Baseball Beats Oral Roberts on Walk-Off Balk

AUSTIN, Texas (March 31, 2009) The No. 9 Texas Longhorns scored the game-winning run on a balk in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Oral Roberts 5-4 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday evening.

With two outs and the scored tied 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Brandon Loy drew a walk and stole second base. The Golden Eagles were attempting to intentionally walk Michael Torres when the ball-three pitch sailed wild and allowed Loy to move to third. Oral Roberts continued the walk of Torres to put runners at the corners. Pinch-hitter David Hernandez stepped to the play and before seeing a pitch ORU's Jameson Dunn stepped off and faked to first, inciting the balk call from first base umpire Tim Henderson for the game-winning run.

The two teams battled to a scoreless tie through six innings before the Longhorns broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the seventh. Tant Shepherd hit a lead-off single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Preston Clark. Tim Maitland pinch-ran for Shepherd and Kevin Keyes and Kyle Lusson followed with walks to load the bases. Travis Tucker singled through the left side of the infield to plate Maitland and Loy was hit by a pitch to drive in Connor Rowe who was pinch-running for Keyes. Torres inflated the cushion to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly and the Horns completed the scoring when Tucker scored on a wild pitch.

The Longhorns appeared headed to their sixth shutout of the season with closer Austin Wood on the mound before hitting a rough patch in the top of the ninth. Robert Barbosa drew a leadoff walk and Colby Price singled to rightfield to spark the Oral Roberts rally. Danny Duffy hit a possible double-play grounder but the ball's path was interrupted by Wood and resulted in an infield single. Tyler Garewal hit a sacrifice fly to leftfield to cut the lead to 4-1 and Juan Martinez followed with a double to the gap in left centerfield to plate Price. The Golden Eagles cut the lead to one run with a sacrifice fly by Seth Furmanek and ORU tied the game with a single through the left side by Michael Notaro.

Despite the four runs in the top of the ninth, the pitching was the bright spot of the evening for the Longhorns who recorded 12 strikeouts. Taylor Jungmann weaved 2.0 innings of scoreless ball as the starter. He allowed one hit and two walks, but fanned five Golden Eagles. Andrew McKirahan added 2.0 shutout innings, yielding two hits and one walk while striking out three. Stayton Thomas and Keith Shinaberry worked a scoreless fifth inning before handing the ball to Kendal Carrillo in his first-ever appearance as a Longhorn. Carrillo worked 2.0 shutout innings, scattering two hits while striking out three. The win was credited to Wood (4-0) who worked a scoreless eighth inning before the wheels fell off the wagon in the ninth.

Dunn (1-3) was saddled with the loss for Oral Roberts, allowing one run on two walks and two strikeouts over 1.2 innings. Mark Serrano put in a solid effort as the starter, with 5.0 innings of shutout baseball, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out six. Spencer Roberts withstood most of the damage for the Golden Eagles, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks over 1.1 innings.

Tucker paced the Texas offense, going 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI.

Martinez, Barbosa and Price each had two hits for the Golden Eagles.

Texas returns to action on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. game at Oklahoma State. The game kicks off a three-game Big 12 series in Stillwater with Saturday's game slated for 2 p.m. and Sunday's contest scheduled for 1 p.m.

Softball's Doubleheader vs. Sam Houston Moved to Wednesday

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 30, 2009) The University of Houston softball team will travel to Huntsville, Texas Wednesday to compete in a doubleheader that was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was moved due to rain in the forecast. The doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. at Bearkat Softball Complex on Wednesday.

The Cougars enter the doubleheader 13-16 after losing to Missouri twice last week. Houston lost the first game, 9-1 and the second, 4-2.

Senior Elaina Nordstrom continues to top the Cougars in batting average with .368. She is also tied with senior Laurie Wagner for the team lead in RBI with 23.

Senior Katie Bush is batting .302 with 26 hits and one double this season. Senior Jessica Valis leads with the most hits this season at 30, while freshman Melissa Gregson has belted a team-best six home runs.

Sophomore Baillie Lott is leading in the circle with an ERA of 3.21 and a 6-6 record. Sophomore Amanda Crabtree has 106 strikeouts, and holds the third spot for striking out the most batters looking in the Conference USA.

The Bearkats (14-15) enter the games after going 2-1 against conference rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi last weekend.

Hailey Wiginton leads Sam Houston with her 31 hits, batting average of .326, and 20 runs scored. Mandy Gegen is the team-leader in RBI (12) and home runs (four), while Sarah Parich is the leader in doubles with seven.

Alex Survant has the second-highest batting average at .304 and 21 hits this season, two of which are doubles and two others home runs.

In the circle, the Bearkats look to Morgan Mikulin and Brandi Crnkovic. Mikulin has a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 1.79, while Crnkovic has a record of 6-7 and an ERA of 2.39. Crnkovic leads the team in strikeouts with 51.

Fans can watch live stats by clicking the Gametracker link on the softball page of UHCougars.com. Check UHCougars.com for complete recap following Wednesday's games.

Following Wednesday's doubleheader, Houston will host UAB in a three-game conference series Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and conclude play on Sunday at 1 p.m.

IFEST ANNOUNCES MUSIC LINEUP FOR 2009 EVENT IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON SPOTLIGHTING IRELAND

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 29, 2009) The 2009 Houston International Festival, honoring Ireland, is proud to announce the music lineup showcasing a host of top artists from around the globe. The 38th annual Festival returns to downtown Houston April 18-19 and 25-26, 2009, featuring continuous music, dance and cultural performances on 12 stages.

Headlining the Bud Light World Music Stage in Lower Sam Houston Park are funk legends the Ohio Players, April 18; soul/gospel queen Mavis Staples, April 19; South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela, April 25; and Chicano roots-rockers Los Lobos, hosting the festival’s “Celtic/Conjunto” finale, April 26. International acts include Nigeria’s Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Puerto Rico’s Plena Libre, Jamaica’s Rootz Underground and the Wailing Souls, Guinea’s Alpha YaYa Diallo and Quebec’s Chic Gamine, joined by Louisiana’s homegrown R&B/soul crooner Marc Broussard. Each year, iFest’s World Stage puts the best of world music next to the finest American roots music to demonstrate how music can communicate across cultural and linguistic barriers. This year’s lineup is one of our greatest yet.

Traditional Celtic music and dance will be showcased on Center Stage, built over the Reflection Pool in front of Houston’s City Hall. Headliners include Ireland’s hottest new band, Beoga, from County Down; Boston’s celebrated Irish-American lasses, Cherish the Ladies; and Scotland’s enchanting Gaelic thrush, Julie Fowlis. These incredible artists will be joined each night by an all-star team of Houston’s champion Irish dancers, drawn from the local troupes McTeggart, O’Maoileidigh and Cass. While guests enjoy the fantastic entertainment lineup on Center Stage, unique eats will be close by in the surrounding food court.

After a five-year absence, the Texas Stage returns to the Library Plaza in 2009, thanks to a generous grant from the Houston Endowment. The programming on this stage recreates the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s salute to Texas music, with headliners Marcia Ball, April 18; CJ Chenier, April 19; Little Joe y la Familia, April 25; and Los Tres Reyes de Accordiones with Flaco Jimenez, Joel Guzman and Jaime deAnda, April 26. The carefully curated lineup represents the state’s unique country, blues, gospel, Hispanic and Cajun heritage, including El Paso’s fabulous Mariachi Los Arrieros, Big Spring’s legendary Jody Nix and the Texas Cowboys, Bay City’s spirit-raising Jones Family Singers, Austin singer-songwriter Terri Hendrix, San Antonio’s conjunto accordion kings Los Texmaniacs and Houston’s own ageless blues guitar hero, Texas Johnny Brown. The Houston International Festival is proud to bring the Smithsonian’s hugely successful musical tribute in Washington D.C. back to the Lone Star State.

The Louisiana Stage in Tranquility Park will feature the distinctive Gulf Coast musical gumbo audiences. Dance to the world’s best Cajun and zydeco bands, including BeauSoleil, Keith Frank, Step Rideau, J. Paul Jr., Lil Brian Terry, Lil Malcolm, Cedric Watson, Feufollet and the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Step out to New Orleans second-line funk with Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Soul Rebels and the Zulu Connection Mardi Gras Indians. Groove to the Gulf Coast blues of Sherman Robertson, Mike Zito and Ezra Charles. This stage is one of the most popular Festival destinations.

The Irish Pub Stage, located on the front steps of Houston City Hall, will serve up world-class Irish sessions hosted by the great fiddler from County Cork, Kevin Burke, along with authentic Irish pub grub and brew. Joining Kevin and his trio each day will be top regional Irish and Celtic artists such as Danny O’Flaherty, Lonestar Stout, Clandestine and Constant Billy, as well as acoustic Texas artists the Quebe Sisters Band, Les Amis Creole, Charles Thibodeaux and the Gillette Brothers. Each day, a programming segment will be dedicated to Texas artists meeting Irish artists to demonstrate the Celtic connection to regional country, Cajun and Creole traditions.

The Chron.com Houston Stage, on the patio on the backside of City Hall, is a great place for Festival-goers to camp out for a few hours, enjoy the shade and a cold beverage while listening to a variety of music genres. At this year’s Festival, the stage will present a stylistically diverse mix of the top local and regional bands, including Irish rockers the Blaggards, the Killdares and Needfire; honky-tonker James Hand; gospel shouters the Original Soul Invaders; polka stompers Mark Halata & Texavia; and Zydeco party hounds Big Red & the Playmakers and the Zydeco Dots.

The H-E-B Cultural Stage and the Gaelic Stage, both located in the Living Museum area of Upper Sam Houston Park, represent the cultural heart of this year’s Irish theme. From harps, bagpipes and story-telling bards to Irish step-dance lessons, cooking demonstrations and literary readings, these stages honor the ongoing ancestral connection between Ireland and the Irish in America. Each Festival day will kick-off with a marching bagpipes band parade from the Gaelic Stage to Center Stage.

The Latin Stage, which alternates set times in Library Plaza with the Texas Stage, features a culturally diverse mix of Flamenco, Mariachi, Ballet Folklorico, Conjunto, Salsa, and Spanish Celtic music. African drumming, dancing and Caribbean parades will fill Lower Tranquility Park, where the new African-Caribbean Zone picks up where last year’s festival honoring the theme “Out of Africa” left off.

The Target International Kids Stage in the Target Kids Zone will again present a daily variety of ethnic dance troupes and youth groups showcasing Houston’s abundance of international diversity – from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Americas. Of course, the local Irish dance troupes will be prominently featured each day with their colorful costumes and golden curls. And offering further evidence of Houston’s importance as an international center, the Sister Cities Stage features excellent music and dance programming presented by the local Sister Cities Associations.

The Festival will take place April 18-19 and April 25-26, 2009. Hours are: Saturdays, Noon to 10 p.m.; Sundays, Noon to 9 p.m. The Festival will also host a free lunchtime concert on Friday, April 17 following the official ribbon-cutting and opening day ceremonies at 11 a.m. on Center Stage.

Tickets go on sale March 1 online at www.ifest.org. Beginning April 1, tickets will also be available for purchase at H-E-B stores:

$7.50: St. Patty’s Special Advance Tickets
Available March 1 – 31, online only

$10.00: Early-Bird Admission
Available April 1 – 13, online and H-E-B Stores

$15.00: Regular Admission
Available April 14 through end of Festival and at the Gate

FREE: Target Kids Free (kids 12 and under are FREE)

All proceeds benefit the Festival arts and education programs.

For more information on the 2009 Houston International Festival, call 713-654-8808 or access the Festival’s official website at www.ifest.org.

Ninth Inning Rally Not Enough For Cougar Baseball, Fall 6-2 to Tulane

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA (March 27, 2009) The University of Houston baseball team loaded the bases, with no outs in the ninth inning, trailing 6-1, but was only able to convert one run as they lost the series opener to Tulane, 6-2, on Friday night at Turchin Stadium.

Rain hampered much of the game, twice halting play for several minutes. However, with no outs in the ninth inning, Houston loaded the bases, looking to chip away at the deficit in their final at bat. Chase Dempsay singled to short stop, Caleb Ramsey doubled down the left field line and William Kankel walked to put runners on all bases. Ty Stuckey struck out but Taylor White plated Dempsay with a walk. Unfortunately, that would be all the run support that the Cougars would be able to put together as the final two batters struck out and Houston would go home with the loss.

Houston scored their first run of the night in the first winning. After Blake Kelso flied out to left field to start the game, Zak Presley hit a double to right field and scored on a single from Chase Dempsay through the left side to give Houston the 1-0 lead in the first inning.

The Green Wave responded in the bottom of the inning scoring two runs to take a 2-1 lead.

In the third inning, Josh Prince of Tulane walked in his second at bat and after scoring both runners in the first on a double, Seth Henry scored both runners with a home run to left field in the third, extending their lead to 4-1.

They would add a lone run in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead over the Cougars.

Houston recorded at least one hit in every inning except for the seventh on their way to a 10 hit game. It marks the second consecutive game the Cougars have registered a double-digit hit game. They are 3-7 in those games.

LOOKING AHEAD
Houston will continue the series against Tulane tomorrow at 2 p.m. and it will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. Following this weekend's games, Houston will play a mid-week game at Texas-San Antonio on April 1 before a weekend series against Texas-Pan American on April 3-5.

Softball's Seventh-Inning Rally Against No. 13 Missouri Falls Short

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 26, 2009) The University of Houston softball team dropped game two against No. 13 Missouri, 4-2 at Cougar Softball Stadium to fall to 13-16 overall, after notching the first hit of the game in the seventh inning for a come-back that fell short.

Junior Lindsey Olson made her first start this season, and recorded a strikeout against the first batter of the game for her first this season.

After three scoreless innings, the Tigers scored the first run of the game on a fielding error committed by leftfielder Katy Beth Sherman in the top of the fourth inning. On two outs, Megan Christopher hit a three-run homer over centerfield to take a 4-0 advantage of the Cougars. Sophomore Amanda Crabtree came in and struck out the final batter of the inning to move to the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sophomore Baillie Lott came in to pitch for Amanda Crabtree to eliminate the final two batters in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Senior Elaina Nordstrom produced the Cougars' first hit with a double in the bottom of the seventh inning to nix the no-hitter. Senior Haley Valis walked to give Houston two base runners, and Lott would come up and hit her first double this season to score Nordstom and Haley Valis for the two-out rally and cut the deficit to two. Sophomore Casey Willow struck out for the final out of the game for the 4-2 loss.

Olson is 0-1 after striking out four, and allowing four runs on four hits. Crabtree struck out three and allowed one hit, while Lott struck out two and allowed no runs or hits.

The Cougars will play Sam Houston Tuesday, March 31 in Huntsville, Texas for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.

North Texas Announces 2009 Football Schedule

DENTON, TEXAS (The University of North Texas has announced its 2009 football schedule, which includes six home games for the first time since 1993. Four of North Texas’ 12 opponents in 2009 played in bowl games last season and in addition to the eight-game Sun Belt Conference slate, the schedule features a late-season home game against Army.

The Mean Green will play three of its first five games at home in 2009, which is also the first time that has happened since 1993. The first two games of the season will feature matchups with Mid-American Conference teams. North Texas travels to Ball State to open the season on Thursday, Sept. 3 before returning to Denton for the home-opener against Ohio on Sept. 12. Ball State was ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation last year after starting the season 12-0 and playing in the MAC championship game and the GMAC Bowl. Ohio finished the 2008 season with a 4-8 record but won its final two games of the year.

Baseball Tops Louisiana Lafayette, 6-4

HOUSTON, TXEAS (March 24, 2009) The University of Houston baseball team defeated Louisiana Lafayette, 6-4, Tuesday night at Cougar Field.

Houston has now won four of their last six games and improved to 7-16 on the season. They move to 36-11-1 all-time against the Ragin' Cajuns after splitting both games this season.

The Ragin' Cajuns jumped on the board first in the second inning off a two-run home run from Chad Keefer, but Houston responded in the bottom of the inning scoring a run to cut the lead in half. In just his second start this season at first base, Ty Stuckey led off in the second inning with a double to left center and would score on a sacrifice fly from Blake Kelso.

Houston took a 3-2 lead in the third inning and they would hold on to that lead the rest of the way. In the third, Houston led off with a double for the second straight inning. This time Chase Dempsay reached base. Caleb Ramsey followed that up with a single to left field scoring Dempsay. Taylor White put two runners on base with a single to left field and Stuckey scored Ramsey on a sacrifice fly to right field.

With one out, Kelso doubled down the left field line in the fourth inning and would score on the next at bat when Zak Presley doubled down the right field line.

Holding a 4-2 lead entering the fifth inning, Houston added two insurance runs when David Murphy doubled to left field, scoring Stuckey and White. Those two runs would turn out to be very important as the Louisiana scored two runs in the eighth to cut the deficit to two, 6-4.

In their final at bat, Houston would hold off the Ragin' Cajuns and go home with the win.

On the night, the Cougars connected on five doubles, pushing their hit total to 11. They have now recorded double-digit hits games nine times this season.

LOOKING AHEAD
Houston will travel to New Orleans for a three-game series against Tulane on March 27-29. Friday's game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start. The series will continue at 2 p.m. on Saturday and conclude a 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio is Back for Year Two

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS(March 23, 2009) The Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon, set for Sunday, November 15, is announcing some exciting changes for the second showing of the event that will take place in south Texas this fall.

Responding the participant requests, race organizers are providing all participants with a technical t-shirt, courtesy of Sugoi. Additionally, race officials are looking at ways to enhance the post race experience by expanding the finish line fiesta and creating a more festive environment inside the Alamodome with live music and vendors on the afternoon of the race.

“After a successful inaugural event we are looking at ways to further improve the participant experience,” said Lucy Diaz, Event Manager. “We are changing the participant t-shirt from a cotton t-shirt to a Sugoi technical t-shirt, and are exploring ways to provide participants with even more live music throughout race weekend.”

Runners are encouraged to register by the end of March to take advantage of the early entry fee and guarantee their spot at the start line. Current registration prices are $90 for the marathon and $75 for the half marathon. On April 1, fees will increase to $105 and $90, respectively.

“We are planting the seed to register early after last year’s sell out,” added Diaz. “With many of the event’s training programs beginning in the next few months, now is the time to make the commitment and lock in your spot at the best rate.”

Many training resources are available for Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio participants, and vary from a free online training program, provided by the New Balance ActiveTrainer, to a national charity training program like Team In Training, to a variety of local and regional training groups hosted by specialty running stores.

For more information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio or to register, please visit www.rnrsa.com or call (800) 311-1255.

About The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio
The second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon and ½ Marathon is set to run on Sunday, November 15, 2009. Open to runners and walkers from novice to professional, live bands will entertain participants along the scenic course that winds through San Antonio’s most historic neighborhoods. Adding to the excitement, local high school cheerleaders will be on the sidelines motivating athletes all the way to the finish line. Festivities begin with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Alamodome on Fri., Nov. 13 and Sat., Nov. 14. The Expo is open to the public and will feature the latest in endurance sports gear and nutrition products.

In addition to the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon, the Competitor Group manages a total of eleven marathons and half marathons including the original Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego, the Country Music Marathon and ½ Marathon in Nashville, Tenn., the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & ½ Marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathons in Virginia Beach and San Jose, Calif., as well as the ING Philadelphia Distance Run and Denver Marathon. Each event features live music and cheerleaders along every mile on the course and attracts between 13,000 and 35,000 participants.

Baseball Drops Series Finale 10-2 to UAB

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 22, 2009) The University of Houston baseball team lost the series finale to UAB 10-2 on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field.

With the loss, Houston falls to 6-16 on the season and 2-1 in the series against the Blazers. By finishing 2-1 against the Blazers, Houston, however, has won six of its last seven conference opening series.

The Cougars matched runs with the Blazers in the first inning. After UAB opened the game scoring a run by Brint Hardy off a Cody McMurry single, Blake Kelso led off in the bottom of the inning with a double to left center. He advanced to third on a ground out to second base by Chase Dempsay and scored on a Caleb Ramsey single to left field.

Both teams would hold the other scoreless for the next two innings, before Houston gave up five runs to the Blazers in the fourth inning to give the visitors a 6-1 lead.

The two teams would match runs again in the sixth inning. Digger Towe scored Nick Crawford on a single through the left side and Houston matched that by scoring William Kankel on a sacrifice fly to center field by Taylor White.

Trailing 6-2 entering the ninth inning, Houston need to hold the Blazers scoreless to have a chance in the bottom of the inning but the Blazers posted three runs to take a 10-2 lead. It would be too much for the Cougar to overcome and they wouldn't be able to pull out the win.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Cougars will play a mid-week game against Louisiana Lafayette at 6:30 p.m. on March 24 before traveling to Tulane for a weekend series on March 27-29.

2009 GOLD CUP TO BE PLAYED IN RECORD 13 DIFFERENT U.S. CITIES 3-26 JULY

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (March, 21 2009) The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup™ will be played in a record 13 different U.S. cities, opening at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles on Friday, 3 July and concluding with the championship match Sunday, 26 July at Giants Stadium outside New York.

Houston will play host to the Gold Cup once again and will look to continue a strong history of large, enthusiastic crowds. Reliant Stadium sold out first-round and quarterfinal double headers in 2007, and boasted the largest attendance figures in the tournament. In 2005, over 105,000 fans turned out for two days of matches at Reliant Stadium, making Houston the top market for the tournament. Houston’s attendance was 40% higher than any other venue for the tournament that year. Reliant Stadium has hosted the five largest soccer crowds in Texas history, including 70,103 for last year’s USA vs. Mexico match.

The 13 cities are more than twice than the number previously used for the continental championship and shy of only the 1982 FIFA World Cup™ in Spain and the 2002 FIFA World Cup™, which used 10 venues each in Japan and Korea Republic. The 1994 FIFA World Cup™ in the USA was played in nine different venues.

“By expanding the Gold Cup to 13 venues, it will give fans more opportunity to experience the championship in person,” said CONCACAF President Jack Warner.

The Gold Cup will make its first appearance in four cities: Columbus, Ohio; Phoenix; Philadelphia and Washington. A Gold Cup quarterfinal will be the first sporting event to be played at the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium.

Each venue will host one doubleheader except for the final at Giants Stadium, with the quarterfinals set for Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (Saturday, 18 July) and Dallas (Sunday, 19 July), and the semifinals at Soldier Field in Chicago (Thursday, 23 July).

Besides Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus (7 July), RFK Stadium in Washington (8 July) and the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (12 July), other first-round venues include: Qwest Field in Seattle (4 July), Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California (5 July), Reliant Stadium in Houston (9 July), FIU Stadium in Miami (10 July), and Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburb of Foxborough, Massachusetts (11 July).

“While 13 cities create logistical challenges, we think the benefits of reaching out to more venues are clearly worthwhile,” CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. “The ability of so many people to see national teams play we feel is well worth the effort.”

The tournament will use the same format as in 2005 and 2007, with the 12-team field divided into three, four-team groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.

The three first-round groups for the qualifiers: Canada, Mexico and the USA from the North Zone; Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua from Central America; and Jamaica, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Haiti from the Caribbean, and schedule will be announced at a later time.

The Gold Cup was played in six different cities in its two most recent editions, including two stadia in Los Angeles in 2005 (the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and The Home Depot Center).

This will be the second time Giants Stadium has staged the final and first since 2005. Miami will see the Gold Cup for the seventh straight time, although it will be the first time at FIU Stadium, while the Los Angeles area will stage matches for the eighth time in 10 tournaments.

Games will be played on modern synthetic surfaces in four stadiums: Qwest Field, FIU Stadium, Gillette Stadium and the New Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Grass will be laid over the existing surface for the final in Giants Stadium.

Groups and a full schedule as well as ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.



SCHEDULE
First Round
3 July – The Home Depot Center (Los Angeles)
4 July – Qwest Field (Seattle)
5 July – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (San Francisco)
7 July – Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
8 July – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)
9 July – Reliant Stadium (Houston)
10 July – Florida International University Stadium (Miami)
11 July – Gillette Stadium (Boston)
12 July – University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix)

Quarterfinals
18 July – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
19 July – Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (Dallas)

Semifinals
23 July – Soldier Field (Chicago)

Final
26 July – Giants Stadium (New York)

Brown Named C-USA Golfer of the Week

IRVING, TEXAS (April 20, 2009) Rice University junior Christopher Brown was named the Conference USA Male Golfer of the Week on Wednesday following his performance at the Border Olympics, played last week in Laredo.

Brown was the top C-USA finisher at the event, finishing in a five-way tie for 15th while recording a three-round, six-over par 222. Brown opened play with back-to-back 75s before carding an even-par 72 during the final round to help lead the Owls to a 10th-place finish in the 16-team field.

Last month the Garland native placed second at the Rice Intercollegiate. In addition to the runner-up finish, he has two Top 15 performances during the 2008-09 season. Brown is currently averaging 74.43 strokes per round.

Rice has now had players of the week on successive weeks. Last week, sophomore Michael Whitehead was named co-player of the week after finishing in a tie for sixth at the 24th Annual Border Olympics earlier this month.

The Owls return to action March 30-31 when they travel to the Morris Williams Invitational which will be played at the University of Texas Golf Club in Austin.

2009 Men's NIT 2nd Round Predictions

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

DEER PARK, TEXAS (March 19, 2009) The second round of games in the 2009 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) begins today (March 19) and concludes on March 23.

My picks are listed below. I have predicted two upsets by lower seeded teams; those being Baylor (3) over Virginia Tech (2) and Rhode Island (6) over Penn State (2)

Here I go:
San Diego State over Kansas State
St. Mary's (CA) over Davidson
Auburn over Tulsa
Baylor over Virgina Tech
Creighton over Kentucky
Notre Dame over New Mexico
Florida over Miami, Fla.
Rhode Island over Penn State

2009 Men's NIT 1st Round Results

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

DEER PARK, TEXAS (March 19, 2009) The first round of 16 games in the 2009 National Invitational Tournament have been completed. There were a few upsets and my predictions were on the mark to the tune of 68.75%. I correctly predicted 11 of 16. I do hope to improve ON that prediction rate.

Here are the game I got right:
San Diego State-65 Weber State-49
Kansas State-83 Illinois State-79
St. Mary's (CA)-68 Washington State-57
Auburn-87 Tennessee-Martin-82
Baylor-74 Georgetown-72
Creighton-73 Bowling Green-71
New Mexico-83 Nebraska-71
Notre Dame-70 UAB-64
Florida-84 Jacksonville-62
Rhode Island-68 Niagara-62
Penn State-77 George Mason-73

The games I got wrong were:
Davidson-70 South Carolina-63
Tulsa-68 Northwestern-59
Virgina Tech-116 Duquesne-108
Kentucky-70 UNLV-60
Miami, Fla.-78 Providence-66

My second round predictions will be published shortly.

2009 CBI 1st Round Results and 2nd Round Predictions

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

DEER PARK, TEXAS (March 19, 2009) The first round results of the 2009 College Basketball Invitational are in and I correctly predicted six of the eight games correctly. The results are below.

The games that I get correct:
Stanford-96 Boise State-76
Wichita State-84 Buffalo-73
UTEP-79 Nevada-77
Northeastern-64 Wyoming-62
Vermont-76 Green Bay-72
College of Charleston-93 Troy-91

Now, the two games I missed:
Oregon State-49 Houston-45
Richmond-75 St. John's-69

My first round predictions were 6 of 8 for 75%.

My predictions for the second round are:
Stanford over Wichita State
UTEP over Northeastern
Vermont over Oregon State
Charleston over Richmond

All four second round games will be played March 23, 2009. I will post the results as soon as the games are over.

UH Swimming, Diving Preps For NCAA Championships

(Sacha Schwendenwein and Anastasia Pozdniakova will lead the Cougars at the NCAA Championships. Photo by Darla Tamulits-La Vita Loca Photography)

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 18, 2009) The University of Houston swimming and diving team will compete at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Three Cougars are scheduled to compete at the meet and it marks the ninth consecutive year that at least one swimmer or diver has qualified to compete at the championships.

Making her first appearance at the Championships and becoming the first swimmer to qualify since 1989 is Sacha Schwendenwein. She will compete in three events beginning on Thursday with the 500-yard freestyle. She ranks 32nd in the event entering the meet. She will continue on Friday in the 200-yard freestyle, where she ranked 22nd and will conclude the meet on Saturday swimming the 200-yard butterfly, with a ranking of 25th.

Divers Anastasia Pozdniakova and Courtney Forcucci will join Schwendenwein at the championships, competing in all three diving events. The meet will open on Thursday with the 1-meter competition, continue on Friday with the 3-meter competition and close on Sunday with the platform event.

The duo qualified for the meet after competing at the NCAA Zone D Diving Championships last weekend in Missouri. Pozdniakova won both the 1-meter and 3-meter events and finished second in the platform event. Forcucci added a ninth place finish in the 3-meter event and was fifth in both the 1-meter and platform events.

For a complete recap of each day's events and results at the NCAA Championships log onto www.UHCougars.com. Fans can also follow live results at http://www.aggieathletics.com/ncaawsimstats.html.

Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament Brackets Announced

NEW YORK, NEW YORK (March 17, 2008) The WNIT kicks off postseason action Wednesday. March 18 with first-round games. All games are held on the campuses of participating schools. While 32 teams will play in the first round, 16 teams received a bye and will begin their tournament with a second-round game. The Postseason WNIT features 16 first-round games, followed by 16 second-round games, eight third-round games, four quarterfinal games, two semifinal games and the championship. The WNIT championship game will begin at 2 p.m. ET Saturday, April 4, and will be hosted by one of the two final participating schools.

Bellow are my first round picks:

Wednesday, March 18
New Mexico over Southern
Canisius over Syracuse

Thursday, March 19
Chattanooga over Kentucky
Portland State over Portland
Duquesne over Butler
Louisiana Tech over SMU
Oakland over Dayton
Boston University over Central Connecticut State
Florida Gulf Coast over George Washington
West Virginia over Coppin State

Friday, March 20
Harvard over St. John's
Georgetown over Winthrop
James Madison over American
Murray State over Arkansas-Little Rock

Saturday, March 21
Texas-Arlington over Oklahoma State
Creighton over UC Riverside

TEXAS BOWLER BECOMES 100TH MEMBER OF 50-YEAR CLUB AT USBC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

LAS VEGAS, TEXAS (March 16, 2009) When Edwin Fisher of Houston walked down Center Aisle at the 2009 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships on Sunday, he reached two milestones and solidified his place in tournament history.

Fisher's slow and emotional march was the 50th of his career, and he became the 100th member of the tournament's elite 50-Year Club.

"I had no idea I was the 100th person," said the 83-year-old right-hander, who has been bowling competitively for 69 years. "Once someone told me, I expressed my thanks for having the genes to be able to be here."

Fisher's time on the lanes began when he was 13 years old and worked as a pin boy during junior high school. He continued to bowl throughout high school, his time in the Navy and then college, and he finally made his USBC Open Championships debut at the 1957 event in Fort Worth, Texas. That year also marked the debut of underground ball returns and automatic pinsetters at the tournament. Fisher was hooked.

"It was a thrill of a lifetime," said Fisher, who has only missed three events since his debut. "Walking down that Center Aisle for the first time, I had chills down my spine. I've never experienced anything like that before."

That same feeling carried over to Cashman Center on Sunday afternoon as Fisher marched into the record books.

"This time, it was even more thrilling," said Fisher, who was on the USBC (formerly the American Bowling Congress) financial committee that approved the tournament's first electronic scoreboards. "I've been looking forward to this day. When I participated in my 20th Open, a guy received his 50-year award, and from that day, I told myself I wanted that. Now that I did it, I will treasure this forever."

Fisher has been involved in many aspects of bowling besides competing on the lanes. He has served in various capacities as a local, state and national bowling delegate for more than 30 years, including a stint on the USBC (ABC) Board of Directors.

Even with nearly seven decades of competition under his belt, Fisher has a few memories that stick out above the rest.

"I always remember when I shot my best series, which was in Des Moines, Iowa," said Fisher, referring to the 686 series he shot team in 1962. "Another memory that sticks out is when we were in Long Beach, Calif. I bowled next to Joe Norris, and after that tournament, we became friends. And of course, this day will always stick out as one of the best memories I have."

On the lanes this year, Fisher had 501 in doubles, 498 in team and 433 in singles for a 1,432 all-events total. During his tenure at the Open Championships, he has knocked down 72,204 pins for a 171.9 career average.

Making it this far was a goal, but not the end of the road for him.

"I love this tournament, and I will continue to come as long as I can," said Fisher, who is in the Houston, Texas State and Southern Bowling Congress Halls of Fame. "If I'm not able to come, I will still be active in bowling in any way I can. I'm thankful to have good genes and make it to 50 years. I'm also thankful to the USBC for recognizing me like this."

2009 College Basketball Invitational Announces Field

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY (March 16, 2009) The 16-team field for the 2009 College Basketball Invitational has been announced. The tournament will get underway with eight Opening Round games on Tuesday, March 17th and Wednesday, March 18th.
The pairings for the opening rounds are as follows:

East Regional
March 18th-7:00 PM ET
St. John's (16-17) vs. Richmond (18-15)

March 18th-8:00 PM ET
College of Charleston (26-8) vs. Troy (19-12)

Midwest Regional
March 18th-8:00 PM ET
Buffalo (21-11) vs. Wichita St. (16-16)

March 18th-10:00 PM ET
Boise St. (19-12) vs. Stanford (18-13)

West Regional
March 18th-8:00 PM ET
Vermont (23-8) vs. Green Bay (22-10)

March 18th-10:00 PM ET
Houston (21-11) vs. Oregon St. (13-17)

South Regional
March 17th-9:00 PM ET
Northeastern (18-12) vs. Wyoming (19-13)

March 17th-11:00 PM ET
UTEP (19-12) vs. Nevada (21-12)

TexSport Publications will on hand with the results from all the games.

UH Men's Basketball Accepts Bid to College Basketball Invitational

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 16, 2009) The University of Houston men's basketball team accepted a bid to play in the 2009 College Basketball Invitational, director of athletics Dave Maggard and head coach Tom Penders announced late Sunday night.

The Cougars will face Oregon State at 9 p.m. (CDT), Wednesday, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. The winner of the Houston-Oregon State game advances to face the winner of the Green Bay-Vermont game in the CBI quarterfinals on March 23.

"I'm excited for the kids. It's all about the kids and wanting to play in the postseason. It's an opportunity to play another game, to play a meaningful game and gain the experience from that," Penders said. "This is a great opportunity for the University of Houston."

Although the Beavers bring a 13-17 overall record into the postseason, Penders said he expected a close ball game on Wednesday.

"They play a Princeton-style game. (Head coach) Craig Robinson was a great player as a Tiger, and he coached at Princeton, so they run that Princeton offense really well," Penders said. "They had some great wins this year and pulled some great upsets in the Pac-10. They were one of the surprise teams in that league. It's a very interesting match-up for us."

Picked to finish seventh in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll and by many national basketball publications, the Cougars tied with UTEP for fourth in the final regular-season standings and advanced to the semifinals of the 2009 C-USA Tournament with a win against the Miners.

With a 21-11 overall record to date, the Cougars earned their third 20-win season in the last four years, all Penders. The Cougar coach will be leading the Cougars into their fourth postseason appearance during his five-year tenure and the 20th of this 35-year coaching career.

"This gives us extra practices and a game situation in the postseason. A lot of these guys just played in their first conference tournament, so that's one step. Now, we have a chance to play a postseason game," Penders said. "It gives them an opportunity to gain experience that you can't get just by working out in the gym.

This is the 29th postseason appearance for the Cougars in school history. It also marks the second straight season that the Cougars will compete at the College Basketball Invitational.

A year ago, the Cougars rattled off wins at Nevada and against Valparaiso before falling to Conference USA-rival Tulsa in the semifinals.

After competing in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational in 2008, Penders said he looked forward to another postseason appearance in that event.

"Last year, our experience in this tournament was great. It's a well-run tournament, and it's first class," Penders said. "The Gazelle Group handles some of the greater events in college basketball, like Coaches vs. Cancer.

2009 Mens NIT Basketball Tournament

By Robert H. Kelly
Copyright 2009 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 16, 2009) The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) begins tomorrow. It is made up of 32 teams who did not make it to the NCAA tournament.

The field for the 2009 National Invitation Tournament was announced Sunday night, on ESPNU. The announcement was made by CM Newton, chair of the NIT Selection Committee. The Committee has been meeting in Indianapolis over the weekend.

First round action for the NIT, which was founded in 1938, kicks off on March 17 and 18; second round takes place on March 19, 20, 21 and 23, with the quarterfinals tipping on March 24 and 25.

The tournament goes to New York's Madison Square Garden for the semi-final doubleheader on March 31 with the championship game on April 2.

I will be following the NIT games right along with my NCAA men's coverage. I will post all predictions and stores on this site, as I will not have a separate site for the NIT, unlike our coverage of the NCAAs.

Below is my predictions of the first round action. I will post my predictions and views for the second round once all games are complete.

March 17, 2009 Games
San Diego State over Weber State
South Carolina over Davidson
St. Mary's (CA) over Washington State
UNLV over Kentucky
New Mexico over Nebraska
Notre Dame over UAB
Rhode Island over Niagara
Penn State over George Mason

March 18, 2009 Games
Kansas State over Illinois State
Auburn over Tennessee-Martin
Northwestern over Tulsa
Baylor over Georgetown
Duquesne over Virgina Tech
Creighton over Bowling Green
Florida over Jacksonville
Providence over Miami, Fla.