TAMUC – Sports

 

Avery Boley earns LSC Hitter of the Week honors.·

RICHARDSON– Texas A&M University-Commerce catcher Avery Boley has been named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week. The conference office on Tuesday announced the award. It is the first LSC Hitter of the Week award in Boley’s career. She is the third different Lion to be named Hitter of the Week this season.

Boley– a freshman from Fort Worth (Nolan Catholic)– delivered for the Lions nearly every time she came to the plate. She hit .714 on the week with a 1.143 slugging percentage, driving in three runs and scoring twice. She had three hits in game one against TWU, including a solo home run and an RBI single. She also had a hit in game two of the series. Boley then had an RBI and a single with a run scored in the final game of the series. During the Lions’ 11-game winning streak, Boley is hitting .478 with a .957 slugging percentage.

Boley and the No. 10 Lions have won 11 games in a row and currently sit in second place in the LSC with a 33-9 record and a 19-5 record in conference play. The Lions return to action on Friday as they face No. 23 Tarleton in a three-game series. The first game of the series will be played at 6 p.m. at the Tarleton Softball Complex in Stephenville.

2019 LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Hitter of the Week
Feb. 5: Bri Sims, Texas A&M-Commerce
Feb. 13: Mykayla Stroud, Angelo State
Feb. 19: Courtney Barnhill, Angelo State
Feb. 26: Ruby Salzman, West Texas A&M
Mar. 5: Lauren Kelly, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Mar. 12: Georgia Capell, Tarleton
Mar. 19: Courtney Barnhill, Angelo State (2)
Mar. 26: Kimber Neal, Texas A&M-Commerce
Apr. 2: Claire Chernosky, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Apr. 9: Avery Boley, Texas A&M-Commerce

Pitcher of the Week
Feb. 5: Saidi Castillo, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Feb. 13: Emily Otto, Texas A&M-Commerce
Feb. 19: Emily Otto, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
Feb. 26: Shayne Starkey, West Texas A&M
Mar. 5: Saidi Castillo, Texas A&M-Kingsville (2)
Mar. 12: Emily Otto, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)
Mar. 19: Bailey Turner, Texas Woman’s
Mar. 26: Saidi Castillo, Texas A&M-Kingsville (3)
Apr. 2: Breanna Smith, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Apr. 9: Jordan Withrow, Tarleton

 

 

 

Lions and Hartford roar back to take championships at UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

FORT SMITH, Ark. – For the second straight tournament, the Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team executed a third-round comeback, as the Lions and Blake Hartford claimed the championships at the UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

The Lions made up a nine-stroke deficit and won over Arkansas-Fort Smith by three strokes, shooting 4-under par in Tuesday’s final round. The Lions completed the event at 852 (289-287-276, +12).

“Two consecutive wins for these guys is fantastic! With the weather clearing up they’ve had some time to practice which really shows,” said assistant coach Lauren Mason. “They did it last week, and they did it again this week coming back from behind to get the win. They were all on a mission today, and I could see it when I was out there coaching. Coach Wilfredo [Sanchez] and myself couldn’t be more proud of their fight. They kept plugging away even when they got tough breaks. The men’s team is getting hot at the right time heading into postseason, and I am excited to see what they will continue to do. We will work hard at practice this week and focus on strengthening our short game. A conference championship is definitely in our sight!”

Hartford (Spring – Klein Collins) made up seven spots on the individual leaderboard to claim his first championship of the season at even par 210. He shot a 3-under par 67 in Tuesday’s final round with five birdies. The effort gives Hartford his first top-five finish and third top 10 finish of the season.

Lucas McCubbin (Midland) earned all-tournament honors in fourth place at 212 (72-72-68, +2), shooting a 2-under par round on Tuesday with four birdies. The performance marks his third top-five finish and fourth top 10 placement of the year.

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) tied for 10th at 215 (72-70-73, +5), scattering four birdies through his round Tuesday. Burch earned his third top 10 finish of the season.

Garrett Landers (Sulphur Springs) shot even par Tuesday and placed 15th at 217, while Jonathon Welch (League City – Clear Springs) finished in 17th at 218 with a 1-over par round Tuesday. Joe Wolcik (Cleveland – Tarkington) wrapped up his tournament with an even-par round Tuesday.

The Lions finished the regular season on a roll, winning their last two tournaments. They will look to take that momentum into the Lone Star Conference Championships on April 22-23 at Diamondback Golf Club in Abilene.

Rank	Team	Scores			Total	Par
1.	A&M-COMMERCE	289	287	276	852	+12
2.	Arkansas-Fort Smith	288	279	288	855	+15
3.	Southwestern Oklahoma State	292	290	276	858	+18
4.	Texas A&M International	285	284	293	862	+22
5.	Rogers State	288	290	290	868	+28
6.	West Texas A&M	300	297	292	889	+49
7.	Newman	303	306	304	913	+73
8.	Northwestern Oklahoma State	300	303	312	915	+75
	Cameron	dnc	293	288	581

A&M-Commerce	289	287	276	852	+12	1st
Blake Hartford	72	71	67	210	E	1st
Lucas McCubbin	72	72	68	212	+2	t-4th
Zach Burch	72	70	73	215	+5	t-10th
Garrett Landers #	71	76	70	217	+7	t-15th
Jonathon Welch	73	74	71	218	+8	t-17th
Joe Wolcik	75	wd	70	145

 

 

Wongsinth and Lions roll to UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational championships.

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team closed out the season with a dominant performance, as the Lions and sophomore Sarah Wongsinth claimed the championships at the UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

The Lions shot 887 (294-297-296, +347) to take a 24-stroke victory over host institution Arkansas-Fort Smith.

“I’m very proud that we had both the individual and team championships and a wire-to-wire win is always good, especially when you have the low round for each of the three rounds,” said head coach Matt Ward. “It was a pretty dominating performance, and they closed it out the way I wanted them to. We’re peaking at the right time headed into conference, and I’m ready to see if we can pick up a conference title. I’m very proud of how we played in some hilly and warm conditions and still came out with a win.”

Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) earned her first collegiate medalist win, shooting an even-par score of 210 for the 54-hole event to win by three strokes over the second place finisher, and 13 strokes over the third-place finisher. She shot a 1-under par 69 on Tuesday, with four birdies in the round. Wongsinth has now finished in the top five in five of the season’s nine events and the top 10 in eight contests.

Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) earned all-tournament honors, placing third for her first top-five finish and second top 10 finish of the season. She shot a 223 (71-74-78, +13) in the event.

Paige-Lee Garris (West Palm Beach, Fla.) earned her fourth top 10 finish of the season, placing 10th on the leaderboard at 228 (76-76-76, +18). Makena Thomas (San Antonio – Reagan) placed 13th at 230, Lauren Leslie (Fair Oaks Ranch – Clear Brook) placed 17th at 234, and Lauren Bentley (League City – Clear Creek) placed 24th at 237.

The Lions competed in nine events this season and earned a team championship in at least one game for the third straight year. A&M-Commerce finished in the top five in the team standings of every event in 2018-19.

The Lions now turn their attention to the postseason, with the Lone Star Conference Championships held on April 22-23 at the Diamondback Golf Club in Abilene.

Rank	Team	Scores			Total	Par
1.	A&M-COMMERCE	294	297	296	887	+47
2.	Arkansas-Fort Smith	300	310	301	911	+71
3.	Rogers State	306	308	302	916	+76
4.	Western Texas CC	313	312	296	921	+81
5.	Nebraska-Kearney	316	317	300	933	+93
6.	Tex. A&M-Kingsville	314	320	309	943	+103
7.	Northwestern Oklahoma State	321	322	323	966	+126
8.	Tex. A&M Int’l	341	334	322	997	+157
9.	Missouri Southern State	378	375	365	1118	+278

A&M-Commerce	294	297	296	887	+47	1st
Sarah Wongsinth	70	71	69	210	E	1st
Sophie-Charlott Hempel	71	74	78	223	+13	t-3rd
Paige-Lee Garris	76	76	76	228	+18	t-10th
Makena Thomas	77	80	73	230	+20	t-13th
Lauren Leslie#	81	73	80	234	+24	t-17th
Lauren Bentley	79	76	82	237	+27	t-24th

 

 

Texas A&M University-Commerce extends von Rosenberg’s contract through 2022.

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce has announced a multi-year contract extension through the 2021-22 season for head men’s basketball coach Jaret von Rosenberg, effective immediately.

von Rosenberg recently completed his second season as the head coach of the Lions, leading the blue and gold to an overall record of 46-18 (.719) and two consecutive trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament’s regional semifinal round.

“To have Jaret von Rosenberg continue to lead Lion men’s basketball is a distinct honor and pleasure,” A&M-Commerce director of athletics Tim McMurray said. “His commitment to our Best in Class mission and his program’s core values place a strong emphasis on student-athlete success in the classroom, on the court, and in our community. His leadership checks each of those boxes. We are thrilled that Sarah, Jaxon, Ava, and Jaret will continue to be Lions.”

Under von Rosenberg’s tutelage, the Lions have been ranked as high as No. 10 nationally and have been ranked in the NCAA Division II South Central regional rankings in every release.

“In my first year observing our men’s basketball program, Coach Rose is an outstanding leader of men,” said A&M-Commerce President Dr. Mark Rudin. “I’m so impressed with his leadership and the way our student-athletes represent A&M-Commerce in the classroom and the community, not to mention two consecutive NCAA postseason trips. We look forward to the von Rosenbergs continuing to be part of the Lion family.”

The Lions have had four all-region selections, six all-Lone Star Conference selections, and a participant in the NABC Division II All-Star Game in only two seasons at the helm.

“My family and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to coach at such a great university and athletics department,” von Rosenberg said. “Stability is the key to building a nationally competitive basketball program. I want to personally thank Tim McMurray and Dr. Rudin for their support of the basketball program we are building. We have things moving in the right direction, but there is also plenty of work to do to have all of our goals and aspirations come to fruition.”

“A special thank you to the players, coaching staff, and fans for all the hard work to make our success happen. It wouldn’t be possible without them. I look forward to the future as we continue to build a championship program in Commerce, Texas. My family and I love this community and are thrilled to be representing it for many years to come.”

von Rosenberg is married to the former Sarah Rasor, and the couple has a son, Jaxon, and a daughter, Ava.

 

 

Wongsinth and Lions hold commanding leads after the first day at UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team is in prime position to close the regular season with trophies, as the Lions and Sarah Wongsinth are in the lead at the UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

The Lions shot 590 (293-297, +30) in the opening two rounds of the tournament and hold a 20-stroke lead over hosts Arkansas-Fort Smith entering the final 18 holes.

“I’m very proud of the way the ladies played today. Having three players in the top five, you can’t ask for anything more than that as a coach,” said head coach Matt Ward. “They played well against some pretty good teams out there. Building a 20-stroke lead is something you hope can’t be caught, but we’re going to try and step on the gas a little bit more and really take a very strong win out of this event. The ladies are pretty pumped up, and I’m pleased they are. It seemed to be a pretty good team day for them on a long, hot day with 36 holes. It was kind of a grind out there, and we held it together pretty well in the second round. The conditioning with coach Farmer has definitely helped.”

Wongsinth (Udon Thani, Thailand) shot 141 (70-71, +1) in the first 36 holes and is one of three Lions in the top five on the individual leaderboard. She had four birdies in the opening round and eagled her 36th hole of the day.

Sophie-Charlott Hempel (Pirmasens, Germany) is tied for second at 145 (71-74, +5) with two birdies in the first round and three birdies in the second round.

Paige-Lee Garris (West Palm Beach, Fla.) is in fifth place at 151 (75-76, +11) with six total birdies in the day’s action. Lauren Leslie (Fair Oaks Ranch – Clear Brook) is in 10th at 154, Lauren Bentley (League City – Clear Creek) is in 13th at 155, and Makena Thomas (San Antonio – Reagan) is in 19th at 157.

The Lions will aim for the tournament title to close the season with 18 holes of action Tuesday.

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	A&M-COMMERCE	293	297	590	+30
2.	Arkansas-Fort Smith	300	310	610	+50
3.	Rogers State	306	308	614	+54
4.	Western Texas CC	313	312	625	+65
5.	Nebraska-Kearney	316	317	633	+73
6.	Tex. A&M-Kingsville	314	320	634	+74
7.	Northwestern Oklahoma State	321	322	643	+83
8.	Tex. A&M Int’l	341	334	675	+115
9.	Missouri Southern State	378	375	753	+193

A&M-Commerce	293	297	590	+30	1st
Sarah Wongsinth	70	71	141	+1	1st
Sophie-Charlott Hempel	71	74	145	+5	t-2nd
Paige-Lee Garris	75	76	151	+11	t-5th
Lauren Leslie#	81	73	154	+14	t-10th
Lauren Bentley	79	76	155	+15	t-13th
Makena Thomas	77	80	157	+17	19th

 

 

Lions sit third after first 36 holes of UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

FORT SMITH, Ark. – The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s golf team is in third place on the leaderboard after 36 holes at the UAFS Hardscrabble Invitational.

The Lions are nine strokes off the lead at 576 (289-287, +16), behind Arkansas-Fort Smith and Texas A&M International.

“Today was tough. After having Joe sit out for the second round due to a back injury, the guys knew that they were playing as a four-man team for the second round,” said assistant coach Lauren Mason. “They all did their very best, and that’s all I could ask for. It was good watching them fight on every shot. We are currently sitting in third after having everyone contribute solid rounds. The course is a par 70, which makes it difficult to go low, as there aren’t many par-five holes. We are not out of the mix, but we will need to close with some solid play tomorrow.”

Zach Burch (Lubbock – Cooper) is in third place on the individual leaderboard, only two strokes back of the lead. Burch shot 142 (+2, 72-70) in the opening day of action, shooting four birdies in the first round and three in the second round.

Blake Hartford (Spring – Klein Collins) is only one stroke behind Burch in eighth place at 143 (+3. 72-71). He also had four birdies in the opening round and three birdies in the second round.

Lucas McCubbin (Midland) is in 12th place at 144, shooting matching 72s in each round. Both Garrett Landers (Sulphur Springs) and Jonathon Welch (League City – Clear Springs) shot 147 (+7) and tied for 20th. Joe Wolcik (Cleveland – Tarkington) shot 75 in the opening round before withdrawing in the second.

The Lions will look to close the regular season on a high note, completing the tournament with 18 holes Tuesday.

Rank	Team	Scores		Total	Par
1.	Arkansas-Fort Smith	288	279	567	+7
2.	Texas A&M International	285	284	569	+9
3.	A&M-COMMERCE	289	287	576	+16
4.	Rogers State	288	290	578	+18
5.	Southwestern Oklahoma State	292	290	582	+22
6.	West Texas A&M	300	297	597	+37
7.	Northwestern Oklahoma State	300	303	603	+43
8.	Newman	303	306	609	+49
	Cameron	dnc	293	293	+13

A&M-COMMERCE	289	287	576	+16	3rd
Zach Burch	72	70	142	+2	t-3rd
Blake Hartford	72	71	143	+3	t-8th
Lucas McCubbin	72	72	144	+4	t-12th
Garrett Landers #	71	76	147	+7	t-20th
Jonathon Welch	73	74	147	+7	t-20th
Joe Wolcik	75	wd	75

Josh Manck
Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce
Committed to a “Best In Class” student-athlete experience.
Office: 903.886.5131 | Mobile: 817.487.5136 |
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3011 | Commerce, TX 75429
Physical Address: 2600 Neal Street | Commerce, TX 75429
Connect with us on our Lions’ Den Social Stream.

 

Marcus Jensen
Director of Athletic Communications | Texas A&M University-Commerce
Office: 903.468.3027 | Mobile: 801.624.8529
Follow us: @Lion_Athletics | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | LionAthletics.com
Committed to a “Best in Class” student-athlete experience.