The Hickory Crawdads and Columbia Fireflies game Monday night at L.P. Frans Stadium has been suspended due to rain, with the two teams tied at 1-1 after 5 innings played. The game will resume on Tuesday, June 28th at 5:00 pm before the teams play their regularly scheduled game with a start time no sooner than 7:00 pm.

The contest didn't begin until 8:06 pm due to a one hour and six minute rain delay at the start of the night. Once the game was underway, it was a pair of solo home runs that provided the offense for both clubs. Josh Altmann delivered the 'Dads run with a solo shot to left in the 2nd, his third of the year, before Columbia's Joe Tuschak tied the score with a solo blast to right in the 5th.

The rain then began to fall heavily and the tarp was pulled prior to the start of the 6th. Following a one hour and 28 minute delay, the game was suspended with the 1-1 tie.

The suspended game comes on the first day of a weeklong homestand for the Crawdads through Sunday July 3rd. The 'Dads will play the Fireflies for 3 total contests before welcoming the Kannapolis Intimidators to town for a 4-game series.

Cherryville: 7
Taylorsville: 6, 10 innings

Caldwell County at Henderson was rained out. Game postponed to Thursday

Hickory at home against Haywood County was rained out. Game postponed to Wednesday.

Appalachian State University wrestler Forrest Przybysz (Jefferson, Ga./Jefferson) was named to the Spring 2016 Academic All-Southern Conference team, the league announced Monday.

“I’m really proud of the progress and the things that Forrest has done in his time here,” head coach JohnMark Bentley said. “Not only does he make a huge commitment to being a great wrestler but he also makes a commitment to being a great student-athlete as well. This just adds to the many accolades that he’s received and he’s very deserving as he puts in a ton of effort in the wrestling room and a ton of effort in the classroom.”

“And that’s what we’re trying to promote on our team is a total and complete student-athlete,” Bentley continued. “That’s the philosophy and the mentality that we’re trying to promote on our team so he’s a great leader both on the wrestling mat and in the classroom.”

To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must now carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of the spring semester and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams’ competitions. This is a change from the previous criteria that was based on the GPA entering the semester of competition.

The rising senior finished with a 3.78 GPA in his continued pursuit of a degree in economics, while also being a key member of the 2016 SoCon Championship team. The 165-pounder was a runner-up at the conference tournament, individually, and was also a runner-up in 2015.

As an at-large selection, Przybysz was selected to compete in the 2016 NCAA Championship alongside other Mountaineer selections: 141-pound Michael Longo (Corona, Calif./Santiago), 74-pound Nick Kee (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland) and heavyweight Denzel Dejournette (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds). In day two of nationals, he fell to No. 8 seed Chad Welch of Purdue in the consolation second round.

In addition to this academic award, Przybysz was also named to the 2016 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Top 30 All-Academic Teams list.

Appalachian went 12-4 overall with a 6-1 SoCon record en route to winning a share of the regular-season title for the first time since 2012. The momentum carried forward to the tournament where Longo, Kee and Dejournette all won their individual weight classes, helping the Mountaineers win the tournament for the first time since 2003.

The Hickory Crawdads fell to the Greensboro Grasshoppers Sunday night 6-1 on the road.

The Crawdads jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Eric Jenkins led off the top of the inning with a solo home run, his fourth long ball of the season. However, the Grasshoppers would score four runs in the bottom half of the fourth off of Crawdads starter Erik Swanson.

Blake Bass would relieve Swanson in the fifth inning and would give up a run in the fifth. Greensboro would pick up one final run in the bottom of the seventh off of Bass.

The Crawdads offense was stymied with only three hits on the night. Jenkins had the home run in the fourth. After that, Hickory was held hitless until the top of the eighth. Jose Almonte doubles on a fly ball to right field and the next batter, Tyler Sanchez, singled. But both runners were stranded and the Crawdads would get no further hits in the contest.

Swanson went four innings, allowing four runs on five hits, but he did strike out six and walked only two. Bass pitched three innings, allowed two runs, one earned on five hits and he struck out three. Emerson Martinez came in the game in the eighth inning and struck out two for Hickory.

The Crawdads fall to 1-3 to start the second half of the season. Hickory is at home Monday taking on the Columbia Fireflys.

Gaston Braves: 4
Maiden: 0

Mooresville: 16
Hickory: 15

Taylorsville: 11
Henderson: 8

Hickory Motor Speedway
Race Results for 6/25/2016

Late Model - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 21C Tyler Church Hickory, NC
2 5C Dexter Canipe, Jr. Conover, NC
3 6E Enrique Baca NC
4 17M Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
5 82M Dylan Martin Concord, NC
6 2C Madeline Crane Meansville, GA
7 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
8 46 Thad Moffitt Concord, NC
9 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
10 41T Dennis Trivette Newton, NC
11 1P Matt Piercy Conover, NC

Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 5C Dexter Canipe, Jr. Conover, NC
2 21C Tyler Church Hickory, NC
3 17M Ryan Millington Statesville, NC
4 6E Enrique Baca NC
5 82M Dylan Martin Concord, NC
6 2C Madeline Crane Meansville, GA
7 9W Charlie Watson Lenoir, NC
8 46 Thad Moffitt Concord, NC
9 12G Andrew Garcia Eagle Pass TX, NC
10 41T Dennis Trivette Newton, NC
11 1P Matt Piercy Conover, NC

Limited Late Model - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
2 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
3 2C Chase Cabre Tampa, FL
4 23D Brendan Doyle Harrisburg, NC
5 11C Dawson Cram Mooresville, NC
6 18S Evan Swilling Cohutta, GA
7 18R Alexander Reece Granite Falls, NC
8 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
9 41 Dennis Trivette Newton, NC
10 43 Greg Wise Candler, NC
11 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
12 14A Akinori Ogata Mooresville, NC
13 13J Mark Johnson Newton, NC
14 77G Lexi Gay Canton, GA

Limited Late Model - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 18S Evan Swilling Cohutta, GA
2 2C Chase Cabre Tampa, FL
3 21 Monty Cox Granite Falls, NC
4 13J Mark Johnson Newton, NC
5 51 Jeremy Pelfrey Lenoir, NC
6 18R Alexander Reece Granite Falls, NC
7 11C Dawson Cram Mooresville, NC
8 29 Mitch Walker Newton, NC
9 23D Brendan Doyle Harrisburg, NC
10 77G Lexi Gay Canton, GA
11 14A Akinori Ogata Mooresville, NC
12 43 Greg Wise Candler, NC
13 3D Dylan Oliver Stanley, NC
14 41 Dennis Trivette Newton, NC

Renegades - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 6N Charlie Neill Hickory, NC
2 8 Kenneth Roberts Hickory, NC
3 71 Kyle Divanna Statesville, NC
4 68 Steve Griffith Morganton, NC
5 4 Gregory Austin Granite Falls, NC
6 97 Danny Crump, Jr. Morganton, NC
7 83 David Hasson Newton, NC
8 19 Johnny Canipe Hickory, NC
9 69 Ben Campbell Hudson, NC
10 71D Robert Divanna Statesville, NC

Renegades - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 6N Charlie Neill Hickory, NC
2 8 Kenneth Roberts Hickory, NC
3 71D Robert Divanna Statesville, NC
4 68 Steve Griffith Morganton, NC
5 71 Kyle Divanna Statesville, NC
6 19 Johnny Canipe Hickory, NC
7 97 Danny Crump, Jr. Morganton, NC
8 69 Ben Campbell Hudson, NC
9 83 David Hasson Newton, NC
10 4 Gregory Austin Granite Falls, NC

Street Stocks - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC
2 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
3 52 Don Machutta Mooresville, NC
4 5W Chris Werner Mooresville, NC
5 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
6 16 Carroll McKinney Hildebran, NC
7 32J Jeremy Harrell Newton, NC
8 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC
9 3 Kevin Eby Lenior, NC
10 10T Kevin Townsend Lenoir, NC
11 7 Eric Evans Mooresville, NC
12 57 Clint Campbell Denver, NC

Street Stocks - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 3 Kevin Eby Lenior, NC
2 10T Kevin Townsend Lenoir, NC
3 18D Cody DeMarmels Newton, NC
4 52 Don Machutta Mooresville, NC
5 5W Chris Werner Mooresville, NC
6 32J Jeremy Harrell Newton, NC
7 77P Mark Whitten Hogtown, VA, VA
8 7 Eric Evans Mooresville, NC
9 16 Carroll McKinney Hildebran, NC
10 64 Marshall Sutton Burnsville, NC
11 57 Clint Campbell Denver, NC
12 69 Trey Buff Hickory, NC

Super Trucks - Feature
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 36D Tyler Dayton Mooresville, NC
2 15C Sheflon Clay Asheville, NC
3 30 Joey Shuryan Dearborn, MI
4 09F Dillon Faggart Concord, NC
5 10 Lee Queen Catawba, NC
6 22 Stephen Shore Stanley, NC
7 51 Allen Huffman Hickory, NC
8 6F Jonathan Fleming Hendersonville, NC

Super Trucks - Qualifying
Finish Car No Driver Hometown
1 36D Tyler Dayton Mooresville, NC
2 15C Sheflon Clay Asheville, NC
3 09F Dillon Faggart Concord, NC
4 51 Allen Huffman Hickory, NC
5 30 Joey Shuryan Dearborn, MI
6 10 Lee Queen Catawba, NC
7 6F Jonathan Fleming Hendersonville, NC
8 22 Stephen Shore Stanley, NC

The Hickory Crawdads were one out away from a shutout loss Saturday night in Greensboro before the offense mounted an improbable comeback, as the 'Dads scored a run in the 9th to tie the score and 2 more tallies in the 10th for a come-from-behind 3-1 win over the Grasshoppers at NewBridge Bank Park.

The Crawdads entered the final frame with no runs and only 1 hit on the night due to the standout pitching of Chris Paddack, Jeff Kinley, and Ben Meyer for the Grasshoppers. Fortunately for the 'Dads Pedro Payano, Adam Choplick, and John Werner had allowed only 1 run, giving Hickory a chance to rally late. The Crawdads did just that, with a 2-out fielding error by Greensboro third baseman Giovanny Alfonzo allowing the tying run to score in the 9th before RBIs from Connor McKay and Eric Jenkins gave the 'Dads the winning margin in the 10th.

The come-from-behind victory marks just the second time this season that Hickory has earned a win after entering the 9th inning trailing. The late rally also gave the Crawdads their first win of the 2nd half of the season, after the club dropped their first two contests in Greensboro.

The first 5 innings of the game saw both clubs held scoreless, with Paddack and Payano swapping zeros on the scoreboard. Paddack ended the night with 5 no-hit innings and 9 strikeouts, while Payano lasted until the 6th when he gave up a solo home run to John Silviano for a 1-0 'Hoppers lead.

Payano ended the game with 1 run allowed on 6 hits, 0 walks, and 8 strikeouts in a no-decision.

The 'Dads finally got their first hit of the night in the 7th when Dylan Moore doubled down the left field line with one out, but the club left Moore at third base to keep the score 1-0.

Hickory started their rally in the 9th not with a hit, but with a 4-pitch walk to pinch-hitter Ricky Valencia. Josh Altmann entered as a pinch runner and was immediately sacrificed to second on a bunt by Jenkins to put the tying run in scoring position. Following a groundout by Frandy De La Rosa that advanced Altmann to third, Moore hit what should have been a groundball out to third to end the game, but Alfonzo couldn't handle the chopping grounder and the ensuing error allowed Altmann to score for a 1-1 tie.

The Crawdads then took their first lead of the night in the 10th, with 2 runs scoring on 2 hits for a 3-1 advantage. Jose Almonte opened the frame with a leadoff single and quickly advanced to second on a passed ball by Grasshoppers' catcher Roy Morales. Yeyson Yrizarri followed with a sacrifice bunt, which Meyer threw to third in an attempt to get the lead runner. Almonte slid safely under the tag however, resulting in runners at the corners with nobody out. Following a groundout by Ti'Quan Forbes that moved Yrizarri to second base, McKay delivered an RBI fielder's choice groundball to short that saw shortstop Anfernee Seymour's throw home arrive too late to cut down Almonte. One out later, Jenkins came through with an RBI single to center to give Hickory the 3-1 score they would win by.

Werner (2-2) earned the win in relief for the Crawdads with 2.1 scoreless innings pitched, while Omarlin Lopez (1) picked up the save after recording the final 2 outs. Grasshoppers reliever Ben Meyer (1-3) took the loss after allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, on 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts over 3 IP.

Jenkins finished the game 1-3 with an RBI and a walk, while Moore went 1-3 with a double and a hit-by-pitch.

The Crawdads (1-2) will go for the series split against the Grasshoppers (2-1) Sunday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 4:00 pm.

Asheville: 12
Caldwell County: 2

Taylorsville: 6
Cherryville: 2

The Hickory Crawdads and Greensboro Grasshoppers both jumped out with early offense before the pitching took over Friday night, as the 3-2 score following the opening frame ended up being the final score resulting in a 'Dads loss to the 'Hoppers for the second straight night at NewBridge Bank Park.

The Crawdads opened the game with a pair of 1st inning runs against Grasshoppers starter Chuck Weaver, only to see Greensboro respond with 3 tallies off of Hickory starter Wes Benjamin in the bottom of the frame. Both pitching staffs settled down after the rocky start however, with the two teams combining for only 8 hits and no runs the rest of the way.

The 'Dads rally began with a one-out hit-by-pitch to Josh Altmann followed by a single from Dylan Moore to put a pair of runners aboard. Following a strikeout by Chuck Moorman, Jose Almonte delivered an RBI single to right to put the Crawdads on the board. Yeyson Yrizarri then hit what should have been an inning-ending ground ball to third, but 'Hoppers third baseman Aaron Blanton bobbled the ball allowing Moore to score for a 2-0 Hickory lead.

The Grasshoppers came right back with 3 runs of their own the next half inning, with a walk by Anfernee Seymour, a single from Justin Twine, and a 3-run home run by Josh Naylor to give Greensboro a 3-2 advantage before an out was recorded in the frame.

The hot-hitting start to the ballgame would then give way to 8 straight scoreless innings. Benjamin followed up the 1st inning by retiring 8 straight batters and pitching through the 5th. Weaver worked out of jams in both the 2nd and 3rd innings before retiring 8 in a row as well en route to completing 6 frames. The bullpens picked it up from there with Matt Ball and Emerson Martinez combining for 3 shutout innings for the 'Dads, while Andy Beltre and C.J. Robinson tossed 3 total scoreless frames to finish off the 3-2 win for the 'Hoppers.

Benjamin (2-4) took the loss for the Crawdads with 3 runs allowed on 6 hits, 1 walk, and a career-high 8 strikeouts over 5 innings, while Weaver earned the win for the Grasshoppers after giving up 2 runs, 1 earned, on 5 hits, 1 walk, and 7 Ks over 6 IP. Robinson (12) recorded the save with 1.2 scoreless frames to end the game.

Moore paced the 'Dads bats going 2-4 with a triple and a run scored, while Almonte finished 2-3 with an RBI, a stolen base, and a walk.

The Crawdads (0-2) will look to get their first win of the second half of the season Saturday night, with game 3 of the 4-game series against the Grasshoppers (2-0) scheduled for 7:00 pm.

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Haylea Salamon has been named to the 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Second Team. CoSIDA is the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Salamon, a sophomore from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CANADA, has a 3.94 grade point average while majoring in exercise science. Salamon is the third Lenoir-Rhyne student-athlete to garner Academic All-America accolades in 2015-16: Brianna Belsky (women’s soccer) and Chris Shaffer (football) were the others.

Salamon is a field athlete for the Lenoir-Rhyne indoor and outdoor women’s track and field teams. Salamon also holds the school record in the women’s discus (154’7”) and is a two-time South Atlantic Conference Champion (2015-16) in the event. In addition, Salamon holds the program mark in the women’s shot put (38’11").

Salamon is a two-time SAC Women’s Field Athlete Of The Year (2015-16) as well and was named the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Freshman Of The Year for Women’s Track and Field. That same year, Salamon earned NCAA Division II Second-Team All-American honors in the women’s discus after finishing 12th at the outdoor national championships.

Salamon, a two-time all-region honoree, finished second in the women’s discus at the 2015 Canadian Track and Field Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA.

The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.

Thirty of the 45 members of the 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country teams have at least a 3.90 GPA, with 13 student-athletes maintaining a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. The 15 members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.88.

The 2015-16 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country teams consisted of 15 student-athletes who made repeat appearances on the team, including three student-athletes who received their third appearance on the list.

2015-16 CoSIDA Divsion II Academic All-America®
Women’s Track & Field / Cross Country Team

FIRST TEAM
Sabrina Anderson, Slippery Rock, Sr., Warren, Pa., 3.95, Exercise Science
Cassie Caswell, Pittsburg State, Sr., Nickerson, Kan., 3.6, Nursing
Amber Cook, Lewis, Sr., Grayslake, Ill., 3.64, Marketing
Sasha Hovind, Northern State, Jr., Stirum, N.D., 4.00, Elementary Education
Alyssa Johnson, Wingate, Jr., San Jose, Calif., 4.00, Elementary Education
Elizabeth Kiblinger., Maryville (Mo.), Sr., Cape Girardeau, Mo., 4.00, Early Childhood Education
Bri Leeper, West Texas A&M, Sr., Amarillo, Texas, 4.00, Broadcasting & Electronic Media
Megan Lundy, Shippensburg, Sr., York, Pa., 4.00, Early Childhood Education
Carly Muscaro, Merrimack, Jr., Ashland, Mass., 3.84, Criminal Justice
Natalie O'Keefe, Southwest Baptist, Jr., Granite City, Ill., 4.00, Art
Emily Oren, Hillsdale, Sr., Holland, Mich., 3.71, Economics
Libby Strickland, West Texas A&M, Sr., Amarillo, Texas, 3.90, Health Science
Heavin Warner, Central Missouri, Sr., St. Joseph, Mo., 3.67, Exercise Science / Kinesiology
Allie Updike, Azusa Pacific, Sr., Herndon, Va., 3.91, Applied Exercise Science
Alex Zanella, California (Pa.), Gr., Everett, Pa., 3.96, Reading Specialist

SECOND TEAM
Sarah Berger, Walsh, So., Wadsworth, Ohio, 3.94, Pre-Medical Science (Biology)
Jonelle Campbell, Lincoln (Mo.), Sr., Mount Kisco, N.Y., 3.75, Biology
Breanna Colbenson, Minnesota Duluth, Jr., Elmwood, Wis., 3.86, Public Health / Physical Education
Emilyn Dearman, Pittsburg State, Jr., Stockton, Mo., 3.58, Exercise Science
Hannah DeVries, Pittsburg State, Sr., Kansas City, Mo., 3.98, Biology
Amanda Farrough, Lewis, Jr., South Bend, Ind., 3.30, Nursing
Crystle Hill, Southern Connecticut St., Jr., Norwalk, Conn., 3.40, Mathematics
Summer Hill, California (Pa.), Jr., Honesdale, Pa., 3.89, Sport Management
Sarah Meek, Malone, Sr., Akron, Ohio, 4.00, Communication Arts
Ann Miller, Colorado School of Mines, Sr., Bartlesville, Okla., 3.84, Mechanical Engineering
Trisha Pierson, Stonehill, Sr., East Hanover, N.J., 3.98, Accounting / Economics
Colett Rampf, Saint Leo, Jr., Premintz, Germany, 3.85, Economics
Haylea Salamon, Lenoir-Rhyne, So., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CANADA, 3.94, Exercise Science
Leah Seivert, Augustana (S.D.), So., Sibley, Iowa, 4.00, Elementary Education
Elizabeth Stirling, LIU Post, Sr., Wantagh, N.Y., 4.00, Biology
Emma Sullivan, Kutztown, Sr., Phoenixville, Pa., 3.90, Communication Design
Alyson Vezin, Florida Tech., Sr., Oviedo, Fla., 4.00, Molecular Biology
Channing Wilson, Cal State Stanislaus, Sr., Turlock, Calif., 3.99, Kinesiology

Academic All-America® of the Year: Emily Oren, Hillsdale

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women’s Basketball Team has announced the addition of Brad Mangum and Brooklyn Cartwright as Assistant Coaches for the 2016-17 season.

Mangum comes to Lenoir-Rhyne after serving as Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Alexander Central High School in Taylorsville, N.C., for the past three years. Mangum also guided Fred T. Foard High School – out of Newton, N.C. – for two seasons (2011-13).

As women’s basketball coach at the prep level, Mangum compiled a 102-38 mark to go along with three conference championships. Mangum also won four consecutive league coach-of-the-year accolades and was named the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for District 11 in 2013-14. That season, Mangum guided Alexander Central to a 28-2 mark overall.

Mangum, who graduated from Appalachian State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, also served as an Assistant Coach at South Caldwell High School in Hudson, N.C., for the men’s team (2009-11) and the women’s team (2002-08). A native of Granite Falls, N.C., Mangum is married to the former Brooke Michael of Iron Station, N.C., and the couple has two daughters: Adalyn and Anniston.

“What an exciting day for our program having added Brad (Mangum) to the women’s basketball staff,” said Head Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Basketball Coach Katie Pate. “I am familiar with Coach (Brad) Mangum and his work having watched his programs for the last several years. I knew early on he was someone to watch if an opportunity to work with him presented itself. That time has come.”

“His success as a Head Coach at both Alexander Central and Fred T. Foard High Schools did not go unnoticed as we have three of his players on the roster now. Brad’s passion for on-court player development and cultivating offensive and defensive schemes brings immediate depth to our system philosophies. He is a proven winner and someone I look forward to watching grow in our industry.”

“I am very blessed to be joining the Lenoir-Rhyne University family,” said Mangum. “My family and I are excited to begin this new journey and I would like to thank Coach (Katie) Pate for this great opportunity. Lenoir-Rhyne Women’s Basketball has a very rich tradition and I am proud to be a part of this program.”

Cartwright served as Student Assistant Coach at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., since 2012. Cartwright assisted with game film, basketball operations, practice and game preparations in addition to recruiting administration. Cartwright also worked with Georgia Southern’s Individual and Team Camps. A May 2016 graduate from Georgia Southern, Cartwright earned an undergraduate degree in sport management and a minor in business. A Kennesaw, Ga., native, Cartwright will be the team’s graduate assistant this year.

“I am so excited to have Brooklyn (Cartwright) join the women’s basketball staff. It was clear from our first conversation she brings great administrative savvy from her time at Georgia Southern University,” said Pate. “Her personality and commitment to helping guide our players through the process of college to career is praise worthy. Furthermore, Coach Cartwright’s contagious positive attitude and enthusiasm on the court, combined with her strong business sense, makes her an exemplary role model for the Bears!”

“There are no words to describe how excited and blessed I am to have the opportunity to coach basketball at Lenoir Rhyne University,” said Cartwright. “From the time I stepped on campus, I knew that special things happen at LR and I am thrilled to begin this journey. Coach (Kate) Pate and Coach (Brad) Mangum are both amazing coaches and even better people. Learning from and working with them is a humbling opportunity. Together we rise! GO BEARS!"

The Hickory Crawdads began the 2nd half of the South Atlantic League season with a tough loss Thursday night in Greensboro, as an 11th inning, 3-run home run by the Grasshoppers' Arturo Rodriguez handed the 'Dads a walk-off, 8-5 loss at NewBridge Bank Park.

The Crawdads fell behind early in the contest only to see the bats come alive with 5 unanswered runs over the middle frames for a 5-2 lead. The Grasshoppers tied the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the 5th, marking the last show of offense until extra innings. The 'Dads were able to escape trouble in the 10th when they left the bases loaded but Hickory couldn't wiggle out of the 11th, as Rodriguez ended the extra-long 2nd half opener with a 3-run blast to left.

Greensboro hopped out to a quick lead against Hickory starter Peter Fairbanks in the 1st. Anfernee Seymour led off the inning with a single and a steal of second base before coming home on an RBI double to left by Josh Naylor. One out later, Roy Morales delivered an RBI single to center for a 2-0 Grasshoppers' advantage.

Fairbanks settled down after the 1st and put up scoreless frames in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings. That bought time for the Crawdads offense, which came through with 3 runs in the 4th to take a 3-2 lead. Jose Almonte started the rally when he was hit on the back of the helmet with one out. Following a walk by Yeyson Yrizarri and a wild pitch by 'Hoppers starter Cody Poteet, Ti'Quan Forbes brought in the first run on an RBI fielder's choice groundout that included a fielding error by Seymour at shortstop that left two runners on with one out. Connor McKay followed with a groundout that moved both runners into scoring position for Frandy De La Rosa, who gave the 'Dads the lead with a 2-RBI base knock to center.

The Crawdads pushed their advantage to 5-2 in the top of the 5th, when Josh Altmann reached on a one out single to left prior to back-to-back RBI doubles by Dylan Moore and Tyler Sanchez. The Grasshoppers quickly responded in the bottom of the inning though, with an RBI single by Naylor and a 2-RBI double from Morales tying the game at 5-5.

Both bullpens took over from there, as Joe Palumbo and Blake Bass combined for 5 scoreless innings of relief for Hickory to counter the 6.2 total shutout frames from L.J. Brewster, Kyle Keller, and Jose Quijada for Greensboro. The 'Hoppers were finally able to end the game in the 11th with a leadoff single by Justin Twine, a sacrifice bunt from Naylor, and an intentional walk by 'Dads reliever Omarlin Lopez to Angel Reyes setting the stage for Rodriguez's walk-off, 3-run homer to left for the final 8-5 score.

Lopez (4-2) took the loss for the 'Dads with 3 runs allowed on 3 hits, 2 intentional walks, and 1 strikeout over 1.1 innings pitched. Quijada (3-0) earned the win for the Grasshoppers after tossing 2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

De La Rosa led the Hickory hitters with a 2-5 game including 2 RBI, while Sanchez finished 1-5 with a double and an RBI and Moore ended the game 1-4 with a double, an RBI, a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored.

The Crawdads (0-1/38-33) and Grasshoppers (1-0/39-32) will play again Friday night at 7:00 pm in game 2 of their 4-game series.

The Texas Rangers, major league parent club of the Hickory Crawdads, have announced that Crawdads left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs has been promoted to the High Desert Mavericks (Class A Advanced), becoming the fourth 'Dad this season to move up in the organization.

Springs, 23, just represented the Crawdads in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game on June 21st in Lexington, KY, where he struck out the only batter he faced. The Belmont, NC native leaves Hickory leading all SAL relievers in batting average against (.106) and fewest baserunners/9 IP (5.52). Springs also departs as the team leader in ERA (1.16) and WHIP (0.61). A 30th round selection by the Rangers in the 2015 Draft out of Appalachia State University, Springs ends his Crawdads career with 5 consecutive scoreless appearances totaling 9.2 innings pitched with only 1 hit and 1 walk allowed to go along with 15 strikeouts.

Replacing Springs on the 'Dads active roster is RHP Emerson Martinez. The Venezuela native made 5 relief outings with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders this year, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts over 8.1 IP.

Springs becomes the fourth Crawdad in 2016 to earn a promotion, joining INF Andy Ibanez (Frisco), OF Chris Garia (Frisco), and RHP Tyler Davis (High Desert).

Asheville: 12
Taylorsville: 4

Hickory: 10
Caldwell County: 9, 13 innings

Appalachian State University football head coach Scott Satterfield came in at No. 52 in the Sporting News’ annual rankings of NCAA Division I FBS head coaches, which was released on Tuesday.

Satterfield, who is entering his fourth season as Appalachian State’s head coach, jumped from No. 103 in last year’s Sporting News rankings. The 51-spot leap is the fourth-largest year-over-year gain in this year’s rankings, behind only Houston’s Tom Herman (from No. 80 to No. 15), Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi (from No. 92 to No. 38) and Temple’s Matt Rhule (from No. 99 to No. 46).

Satterfield is the highest-ranked Sun Belt Conference coach, nine spots ahead of Arkansas State’s Blake Anderson. He is also No. 6 among “Group of Five” coaches, trailing only No. 15 Herman, No. 36 Ken Niumatalolo (Navy), No. 43 Bryan Harsin (Boise State), No. 46 Rhule and No. 50 Doc Holliday (Marshall).

Satterfield has led the Mountaineers to a 22-15 record in his three seasons at the helm, including 17 wins in their last 19 games. Last season, Appalachian State finished 11-2, good for the most wins in Sun Belt history and the most victories ever by a team in its first full-fledged campaign as a member of NCAA Division I FBS. The Mountaineers capped the 2015 campaign with a 31-29 triumph over Ohio in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, making them the first team to ever win a bowl game in its first full-fledged FBS season.

With 18 returning starters, Satterfield and the Mountaineers open 2016 on Thursday, Sept. 1 with a nationally televised contest at Tennessee (7:30 p.m. - SEC Network).

2016 Appalachian State season tickets are on sale now. Purchasing season tickets is the only way to guarantee a seat for the most highly anticipated dates at The Rock, highlighted by the Mountaineers’ Sept. 17 matchup versus five-time national champion Miami (Fla.). To purchase season tickets, visit appstatesports.com/tickets, call (828) 262-2079 or stop by the Appalachian State athletics ticket office, located at the Holmes Center.

Appalachian State University men’s basketball’s Frank Eaves (Greensboro, N.C./Page) was named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information (NCCSIA) all-state second-team, announced by the NCCSIA on Tuesday.

This marks Eaves’ second selection to an NCCSIA all-state team. He was named to the second team following the 2014-15 campaign.

The senior guard led Appalachian State in scoring this season (18.7 ppg) and ranked third in the league in scoring this season after leading the conference for the majority of the year. For his career, Eaves finished with 59 double-figure scoring games including 28 this season. On 13 occasions, Eaves scored 20+ points and finished with 23 such games in his career.

This season, Eaves netted 30+ points on five different occasions, including perhaps his best performance, a career-high 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting from the field and 6-for-12 from long range at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 6 in an 86-80 loss to Hofstra. The total is tied for 12th on Appalachian’s single-game scoring list. Eaves’ point total is also tied for second-most this season at MSG both collegiately and professionally. His 38 points is tied with the New York Knicks’ Aaron Afflalo and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant holds the top spot with 44 points scored at The Garden.

On Jan. 23 against Georgia State, Eaves became just the 31st player in Appalachian State men’s basketball program history to eclipse 1,000 career points. Eaves finished his career with 1,211 points - good for 23rd all-time. He also finished with 579 points in his senior season, which makes him just the 20th played to eclipse 500 points in a season and his total ranks him seventh in the program record book.

Late in the season, Eaves nearly topped his performance at Madison Square Garden with 37 points in a heartbreaking 101-100 loss to Georgia Southern on Jan. 25. The 37 points tied a Holmes Center record for points scored by an App State player and he also tied the Holmes Center record for threes made in a game with nine.

He finished the 2015-16 season in the top-100 in the NCAA rankings in points per game (59th), three-point field goals per game (64th - 2.7), three-point percentage (73rd - 38.4), total points (49th - 579), three-point attempts (53rd - 216), total threes made (51st - 83), total field goal attempts (39th) - 446), free throws made (44th - 156) and free throw attempts (65th - 191).

The 57^th Annual South Atlanitc League All-Star Game was Tuesday night in Lexington, Kentucky. The Northern Division All-Stars defeated the Southern Division All-Stars 2-1 and the Hickory Crawdads had a big hand in the winning outcome for the North.

Yeyson Yrizarri started at shortstop and went one-for-four with a run scored. He scored what would be the game winning run in the fifth inning. Tyler Sanchez came in the contest at catcher in the bottom of the fourth inning and was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance in the sixth inning.

On the mound, Pedro Payano pitched the second inning and struck out one and walked one. Erik Swanson pitched the fifth inning and struck out two and gave up one hit. Jeffrey Spring pitched in the sixth inning with two outs already on the board and struck out the only batter he faced.

The Hickory Crawdads start the second half of the season on Thursday at Greensboro. They return to L.P. Frans Stadium on Monday.

Caldwell County: 8
Cherryville: 1

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Keenan Palmore has been named to the 2015-16 NCCSIA College Division All-State Men’s Basketball Team. NCCSIA is the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association.

Palmore, a senior guard from Stone Mountain, Ga., earned All-American honors by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (d2CCA) this past season.

Palmore led the South Atlantic Conference in three major categories – points (21.9), rebounds (9.2) and assists (6.3) – this year and was named the Southeast Region and SAC Player Of The Year. Palmore also tallied four triple-doubles and garnered league player-of-the-week honors on four occasions.

Palmore led Lenoir-Rhyne to a 21-10 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship for the first time in school history.

Founded in 2002, The North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina.

The purpose of the organization is to promote collegiate athletics at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.

North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association
2015-16 College Division All-State Men’s Basketball Teams

FIRST TEAM
G - Austin Anderson, Sr., Lees-McRae, Anderson, S.C.
G - Dontrell Brite, Sr., Mount Olive, Chesapeake, Va.
F - Stedmon Lemon, Sr., Johnson C. Smith, Lithonia, Ga.
G - Keenan Palmore, Sr., Lenoir-Rhyne, Stone Mountain, Ga.
F - Ricky Porter, Jr., Johnson & Wales, Charlotte, N.C.

SECOND TEAM
F - Quincy January, So., St. Augustine's, Atlanta, Ga.
G - Rob Lewis, Sr., Queens, Houston, Texas
F - Sean Morgan, Sr., Queens, Kennesaw, Ga.
F - Diondre Pratt, Sr., Johnson C. Smith, Morven, N.C.
G - Demarcus Threatt, Jr., Brevard, Alabaster, Ala.

Appalachian State University volleyball student-athlete, Emily Corrigan (Johns Creek, Ga./Chattahoochee), has been nominated for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award, as announced by the NCAA on Tuesday.

The Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership.

Corrigan, an outside hitter from Johns Creek, Ga., finished her four-year career at Appalachian as one of the school’s top offensive players in program history. Corrigan ranks second with 1,399 career kills, while also becoming the all-time leader in attempts with 3,984 and finishing with 1,005 digs. She has been a three-time first-team all-conference selection (Sun Belt and Southern).

Last season, Corrigan finished with 411 kills - good for fifth all-time on the individual season list and averaged 3.70 kills per set and hit .243. She was a Sun Belt first-team selection, AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Honorable Mention All-Region selection and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.

She has been an active participant in the Boone Community, volunteering with various programs. Last summer, Corrigan spent eight weeks in California as one-of-14 summer interns with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). She spent time doing workouts, practicing, coaching middle school or high school volleyball camps and various down time activities that allowed the interns to learn and grow their leadership abilities.

In the classroom, Corrigan graduated magna cum laude with a 3.94 GPA in elementary education.

This marks the 26th year of the Woman of the Year program, which was established in 1991. NCAA member colleges and universities have nominated 517 female student-athletes for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Of the nominees, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III athletics.

The Sun Belt Conference will assess each nominee’s eligibility and select up to two conference nominees. All conference nominees are forwarded to the Woman of the Year selection committee, which chooses the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.

From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three nominees from each division and announces the top nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.

The 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced, and the Top 30 honorees celebrated, at the annual award ceremony on Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.