Wednesday, March 12, 2003
Volume 26, Number 25
NEWS
DISCOURSE
EXPRESSIONS
SPORTS

ADVERTISING
STAFF
SUBMISSIONS
CONTACT
ARCHIVES
CALENDAR

HOME

 UNF baseball wins three
Dixon pitches another Osprey win increasing his season record to 4-1
Charles Broward
Contributing Writer


     The University of North Florida baseball team kicked off the Kennel Club Classic with three consecutive wins over Division I schools, shutting down Central Michigan University 10-2, cruising past

  UNF freshman Grant Rogers swings on a pitch in the game against Michigan State University March 8. The Ospreys went on to win the game 13-5.
Photo by Justin Rakitin
Michigan State University 13-5 and coming back to beat Eastern Illinois University 13-9.
     After the three wins, the Ospreys' record increased to 13-6, 2-4 in the Peach Belt Conference.
     UNF sophomore pitcher Jacob Dixon was the story of the day again for the Ospreys against Central Michigan March 8. Dixon (4-1) threw nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of work, holding the Chippewas' offense to four hits and two runs.
     "He's done well for us," coach Dusty Rhodes said. "We were able to get some runs early in the ballgame, and he kind of just cruised."
     Sophomore Josh Howard and junior Delvin Haskell led the way for the Osprey offense. Howard went 3-4 with three RBI and one run scored. Haskell scored three runs while going 2-3 from the plate.
     Dixon made his only mistake of the day in the fourth inning, giving up a solo home run to CMU right fielder Ryan Krueger. The other Chippewa run came in the eighth inning just before Dixon left the game.
     UNF answered in the bottom half of the fourth inning with two runs of their own. The Ospreys added four more runs in the sixth inning on two hits and four CMU errors. UNF picked up another run in the eighth inning
     The UNF hitters then handled
 
Photo illustration by Justin Rakitin
what Michigan State All-American pitcher Tim Day gave them en route to picking up their second win March 8. The Osprey offense ripped off 12 hits and 11 runs in Day's four innings of work.
     Joseph Russell, who went 3-5 from the plate with six RBI, was pleased by the win and the offensive production.
     "Anytime you can beat a big-time program, that's a plus," Russell said. "If we can hit like that every game, we can't be beat."
     Senior Pitcher Brian Rauch (3-2) got the win for UNF in six innings of work, holding MSU to five runs and 10 hits. Junior Justin Cerrato relived Rauch before Layman came in at the top of the ninth inning to record the save.
     UNF then had to fight back to beat EIU March 10. The Ospreys got off to a slow start both offensively and defensively.
     After five innings, the Ospreys trailed 6-2, recording three hits and five errors. However, the UNF hitters broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning with three runs. After Haskell was hit by a pitch, back-to-back doubles by Howard and Millsaps scored two runs. Freshman Grant Rogers' sacrifice RBI cut the lead to one.
     UNF jumped on the Panthers in the seventh inning with eight runs on five hits and one error to take a 13-6 lead. The Ospreys got help from RBI triples from Howard and Kovatch and an RBI double from Rogers.
     EIU added three runs in the eighth inning, but the Ospreys held on for the win.
     Freshman pitcher Ryan Amason (1-0) got the win for UNF after relieving junior Derek Feldman, who pitched six innings and allowed six runs, three of which were unearned. Cerrato got the save, retiring all five batters he faced.
     Rhodes said his defense did not play well but talked about playing Division I baseball.
     "We want to go to Division I," Rhodes said. "The only way we're ever going to be able to do that is to show that we can compete against Division I teams."
     UNF will finish the Kennel Club Classic with games against Notre Dame and Navy before a three-game series with Armstrong Atlantic State University at home March 15-16.

Contact Charles Broward at uspinnak@unf.edu.

Women get second chance in postseason
Caron Streibich
Staff Writer


     Recently named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week Skye Barber led the University of North Florida women's basketball team to a 72-61 win on the road at Augusta State Feb. 26 with her game-high 21 points.
     Mikel Taylor and

  UNF junior Skye Barber broke the career scoring record this season
Photo by Robert Davis
Natalie Hicks contributed 18 and 13 points, respectively.
     A 13-2 run late in the first half gave UNF a double-digit lead. Taylor hit a three-pointer with 4:54 remaining in the first half to give UNF a 12-point advantage before the Jaguars responded, scoring 10 of the final 14 points in the half to head into halftime down by six 38-32.
     UNF was on top 53-44 with 8:48 remaining in the game before ASU came back to tie the game at 54 with 4:34 to play. During the next minute, UNF battled back with a 7-0 run and ASU would not come within four for the remainder of the contest.
     The Ospreys improved their winning streak to three as they closed the regular season on the road at the University of North Carolina Pembroke, defeating the Braves 76-63.
     Barber triumphed with 28 points, connecting on 11-12 shots from the field and 6-9 from the free-throw line. Leigh Gaudy finished with 14 points and was the only other Osprey in double figures.
     Down 40-37 at the half, UNF came charging back in the second half, outscoring UNCP 39-23 as UNF stepped up its defense and held UNCP to eight field goals and 32 percent shooting from the field.
     UNF will face UNCP in the first round of the PBC Tournament March 4 at Columbus State University and then play Lander University March 5.

Contact Caron Streibich at uspinnak@unf.edu.

Basketball season ends on high note
Tony Delmond
Sports Editor


     The University of North Florida men's basketball team defeated Lander University 77-68 in overtime March 5, marking the first time the Ospreys have won a PBC Tournament game.
     Coming back from a 15-point deficit in the second half, the Ospreys made a nine-point run and sophomore Donny Lotz tied the score at 63 with less than 15 seconds remaining in the game.
     Lotz led UNF, contributing

  The UNF men's basketball team ended its season 15-14, 11-8 PBC.
Photo by Robert Davis
21 points and bringing down nine rebounds. Sophomore Gary Satterwhite added 16 points but fouled out in overtime.
     The Ospreys played a second PBC Tournament match with Augusta State University March 7, losing 90-75.
     Again Lotz led the charge, tallying 22 points. Satterwhite made 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
     UNF (15-14, 11-8 PBC) reached several goals during the 2002-2003 season aside from winning its first PBC Tournament game. The team posted its best PBC record in history.
     When the Ospreys first faced Columbus State University this season, CSU was ranked No. 10 in the nation. UNF lost in the last second when the team's two-point lead fell to a three-point shot made by CSU's Jon Antonelli.
     Senior Joe Gaetano Jr. leaves UNF having achieved the highest career assist mark during his junior year and then extending his record to 435 career assists.
     Three seniors-Gaetano, Chris Ireland and Michael Drayton-will exit the roster, leaving behind large unfilled shoes that will house ambitious newcomers next season.

Contact Tony Delmond at spinnakersports@unf.edu.

Men's tennis triumphs after several rainouts
Caron Streibich
Staff Writer


     Carrying a five-match winning streak, the University of North Florida men's tennis team improved to 6-1 on the season as it triumphed over Northwood University 6-2 and Anderson College 8-1 at the UNF Tennis Complex.
     Fifth-ranked UNF downed sixth-ranked Michigan's Northwood University 6-2 March 3.
     UNF captured two of the three doubles matches and four singles matches en route to the victory.
     Top seed David Olave triumphed over his Northwood opponent, Torsten Greif, 6-2, 6-2.
     Elliot Wood, Jose Terrera and Jesse McIntyre defeated their opponents in singles play. Olave and McIntyre captured a win at the No. 2 doubles position while Terrera and Sheldon Simpson won at the No. 3 position.
     The Ospreys went on to defeat South Carolina's Anderson College 8-1 on March 8. UNF swept its three doubles matches, including an 8-0 win by Wood and Miguel Mariano at the No. 1 spot.
     Conquering all singles matches with the exception of the No. 3 spot, UNF claimed an 8-1 win over the Trojans.
      A rained out double header March 9 against Peach Belt Conference rival Francis Marion University will not be rescheduled, and UNF will play the University of Tennessee-Martin March 11 at home before traveling to South Carolina and Georgia for a string of conference matches March 14-16.

Contact Caron Streibich at uspinnak@unf.edu.

 INSIDE:

UNF baseball wins three

Women get second chance in postseason

Basketball season ends on high note

Men's tennis triumphs after several rainouts