Tag Archives: National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

August 26, 2012 · 1:10 pm

NOTEWORTHY COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS FROM AUGUST 25TH, 2012

UVA-WISE PLAYS GIANT-KILLER – The NAIA’s UVA-WISE HIGHLAND CAVALIERS pulled off the upset of opening week yesterday! The unranked Highland Cavs took it on the road against the 11th- ranked BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS and, fighting with characteristic highland intensity, came out on top in the end! UVA-Wise brought the Wildcats crashing down in overtime by a score of 24-21 in this undisputed Instant Classic.

OTHER TOP 25 UPSETS – The number 11 spot was a dangerous place to be yesterday, as both teams tied for 11th in the rankings took a fall. In the 3rd edition of the Rivalry Renewed series between the OTTAWA (KS) BRAVES and the BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS the number 11 Braves were upset at home by the 18th-ranked Wildcats in a bruising 27-20 epic. This puts Baker up 2 games to 1 since this series resumed in 2010.

MARATHON IN MICHIGAN – In the lengthiest game of Week One the SIENA HEIGHTS UNIVERSITY SAINTS (helmet at left) outlasted the visiting ROBERT MORRIS (IL) EAGLES. 

It took double-overtime to accomplish it, but the Saints started the 2012 football season in the win column by a final score of 26-19. The Continue reading →

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August 25, 2012 · 1:09 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACTION: AUGUST 25TH, 2012

  Welcome to the first Saturday of the 2012 college football season! We got to warm up with a few games during the week and now today will see a huge slate of games in two of the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog.

The NAIA’s Point University Skyhawks (logo above) are among the relative newcomers to intercollegiate football taking the field today. Teams like the Concordia (MI) Cardinals, Robert Morris (IL) Eagles and the Siena Heights Saints are still in the early years of their football programs, too.  The Bluefield College Ramblin’ Rams are playing their first intercollegiate game in decades today.

The Texas College Steers, Ottawa (KS) Braves and the William Penn University Statesmen are also among the dozens of NAIA football teams seeing action today.

Meanwhile in the NJCAA some teams are starting the season with conference games. The Hutchinson Blue Dragons are hosting the Coffeyville Red Ravens, the Dodge City Conquistadors battle the Butler (KS) Grizzlies and the Garden City Broncbusters travel to take on the Independence Pirates.

Also among the dozens of NJCAA teams kicking off the 2012 season today are “all-nickname” programs like the Vermillion College Ironmen, the Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters, the Iowa Western Reivers, the College of DuPage Chaparrals and the Scottsdale Fighting Artichokes! (really)

As always, Balladeer’s Blog will be offering a Continue reading →

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August 24, 2012 · 12:17 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON 2012 CONTINUES HERE AT BALLADEER’S BLOG! ***SCORES UPDATED***

 Tonight the number 1 team in Balladeer’s Blog’s NAIA College Football Rankings, the CC Fighting Saints, will open their season on the road against the number 23 team, the MSU- Northern Lights!

 Also on tap for this evening in NAIA football action will be the Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears (helmet above) as they host the Jamestown College Jimmies. Saturday will see a whole slate of NAIA football.

Other teams playing tonight will be the Continue reading →

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August 23, 2012 · 12:23 am

THE 2012 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON IS UNDERWAY! (SCORES UPDATED)

  … At least in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog!

Tonight at 9pm ET the Pima Aztecs (helmet at left) will take it on the road to battle the Phoenix College Bears.

And don’t forget tomorrow night’s multitude of games will feature the Continue reading →

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August 20, 2012 · 9:49 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON 2012 KICKS OFF THIS WEEK

 THIS WEEK THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON KICKS OFF IN THE DIVISIONS COVERED BY BALLADEER’S BLOG!

Teams like the Hutchinson Blue Dragons (helmet at left), the Jamestown College Jimmies, the William Penn University Statesmen and the Eastern Arizona College Gila Monsters will all begin their season on various days throughout the coming week!

Not only that but the CC Fighting Saints, ranked Number 1 in Balladeer’s Blog’s NAIA College Football Rankings, will kickoff this Friday the 24th at the 23rd- ranked MSU-Northern Lights. The Pima Aztecs travel to face the Phoenix College Bears on Thursday night and the Continue reading →

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August 7, 2012 · 12:22 am

BALLADEER’S BLOG’S NAIA COLLEGE FOOTBALL PRESEASON TOP 25

 Yes, it’s Balladeer’s Blog’s preseason rankings for the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) football teams. The NAIA has so many potent football teams from top to bottom I’ll be doing an entire Top 25 for them every week instead of my usual Top 12.

The football season in the NAIA kicks off on August 24th, and as always Balladeer’s Blog will be there covering the action all season long.

 The reigning national champions, the Saint Xavier University Cougars will begin defending their title soon with Dianne “The Cougar” Zajdel cheering them on. Coach Mike Feminis’ boys are fresh off their first national football crown but they are not the top team in my rankings here in the preseason.

Based on overall performance over the past several years the C.C. Fighting Saints, last year’s runners- up, are at number 1. The Hellions from Helena, as I call them, have earned a name for football excellence season after season and have won six of the last ten national championships and played in eight of those ten title games. Teams named Cougars have been a hurdle for C.C., with the University of Sioux Falls Cougars and Chicago’s own SXU Cougars being the only two teams to defeat the Fighting Saints in Rome, GA, the home of the NAIA Championship Game.

Coach Fem’s boys are at number two, with the entire Top 25 looking like this:

1. C.C. Fighting Saints   ###   2. SXU Cougars (defending champs)   ###   3. Georgetown (KY) Tigers   ###   4. Marian University Knights   ###   5. MidAmerica Nazarene University Pioneers   ###   6. Morningside Mustangs   ###   7. Continue reading →

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July 8, 2012 · 2:18 pm

THE COOLEST HELMETS IN NAIA COLLEGE FOOTBALL

 Recently the College of Idaho Coyotes, or “Yotes” for short, announced they are relaunching football for the first time since the 1970’s! At left you see the preview of the new helmets the Coyotes will be sporting.

And NAIA college football continues to grow and grow! This coming season the following teams will be playing their first intercollegiate football games: Point University Skyhawks, Belleville Lynx, Bluefield College Ramblin’ Rams and the Wayland Baptist University Pioneers.

Balladeer’s Blog presents its look at the coolest football helmets in NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) football. Feel free to let me know whose helmets you feel I left out or who should have been rated higher or lower.

8. BETHANY COLLEGE SWEDES

Location: Lindsborg, KS 

Comment: Like the Florida Gators the Bethany Swedes have one of those iconic helmets with stylish lettering and an overall eye-catching appeal. This Continue reading →

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June 13, 2012 · 11:10 pm

44 NAIA COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYERS TAKEN IN 2012 MAJOR LEAGUE DRAFT

 It’s once again time for Balladeer’s Blog’s annual ritual of listing NAIA college baseball players taken in the MLB draft. The Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds (logo at left) are among the teams who had players drafted.

An added perk (?) of being covered here is the assignment of Official Balladeer’s Blog Nicknames, the kind of nicknames nobody has ever used for these players (or will again) to the best of my knowledge. THE BEST IS THE LAST ON THE LIST

LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES – Kris “Kids In The” Hall – to the A’s  ***  Patrick “Machine Gun” Merkling – to the Marlins  ***  “Volatile” Vincent Spilker – to the Diamondbacks  ***  Andy “Whatchoo Talkin’ ‘Bout” Hillis – to the Cardinals  ***  Jorge “The Blue Jay” Saez – to the Blue Jays

OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS – Dane “The Screwdriver” Phillips – to the Padres  ***  “Fillibuster” Blake Schwarz – to the Nationals  ***  “Manta” Miguel Beltran – to the Rays  ***  Chad “Bizet’s” Carman – to the Phillies  ***

FRESNO PACIFIC UNIVERSITY SUNBIRDS – Michael “Teenage Caveman” Vaughn – to the Marlins  ***  “Smart” Alec Mehrten – to the Rockies  ***

ARIZONA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY FIRESTORM – Keith Continue reading →

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June 10, 2012 · 12:04 am

COLLEGE BASEBALL CHAMPIONS 2012

 Balladeer’s Blog presents one last round of congratulations to the 2012 College World Series champions in the divisions covered here. The team they faced in the title game will be in parentheses.

The Cal Baptist University Lancers (logo at left) were the champs of the NCCAA and defeated the defending title holders, the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles.

NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) – TWC BULLDOGS  (Rogers State University Hillcats)

NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association ) – CAL BAPTIST LANCERS  (Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles )

NCCAA Division 2 – TOCCOA FALLS COLLEGE EAGLES   ( Florida Christian College Suns )

USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association) – SPALDING UNIVERSITY GOLDEN EAGLES  (Newport News Apprentice School Builders )

NJCAA1 – IOWA WESTERN REIVERS  (San Continue reading →

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May 25, 2012 · 12:02 am

THE 2012 NAIA COLLEGE WORLD SERIES GETS UNDERWAY TODAY!

 Oh, to be in Lewiston, ID in the springtime! Once again Lewiston is playing home to the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) World Series. 10 teams have gathered together for this double- elimination tournament to crown a new champion, following last year’s champs, Concordia (CA), being ousted in the regional playoffs.

The University of South Carolina- Beaufort Sand Sharks (logo above left) and the Rogers State University Hillcats are making their 1st appearance in the final field of 10 teams. The top 2 seeds, the LSU- Shreveport Pilots (riverboat pilots) and the Lee University Flames, respectively, each have a bye in today’s opening round and will play their first games tomorrow.

Among the 8 teams hitting the diamond today will be the (10) College of Idaho Coyotes and the (7) Point Park University Pioneers in Game 1 at 12 Noon ET. The aforementioned (8) USCB Sand Sharks and the (9) Rogers State Hillcats face each other at 3pm ET, followed by the (4) Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs taking on the (5) Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University Eagles at 6pm ET. The 10 pm game will feature the host team, the (6) Lewis- Clark State Warriors vs the (3) Oklahoma City University Stars.

For scores from BOTH the NAIA and the NCAA D3 World Series keep checking back here at Balladeer’s Blog throughout the Continue reading →

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