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𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘾𝙄𝙏𝘼𝘿𝙀𝙇 𝙎𝙊𝘾𝘾𝙀𝙍

Congrats to Coach Kirkwood on being elevated to a full-time assistant coaching role on the Bulldogs staff for this upcoming season!

#MarchingForward

Full Release: https://t.co/TRvTzaME4J https://t.co/M7FMLpDuIs

VMI Athletics

If you haven’t seen it, Alumni Memorial Field has been completely resodded! Swipe ➡️ to see some of the work along the way.

Thanks to all those who were involved. Can’t wait for our home opener September 7…tickets go on sale Monday!!

#RahVaMil #ValueMakesImpact #ALLIN https://t.co/aY3Tf8O2pF

Furman Men’s Golf

- 2x Furman Intercollegiate wins
- 1x Team NCAA Regional at-large bid
- 2x Indy NCAA Regional bids 
- 1x Individual NCAA Nationals participant

Big thank you to Coach Bartlett for an incredible 4 years with Furman Men’s Golf! Best of luck in your new career! #alldin🟣⚪️ https://t.co/LVwNDmZBnT

Furman Basketball

We are always grateful when alumni come back to support the program and help out at our summer camps! It is part of what truly makes us better together! Thank you to Mike Bothwell, Rett Lister, Alex Hunter, and Jalen Slawson for coming through! 

#AllDIN // #BetterTogether https://t.co/Qj1s1HmrEc

UNCG Volleyball

On the road again! 🛣️

Head Coach Felicia Turner and Assistant Coach Trent Dunahoo are hitting the road to Las Vegas to look for future Spartans! 🤩 #letsgoG https://t.co/3LTDkpTdli

ETSU Men's Basketball

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧🎙️

Here's what 𝙏𝙮 𝙇𝙪𝙚 and 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 had to say about new Buccaneer assistant coach @Marcus_Belcher 

#AllHandsOnDeck https://t.co/EYJh84nQNP

Mercer Women's Golf

Congrats to @mikayladubnik10 on finishing tied for 5th at the Georgia Women’s Amateur this past weekend! 👏 https://t.co/zXdbXJB0sA

Samford Volleyball

𝙑𝙞𝙫𝙖 𝙇𝙖𝙨 𝙑𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙨❗ 

Coach Keylor and Coach Sabel are in Las Vegas looking for talent at the USAV Junior National Championship. 

#BeABetterBulldog |#AllForSAMford https://t.co/4140VD0HbJ

ETSU Athletics

Gille set to begin run at Wimbledon https://t.co/qVic6NDTEo https://t.co/fdFyuMHNrV

Mercer Women's Basketball

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –&nbsp;Furman golfer Anna Morgan has been named the 2023-24 Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year and ETSU golfer Mats Ege has been voted the Bob Waters Southern Conference Male Athlete of the Year, the league announced Monday.The Athlete of the Year Awards are selected annually by the Southern Conference athletics directors and a media member representing each conference school. The award recognizes athletic achievement, academic performance and civic involvement. Prior to 1990-91, the award was selected solely by members of the Southern Conference Sports Media Association. Beginning in 1991-92, the men's award was named after the late Bob Waters, who was Western Carolina's head football coach from 1969-88.Morgan is the first SoCon woman to earn three consecutive honors, claiming the Paladins’ 13th SoCon Female Athlete of the Year honor. Morgan is Furman’s fifth straight SoCon Female Athlete of the Year, following former teammate Natalie Srinivasan, who won in 2019-20 and went on to play on the Epson Tour, and professional Adidas runner Gabbi Jennings, who claimed the honor in 2020-21.The Spartanburg, South Carolina, native led the league in stroke average for the third straight season with a 70.1 mark over 33 rounds, which is the lowest single-season stroke average in program history, en route to being named the SoCon Player of the Year for the third straight season. Morgan posted seven top-5 finishes in 11 tournaments, including being the medalist at the SoCon Championship for the second straight time. She also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur for the third year in a row.Furman’s Edna Hartness Female Athlete of the Year for the third straight year, Morgan earned All-SoCon honors for the fourth straight season. Morgan finished the season ranked No. 17 nationally and will represent the United States at the Arnold Palmer Cup this summer. She was a five-time SoCon Player of the Week in 2023-24, extending her league-record to 13 selections, and was the SoCon Player of the Month five times, bringing her career total to nine.Off the golf course, Morgan graduated with a 3.6 GPA in politics and international affairs. She is a member of the Lambda Pi Eta honor society for communications studies and was named to the CSC Academic All-District Team and WGCA All-America Scholar Team. Morgan is also a member of Kappa Delta sorority, which raised money for the Julie Valentine Center, a nonprofit that provides services to sexual assault and child abuse survivors. Morgan also worked with local Girl Scout troops through Kappa Delta.Ege is ETSU’s third winner of the Bob Waters SoCon Male Athlete of the Year award and the first Buccaneer to claim the award since B.J. Adigun in 1997-98.Ege was named SoCon Player of the Year for the second time this season. The Kristiansand, Norway, native became the Bucs’ sixth PING First Team All-American this season and was named to the Ben Hogan Watch List and a finalist for the Haskins Award. Ege, who was the medalist at the SoCon Championship for the second straight year, finished the season ranked No. 9 nationally.A two-time winner of SoCon Player of the Week, Ege produced a scoring average of 69.25, which set a single-season program record. Ege registered 33 sub-par rounds and played the holes at 86-under-par. In October, Ege set a school, tournament and course record with a 10-under-par 62 in the opening round of the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate. He finished that event at 16-under-par 200, marking the second-lowest 54-hole total in program history.The ETSU Male Athlete of the Year graduated with a degree in Management in May 2024, finishing with a 3.45 GPA. Ege earned a SoCon Commissioner’s Medal in 2022-23 and was a three-time SoCon Honor Roll recipient. He was named SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week twice during the 2023-24 school year.In the community, Ege assisted with several community service events, including helping at Bucky’s Boo Bash where members of ETSU men’s golf team dressed up and passed out candy to children in the Tri-Cities Area. He also participated in a kids clinic at Town Acres Elementary School.

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The Southern Conference

Men’s Golf

Women’s Golf

ETSU’s Ege, Furman’s Morgan named SoCon Athletes of the Year

<h4><a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt90a281f2ef4c465c/blt8fd03b46190479ba/Spring_2024_Academic_All_Conference.xlsx" target="_blank">2024 SPRING ACADEMICS ALL-CONFERENCE</a></h4>SPARTANBURG, S.C.&nbsp;– Five hundred and six athletes earned 615 spots on the Spring 2024 Academic All-Southern Conference Team, the league office announced Thursday. &nbsp; “We are proud to honor the academic excellence of each of each student athlete named to the Academic All-SoCon team,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “It takes an extraordinary amount of dedication to balance academic success with this degree of athletic performance." &nbsp; The sports of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, rifle, wrestling, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball and softball are represented on the Spring Academic All-SoCon team. &nbsp; To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must 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 during the recently concluded campaign. In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least three semesters at their institutions, making true freshmen and first-year transfers ineligible for inclusion. &nbsp; Forty-eight student-athletes have maintained perfect 4.0 cumulative GPAs, with The Citadel and Western Carolina leading the way with seven each. &nbsp; The league’s 10 women’s outdoor track and field teams led the way with 85 academic all-conference selections, while the nine women’s indoor track and field programs combined for 78. The eight men’s outdoor track and field teams combined for 65 selections. &nbsp; Samford led all schools with 101 academic all-conference selections, followed by Furman with 69 and UNCG with 67. &nbsp; The 615 total selections are the third-highest total in conference history for the spring academic all-conference team.

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SoCon announces Spring Academic All-Conference team

<h5><a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt90a281f2ef4c465c/blt6f303a0e64e3926a/6681b8e25e288d4bfea21d65/Spring_2024_Academic_Honors.pdf" target="_blank">2024 Honor Roll</a></h5><h5><a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt90a281f2ef4c465c/bltd8a41a7d7fb18b26/Commissioner_Medals.xlsx" target="_blank">2024 Commissioners Medal</a></h5><h5><a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/blt90a281f2ef4c465c/blteb4cbfbca2e3422e/2024_4_0s.xlsx" target="_blank">2024 4.0S</a></h5>SPARTANBURG, S.C.&nbsp;– The Southern Conference released its Academic Honor Roll for the 2023-24 academic year on Thursday, with a 2,404 student-athletes from the 10 member institutions and nine associate members earning the distinction. “As a conference, we’re proud to recognize the emphasis our institutions place on the academic performance of each of the athletes named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “Balancing academics with athletic commitments requires excellence, dedications and personal investment on the part of the student athlete. It's also imperative to acknowledge our appreciation for the academic advisors, counselors, and faculty who invest in these athletes to ensure they succeed in their endeavors." &nbsp; The Academic Honor Roll originated in 1988-89, when SoCon athletic directors established the award as a way to recognize the league's outstanding student-athletes. The Academic Honor Roll consists of student-athletes who participated in conference sponsored varsity sports and posted a 3.0 grade point average or higher for the academic year, were eligible the entire academic year and were members of the final squad lists. The award is different from the academic all-conference award which is determined by cumulative GPA and involves a participation requirement. &nbsp; The 2,404 selections are the fifth-most in SoCon history. Of this year’s qualifiers, 743 earned the Commissioner’s Medal, awarded to student-athletes who attain a GPA of 3.8 or higher throughout the year, and 273 posted perfect 4.0 GPAs. &nbsp; Wofford paced the league with 289 members on the honor roll, while Samford was second with 287 and ETSU was third with 251. Each of the SoCon’s 10 full members had at least 73 student-athletes on the list and seven of them surpassed 200. &nbsp; Chattanooga paced the league with 85 student-athletes earning Commissioner’s Medals, while the Mocs had a league-best 43 student-athletes post 4.0 GPAs. &nbsp; Associate members in wrestling (101) and rifle (23) accounted for 124 selections. &nbsp; The honor roll includes all 20 sports sponsored by the SoCon in 2023-24.

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SoCon announces 2023-24 Academic Honor Roll

CHARLESTON, S.C. –&nbsp;After conducting a nationwide search throughout the offseason, The Citadel announced Russell Triplett as the Bulldogs' new baseball head coach Wednesday afternoon. A former standout at Clemson University, Triplett has served as the head coach at Newberry College for the last 14 seasons, amassing an overall record of 418-278-1.
 &nbsp;
 "The opportunity to take the helm of a program with as much history, tradition and pure grit as The Citadel is a dream come true," Triplett said. "The entire process of interviewing for this position has been incredibly fulfilling, and I'd like to personally thank The Citadel's president, Gen. Walters, the Citadel Director of Athletics Mike Capaccio and every member of the search committee for putting their faith in my background, my experience and my vision. The Citadel ranks as one of those 'special places' within the college baseball community, and my entire family and I are thrilled to embrace the unique culture and dedicated alumni base that makes this institution exceptional."
 &nbsp;
 The Citadel Director of Athletics Mike Capaccio led the coach search committee that reviewed more than 60 applicants, interviewed leading candidates and selected Coach Triplett.
 &nbsp;
 "Following a comprehensive search over the past few weeks, I'm proud to welcome Russell Triplett as the new head baseball coach for The Citadel," Capaccio said. "Triplett has a proven track record of success throughout his career and I look forward to watching him construct a culture of excellence, focused around the development of our cadet and student athletes, in the search to reestablish the deep-rooted, winning tradition of the storied baseball program here at The Citadel."
 &nbsp;
 Throughout his tenure, Coach Triplett garnered honors as the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year on three occasions (2015, 2019, and 2023) while also mentoring three SAC Players of the Year, two SAC Freshmen of the Year and two SAC Conference Scholar Athletes of the Year.
 &nbsp;
 Under his leadership, the team secured its first-ever South Atlantic Conference regular-season title in 2019. Further, the Wolves clinched both the SAC regular-season championship and the tournament championship just two seasons ago during the 2023 campaign, setting a new single-season school record behind 43 victories.
 &nbsp;
 Beyond the program win mark, the 2023 season also featured a slew of broken records for the Wolves, including stolen bases, total hits, team batting average, on-base percentage, total runs scored, RBIs, hit-by pitches and sacrifice flies.
 &nbsp;
 Notably, Newberry secured the program's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2019, ranking third nationally and hosting an NCAA Regional. Later in 2023, the Wolves registered their first NCAA Tournament win over UNC Pembroke.
 &nbsp;
 Before joining the Wolves, Triplett served as the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at USC Upstate from 2008-2010, and prior to that as a volunteer assistant at Clemson University.
 &nbsp;
 The Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters, USMC (Ret.), '79, was briefed Wednesday morning on the Committee's deliberations and endorsed their selection.
 &nbsp;
 "I am extremely confident in the decision to bring on Russell Triplett as our new baseball head coach," Gen. Walters said. "The powerful heritage of this program dates back decades with triumph after triumph serving as the guideposts for the future, and I view this addition to our athletics staff as yet another marker we will look back on with pride."
 &nbsp;
 As a player, Triplett was a four-time letterman and a two-time second-team All-ACC shortstop at Clemson from 2000-04. He played in 222 total games for the Tigers, finishing with an overall batting average of .312. A two-time team captain, Triplett guided Clemson to four NCAA Regional appearances, two NCAA Super Regionals and a College World Series appearance in 2002.
 &nbsp;
 Following graduation, Triplett competed as part of the New York Mets organization from 2004 to 2005. He played for the Brooklyn Cyclones (Short Season A) and the Kingsport Mets (Rookie League) in 2004 before moving up to the Binghamton Mets (Double-A) and Hagerstown Suns (Single-A) in 2005.
 &nbsp;
 A native of West Columbia, S.C., Triplett earned his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Clemson. Triplett and his wife, Ciria, are proud parents of three sons.

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Baseball

Russell Triplett Introduced as The Citadel Baseball Head Coach

DALLAS, Texas –&nbsp;Samford senior pitcher&nbsp;Michael Ross and UNCG designated hitter, Caleb Cozart,&nbsp;were named first team&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/news/2024/06/12/ncbwa-announces-2024-division-i-all-america-teams">All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association</a>&nbsp;(NCBWA), while Samford second baseman&nbsp;John Anderson&nbsp;earned third team honors when the association announced its postseason honors Wednesday. &nbsp; Ross turned in an impressive season in 2024 that saw him set a school record with a 13-0 record. His 13 wins are the most in the Southern Conference and are tied for the most in the nation. He also led the SoCon with a 3.27 earned run average. Ross recorded 88 strikeouts this season, while allowing just 21 walks. &nbsp; Following the season, Ross was named the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and first team All-SoCon. Earlier this week, Ross was named first team All-Southeast Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). This is the first time a Samford players has been named first team All-American since Brooks Carlson in 2020. Cozart&nbsp;paced the Spartans offensively this season in batting average (.332), slugging percentage (.742) and on-base percentage (.474). Cozart was recently named The Southern Conference (SoCon) Coaches’ Player of the Year. He&nbsp;broke UNCG’s single-season record for home runs (22) when he hit his 18th of the season on April 24 against High Point. Cozart also tied Kennedy Jones (2022-23) for the program’s single-season high for RBI (73) during the SoCon Tournament at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.In just two seasons as a Spartan, Cozart stands at fifth on UNCG’s top-10 list for home runs with 29. He earned spots on four all-conference teams this season, including being voted to the coaches and media first teams as a designated hitter as well as both second teams as a first baseman. Cozart was named SoCon Player of the Week twice this season (Feb. 19 &amp; April 29) and was also crowned Perfect Game Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 20. &nbsp; Anderson led Samford with a .382 batting average this season, ranking second in the SoCon in the category. He led the SoCon with 24 doubles, to go along with his 13 home runs and team-high 69 RBI. &nbsp; Anderson was named first team All-SoCon at the conclusion of the season. Earlier this week, Anderson earned second team All-Southeast Region honors from the ABCA. &nbsp; Previous NCBWA All-America teams from 1996-2023 have featured the likes of P Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, OF J.D. Drew of Florida State, P-DH Jason Jennings of Baylor, 1B Mark Teixeira of Georgia Tech, RHP Mark Prior of Southern California, SS Khalil Greene of Clemson, SS-2B Rickie Weeks of Southern, 3B Alex Gordon of Nebraska, P David Price of Vanderbilt, P-DH Brad Lincoln of Houston, C Buster Posey of Florida State, catcher Mike Zunino of Florida, 3B Kris Bryant of San Diego, P-1B A.J. Reed from Kentucky; OF Andrew Benintendi from Arkansas, OF Seth Beer of Clemson, UTIL Brendan McKay from Louisville, Florida P Brady Singer, Oregon State C Adley Rutschman, Arkansas RP Kevin Kopps and Texas 1B Ivan Melendez, among others. &nbsp; Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters, and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official Web site, www.ncbwa.com.

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Three athletes receive All-America honors from NCBWA

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –&nbsp;Four Southern Conference baseball players earned spots on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abca.org/ABCA/Awards/All-Region/NCAA_Div_I/2024.aspx?hkey=e85a4e68-8607-4a03-894e-09fa78d057bc">2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-Region Teams</a>. The teams are voted on by members of the American Baseball Coaches Association and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Div. I All-America Committee.
 &nbsp;
 UNCG's Caleb Cozart&nbsp;was a first-team selection in the Atlantic Region, while Wofford's Zac Cowan earned second-team honors in the region. ETSU’s&nbsp;Cameron Sisneros and Nick Iannantone&nbsp;earned a second-team nod in the Southeast region.
 &nbsp;
 First-team All-Region selections are nominated for ABCA/Rawlings All-America honors. The ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I All-America teams will be announced the morning of Friday, June 14, prior to the start of the 2024 NCAA Div. I College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
 &nbsp;
 Cozart&nbsp;paced the Spartans offensively this season in batting average (.332), slugging percentage (.742) and on-base percentage (.474). Cozart was recently named The Southern Conference (SoCon) Coaches' Player of the Year. He broke UNCG's single-season record for home runs (22) when he hit his 18th of the season on April 24 against High Point. Cozart also tied&nbsp;Kennedy Jones&nbsp;(2022-23) for the program's single-season high for RBI (73) during the SoCon Tournament at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.
 &nbsp;
 Sisneros put together one of the best offensive seasons in the history of ETSU baseball in 2024. Sisneros led ETSU in slugging percentage (.766), RBI (86), multi-RBI games (22), home runs (23), and total bases (164). His 86 RBI broke the single season program record in that category, while his 23 home runs were the second-most ever by a Buc in a single campaign. Hitting .369 with an OPS of 1.259, Sisneros earned SoCon Player of the Year honors by the league's media members. He is the first ETSU player to earn conference player of the year honors since 2010 when Paul Hoilman garnered the same recognition in the Atlantic Sun. Sisneros is the first SoCon Player of the Year for ETSU since 2004 (Caleb Moore). Sisneros ended his time with ETSU by reaching base in 79 straight games and ended the season with more home runs (23) than strikeouts (20).
 &nbsp;
 Iannantone played a key role in sparking the Buccaneer offense. The senior from Plainfield, Illinois led ETSU in batting average (.387), at-bats (217), runs scored (65), hits (84), multi-hit games (26), walks (51), and on-base percentage (.505). He also concluded the season on an 18-game hitting streak and a 24-game reached base streak. Iannantone, who landed a spot on the All-SoCon Second Team as a designated hitter, played well during the Bucs' run in the SoCon Tournament late last month hitting .429 with nine runs scored. For his efforts during the Tournament, Iannantone landed a spot on the SoCon's All-Tournament Team.
 &nbsp;
 Cowan finished the season 10-2, recording wins in two Southern Conference Tournament victories and the Terriers' first ever NCAA Tournament win against LIU.&nbsp;By reaching 10 wins, Cowan is one shy of the program's single-season record and just the eighth Terrier pitcher ever to record double-digit wins in a season.This season he recorded a 3.35 era in 110 innings pitched. Cowan struck out 124 batters trough the course of the season including a game high 14 against Mercer in April.

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Four earn ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors

EUGENE, Oregon -- Furman senior&nbsp;Dylan Schubert&nbsp;earned an honorable mention All-America citation in the 5,000m finals Friday at the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Track &amp; Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.A native of Loveland, Colo., Schubert finished 19th with a time of 14:06.41.&nbsp; The competitors ran in a slow pack throughout the majority of the race, with the pace only picking up in the final few laps.The top eight finishers in Friday's finals were deemed first team All-Americans, with finishers nine through 12 earning second team All-America accolades.&nbsp; Honorable mention All-America citations were bestowed on athletes who finished in 17th through 24th place.Schubert won the 5,000m at the NCAA East Preliminaries, shattering the facility record with a time of 13:50.99.&nbsp; With the victory, he became the first regional winner in the history of the Furman men's track and field program.&nbsp; Schubert entered the meet, his second East preliminary and first in the 5,000m, ranked tenth after qualifying with a time of 13:36.98.&nbsp;The outdoor All-America citation caps off a historic season for Schubert.&nbsp; The 2023 SoCon Cross Country Runner of the Year, he won the league's individual cross country title and led the Paladins to their 11th-straight SoCon title in the fall.&nbsp; Schubert went on to win the NCAA Southeast Region cross country meet, setting a new course record and becoming the first individual region champion in the history of the Furman cross country program.&nbsp; At the cross country national championships, he placed 24th, claiming his second-straight All-America scroll. &nbsp;During the 2024 indoor season, Schubert ran a sub-4:00 mile of 3:58.38 at the USC Indoor Open and won SoCon titles in both the 5,000m and the distance medley relay, then he captured the league 1,500m title during outdoor season.NCAA ChampionshipsFridayMen's 5,000m Finals -&nbsp;<a href="https://furmanpaladins.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/dylan-schubert/5566">Dylan Schubert</a>&nbsp;- 19th - 14:06.41

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Men’s Outdoor Track & Field

FURMAN'S SCHUBERT EARNS ALL-AMERICA CITATION IN 5,000M

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. –&nbsp;East Tennessee State University Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander announced on Monday the hiring of Aaron O'Callaghan as ETSU men's golf head coach.
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 O'Callaghan, who spent the last six seasons as the associate head coach at Wake Forest, becomes the fourth head coach to lead the prestigious Buccaneer program. &nbsp;
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 "I am so excited to have Aaron lead our men's golf program," said Dr. Sander. "When we started the search, the first name that came up when I met with Dr. Noland was Aaron O'Callaghan. Coach is well-respected across the golf community and that was apparent when we moved through this process. Aaron's personality, his coaching style and playing record all fit perfectly with the profile we established as we were looking for our new golf coach. He is going to do great things here at ETSU."
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 <a href="https://etsubucs.com/sports/mens-golf/roster/coaches/mike-hulbert/497">Mike Hulbert</a>&nbsp;has known Coach O'Callaghan for many years and is ready to get to work.
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 "I'm super excited that we were able to get Aaron O'Callaghan as our next head coach," said Coach Hulbert. "I've known Aaron for quite some time and the work he has done with Coach Jerry Haas at Wake Forest speaks for itself – what a program! The two most important qualities for a head coach are recruiting and relationships. Aaron is A+ and I can't wait to start working with him."&nbsp;
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 O'Callaghan has 10 years of coaching experience as he spent four years at Louisville prior to making the move to Winston-Salem, N.C.
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 "I am ecstatic to be the next men's golf coach at ETSU and to lead this historic program to new success," said O'Callaghan, who will be a co-assistant coach for Team International at next month's Arnold Palmer Cup. "I have always admired ETSU men's golf and have tremendous respect for the program. I look forward to this new era of Buccaneer Golf and building on the momentum that is already in place. I am thankful for Dr. Richard Sander and Dr. Brian Noland's faith and belief in me leading the ETSU men's golf program."
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 During his time at Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons captured 15 tournament wins, appeared in all five NCAA Regionals (2020 was canceled due to COVID) and advanced to four NCAA Championships. Wake Forest won at least one tournament each year under O'Callaghan's watch, including the 2022 NCAA Regional in New Haven, Conn. and the 2022 ACC Championship – the 18th in program history.
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 In O'Callaghan's first season at Winston-Salem, the Demon Deacons won five times in the 2018-19 season, the most by a Wake Forest team since 1983-84. Wake Forest was ranked in the top five nationally for majority of the campaign, while the Demon Deacons advanced to match play at the NCAA Championship for the first time in program history. Wake Forest also broke the school record for top scoring average by over four shots per round.
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 In 2019-20, Wake Forest won the Rod Myers Invitational, while the Demon Deacons – who shot 20-under-par or better in five of eight events – finished in the top-four in all eight events prior to COVID shortening the season. Individually, Parker Gillam won the White Sands Intercollegiate behind an NCAA-tying 60 in round one, while Mark Power earned medalist honors at the prestigious East Lake Cup.
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 The spring of 2021 saw Wake Forest register back-to-back team titles at the Kiawah Invitational and Wake Forest Invitational at Pinehurst No. 2, while the Demon Deacons added three individual titles to their resume. Wake Forest made it a clean sweep at both Kiawah and Wake Forest Invitational thanks to Michael Brennan earning medalist honors at both, while Alex Fitzpatrick – the younger brother to 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick – winning the Valspar Collegiate.
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 During the 2021-22 season where Wake Forest won the ACC Championship and the New Haven Regional, the Demon Deacons also captured the crown at the Old Town Club Collegiate. Wake Forest set program records for a regional score at 26-under-par, while the 35-under-par at the Old Town Club Collegiate also set a new tournament record.
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 Wake Forest won two team titles in 2022-23 with the Demon Deacons capturing the Battle at Briar's Creek and the Battle of the Run. Mark Power made it a clean sweep at Battle at Briar's Creek as he earned a four-shot win at 9-under-par 207. Brennan began his run for back-to-back ACC titles as he won a playoff over Georgia Tech's Hiroshi Tai.
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 This past 2023-24 season, Wake Forest had six top-five finishes, including a win at the Highlands Invitational and advanced to its 48th NCAA Championship after placing fifth at the Austin Regional. To go with the win at the Highlands Invitational, where Wake Forest fired a 31-under-par, Brennan took home the individual title at 12-under-par. Brennan went on to win his second straight ACC individual title, marking his eighth career win, tying him for third all-time in program history with Curtis Strange.
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 In his run as associate head coach at Wake Forest, O'Callaghan saw seven Demon Deacons account for 11 All-American honors, while he also had 11 All-ACC selections and 14 ACC All-academic selections. Michael Brennan, who earned medalist honors as the 2023 and 2024 ACC Championship, was tabbed All-American in 2022 and 2024, while Cameron Young – the 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year – was also a two-time All-American in 2018 and 2019. Brennan became the first Wake Forest player to win an ACC crown since seven-time PGA Tour winner and 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson accomplished the feat in 2008.
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 Prior to Wake Forest, O'Callaghan spent four years at Louisville where he served as an assistant coach for three seasons and an associate head coach for his final season. O'Callaghan led the Cardinals to four team wins, three NCAA Regional appearances and a 14th-place showing at the 2016 NCAA Championship. Among the players he coached at UL was two-time ACC Champion Robin Sciot-Siegrist.
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 O'Callaghan played collegiately at Southeastern Louisiana from 2005-09, where he posted two career wins and was tabbed first team All-Southland Conference in 2007. As a professional, he advanced to the second stage of the 2011 European Tour Qualifying School.
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 Following his professional career, O'Callaghan spent four years as the top assistant golf pro at the Baton Rouge Country Club.
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 "My wife, Kristin, and I can't wait to move to Johnson City," said O'Callaghan. "The community that supports ETSU Golf is second to none. We look forward to meeting you and bringing home a national championship. Go Bucs!"

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ETSU names Aaron O’Callaghan men’s golf head coach

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. –&nbsp;The Southern Conference wrapped up its 2024 spring meetings at the Sonesta Resort in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, last Thursday. The three-day meetings were attended by the institutional presidents and chancellors, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletic representatives, as well as Southern Conference staff.
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 During the meetings, 18 conference bylaw changes were unanimously approved including clarifying and strengthening conference membership policies. Also, the league adopted a non-conference men’s basketball scheduling policy for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
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 Among the business conducted, NCAA representation spoke about the allocation of damages as part of the settlement of anti-trust lawsuits and a conference graduate scholarship was approved to be named in honor of recently retired Wofford athletic director Richard Johnson.
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 At the Honors Reception on Wednesday evening, the SoCon recognized the league’s annual award winners, 10 SoCon postgraduate scholarship winners and the 2024 SoCon Hall of Fame class.
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 Among the institutional awards, the Barrett-Bonner Award, given annually to the school with the highest percentage of its student-athletes on the SoCon Honor Roll, went to Mercer for the ninth consecutive year, as the Bears had 78.5 percent of their student-athletes earn the necessary 3.0 GPA for inclusion on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll. The D.S. McAlister Award, presented annually to the school judged by the league’s administrators and head coaches to have exhibited the highest degree of sportsmanship, went to The Citadel for the third straight season and sixth time overall. The Graduation Rate Award went to Samford, which paced the league in the latest NCAA Graduation Success Rate data with a score of 98. It was the Bulldogs’ fourth straight Graduation Rate Award win.
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 Following the institutional awards, five new members were inducted into the SoCon Hall of Fame. The five honorees were Davidson’s Terry Holland, Furman’s Dick Sheridan, UNCG’s Paul Chelimo and Ali Lord and Western Carolina’s Kevin Martin. Chelimo, Lord and Martin were in attendance, while Holland and Sheridan were inducted posthumously. Holland was represented by his wife, Ann, and Sheridan was represented by his eldest granddaughter, Isabella.
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 Samford was awarded the Commissioner’s Cup for fielding the best men’s programs in the league for the second straight season, while the Bulldogs’ women’s programs were recognized for winning the Germann Cup, which honors the school with the top women’s programs, for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth time overall.

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Southern Conference concludes annual spring meetings

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –&nbsp;The Wofford baseball team jumped on the defending national champion LSU early with five runs in the first inning, but the Tigers would fight back and ultimately take a 13-6 win in the Chapel Hill Regional Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. The third-seeded Terriers end a historic campaign at 42-20 and the No. 2 seed Tigers improve to 42-22.
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 "We played hard, really hard until the end," said head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/coaches/j-j-edwards/1252">J.J. Edwards</a>. "We ask a lot out of our guys, and we're happy we got a chance to be in a regional. Don't love the way we went out of course, but that's because we're competitive. Tip our hat to LSU; they played really good baseball for nine innings. We got out to an early lead and couldn't hold on to it, but I'm really proud of our guys."
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 The Terriers conclude their campaign with 42 wins to tie the program's record for a season (2022). Wofford set numerous program records throughout the season and entered the NCAA Tournament top five in the country in multiple offensive categories, including runs per game, batting average and on-base percentage. Among the plethora of records the 2024 squad topped were runs scored (617), hits (716), triples (33), RBI (559), walks drawn (317), sacrifice flies (41) and hit by pitch (108). By claiming the 2024 Southern Conference Tournament championship, Wofford secured its second-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament, and the Terriers downed Long Island 5-2 yesterday to notch the program's first-ever regional win.
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 Freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/camden-wicker/8427">Camden Wicker</a>&nbsp;started for Wofford and turned in an excellent outing, tossing 4.0 innings with three runs allowed on seven hits. He issued no walks and tallied six strikeouts, just one shy of his career high.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/kenny-michaels/8424">Kenny Michaels</a>&nbsp;tossed 2.0 innings with&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mike-eggert/8267">Mike Eggert</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/champ-davis/8266">Champ Davis</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/mason-compton/8417">Mason Compton</a>&nbsp;each pitching one inning. The loss was assessed to Michaels (3-2). Davis hurled a scoreless frame with a strikeout, and Compton added a punchout of his own.
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 "I just wanted to give everything I got for these guys (the seniors) and for J.J. and put everything out on the field and leave nothing and have no regrets for whatever happens," said Wicker of getting the start against LSU in a do-or-die contest.
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 Griffin Herring (6-1) picked up the win for LSU after pitching 6.1 innings in relief with one run allowed on five hits.
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 The Tigers posted 21 hits compared to the eight of Wofford.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/marshall-toole/8285">Marshall Toole</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brice-martinez/8276">Brice Martinez</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-mannelly/8274">Andrew Mannelly</a>&nbsp;each posted two hits with Mannelly adding an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-jackson/8422">Daniel Jackson</a>&nbsp;extended his on-base streak to 51 games with a hit and an RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-renwick/8279">Jack Renwick</a>&nbsp;added a double for Wofford's final hit, the lone extra-base knock of the game for the Terriers. The senior concluded his career with two RBI.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/dixon-black/8262">Dixon Black</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-wiley/8289">David Wiley</a>&nbsp;each added an RBI. Toole reached three total times with a walk added in, and&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/lucas-manning/8488">Lucas Manning</a>&nbsp;worked the other Terrier free pass.
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 With his RBI, Black reached 76 on the season to set a new single-season program record for RBI. He tops the previous high of 75 set in 2010 by Mac Doyle.
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 "Being here on this stage and being able to compete the way we did makes it easier to go out," said Renwick of his final collegiate game coming in a regional. "We came here and showed who we were for these games and this regional and competed the whole way, and we just have a great group of guys that love each other and came together and showed everybody what we were about."
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 "It makes it a lot easier, obviously, going out in a regional," added Black, also a senior. "Hopefully we set a good standard for the teams that follow, and I just hope that this class and this team specifically has set a foundation for the future."
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 Wofford came out of the gates hot.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/camden-wicker/8427">Camden Wicker</a>&nbsp;opened the top of the first with a 1-2-3 frame, putting down two Tigers swinging. His offense rewarded him in the bottom of the inning with a five-run outburst, batting around with 10 men coming to the plate.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/marshall-toole/8285">Marshall Toole</a>&nbsp;singled, and&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/brice-martinez/8276">Brice Martinez</a>&nbsp;added one of his own with a bunt to the open space in a shifted infield. With two on,&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/daniel-jackson/8422">Daniel Jackson</a>&nbsp;singled up the middle to plate the game's first run. In true Terrier fashion,&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/david-wiley/8289">David Wiley</a>&nbsp;placed another bunt down, and the throw home was too late as a second run scored. Later in the inning, a bases-loaded catcher's interference put&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/andrew-mannelly/8274">Andrew Mannelly</a>&nbsp;on first and scored Jackson.&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/jack-renwick/8279">Jack Renwick</a>&nbsp;then ripped a double to left that scored two more, and Wofford held a quick 5-0 lead.
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 LSU responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. A sacrifice fly opened the scoring for the Tigers, and two singles would push across another run. But Wicker limited the damage by notching the third out at first with a smooth pick-off, holding the margin to 5-2.
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 The Tigers got one more run in the top of the fourth with an RBI single, but Wofford got that run right back in the bottom of the inning. Mannelly singled and would later score when&nbsp;<a href="https://woffordterriers.com/sports/baseball/roster/dixon-black/8262">Dixon Black</a>&nbsp;lifted a sacrifice fly. The Wofford lead was 6-3 after four frames.
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 In the top of the fifth, LSU plated three runs to pull level. A pair scored on a two-run home run, and then an RBI single evened the game at 6-6.
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 LSU added two more runs in the top of the seventh to claim the lead. A sacrifice fly plated the go-ahead run, and another run came home on an infield single. The Tigers were ahead 8-6.
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 They did not look back from there, adding three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Despite its best efforts, Wofford was unable to mount its own comeback and ultimately fell 13-6.
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 "I'm proud of them of course for the wins because people remember the wins, but I'm more proud of them for setting the standard," said Edwards of the historic 2024 squad. "That is the biggest thing. I'm a first-year head coach, and of course I've known these guys for a long time, but if you show up in September to November when nobody's really watching Wofford baseball, and we're not in the media attention yet, you will see the same team diving for every ball, playing really hard… and it is not seen because it's not on television, but that's just the standard these guys set every single day. I'm just fortunate that they did that and that I got to coach them as their head coach."
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 After a historic season, the Terriers will return to the field in the fall to begin preseason preparations for the 2025 campaign, in which Wofford will look to defend its 2024 SoCon Championship.

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