BASKETBALL
Swift receives national honor
Jonesboro boys Coach Wes Swift has been named the boys national coach of the year for 2016-2017 by MaxPreps.
Swift led the Hurricane to a 32-0 record and the Class 6A state championship. Jonesboro finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation by MaxPreps.
The Hurricane knocked off teams from four outside states -- Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee -- including Missouri state champion St. Louis Vashon.
Jonesboro defeated El Dorado 74-57 in the 6A title game. It culminated a season in which only six games were decided by 10 or fewer points.
This was the fourth state title and second at Jonesboro for Swift, 47, who also won at Hughes (2001) and Lonoke (2008). The Hurricane have reached the state final in five of the past eight seasons, also winning in 2014.
-- Tim Cooper
BASEBALL
HSU pounds Central Baptist College
Henderson State University scored six runs in the third inning Wednesday and eight more in the fifth as the Reddies pounded out 19 hits in a 22-5 victory over Central Baptist College at Victory Field in Conway.
Hayden Lessenberry drove in four runs, including a three-run home run, while Jordan Taylor and Parker Jones added home runs. Taylor and Jones both finished with three hits and four RBI. Alan Hall went 3 for 5 with 4 runs scored and 2 RBI for the Reddies. L'Donta Howard went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI and 1 run scored to lead the Mustangs. Zach Eschberger (2-0) got the victory for Henderson State after striking out nine over five innings. Central Baptist starter Dylan Crossley took the loss after allowing 7 runs on 6 hits in 22/3 innings.
FOOTBALL
UAM names new DB coach
The University of Arkansas at Monticello named Kenneth Gilstrap as its new defensive backs coach Wednesday.
Gilstrap comes to UAM after serving as a graduate assistant at Middle Tennessee State, where he was a four-year letterman as a defensive back. His duties as a graduate assistant for the Blue Raiders included recruiting defensive junior college players, daily practice preparation, as well as charting and assisting with game day coverage adjustments.
GOLF
UCA's Tomlinson earns Southland honor
University of Central Arkansas junior Louis Tomlinson was named the Southland Conference's men's golfer for the month of March, the league announced Wednesday.
Tomlinson finished 12th individually at the Oral Roberts Bob Sitton tournament and seventh at the Little Rock First Tee Classic. The Bears finished ninth out of 24 teams at Oral Roberts and fourth out of 13 teams at the First Tee Classic.
ATU's Nunbhakdi, HSU's Greenwood honored
Arkansas Tech University sophomore Pia Nunbhakdi and Henderson State University senior Drew Greenwood were honored Wednesday as the Great American Conference's men's and women's golfers of the week.
Nunbhakdi, who was honored for the second consecutive week, won the Southern Bancorp Invitational in Mountain Home on Tuesday by one stroke after shooting a 2-over 146 total. Her average score per round of 76 ranks second in the conference and 57th in NCAA Division II.
Greenwood won the men's medalist honors at the Southern Bancorp Invitational after beating Missouri Western University's Patrick McCarthy in a playoff. He helped lead the Reddies to their third consecutive team title at the event.
SOFTBALL
Hogs lose to defending champions
The defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners knocked off the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 4-2 on Wednesday in Norman, Okla.
A.J. Belans' RBI single gave the Razorbacks (22-13) a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the No. 9 Sooners responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The Sooners (32-7) sent eight hitters to the plate and took the lead with a bases-loaded, two-run chopper off the bat of Alissa Dalton.
Belans went 2 for 3 to lead the Razorbacks.
Sports on 04/06/2017