FOOTBALL
Harding-SAU to be shown on CBS Sports
A Great American Conference football game will make its way to a national stage for the first time next fall.
CBS Sports Network announced Monday its 2013 schedule of NCAA Division II football games. Among the six games will be the Oct. 3 meeting between Harding and Southern Arkansas. The Thursday night game will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium in Magnolia.
It will be the first time a game between GAC teams will be played on national TV.
Harding finished 9-2 last season and reached the Division II playoffs for the first time before losing to Northwest Missouri State in the first round. Southern Arkansas finished 8-3, its most victories in almost a decade, and lost to McMurry University in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl.
The game was originally scheduled for Oct. 5 as Southern Arkansas’ homecoming game. Instead, its homecoming game will be Nov. 2 against Ouachita Baptist.
BASEBALL Huffman honored by Sun Belt
UALR senior Blake Huffman was named Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
Huffman, from Tyler, Texas, took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of the Trojans’ 10-5 victory at Florida Atlantic on Sunday. He gave up 2 runs on 4 hits in 8 2/3 innings to earn his team-leading sixth victory. Huffman is 6-3 on the season with a 3.98 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings pitched.
It’s the second consecutive week a UALR pitcher has won the honor, after Chance Cleveland was named Pitcher of the Week last week.
SAU advances to GAC title game
Top-seed Southern Arkansas beat Henderson State 7-0 in an elimination game in the Great American Conference tournament in Enid, Okla., on Monday afternoon and Harding beat Arkansas Tech 14-8 at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
Southern Arkansas then beat Arkansas-Monticello 11-2 on Monday night to advance to the GAC championship game.
David Harris hit two home runs for the Muleriders (39-15), who will face either Harding or Arkansas-Monticello at 3:30 p.m. today.
Jon Mark-Abbey Abbey scattered 5 hits and struck out 3 in the complete-game shutout to improve to 8-3 for the Muleriders. They scored a run in the first and one in the third off Henderson State starter Dustin Hudson, then scored three runs in the seventh and two in the ninth off reliever Jordan Wright while taking advantage of four Henderson State errors.
Brady Capshaw went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI and Ryan Dardenne went 1 for 5 with 2 RBI for the Muleriders. Austin Coble and Taylor Coleman each went 2 for 3 for the Reddies, whose season ended with a 24-27 record.
Harding (29-21) scored four runs in the third and four in the fifth to spark a victory over Arkansas Tech. The Bisons collected 19 hits and will play Arkansas-Monticello at noon today.
Jeremy Bohnett went 3 for 6 with 4 RBI and 2 RBI with a three-run home run for the Bisons, while Kyle Atkins and Gabe Fyock each had four hits. Fyock also drove in four runs.
All-Arkansas nominations sought
Nominations for the All-Arkansas Baseball and Softball teams are currently being accepted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Coaches are asked to submit their players’ statistics by fax to 1-501-378-3869 or by email to [email protected].
Please include the players’ class, position, the following batting statistics: At-bats, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, stolen bases and batting average; and the following pitching statistics: Innings pitched, win-loss record, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, strikeouts and earned run average.
An All-Sophomore team will also be selected.
Coaches may submit all players to be included in the end of the year statistics. Deadline is May 17.
Sports, Pages 21 on 05/07/2013