First week of volleyball practice is in the books

Greetings Bearkat volleyball fans!

We are well on our way to another great season of volleyball here in the Johnson Coliseum. We are wrapping up our first week of practice, and the intensity has been high and the girls are very energetic and ready to learn. We have had a couple nagging injuries, but for the most part we have been healthy, and that is a GREAT thing.

We gave the girls the afternoon off yesterday from on the court practice, after getting after it twice a day 3 days straight and again yesterday morning. They took full advantage of the time off by giving their partner ball massages, stretching, listening to Coach Gray read a motivational book. Today we will work on some eye sequencing with blocking, more ball control, and putting it all together with 6 on 6 drills and transition work on and off the net - defense to offense.

We will have a closed scrimmage tomorrow morning to see exactly where we are at and some position battles - as the media likes to say will (and already have) emerged. We will give you an update on how the scrimmage went, and update you again next week - have a great day - EAT 'EM UP KATS!!!

-Assistant Coach Joe Lind

Training going well

I am in early on Wednesday morning getting ready for our first session of the day and thought I would catch you up on our first several days of preseason training. Friday was spent fitness testing to see where our players were as they entered training camp. Lots of players recorded personal records in our various tests. We already had a very fast team but six of our incoming freshman were in the top 10 in the "flying 40" test.

Lots of time has been spent on technical skill training. The level of the team is higher than we have ever had so I have been very pleased. Each training session has been focused around a theme, such as counter-attacking or switching the point of attack. Each "theme" will make up an important part of how we play this year. Last night, the team reported to evening practice at different times so that I could explain in depth to each group their roles and responsibilities in our attack. It was a good session with the team showing a good understanding of how they fit into the system of play.

This morning we will focus on keeping possession of the ball. The time we have spent on our technical skills will be put to test as the games become very competitive. We will finish with a soccer related activity that will help improve the speed endurance of our team. This afternoon will be about recovery from the last two days. The team will have a short pool workout, work on tired muscles with the foam rollers, and do some flexibility training with our new trainer Karly.

I will remind you again to follow our Facebook page. We have been uploading pictures from training and keeping everyone up-to-date on our progress this spring. Congratulations to Jenny Pence and Kirby Zak for being named to the Preseason All-Southland Confernce Team. This is the first time that two players have appeared on this team. The preseason coaches' poll picked the team to finish fourth, which again, is the first time to be picked that high.

The team opens the season on Friday, August 20 at 7:00 PM versus Houston Baptist. We hope you will make the short trip down to Houston to see the opening of the 2010 season.

-- Tom Brown
SHSU head soccer coach

Hooten: Wrapping up the summer

July recruiting period is over and we saw a lot of kids for the 2011 and 2012 classes. If all goes well we will only need to sign 3 in the 2011 class. My assistants did a great job of putting me in the right places to see the right kids this July.


Since the last time we talked there has also been a new addition to our coaching staff. Will Weaver from the University of Texas has joined the Bearkats. I am very excited to have Will on board. He brings a lot of versatility in many different areas to the program. Will can help me on a lot of different fronts, and I am looking forward to watching him grow as a recruiter and coach.

Our roster is pretty much set. I know a lot of you had a bunch of questions throughout the spring and summer months. Unfortunately due to NCAA rules and other reasons, there wasn't too much that I could say at the time. We have filled all 13 scholarships and have five walk-ons for a total of 18 players.

Only changes from last year will be Marco Cooper not returning. Marco, his family, and myself decided that it was best for Marco academically and athletically to have a change of scenery. At this time Marco has signed a scholarship to attend Our Lady of The Lake an NAIA school in San Antonio, Texas. Marco will do really well there and we wish him nothing but the best.

We really have two new additions since the last time we spoke, Marcus James from Seward County CC in Liberal, Kansas, and Konner Tucker a transfer from Wake Forest. Marcus, we actually signed a while back but due to some summer school stuff elected not to officially put it out in the media yet.

Marcus is a long 6-foot-7 forward that can really defend and rebound. Offensively he will be a lot like Preston in that his best is yet to come. He will step out and really expand his game the next two seasons. We're excited to have Marcus's toughness and athleticism. Marcus has also been well coached and knows what it takes to be successful and WIN!

Konner on the other hand, will have to sit out 2010-11 season due to transfer rules. Konner played his freshman season at Lon Morris before signing with Coach Gillespie at Kentucky. After Gillespie was fired, Konner decided to be re-recruited and ended up at Wake Forest. He left last Christmas and sat out the spring semester at home. Konner has really gotten bigger and stronger, and is a lot heavier than the 175 listed, lol. A really good player who can flat out SCORE! Actually can play 3 different positions and we had to beat a couple of really good schools to land Konner.

As for me, it has been a whirlwind. Everything from finishing our schedule to the simplest things like arranging our offices, paper work, academic assignments, ordering new uniforms, and the list goes on and on. I am really looking forward to getting on the floor and working with the guys. I know it will be here before you know it.

In my small amount of spare time, I have done a lot with my wife and 2 small children. Of course I have found time to watch my Texas Rangers. I will be there this week to watch them play the Yankees, 10th and 11th. If I remember correctly in one of my first articles, I told you all that the Rangers would win the pennant and make a run at the World Series. It looks like my prediction may stand up!!!! What I would do to have the Rangers and the Braves in the World Series.

Let's all get ready to support the Fall sports and come out to watch the BEARKATS. This is a good year to get back on the Commissioner’s Cup train. Come see us anytime, will start working out on August 30th with weights, conditioning, and individual workouts. October 16th will be here before you know it. Still need to find 2 more games to finish up our schedule. It's going to be a pretty tough one, but one that I feel will prepare us for SLC play. Take care.

--Jason Hooten
Men’s basketball head coach

McCown lands in the UFL

Former Sam Houston State quarterback Josh McCown will get a chance to be a starting quarerback again. He announced his signing with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL. McCown played one season for the Bearkats in 2001, leading the team to a Southland Conference championship and a trip to the quarterfinals of the I-AA playoffs.

The following is the story from the Hartford Courant

By MIKE ANTHONY
The Hartford Courant

EAST HARTFORD — Josh McCown, potentially the starting quarterback and face of the franchise, was introduced as the newest member of the Hartford Colonials Tuesday at Rentschler Field.

McCown, 31, has played for four NFL teams in eight years. He joins quarterbacks Ryan Perrilloux and Andre Woodson on the roster. The three will compete for playing time in training camp beginning Aug. 18 at Sage Park in Berlin.

"I wanted to have a young quarterback I could develop and try to help along [Perrilloux], I wanted a guy two or three years out who had some experience in the NFL [Woodson], and I definitely wanted a veteran quarterback," coach Chris Palmer said. "As I studied the league during the spring, the teams that were most successful had quarterbacks who were experienced guys who had played in the National Football League for an extended period of time and had a lot of starts under their belts."

McCown, selected by the Cardinals out of Sam Houston State in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft, spent four seasons in Arizona, posting career highs of 2,511 yards and 11 touchdown passes in 14 games in 2004. He shared quarterback duties with Daunte Culpepper under Lane Kiffin with the Raiders in 2007 and spent the last two seasons as a backup in Carolina.

"Could I bounce around and continue to be a No.2 or 3 or something like that? Maybe," McCown said. "But more important to me was a chance to come and play and to continue to play at a high level and really increase my ability as a quarterback, to be productive and to get better."

McCown would like to play his way back into the NFL and will be free to sign with any team after the UFL season. The Colonials open their eight-game season Sept. 18 at Rentschler Field against Culpepper and the Sacramento Monarchs.

In addition, McCown announced his support for the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford by agreeing to donate $10,000 to the club. He was to present a check later Tuesday at the club located at 170 Sigourney St.

Soccer training camp right around the corner

Training camp is almost here! The team will arrive on Friday and spend the day going through physical testing so we can see where the fitness component of the team is. This weekend, the team will be holding two training sessions each day. Morning sessions will begin at 8:30 AM and the evening session will start at 6:30 PM. These sessions will be held on upper Prichett Field due to the laying of new sod in worn spots on the lower field. All sessions are open to the public and we would encourage you to get an early look at this year's team.

You can also keep up to date on the happenings of the team on our new Facebook page. Just search for SHSU Soccer and then follow the team as we begin our 2010 campaign.

Go Bearkats!

-- Tom Brown
Head Women's Soccer Coach

Former Kat golfer wins Texas State Open

By Brad Meyer
The Courier of Montgomery County

Robert Gwin, 26, of Montgomery, took top honors in the 40th annual Chesapeake Energy Texas State Open golf tournament Thursday through Sunday in Tyler. He came from four strokes down in the final round to win the tournament on the final hole.

“I was playing steady throughout the tournament,” Gwin said. “I just focused on my play and tried not to get ahead of myself.”

Gwin, who played college golf at Sam Houston State University, shot solid golf all week, turning in rounds of 66, 65, 68 and 66 for a combined score of 265. He made six birdies and two bogeys during the final round to take the TSO championship and a $26,000 payday.

“I was dead even with Bobby Massa, of Grand Prairie, going into the last hole,” Gwin said. “I shot par on the 72nd hole and he bogeyed it, so I avoided a sudden-death playoff.”

Read the rest of this story

The ESPY awards

I finally got a chance to sit and watch the ESPY awards last night on ESPN. As always they did a good job mixing the awards and jokes with some of the serious topics like the job the Jimmy V Foundation is doing for cancer research.

Another of the awards given out every year at the ESPY’s is the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. This year’s recipient was Ed Thomas, a high school coach in Iowa who was killed by a former player.

I had read the stories about Thomas, but didn’t have a full understanding for what he meant to that community until I watched the interviews with everyone involved last night. ESPN did a great job of capturing one part of a very difficult series of events that two families and a small town have had to deal with.

After watching I think I gained a greater appreciation for the fact that former Bearkat football coach Ron Randleman was named the first recipient of the Ed Thomas Award at William Penn University. Randleman was the head coach at William Penn while Thomas played quarterback there.

The award Randleman received was inscribed "For his inspiration and motivation as a coach based on the principles of faith, family and excellence."

"That truly describes Ed Thomas," Randleman said. "Ed was one of Parkersburg and Iowa's most beloved citizens. It was a privilege being part of a ceremony honoring his contributions to football and education."

-- Jason Barfield
Media Services

Top games of 2009-10

We are about to countdown the top games and moments of the last year in Bearkat athletics and need your help.

Leave a comment and let us know what game you think should be on the list. Include your name and why you think that particular game is one of the best of the last year. The top responses will be included with the stories in the countdown.

This will be our last look back before the Bearkats begin another great year at Sam Houston State.

Manuel getting his chance in the show

Robert Manuel got his second call up to the big leagues, and he got to pitch this time. The former Bearkat pitcher was recalled to Boston earlier this month and has seen some time for the Red Sox out of the bullpen.

Since being called up on July 2, Manuel has pitched well for Boston. Through Saturday, the former Bearkat has made four appearances, allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings.

“We think he deserves to be here,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “He was pitching great. Righties were hitting something silly off him down there. We’d like to give him a chance to pitch and see how he does.”

In his first outing on July 3, Manuel, who inherited a 9-1 lead in the ninth against the Baltimore Orioles, allowed a pair of runs to cross home plate before coaxing Julio Lugo to pop out to shallow center field to end the game.

Manuel’s next two appearances went a little smoother as he held Tampa Bay scoreless through 1 1/3 innings.

Most recently, Manuel, pitching with a 14-2 lead, allowed just one run to score in a pair of middle relief innings against Toronto on Friday to earn his third hold in four attempts.

Manuel was called up to Boston in June and spent just three days in the show before getting sent back down without ever appearing in a game. On July 1, he was named a Triple-A All-Star playing for the Pawtucket PawSox of the International League. He would have played with former Bearkat Dustin Martin who was named an All-Star playing for the Rochester Red Wings of the Twins organization.
 
This is Manuel’s third stint in the big leagues. Last season, Manuel made his major league debut on his birthday and ended up pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings in three appearances for the Cincinnati Reds.

Former Kat lands head coaching gig

By Mike Forman
The Victoria Advocate

Lauren Janak will be speaking from experience when she talks about the state tennis tournament.

Janak made two appearances at the state tournament as a player and she hopes to return after being named the head tennis coach at Victoria West. Janak's hiring was approved by a unanimous 6-0 vote of the Victoria school board of trustees at a special-called meeting on Friday.

"It's exciting coming to a new high school," Janak said by phone from Baton Rouge, La. "I think I'm ready to build a new team."

Janak, 24, is a 2003 graduate of El Campo High School where she won two regional doubles titles and advanced to the state tournament.

She was a junior college All-American at Lee College in Baytown before lettering for two years at Sam Houston State University. Janak worked as an assistant coach at Sam Houston State while earning her master's degree. She has been an assistant tennis coach at Groesbeck High School for the past two years.

"I've had great experiences working with coaches and I learned a lot from them," Janak said.

Janak is anxious to meet her players and start preparing for the team tennis season.

"I think teamwork is a majority of it," Janak said. "It's what you can do all together."

Brown: ready to get training started

In about one month, the team will be reporting to training camp. We start training on the afternoon of August 6. During the first couple of days, we will be doing fitness testing to measure the incoming fitness of our players. The team will measure a couple of explosive strength tests in the weight room, a "flying" 40 yard sprint, body fat, and the Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Test.

These tests help me to determine the workload in upcoming training sessions and spot potential injury problems for players who score low in one of the tests. It also allows our players to show us what fitness improvements they have made with the summer conditioning program.

We will have a couple of days of two-a-day training and then get into a two-a-day followed by a one-a-day pattern. For me, it is about quality training and not quantity training. Therefore, it is important that our players show up in shape and not plan on using pre-season training to get fit.

Our athletic trainers work long hours to make sure that our players are ready for the next session. Each session is followed up with mandatory ice baths and hydration levels of each team member are monitored. All of that is on top of dealing with the blisters, muscle strains and bruises that accompany pre-season training. Other recovery methods are built into our pre-season schedule to help make sure that our players are ready to get the best from their training.

Four of our incoming freshman, Kelsi Brown, Natalie Johnson, Tricia Mallory and Carly Rheman recently competed at the USYSA Region 3 Championships. Their team, Challenge 92, won their preliminary group and a quarter-final game before falling in the semifinals 3-2. Although they fell short of their goal of advancing to the National Final Four, they had a great season and we are looking forward to their contributions to our team in this upcoming year.

Speaking of semifinals, I am looking forward to watching the World Cup semifinals this week. There have been so many surprises in the competition this year! Although my two favorite teams, the USA and England, are out, I have been excited to watch every game. I might have to root for the team in Bearkat Orange!!!

Go Bearkats!

-- Tom Brown
Head Women's Soccer Coach

Hooten: just catching up

It has been a long time since the last post. There are a lot of things going on in the world of Bearkat Basketball. Since the last time we spoke my assistant coaches have been on board exactly a month Thursday. So much to do and yet school will be starting before you know it.

We have gotten a lot of things established here in the office with recruiting and such. They have created a Facebook and Twitter page for the program, and we have also installed new recruiting software which I have wanted to do for some time now.

Within the next month or so we will be adding another person to our staff. He will be labeled as the GA until we officially get another full time assistant coach, but in essence he will really be the 3rd assistant. I am really excited about this guy and he will add another dimension to our staff. That’s about all I can say at this time.

As far as the program is concerned, we have every returner in the first session of summer school. This is a big time deal to have these guys working hard in the weight room every day with Coach Speer and then working with each other in the gym. The NCAA does not allow us to work with the players in the summer time, but these guys are getting a lot done on their own.

In the classroom -- so far so good. We will finish up finals next Tuesday and it looks like everyone will do really well. As of right now, in the 2nd term we will have 5-6 more here. Summer time is the best time to get ahead academically and get better and stronger as a player. We will hit the road recruiting on July 6th and be out until the 16th in the first period, then the 2nd period will be from the 22-31. All 3 of us will be out the whole time looking at student-athletes for the future.

Our schedule is really starting to fall in place the way I want it. We will play Houston here and there in the same season, and UNT here. Our road contests are to Austin, Nov 23rd to take on Texas and at UTEP on Jan 2nd. We are still looking for few more games and trying to solidify the home date with UH.

I will try not to wait so long to get back with you all next time. Thanks.

-- Jason Hooten
Men's Basketball head coach

Bearkats in the News: Shaina Woolbaugh

Wanted to pass on a link to a news story in New York on future bowler Shaina Woolbaugh.

http://www.wbng.com/sports/94554009.html

Glad to have some help around the office

Finally it is really going to happen. After two months on the job I am going to finally be able to unveil my new assistant coaches. Coach Bobby Williams and Ms. Bobbie Hilliard were very gracious in letting me get the two candidates that I wanted from the beginning.

I am so excited about these two young, energetic and hard working guys. They both have been in winning programs, and worked under some great head coaches already at such an early stage in their careers. They will officially begin working Monday June 1. They have officially been hired so I can release there names at this time, Alvin Brooks III and Chris Mudge.

Alvin has been at Bradley University the past three years, and before that won a national championship as an assistant at Arkansas Fort Smith and Midland College. Back to back years at two different places is pretty amazing! He will bring a lot of great things to the table: recruiting, coaching, player development, academic monitoring and the list goes on and on. Alvin is a young guy who we coaches call a budding star. I am looking forward to working with him and hopefully helping his career grow even more. He is really excited to be at Sam Houston State and back at HOME!!!

Chris Mudge is what we coaches in the business call a GRINDER! He works 24-7 and loves the game of basketball. He will always turn over every rock and never leave a loose end untied. I am really excited about Chris because in essence he really reminds me of myself when I was that age many moons ago. His tireless work ethic will come in handy with recruiting, film preparation, player development, and all the ends in outs of the day to day operation of a program.

Chris is very intelligent and has also been a part of some Championship caliber basketball at Midland College as an assistant coach. He also was under the tutelage of coach Barnes at the University of Texas as a graduate assistant. Coach Barnes is a very good friend of mine and called on Chris's behalf. Was very complimentary of his work ethic and desire to become a Division One assistant coach. By the way, we will be making a trip to Austin, Texas, on November 23rd of this upcoming season for a contest with the Horns.

As for the basketball program, we are starting to slow down just a bit. Our guys finished up the semester strong academically, and we are looking forward to summer school where we will have the largest participation of our players that we've ever had. Lance and Josten will graduate first summer session and walk in August. Of course they both have another year of eligibility remaining and will use it! Corey finishes up in the Fall semester with two classes that he can take on line while he pursues a professional basketball career. Preston as I mentioned in an earlier piece, will have to take all of next year to finish due to his preparation to get into Physical Therapy School. Arthur and DeLuis finished this May.

Our recruiting is almost complete. I know a lot of you are wondering how we can sign all these people when there are only a certain amount of scholarships available. This will all take care of itself in due time. Until all the grades are in and decisions are made, we will continue to look at possibilities to improve our basketball program. We feel good about the guys we have signed up to this point, and when the dust settles in the next couple of weeks the makeup of our team will be complete.

Jason Hooten
Head basketball coach

Andres looks to make it 24

Hitting streaks can be fun to watch. Each day presents a new challenge and a new set of hurdles. Right now Sam Houston State designated hitter Chris Andres has a pretty good run going.

The junior from Brenham has hit successfully in 23 straight games going back to the Texas Southern game April 7. The streak is the third-longest in school history behind Terry Pirtle’s 34-game streak in 1987 and Andrew Kasparek’s 28 game streak in 2003 and the first game of the 2004 season. The streak is currently the 8th-longest current streak in the nation. Florida International’s Garrett Wittels is on an amazing 45-game hit streak.

Three players in the Southland have had longer streaks this season with one still current. Northwestern State’s Eric DeBlanc is on a 24-game hitting streak. Tanner Hines at SFA had a 24-game streak snapped and Jermaine Marek had a 25-game streak this season.

Taking a look at the hitting streak for Andreas, his average during this span is .383 and he has eight multi-hit games during the streak. Nine times he extended the streak in his first at bat, and one of those times it was a pinch-hit homer against McNeese, his only at bat of the game.

Twice, Andres pushed the streak to his last at bat of the game, and both times were late in the streak. He picked up a single in the eighth against Southeastern Louisiana to extend the streak to 18 games. The hit to extend the streak to 22 games might have been the most dramatic of the streak.

He did it on the bottom of the ninth this past weekend against Central Arkansas. With two outs, Andreas ripped a single to extend the streak. The story there happened the play before, however. With two outs, Braeden Riley hit a grounder on the infield. Payton Wisner was at first base and hustled to second, sliding in just ahead of the throw to keep the inning alive.

With three games left in the season, Andreas has a chance to extend the streak to 26. He then will have nine months to think about game No. 27.

Martin to face Strasburg on Tuesday

EDIT (5-19-10): The game was rained out on Tuesday, and will be played tonight. It will be video streamed on www.milb.com

Former Sam Houston State outfielder Dustin Martin is on a pretty good run right now at AAA Rochester. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, including seven straight. He also has five consecutive multi-hit games.

Martin is now hitting .339, with five homers and 31 RBI, which leads the team in all three categories.

He will get a chance to test himself against the best on Tuesday when the Red Wigs welcome Stephen Strasburg and the Syracuse Chiefs to town.

It will be Martin’s second outing against one of the top pitching prospects in Minor League Baseball. Last week, Martin faced Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman, and was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs. Chapman signed a $30.2 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason and entered Friday’s game with a 2.84 earned-run average.

Strasburg, 21, who entered the 2010 season as Baseball America’s No. 2 prospect (Atlanta outfielder Jason Hayward No. 1), was the first overall pick in the 2009 June baseball draft.

In seven minor league starts between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse, Strasburg has a 5-1 record with a 1.06 ERA. In 34.0 innings of work, Strasburg has allowed nine runs (four earned) on 14 hits while walking eight and striking out 40. Opponents are batting just .121 (14-for-116) against him.

In his two starts for Triple-A Syracuse, Strasburg has a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA. In 12.0 innings of work, Strasburg has allowed just one hit and struck out 13.

There is no live video of the game listed, but if you want to give it a listen, the Red Wings offer free audio.

Kats set for double-dip today at The Don

The Bearkats are set to play a double header today (assuming the weather permits) against Central Arkansas. This series will g a long way in determining if the Bearkats will be in Corpus Christi for the Southland Conference Championship in two weeks.

This will be the fourth double header day for the Bearkats this season and the third time against the same team. This year, the Kats are 3-3 this season on double header days. They were swept in the home opening series against Utah on Feb. 27. A week later, the Bearkats took two from Creighton and Northern Colorado. They have one Southland Conference double header this season, splitting a pair with Texas State in Huntsville.

The Bearkats enter the day 1 ½ games back of Nicholls, which lost last night to Texas State, for the eighth and final tournament spot. Since the Colonels have the tie breaker, the Kats will have to finish a game ahead of them.

In Mark Johnson’s four years in Huntsville, the Bearkats are 23-17 on double-header days with six sweeps. In double headers played in Huntsville the Bearkats sport a 17-9 record, and they are 17-11 in double headers against the same team.

Katy chipping in to help Southland Tournament

In three years of hosting the Southland Conference basketball tournament in Katy, the crowds have steadily increased. This past March when the Bearkats knocked off SFA in the championship game, it featured the largest attended championship game the Southland has had since moving back to a neutral court. In fact, this year's game had a larger crowd (3,573) than the previous two years in Katy combined (1,006 in 2008 and 2,531 in 2009).

Now the city of Katy wants to do its part to ensure the tournament is a success and continues to grow. The City of Katy is awarding a $110,000 grant to the Southland Conference to help fund promotional and operational costs of the 2011 college basketball tournament at the Merrell Center.

Council unanimously approved the Convention and Tourism Bureau application request during a regular meeting Monday night. The amount includes last year’s request of $65,000 for tourism-related advertising and promotion of the city, as well as an additional $45,000 for facility rental and operational cost.

“On the days they play, we actually get national coverage on ESPN, and that’s the only national thing we have in Katy,” city finance director Byron Hebert said. “Hotel money can be used to promote the city, and that’s probably the biggest stage we can do at this time.”

Read the rest of the story in The Katy Times

An unexpected record

It is always fun at the end of the season to go back and add the stats from the year to the record book. Every year, players move up the career lists, and on occasion set a new school record.

Most of the time, the accomplishment is not unexpected. During the year we are checking the record book to see where people stand. Sometimes, you do get a surprise.

We got one today when updating the softball record book – sort of. Amy Brown has been a four-year starter for the Bearkats at first base. The nature of the position will get you a lot of putouts over a career.

So when Amy was added to the top of the list for career putouts with 1,734, it was really no surprise. She was at the top of the list to start the season. Even the fact she beat Kim Nevil by more than 500 is also not a huge surprise.

However, we had no idea how quickly she was climbing the NCAA all-time list. Although the national list won’t be updated until the end of the season, Brown ranks in a tie for No. 10 on the list for most putouts in NCAA history.

Oddly enough, the player she is tied with is also a Southland Conference softball player. Shante Jones of Northwestern State had the same number of putouts during her four-year career with the Lady Demons from 1996-1999.

The NCAA doesn’t keep up with fielding percentage, but I’d have to think Amy’s would rank pretty high. In 1,837 career chances, she committed just 18 errors.

Bearkats in the News: Former baseball player Todd Sebek

Tivy-ex Sebek content without baseball
By Richard Oliver, San Antonio Express News

Todd Sebek says he doesn't harbor bitterness today. But it doesn't mean that he doesn't have a long memory.

The former Kerrville Tivy star recalls his 2007 summer with the Alaska Baseball League, leading the circuit by hitting .440. He remembers his All-America senior season at Sam Houston State, collecting nearly 100 hits, 33 for extra bases, en route to a .356 average.

But he also recollects sitting in front of his computer for long hours in June 2008, shell-shocked as his name failed to appear in 50 rounds of selections in the major-league amateur draft.

“It was heartbreaking,” said Sebek, 24. “I'm an All-American, and I'm not picked up in 1,500 picks? I was as blue-collar a player as they come. I thought I was the prototype of the kind of person you want in the ring with you.”

Instead, today Sebek sells medical supplies in San Antonio, more content to pick up a fishing rod than a bat. He's a baseball fan, no longer a player, and claims to be perfectly content with that evolution.

Read entire story