Houston Baptist baseball takes Great West Conference tournament crown

Photo by Larry Levanti-NJIT Athletic Department

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY (May 26, 2013) In their final competition in the Great West Conference, the No. 3 Houston Baptist Huskies downed No. 1 Northern Colorado Bears by the score of 13-3 to capture their first-ever conference tournament.

The Huskies swept through the tournament, winning four straight games to claim the title in their swan-song of the conference.

Beginning in the 2013-14 season, HBU will move to the Southland Conference and compete against in-state opponents Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Lamar University in addition to teams from Oklahoma and Louisiana.

In the GWC tournament held at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey on May 21-25, 2013, the Huskies downed No. 6 NJIT by the score of 11-6 to advance to the second round.

There, they quickly dispatched in-state opponent No. 2 UT-Pan American, 3-1.

In the third round, HBU faced No. 5 North Dakota and soundly sent them packing by the score of 8-4.

With their three wins, the Huskies advanced to the championship game against No. 1 Northern Colorado Bears.

The Bears had previously dropped an 11-3 decision to North Dakota earlier in the tournament, which put them on the bubble against HBU.

In a must-win game against the Huskies, the Bears could now overcome the bats of their Texas opponents, dropping the game 13-3 to give HBU the title.

The Huskies scored seven runs in the first inning and added insult to injury with two addition runs in each of the third, seventh, and innings to upset the 2013 conference regular season champion.

HBU had five players named to the all-tournament team, including the tournament’s most valuable player.

Senior outfielder Luke Clements was honored at the tournament’s MVP and joined on the elite squad by teammates Tyler Hoelscher, CJ Jarvis, Curtis Jones and Jake Gonzalez.

Also named to the all-tournament team were Chicago State's Andrew Wellwerts and Mattingly Romanin, NJIT's Tom Bouck, North Dakota's Jeff Campbell and Jacob Threlkeld, Northern Colorado's Nick Miller, Jensen Park and Jake Johnson, and Texas-Pan American's Dusten Knight.

The Huskies will now begin to prepare, not only in baseball, but all sports, to compete in the Southland Conference in fall, 2013.

HBU will be fielding their first-ever football team in 2013, playing a seven-game exhibition schedule before competing as a full football member of their new conference in 2014.

All other HBU sports will compete and contend for titles in the Southland Conference beginning later this year.

Central Arkansas wins first Southland Conference baseball tournament, heads to NCAA Regionals

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Roert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS (May 26, 2013)  The Southland Conference has a new baseball tournament champion and the team that won it set a historical milestone that has never been achieved in school history.

Central Arkansas, fresh off the heels of advancing to the championship game by beating Oral Roberts, downed the Southeastern Louisiana Lions by the score of 4-0, to secure their first ever Southland Conference Tournament title at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas on Saturday evening, May 25, 2013

With the win, they will advance to the NCAA tournament with an eye on the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska next month.

The Bears scored three runs in the third inning and added an insurance run in the seventh to take home the tournament title and trophy back to Conway, Arkansas.

Freshman pitcher Conner Gilmore went the distance for Central Arkansas, giving up only two hits for the shutout.

The 6-5, right-handed freshman hurler from Little Rock, Arkansas faced 30 batters and threw 126 pitches for the win; raising his record on the mound to 4-0 for the season.

Central Arkansas tallied their four runs on seven hits while committing a single error.

Southeastern Louisiana finished their 2013 campaign with a 36-24 record and placed two players on the All-Tournament Team.

Freshman first baseman Jameson Fisher and senior outfielder Ladd Rhodes were selected to the elite squad by a vote of the media covering the tournament.

Central Arkansas placed four players, including the tournament Most Valuable Player, on the team.

Senior catcher Michael Marietta, senior third baseman Garrett Brown, and Gilmore were selected as position players on the elite squad.

Senior outfielder Forrestt Allday was named the tournament MVP.

He played in all five of the Bears’ games in the tournament; going 8-for-19 with two runs and one RBI.

Readers can click here for stats from the game.

Dykes On Bykes hold CD release concert-party

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2013 TexSport Publications

WEBSTER, TEXAS (May 26, 2013) Dykes On Bykes recently held their CD release concert and party at Union Tavern in Webster, Texas with fans dancing the night away to a myriad of songs that had everyone jumping.

Describe as a rock, punk rock and high speed rock and roll band, their new CD entitled “WFO” featured four songs.

The songs included “Crash and Burn,” “Grace of Speed,” “Kickstart,” and the CD title song, “WFO.”

The band members, who produce a unique sound that can only come from the band members affection for cars, motorcycles, speed and loud, hard music, put on a great performance which was second to none in the Houston area.

The combination of Matt Fuentes on guitar and vocals, Farrell Jeppesen on guitar, Derrick Mauk on bass and Brad Corona on drums bring an electric, heart pumping sound to the stage that makes it hard to just sit and listen.

Houston based singer-songwriter Sheila Swift
(left) and La Vita Loca Photography's Darla
Tamulitis-Kelly were on hand at Union Tavern
to celebrate Dykes On Bykes latest CD.
(Photo by Robert Kelly)

It was difficult to see anyone at Union Tavern just sitting and listening to the performance.

The area in front of the stage and the adjoining dance floor was packed with fans, jumping up and down in a manner reminiscent of a mosh pit of the 1980s.


Dykes On Bykes were selected as the Best Punk Hard Core Indie Rock Band by 94.5 FM in Houston at the 2012 Texas Buzz Awards.

If you want to hear a foursome of musicians play music which is as big a part of their lives as breathing and eating, check out Dykes On Bykes.

They will definitely get you on your feet and your heart pumping.