FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 12 - 18, 2012

MLB Draft claims three

Three players from HBCUs were picked during the recent Major League Baseball Draft. Leading the pack was Bethune-Cookman pitcher Rayan Gonzalez, who was drafted by the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies picked Gonzalez with the tenth pick in the 21st round, the 648th overall selection. "I think its very exciting, especially with all the hard work Ive done this year," Gonzalez said of the pick. The 64 senior right-hander from Arecibo Puerto, Rico wrapped up his nal year at Bethune-Cookman with a 9-2 record and 2.15 ERA, collecting 82 strikeouts this year. During his career at B-CU, he tallied up a record of 12-8, with 172 strikeouts and a 3.51 ERA in 182.3 innings pitched while donning the Maroon and Gold. During his career as a Wildcat, he logged three complete games and combined on six shutouts. Grambling State shortstop Christopher Wolfe was selected with the 11th pick in the 30th round, 919th overall by the Oakland Athletics. During his career at GSU, Wolfe recorded a .330 batting average, 109 RBI and 83 stolen bases. Wolfe led the Southwestern Athletic Conference during his senior campaign batting .321 with a .473 on-base percentage, 49 walks, 29 RBI and 46 runs scored. His 29 stolen bases ranked him No. 25 in Division I. Clain catcher Donald Smith was taken in the 23rd pick in the 38th round, 1,171st overall by the Boston Red Sox. Smith is the rst MLB draft choice in the history of the school and the second player under Coach James Randall's watch to get an opportunity to play on the professional level. The West Palm Beach Senior led Clain with three home runs, and 29 RBI, in a year that was marred by injury. He played in just 23 games before being sidelined with a hamstring pull. He returned to action in April for the SIAC tournament. Alabama State got a glimpse of its future having four signees selected relatively early in the draft. Shortstop Angel Joshua Ortega was drafted in the sixth round (215th overall) by the Milwaukee Brewers. Outelder Jorge Fernandez was selected in the seventh round (220th overall) by the Minnesota Twins. Right-handed pitcher Malcom Diaz was picked in the 13th round (405th overall) by the San Diego Padres, and second baseman Janluis Castro was selected in the 16th round (516 overall) by the Texas Rangers.

ALLSPORTS WINNERS ALL IN

Grambling State Sports Photo

TIGER TAKE: Grambling shortstop Chris Wolfe one of three HBCU products in 2012 Basball Draft.

GONZALEZ

SWAC, SIAC ANNOUNCE ALL-SPORTS WINNERS; SWAC, MEAC FOOTBALL ON ESPN

UNDER THE BANNER

WHAT'S GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

SMITH

NORFOLK, Va. Norfolk State University Athletics Director Marty Miller announced Friday that he has agreed to a threeyear contract extension through June of 2017. "I am deeply honored to be designated by NSU President Dr. Tony Atwater to serve as the Director of Athletics for the next ve years," said Miller, whose current deal would have expired Norfolk State Sports Photo in June of 2014. "Although I was MILLER considering retiring in the near future, I am touched by his vote of condence in my ability to lead this program to higher heights. This commitment has elevated my competitive nature to another level. I am fortunate to be a member of the Spartan family." The NSU Athletics Department has experienced unprecedented growth in Miller's rst seven years as athletics director. Spartan teams have won 26 MEAC championships since 2005, including a program-best six in 2011-12 alone. The Spartans won their rst-ever MEAC titles in men's basketball, football and women's bowling this past year. The NSU men's basketball team made national headlines by scoring an upset of No. 3 ranked Missouri in the NCAA Tournament in March. The year was culminated by the department winning its eighth straight Talmadge Layman Hill Award as the top men's program in the MEAC. NSU athletes have also performed well in the classroom. The department's graduation rate has increased from 40 to 61 percent over the last seven years. The Spartans have won the rst two FCS Academic Progress Rate awards for having the highest APR score among MEAC football programs. NSU also placed 67 athletes on this year's MEAC All-Academic Team, the most in the department's history. NSU's athletics facilities have also undergone a number of renovations during Miller's tenure. A new state-of-theart track surface was installed at Dick Price Stadium in 2010, and construction is currently underway on two new Daktronics LED video display boards at the stadium. Langston, Okla. Former Heisman Trophy running back and University of Southern California (USC) athletic director Mike Garrett was introduced as the next director of athletics at Langston University at a press conference last week. Garrett spent 17 years as USC's AD before being red in August 2010 following an NCAA investigation into the program. LU Sports Photo He succeeds Patric Simon, who GARRETT resigned in April to become AD at Alcorn State. Garrett will assume the position at Langston in July. "We are pleased that Mr. Garrett has bought into our vision of moving our athletic programs and University to a higher level of competition and visibility," said LU President Kent Smith, Jr. "Langston University has a long-standing history of excellence when it comes to athletics. Whether we are talking about our numerous conference championships in football and basketball, or our national standings in track and eld and cross country, or the rising success of our relatively new softball program, our student-athletes have proven that they have the athletic prowess and mental capacity to compete academically and athletically anywhere in the country," Smith said. Langston competes in the NAIA Central States Football League and Red River Athletic Conference.

NORFOLK STATE EXTENDS MILLER:

BCSP Notes

For the rst time in school history, Benedict has won the SIAC Men's All-Sports Award and for the eighth time in nine years Albany State has captured the Women's All-Sports Trophy. Benedict scored a total of 31 points to capture this years Men's Commissioners Cup, winning a conference title in basketball along with three second place nishes in cross country, track & eld and golf. In second place was Morehouse with a total of 28 points. The Maroon Tigers won conference titles in both cross country and track & eld while nishing third in both tennis and golf, falling just short of their fth consecutive all-sports award. Finishing tied for third in the standing with 17 points each were Paine and Stillman . Paine won a conference title in golf and nished second in baseball while Stillman won the conference title in baseball and nished second in tennis. ASU's Lady Rams, who had their seven year winning streak broken last year, earned a total of 24 points, winning a conference title in track & eld while nishing second in both volleyball and cross country. Kentucky State nished second with 18 points. The Thorobrettes won a conference title in volleyball while nishing third in both cross country and softball. Fort Valley State and Tuskegee nished tied for third in the standings with 17 points each. The Lady Wildcats of FVSU, who won the award last year, nished with a conference title in basketball and second in tennis while the Tuakegee Lady Golden Tigers won a conference title in tennis and nished second in basketball.

Benedict men, Albany State women take home SIAC All-Sports awards

NOTE: (SEE BOX BELOW) Winston-Salem State swept the CIAA All-Sports Awards, the Loretta Taylor (women's) and C.H. Williams (men's) trophies. Hampton won their 11th consecutive MEAC Mary McLeod Bethune Women's All-Sports Trophy while Norfolk State won its eighth straight Talmadge Layman Hill Men's All-Sports Award.

points. Even still, PV outpaced second place Alabama State by 6.5 points in the nal women's standings. The Henry Award is presented for achievement in men's sports within the SWAC. Prairie View won just one men's team title in the 8-sport standings as the baseball team closed out the SWAC championship season this spring with its rst championship since 2007. The Panthers were 16 points better in the men's commissioner's cup race than second place Alabama State. The Frank Award is presented for the combined achievement of the men's and women's programs within the SWAC. Prairie View nished well ahead of second place Alabama State. Mississippi Valley State nished third overall..

Xavier takes GCAC All-Sports Award

Prairie View A&M sweeps SWAC all-sports awards

MIKE GARRETT NEW LANGSTON AD:

Prairie View A&M swept the SWAC's season ending awards for 2011-12 by capturing the Sadie Magee/Barbara Jacket Award, the C.D. Henry Award, and the James Frank Award all of which were presented at the spring meetings. The Magee/Jacket Award is presented for achievement in women's sports within the SWAC. Prairie View won just one team title in the 10-sport standings as the bowling team captured its rst-ever title. The women's basketball tournament title that the Panthers won does not count in the regular season standings, which determines the commissioner's cup

NEW ORLEANS For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana is the winner of the Thomas Howell Cup, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference's all-sports award. The Thomas Howell Cup, named for the GCAC's longtime commissioner, is awarded annually to the school with the most points based on order of nish in various sports. Xavier, boosted by GCAC championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, women's volleyball, women's basketball and men's basketball, nished the year with 44? points. Southern-New Orleans (SUNO) was second with 33 points, and Edward Waters was third with 30?. It's the second time that Xavier has won the award. The athletics department nished in the top three for the past eight seasons. Xavier has won 36 conference/group team championships and earned 27 berths in NAIA national championships during the past seven seasons. Xavier suspended intercollegiate athletics in 2005-06 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In six seasons since then, the Gold Rush (men) and Gold Nuggets (women) have combined for 32 conference/group team championships and 24 berths in NAIA national championships.

2011-12 BLACK COLLEGE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS IN ALL SPORTS

CIAA

CENTRAL INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

BASEBALL Winston-Salem State BASKETBALL Men - Winston-Salem State Women - Shaw BOWLING Fayetteville State CROSS COUNTRY Men - Shaw Women - Winston-Salem State FOOTBALL Winston-Salem State GOLF Fayetteville State INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - St. Augustine's Women - Virginia State OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - St. Augustine's Women - Virginia State SOFTBALL Winston-Salem State TENNIS Men - Shaw Women - Shaw VOLLEYBALL St. Augustine's

BASEBALL Bethune-Cookman BASKETBALL Men - Norfolk State Women - Hampton BOWLING Norfolk Shore CROSS COUNTRY Men - Norfolk State Women - Hampton FOOTBALL Norfolk State INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - Norfolk State Women - Hampton OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - Norfolk State Women - Hampton SOFTBALL Bethune-Cookman TENNIS Men - South Carolina State Women - South Carolina State VOLLEYBALL Maryland-Eastern Shore

MEAC

MID EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

SIAC S A

OUTHERN INTERCOLLEGIATE THLETIC CONFERENCE

BASEBALL Stillman BASKETBALL Men - Benedict Women - Fort Valley State CROSS COUNTRY Men - Morehouse Women - Clark Atlanta FOOTBALL Miles OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - Morehouse Women - Albany State SOFTBALL Miles TENNIS Men - Fort Valley State Women - Tuskegee VOLLEYBALL Kentucky State GOLF Paine

SWAC

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

BASEBALL Prairie View BASKETBALL Men - Miss. Valley State Women - Miss. Valley State BOWLING Prairie View A&M CROSS COUNTRY Men - Grambling State Women - Alabama State FOOTBALL Grambling State GOLF Men - Alabama State Women - Jackson State INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - Grambling State Women - Jackson State OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD Men - Grambling State Women - Alabama State SOFTBALL Miss. Valley State TENNIS Men - Alcorn State Women - Southern VOLLEYBALL Jackson State SOCCER Arkansas-Pine Bluff

BCSP Football Notes

The SWAC has announced its ESPN Network lineup of football games for the upcoming 2012 season. In all, ve SWAC football contests will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks. Kicking off the season is the Labor Day weekend tradition of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, which is presented by ESPN and Disney at Orlando's Citrus Bowl Stadium on Sunday, September 2. The game is set for an 11:00 a.m. (CT) start on ESPN between Alabama State and Bethune-Cookman. Two regular season Thursday night games highlight the SWAC regular season. Southern will play host to Mississippi Valley State on September 13 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU at A.W. Mumford Stadium. A week later on September 20, Arkansas-Pine Bluff travels to Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. to face

SWAC, MEAC ESPN schedules

MEACs ongoing relationship with ESPN. The Thursday night slate kicks off with Morgan State at North Carolina A&T on September 27 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. Hampton will travel to Durham, North Carolina to take on North Carolina Central on October 18 at 7:30 p.m. The televised game will be the rst MEAC sponsored televised event for the Eagles since they returned to the conference last year. The Thursday night lineup wraps up with Morgan State hosting Delaware State at Hughes Stadium on October 25 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The 2012 MEAC football season kicks off on Thursday, August 30 featuring South Carolina State in a matchup against Georgia State.

WINSLOW OUT AT CENTRAL STATE:

Kellen Winslow has been red as the Director of Athletics at Central State University following a four year stint in the position. CSU President John Garland, who hired Winslow in 2008 and is retiring at the end of June, had already informed Winslow that his contract would not be renewed. Jahan Culbreath, CSU's associate athletics director and the Marauders longtime track and eld coach, will serve as the interim athletics director. The new athletics director will be chosen by incoming president Dr. Cynthia Jackson Hammond, currently the provost at Coppin State.
AZEEZ Communications, Inc. Vol. XVIII, No. 46

Alabama State for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU. The nal regular season game on the ESPN family is the traditional Thanksgiving Day matchup between Alabama State and Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic. This year's event is special because it features the grand opening of ASU Stadium for a 3:00 p.m. start on ESPNU. And nally, the 14th annual SWAC Championship Game will be carried live on ESPNU on Saturday, December 8 from Birmingham's Legion Field. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced its 2012 Thursday night football television schedule featuring three matchups scheduled to be televised live on ESPNU. The nationally televised games are a part of the