One down, 63 teams to go. Texas Southern was the first team to punch its card to the big dance, defeating Mississippi Valley State in the SWAC tournament championship game.





May 9, 2004

Texas Southern Baseball Team Wins First-Ever Southwestern Athletic Conference

Head Coach Candy Robinson named Coach of the Year,

DeLeon Named Tournament MVP

Houston, TX- The Tigers of Texas Southern claimed their first-ever SWAC Baseball Title, as they swept the Devils of Mississippi Valley State 18-1 in one of two matches between the squads today at Baseball USA Complex. A fan crowd of 483 watched as the Tigers fell to the Devils in the first match-up 7-6. This nail-bitter was followed by a Tiger 18-1 sweep, clinching a mark in history for TSU’s baseball program.

In the first game, Texas Southern built a 6-0 led in the third inning. The Tigers suddenly began performing error after error, allowing the Devils to tie the game 6-6 going into the ninth inning. Valley scored one run in the bottom of the ninth, winning the game 7-6. This victory gave both TSU and Valley one loss, creating a tie breaker game.

Both teams remained scoreless in the first inning. Texas Southern scored the game’s first points as junior right fielder Corey Alexander scored on a walk and senior left fielder Damon Burns scored on a HBP. The Tigers went scoreless in the third and fourth inning but gave up one score to MVSU on an error.

Texas Southern then pushed it up a gear as their rowdy Tiger fans got behind them and started to hunt down a win. From the fifth inning on, TSU came out on top hitting the ball well and turning up the defense. The Tigers scored four runs in the fifth inning including a homer from freshman third baseman Herman Coachman and senior first baseman Calvin Fugett.

The Tigers returned scoring three runs in the sixth inning; including another homerun by Fugett and four runs in the seventh, including a homer from senior short stop Marcelo Garcia bringing the score to 13-1. The Tigers anxiety flared even higher as the fans cheered them on and totaled five hits in the eighth inning. Senior pitcher Dominic Capehart pitched the top of the ninth for the Tigers and sealed the game 18-1.

Sophomore pitcher Jesus Guerra not only won the game for the Tigers, but also pitched nine innings giving up only nine hits for one run and striking out six of 33 at bat.

Fugett led the Tigers offensively with five hits and five RBI’s. He also led TSU defensively with eight putouts and five assists. “This moment for us means so much, you really can’t put it in words,” said Fugett. “We’ve worked so hard to get here and this moment right now is beyond what you would imagine.” I’m just glad I could help my team.”

Three Tigers totaled two doubles on the day including; Garcia, Fugget, and Alexander. Senior catcher Julio Alvarez led the Tigers with seven PO’s.

This championship if the Tiger’s first SWAC Title in the history of Texas Southern baseball. “We’ve been trying to get this win for the last ten years,” said head coach Candi Robinson. “I am the most proud because these are the guys that dedicated themselves and stayed with the program.”

Coach Robinson was named Coach of the Year and Mario DeLeon was named Most Valuable Player.

That's good.. Need to get some more Texas teams in..

Army has also clinched an automatic bid from the Patriot League:

http://patriotleague.collegesports.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/050904aab.html



Bethune-Cookman will be making its 6th straight NCAA appearance after winning the MEAC tourney:

http://www.meacsports.com/artman/publish/article_766.shtml



Princeton will be representing the Ivy League after winning the regular season title (they have no tourney in the Ivy League.) It came down to the final weekend vs. Dartmouth and Princeton came away with a sweep:

http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/article.asp?intID=3318


With that said, 4 bids have been handed out and 60 spots remain.

If you take the shortest route, Princeton is almost within bus distance of Kinston, North Carolina, where East Carloina will likely host a regional, and would almost certainly be within 400 miles by air (I'm not sure if they go by highway route or as the crow flies). In any event, if Princeton were considered a bus trip to Kinston (Army is a bus trip to Charlottesville, so I seem them or Princeton going to Virgina as the 4 seed for that regional) that might add to the incentive to put a team in the Carolinas, like Clemson, on the road.

TExas Southern will be four seed at Austin, since Texas will be the number one national seed.

Kendall: The only reason the NCAA would put TSU on a bus for Austin is if it saves them money to fly some northern team to Houston rather than Austin (a distinct possibility). Failing that, they will play in their home city, as Southern has done several times at the Box. The Horns being the #1 overall seed would have NOTHING to do with it.

twk,
It will be interesting to see how they break down the Houston and Austin Regionals. Right now, Lamar is probably going to go to the Rice Regional. If Tech doesn't host, which is what it looks like right now, I would expect them to head to Rice as the two seed. With Lamar being the three seed, Texas Southern is a possibility, but again, I wouldn't surprised to see Texas Southern sent to Austin. But then again, the NCAA has a history of sending NE schools to Austin.

Have they scrapped the idea of putting conference teams together in the same regional? I know a couple of years ago (2002, I believe) Baylor was sent to Austin to be the #2 seed in UT's regional.

This is one area where I take the committee at their word. As far as they are concerned, all four seeds are created equal, as are all three seeds and all non-Top 8 1 seeds. Thus, the committee will send teams wherever it costs the least/makes the most money. TSU could go to Austin, Houston, Baton Rouge, or College Station as a bus trip. If A&M gets to host, don't be surprised if they end up at Olsen just because they can bus there, and teams can fly to Houston and Austin.

As to Tech, if they went to Houston it would only be to sell tickets since Lubbock is over 500 miles from Houston. Tech is going to be getting on an airplane no matter where they go, so I'd say they are a good candidate to head to one cost or the other. If Baylor makes the field, I'd be willing to bet a small amount of money (very small) that they go to Houston (although they are right at 400 miles from Fayetteville, and if they and Lamar are both three seeds, I could see Baylor going north and Lamar going to Rice).

Luke: That was post 9/11 in 2002. The official NCAA rule is that teams from the same conference will not meet in the first round. That year, in order to save travel, the first round was construed by the baseball committee as the first game of a regional. Since then, they've gone back to keeping teams from the same conference out of the same regional, altogether.

That's what I thought, but didn't know for sure. I'm glad conference teams aren't in the same regional...finally an NCAA rule with which I agree.

And I guess I should add that the top 8 seeds will not be paired up with a non-top 8 seed from the same conference in the super regional. So, as Kendall pointed out on another thread, if A&M is a 1 seed, they won't be paired with the Horns, but if they are a 2 seed, it is possible.

[This message has been edited by twk (edited 5/10/2004 4:05p).]