2008 Woodie Awards
Sports Briefs
Issue date: 6/13/07 Section: Sports
MLB drafts two Blue Raiders
Middle Tennessee senior shortstop Matt Ray was drafted in the 18th round by the Oakland A's as well Blue Raider signee Bryce Brentz, who was selected in the 30th round by the Cleveland Indians during the second day of the Major League Baseball First Year Amateur Player Draft.
Ray batted .332 in 52 games in 2007 for Middle Tennessee after spending his first three seasons at Central Florida. Ray stole a-team-high 24 bases, scored 50 runs and added 16 doubles and 28 walks.
In the last decade, only one year saw no Blue Raiders being drafted - 2005. Ray becomes the 18th player selected by a Major League club in the last 10 years.
Brentz helped South Doyle reach the championship game of the TSSAA state tournament two weeks ago at Reese Smith Field. He tied the state tournament record for hits with 12, doubles with four and two home runs.
Head baseball coach Steve Peterson announced the signing of Benji Farr to a national letter-of-intent for the 2008 season.
Farr hails from Cartersville, Ga., and Cartersville High School, where the lefthander pitcher compiled a 22-2 combined mark the last two seasons. In 2007 he was 11-1 with a 1.17 earned-run-average in 12 starts, tossing six complete games. He had three shutouts in 60 innings of work and struck out 96.
As a junior Farr was also 11-1 with a 1.14 ERA in 12 starts with nine complete games. He had three shutouts and worked 74 innings, striking out 107.
Farr compiled a 31-9 career mark for the Cartersville Canes with a 1.95 ERA in 40 starts, working 219 innings. He had 21 complete games and eight shutouts, tossing one no-hitter and four one-hitters.
Farr also did good work as a hitter at Cartersville, batting .313 with 10 doubles and 15 RBIs as a senior and .396 with 13 doubles and 18 RBIs as a junior.
Righthanded pitcher Judd Stoltz agreed to a national letter-of-intent this week, for the ninth signee for the 2008 season.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Stoltz was a two-time All-District 10-AA selection at Marshall County High School and helped lead the Tigers to the Class AA state baseball tournament in Murfreesboro two weeks ago. Marshall County was eliminated from the state tournament by eventual state runner-up University School of Jackson.
For his career, Stoltz notched 19 wins on the mound while also carrying a .360 batting average with six home runs and 61 RBIs.
Golf team falls short, women hopefull
Sophomore golfers Rick Cochran and Chas Narramore will have to wait a little longer to realize their dream of playing in the U.S. Open after failing to place in the top 15 during sectional qualifying Monday.
Even though the talented twosome may not have advanced out of the 115-player field that included 109 PGA Tour players and six amateurs at the Colonial Country Club in Cordova, they represented themselves and Middle Tennessee well, finishing in the top half of the field. Complete results were not available Monday evening.
Cochran shot a 2-over 146 after putting up 73s in each of Monday's two rounds, while Narramore finished 3-over 147 in the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier.
Donned in MT golf apparel, caps, and toting their Middle Tennessee golf bags, Cochran and Narramore were playing to achieve their dream of reaching one of golf's grandest stages at the U.S. Open, but in the process they brought recognition to their program in a field full of professionals from across the country, and abroad.
Golfer Taryn Durham has reached great heights during her extraordinary collegiate career; however, the junior linkster will play in the U.S. Women's Open, June 28-July 1.
Durham shot rounds of 73 and 75 in sectional qualifying at the par-72 Village Links of Glen Ellyn in Glen Ellyn, Ill., Monday and was one of 21 players to earn a spot in the 156-player field for the U.S. Women's Open to be played June 28-July 1 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
Middle Tennessee women's golf coach Rachael Short said Durham is deserving of the honor shortly after the heavily-decorated golfer became the first Blue Raider linkster to qualify for the Open.
By this time the sun was setting over the course and daylight had long since given way to dusk as seven remaining hopefuls went back on the links for a playoff to determine four spots.
On the first playoff hole, one golfer birdied to advance, five, including Durham, parred, and one bogeyed to be eliminated leaving five players for three spots as they headed to the second playoff hole.
All five players parred the second playoff hole to set up a third.
Durham's tee shot went 20 feet above the pin on the par-3 and she ended up sinking a 20-foot birdie to secure the coveted spot in the Open.
The first two rounds of the U.S. Women's Open will be aired on ESPN, while the final two rounds will be carried by NBC.
Track
Senior Orlando Reid finished third in the 200-meters, earning his third All-America honor of the week as Middle Tennessee placed 20th as a team Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.
Reid finished third in the 200 in 20.75, garnering his third All-America honor of the week and the fourth of his career. Florida State won the overall men's championship with 54 points, while the Blue Raiders finished the national meet with 14 points for 20th place.
Reid was responsible directly or indirectly for 11 of the team's 14 points, placing eighth in the 100-meter finals on Friday and as a member of the fifth place 4x100-meter relay team along with seniors Juan Walker and Sean Waller and sophomore Samuel Adade. Walker earned the team's other three points with a sixth-place showing in the long jump on Thursday.
Middle Tennessee earned seven All-America honors during the national meet, one each for Waller and Adade, two for Walker and three for Reid.
Full results from the meet may be found at http://www.flashresults.com/2007_Meets/outdoor/NCAADivisionI/index.htm.
Reid finished eighth in the 100-meters and the men's 4x100-meter relay was fifth, both earning All-America honors Friday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.
Reid posted a time of 10.32 in the 100-meter finals, placing eighth after coming out of the blocks slowly. Reid becomes just the second All-American in school history in the 100-meters, joining Mardy Scales, who won the event at the national meet in 2003.
The 4x100-meter relay of senior Walker, Reid, senior Waller and sophomore Adade finished fifth with a time of 39.78, becoming just the second 4x100-meter relay in school history to earn All-America honors. The 2003 foursome of Brad Orr, Pedro Holiday, Mardy Scales and DJ Spann also garnered All-America accolades.
Walker and Reid as well as the men's 4x100-meter relay made event finals during competition Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Walker was a busy man on Wednesday, running the first leg of the 4x100-meter relay at 3 p.m. local time before taking part in the long jump preliminaries an hour later at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex. At 5:20 p.m. he competed in the 110-meter hurdle prelims and took part in the high hurdle semifinals at 7:10 p.m.
Walker made the long jump finals after winning his flight with a mark of 25-3.5. The mark was the second best in the long jump prelims, behind the 25-8.75 by Barrett Saunders of Kansas. The long jump finals are set for late Thursday evening.
Walker made the semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.88 in the prelims but failed to make the finals, running 13.86 in the semis, 13th fastest overall.
The 4x100 foursome of seniors Walker, Reid and Waller and sophomore Adade made the finals, posting a time of 39.90, sixth fastest in the 18-team field.
Reid made the 100-meter semifinals with a time of 10.17 in the prelims, his fastest this season, and followed that with a 10.19 in the semifinals, advancing to the event finals Friday night.
In other action for Middle Tennessee athletes, junior Morgan did not make the finals, placing 23rd in the prelims with a mark of 23-5.5.
Middle Tennessee senior shortstop Matt Ray was drafted in the 18th round by the Oakland A's as well Blue Raider signee Bryce Brentz, who was selected in the 30th round by the Cleveland Indians during the second day of the Major League Baseball First Year Amateur Player Draft.
Ray batted .332 in 52 games in 2007 for Middle Tennessee after spending his first three seasons at Central Florida. Ray stole a-team-high 24 bases, scored 50 runs and added 16 doubles and 28 walks.
In the last decade, only one year saw no Blue Raiders being drafted - 2005. Ray becomes the 18th player selected by a Major League club in the last 10 years.
Brentz helped South Doyle reach the championship game of the TSSAA state tournament two weeks ago at Reese Smith Field. He tied the state tournament record for hits with 12, doubles with four and two home runs.
Head baseball coach Steve Peterson announced the signing of Benji Farr to a national letter-of-intent for the 2008 season.
Farr hails from Cartersville, Ga., and Cartersville High School, where the lefthander pitcher compiled a 22-2 combined mark the last two seasons. In 2007 he was 11-1 with a 1.17 earned-run-average in 12 starts, tossing six complete games. He had three shutouts in 60 innings of work and struck out 96.
As a junior Farr was also 11-1 with a 1.14 ERA in 12 starts with nine complete games. He had three shutouts and worked 74 innings, striking out 107.
Farr compiled a 31-9 career mark for the Cartersville Canes with a 1.95 ERA in 40 starts, working 219 innings. He had 21 complete games and eight shutouts, tossing one no-hitter and four one-hitters.
Farr also did good work as a hitter at Cartersville, batting .313 with 10 doubles and 15 RBIs as a senior and .396 with 13 doubles and 18 RBIs as a junior.
Righthanded pitcher Judd Stoltz agreed to a national letter-of-intent this week, for the ninth signee for the 2008 season.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Stoltz was a two-time All-District 10-AA selection at Marshall County High School and helped lead the Tigers to the Class AA state baseball tournament in Murfreesboro two weeks ago. Marshall County was eliminated from the state tournament by eventual state runner-up University School of Jackson.
For his career, Stoltz notched 19 wins on the mound while also carrying a .360 batting average with six home runs and 61 RBIs.
Golf team falls short, women hopefull
Sophomore golfers Rick Cochran and Chas Narramore will have to wait a little longer to realize their dream of playing in the U.S. Open after failing to place in the top 15 during sectional qualifying Monday.
Even though the talented twosome may not have advanced out of the 115-player field that included 109 PGA Tour players and six amateurs at the Colonial Country Club in Cordova, they represented themselves and Middle Tennessee well, finishing in the top half of the field. Complete results were not available Monday evening.
Cochran shot a 2-over 146 after putting up 73s in each of Monday's two rounds, while Narramore finished 3-over 147 in the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier.
Donned in MT golf apparel, caps, and toting their Middle Tennessee golf bags, Cochran and Narramore were playing to achieve their dream of reaching one of golf's grandest stages at the U.S. Open, but in the process they brought recognition to their program in a field full of professionals from across the country, and abroad.
Golfer Taryn Durham has reached great heights during her extraordinary collegiate career; however, the junior linkster will play in the U.S. Women's Open, June 28-July 1.
Durham shot rounds of 73 and 75 in sectional qualifying at the par-72 Village Links of Glen Ellyn in Glen Ellyn, Ill., Monday and was one of 21 players to earn a spot in the 156-player field for the U.S. Women's Open to be played June 28-July 1 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C.
Middle Tennessee women's golf coach Rachael Short said Durham is deserving of the honor shortly after the heavily-decorated golfer became the first Blue Raider linkster to qualify for the Open.
By this time the sun was setting over the course and daylight had long since given way to dusk as seven remaining hopefuls went back on the links for a playoff to determine four spots.
On the first playoff hole, one golfer birdied to advance, five, including Durham, parred, and one bogeyed to be eliminated leaving five players for three spots as they headed to the second playoff hole.
All five players parred the second playoff hole to set up a third.
Durham's tee shot went 20 feet above the pin on the par-3 and she ended up sinking a 20-foot birdie to secure the coveted spot in the Open.
The first two rounds of the U.S. Women's Open will be aired on ESPN, while the final two rounds will be carried by NBC.
Track
Senior Orlando Reid finished third in the 200-meters, earning his third All-America honor of the week as Middle Tennessee placed 20th as a team Saturday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.
Reid finished third in the 200 in 20.75, garnering his third All-America honor of the week and the fourth of his career. Florida State won the overall men's championship with 54 points, while the Blue Raiders finished the national meet with 14 points for 20th place.
Reid was responsible directly or indirectly for 11 of the team's 14 points, placing eighth in the 100-meter finals on Friday and as a member of the fifth place 4x100-meter relay team along with seniors Juan Walker and Sean Waller and sophomore Samuel Adade. Walker earned the team's other three points with a sixth-place showing in the long jump on Thursday.
Middle Tennessee earned seven All-America honors during the national meet, one each for Waller and Adade, two for Walker and three for Reid.
Full results from the meet may be found at http://www.flashresults.com/2007_Meets/outdoor/NCAADivisionI/index.htm.
Reid finished eighth in the 100-meters and the men's 4x100-meter relay was fifth, both earning All-America honors Friday at the NCAA Track and Field Championships at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex in Sacramento, Calif.
Reid posted a time of 10.32 in the 100-meter finals, placing eighth after coming out of the blocks slowly. Reid becomes just the second All-American in school history in the 100-meters, joining Mardy Scales, who won the event at the national meet in 2003.
The 4x100-meter relay of senior Walker, Reid, senior Waller and sophomore Adade finished fifth with a time of 39.78, becoming just the second 4x100-meter relay in school history to earn All-America honors. The 2003 foursome of Brad Orr, Pedro Holiday, Mardy Scales and DJ Spann also garnered All-America accolades.
Walker and Reid as well as the men's 4x100-meter relay made event finals during competition Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Walker was a busy man on Wednesday, running the first leg of the 4x100-meter relay at 3 p.m. local time before taking part in the long jump preliminaries an hour later at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex. At 5:20 p.m. he competed in the 110-meter hurdle prelims and took part in the high hurdle semifinals at 7:10 p.m.
Walker made the long jump finals after winning his flight with a mark of 25-3.5. The mark was the second best in the long jump prelims, behind the 25-8.75 by Barrett Saunders of Kansas. The long jump finals are set for late Thursday evening.
Walker made the semifinals in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 13.88 in the prelims but failed to make the finals, running 13.86 in the semis, 13th fastest overall.
The 4x100 foursome of seniors Walker, Reid and Waller and sophomore Adade made the finals, posting a time of 39.90, sixth fastest in the 18-team field.
Reid made the 100-meter semifinals with a time of 10.17 in the prelims, his fastest this season, and followed that with a 10.19 in the semifinals, advancing to the event finals Friday night.
In other action for Middle Tennessee athletes, junior Morgan did not make the finals, placing 23rd in the prelims with a mark of 23-5.5.
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