PILOTS FALL: Pitcher Bobby Vath had a quality outing, but LSUS lost late Monday night to top-seeded Southeastern (Fla.) in the winner’s bracket at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
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LEWISTON, Idaho – LSU-Shreveport hung around with top-seeded Southeastern (Fla.) for eight innings, but the Fire scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to post an 8-4 win in the Avista NAIA World Series Monday night.
LSUS (52-7) had to wait to see who won the late game between No. 3 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and No. 7 Faulkner (Ala.) to know which of the two games in the loser’s bracket they would be slotted. The Pilots will play Faulkner (39-16) at 5 p.m. (CDT).
Monday’s game was quite the contrast to the only other meeting between the two schools that had Southeastern win in a 25-13 slugfest in last year’s World Series.
LSUS broke through to score its first three runs in the fifth inning to take a 3-2 lead. Josh Wunnenberg started it with a walk. Cameron Lewis came in to pinch run and advanced to third on a steal of second and error on the catcher. Following a walk to Julian Flores, Zyon Avery singled to right field to score Lewis. Ryan Major then followed a pair of ground outs with a single to drive in Flores and Avery.
The Fire came right back with two runs in the sixth on a Stephen Cullen 2-run home run to take a 4-3 lead.
The Pilots tied it 4-4 on an Allbry Major solo home run in the eighth inning.
Southeastern went back on top in the ninth on a Jose Marcano solo home run and added three more on a Brian Fuentes three-run home run.
Wunnenberg was the only Pilot with multiple hits going 2-for-3.
Bobby Vath started on the mound for LSUS, going six innings, giving up six hits and four runs. He walked two and struck out eight. Brad White suffered the loss, giving up two hits and two runs in a third of an inning.
CASHING IN: As Sam Burns calmly reacted to his winning putt Sunday in Fort Worth, in the gallery behind him, his wife Caroline, and parents Todd (in blue) and Beth Burns celebrated, as did one lucky local bettor watching on TV.
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
Last week, a Shreveporter, who’d just cashed a bet on Manchester City to win the English Premier League, had a little money in his sports betting account and let the leftovers ride on one of his favorite local athletes.
The $511 wager had become an afterthought after Sam Burns entered the weekend tied for 40th place at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth. Even a Saturday 67 that helped the Shreveport native and former LSU star climb 23 spots on the leaderboard didn’t seem to cause much excitement.
However, when Burns stormed out of the gate with a 5-under 30 to begin his final round at historic Colonial Country Club, things got very interesting. When Burns finished at 9 under for the event, still behind five golfers, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, he wasn’t the only one helplessly sweating the final two hours of regulation play.
“I didn’t think even par on the back would be good enough, and lost hope midway through the back nine,” the Shreveport bettor told The Journal. “Luckily, Sam didn’t, and he finished strong.”
Still, DataGolf gave Burns just a 3.2-percent chance to win when he holed his last putt for a final-round 65.
The Colonial became the scene of historic collapses on a windy Texas afternoon as our local bettor was tending to family duties.
Davis Riley led at 11 under when he bogeyed No. 13 and then hit his tee shot out of bounds at No. 14. He finished 7 under.
Harold Varner, once a co-leader at 10 under, collapsed with a triple bogey-double bogey-triple bogey run on Nos. 12-14 after a ruling on No. 12 for another co-leader – Scott Stallings – took an inordinate amount of time. He plummeted 26 spots and finished even par for the event.
Stallings was 10 under with seven holes remaining, but made bogeys at Nos. 12, 14 and 17 to finish 7 under.
Brendan Todd made bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 to fall from the lead at 10 under into third place.
However, Burns still needed his good friend to buckle under the Texas heat. Scheffler obliged. A bogey at No. 12 dropped Scheffler to 9 under. Six straight pars later we had a two-man playoff.
Could Burns and the local gambler pull off the unthinkable?
Yes.
Burns had the first opportunity and wasted no time. His 38-foot putt for birdie from off the green was followed by a 30-foot miss from Scheffler, and a fourth career PGA Tour title was heading east on I-20 to Louisiana.
“It was special because of the way Sam won the tournament. He was completely out of contention to start the day, and I thought he had no shot,” said the bettor, who was forced to get text updates before finding a TV before the playoff. “Then, to face off against the Masters champion and to completely slam the door in his face when he had a chance to win made it even more special.”
The 25-year-old pro pocketed more than $1.5 million. The local bettor? More than $15,000 – the biggest hit of his sports betting career. Although it didn’t seem likely to be the case Saturday morning, Burns’ original win odds of 30-1 now seem like a gift.
“It was really surprising to me that people haven’t realized the type of season Sam is having,” the bettor said. “To be second in the FedExCup standings and only trailing Scheffler, that’s pretty special. Shreveport and the rest of the golf world need to wake up and start paying attention.”
Monday morning, the bettor checked the futures for the final two majors of the season.
Still, not much respect for the local kid.
Burns is 45-1 to win next month’s U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., and 65-1 to win the British Open at St. Andrews in July.
It’s safe to say Burns will again get the backing of our local bettor … and then some.
GOLDEN GIRL: Annie Drews is one of two returning USA Volleyball players who claimed Olympic gold in the Tokyo Games, along with four other alternates on the squad, who are beginning the drive toward the 2024 Olympics with international competition here this week.
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For the first time since winning the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, the U.S. Women’s National Team will play on U.S. soil when it competes in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League this week at Brookshire Arena in Bossier City.
Play begins today and runs through Sunday.
The Louisiana stop, the only preliminary round hosted in the United States, kicks off three weeks of VNL preliminary-round competition. Top teams in the preliminary round advance to the final round July 13-17. Shreveport-Bossier hosted the U.S. Women’s last competition in the United States when the team qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2019.
“We are very happy to return to Shreveport-Bossier City as this is where the magic began,” said USA Volleyball president and CEO Jamie Davis. “The fans and the cities were hugely supportive at the 2019 Olympic qualification tournament, and it is only fitting that we come back to celebrate together our first-ever women’s Olympic gold medal that we won in Tokyo. The VNL will showcase the world’s best teams and will include a rematch of the Olympic final where the U.S. Women defeated Brazil.”
The U.S. Women, ranked No. 1 in the world and the three-time defending VNL champions, will take on No. 7 Dominican Republic tonight at 8 o’clock. No. 11 ranked Germany faces 2020 Olympic silver medalist and World No. 2 Brazil in the first game at 5 p.m.
Other countries competing at the local event are No. 9 ranked Japan, Poland (12), Korea (14), and Canada (18). Tickets start at $35 each.
After playing on opening night, the U.S. Women will get a break before facing Canada at 8 Friday night. The marque match will be Saturday at 8.p.m., when the U.S. Women take on Brazil, the team they beat in the Tokyo Olympic final. They will close things out on Sunday against Japan at 3 p.m.
Seven veteran national team players and seven rookies make up the U.S. Women’s National Team. Leading the way for the U.S. Women are Olympic gold medalists Annie Drews and Jordan Thompson, Olympic alternates Lauren Carlini, Tori Dixon, Madi Kingdon Rishel and Sarah Wilhite Parsons, and 2019 VNL veteran Dana Rettke.
Drews and Thompson are both opposites; Carlini plays setter; Dixon and Rettke are middle blockers and Parsons and Rishel play outside hitter. Head coach for the U.S. Women’s team is Karch Kiraly, who won gold medals as a player in both indoor and beach volleyball before leading the women’s team to its first-ever gold medal in Tokyo.
“I am especially excited for Week 1,” said Carlini. “We’re starting in the United States. We are playing some of our NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation) teams. That’s just very exciting. It’s a good way to start the tournament.”
Tournament schedule:
Today: Germany vs. Brazil, 5 p.m.; USA vs. Dominican Republic, 8 p.m.
Wednesday: Poland vs. Canada, 5 p.m.; Korea vs. Japan, 8 p.m.
Thursday: Brazil vs. Poland, 2 p.m.; Germany vs. Japan, 5 p.m.; Canada vs. Dominican
Republic, 8 p.m.
Friday: Germany vs. Korea, 2 p.m.; Dominican Republic vs. Brazil, 5 p.m.; USA vs. Canada, 8 p.m.
Saturday: Korea vs. Poland, 2 p.m.; Dominican Republic vs. Japan, 5 p.m.; USA vs. Brazil, 8 p.m.
Sunday: Poland vs. Germany, Noon; Japan vs. USA, 3 p.m.
TEED UP: Querbes Park pro Nathan Barrow and his staff are ready for competition to begin today at the AJGA Shreveport event involving junior golfers from around the country.
By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
Nathan Barrow figured it was worth a shot, but wasn’t really sure it would ever happen.
When Southern Trace announced it would be closed for renovations, that meant the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) would be looking for a place to hold its annual event in 2022.
So the local sponsors got in touch with Barrow, who was once the pro at Southern Trace but is now at Querbes Park, the venerable city-run facility that has been around for almost 100 years.
When the AJGA sent a representative from its headquarters in Georgia to tour the course in the fall, Barrow figured that might be the end of that.
Instead, the AJGA told Barrow, “We’d love to come.”
What’s taking place at Querbes this week is a little bit bigger than the Elks’ Club four-man scramble. Sure, the course has held the City Championship on a regular basis and has hosted an occasional high school state championship in the past.
But this is big. Really big. The biggest event at Querbes in … (feel free to fill in the blank)?
Junior golfers from around the country will be playing in the AJGA Shreveport event. On Tuesday, 64 golfers will be vying for only nine qualifying spots. Beginning Wednesday, there will be 45 boys and 18 girls in the field for the three-day event.
“It’s great exposure, that’s the number one thing,” Barrow said. “We are bringing Querbes Park to a broader base that maybe hasn’t seen this 100-year-old property. For the local people who haven’t been out here in a while, that’s a good thing.”
As you might expect, quite a few of those in the field – or hoping to get into the field – are local products.
“With what the David Toms Academy has done for local golf, this gives them an opportunity to play a local course where they have played high school matches,” Barrow said. “With the growth of junior golf in this corridor of Northwest Louisiana, this is a product of what has happened over the last 10 or 15 years. We now have a large base of junior golfers we can pull for, which is pretty cool.”
Grant Reagan, who recently won the Junior Division of the City Amateur, is entered, as are Byrd teammates James Holtzclaw and Peyton Johnson. Benton’s Noah McWilliams, who placed fourth at the LHSAA state tournament, is entered as well as Charlie Bell, who had a top 10 finish for Loyola College Prep.
Also in the field are Bossier City’s Hudson Greene and Sydney Moss, who is the only local girl entered.
In addition, several local golfers will be trying to qualify for one of the nine open spots in the field. The qualifier pairings begin at 8 a.m. today on both the No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
Barrow said there aren’t many changes to Querbes to get ready for the week. “The maintenance staff has rolled out the red carpet to do some things to see the potential, what Querbes Park could look like when you host a major event like this,” he said.
Those who know Querbes are aware of its subtleties; there will be a number of RPIs (red penalty areas) that the weekend golfer might have never seen before.
“The AJGA knew about all these little quirks that Querbes has and they were still willing to come,” Barrow said. “Most all of those (penalty) areas are marked, but in those shallow ditches you can still play out of them rather than take a penalty.”
And if the course plays too easy? So what?
“The AJGA’s response was that it will be a fun week for these kids,” Barrow said. “You don’t have to beat them up every week. It’s easy to walk the course, it’s easy for the parents and this course provides spectator views that other courses don’t. You can sit in one spot and watch five different holes. That will be fun for those who just want to come out and watch good golf.”
After defending his Division III regional doubles championship with Brannigan Bissell and then getting to the quarterfinals of the state tournament, Loyola’s Sanders Graf is the Outstanding Player of the 2022 SBJ All-Metro Boys’ Tennis Team.
“Sanders combines good groundstrokes with great court awareness, which makes him an exceptional doubles player,” said Loyola coach Mike Mawhinney.
Mawhinney, who led the Flyers to the regional championship and a tie for fourth place at the state tournament, takes the Coach of the Year honors on the inaugural All-Metro team. All of the Loyola boys’ team qualified for the state tournament. Players who made it to the quarterfinals of the regional tournaments qualified for their state championships.
“We had pretty good depth on the boys’ team,” said Mawhinney. “Everybody went to state. They all made it. I was very pleased to take the whole team to state.”
The All-Metro team, chosen with input from Shreveport-Bossier coaches, consists of six singles players and three doubles teams and is based on their performance in regional and state championships.
The “Best of the Rest” is for those who were given strong consideration for the first team. All players are listed in alphabetical order according to their school.
ALL-METRO BOYS’ TENNIS TEAM:
Singles:
Drew Kolniak (Fr.), Airline: Division I regional champion
Cayden Simmons (Jr.), Calvary: Division IV state quarterfinalist
Hayden McFarlain (Sr.), Captain Shreve: Division I regional quarterfinalist
Alex Jayroe (8th), Evangel: Division I state quarterfinalist
Zach Haley (Sr.), Haughton: Division II regional runner-up; state quarterfinalist
Ravi Ahuja (Fr.), Loyola: Division III regional champion
Doubles:
Zach Hicks (Sr.)/Jake Brown (Jr.), Calvary: Division IV state runners-up; regional champions
Brannigan Bissell (Sr.)/Sanders Graf (Jr.), Loyola: Division III regional champions; state quarterfinalists
Patrick Gooszen (Sr.)/Charles Valiulis (Jr.), Loyola: Division III regional runners-up; state quarterfinalists
Outstanding Player: Sanders Graf, Loyola
Coach of the Year: Mike Mawhinney, Loyola
BEST OF THE REST
Singles:
Madden Sawrie (So.), Airline: Division I regional quarterfinalist
Alex Gonzales (Sr.), Benton: Division II regional quarterfinalist
Stander Olsan (Jr.), Loyola: Division III regional quarterfinalist
Doubles:
Ronit Ahluwalia (So.)/Carter Priestly (So.), Airline: Division I regional quarterfinalists
For a few hours on Sunday afternoon, I took a trip back to the good old days of my childhood. People were packed under canopies all around the tennis courts. Fans had filled the chairs, were sitting on blankets, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the patio.
Matches weren’t taking place just on the two championship courts. Tennis courts all around the facility were occupied with people watching every court.
That’s the way tennis was back when I was growing up. The biggest difference was that this was taking place at The North Bossier Tennis Center. Yes, most of the names and faces have changed but the spirit of the sport shone just as brightly as it did back in the day at Querbes Park Tennis Center.
What really made the afternoon special was seeing some of those familiar faces from long ago and hearing some of the names from the past that will always take me back to the glory days of local tennis.
Franklin, Helene, and Karen McCarter; Andy Lloyd; Ann, Bill, and Bob Borders; Pat and Dan Sandifer; Lance Dreyer; Reese Baker; Phillip Campbell; Carol Weyman; Kay McDaniel; Karen and John Cotter. These are just the first names that come to mind when I think of hanging around Querbes watching matches long before I actually got on the court with hundreds of more names than I could list. (You can now see many of those on the mural wall at Querbes today.)
I can recall a Friday evening when my brother and Reese Baker were on the rubico courts at Querbes playing in a Captain Shreve match while bleachers full of their high school friends decked out in their finest clothes came by to watch before heading to a school dance. Those were the days when the Shreve-Byrd battles on the tennis courts meant just as much (or more) than the ones that took place on the football field.
Sadly, those days are gone. But the spirit of those days came back to me while watching The City Championships at The (beautiful) North Bossier Tennis Center over the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve seen so many people enjoying playing and watching tennis. Hats off to NBTC head pro Todd Killen, his staff, and all the volunteers for putting on another incredible event.
The tournament, voted the “Adult Tournament of the Year” for the entire Southern Section and the state of Louisiana in 2020, included 274 players competing in 23 events — that included father/son, grandfather/grandson, mother/daughter, father/daughter and mother/son, among others — over seven days. Prize money was awarded for first, second, and third place in men’s open singles and doubles as well as women’s open singles and doubles.
And, just like the old days at Querbes, I was sitting there watching the best junior and adult players that Shreveport and Bossier has to offer.
That in itself would have been enough. The absolute best part, however, was seeing some of the familiar faces from the past.
What made me tear up, however, was hearing the remarks read aloud to the crowd that legendary coach Lee Hedges had written to show his appreciation for being a 2022 inductee into The City Hall of Fame along with Lance Dreyer, a fixture on the local tennis scene for more than 50 years.
While neither Hedges nor Dreyer were able to attend the induction ceremony, their presence was felt in the audience.
If you didn’t make it out to this year’s tournament, you missed one of the best tennis events this area has to offer. Go ahead and plan to attend the 2023 City Championships or take a trip to Querbes Tennis Center in the meantime. There’s no telling who you might see.
A SHINING MOMENT: Although they were an automatic selection after winning the Conference USA Tournament Sunday, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs celebrated Monday as they saw their NCAA Tournament bracket unveiled on ESPN.
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Louisiana Tech and Dallas Baptist were planning to be rivals next spring when DBU joins the Conference USA baseball lineup, but the NCAA sped up the timeline Monday.
The Bulldogs (42-19) and Patriots (34-22-1) will head to a nearby neutral site, Austin, Texas, to take part in the NCAA Austin Regional at UFCU Disch-Falk Field beginning Friday. No. 2-seeded Tech will face No. 3 seed Dallas Baptist at 6:30 in the double-elimination, four-team bracket, joining host Texas, the national No. 9 seed, and Air Force.
The Longhorns (42-19) will face the Falcons (30-27) Friday afternoon. First-day losers meet early Saturday, then winners square off, and a regional champion should be identified by Sunday evening, heading to a Super Regional matchup.
Tech earned an automatic bid by claiming the 2022 Conference USA Baseball championship on Sunday with an 9-8 victory over UTSA in the title game.
It’s the first time since 1986 and 1987 that the Bulldogs will appear in a regional in back-to-back seasons. It’s the 10th NCAA Regional appearance in program history and the third appearance since 2016.
The Bulldogs hosted the Patriots March 29, and fell 7-4 at J.C. Love Field in a midweek game.
“They beat us, got the best of us,” said Tech coach Lane Burroughs. “Tons and tons of respect for Coach (Dan) Heefner and Dallas Baptist. We’re going to have to bring it. We’re looking forward to going out and competing with DBU again.”
Byrd High School product Steele Netterville, whose RBI single was the game-winner in Sunday’s championship game, said he and his teammates liked the draw.
“I’m excited we’re playing DBU,” said Netterville. “We played them early in the year, did not play well against them.
“I like our regional a lot. I like our matchups. We’re going to go in there and do our best and I think it will be good enough.
Burroughs knew Dallas Baptist was ahead for his program, but not this soon.
“They’re coming into our league next year, and I guess we’ll have to play them twice (then, since) they’re our closest opponent. We’ll get to know them really well in the future,” he said.
LSU: The Tigers didn’t act jilted, just determined, Monday when they received their NCAA Regional assignment, a short trip up to be the No. 2 seed in the Hattiesburg Regional. LSU’s performance in the past two weeks created hope for homefield advantage in a regional, but the NCAA selection committee didn’t include the Tigers among the top 16 seeds hosting.
First-year coach Jay Johnson believes the rugged SEC Tournament experience has the Tigers (38-20) ready for win-or-go home stakes the rest of the way, starting Friday with a 6 p.m. meeting with third-seeded Kennesaw State (35-26). USM (43-16) and Army West Point (31-23) are the other teams in the regional.
“There’s probably very few things you can do that can prepare you better for the postseason than the SEC Tournament, and it was a great exercise for our team. It was a good challenge, especially after going through the 30-game regular-season SEC schedule. To go against teams that are fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament, fighting to host, fighting for seeding, it was a good experience that will benefit from moving forward.”
HAPPY ENDING: Former Northwestern State quarterback Shelton Eppler and his new wife Skylar celebrated his Mexico Bowl victory.
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Millions of kids grow up dreaming of playing pro football. None of those dreams involve Denmark or Mexico.
That’s where football has carried former Northwestern State quarterback Shelton Eppler.
He grew up a few miles south of College Station, and sure, he imagined playing for the Texas A&M Aggies and hearing his name called at the NFL Draft. His pathway from Navasota didn’t follow that route.
But after winning a state title in high school, and rewriting records at Trinity Valley Community College and Northwestern, Eppler is basking in the glow of being the winning quarterback in a pro championship game.
His latest glory came in Mexico Bowl V, leading Fundidores Monterrey to the Liga de Futbol Americano Professional title a couple of weekends ago in Tijuana with his new bride, former NSU volleyball player Skylar Besch, and their parents in the stands. Eppler led a go-ahead drive to the decisive TD with three minutes left, thrilling a national television audience in the Fundidores’ 18-14 win.
If that’s not all a bit out of the mainstream for you, consider this: Eppler’s successful Mexican season began with practice just after his honeymoon ended. Shelton and Skylar were married on Super Bowl Eve, stayed in Texas to enjoy watching the big game the following evening, then jetted down for a blissful week in, you guessed it, Mexico, at a Cancun resort they already plan to revisit.
“Two days after the honeymoon, I had to fly back to Mexico to join the team, so that was a little difficult,” he said. “That’s a great way to spend your first three months of marriage.”
Fortunately, Mrs. Eppler was able to visit a few times before the championship game. Now they’re home in Lake Travis, Texas, working for her dad’s insurance company. Shelton’s been doing that since graduating with honors from Northwestern, selling insurance even while he was in Denmark for eight months in 2021 and in Monterrey this spring.
His shot at pro ball was curtailed, like everything else, by the pandemic. There was no 2020 Pro Day at NSU or many other places. Eppler nosed around and eventually connected with a Danish team. Spending eight months with the Aalborg 89ers, he led them to the playoff semifinals with over 1,723 passing yards and 17 TDs.
He came home last October, preparing for the wedding, selling insurance and open to football opportunities. The life-changing connection dated back to his junior year in high school, when Navasota played a Mexican team while going 16-0 and winning the Texas 4A crown as he threw 71 TD passes.
That team’s offensive line coach is the Fundidores’ offensive coordinator. They needed a quarterback and made Eppler an attractive offer. He was the last player to arrive, due to his wedding, and two weeks later, the season was underway. A bye in Week Two was well-timed. But the key to Eppler’s success and sanity? Navigating the language barrier.
That wasn’t a problem in Denmark, where nearly everyone speaks some English. But not so in Mexico.
“It was so hard to understand. Anything involving food, I pretty much got. Numbers, like calling plays and formations, I understood that, and player personnel was pretty easy. But having an in-depth conversation, getting to know your teammates, was difficult,” said Eppler.
He was among six American imports – three he played against in the Southland Conference, two from McNeese and one from Abilene Christian. Another was a former junior college teammate. The MVP was a Finnish teammate who spoke four languages, including Spanish and English.
The rest of the players came from Mexican colleges. The caliber of play was far above what he encountered in Denmark.
“There, they treat it like a hobby. We only had practice twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday nights after the workday. But in Mexico, we practiced daily and played weekly. The level of play wasn’t D-1 Northwestern State caliber, but it was the best league I’ve been in outside of college,” he said.
There was upside to the slow pace in Denmark after he arrived in March 2021. The 89ers played only eight games in eight months, once every two weeks. There was a two-week break between seasons, when Eppler made a trip to Italy for 11 days.
“Once you were in the (European Union), you were able to travel around the EU. We were the only Americans in Italy at the time, so we got the full experience,” he said.
The focus was all on football in Mexico, something that came second nature for him.
Eppler’s Demon career wrapped up in 2019 with 6,226 passing yards in two seasons among his 18 school records. This spring, he put up comparatively modest numbers, throwing for over 1,800 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. But he is a frontrunner for the league’s MVP award after becoming the first foreigner to quarterback a league championship team.
“It was a crazy ride, but definitely worthwhile. I won’t play in Denmark again, but Mexico is a possibility next year,” he said.
“It is a great chance to keep playing while financially helping my family’s future. They have great ties to the CFL for a chance to see if I could keep playing at the next level. All options are definitely open.”
Shreveport defeated Enid, the top team in The Basketball League’s Central Division, 115-108 Saturday night in Enid to earn a split of its two road games in Oklahoma over the weekend.
The Mavericks got double-doubles from Paul Parks (32 points, 12 rebounds) and Jamal Brantley, who came off the bench, to post 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Tavin Cummings scored 14 points from off the bench as Shreveport reserves outscored the host Outlaws’ reserves 56-7. The Mavs bench was 27-of-38 from the floor for 71 percent. Overall Shreveport shot 52 percent and held Enid to 46 percent.
Ricardo Artis had a double-double for Enid with 27 points and 12 rebounds and Daylon Guy had 26 points and 11 assists. K.D. Moore 23 contributed points and Kadavion Evans 16.
The Mavericks took control of the game in the fourth quarter by scoring the first four points of the quarter to break an 89-89 tie. The Outlaw got within 102-101 with just under six minutes left, but Parks hit a 3 and Tyrone Jordan hit two free throws to give the Mavs a cushion they would not relinquish.
PJ Meyers and Brantley both made layups around the two-minute mark to give Shreveport an insurmountable 113-103 lead.
Both teams enjoyed nice leads in the first three quarters only to see the other come back.
Enid started the game by scoring the first 11 points, but Shreveport came back to lead by 27-26 at the end of the first quarter. Shreveport built a second-quarter lead only to have Enid come back to tie the game 56-56 at the break. It was Enid’s turn in the third quarter to build a lead, but a Parks 3 tied the game 89-89 entering the final period.
Shreveport finished the regular season 19-5 after having to settle for a split of the two games after dropping the first game of the road trip, 123-111 at Potawatomi on Friday.
The Fire broke open a tight game midway through the second quarter and the Mavs were never able to catch them.
Shreveport was led by Tyrone Jordan’s 27 points and Parks and Paul Harrison both added 19 points. Harrison led the Mavs with eight rebounds as they outrebounded the Fire 54-44. DeAndre McIntyre was the only other Maverick to score in double figures with 13. PJ Meyers had seven assists to lead the Mavs.
Deshawn Munson had a triple-double for Potawatomi with 24 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. He was also 9-of-10 from the floor as the Fire shot 59 percent.
Lashanda Gardner July 29, 1971 ~ May 19, 2022 Visitation: Friday June 3, 2022 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Heavenly Gates 1339 Jewell st Shreveport Services: Saturday June 4, 2022 11:00 AM Round Grove Memorial Gardens 2869 Round Grove Lane Shreveport
Lucy Draughn August 6, 1943 ~ May 23, 2022 Visitation: Friday June 3, 2022 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM Heavenly Gates 1339 Jewell st Shreveport Services: Saturday June 4, 2022 1:00 PM New Bethel MBC 3300 Greenwood Rd Shreveport
Belinda Moore August 15, 1951 ~ May 25, 2022 Visitation: Friday June 3, 2022 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Heavenly Gates 1339 Jewell st Shreveport Services: Saturday June 4, 2022 11:00 AM Stonewall Baptist Church 807 Eatman Street Bossier City
Mildred Hodgkiss October 1, 1936 – May 25, 2022 Visitation: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service Services: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport
Lois J. Walker June 28, 1938 ~ May 22, 2022 Visitation: Friday June 3, 2022 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Winnfield Funeral Home – Shreveport 3701 Hollywood Avenue Services: Saturday June 4, 2022 11:00 AM Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery 6915 W. 70th Street Shreveport
Jimmie Bradford McCullough, Jr. January 24, 1955 – May 10, 2022 Visitation: 10:00 a.m. until the time of service Services: June 11, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Rose-Neath Funeral, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana
Eleven years ago, a 14-year-old Sam Burns walked the fairways of Colonial Country Club with childhood friends and golf prodigies like Carter Toms, Nathan Jeansonne and Philip Barbaree Jr. as fellow Shreveporter David Toms put the finishing touches on his 13th and final PGA Tour victory.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday,” Burns said Sunday, after his world had come full circle.
Burns’ 38-foot “Texas wedge” found the cup on the first playoff hole at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth and was the dagger that took out the former LSU star’s best friend on Tour, former Longhorn Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
“(Eleven years ago), I don’t know if I would have believed (I would win this tournament),” Burns said. “I would have wanted to. To have my name on that list (of winners) is pretty cool.”
Burns will forever have his name etched on the Wall of Champions adjacent to the No. 1 tee at Colonial. In addition to Toms, it includes the likes of Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
In 2011, Toms’ signature shot was a hole-out for eagle from 86 yards on No. 11. Sunday, Burns’ bomb from the fairway cut completed the largest comeback in the history of the event and came more than 2 hours after he finished his final-round 65.
The former Calvary Baptist Academy star began the day seven shots off Scheffler’s lead, but used a front-nine 30 to close the gap as the historic Colonial became firmer and Mother Nature added a twist when she upped the fans to full blast.
Player after player tumbled down the leaderboard. The result: A duel between buddies.
“I can assure you, he wanted to beat me more than anybody else and I wanted to beat him more than anybody else, and it just happened to be the two of us at the end,” said Burns, who moved to nine in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 2 in the FedExCup standings. “It’s going to be a fun story that we’ll get to have for the rest of our careers, and fortunately I got the better end of it this time, but hopefully we’re at the beginning of these situations in the future.”
In addition to a check of more than $1.5 million, Burns walked away with a fully restored and modernized 1979 Pontiac Firebird.
When Toms triumphed at Colonial, just one week after a gutting playoff loss at the Players Championship, his father, Buster, walked the same fairways as Burns and his buddies.
Sunday, Burns’ parents Todd and Beth could be seen jumping and fist pumping behind the 18th green, as well as wife, Caroline, too.
Burns won for the third time this season and fourth time in his career. He’s already ahead of the pace set by local predecessors Toms and Hal Sutton.
Sutton, a 14-time winner on the PGA Tour, captured his fourth title at the age of 27. However, he won the 1983 PGA Championship at the age of 25. Toms cashed his first winner’s check on the PGA Tour at 30 years old.
“It was funny, I actually saw (Toms’) wedge in there in the dining (room) — I’m assuming it’s the one he made the wedge shot with,” Burns said. “It’s really cool, and I can’t wait to give him a text and have my name up there next to his.”
PGA Tour milestones
Hal Sutton (14 PGA Tour wins)
First PGA Tour win: 1982, 24 years old First major: 1983 PGA, 25 years Fourth win: 1985, 27 years old
David Toms (13 PGA Tour wins)
First PGA Tour win: 1997, 30 years old Fourth win: 2000, 33 years old First major: 2001 PGA, 34 years old
Sam Burns (Four PGA Tour wins)
First PGA Tour win: 2021, 24 years old Fourth win: Sunday, 25 years old
REAL DOGPILE: Moments after Byrd product Steele Netterville drove in the winning run Sunday, Louisiana Tech celebrated its Conference USA tournament championship.
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Louisiana Tech dog piles were a common occurrence this week as the Bulldogs hoisted the Conference USA Tournament trophy Sunday with a 9-8 walk-off win against UTSA.
Byrd High product Steele Netterville ripped an RBI single to drive in the winning run as the No. 2 seed Bulldogs (42-19) won’t have to wait to find out if their name will be called during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show today.
Now Tech will just find out where it will play, with pairings during the NCAA selection show starting today at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
“We’ve got to make it hard, but I’m so proud of these guys, especially guys like Netterville, (Jonathan) Fincher and Young,” said a teary Tech coach Lane Burroughs. “But for Netterville to come up and walk it off with two outs, he just has it in his DNA. He’s a Bulldog man through and through.
“It couldn’t happen to a better guy, and he’ll have this forever in front of all these people.”
The Bulldogs claimed their first CUSA baseball conference tournament title ever and first for the program since 1987 (Southland Conference).
Tech experienced heartbreak in a 13-inning, 9-6 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday morning before rallying to top the Monarchs on Saturday night 8-7 on a walk-off single from Walker Burchfield.
Sunday brought more of the same with Netterville’s RBI single after UTSA scored knotted the score off ace closer Kyle Crigger in the ninth inning to tie it 8-8, but Crigger (6-2) prevented further damage.
Tech had the answer, starting with a Logan McLeod single, a Wade Elliott sacrifice bunt and a Taylor Young intentional walk.
The No. 5 seed Roadrunners (38-20) skirted Young, the program’s all-time hits leader, only to face Tech’s all-time doubles leader in Netterville, who plated his 66th RBI of the season and finished with three RBIs in the championship game.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead through the first two innings on RBIs from Cole McConnell and Jorge Corona, who scored the third run on a wild pitch.
But UTSA dropped a four-spot to chase starter Jarrett Whorff. The lead changed four more times before Netterville’s walk-off.
Lead changes were central to Tech’s 8-7 walk-off against ODU on Saturday evening, including two Monarch runs in the ninth inning to build a 7-6 edge.
Netterville scored the winning run in that walk-off off the bat of Burchfield as Crigger picked up the first of his two straight wins to close the tournament.
It was Tech’s third straight tournament game against ODU after the Bulldogs beat the Monarchs 7-2 on Thursday before Saturday’s doubleheader split.
In the 13-inning loss, Tech nearly rallied from a 6-1 deficit helped by a Philip Matulia two-run home run, a Young solo shot and RBIs from McLeod and Adarius Myers.
Young’s home run in the eighth inning tied the score at 6-6, but the Monarchs finally broke through with three runs in the 13th inning and held Tech scoreless for the fifth straight inning.
ODU reliever Jason Hartline dealt 3 2-3 scoreless innings to get the win.
PUMPED UP PILOTS: LSUS rolled to an opening win at the NAIA World Series Friday and plays again today at 5 in Lewiston, Idaho.
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LEWISTON, Idaho — Rain and Bellevue pitching may have dampened LSU Shreveport’s offense early Friday, but the No. 4 seed Pilots regained their form in the middle innings to power through for an 8-4 win against the No. 8 seed Bruins in the first round of the Avista NAIA World Series.
LSUS (52-6) advances to face No. 1 No. 1 seed Southeastern (Fla.) today at 5 p.m. (CST) after the Fire (55-3) erased a six-run deficit to top defending national champion Georgia Gwinnett 9-7.
For LSUS, the scoreless game into the fourth inning went into a five-hour lightning delay, and the Pilots returned to the field charged.
Bellevue struck first after the delay with a two-run home run, but LSUS scored the next eight runs to secure the victory.
Allbry Major bashed a three-run home run in the fifth inning to score Trevor Burkhart (walk) and Austin McNicholas (double). McNicholas tacked on two more in the sixth inning with a two-RBI single; he finished with three RBIs on a 3-for-4 day with two runs scored.
Major belted his second home run of the day and 10th of the season to plate the final two runs, capping a five-RBI effort.
Major is one of five Pilots with at least 50 RBIs, accounting for 55 this season so far.
Pitcher Kevin Miranda picked up the win as he started after the delay and tossed four innings; he gave up just one run and three hits.
Starting pitcher Bobby Vath held Bellevue to one run and one hit in three innings.
Southeastern’s Sam Faith belted a two-run home run to break a ninth-inning tie and send the Fire to their first-round victory.
LSUS will meet Southeastern for the second straight World Series; the Fire won the 2021 matchup in a 25-13 shootout. The Fire pounded out 23 hits and scored 10 of their runs in the fifth inning to pull away.
The Pilots are making their fifth World Series appearance in program history and second straight.
The Fire are making their fourth straight World Series trip after sweeping through the Upland Indiana bracket this season. They won their lone national championship in 2018.
LSUS’ offense has cruised this season to the tune of 10.5 runs per game.
Zyon Avery leads the pack with 69 RBIs with Julian Flores (57), Ryan Major (52) and Austin McNicholas (51) to join Allbry Major (55).
Vath (13-0) and Miranda (12-1) headline a pitching staff that’s accumulated a 3.61 ERA.
The Fire also average more than 10 runs per game led by Brian Fuentes’ 82 RBIs.
Southeastern’s pitching has put together an impressive 3.03 staff ERA led by Robb Adams (14-1) and Drew Gillespie (10-0).
WINNING: New Pierremont Oaks tennis and fitness staffer Judit Castillo-Gargallo is making an impact with her technical knowledge and boundless enthusiasm, just as she did as a player at Northwestern State.
By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports
It doesn’t take Judit Castillo-Gargallo long to feel at home in a new environment. When she left her hometown of Teruel, Spain in August 2016 and landed in the United States for the first time, she was just beginning her college tennis career at Northwestern State.
The fact that Castillo-Gargallo had never been to this country and couldn’t even speak English did not deter the outgoing Spaniard from quickly adapting to the new environment.
“It was a family atmosphere from the beginning,” says Gargallo, who now feels at home as a tennis pro at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club. “My first impression when I got to Natchitoches was that the people were warm and welcomed me. They showed me that they were there for me no matter what.”
Over her five-and-one-half years at NSU, Castillo-Gargallo became one of the most popular – and successful – tennis players in Lady Demon history. In addition to finishing her college career tied for No. 8 in all-time wins with 54, she was named to the Southland Conference All-Academic Team three times.
Gargallo came to Northwestern as one of the top junior players in Spain after winning several national junior tournaments. After four years as an undergraduate, she was granted an extra year because of COVID-19. After finishing her playing career, Castillo-Gargallo decided to stay at NSU to get her master’s degree.
During her first semester as a graduate student, she served as a graduate assistant in the athletic fitness department, worked as a strength and conditioning coach and helped with the women’s tennis team.
While transitioning from competitive tennis to student and coaching was an adjustment, Castillo-Gargallo fell into the new roles with her usual enthusiasm.
“When I was playing (on the tennis team), I would wake up, do weight training at 6 a.m., go to class, practice, shower, and then do homework,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “Then I wasn’t doing that anymore. It’s always an adjustment when you’re used to competing and then you aren’t anymore. But I was still in that mindset. I was still trying to train.”
By this time, the only tennis Gargallo was playing was recreationally. “I was hitting with the tennis community and helping with the team,” she says.
Then came the opportunity to travel to Shreveport to play on a team in the St. Jude’s tennis tournament at Pierremont Oaks.
“It was the first time I had competed in a tournament after college,” says Castilo-Gargallo, “and we won it.”
Across the court during one of the matches at the St. Jude tournament was Todd Walker, the former LSU baseball star, former major leaguer, and inductee of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. While Walker was a regular – and popular – tennis player at POTC, Gargallo had no idea who he was.
“MLB, MLB,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “I didn’t know what that meant.”
After their match, Castillo-Gargallo explained to Walker that one of the reasons she wanted to play in the tennis tournament was to promote a 5K marathon she was helping to organize. She had brought a bunch of posters with her, hoping to hang them around the club to advertise the event.
“Do you have any power here?” Castillo-Gargallo joked with Walker.
“I know who to ask,” replied Walker, who took some flyers and walked into the pro shop.
Thinking Walker was just asking POTC pro Grady Wilson about hanging up some posters, Castillo-Gargallo patiently waited outside the pro shop. Little did she know he was telling Wilson that Pierremont Oaks needed to hire her – as soon as possible.
Castillo-Gargallo had a feeling that Shreveport might be her next home.
“When I left here and got back to Natchitoches, Grady checked to see if I made it back safely,” she recalls. “The next Thursday, I was working with the football team (as a fitness instructor) and I got an email at 7 a.m. about coming to work here. During that morning, Grady and I exchanged emails about coming to work at Pierremont. I had the same feeling that I had had when I first got to Natchitoches. I just knew I wanted to be here.”
The same determination, drive, and outgoing personality that quickly drew the Natchitoches community to Castillo-Gargallo was having the same effect on the tennis community in Shreveport.
Since joining the POTC staff at the beginning of the year, Castillo-Gargallo has created a fitness program at the tennis club that involves personal and private training as well as fitness training on the tennis court.
In addition to teaching tennis lessons and running the fitness program, Castillo-Gargallo has continued to play competitively. On Sunday, she and Brian Irvin captured the Open Mixed Doubles title at The City Championships at The Bossier Tennis Center.
Whether on the tennis court or in the training room, Castillo-Gargallo knows she has found her new home. And it didn’t take her parents long to see that when they came to visit and celebrate their daughter getting her master’s degree.
“They could tell I was happy and felt at home here,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “When people asked them if I was coming back, they just smiled and said, ‘No.’”
THREE’S THE CHARM: Anthony McMaster won his third men’s open singles title at The City Championships with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jackson Hinderberger at The Bossier Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon.
By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports
It was good news for local junior tennis when Anthony McMaster decided to get back in the game.
Burned out on tennis and deciding to concentrate on football, McMaster went out to California to play quarterback at Fullerton College. His college football days were short, however, when he broke his hand in the spring of 2011 (his first year on the team) and decided to move back to Shreveport that summer.
That is when McMaster got back into tennis – both playing and coaching junior players. Then when Centenary coach Todd Killen suggested McMaster join the Gents’ tennis team, he transferred from LSUS and was officially back in love with the game.
Since then, McMaster has thrived as both a player and coach.
On Sunday, McMaster won his second consecutive (and third overall) City Championship men’s open singles title at The Bossier Tennis Center with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jackson Hinderberger.
“When I think about all the past winners of the city tournament, I am humbled and honored to be on that list,” McMaster, 30, said after Sunday’s championship match. “It’s super rewarding. But the best part is that every time I’ve beaten someone or been beaten by someone for the title, it’s been by someone who I have coached.”
McMaster’s latest victory was no different.
Eight years ago, local pro Grady Wilson and legendary coach Lee Hedges told McMaster about Hinderberger. “They said, ‘Look at this kid. He’s something special,’” recalls McMaster.
Even though Hinderberger was just six years old, it was apparent that he had something special.
Ever since then, McMaster has been coaching Hinderberger, who now lives and trains in Florida.
Traveling back to Shreveport for The City Championship gave the now 14-year-old the chance to see – and play against – his longtime coach.
“Even though I work full-time (as a financial advisor for Edward Jones), I still fly down to Florida to work with Jackson,” said McMaster.
McMaster’s first city title came in 2018 with a victory over Killen (his past coach). Last year’s championship came against Stafford Yerger, who he has been coaching since the junior phenom was 8.
Coaching junior tennis players comes naturally to McMaster, who helped Killen build a strong junior program at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club about 10 years ago. And with his oldest son Francis (6) starting to play the game, McMaster will be busy coaching for years to come. At age 3, son Thomas will probably be picking up a racket soon and, chances are, daughter Emma (18 months) will follow in her father’s footsteps.
Who knows – McMaster may find himself in the future across the court from one of his sons competing for the city men’s open singles title.
“If it wasn’t for that broken hand, he would still be in California and would have never met me,” McMaster’s wife Emily says with a laugh. “Funny how things work out.”
PAGE AT THE PLATE: Grambling graduate student Shemar Page took his cuts at the plate after pitching in the Tigers’ SWAC Tournament opener.
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HOOVER, Ala. — After LSU’s offense went into hyperdrive for the final week of the regular season and the Southeastern Conference Tournament opener, LSU couldn’t produce the necessary runs as the Tigers fell overnight Friday and Saturday evening to end their tournament run.
The No. 4 seed Tigers did well to handcuff the No. 1 seed Tennessee offense Friday in a 5-2 loss that ended early Saturday, before a thin LSU pitching staff fell to No. 12 seed Kentucky 7-2 later Saturday.
The LSU bats generated 72 runs in a five-game stretch that ended with an SEC Tournament win (11-6) against Kentucky on Thursday.
The Tigers (38-20) will have to be on the road in an NCAA Regional.
The selection show is today at 11 a.m., with LSU in the field but not one of 16 regional hosts.
Against top-ranked Tennessee, LSU managed two runs (one earned) on SEC Pitcher of the Year Chase Dollander (9-0) while the Vols touched LSU starter Ty Floyd (5-4) for five runs (four earned).
The Vols scored three runs in the first two innings and answered a two-run LSU fifth inning with a pair of runs in the bottom of that inning.
“The team that plays the best is going to win,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson from a Friday contest that poured into Saturday morning. “Tennessee got a good start out of their pitcher, and they made some nice plays on defense.
“We got a couple of swings to drive some guys in, but we just could not convert on the opportunities that we had.”
Eight Tigers were stranded on the basepaths.
The Tigers turned around and rematched Kentucky about 12 hours later.
LSU surrendered all seven runs in the first five innings as starter Jacob Hasty (2-1) didn’t make it out of the first inning (two runs).
The Tigers couldn’t break through against Kentucky starter Tyler Bosma (4-3) or a duo of Wildcats relievers.
GRAMBLING: Bethune Cookman was the thorn in Grambling’s side, handing the Tigers both of their Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament losses to end GSU’s season.
The second loss Friday was in 19-0 fashion in seven innings.
For a Grambling offense that scored in double figures 26 times, GSU was shut out Friday and held to three runs Wednesday in a 4-3 loss to Bethune Cookman in which BCU hit a three-run home run off ace Shemar Page.
GSU (26-31) stayed alive earlier Friday as the No. 2 West see topped West No. 4 mate Texas Southern 14-5.
The usually powerful offense rapped out 18 hits with Page tallying four RBIs on a 3-for-4 day.
ULM: After riding the momentum of its season finale sweep of Arkansas State to a first-round Sun Belt Conference Tournament victory against Georgia State, the Warhawks met their match Friday against top-seeded Texas State in a 8-2 loss to end the season.
Because of thunderstorms that wreaked havoc, the Sun Belt changed its format to a single-elimination tournament.
The No. 10 seed Warhawks (20-35-1) struck early with a Michelle Artzberger two-run home run and held that lead through five innings.
But Texas State scored its first run on a wild pitch and the next two unearned to start a rally that included eight runs between the sixth and the eighth innings.
ULM starter Cam Barlow (2-7) had eight strikeouts and just one earned run in five innings before Texas State feasted on five different ULM relievers. Texas State was upset in the semifinals by eventual tournament champion UL-Lafayette, 3-2. The Cajuns topped Georgia Southern Sunday.
Mildred Hodgkiss October 1, 1936 – May 25, 2022 Visitation: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. prior to the service Services: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport
Lois J. Walker June 28, 1938 ~ May 22, 2022 Visitation: Friday June 3, 2022 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Winnfield Funeral Home – Shreveport 3701 Hollywood Avenue Services: Saturday June 4, 2022 11:00 AM Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery 6915 W. 70th Street Shreveport
Jimmie Bradford McCullough, Jr. January 24, 1955 – May 10, 2022 Visitation: 10:00 a.m. until the time of service Services: June 11, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Rose-Neath Funeral, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana
BP IN BIG SKY COUNTRY: The LSUS Pilots took batting practice Thursday, preparing for today’s NAIA World Series opener in Lewiston, Idaho.
By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
Here’s how far it is from Shreveport to Lewiston, Idaho – when you get to Denver, you still aren’t halfway there.
But it’s a 2,100-mile trip the LSUS Pilots have made before and they are hoping that will pay off when the NAIA World Series begins today on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College.
LSUS, the No. 4 seed, will take on fifth-seeded Bellevue (Neb.) in the opening round at 11:30 a.m. in Idaho (1:30 p.m. CT).
A year ago, it was all new to LSUS. The Pilots opened with a 10-3 win over Keiser (Fla.), but got punched in the mouth after that. Sure, they scored 13 runs against Southeastern (Fla.); the problem was they gave up 25.
After that, Lewis-Clark sent the Pilots on their way with a 9-6 loss. But the Pilots brought a lot of lessons back home.
“I think any time that you can bring some experience back to something it always helps,” said LSUS coach Brad Neffendorf. “Probably half of our roster was here last year and I think that’s a big reason why we have accomplished what we have. That’s a tremendous part of it.”
LSUS (51-6) is just one of five teams that are returning from a year ago. It is the 13th appearance for the Pilots, but they are one of four teams in the 10-team field to have not won the NAIA championship.
The atmosphere is different in western Idaho and sometimes games tend to be pitching-challenged. “It’s different air out here,” Neffendorf said. “The ball travels a little bit farther. There’s always been the saying that you have to pitch (well) to get to Lewiston, but you have to really hit to win it when you get here.”
Bellevue (48-11) is a member of the North Star Athletic Conference. The Bruins feature pitcher Elijah Johnson, who is 11-2 with a 2.05 ERA and leads the nation in strikeouts with 147. (Kevin Miranda of LSUS is second with 140).
Neffendorf expects to see Johnson on the mound and will counter with Bobby Vath (12-0, 2.23 ERA). “He’s been the guy who spearheads every series as the first guy on the mound,” Neffendorf said.
An interesting part of this tournament is the unusual bracket. If LSUS were to win its first game, the Pilots wouldn’t play again until Monday. “If you lose Friday, you play Saturday and could be on your way home before the top seeds ever play,” Neffendorf said.
Southeastern (54-3), the team that put 25 runs on the Pilots last year, is the No. 1 seed and, if both were to win their opening games, would be the LSUS opponent in the second round Monday.
But Neffendorf is quick to say he does not get caught up in seedings for any team. “People get out here and worry about that (seeding),” Neffendorf said. “Obviously, game one is important because you wouldn’t have to play again until Monday if you win. But everybody is playing good baseball at this time of year. Seeds really don’t matter. If we execute the right way, we can play with anybody.”
The win in the Shreveport Regional, in which LSUS lost the first game and won four straight to qualify for the World Series, was exciting but won’t have much of a lasting effect.
“The (players) have done a good job of understanding that they did what they had to do to get here,” Neffendorf said. “The way that we did it (pinch hit home run in extra innings) doesn’t happen too much, and I think they are excited to be here. But they know they aren’t here on vacation. We are here to try to accomplish something that has never been accomplished before.”
BAND OF BROTHERS: The Shreveport Mudbugs developed close bonds during a torrid second-half surge in 2021-22, and are losing veteran players hard to replace.
By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports
As the page turns to the 2022-23 season, Jason Campbell and the Shreveport Mudbugs’ hockey operations department have some work to do.
The Mudbugs will likely have to replenish more than half their roster as 12 players born in 2001 will be ineligible due to the North American Hockey League’s age limitations.
The Mudbugs are looking for some size. They need some skill. They must add a host of defenseman and a goaltender.
And that’s not the biggest challenge.
“We had some true competitors that really epitomized and tried to execute to the best of their abilities what it means to be a Mudbug and what it means to put the time and effort in to be a champion,” Campbell said.
In addition to championship experience (Shreveport won the Robertson Cup in 2021), big bodies — with plenty of skill — are moving on to the next level, such as Tim Khokhlachev (6-foot-4, 215) and Austin Brimmer (6-3, 205).
Shreveport will need to replace its top-five point-getters (Brimmer, Connor Gatto, Burke Simpson, Khokhlachev, Lukas Sedlacek) from the 2021-22 campaign in addition to its No. 1 goaltender, Devon Bobak.
“Hopefully (all those leaving) left an impression on the guys who are still here regarding what they need to do if they want to be a champion again,” Campbell said. “We’re definitely going to miss these guys – their personalities, their work ethic, what they brought to the team and the community. But, at the same time, there is always rollover and there is always somebody ready and hungry for an opportunity.
“There are going to be a lot of opportunities next season.”
Team captain Garrett Steele is the top scorer eligible to return to the Mudbugs. The Chelsea, Mich., product scored 11 goals in this third season in Shreveport. With 146 regular-season games played in teal and purple, the forward will have an opportunity to break the NAHL franchise record of games played – Davis Goukler, 164.
The Mudbugs’ rebuilding process will begin when Main Camp opens Aug. 12 on George’s Pond at Hirsch Coliseum.
“We’ll bring in enough players to build four teams,” Campbell said. “It will be a good mix of players.”
Mudbugs’ departures
The following players on the Shreveport Mudbugs’ 2022 playoff roster will not return due to the NAHL’s age limitations:
Devon Bobak (G) Austin Brimmer (F) Connor Gatto (F) Davis Goukler (D) Carter Green (D) John Hallard (D) Trenten Heyde (D) Gunner Moore (D) Timofei Khokhlachev (F) Jacob Onstott (F) Lukas Sedlacek (F) Burke Simpson (F)
Former Mudbug Feczko gets another ring
Billy Feczko, traded from Shreveport to New Jersey at the deadline this season, helped the New Jersey Titans win a Robertson Cup championship Tuesday night in Blaine, Minnesota. The Titans’ 3-0 victory over Anchorage, a first-year NAHL franchise, came 11 months after Feczko lifted the Robertson Cup in a Mudbugs sweater.
Feczko played 148 games over four seasons in Shreveport. He scored four goals and compiled 15 points in 20 regular-season games with the Titans and tallied twice in the postseason.
WESTBOUND FLYER: Loyola graduate Luke Jackson, competing for Duke at the NCAA East Regional track and field championships, earned a spot at the NCAA Outdoors in Oregon with a personal best javelin throw Wednesday.
By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
This was it. The moment of truth was at hand for Luke Jackson.
All of the throws in the javelin competition at Wednesday’s NCAA East Regional in Bloomington, Ind., had been made. Except one – Luke Jackson of Duke University.
The Top 12 competitors would advance to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., and Jackson stood at No. 16.
But he still had that one last throw, in a series of six attempts in the competition. If he did it, no one could knock him out.
To make the scene even more dramatic, rain began to fall. Jackson, a Bossier City native, figured it might be a good idea to seek out Duke’s throwing coach, Angelo Posillico, for some advice.
“Only weak people let this bother them,” Posillico told Jackson.
“Once he said that, I just felt ready,” Jackson said. “I knew I could do it.”
And he did.
Jackson threw a personal-best 70.54 meters (231 feet, 5 inches) and placed eighth overall. The former two-time state champion at Loyola will be at the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
“I set it as a really broad goal at the beginning of the year,” said Jackson ,who is a redshirt sophomore. “I knew that if I did my best, I could make it.”
But injuries have slowed down his progress. Jackson has fought elbow pain throughout the year so he wasn’t sure qualifying for the national meet was in the cards.
“The competition was stacked (at the regional),” he said. “I knew I had to be at the top of my game to be able to even compete with all of those guys.”
To avoid a recurrence of the injury, Jackson did not throw much leading up to the regionals. “When I was warming up, I started feeling some tightness in my arm,” he said. “Coach got me to relax and get my mind right before I competed.”
His first two throws were in the 64-65 meter range – not nearly good enough to get in the Top 12 – but he noticed an interesting development in the competition. “Some of the guys who were supposed to throw really far didn’t and some of the others who I didn’t think could were throwing far,” he said. “I had seen a ton of great throws. I knew I had to put something together.”
Just like when a batter hits a long home run or shooter knows instantly when a 3-pointer is going in the basket, Jackson knew he had done something special when the javelin left his hand on that final throw.
“I knew it was far, I just didn’t know how far,” he said. “As soon as that number came up, it was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”
Jackson had thrown 70 meters twice during the season but “I didn’t think I would at this competition,” he said. “I thought maybe I’d throw 67 or 68 (meters). I just wanted to make it (to the national meet). That’s all that mattered to me.”
As he prepares to go to Eugene, Jackson said not much will change. “I’ll probably just go do the same things I have been doing to try to stay healthy,” he said. “Really not throwing at all because I know how to throw at this point in the season. I just want to make sure my arm is healthy.”
At Loyola, Jackson took the javelin because he liked the analytical approach. He studied all of the numbers involved and was technically very sound. “I’m way less like that now,” he said. “It’s more art to me now than science.”
He had a personal best of 65 meters (210 feet) in high school and went to Duke for the combination of academics (he was the 2019 Flyer of the Year at Loyola) and track opportunities.
“I wouldn’t have believed for a second that I would be here now,” Jackson said of qualifying for the NCAAs. “I’m super excited.”
