RGV Capsules: Scorpions, Texas Wesleyan meet to determine early RRAC lead
The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College plays host to Texas Wesleyan University in the most important home series of the season Saturday and Sunday at Scorpion Field.
The Red River Athletic Conference games were pushed back one day because of expected rain and high winds Saturday. The two teams meet in a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Saturday and in a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.
At stake is the early lead in the RRAC race. Both teams share first place with 3-0 records, with 24 conference games remaining on the schedule. Northwood University is 1-0, with two makeup dates on the schedule. Louisiana State University-Shreveport, the defending conference champion, has not played a conference game yet.
LSUS, Northwood, UTB-TSC and TWU are expected to be the top four teams in the RRAC race. The TWU series is the only one of the three that will be played at Scorpion Field.
UTB-TSC (8-5) dropped two non-conference games at Texas A&M University-Kingsville Tuesday. The Scorpions went 3-0 in their opening RRAC series at home last weekend against Southwestern Assemblies of God University, and TWU went 3-0 against University of the Southwest (N.M.). Bacone College is also 3-0, taking three wins from Texas College last weekend.
Previous meetings between the Scorpions and Rams have been meaningful. UTB-TSC won two of three in Fort Worth in 2011, and handed TWU an opening-game loss in the RRAC Tournament. In 2010, the two teams met three times in the RRAC Tournament, with TWU eventually winning the tournament championship in the third meeting between the two.
UTB-TSC still advanced to the opening round of the NAIA national championship that season since two teams qualified. LSUS and UTB-TSC were the 2011 qualifiers.
TWU pitching has been very strong so far. The Rams are second in the RRAC in ERA and hits allowed and are tops in strikeouts per game.
Scorpions starting pitchers will be either Rory Young (2-0, 0.00 ERA), Adam Vera (3-0, 1.89 ERA), Marcos de Leon (1-1, 4.00 ERA) or Zach Armstrong (2-1, 4.40 ERA) in the series. De Leon has struck out 26 batters in 18 innings.
Hockey
Guggenberger shuts out Bees
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees lost 1-0 to the Texas Brahmas on Friday night, a game in which the Bees fired 25 shots that were turned away by Mark Guggenberger in his third straight shutout.
The teams played a scoreless first period with both goalies making a number of big saves for the respective teams. Texas (25-17-8) took a 1-0 lead in the second period as Chad Woollard and Jacques Perreault came in on a 2 on 1. Woollard fed the puck across to Perreault, who got it above the stacked pads of Wylie Rogers.
The goal in the second was the only strike of the game. The Bees (20-23-7) had a few chances in the third, including a number of power-play chances, but all were turned away by the Brahmas goalie. Guggenberger is one of the hottest goalies in the league and recorded his third straight shutout, holding a 215:16 second scoreless streak.
The Bees are 11 points behind Texas for the third spot in the Berry Conference. The Bees kept pace with the Tulsa Oilers and sit four points behind Tulsa for the final playoff spot.
The Killer Bees and Texas Brahmas will battle again at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at the NYTEX Sports Centre.
-- Killer Bees Services
College
UTPA women's tennis loses to Cal State Fullerton
FULLERTON, Calif. – Wanda Beguelin picked up her first victory of the season, but it wasn’t enough as the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs women’s tennis team lost 6-1 to the California State University Fullerton Titans on Friday at the Titan Courts.
Beguelin picked up the lone victory for the Broncs (0-2), defeating Kalika Slevcove 7-6, 3-6, 12-10 in the No. 4 position. The Titans (3-3) dispatched the Broncs in straight sets in the other five singles matches, as Tiffany Mai beat Dana Nazarova 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 1 position, Morgan McIntosh defeated Malin Andersen 6-1, 6-2 in the No. 2 position, Monica Rodriguez beat Suncica Strkic 6-1, 6-1 in the No. 3 position, Avriel Tomalko defeated Blanca Garcia Izaguirre 6-0, 6-0 in the No. 5 position and Jessica Pepa beat Cyndi Sands 6-2, 6-1 in the No. 6 position.
In doubles, the team of Beguelin and Nazarova gave Slevcove and Rodriguez a tough match in the No. 2 position before falling 8-4. The No. 1 team of Andersen and Strkic fell to Mai and McIntosh 8-1 and the No. 3 pairing of Garcia Izaguirre and Sands fell to Pepa and Tomalko 8-2.
The Broncs return to action at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, when they visit California State University Bakersfield in their lone Great West Conference match of the season.
-- UTPA Services
UTPA athletics to receive donation
EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced Friday it will receive a $45,000 donation from Jim Board’s Lucky Seven 7 Raffle on Saturday during the homecoming men’s basketball game against Chicago State University at 7 p.m. at the UTPA Field House.
This is the eighth annual Lucky Seven 7 scholarship fundraiser. A maximum of 1,000 tickets are being sold for $100 each, with seven grand prizes including trips to the U.S. Open (tennis), a Dallas Cowboys game, a Texas Longhorns football game, a San Antonio Spurs game, a Houston Rockets, Astros or Texas Rangers game, Las Vegas, and either San Antonio or Austin for a golf outing. All trips are for four people and include travel, accommodations and VIP treatment.
All proceeds from the raffle benefit athletic scholarships at UTPA in all sports.
The raffle runs through July 21, with the drawing to take place after a golf outing at the Los Lagos Golf Course at approximately 1:30 p.m. that day.
“Jim Board’s support has been vital to UTPA athletics for years,” UTPA Director of Athletics Chris King said. "The Lucky Seven 7 Raffle goes a long way towards helping us to offer as many scholarships as possible to student-athletes. We all owe him a big thank you."
A member of the UTPA Athletics Hall of Honor, Board played for the men’s basketball team during the 1963-64 and 1964-65 seasons, helping the defending NAIA champion Broncs to the 1964 NAIA championship game, where they lost to Rockhurst College 66-56. Board helped the Broncs back to the NAIA district playoffs during his final season as well. Board will be on hand to present UTPA Athletics with the check during the game.
Preceding the game will be a tailgate party in the UTPA Field House parking lot. UTPA athletics will be providing free barbeque while it lasts from 3 to 7 p.m. The UTPA athletics table will be set up next to the beer garden under a tent next to the UTPA alumni table. The box office to purchase game tickets opens at 5:30, and the Field House doors open at 6.
It’s senior night, as Kieondre Arkwright, Jared Maree and Nick Weiermiller suit up at the Field House for the final time. All three student-athletes will be honored on the court starting at 6:50.
As with all UTPA home games, admission is free for all UTPA students, faculty and staff. Immediate family members of faculty and staff can also receive free admission.
-- UTPA Services
