Written by David Mann

5/10/2012 (ALBANY) –Six Darton College baseball student-athletes earned All-Region XVII honors, the GCAA

Casey James

announced today.

The GCAA named Cavalier first-baseman Casey James co-Defensive Player Of The Year along with Georgia Perimeter College’s John Fidanza (tie). James, a freshman from Brunswick, was also named a member of the All-Region Gold Glove Team with teammates Bryant Alonso, a second-baseman from Valdosta, and outfielder Parker Nix.

Nix, a sophomore from Adel, also received All-Conference, 2^ndTeam honors with teammate Cody Wofford, of McDonough.

Parker Nix

Sophomore pitcher Matt Aldrich and outfielder Kevin Manos earned All-Conference, 1^st Team honors.

”I am extremely proud of our season and how far we have come in such a short amount of time,” said Darton College baseball coach, Scot Hemmings, who took over the Cavalier baseball program in the fall. “The All-Conference awards and gold glove selections are direct results of each of these players’ work ethic and dedication to baseball.

“I am proud as I sit back and reflect on each player and his growth as a student-athlete and young

Cody Wofford

man throughout the season.”

These individual ball players drew a lot of positive attention to a rejuvenated Darton baseball program.

For weeks Aldrich and Manos led the NJCAA in strikeouts and RBI, respectively, while James is one of the leading defensive players in the nation. He currently has a .997 fielding percentage and 316 put outs.

Matthew Aldrich

And as a team, the program earned its first national ranking, going as high as No. 12 and spending six weeks in the top 25. The Cavs broke school records in most wins in a season (36), RBI, team RBI, team stolen bases, individual hit-by-pitches and individual at-bats.

Kevin Manos

The Cavaliers spent seven weeks at the top of the GCAA, and entered the conference tournament this past Friday, as the No. 3 seed.

2012 GCAA All-Region Baseball

Bryant Alonso

Player of the Year: JB Wendelken MGC

Coach of the Year: Craig Young

Defense Player of the Year: Co-Winners John Fidanza GPC, Casey James DC

All Conference Team

1st Team

Pitchers: Matthew Aldrich – DC, Sam Agnew-Wieland MGC

Closer: JB Wendelken – MGC

Catcher: John Fidanza – GPC

INF: Wes Armstrong – GPC, Blake Shouse – MGC, Nate Crown – EGC, Dusty Davis – WGT

OF: David Van Horn – GPC, Kevin Manos – DC, Bo Way – MGC

DH: Jake Fields – MGC

2nd Team

Pitchers: Joseph Boatwright – MGC, Monte Reese – GPC

Closer: Christian Turnipseed – GPC

Catcher: Dylan Kelly – MGC

INF: Bobby Woodall – GC, Nate Ferrell – AC, Cody Wofford – DC, McLendon Hill – GPC

OF: JD Sabo – SGC, Parker Nix – DC, Aaron Mizell – GC

DH: Antonio Allen – GPC

2012 All-Region Gold Glove Team

P   Andrew Fessler   GC

C   John Fidanza     GPC

1B  Casey James      DC

2B  Bryant Alonso    DC

3B  Dusty Davis      WGT

SS  Grant Massey     GC

OF  John Wesley      EGC

OF  Parker Nix       DC

OF  Tyler Bashlor    SGC

Written by David Mann

5/7/2012 (ALBANY) – The Darton College Cavaliers will face East Georgia College in the first round of the GCAA tournament on Friday, at 3:30 p.m., in Covington.

The tournament is scheduled to be webcast live via this link: http://www.gcaa-sports.org/main/news.php?id=205.

The Cavaliers enter the tournament as the No. 3-seed after finishing 1-3 in a series with Georgia Perimeter College, who hosts the GCAA tournament. The Cavs swept No. 6-seed East Georgia College during the regular season.

Darton head coach Scot Hemmings said that although he originally wanted a higher seeding and a first-round bye, he sees the first game with East Georgia as a positive position for the Cavs.

“It will give us a chance to get into tournament mode,” he said. “Sometimes it takes four or five innings to remember that hey – if you get beaten, you go home.”

A win Friday would put Darton up against No. 2-seed Georgia Perimeter, Saturday, at 3:30 p.m.

Written by David Mann

4/23/2012 (ALBANY) – In a three-day tournament that began with perfect conditions Friday, endured heavy rains Saturday, and ended with extreme winds on Sunday, Darton golf proved that it is the best program in the conference - for the 11th consecutive year.

Darton totaled 866 strokes, which was 40 better than Region XVII runner-up Gordon College, who finished with 906. ABAC finished third with 930 strokes, Georgia Military College finished fourth with 990, and Andrew College finished fifth with 996 strokes.

Darton sophomore Joe Sakulpolphaisan shot 69, 67, 72 to finish 8-under par and tournament medalist. Darton freshman Chase Jones was tournament runner-up, shooting 73, 74, 72 and 3-over par.

Darton’s Shad Tuten and Nick Green finished 4-over, and tied for third place.

And Darton 1st-year head coach Bill Jones III was named Region XVII Coach Of The Year.

The Cavaliers will travel to the NJCAA Div. 1 Golf Championship in Newton, Kan. The tournament begins May 15, at Sand Creek Station Golf Course.

Complete scoring can be found at http://golfstat.com/2011-2012/men/mtoursp12/M3137.htm

Medalist Joe Sakulpolphaisan, left, and Region XVII Coach Of The Year Bill Jones III figure the 18^th hole at Stonebridge Golf Course in the first round of the GCAA tournament on Friday.

The Albany State University Golden Rams hope to bring the 2012 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) baseball championship title home as they compete during the SIAC Baseball Tournament, which kicks off Thursday in Ozark, Ala. The championship tournament is Thursday, April 26, through Sunday, April 29, at Eagle Memorial Park in Ozark.

Only the top four teams in the East and West divisions were invited to participate in the double-elimination tournament. The Golden Rams enter as the No. three East seed. Other participating teams from the East Division are the No. 1 Claflin University Panthers, No. 2 Paine College Lions, No. 4 Benedict College Tigers. West Division teams include No. 1 Stillman College Tigers, No. 2 Miles College Bears, No. 3 Kentucky State University Thorobreds and No. 4 Tuskegee University Golden Tigers.

Baseball tournament action begins Thursday at 9 a.m. with Claflin against Tuskegee. The Golden Rams will play Miles College at 12 p.m., and Stillman and Benedict will play at 3 p.m. The nightcap features Paine against Kentucky State at 6 p.m. The winner of the Albany State-Miles game will play the winner of the Claflin-Tuskegee game on Friday at 3 p.m. The championship game is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner will represent the SIAC in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament in May.

For more information about the tournament, results and updates throughout the event, visit the baseball championship page at www.thesiac.com. Follow the SIAC on Twitter (@TheSIAC) and ‘like’ the SIAC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/thesiac) for the latest scores and updates.

2012 SIAC Baseball Championship Schedule:

Thursday, April 26

Game 1 – 9:00 am – #1E Claflin vs. #4W Tuskegee
Game 2 – 12:00 pm – #2W Miles vs.#3E  Albany State
Game 3 – 3:00 pm – #1W Stillman vs. #4E Benedict
Game 4 – 6:00 pm – #2E Paine vs. #3W Kentucky State

Friday, April 27

Game 5 – 9:00 am – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6 – 12:00 pm – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 7 – 3:00 pm – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 8 – 6:00 pm – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Saturday, April 28

Game 9 – 9:00 am – Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 10 – 12:00 pm – Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 11 – 3:00 pm – Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
Game 12 – 6:00 pm – Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10

Sunday, April 29

Game 13 – 10:00 am – Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
Game 14 – 1:00 pm – Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13

Monday, April 30

**Game 15 – 10:00 a.m.

**If necessary (Game will be played only if ‘Winner of Game 11’ loses in Game 14)

 Written by David Mann

4/19/2012 (CLEVELAND) – The National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrators announced Darton College Athletics as No. 3 among the winter leaders of the 2011-12 NATYCAA Cup Standings.

Darton’s winter sports include women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s wrestling. All of Darton’s winter programs produced NJCAA All-American student-athletes in the 2011-2012 season, culminating in freshman swimmer Anna Macht’s national championship title in the 400 IM.

“Again the hard-work and dedication of our student-athletes, coaching staff and our very supportive faculty and staff at Darton College has led to another successful athletic season that has brought this national recognition to our campus,” said Dr. Mike Kiefer, director of athletics at Darton.

Darton garnered 84.5 points in the scholarship college division poll. Iowa Central Community College led with 123.0 total points. Monroe Community College (New York) ranked second with 92.5 points.

The Iowa Central and Monroe athletic programs house sports not offered at Darton, such as men’s basketball and hockey, which may have contributed to their higher point totals.

Darton’s fall sports programs finished No. 4 overall in a previous poll by the NATYCAA.

Darton’s ongoing spring sports – baseball, softball and golf – are all currently ranked nationally.

Written by Edythe Bradley

The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has announced its 2012 Softball All-Conference teams and two Albany State University Lady Rams were selected for the honor. ASU sophomore catcher Chaconna Marks and freshman pitcher Chelsea Hicks were named to the teams, which were selected by the SIAC’s Softball Coaches Association. Marks was selected for first-team honors, while Hicks was named to the second team.

Marks, who leads the Lady Rams with 144 at bats, 48 hits, including eight doubles and three triples, has posted a .333 batting average, along with a .493 slugging percentage. The Covington, Ga. native has scored 29 runs, including three home runs, with 25 RBI. Defensively, Marks has recorded a .944 fielding percentage with 119 put-outs with 49 assists.

A Marietta, Ga. native, Hicks has recorded 33 hits, including two home runs and six doubles, with a .306 batting average and .417 slugging percentage. She has scored 15 runs and driven in 23 runs. Hicks was solid on defense for the Lady Rams, striking out 71 batters in 166.2 innings. She has a .989 fielding percentage with 48 put-outs and 40 assists.

Marks is joined on the first team by 2012 SIAC Player of the Year Bailey Braughton of Stillman College, Freshman of the Year Markea Sheppard of Claflin University and Pitcher of the Year Ashley Savage of Stillman College. Pam Phillips of Stillman College was named SIAC Coach of the Year. Phillips led the Lady Tigers to a 32-13 overall record and a 23-3 record in the SIAC to win the west division regular season title.

Marks and Hicks look to lead the Lady Rams to the 2012 SIAC Softball Championship title during the tournament, which starts today in Hampton, Ga. The Lady Rams, who enter the tournament as the No. 1 team in the East Division, will play at 2 p.m. at the Gerald Matthews Sports Complex against the winner of the Fort Valley State University vs. Lane College game.

2012 SIAC Softball All-Conference Team

First Team
Chaconna Marks Sophomore C Albany State University
Lakeeya Ramsey Junior P/2B Benedict College
Ashley Brooks Senior P Clark Atlanta University
Markea Sheppard Freshman 3B Claflin University
Shenaaz Burrell Senior P/IF Kentucky State University
Tiffany Roberts Junior SS Miles College
Aubree Holt Sophomore C Stillman College
Bailey Braughton Junior SS Stillman College
Ashley Savage Sophomore P Stillman College
Latifah Kelly Sophomore P Tuskegee University

Second Team
Chelsea Hicks Freshman P Albany State University
Nicolette Anderson Junior UT Clark Atlanta University
Emily Arnold Senior SS Claflin University
Jessica Buchanan Junior 3B/C Fort Valley State University
Danielle Garay Junior P/OF Kentucky State University
Lorena Villamar Junior IF/P Kentucky State University
Janzze Gonzales Sophomore IF Lane College
Diamond Moore Freshman IF/OF Lane College
Terri Roberts Junior OF Miles College
Ashia Spence Senior 3B/P Tuskegee University

Player of the Year: Bailey Braughton, Stillman College
Freshman of the Year: Markea Sheppard, Claflin University
Utility Player of the Year: Janzze Gonzales, Lane College
Starting Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Savage, Stillman College
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Danielle Garay, Kentucky State University
Coach of the Year: Pam Phillips, Stillman College

Written by Edythe Bradley

Albany State University’s Patrick Smith was named the East Division Baseball Player of the Week by the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) after his outstanding performances in baseball games last weekend. The junior right fielder from Lithonia, Ga. earned the honor after leading the Golden Rams to a 2-1 record against conference foe, Benedict College on April 14-15.

Smith went 5-for-7 from the plate with a home run and two doubles in the three games, finishing with a .714 batting average and a 1.429 slugging percentage for the week. He scored three runs and drove in another nine runs with one stolen base. Smith, who was perfect in the field, also had a .750 on-base percentage while helping the Golden Rams take two of three against the Tigers.

Claflin University pitcher Darryl White was selected as the SIAC Baseball East Division Pitcher of the Week. Stillman College third baseman Paul Winterbottom and pitcher Taylor Gregory were named SIAC Baseball West Division Player of the Week and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

White pitched seven innings with seven strikeouts and just two walks in one appearance to earn his second weekly honor this season. The junior from Walterboro, SC finished the week with a 1-0 record, while giving up no earned runs and just four hits in the Panthers’ 18-0 win over Morehouse.

Winterbottom, a native of Calera, Ala., earned his second weekly honor this season after going 11-for-20 with two home runs and three doubles to finish the week with a .550 batting average and a 1.000 slugging percentage. The junior also scored seven runs along with six RBI and a stolen base a three-game sweep over conference-foe LeMoyne-Owen College.

A junior from Gordo, Ala., Gregory pitched seven innings with an impressive 14 strikeouts and just three walks in one appearance. He went 1-0 for the week, leading the Tigers to an 11-3 win over LeMoyne-Owen.

Smith and the Golden Rams will close regular season play against the Paine College Lions in a three-game series on Saturday, April 21, and Sunday, April 22, at Golden Rams Park. First pitch is 12 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Written by David Mann

4/10/2012 (ALBANY) - Darton College basketball star Michelle Mitchell is an All American, Honorable Mention, the NJCAA announced today.

The 5’9” freshman guard from Eastman was recognizable force on both ends of the court, and with tremendous speed she led her Lady Cavaliers in points, field goals, rebounds and steals.

“Michelle proved game in and game out that she was one of the top junior college players in the country,” Darton basketball head coach Lea Henry said. “It’s well deserved; Michelle had a phenomenal freshman season and she was so very consistent.”

Mitchell led the GCAA conference in 2-point field goals – shooting 49 percent to sink a whopping 193 2-pointers during the 2011-2012 season.

She finished with 448 total points and averaged 17.2 points per game. She also snagged 252 rebounds, averaging 9.7 per game, and was a two-time GCAA “Player Of The Week” selection.

Mitchell is the second All-American student-athlete to come from the Darton College basketball program. Latrelle Corker was named All American Third Team in 2000.

 Darton’s Michelle Mitchell was named to the NJCAA All American basketball team

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Written by David Mann

4/11/2012 (ALBANY) – It must have been a long spring break at the NJCAA national office in Colorado.

In the bi-weekly poll announced by the NJCAA today, Darton College baseball fell from 12^th to 20^th, while conference-rival Middle Georgia College – who’s three games behind Darton – moved up to No. 13.

It’s surprising. Maybe the NJCAA slept through last week while Middle Georgia lost two games to East Georgia College, whom Darton College swept in a 3-game series in Swainsboro in March.

But Darton head coach Scot Hemmings, whose Cavaliers had never found themselves in the national poll prior to his taking over the program this season, remains focused.

“I’m proud we’re still in the top 20,” he said. “It speaks volumes about the direction we’re headed. The overall goal is to win the conference championship, and we’re up by three games.”

The Cavaliers earned their 32^nd season win last Tuesday vs. Wallace Dothan, leaving the Cavs three wins away from beating the program-record 34 wins set in 2005.

Written by David Mann

4/17/2012 (MELBOURNE, Fla.) – The Darton College Cavaliers finished 21 strokes behind the NJCAA District II Championship leader after the first two rounds of golf action Monday.

The Cavs struggled in their first two rounds and closed with 299 and 306 strokes, respectively, to slip into fourth place. Tournament host Brevard College, of Melbourne, Fla., led No. 1-ranked Meridian Community College by five strokes as the tournament resumed this morning.

The tourney should end around 3 p.m. today. The top seven teams qualify for the NJCAA national championship, scheduled for May 13, at Sand Creek Golf Club in Newton, Kan.

“We pretty much shot ourselves out of a chance to win, but we’re in decent shape to qualify,” head golf coach Bill Jones said.

High winds beat his Cavaliers down on Monday, he said.

“It was already blowing 15 mph at 7:30 (a.m.),” he said. “It ate at them mentally and physically.”

Even Darton’s mighty Joe Sakulpolphaisan, currently the No. 1 golfer in the NJCAA, never had a good round Monday. Leading the Cavs, he birdied his last three holes to finish the first round 1-over at 71, but he later bogied the last three holes of round two and shot a 74.

“From top to bottom, nobody did what they usually do,” Jones said.