COUGAR SPRING TEAMS SET FOR NEWMAC TOURNAMENT PLAY
The Clark University softball and baseball programs begin its second seasons at their respective double-elimination New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) tournaments on Wednesday, while the men’s tennis squad will play in its NEWMAC tournament on Thursday. All three teams will face Babson College in first-round action.
The Cougar softball team earned the fourth seed and will face fifth seed Babson at number one Wellesley College at 2:30 p.m., while the sixth-seeded baseball team will travel to top-seeded Babson for a 3:30 p.m. tilt. The sixth-seeded men’s tennis squad will face the third-seeded Beavers on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Participants in all but one conference tournament over the last 13 years, the Clark softball squad will be gunning for their first NEWMAC Championship. Winners of four of its last five games, the Cougars (20-10, 10-6 NEWMAC) appear to be peaking at the right time. In overall statistics in the conference, Clark is ranked first in slugging percentage (.477), tied for first in homeruns (26), and are second in batting average (.318).
Babson, which has dropped its last six games, enters the tournament with a 20-18 (9-7 NEWMAC) mark. Although the Beavers were swept by Clark (6-5 & 3-1) last Saturday, they have been strong tournament contenders, claiming back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006. Last year, Babson defeated Clark, 3-0, in the elimination game of the tournament.
The baseball squad’s (10-20, 4-8 NEWMAC) road to the NEWMAC Title will not be easy. The Cougars, who dropped two games to Babson last weekend, will open the tournament against the regionally ranked Beavers. Babson ousted Clark from the tournament with a 9-6 victory last year.
The men’s tennis team (3-9, 0-5 NEWMAC) was shutout by Babson, 9-0, earlier this season, but hopes to have better results on Thursday.
Back to the top
HOT-HITTING BLAKE CRACKS 100TH CAREER HIT
 Clark University softball player Lauren Blake’s bat has been hot this spring. After tying the mark for singles in a season (47) last year, the sophomore second baseman cracked her 100th career hit in an 8-4 win over Smith College last Monday. She is the 15th player to join Clark’s Century Hits Club. Currently, the batting average conference leader (.472) boasts 108 career hits in just 65 games.
Blake looks to take her nine-game hitting streak into the conference tournament tomorrow.
Back to the top
30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION FOR FIELD HOCKEY & SOFTBALL
Former and current Clark athletes and coaches, along with family members and friends turned out in droves for Clark’s first-ever sports specific anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 12 at Tilton Hall. The Cougars celebrated 30-years of both field hockey and softball.
View the link below for a slideshow presentation honoring both sports.
* Warning: Download times may vary.
View Slide Show
Back to the top
The highlights for this newsletter are provided by
Dalya Qualls, Sports Information Director, 508-793-7164
Email: dqualls@clarku.edu
|
|
COUGAR SPRING TEAMS SET FOR NEWMAC TOURNAMENT PLAY
