FOOTBALL
ASU schedule released
Arkansas State announced its complete 2022 football schedule Tuesday morning in conjunction with the Sun Belt Conference's full slate of games.
The Red Wolves will play three nonconference games in September against Grambling State, at Ohio State and at Memphis before beginning Sun Belt play Sept. 24 at new conference foe Old Dominion. ASU will also have a Nov. 12 home nonconference matchup with Massachusetts during the midst of their eight-game Sun Belt schedule.
Although new Sun Belt members Old Dominion, Marshall and Southern Mississippi are in separate legal fights with Conference USA -- which they are attempting to leave prior to the 2022-23 academic year -- they each have Sun Belt schedules along with fellow 2022-23 addition James Madison, which will be moving up from the Football Championship Subdivision level.
Now with 14 teams, the Sun Belt has reshuffled its divisions into two groups of seven. The Red Wolves will play in the West with Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy. The East will be comprised of Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, JMU, Marshall and ODU.
ASU opens the home portion of its Sun Belt schedule Oct. 1 against Louisina-Monroe, and the Red Wolves will play additional conference games at Centennial Bank Stadium against James Madison, South Alabama and Troy.
For the first time since 2008, ASU's schedule features no midweek contests.
The Sun Belt Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 3.
-- Mitchell Gladstone
Former ASU coach's son dies
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Utah State announced the "tragic death" of the son of former Arkansas State and current Aggies head football coach Blake Anderson.
"On behalf of Utah State University, the athletics department and the football program, our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Blake Anderson and his family," Vice President and Athletic Director John Hartwell wrote.
The school did not disclose any further details, but Anderson's Utah State bio lists three grown children -- daughter Callie and sons Coleton and Cason. It was reported which son had died.
Anderson's late wife, Wendy, died in August 2019 after a three-year fight with cancer. Anderson departed ASU for Utah State in Dec. 2020 after seven seasons with the Red Wolves.
-- Mitchell Gladstone
GOLF
UA men set record, finish fourth
The University of Arkansas men's team shot the fifth-lowest team score in relation to par in program history, shooting a 28-under 824 to finish in fourth place at the Cabo Collegiate in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The 54-hole total of 824 is a school record, besting the previous mark of 826 set in the fall of 2017 and spring of 2005. However, since the Cove Club Course at Cabo del Sol is a par-71, the 28-under total is the second-best in relation to par this year and ties for fifth-best overall.
Julian Perico shot a season-low 6-under 65 to jump 22 spots on the individual leaderboard to finish in a tie for 12th place with a 7-under 206 total. Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday to finish in a tie for 10th place at 8-under 205.
ATU women finish third
The Arkansas Tech University women's team shot a second consecutive 312 total as a team on Tuesday to finish in third place in the Natural State Golf Classic at Cypress Creek Golf Club in Cabot.
Rogers State shot a second consecutive 301 total to win the team title, followed by Central Missouri, which finished with a score of 610 and Arkansas Tech had a score of 624. Harding University was fifth with a score of 630, while the University of Arkansas-Monticello (643) finished in eighth place and Southern Arkansas University (672) finished in 11th place.
Harding's Abbey Bryan shot a 4-over 76 for the second consecutive day to finish tied for sixth place in the individual standings with an 8-over 152 total. Jacqueline Klemm of Arkansas Tech shot a 3-over 75 Tuesday to jump from a tie for 25th place to finish in a four-way tie for ninth place with UAM's Chiara Sturanro, who also shot a 75 Tuesday. Linn Thornqvist of Missouri-St. Louis won medalist honors after shooting a 1-over 145 total, which was one shot better than Jessica Green of Rogers State.
BASEBALL
Miner earns GAC honor
Arkansas Tech University senior right-hander Patrick Miner was named Great American Conference's Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday.
Miner (3-0) struck out a career-high 13 with a walk and a wild pitch as he pitched a complete game for the Wonder Boys in a series-opening 6-0 victory over East Central (Okla.) on Sunday at Baswell Field in Russellville. His 13 strikeouts were the most by a Wonder Boys pitcher since Zack Kesterson had 11 against Oklahoma Baptist in the 2018 season.
SOFTBALL
SAU's Casper, ATU's Lasey honored
Senior outfielder Alese Casper of Southern Arkansas University was named the Great American Conference's Player of the Week on Tuesday, while Arkansas Tech University sophomore right-hander Shannon Lasey was named the league's Co-Pitcher of the Week.
Casper was 5 for 8 (.625) at the plate last weekend against Southwestern Oklahoma State with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored. She has a three-run double in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader that paced the Muleriders to a 4-1 victory and she added two triples over the weekend.
Lasey threw the sixth perfect game in Arkansas Tech program history against East Central (Okla.). She had six strikeouts as the Golden Suns won 6-0 in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday.
Arkansas Tech and Southern Arkansas will face each other this weekend in Russellville. The teams will play a single game at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
BASKETBALL
Stanley named Player of the Year
Hendrix College forward Seth Stanley was named the Southern Athletic Association's Player of the Year on Tuesday.
Stanley is the second player in program history to earn the honor. He started all 25 games in which he played, averaging 18.8 points, 4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Stanley led the SAA in three-point percentage (42.5) and free throw percentage (84.1), while ranking second in the league in points per game, total points (471), free throws made (111), three-pointers made (68) and three-pointers per game (2.72).
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
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NoneAt a glance
Arkansas State 2022 football schedule
DATE OPPONENT
Sept. 3 Grambling State
Sept. 10 at Ohio State
Sept. 17 at Memphis
Sept. 24 at Old Dominion*
Oct. 1 Louisiana-Monroe*
Oct. 8 James Madison*
Oct. 15 at Southern Miss.*
Oct. 22 at La.-Lafayette*
Oct. 29 South Alabama*
Nov. 12 Massachusetts
Nov. 19 at Texas State*
Nov. 26 Troy*
*Sun Belt Conference game