unofficially open its 2012 season with the annual Alumni game. The Jags will take on USA Soccer Alumni at The Cage on Saturday evening at 7pm.
The Jags will officially open the season against Nicholls State on Friday August 17 when they begin their non-conference schedule. Last year, the Lady Jags scored five goals against the alumni with returning midfielder Morgan Motes scoring one of them. This game will serve as a soft opening to the season.
Head Coach Mike Varga spoke about his team. “The biggest difference this year, as opposed to the past two, is that we have a lot of returning players who have two years of experience. We’ve moved along a lot faster than we have in the past couple of years. We still have a long way to go, but I’m happy with our progress and I think we’re where we need to be at this point.”
Lots of rain last season led to less than ideal playing surface last year at The Cage, but it did not stop fans, parents and Alumni from participating in the annual event. “I’ve gotten confirmation from about 30 (alumni) saying they’re coming back,” Varga explained. “They’re actually talking a little smack that they’re going to come and compete well against us. Usually, in the first 10 minutes, they do a pretty good job and then fade the last 80, but it’s always fun to see the girls and the guys that played and have a history here. It should be a lot of fun, and hopefully the weather will hold off.”
All home soccer matches are free to ALL attendees throughout the season. The Cage is located on Old Shell Road just east of Stanky field and next to the Lady Jaguar Softball Field.