ACU Today - Winter 2001 Sports

.

Men's cross country team steamrolls to first region title, finishes second at NCAA

Young Wildcat basketball teams lean on freshmen in early season action

Volleyball team becomes a force in conference, region

Golf team adds new faces in hopes of returning to NCAA

Williams' coaching era begins in ACU track and field with lofty goals, expectations

1-9 year tough to swallow but Wildcats, Gaines are optimistic

Baseball team eyes NCAA World Series

Softball team mixes experience and youth

Nationally ranked tennis teams aim for even higher ground

Baseball team eyes NCAA World Series

If putting together a national championship contender is a step-by-step process, the ACU Wildcat baseball program could be standing on the threshold of a spectacular 2001 campaign.

In 1998 ACU won the Lone Star Conference South Division, but failed to win a game in the LSC Post-Season Tournament. In 1999 the Wildcats finished second in the LSC South and advanced to the LSC Post-Season Tournament championship game.

Then last season the Wildcats tied for the LSC South title, won the LSC Post-Season Tournament and were the No. 1 seed and host for the NCAA south central region tournament. And although the Wildcats' season ended at the region tournament, the groundwork for the 2001 season had been laid.

"In each of the last three years we've taken that next step in our program, and so our next step should be to get to the (Division II) College World Series in Montgomery, Ala.," said head coach Britt Bonneau, who will start his fifth season on Feb. 2 when the Wildcats open the season at home against St. Edward's. "We've gone from 1998 where we didn't win a game in the conference tournament to last season where we hosted the regional."

Senior shortstop Jeremy Smith will be the Wildcats' leader on the field after a spectacular junior season that saw him hit .433 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs -- all team-leading numbers -- on his way to first team all-LSC and second team all-region honors. Senior second baseman Matt Davidson and senior first baseman Chris Stephens will also be counted on to lead the Wildcats in 2001.

Davidson -- who already holds the career stolen base record -- is close to setting several other career records, including runs scored, hits and RBIs. Stephens had a solid junior season last year with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs.

Softball team mixes experience and youth

The Wildcat softball team hopes to return to winning ways in its fifth year of competition.

Last season the Wildcats finished 27-31 overall and 9-7 in Lone Star Conference South Division play, and reached the LSC Post-Season Tournament for the first time since 1997. This season, however, ACU head coach Carol Tabor ('89) has added seven freshmen and transfers to the mix in hopes of making another trip to the post-season.

Returning to the Wildcats' lineup are the top two hitters from last season: senior shortstop Veronica Villa and senior catcher Lynee Velasco. Villa led last year's squad with a .414 batting average and 72 hits, while Velasco was second with a .373 batting average and led the team with 38 RBI, five home runs and a .519 slugging percentage.

Returning to the mound is sophomore pitcher Maurine McWilliams, who was 10-10 last season with a 2.69 ERA.

Freshmen on the team are utility player Robin Woodall from Streetman, infielder J.D. Williams from Abilene, outfielder Candice Perry from Hobbs, N.M., and utility player Heather Hicks from North Richland Hills. Other new players include sophomore pitcher/utility Julie Harrington from Plano, junior utility player Misty Pryer from Hobbs, N.M., and junior first baseman Melissa Williams from Albuquerque, N.M.

"This season we will be capable of playing well from the very beginning," Tabor said. "With the new freshmen, along with the three transfers and the returners, this team will be as strong as we have ever been."

Nationally ranked tennis teams aim for even higher ground

Men's and women's head tennis coach Hutton Jones ('81) enters the 2001 season believing he has a women's team to finally get the Wildcats into the NCAA Division II national semifinals and with a men's team that can return ACU back into the national top 15.

The ACU women -- ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in the Midwest region -- returns the bulk of a squad that went 26-3 last year and reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the fifth straight season.

"We should be really strong," said Jones, whose women's team returns sophomore Sarah Taweel and senior Leah Ticer, ranked 27th and 50th, respectively, in NCAA singles. "We were seven-deep last year, and we'll be even deeper than that this year. We've got pretty much the same team back that finished No. 7."

The men, meanwhile, should be improved if only because both the depth and health are better. Walter Seidel -- ranked 19th in the regional singles poll -- returns after an injury-plagued 2000 season. The Wildcats -- ranked 23rd in the nation and fifth in the region -- also welcome transfer Theron Cole of Abilene. He is ranked 26th in regional singles poll, and he and his doubles partner, Kirk O'Connor, are ranked sixth in the regional doubles poll.

ACU also will be helped by the addition of transfer Julien Curatella from Auburn University, where he played No. 4 for the Tigers.

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Last Update: Feb. 9, 2001
Page maintained by Jeremy Parish, parishj@acu.edu
Questions to Ron Hadfield, hadfieldr@acu.edu
http://www.acu.edu/alumni/inside-acu/winter2000/sports01.html


		. Men's cross country team steamrolls to first region title, finishes second at NCAA Young Wildcat basketball teams lean on freshmen in early season action Volleyball team becomes a force in conference, region Golf team adds new faces in hopes of returning to NCAA Williams' coaching era begins in ACU track and field with lofty goals, expectations 1-9 year tough to swallow but Wildcats, Gaines are optimistic Baseball team eyes NCAA World Series Softball team mixes experience and youth Nationally ranked tennis teams aim for even higher ground Baseball team eyes NCAA World Series If putting together a national championship contender is a step-by-step process, the ACU Wildcat baseball program could be standing on the threshold of a spectacular 2001 campaign. In 1998 ACU won the Lone Star Conference South Division, but failed to win a game in the LSC Post-Season Tournament. In 1999 the Wildcats finished second in the LSC South and advanced to the LSC Post-Season Tournament championship game. Then last season the Wildcats tied for the LSC South title, won the LSC Post-Season Tournament and were the No. 1 seed and host for the NCAA south central region tournament. And although the Wildcats' season ended at the region tournament, the groundwork for the 2001 season had been laid. "In each of the last three years we've taken that next step in our program, and so our next step should be to get to the (Division II) College World Series in Montgomery, Ala.," said head coach Britt Bonneau, who will start his fifth season on Feb. 2 when the Wildcats open the season at home against St. Edward's. "We've gone from 1998 where we didn't win a game in the conference tournament to last season where we hosted the regional." Senior shortstop Jeremy Smith will be the Wildcats' leader on the field after a spectacular junior season that saw him hit .433 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs -- all team-leading numbers -- on his way to first team all-LSC and second team all-region honors. Senior second baseman Matt Davidson and senior first baseman Chris Stephens will also be counted on to lead the Wildcats in 2001. Davidson -- who already holds the career stolen base record -- is close to setting several other career records, including runs scored, hits and RBIs. Stephens had a solid junior season last year with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs. Softball team mixes experience and youth The Wildcat softball team hopes to return to winning ways in its fifth year of competition. Last season the Wildcats finished 27-31 overall and 9-7 in Lone Star Conference South Division play, and reached the LSC Post-Season Tournament for the first time since 1997. This season, however, ACU head coach Carol Tabor ('89) has added seven freshmen and transfers to the mix in hopes of making another trip to the post-season. Returning to the Wildcats' lineup are the top two hitters from last season: senior shortstop Veronica Villa and senior catcher Lynee Velasco. Villa led last year's squad with a .414 batting average and 72 hits, while Velasco was second with a .373 batting average and led the team with 38 RBI, five home runs and a .519 slugging percentage. Returning to the mound is sophomore pitcher Maurine McWilliams, who was 10-10 last season with a 2.69 ERA. Freshmen on the team are utility player Robin Woodall from Streetman, infielder J.D. Williams from Abilene, outfielder Candice Perry from Hobbs, N.M., and utility player Heather Hicks from North Richland Hills. Other new players include sophomore pitcher/utility Julie Harrington from Plano, junior utility player Misty Pryer from Hobbs, N.M., and junior first baseman Melissa Williams from Albuquerque, N.M. "This season we will be capable of playing well from the very beginning," Tabor said. "With the new freshmen, along with the three transfers and the returners, this team will be as strong as we have ever been." Nationally ranked tennis teams aim for even higher ground Men's and women's head tennis coach Hutton Jones ('81) enters the 2001 season believing he has a women's team to finally get the Wildcats into the NCAA Division II national semifinals and with a men's team that can return ACU back into the national top 15. The ACU women -- ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 1 in the Midwest region -- returns the bulk of a squad that went 26-3 last year and reached the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the fifth straight season. "We should be really strong," said Jones, whose women's team returns sophomore Sarah Taweel and senior Leah Ticer, ranked 27th and 50th, respectively, in NCAA singles. "We were seven-deep last year, and we'll be even deeper than that this year. We've got pretty much the same team back that finished No. 7." The men, meanwhile, should be improved if only because both the depth and health are better. Walter Seidel -- ranked 19th in the regional singles poll -- returns after an injury-plagued 2000 season. The Wildcats -- ranked 23rd in the nation and fifth in the region -- also welcome transfer Theron Cole of Abilene. He is ranked 26th in regional singles poll, and he and his doubles partner, Kirk O'Connor, are ranked sixth in the regional doubles poll. ACU also will be helped by the addition of transfer Julien Curatella from Auburn University, where he played No. 4 for the Tigers. Page 1 \| Page 2 \| Page 3 \| Page 4

		News \| Sports \| Hilltop View \| Second Glance Back Issues \| Feedback \| Alumni Bookcase \| Tipsheet \| Our Staff .
		Last Update: Feb. 9, 2001 Page maintained by Jeremy Parish, parishj@acu.edu Questions to Ron Hadfield, hadfieldr@acu.edu http://www.acu.edu/alumni/inside-acu/winter2000/sports01.html