The Tampa Spartans moved up 3 notches to take over the top spot but the Nova Southeastern University Sharks (logo at right) made an enormous jump, from 17th all the way up to 8th. The Lynn University Fighting Knights, however, made the most astonishing leap of the week , moving from 27th last week to 12th this week.
The complete rankings: 1. Tampa Spartans *** 2. St Mary’s University Rattlers *** 3. Tusculum Pioneers *** 4. Central Missouri Mules *** Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
USAO TRIUMPHANT – The NAIA’s UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA DROVERS (logo at left) handily defeated the MIDAMERICA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY EVANGELS in both games of yesterday’s doubleheader. The Drovers (love that name) crushed the Evangels in their own house by scores of 10-4 and 14-3.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS – The LSU-SHREVEPORT PILOTS (as in riverboat pilots) are the number 1 team in the NAIA rankings and took 2 games from the HOUSTON-VICTORIA JAGUARS in a tight 3-1 contest followed by an 8-0 blowout.
INSTANT CLASSICS – The 2nd-ranked OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY STARS won an epic duel with the ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY HILLCATS. The Stars were on the road but prevailed 6-5 in the opening game of this SAC battle royal. The Hillcats defeated OCU 3-1 in an equally exciting game 2.
NOT-SO-CLASSIC – The number 3 LEE FLAMES incinerated the (15) SOUTHERN POLYTECHNIC RUNNING HORNETS in a 7-0 yawner and the 4th-ranked EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES were routed at home by the ever-tough UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT SAND SHARKS (love that name) by a score of 9-2.
MARATHON MEN – It took an astonishing SEVENTEEN INNINGS for a final result between the SIENA HEIGHTS SAINTS and the LOURDES UNIVERSITY GRAY WOLVES. The Saints at long last emerged with an 8-7 win in this rotation-killing ordeal. Meanwhile, the TRINITY CHRISTIAN TROLLS defeated the CARDINAL STRITCH WOLVES in 13 innings. The final score was Trolls 4 Wolves 3.
THE SOUND AND THE FURY – The FAULKNER EAGLES, ranked at Continue reading
Filed under College Baseball
The NAIA’s James Justice, a senior basketball player for the Martin Methodist College RedHawks (logo at left) won ESPN’s live dunk contest, beating out NCAA Division 1 players like Auburn’s Kenny Gabriel, Miami’s Dequan Jones and Clemson’s Bryan Narcisse in the semifinals.
In its usual style, ESPN virtually never even mentions NAIA college sports. That’s because the behemoth outfit is geared purely toward hyping its own programming, not actual sports journalism. Since ESPN doesn’t broadcast NAIA games they pretend their football, basketball and baseball teams don’t even exist. It’s similar to Continue reading
Filed under College Basketball
The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) hadn’t had a regular season number 1 vs number 2 matchup since 1999 prior to this year and already we are getting the second such matchup of the 2011 season! The St Xavier (IL) Cougars, the football pride of Chicago, are still the top- ranked team in the NAIA poll and this Saturday will be traveling to take on the number 2 Marian University Knights. Both teams come into the matchup at 9-0, so while some people are watching some other 1 vs 2 matchup make sure you’re glued to the only one that matters! And now a look at some of the rankings in the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog:
NAIA – 1. SXU COUGARS … 2. MARIAN KNIGHTS … 3. CC FIGHTING SAINTS (defending champs) … 4. GEORGETOWN (KY) TIGERS … 5. MIDAMERICA NAZARENE PIONEERS … 6. MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS … 7. MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS … 8. WILLIAM PENN STATESMEN … 9. BENEDICTINE Continue reading
Filed under college football
Location: Lawrence, KS
Site: http://www.haskell.edu/index.html
Comment: Haskell plays college football in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and regular readers of my blog have seen the institution’s name in plenty of my sports reports. HINU is the premier institution of higher education for Native Americans throughout the CONUS and Continue reading
Filed under Cool Helmets
In the NAIA the William Penn University Statesmen are ranked 4th in the nation and continue saying “Just TRY to leave us out of the playoffs this year”. Last year WPU ended the year ranked at 11 but were unjustifiably left out of the 16 team NAIA playoff field. (That’s right, the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog settle things with a playoff!) The Statesmen are on the road today against the 15th ranked St Francis (IL) Fighting Saints in a crucial Mid States Football Association matchup. Both teams lead their respective divisions of “The Association” as Jim Rome would call it, and are unbeaten in conference play.
Keeping to the theme of games between ranked teams today, the 9th ranked Morningside Mustangs, back on track to take the Great Plains Athletic Conference title following their upset at the hands of the Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves a few weeks ago, host the 13th ranked Doane Tigers, who upset Midland University last week. The number 25 Cumberland Bulldogs meanwhile are at the 22nd ranked Shorter Hawks with the loser obviously knocked out of the rankings completely. Only one team is ranked in what I think may be the most exciting game of the day as the number 10 Southern Nazarene University Crimson Storm are on the road against the ever-tough Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.
D2 treats us to a Show Me State showdown between the 7th ranked Northwest Missouri Bearcats and the number 14 Central Missouri Mules. D3’s only matchup between ranked teams finds the 15th ranked Cortland State Red Dragons at the number 11 Montclair State Red Hawks. And now, links to updating scoreboards for the divisions I cover:
NAIA – http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/sport/0/14.php
D3 – http://d3football.com/scoreboard/composite
D2 – http://www.d2football.com/scores/
NJCAA – http://www.njcaa.org/sports_schedules.cfm?category=Schedules%2FScores&sid=11&divid=0&slid=5
SCFA – http://www.scfafootball.com/statistics/scoreboard.html
Filed under college football
FOOTBALL
Reiver Football scored big for the second week in a row with a 75-0 drubbing of the North Dakota-Bottineau Lumberjacks. The Reivers play at home again this Saturday vs. the Joliet College Wolves. Kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. Reminder you can listen to the game on 89.7 The River!!
VOLLEYBALL Continue reading
Filed under college sports
The Langston Lions Rule The World – The NAIA’s Langston Lions ( who I always say should change their name to the Langston Hugheses … my fellow poetry geeks will get it) upset a team from TWO divisions higher. The Lions took down Division 1AA’s Arkansas- Pine Bluff Golden Lions in a 19-12 game for the ages … Honorable mention goes to the NAIA’s Azusa Pacific Cougars who took 1AA’s San Diego Toreros down to the wire (after defeating them last season) in a heartbreaking 42-40 outcome.
The Franklin Grizzlies Also Rule The World – D3’s Franklin Grizzlies also brought down a team two divisions higher. The Grizzlies beat the 1AA Valaparaiso Crusaders 49-35 on Valpo’s own field.
Top 25 Upsets – NCAA Division 3 – There were no upsets in the NAIA’s or D2’s Top 25 so we’ll jump straight to D3. The 4th ranked North Central Cardinals fell to the unranked Redlands Bulldogs in a 35-29 nailbiter … At number 10, the Coe Kohawks were defeated by the Continue reading
Filed under college football
Sorry for the delay in getting this up but I was without internet access for awhile. But I know that’s a petty complaint considering how hard some places got hit by the hurricane. Anyway, D3 football doesn’t get started til next week so that’s why no D3 scores are mentioned this time.
Scares For Some Top-Ranked Teams – Thursday night the NJCAA’s number one team, Navarro College, needed overtime to defeat the third-ranked Butler (KS) Grizzlies and yesterday D2’s second-ranked team, the Delta State Statesmen, had to struggle to get past the ECSU Vikings in a 28-21 game that was sloppy but fun.
…And Don’t Let The Door Hit Your Butt On The Way Out – The Jamestown College Jimmies opened their 2011 season with an emotion-charged game against the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Hardrockers, who left the Dakota Athletic Conference after last year. The Jimmies already defended the DAC’s honor in last year’s season-ending Dac Bowl Event and didn’t miss a beat resuming their “who needs ya” lesson for the Hardrockers. This was a very tight game but Jamestown College won in overtime 23-20 on the Hardrockers’ own field.
Apache Dance – The Tyler Apaches and the Coffeyville Red Ravens played one of the Continue reading
Filed under college football
While certain sports news outlets are obsessed with covering every pre-pubescent moment of the Little League World Series tonight’s start of actual football games that matter is not being neglected here at Balladeer’s Blog. As promised a few days ago here is a rundown of tonight’s games accompanied by links to follow those games where available:
NJCAA Games
The Hutchinson Blue Dragons are hosting the Kilgore College Rangers – 8pm ET link – http://cms.hutchcc.edu/hcc/game.asx
The Butler (KS) Grizzlies are Continue reading
Filed under college football
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