Contributed
(March 14, 2010)

Faulkner’s Mike Zenko scattered six hits and tossed a complete game as the Eagles beat Auburn Montgomery 5-1 in the opening game of a Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Senators gained a split in the nightcap, with David Barnett’s RBI double in the sixth inning lifting AUM to a 4-3 victory.

The Eagles (17-7, 6-3 SSAC) took won two of the three games in the weekend series with the Senators (10-14, 3-6 SSAC).

Topher Blanchette’s RBI double highlighted a two-run for the Eagles in Game 1, and that’s all the support Zenko would need. He struck out three and didn’t walk a batter, allowing only Bruce Alter’s solo home run in the second.

Blanchette drove in two more runs and Kevin Villerreal added a run-scoring single in the Faulkner sixth to put the game away for the Eagles. Michael Clayton had two hits for Faulkner in the victory. Zenko improved to 4-1 with the win, while AUM starter Kyle Mitchell fell to 1-1 with the loss.

Clayton’s two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 helped stake Faulkner to a 3-0 lead, but the Eagles couldn’t hold on. After the rocky first inning, Senator starter Sam Judah and relievers Mike Smith and Jared Fonseca allowed only one more Eagle hit. Smith earned the victory and Fonseca the save for the Senators.

Will Sellers and Tanner Williams each had RBIs in the AUM fourth to cut the Faulkner lead to 3-2. In the decisive sixth, Alter tied the game with an RBI single setting the stage for Barnett’s game-winning hit.

Faulkner travels to Jackon, Tenn., Wednedsay afternoon to take on Union at 2:30.

Cars were prepared for practice rounds on Friday and Saturday in anticipation of next week’s "Show Me the Money" series opener at the Montgomery Motorspeedway. (Staff Photo)

Staff Report
(March 13, 2010)

The next late-model race, “Show Me the Money” is about one week away at the Montgomery Motor Speedway.

But the officials on Friday were all about showing off the new improvements at the track.

New track owner Bobby Knox opened the doors to local media to provide a look at the improvements to the facility, which re-opened to racing last year after it had been used basically for a parking facility for the Hyundai plant for several years.

The track was repaved last September – a first since 1991 – and has received several other improvements to get ready for the new season, which begins Saturday, March 20.

“We feel good about everything here,” said Knox, who once raced late-models at the track and will now watch his son do so in the coming months.

“We knew there would be some difficulties but we have been pleased with everything so far. The drivers are very thankful. A lot of people in the community are backing what we do. It will be better than last year.”

A new group of racers will be on hand for the first of six races in the series. Included are 2009 track champion Augie Grille of Hayden, 18-year-old sensation Hunter Robbins and Chance Atkins.

The list of drivers is not limited to the men. Three young ladies are expected to compete including Kristen Wallace of Jasper, Ga., Brittney Finley of Huntsville and Kayla Robbins, cousin of Hunter.

The purse is $5,000 to the winner, which makes the series attractive to drivers from all over the southeast.

“They are expecting a lot of big names to come and race over the course of the season,” Hunter Robbins said. “The purse will be very competitive. Not very many tracks pay that much for a 125-lap late model race and that attracts a lot of big names.”

Improvements to the facility include better grandstands for fans. Rigs that transport cars will be parked outside the track instead of in the infield during the race. Entry from the track to pit row has also been redirected.

But the most important change is the resurfacing of the track, which will save money on tires.

“It’s huge,” said driver Marty Bean. “This is one of the nicest facilities in the southeast. Nothing compares to this. You can’t race anywhere where a track doesn’t eat up your tires so this will keep costs down.”

To make sure, officials with MMS will provide one set of tires to each race team plus the left and right scuff plates. The use of unapproved tires will cost a driver a two-lap penalty.

“It’s a safety issue,” said Bill Desmond, director of public relations for the speedway. “We are safety first and we have made a few more modifications to the track to keep our drivers and our fans safe during a race. We will do anything to prevent any problems.”

Tickets will be $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and Military with I.D. Children ages 6-12 will be $5 and those 5-under will be admitted free.

Call  (334) 262-6101 for more information.

Combined Reports
(March 13, 2010)

 TEMPE, Ariz. - Auburn built a five-run lead at No. 2 Arizona State on Friday night but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead as Auburn fell, 9-8, at Packard Stadium in Tempe. Arizona State answered Auburn’s five-run top of the fifth with six runs in the bottom half of the frame, snapping Auburn’s six-game winning streak in the process.

"We have to find a way to bridge the gap between our starter and the end of the game. I thought that was the difference today," Auburn Head Coach John Pawlowski said. "We had a 7-2 lead and against a good team you have to keep the momentum in your dugout. Arizona State put some good swings together (in the fifth) and we gave them some base runners and they took the lead."

Auburn (-3) starter Cory Luckie departed after giving Auburn a solid 4 1/3 innings, leaving with Auburn up 7-4 but with a pair of runners on. Zach Blatt entered and could only retire one of the six batters he faced, leaving after allowing three hits, a walk and a hit batter, leaving with Auburn on the wrong side of an 8-7 score. Luckie was charged for six runs on eight hits and three walks, striking out three.

Kevin Patterson put some life back into Auburn when he crushed an eighth-inning, pinch-hit home run to center, tying the game at 8-8 and taking Blatt off the hook but Arizona State answered by scoring an unearned run in the bottom half of the eighth on a RBI groundout, taking the series-opening win.

Jordan Swagerty picked up his fourth save of the season by striking out the side in the top half of the ninth, going through the two, three and four hitters in Auburn’s lineup.

Tide uses five-run inning to beat Stony Brook

 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama baseball team scored multiple runs in five of its eight innings en route to a 15-8 win over Stony Brook in the series opener for both teams Friday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

The Crimson Tide got off to fast start with eight runs in the first three innings and then finished even stronger with seven runs in the final two innings to post its 11th straight home win.

Alabama (9-1) snapped an 8-8 tie by scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 13-8 lead. The Tide added two more runs in the eighth for the 15-8 victory.

“I thought offensively we really came out sharp early, executed really well in the first two or three innings, built up a lead,” Alabama head coach Mitch Gaspard said.  “Another key to what we’ve done all year, we responded to their five runs by matching it in the bottom half of the inning. That’s what good teams do; they answer the call when they need to. Offensively I thought we had a good plan all night, I thought we executed well and got big hits when we needed them.”

Alabama held an 8-3 lead entering the seventh inning, but gave up five runs in the top of the frame as Stony Brook battled back to even the score at 8-8.

Stony Brook (2-3) scored all five runs off UA freshman right-hander Trey Pilkington, who was making just his second relief appearance of the season. Tanner Nivins drove in the first run with a one-out single and Justin Echevarria knocked in two more runs with a double as the Seawolves cut the lead to 8-6. Nivins led the Seawolves by going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler White replaced Pilkington and got out of the inning but not before Stony Brook had tied the game.  Travis Jankowski drove in another run with a ground out as SBU closed the gap to 8-7 and Echevarria scored the tying run from third base when Chad Marshall was caught stealing second but managed to stay in a run-down long enough for the tying run to cross the plate.

Alabama answered right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 13-8 lead.  Senior first baseman Clay Jones and senior third baseman Jake Smith drew one-out walks to chase starter Tyler Johnson, who threw 122 pitches in 6 1/3 innings.

SBU relief pitcher Chris Maier hit freshman left fielder Brett Booth with his first pitch to load the bases and then walked sophomore DH Jon Kelton on four pitches to score Jones with the go-ahead run, giving Alabama a 9-8 lead.  Senior catcher Cody Trotter delivered the big hit in the inning with a two-run double to right field that scored Smith and Booth and put the Tide in front 11-8.  Freshman right fielder Andrew Miller reached on a fielder’s choice as Kelton scored on a throwing error by second baseman Maxx Tissenbaum.  Sophomore center fielder Taylor Dugas capped the inning with an RBI double that scored Trotter to give the Tide a 13-8 lead.

Alabama added two more runs in the eighth inning to make the final 15-8.  Jones delivered a one-out triple off the wall in right field and scored on Smith’s double to right-center field.  Kelton capped the scoring with a two-out single to left to chase Smith home from third.

Sophomore right-hander Tyler White (2-0) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings for his second win of the season.  He allowed two hits, struck out two and walked one.

Stony Brook starter Tyler Johnson (1-1), who was the America East Pitcher of the Week last week, allowed 10 runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings and took the loss.  He walked six and had no strikeouts.  In fact, three Stony Brook pitchers combined for seven walks, two hit batters and no strikeouts.

Alabama finished the game with 14 hits and eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.  All nine starters scored at least one run in the series opener. Dugas went 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI. Miller was 2-for-4 with three RBI, including a two-run single in the third inning. Wilson, Jones and Trotter had two hits each.

Junior second baseman Ross Wilson got the offense started with a two-run home run in the first inning that staked the Alabama to a 2-0 lead. It was Wilson’s first home run of the season. Dugas opened the game with a double and scored ahead of Wilson.

Stony Brook answered with two runs in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2.  Nivins drove in the first run with an RBI double and Justin Echevarria knocked in the second run with an infield single.

The Alabama offense added four more runs in the second inning to take a 6-2 lead. Kelton drew a leadoff and moved to third base on Trotter’s perfectly executed hit-and-run single through the left side of the infield. Miller followed with a bunt single to scored Kelton and put the Tide back in front 3-2.  After a sacrifice bunt by Dugas, junior shortstop Josh Rutledge stroked a two-run double to left-center to score Trotter and Miller and put Alabama in front 5-2.  Jones drove in Rutledge with an RBI single for the 6-2 Alabama lead.

The Crimson Tide scored two more runs in the third to build an 8-2 lead. Booth reached on a fielder’s choice and Kelton was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out.  After a ground out by Trotter, Miller drove in two runs with an infield single up the middle that scored Booth and Kelton, who hustled home from second on the infield hit.

Stony Brook took advantage of a pair of walks to plate a run in the fifth inning to cut the Alabama lead to 8-3.  Nivins stroked a two-out RBI single to left that scored Chad Marshall, but Robert Dyer was gunned down at the plate by left fielder Brett Booth to hold SBU to one run.

Troy loses to FAU

Troy and Florida Atlantic combined to score 15 runs in the first three innings, but it was FAU getting out to the big early lead and then holding on for a 13-8 victory over Troy.

The Owls improve to 7-4 overall on the season and are 1-0 in league play while the Trojans fall to 5-6 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Neither starting pitcher fared well in the game, with Troy starter Drew Hull (0-2), who filled in for sophomore Tyler Ray who is ill, giving up nine earned runs in just two innings of work.

The Trojans answered with a five run second inning to chase FAU starter Taylor Everist. The Owls turned to sophomore Ryan Garton (2-0) and the right-hander slammed the door on the Trojans into the ninth inning.

Garton worked a total of seven innings, throwing 122 pitches to get the win. He scattered four hits, allowing three runs while allowing three walks and recording a career-high 11 strikeouts.

“I appreciate our kids effort for continuing to battle (after getting down early), but the middle part of the game I wasn’t excited about,” Trojans coach Bobby Pierce said. “We struck out way too much, which is something we worked on all week.”

After Hull gave up four runs in the first on five hits, he gave up four more in the second inning on one big blow, Dan Scheffler’s grand slam.

The Trojans scored five in the bottom of the inning – a two-run homer from Miles Hoyle and a three-run shot from Adam Bryant – but then managed only single runs in the third, eighth and ninth innings. The Trojans left a total of 11 runners on base in the game.

HS: LAMP earns first area win

Jalen Spraggins and Bryan Young each homered in LAMP’s 9-6 victory over Montgomery Academy in the first game of Class 3A, Area 5 play at Bowman Field on Friday.

Young picked up the victory by pitching a complete game for the Golden Tigers (9-6). He gave up six hits.

Spraggins and Timothy Simpkins each had two hits. Young and Spraggins combined for five RBIs. Brent Bishop had two hits and three RBIs for MA (5-8).

Other High School scores from Friday (A denotes area games)
Opp 11, St. James 1 (A)

Sweet Water 4, Billingsley 1 (A)

Macon-East 12, Hooper 5

Edgewood 9, Hooper 0

Edgewood 6, Autauga Academy 3

Contributed
(March 13, 2010)

ORANGE BEACH—The Auburn University at Montgomery softball team split a pair of games at the Gulf Coast Invitational losing their first game to Belhaven University 6-2 and winning their second game of the day over Thomas University 7-4.

Whitney Wyatt’s three-run homerun highlighted a five-run fifth inning that brought the Lady Senators back from a 4-2 deficit into the win in the second game against Thomas.

AUM batted around in the inning with six hits, while scoring the five runs, with none bigger than Wyatt’s fifth blast of the season.  Sara Allen also had a RBI in the inning.

Danielle Ryan made the start for AUM and allowed all four Thomas runs in the four innings she pitched.  Stephanie Baxley entered the game in the top of the fifth and finished the final three innings allowing one hit and striking out five.  She picked up the win and ran her record to 3-2.

Taylor Burt, Allen and Wyatt all ended the game with two hits each.  Allen joined Wyatt with three RBI in the game while Joanna Reynolds finished with a hit and scored two runs.

AUM started its ace Brandi Richards in the game one, but the Lady Senators defense did not help out the All-American as errors and passed balls led to three unearned runs in the loss.  Richards (3-2) went the distance allowing eight hits five of those were infield singles.  She had seven strikeouts in the game.

AUM only had five hits in the game with one of those a two-run homerun off the bat of Morgan Dodd.

On Saturday, the Lady Senators will face St. Gregory College at 11 a.m. and will play their final game of the Invitational against Park University at 5 p.m.

Faulkner wins twice

ORANGE BEACH - Haley Munroe’s RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Faulkner to an 8-7 victory over Houston Victoria in the Gulf Coast Invitational softball tournament here Friday afternoon.

Faulkner led the game 7-0 in the fifth inning before Houston Victoria got to Eagles’ starter Katy Wiggins, scoring seven runs in its final three at-bats. Faulkner’s Missy Duke earned the win in relief, and also hit a pair of home runs for the Eagles.

In their second game Friday, Faulkner (6-9) edged Campbellsville 3-2. Courtney Barber had a two-run home to lift the Eagles to their fourth straight victory. Scottie Wilkes also had an RBI. Emily Jimmerson scattered five hits to earn the victory.

Faulkner plays a pair of games Saturday, facing Ohio Dominican at 11 a.m. and Freed-Hardeman at 2:30 p.m.

Contributed
(March 13, 2010)

BOSSIER CITY, La. – The No.3-seed Alabama State men’s basketball team rallied in the second half but Terrance Calvin’s jumper with two seconds remaining gave No.2-seed Arkansas-Pine Bluff a 46-44 victory Friday afternoon in semifinal action of the 2010 Farmers Insurance SWAC Basketball Tournament at the CenturyTel Center.

With the win, UAPB (16-15) advances to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of Friday night’s Texas Southern-Grambling matchup, while ASU completes the season at 16-15. The Lions and Hornets met in last year’s semifinal round with Bama State earning a 63-55 win en route to the tournament title.

Senior Tramayne Moorer paced the Hornets in his final game finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds. He sparked the ASU comeback with 16 points in the second half including five of the team’s final six points. Fellow senior Byron Walker added seven points in his finale.

Calvin led the Lions with a double-double performance that included 12 points and 12 rebounds. Savalance Townsend chipped in 11 points for UAPB.

“This was a hard-fought game and a tough loss,” said ASU head coach Lewis Jackson, who is now 5-4 all-time at the SWAC Tournament. “Both teams battled and it came down to their guy making a play at the end of the game. I was proud of how our guys never quit and gave us a chance to win the game. That’s all you really want to do is have a chance. This was a good season for our program and I couldn’t been any prouder of these guys.”

In a battle between two of the SWAC’s best defensive squads, points were hard to come by in the opening half as both teams struggled through offensive scoring droughts. Each team connected on just six field goals in the first half. ASU finished the period shooting just 24 percent (6-of-25) including an 0-9 performance from beyond the three-point line while UAPB was only slightly better at 27 percent (6-of-22).

The Hornets never led in the first half as the Lions jumped out to a quick 7-3 advantage and led by as many as six points a couple of times in the stanza. Arkansas-Pine Bluff held a 22-17 lead at the break.

Moorer kept ASU in the game early, scoring seven of the team’s first 10 points while also finishing the half with six rebounds.

Bama State scored on its first two possessions of the second half to pull within one just over a minute into play. The game stayed close over the next several minutes and ASU earned its first lead of the contest, 31-28, when Sekani Milligen dropped in a three-pointer at the 12:28 mark.

ASU maintained a lead for the next six minutes of play until a pair of free throws by Townsend with 6:19 left put the Lions back in front by one, 39-38. UAPB tacked on three more free throws to take a four-point advantage, but back-to-back lay-ups by Moorer tied the score again with three minutes left.

Townsend scored at the 2:06 mark giving Pine Bluff a two-point lead before a free throw by Moorer and Tramaine Butler knotted the score at 44 with 1:38 remaining. After a missed UAPB layup, ASU got the rebound and called a timeout with 29 seconds on the clock. Allen Smith stole the inbounds pass for the Lions setting up the game-winning possession.

Alabama State finished the game shooting 33 percent (15-45) and made just 1-of-15 three-point tries. The Hornets forced 17 turnovers but were out-rebounded 41-29.

The 2009-10 season marked the third consecutive winning season for the Hornets, who return 11 of the 14 players on their SWAC Tournament roster for next season.

Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide opened spring practice on Friday. (Photo courtesy Unv. Alabama Athletic Dept.)

Contributed
(March 13, 2010)

TUSCALOOSA – The University of Alabama football team took the practice field on Friday for the first time since capturing the school’s 13th national championship in early January for a two-hour workout at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility.

The Crimson Tide practiced in shorts and helmets as they welcomed seven true freshmen, Cade Foster, Jalston Fowler, John Fulton, Chad Lindsay, DeMarcus Milliner, Austin Shepherd and Phillip Sims, along with junior-college defensive lineman Brandon Lewis, who all enrolled in January.

“I thought the conditioning of the team was good, the spirit was good, the attitude was good and a lot of guys worked hard,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said following Friday’s practice. “I was really pleased with the starting point we have as a team. Obviously, the most important thing is not where we were today, but how much we improve each and every day we have an opportunity to practice.”

Alabama also welcomed a familiar face in a new role on the coaching staff. Jeremy Pruitt, who has spent the past three seasons as the Tide’s Director of Player Development, replaced the departed James Willis as an assistant coach. Pruitt will coach the secondary.

UA returns 10 starters for 2010, including Dont’a Hightower who started 12 games in 2008 and four in 2009 before suffering a knee injury.

"He should be OK when we come back," Saban said of Hightower. "He has a strained calf, which he got in the off-season program. Those things don’t usually get better unless you get some time off. It’s not a problem with his knee. His knee didn’t bother him at all during the off-season program."

The Tide returns eight starters on offense, including Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, quarterback Greg McElroy and wide receiver Julio Jones.

Saban said that receiver Michael Bowman was limited by an abdominal pull. Center William Vlachos had foot surgery in the off-season and will probably be out the entire spring, according to Saban. Receiver Earl Alexander has a stress fracture that will limit him for a while.

Friday’s practice was the first of 15 scheduled for the fall of 2010, which will wrap up with the annual A-Day Game on Saturday, April 17, at 2 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium. This year’s A-Day Game will again be televised nationally by ESPN.

Contributed
(March 13, 2010)

Faulkner jumped to a big first-inning lead then had to battle from behind to beat Auburn Montgomery, 12-10, Friday night in the first game of a three-game Southern States Athletic Conference series at Harrison Field.

Michael Clayton’s two-run homer and Chris Myles’ two-run single helped the Eagles grab a 5-0 lead after the first, but the Senators battled all the way back. Michael Dugan hit a three-run homer in the second for AUM to cut the margin to 5-3.

After Faulkner plated three runs in the bottom of the second to push the advantage to 8-3, AUM sent 10 men to the plate in the top of the third and scored six times, highlighted by Sam Judah’s two-run homer. It was Judah’s first of two homers on the night.

Faulkner regained the lead in the fourth and never lost it. Kenny Miramontes and Ronald Tarvin each had RBI singles and Kevin Villarreal added a sacrifice fly to put the Eagles on top 11-9. Tarvin homered for Faulkner in the bottom of the eighth and Judah’s homer in the ninth ended the scoring.

The two teams conclude their series with a Saturday afternoon double header beginning at 2.

Faulkner softball wins two in Gulf Shores

ORANGE BEACH - Haley Munroe’s RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Faulkner to an 8-7 victory over Houston Victoria in the Gulf Coast Invitational softball tournament here Friday afternoon.

Faulkner led the game 7-0 in the fifth inning before Houston Victoria got to Eagles’ starter Katy Wiggins, scoring seven runs in its final three at-bats. Faulkner’s Missy Duke earned the win in relief, and also hit a pair of home runs for the Eagles.

In their second game Friday, Faulkner (6-9) edged Campbellsville 3-2. Courtney Barber had a two-run home to lift the Eagles to their fourth straight victory. Scottie Wilkes also had an RBI. Emily Jimmerson scattered five hits to earn the victory.

Faulkner plays a pair of games Saturday, facing Ohio Dominican at 11 a.m. and Freed-Hardeman at 2:30 p.m.

Alabama’s Chris Hines goes up for a shot against a Kentucky defender in SEC Quarterfinal action on Friday. (Photo courtesy Southeastern Conference)

Contributed
(March 12, 2010)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Alabama led No. 2 Kentucky for nearly 25 minutes, but a second-half rally allowed UK to pull away for a 73-67 win in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday afternoon.

Senior guard Mikhail Torrance scored 20 points and sophomore forward JaMychal Green added 14 more and 11 rebounds for the Crimson Tide.

“To say it’s a tough defeat would be an understatement,” UA head coach Anthony Grant said.  “Our guys came out today and we played to win.  We certainly had opportunities in the game.  Unfortunately we weren’t able to finish it out.”

Alabama exits the SEC Tournament at 17-15 (6-10 SEC) while Kentucky improves to 30-2 (14-2 SEC).

The Crimson Tide took a five-point lead, 35-30, into the locker room at halftime thanks to 11 first-half points from Torrance.  Alabama used a 12-0 run to build an 11-point lead, 19-8, midway through the first frame due in large part to steady shooting from beyond the arc, where the Tide connected on four of its first six tries.

Fueled by SEC Player of the Year John Wall’s 16 second-half points, the Wildcats were able to erase the deficit thanks to an 11-2 run that featured seven straight points from Wall to put Kentucky ahead for the first time since leading 8-7.

“Basically Coach told me make a couple of plays,” Wall said. “They told me the whole game to push it in transition, but I wasn’t getting there. I was trying to find my teammates. Second half, I found the gaps and got into the lane. Second half, he let me run the pick and roll to the five man and let me make the play, and I was getting to the basket.”

Alabama trailed by 10 with 9:47 remaining but was able to pull to within three points at the three-minute mark and again with 1:44 left to play.  With two dunks by Patrick Patterson and five free throws down the stretch from Wall, Kentucky was able to expand the lead and advance to Saturday’s semifinals.

Despite losing Chris Hines’ inside presence after he fouled out at the 7:26 mark, the Tide outrebounded the Wildcats 45-33.  Alabama’s defense held Kentucky to under 40 percent shooting in the first half, but the Wildcats responded by connecting on 50 percent (25-of-50) of its shots in the second half.

Green’s double-double was his sixth of the season and 13th of his career. Freshman forward Tony Mitchell scored 10 and grabbed 12 rebounds to give him the third double-double of the season.  Junior forward Justin Knox finished with 11 rebounds, four points and two assists.

Wall led Kentucky and all scorers with 23 points and dished out five assists to go along with seven boards.  Patrick Patterson finished with 20 points and four rebounds.

Jeff Lebo was dismissed from his head coaching duties on Friday. (Photo courtesy Auburn Unv. Athletic Dept.)

Contributed
(March 12, 2010)

AUBURN - Jeff Lebo has been dismissed as the Auburn men’s basketball coach, Auburn Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs announced Friday.

"I want to thank Coach Lebo for all that he has done for Auburn University over the past six years," Jacobs said. "Coach Lebo has worked hard and has always represented Auburn with character, class and integrity. However, we feel like the time has come for Auburn basketball to move in a new direction. We deeply appreciate all that he and his staff have done for Auburn, and we wish each of them and their families nothing but the best."

Jacobs made the move after Tigers’ season ended Thursday with a 78-69 loss to Florida in the SEC tournament. He said a search for a replacement would begin immediately.

Lebo played for North Carolina in 1985-88 and began his college coaching career at Tennessee Tech.

In six seasons as head coach at Auburn, Lebo had an overall record of 96-93 and a Southeastern Conference record of 35-61. This season, Auburn was 15-17 and 6-10 in the SEC. The Tigers lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament Thursday to Florida, 78-69.

A Carlisle, Pa., native, Lebo was named head coach at Auburn on April 8, 2004.

A search for a replacement will begin immediately.

Jeff Lebo Year-by-Year at Auburn

Year      Overall       SEC               .
2004-05   14-17         4-12  (t-5th, West)
2005-06   12-16         4-12  (t-5th, West)
2006-07   17-15         7-9   (t-3rd, West)
2007-08   14-16         4-12  (6th, West)
2008-09   24-12         10-6  (2nd, West)
2009-10   15-17         6-10  (5th, West)
Total     96-93 (.508)  35-61 (.365) 

Contributed
(March 12, 2010)

Auburn University at Montgomery will host the 2010 AUM Spring Tennis Invitational Friday and Saturday.  The matches will begin at 9 a.m. at both the Lagoon Park Tennis Complex and at the AUM Tennis Complex.  The second round of matches will begin at 2 p.m.

The tournament will feature some of the best small college teams in the nation as 11 of the 12 participating teams are ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation.

On the women’s side, the AUM women are ranked first in the nation and Southern States Athletic Conference rival Breanu University also comes into the tournament ranked in the top 10 at seventh.  National-power Oklahoma Christian is ranked 10th.

Other ranked teams in the women’s draw are Lindsey Wilson College (15th), Shorter College (18th) and Xavier University (19th).

On the men’s side, the AUM men are the highest ranked team entering the tournament at second.  Oklahoma Christian is also ranked among the top 10 at seventh.

Xavier University (13th), Lindsey Wilson College (21st) and Shorter College (24th) also enter the tournament with national rankings.

Both of the AUM teams will begin the tournament hosting Lindsey Wilson College at 9 a.m.  Those matches will be the first matches played at the AUM courts.  All of the other 9 a.m. matches will begin at the Lagoon Tennis Courts.

Because of bad weather, the Huntingdon Lady Hawks will participate in the tournament at Lagoon Park.

Huntingdon will take on Xavier University on Friday at 2 p.m. and Oklahoma Christian on Sunday afternoon. First serve against the Eagles has not yet been determined.

In addition to their participation in the Spring Invitational, the Lady Hawks will also host Millsaps and Great South Athletic Conference foe Piedmont at the Huntingdon Tennis Courts on Saturday. First serve against the Lady Majors is scheduled for 9 a.m., while the match with the Lady Lions is slated for 3 p.m.