Baseball Package - New Bats

My final package created in Advance Broadcast Practicum.

Diamond Cats Sweeping the Competition

RSU Baseball has kept brooms quite handy since the start of the season.

The Hillcats have swept victories away from the last five out of ten opposing teams while setting a new school record of 19 straight wins.

“We have the confidence now that we can play with anybody,” said junior catcher Lance Rymel. “With this strong start it just proves that we’re a really good team and all of our hard work has paid off from the off season.”

The early streak propelled the Cats to a solid third place standing in the Sooner Athletic Conference behind Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Baptist.

For head coach Ron Bradley’s ball club, favorable winning ratios will look to keep the Cats among the top seeds in the conference.

“This conference is so tough that you just feel like if you can win two out of three each weekend then you’re putting yourself in a situation where you’ve got a real good shot to go to the national tournament and that’s our goal,” said Bradley.

Earlier this month, the Diamond Cats traveled down to Texas winning two out of three games against No. 5 nationally ranked opponent Lubbock Christian. Bradley’s ball club repeated the same ratio during spring break claiming two 6-5 victories at home against Wayland Baptist.

RSU’s pitching staff has proven to be a driving force behind the Cats success.

The Cats are second in the conference with an earned run average of 3.45 percent.

Junior Tyler Garner earned SAC Pitcher of the Week for March 7-13 in the wins against LCU. The Poteau, Okla., native held the Chaps to three runs, one earned, on seven hits and two walks, while striking out six hitters. For the season, Garner holds a 4-0 record.

During the same period, Lance Rhymel received SAC player of the week. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native batted .500 for the week with five hits in 10 at bats with a home run, a double, four RBI and one run scored.

Going deeper into conference play the Cats are posing threats for teams in more ways than one.

Besides outstanding pitching, RSU is third in the SAC with a batting average of .340.

The Cats’ high speed offense ranks fifth in the nation in total stolen bases (78). Defensively, RSU is second in the conference allowing only 6.24 hits per game and 3.41 runs per game on average.

RSU baseball will look to keep their winning ratio alive as they square off in a three-game series against University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma beginning Mar. 31.

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Photo by gssphotography.com

A Tale of Two Seasons

RSU Men’s Basketball sets new records in the history books.

If you would have asked head coach Justin Barkley at the start of the 2010-11 basketball season if his program had the chance of making a deep run in the national tournament, the question probably would have been difficult to answer.

Maybe a little crazy.

Respectively, anyone who second-guessed the Rogers State men’s basketball team should have guessed again.

The Hillcats concluded their season reaching the Elite Eight round of the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City, Mo., going further than any team in program history.

“This team is very resilient,” said Barkley. “They’ve definitely raised the bar here at Rogers State.”

RSU men opened the first round of the national tournament in thrilling fashion knocking off No. 5 nationally ranked Texas Wesleyan 66-64.

The Hillcats battled back and forth with TWU trailing by as much as 13 points in the game, capturing their first lead of the second half with 13 seconds left on the clock.

All season, the men’s team experienced numerous double-digit deficits, pulling out slim victories including the wins against Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Baptist and Lubbock Christian.

So the challenge against TWU was nothing new for RSU.

“We’ve been in those positions all year,” said junior point guard Maurice Rutherford.

After blowing past Carroll College in the second round 66-45, RSU men witnessed their historical season come to a close against No. 3 nationally ranked Mountain State University 69-62 in the quarterfinals.

Seniors John Boyd, Matt Kellogg, Chris Francis, Brandon Mims and Alburey Doss played their final game in a Hillcat uniform.

Barkley described his squad’s national run performance to the Elite Eight as the ultimate team production.

“Each and every night somebody different was stepping up,” said Barkley. “This wouldn’t have been able to all come together, if it wasn’t for a cast of characters.”

The Hillcats finished the season ranked No. 25 in the nation with a 22-12 overall record and are now 2-2 all-time at the NAIA Tournament.

This season, they knocked off four Top-25 teams with three of them finishing in the Top 10 in the final coaches poll.

A team that was looked upon as having a rebuilding season shook up the Sooner Athletic Conference and left their mark in the NAIA national tournament exceeding everyone’s expectations, including their own.

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Photo courtesy of Ryan Weaver

A Thrill Ride to Remember

RSU Women's Basketball reach new heights in 2010-11 season.

If you missed your chance to catch the Rogers State women's basketball team in action, then you've missed out on a special season.

RSU women knocked off four Top 25 teams during the 2010-11 season, making their first Sooner Athletic Conference championship and NAIA national tournament appearance while tallying the most wins in program history with a 23-10 overall record.

The Hillcats finished the regular season on a strong run, winning the last nine of ten games claiming sole possession of the fourth seed in the Sooner Athletic Conference.

Heading into the SAC tournament, RSU sought revenge in their third meeting with John Brown with a 60-55 victory. After falling twice to JBU, the payback was more bitter than sweet.

"We didn't really celebrate," said senior forward Candice Stewart. "That win was expected."

The Hillcat women stayed focused as they pounced on Oklahoma Baptist for the third time this season, wiping the Lady Bison from the tournament 74-59.

Yet, RSU were unable to topple Southern Nazarene in the SAC Championship falling 52-48.

The Hillcats post-season efforts earned themselves their first bid into the national tournament in Jackson, Tenn.

The Rogers State women put forth one of their best defensive performance in their national tournament debut but could not find similar success on the offensive end. RSU controlled the opening 33 minutes but Westminster College was able to fight back as the Hillcats had one of their worst shooting nights of the season.

The Hillcats reached the end of their season ride, falling to Westminster College 60-56.

"I think our players know that we played well enough to win the game, we just didn't shoot well enough to win the game," said Williams. "It's tough when you lose a game like that but we're still proud of everything we've accomplished."

Seniors Hunter Peterson, Andrea Miles, Cortney Crockett including Stewart completed their college careers as a Hillcat.

Though a tough season-ender, RSU women reached their ultimate goal of making a national tournament appearance leaving their mark in school's history.

"This was a really good team this year," said Stewart. "Once we finally figured out our chemistry, we were special together."

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Photo by gssphotography.com

RSU Golf Aiming for Progression

The Sooner Athletic Conference is known for having one of the most competitive leagues in the NAIA across the country.

With a few spring tournaments under their belts, the Rogers State Men’s and Women’s golf teams are looking to make a name for themselves in the conference.

“The teams have continued to make progress,” said Randa Fay, RSU assistant head coach. “We have to elevate our performance to be competitive at this level.”

Earlier this month, the men’s team captured their highest placing of the season finishing fourth in the Crawford-Wade Invitational played in Pottsboro, Texas. The Hillcats held their own amongst a host of NCAA Division II schools.

Sophomore Tanner Owens led the Hillcats tying for 12th with a three-day score of 233. Freshman Landon Morgan followed closely behind finishing 15th with a total score of 234.

During spring break, RSU faced stiff competition at the UST Mamiya Texas Intercollegiate tournament finishing 13th out of 15 teams.Five SAC schools, including RSU, competed in the tournament with four of those teams finishing in the top 10 of the 15 team tournament.

RSU women are also facing a high competitive field. Earlier this month, the Hillcats teed up in Dallas, Texas at the Audible Closed Championship finishing eighth in team play.

Freshman Whitney Hocutt led the way for the Cats finishing 39th with a two-day score of 257. As the season progresses, Coach Fay senses great potential from both golf teams.

“We must believe in the ability that is there and feed off of the drive and passion that it takes to be a leader and competitive athletes,” concluded Fay.

RSU Golf will return to the Oklahoma links Mar. 27-29 at the OWU Spring Invitational Golf Tournament in Bartlesville Okla., and Apr. 3-5 at the OBU Invitational in Shawnee, Okla.

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Photo by gssphotography.com

Wren Baker Special

Check out my special I put together on Wren Baker. Filmed about a week before his last day at RSU.

Blue Up Commercial

Check out the commercial I put together in my Advanced Broadcast Practium class. Special thanks to RSU students in Student Activities! Oh and Hunter the Hillcat :)

Another Game, Another Chance

The current standings in the Sooner Athletic Conference are staggering. Rogers State women (13-7) sit comfortably in fifth place, one game behind John Brown (14-6) and as much as five games behind conference leader Oklahoma City (18-2).

From the sidelines, the Hillcats are having a knock out season.

RSU women have defeated three nationally ranked teams, No. 15 Langston University, No. 19 Lubbock Christian and for the first time in program history No. 2 Oklahoma City.

The Hillcats have also taken down Oklahoma Baptist twice this season for the first time ever.

However, going into post season will still be a tough battle for the Hillcats.

“We’ve got to just play our best basketball down the stretch,” said RSU women’s head coach Amy Williams. “We’ve got to find a way to win each game, one at a time.”

After a 10-day layoff due to snowy conditions, the Hillcats played their best basketball game of the season upsetting No. 2 Oklahoma City Stars.

“It was time and I thought our team just played so well,” said Williams. “It was a great team win.”

Junior Angie Criner led all scorers as she tied her career-high with 24 points. Senior Candice Stewart recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Logan Froese also chipped in 10 points and senior Cortney Crockett added 15 points.

Criner’s performance was rewarded as the SAC Player of the Week for Feb. 7-13. During that week, the Jenks, Okla. native averaged 19.5 points, four rebounds, 3.5 assists and three steals per game.

She is the first player to earn player of the week accolades this season for the Hillcats.

RSU women shared another milestone with senior guard Hunter Peterson this season as she made history passing the 1000 career point mark in the win against Oklahoma Christian.

The four-year veteran ended the night with 14 points. Peterson averages 8.6 points per game shooting 38% from the field and 33.6% from three-point range.

Though RSU is seated fifth in conference, they are looking to claw their way to the top heading into post season.

“It may be ugly, but we can fight our way to a championship game,” said Criner.

The SAC tournament is set to tip off in Oklahoma City, Okla., March 3-5. The NAIA National Tournament will be held March 16-22 in Kansas City, Mo.

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Photo courtesy of Doug Wittman

For more information on SAC Tournament game schedule follow the Hillcat Athletic Website.

RSU Men's Basketball Peaking at the Right Time

The Rogers State men’s basketball team appears to be every team’s worst nightmare in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Big upsets and close niched victories have bumped the Hillcats into the No. 25 nationally ranked slot in the NAIA.

Looking back at the schedule, the Hillcats have certainly made a 360 degree turn around. According to preseason polls RSU is picked to finish seventh in the SAC. Likewise, the first half of the season seemed to look that way for the Hillcats.

RSU men closed out 2010 with an overall record of 5-9 and a conference record of 1-3, dropping both games to John Brown and one game to Oklahoma Christian.

However, the Hillcats found an unexpected surge of energy in the 2011 conference play. Since Jan. 1 the Hillcats have improved to 13-3 sharing the No.2 seat in the SAC with Southern Nazarene.

“We feel like we’re playing better basketball at the right time of the year,” said RSU men’s head coach Justin Barkley.

After a 10-day break due to inclement weather, the Cats are coming off a six game winning streak including upsets over nationally ranked No. 15 in the senior night game against SNU and the rescheduled game win against No. 10 Oklahoma Baptist.

During their six-game stint, senior guard Deveric Taylor joined the 1000 point club in the win against Oklahoma City finishing the game with 18 points and 1007 career points.

The Dallas, Texas native is having his best shooting season out of his three year tenure at Rogers State. He’s averaging 16.5 points a night, shooting 44.3% in field goal range and 34.1% beyond the arc.

In the victories against SNU, Mid-American Christian, and University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma, senior power forward John Boyd earned SAC Player of Week for Feb. 14-20.

The Wagoner, Okla., native averaged 20 points and 6.7 rebounds during the three-game week shooting 61% from the field and 79% from the free throw line.

Boyd also had seven assists, six steals and three blocked shots for the week. He is the first player on the men’s team to receive player of the week accolades this season.

Unfortunately, there’s little room for celebration. Heading into the post season, the Hillcats are focused on keeping their minds on what’s at stake.

“I think everybody on the team believe we can make it to the national tournament and finish top two in the conference so it’s a big achievement for us,” said senior guard Chris Francis.

The SAC Conference Tournament is set for Mar. 3-5 in Oklahoma City, Okla. The NAIA National Tournament will be held March 16-22 in Kansas City, Mo.

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Photo courtesy of Brandon Irby

For more information on SAC Tournament game schedule follow the Hillcat Athletic Website

RSU Softball Open Season with Sweeps

Softball season is just getting underway and the Rogers State Hillcats are taking care of business early. RSU women swept Bacone College in its season opener double header.

After getting settled in their first game of the season, the Hillcats’ offense exploded taking down Bacone 9-6 in game one and 6-2 in game two.

“To get out there against an opponent was refreshing, so they were very anxious,” said head coach Mark Dicus.

In game one, senior Logan Zamora blasted the first home run of the season in the fourth inning. The Sun City, Cal. native belted the solo shot over the left field fence to give the Cats a 6-2 lead.

Bacone would come back to tie the game in the sixth but RSU sealed the game with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Ashlie Fauchier and Zamora led the Cats with three hits apiece while senior Sarah Harvey chipped in two hits.

In their second win over Bacone, the Cats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as senior Brittany White scored off a sacrifice fly to right field by Harvey.

RSU added to the lead in the third, scoring three runs. Fauchier led off with a triple to left field and scored off a double by sophomore Amanda Edwards. Sophomore Shelby Brogdon entered the game as a pinch hitter and singled to right field to plate sophomore Linsey Curtis.

RSU senior Dina Ortiz rounded out the scoring with a solo homer over the left field fence in the sixth. The Monahans, Texas native led the Hillcat offense with three hits.

Pitching has also been a plus for the Cats. In Bartlesville, Okla. RSU dominated Oklahoma Wesleyan 13-0 in game one and 9-1 in game two.

Junior pitcher Ashley Wailand displayed impressive performances on the mound. The Davenport, Iowa native tossed a no-hitter against OWU striking out five while allowing just one ball out of the infield to record the second no-hitter in school history.

The Hillcats plated 22 runs and cranked out 24 hits in the double-header sweep against OWU. With just four games under their belt, RSU is averaging 12 hits a game with Zamora, White and Brogdon leading the way.

Dicus’ ball club is looking to keep the momentum going as the season progresses.

“It’s been a good start and we’re just hoping to continue that trend,” said Dicus.

The Hillcats will host Langston University Mar. 1 before kicking off conference play on the road against Mid-America Christian Mar. 3.

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Photo by gssphotography.com

For RSU Softball schedule check out the Hillcat Athletic website

RSU Baseball Blazzing Winning Trail

After splitting a pair of season day openers with a win over Dallas Christian and a loss to Tabor College, Rogers State baseball has blazed an eight-game winning trail.

The Diamond Cats got a chance to escape the wintery confines of Oklahoma into the warmer weather of Dallas, Texas to bring in the 2011 season.

During their 6-game stint, the Cats played a competitive two-game series against Tabor College, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Tabor handed RSU their first loss of the season with a 6-2 victory.

RSU sought for revenge in their second meeting defeating Tabor 2-1. In the payback win, senior Brandt Barnes led off the top of the first inning with a single to right field and scored the first run on a two-out fielding error at third base. Sophomore Cody Campbell made it 2-0 with an RBI single left to score Randy Ramirez.

The pitching staff continued to take care of business for the Hillcats. Senior pitcher Tyler Garner tossed five scoreless innings and tallied six strikeouts.

The Diamond Cats would go on to round out the Texas trip with a 12-2 victory over Dallas Christian ending the game in five innings.

RSU head baseball coach Ron Bradley was quite impressed by his ball club’s performance to start the young season.

“I think after the first six games, it was an indication that we have a strong pitching staff,” said Bradley. “It’s something that’s going to allow us to be competitive in every game that we play.”

Back at the Hillcat Complex, RSU Baseball kept their streak alive with wins over Ottawa and Baker University.

In the 14-4 defeat over Baker, six Hillcats were perfect on offense. Junior Randy Ramirez led the way as he went 4-for-4 with one RBI.

Sophomore Colton Campbell, senior Kevin Radford and junior Lance Rymel each went 2-for-2 while senior Jairo Valdez and sophomore Frensly Martina went 1-for-1. Sophomore Keith Poverud paced the scoring production with four RBI.

Bradley’s ball club was hot off the mound in the 9-1 defeat of the final game against Baker.

Senior Jordan Clark (2-0) recorded the win as he pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits. Freshman Tyler Brown pitched two innings as he gave up one unearned run with one strikeout. Senior Matt Sample also pitched two scoreless innings and junior Zack Williams closed out the game, each fanning two batters.

Solid offense and defensive production is continuing to build a fierce RSU baseball program while allowing the Cats to be a strong competitor heading into conference play.

“As our offense continues to improve, we have a chance to have a really strong ball club,” said Bradley.

The Hillcats will travel to Edmond, Okla. Mar. 1 to face conference opponent Oklahoma Christian. Start time is set for 4 P.M.

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Photo by gssphotography.com

For RSU Baseball schedule check the Hillcat athletic website

Diamond Cats Looking to Build on Success

High expectations set for RSU baseball in new season

Rogers State enters the 2011 season looking to build from a solid foundation laid from last season’s ball club team.

The Diamond Cats are coming back from a 30-21 record in 2010 and has assembled a powerful mixture of athleticism and versatility that could propel RSU further than ever before in program history.

Head Coach Ron Bradley’s club has a balance of 18 returners, eight of those who are pitchers and 19 newcomers including 11 pitchers. Nearly all of Bradley’s starting pitchers are back for another season.

Senior Grant Crosby is back for his fifth season and is expecting to lead the way for the pitching staff. The Fayetteville, Ark., native led RSU in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts and holds the all-time record in pitching victories. Cosby took a medical red-shirt his freshman season.

Junior Tyler Garner and southpaws Jacob Wenaas and Casey Cassity are also looking to be major contributors in the pitching staff.

This year, the mound will show forth a talented pack of 11 new power arms that are expecting to hit 90 plus on the velocity scale, a special quality that will be a standout in the 2011 season.

Those arms include junior pitchers Zack Williams, Mario Mena, Freddy Soto and Matt Sample.

“We have a good mixture between left handing pitching and right handing pitching so we’re exciting about our pitching staff,” said Bradley. “We feel like it’s as strong as anyone in the country.”

But starting this season RSU pitchers could see a decrease in power hitting numbers. The NAIA has adapted the NCAA’s new batting standard that went into effect Jan. 1 of this year. The new standard came into place mainly due to increasing offensive performance rates over the past few years.

The goal is for the new bats to perform similarly as wooden bats in order to provide a better measure of bat performance. College ball clubs around the country may also see a decrease in performance numbers.

So Hillcat fans may see fewer home runs this season, but the Diamond Cats are equipped with a stronger combination of power hitters and speed that will look to steal a rising number of bases in 2011.

Behind the dish for the Cats will be returning catcher senior Joe Mandbodh and junior catcher Lance Rymel. Manbodh finished last season ranked No. 1 in the nation in fielding percentage.

Defensively, RSU’s coaching staff feels their infielders could be one of the best in the country.

“We have three or four shortstops that are able to play multiple positions, which I feel like is going to make us very versatile defensively,” added Bradley.

Among the infielders is junior Randy Ramirez who will play shortstop opening day for the Cats. The Bronx, NY native is a two year starter from Western Junior College and played in the NJCAA World Series in both seasons. In his sophomore season, Ramirez accumulated 64 runs, 73 hits, eight home runs while establishing a stolen base percentage of .926%.

“He’s experience, he’s athleticism should be something that should be seen on the field every day,” noted Bradley.

Not only is the coaching staff impressed with their team’s capabilities but also of the physically fitness and dedication displayed from their players. RSU baseball has high expectations set for the new season and are looking to be top a top competitor in the conference and a national contender.

The Cats will hit the diamond February 5-6 hosting Benedictine College in double-headers.

Photo by gssphotography.com

* For RSU baseball schedule go to rsuhillcats.com website

* For article and more information on the new bat standard go to ncaa.org website

Something Special on the Horizon

RSU softball gearing up for 2011 season

Usually the new season will bring about new goals. Just like new years will bring about new resolutions. But for Rogers State softball Head Coach Mark Dicus, he expects the same goal every season and that’s fighting for a national championship.

“It’s the gold ball at the end that we’re chasing,” said Dicus.

He’s expectations are rightfully so. Last year’s softball team finished the season nationally ranked top ten in 12 different categories. RSU finished fifth in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 35-26 record slugging at 53.8% while being ranked third in the country in home runs per game.

Going into the new season the Hillcats are fully loaded with talent and experience. Dicus has the privilege of returning ten Hillcats, eight of those being starters with the addition of seven newcomers.

Among the talent returners are sophomore Lindsey Curtis and Senior Brittany White. Curtis completed her rookie season ranked second in the nation with 26 homeruns. The Collinsville, Okla., product posted an .851 slugging percentage and tallied 154 total bases.

White earned first-team all-conference accolades. The Ashdown, Ark., native hit .397 with a team-leading 31 stolen bases. White led the Hillcats with 11 doubles and three triples while also driving in 24 runs.

Discus is expecting big things out of his freshman Kirsten Leppla. The Miami, Okla., native five-tool capabilities managed to capture an infield starting spot. She averaged .709 on 39 of 55, hit 13 doubles, seven home runs and drove in 31 runs in her senior year at Wyandotte High School.

“She’s just the total package to be so young,” added Dicus.

Hailing from Canada, sophomore Amanda Edwards is another fresh face for RSU. Edwards will have duo roles as the pitcher and first baseman for the Hillcats. She earned second team eastern region all-star accolades in her rookie season at Spokane Falls College last season.

A catalyst on the defensive end for the Hillcats will be sophomore shortstop Ashlie Fauchier. She started all 62 games for the Cats last season and received the SAC’s golden glove award ranking No. 4 in the nation in total assists.

Four-year starter and third baseman senior Katie Bointy and senior catcher Dina Ortiz are also expected to put up big numbers for the Hillcats this season.

RSU softball looks to be bursting with talent in all areas along with the substantial amount of experience will be the driving force behind the team’s run for a national appearance.

“We’ve upgraded our pitching, we’ve up graded our defense and we feel like we’ve upgraded the offense as well, so the years’ experience for most of the kids will help us out immensely,” said Dicus.

RSU’s quest for winning a national championship will most certainly be a tough battle. Standing in their way is a perennial national power house Oklahoma City who have won seven national championships out of the past 17 seasons and finished last season with the best SAC conference record (31-5).

Lubbock Christian could also be a road block for the Hillcats. The Lady Chaps were crowned SAC champions last season and have made back-to-back appearances in the national tournament in just two years of softball existence at LCU.

Southern Nazarene and St. Gregory’s could pose a threat for RSU Hillcats as well.

RSU softball is excited about what the new season has in store for them. The Hillcats will spring into action February 15 with a double-header on the road against Bacone College in Muskogee, Okla.

Photo by gssphotography.com

* For softball season schedule go to rsuhillcats.com website

No Guts No Glory

RSU men finding ways to win

If you want to win games in the Sooner Athletic Conference, you have to come ready to play each night. There’s no question.

So when the Rogers State men’s basketball team steps out on the hardwood, there’s no doubt in their mind that it’s going to be a claw fight to the top.

“Right now is the time of the year that I feel like if you want to separate yourself, you’re going to have to start playing good basketball,” said RSU men’s Head Coach Justin Barkley.

And so far the New Year has been good for the Hillcats as they kicked off 2011 on a 5-1 high note suffering their only loss to nationally ranked No. 7 Oklahoma Baptist University.

Yet, the winning column has not been by a long shot for RSU. The Cats are pulling out grueling victories by as few as one point and as much as eight.

For junior point guard Maurice Rutherford, winning margins does not matter.

“Any win is a good win, even by one,” said Rutherford.

In the 73-72 victory over Lubbock Christian, RSU men showcased a hard fought performance for the Hillcat fans.

With just over a minute left in the game senior guard Deverick Taylor gave the Cats a 73-69 lead with layup to the basket. But an unfortunate half court turnover from forward Larry Cox led to a three point conversion play for LCU, slicing RSU’s lead 73-72 with 50 seconds left in the contest.

The Cats never lost composure. As seconds rolled off the Hillcats play clock, Cox was forced to shoot from three-point range. The ball rimmed out. But a diving scramble to the loose ball earned Matt Kellogg the offensive rebound and potentially saved the Hillcats from defeat.

“As we tell our kids those are 50-50 plays, and it’s who comes up with the most 50-50 plays are going to decide close games,” said Barkley.

Hard fought performances by the RSU men can also be accounted for the wins against Oklahoma City, St. Gregory’s, Mid-American and Wayland Baptist. And in the SAC league, Barkley knows his players have got to be on edge at all times.

“Those are games we probably would have lost the first semester,” said Barkley. “Now, we’re finding ways how to win games.”

With Rutherford and Cox in the rotation, the Hillcats have more bullets for opponents to dodge spreading out playing minutes and distribution of the ball.

Hot shooting displayed by Taylor, Kellogg and senior guard Chris Francis from beyond the arc, ranks the Hillcats top 20 in the country and 3rd in the SAC hitting 37.6% from three-point range.

Then when you add the stellar performance of power forward John Boyd in the mix who leads the team in points (17.4), rebounds (7.2) and nearly a block each game, there’s no way the RSU men’s team are going down without a fight.

As the conference season continues to progress, RSU is looking to tackle each team, one game at a time. The Hillcat men will have their chance for revenge against Oklahoma Baptist, February 3 at the Expo Center. Tip-off is set for 8 P.M.

Photo by gssphotography.com

* Stats as of Jan. 19*

* For current men basketball conference standings go to soonerathletic.org

* For men basketball schedule go to rsuhillcats.com website

The Talk of the Season

RSU women working to bring it all together

When all eleven players of the Rogers State women’s basketball team come to play, no team in the Sooner Athletic Conference can stand a chance.

Yet, coming to play each night collectively is probably the biggest obstacle the Hillcats are facing, and for Head Coach Amy Williams this has been the talk of the season.

“Sometimes I think we still want things easy but we are starting to figure out that you’ve got to work for everything you get and you have to earn it hard, every possession defensively,” said Williams.

“Earn it” – The motto RSU women have been striving for resurrected in their four-game winning stretch.

The Hillcats kept their streak alive, beating up on teams by as much as 30 points. No wonder why they are ranked No. 12 in the nation and No. 2 in the SAC in the scoring margin column.

“When we play together, there are no tight games,” said senior point guard Cortney Crockett.

The streak wouldn’t last long. Wayland Baptist Flying Queens came to reign on Hillcat turf defeating RSU 73-70 keeping the Hillcats (5-5) stagnant in the middle pack of conference standings.

But on the bright sight, RSU women will have several opportunities for redemption. From the starting five to the reserve six, it’s safe to say RSU has one of the strongest rotations in the SAC which has proven to be a problem for opposing teams.

On any given night, the Hillcats are led by the fierce combination of senior point guard Cortney Crockett and junior guard Angie Criner. (3) Criner (46.3) and (4) Crockett (43.0) are the only 1-2 punch combo ranked side-by-side in the field goal percentage column averaging nearly 30 points per game between the two.

“They can create shots for themselves. They can create shots for other people, and that is a treat to have in those positions,” noted Williams. “Then when you add to that; when Hunter starts hitting shots or Pooh’s (Andrea Miles) knocking down shots or Kristy’s hitting shots that just makes it even better.”

Senior transfer Kristy Henderson has elevated into a major key reserve for RSU. In just 12 minutes of play in the win against Lubbock Christian, Henderson tallied a total of 8 points including burying a three-pointer lifting the Hillcats out of a scoring slump.

“It really is important even when the starters aren’t in the game, to keep producing,” said Henderson.

The six reserves combine for an average of 32.9 points and 15 rebounds a game.

Alongside the guards, RSU post players are also getting the job done in more ways than one.
Senior forward Candice Stewart has started in all 17 games played and leads the Hillcat bigs in scoring averaging 11.5 points and snagging 7.6 rebounds a night.

Not too far behind is sophomore power forward Logan Froese averaging 7.9 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. She’s currently ranked No. 2 in SAC on the offensive boards.

Williams can also count on forwards Brittani Smith and Madison Harris to stir things up making big plays and getting important defensive stops.

As a team, RSU women are ranked top 25 in the nation in 13 different categories. The Hillcats are also ranked top five in the conference in 16 different categories. So the pieces of the puzzle are definitely there, it’s just a matter of putting them all together.

“I think we’re understanding that everyone needs to contribute,” said Crockett. “And when we do that, we finish on top every time.”

Photo by gssphotography.com

* Stats listed as of Jan. 19*
* For RSU women basketball schedule visit rsuhillcats.com website

* For current women conference standings visit soonerathletic.org website

Process Underway for New Athletic Director

The search process for director of athletics Wren Baker’s replacement is underway. Rogers State University is currently in the early stages of determining the ideal candidate for the position.

This will be just the second athletic director in RSU’s history, so the first step before moving forward is completing a candidate profile that would best correlate with the desired applicant for the position. RSU President Dr. Larry Rice is composing a profile that will outline requirements of the job description, qualifications and duties.

Once completed, the university will post the job opening and begin accepting applications for RSU’s next athletic director. President Rice will form a screening committee that will take part in finding the right applicant for the job. He says the candidate pool will consist of internal and external applications up for the job.

Budget constraints for the university will come into focus moving forward in hiring the rightful candidate. As of yet, there has been no discussion of what the next athletic director would receive but President Rice said the university will stay within the budget constraints.

Coming in the gate, the new AD will have quite a load to carry.

“We still have a lot of work to be done on facilities, and we have a lot work to be done to be successful in getting accepted into NCAA Division II,” said Rice.

The university is looking to address and tackle the infrastructure needs of RSU’s athletic facilities, including improving the baseball, softball and soccer facilities. A plan President Rice says is important to finish, before adding new sports to the university.

Sports such as tennis, track & field, wrestling and even football have been up for discussion. Though football is more of a budget constraint, President Rice said the university is still looking to add co-ed sports that will be more affordable as the school’s budget improves.

The new athletic director will also have an immediate impact in assisting and working on the application process for the NCAA Division II transition. While still at the helm, Baker will continue aiding in moving the application forward until he is expected to leave in mid-February.

RSU’s new athletic director will also have big shoes to fill.

Baker has built Rogers State athletics program from the ground up while serving as the school’s first men’s basketball head coach leading the Hillcats to a 20-11 record in its inaugural season.

From Zero to ten in just five years, Baker is responsible for housing ten sports for RSU athletics with the recent addition of men’s and women’s cross county.

Baker’s leadership has launched a developed and widely successful corporate partnership program. He has also guided several fundraising campaigns which led to improvements of RSU’s athletic facilities.

An official date of when the next athletic director will step into office has not been determined yet, but the university’s search for the best applicant is well underway.

“We are very appreciative of the job that Wren Baker has accomplished here since arriving here,” said Rice. “He’s done a good job and laid a great foundation and our goal is to build upon that foundation.”