• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2017-03-30_Vol85_No03_A5

The Western Carolinian SPORTS March 30, 2017 AS Kennesaw Owls soar to victory as Catamounts stumble Dillon Jeffrey Sponsor Western Carolina took a hard home loss to the Ket hesaw State Owls on Thurs. day, March 16. The game was supposed to be the second in a home-and-home series for the Catamounts, Dut due to potential inclem- ent weather the first game Was postponed. The game on Thursday ended with a Score of 12-8 in favor oft Owl Coming into the game, both Western Carolina and Kennesaw State held a re- cord of seven wins and eight sss. Although carrying losing record, Western Carolina had piayed a tough schedule, including five teams nationally ranked in the top 25, The Catamounts record against top 25 oppo- nents is 2-4, with those two wins coming against North Carolina State and last years national champions, Coastal Carolina. The Cata. mounts were hoping to find arun of form in this next week of games and gain valuable experience before conference play began. The winter weather that had dominated the week cleared up to providea cloudless afternoon of base. ball. Despite the biue skies, the wind kept the temper: ture below 50 degrees and, maintained a consistent breeze. Fans bundled in the sun and prepared to watch two evenly matched teams Aisplay their skills. The Catamounts were off toarough start with the (Owls putting in seven runs by the second inning. It seemed as if no matter what starting pitcher Dillon Bray threw at them, the Owls were prepared for it, Pitch after pitch was sent into the outfield as the Owls hit three homeruns in the first two innings. The Owls con tinued their dominance in the third inning, stretching their lead to nine while sup- pressing the Catamounts defensively and holding them scoreless. Owls starting pitcher Chris Erwin played six innings hit per out three Catamounts, only Walked two batters and gaye up just two runs, His two. relief pitchers closed out the final three innings giving up only four hits between them and one run, The. Catamounts nearly matched, the Owls in the hits cat gory, registering 10 hits against Kennesaw State's 12. With this similarity, the Owls made the most of thelr hits while the Catamounts stranded nearly every run. ner on base, The Catamounts made a pitching change in the fourth inning, transition. {ng to pitcher Jake Moebius. Moebius slowed the game down significantly with his pitching style, applying pa ence between each throw and pitching approximately one ball every minute, It was unfortunately a case of {00 little too late, The Owls. had done their damage on offense early, and stifled the Catamounts on defense, st three innings for the Catamounts ended with double plays made by the quick Owl defense, As the game wore on, Western Carolina threw everything they had at Kennesaw State, The Cata. mounts used six pitchers in nine innings of play. After the starter, Bray, pitched three innings, the Catamounts had a different man on the mound for every inning. This tactic worked defensively, as the Owls did not score between the third and eighth innings, yet the Catamounts could not get anything going on offense. In the fourth inning the Catamounts were placed on the scoreboard, ending the inning down two runs tonine. The crowd was gad to have something to cheer about, and there was sense that maybe a rally was on the way. Baseball isa game of drastic mo- mentum shifts and the crowd was beginning to feel hopeful. Sadly, this inning of hope was followed by three scoreless innings. In the eighth, the Owls flexed thelr muscles again and scored three runs to cement the victory. The Cata- mounts rescued a single run in the bottom of the ninth, but hope was quickly snuffed out and the Owls, took the victory: 12, In spite of the defeat, senior outfielder Bryson Bowman continued his streak of reaching base safely to 16 games, Bowman achieved this with a single in the fifth inning. He has. OW made it to base in every game this season, The Catamounts will look to adjust and prepare for conference play, which begins in late March, As the weather warms up, check Www.catamountsports. com for game days and go support the Catamounts as they look to build on their season. Phony Bevan TooSTAFE (Above) Caleb Robinson plays first base against the Kennesaw State Owls. (Below) Pitcher Corey Sikes up on the mound, March Madness creates excitement and upset among fans Dillon Jeffrey xs Et On March 14, collegiate basketball teams across the nation entered one of the most watched tournaments ofthe year: the NCAA National Championship, Better known as March Madness, this tournament contains 64 teams, 63 total games and takes place in cities all over the country for the latter half of March. The tournament is single elimination, which means win or go home. It takes place after each conference in the nation has com. pleted its own tournament, and the winners of these tournaments automatically enter into March Madness. A-committoe selects the remaining places in the tournament based off of regular season results. With a tournament of this seale, most teams of note make the tournament. The committee also decides what seed, or rank, each team will have. The tour- nament is split into four sections with each division containing 16 teams. These teams are ranked from best to worst and are paired off accordingly: one seeds play 16 seeds, two seeds play 15 seeds, all the way down to, eight Seeds playing nine seeds. This breakdown occurs in all four divisions of the main tournament bracket The number one seeds this tournament are UNC Chapel Hill, Kansas, Vil Innova and Gonzaga seeds included Duke, tucky, Louisville and Ari zona. East Tennessee State University represented the Southern Conference as a of year for sports fans not only because of the sheer quantity of games but also because of bracket chal- lenges. Offices, families and friends from coast to coast fill out the tourn ment bracket, attempting to predict the outcome of every game. Bragging rights are always at stake, but ESPN and billionaire Warren Buffett have taken the bracket challenge even further, ESPN.com offers a bracket challenge annually. Warren Buffett, billionaire investor, upped the stakes by partnering with ESPN in 2014 and offering one million dollars to anyone who could fill out a com- pletely acourate bracket No one has managed to win ityet. The first 52 games take place over six days, giving rise to the name March Madness, Games are played from noon until midnight for nearly a week, and the NCAA tournament is known for its upsets. The first number one seed to fall was Villanova, who lost to eight seed Wisconsin in the second round. Villa- by knocking offtwo seed second loss inthe cham- third round. nova were champions last Louisville. As this article plonship game last year. On April 3, after three year and many broadcast. is being written Michigan Kansas won thelr first two _ weeks of nonstop competl ers had them repeating this has yet to play three seed games by a combined score _ tive basketball, only one year. Duke, whowonthe Oregon. of 58 points. Four seed team will remain, Teams ACC tournament andland- Upsets aside, at the time Florida held Virginia under make their own destiny, edatwoseedintheNCAA, of thisarticle thereare still 40 points in thelr last game and one team will carve also lost surprisingly inthe plenty offavorites going and are playing eight seed __their name into the trophy. second round to seven seed into the Sweet Sixteen Wisconsin next. Four seed Check neaa.com for the South Carolins UNC cruised through thelr West Virginia are yet tobe updated bracket at http:// Through the many upsets first twogamesandare tested against a higher seed_www.neaa,com/Interaetive- thatoccurred in the first looking te avenge their last. but have sailed intothe bracket basketball men /04. two rounds a few major Sorles have developed. Firstly, the Xavier Muske- teers eame into the tourni ment on a five-game losing Come store your things Streak and managed an 11 seed. They opened the for the summer! tournament with a victory over six seed Maryland then tok apart thre seed FioriaStatewithascore | We are Cullowhee ofai88. As this article a being written, they have located pig We have es teres Mill-~Warenouses mat) Stccondly, the Michigan | the street ond Wolverines pulled together the story of the year in their conference tourn: ment when their plane on the 3521 Old Cullowhee Road 10x10 backside was blown off the runway storage pac tae Pe Cullowhee, NC units this event but used it as Western's available! to win thelr tournament {in spite of being an eight seed, and found themselves as a Seven seed in the NCAA tournament. The arene axpretely oo Reserve yours today their first game over 10 ed Oklahoma State, but before they are all gone! they continued their run i] ate 828-293-5599 Player of the month: baseball player Bryson Bowman Pho rae To STAFE Bryson Bowman of Catamount baseball. Dillon Jeffrey Cubs, who won the World The Left Field Lu: tai $a strong opinion. Spon tor Series in 2016, was 256, _natics play a positive believe that baseball P This time at Western Impacton the ames, We is turning into more ofa jowmanisa Carolina, Bowman has love playing infront of _ showcase type sport jus reduhrtseniorbase., scored drunson his thentandlavehaving to show yout own talent ball player at Western own and has 68 RBIs. RBI_ thelr support, said Bow- off rather than going out Carolina. He wears the standsfor runs batted = man. with a team and trying to number iZandtrans- _in,andistheequivaient Bowmanplanstobea _win.a game, said Bow- ferred to Western Caro- of anassist, in which college baseball coach in man. *Peopie are more lina from Catawba Valley the batter putsthe ball the future, aclear reflec- concerned about moving Community College two in play anda runner tion of the positive time on toa good college or years ago. That year he who was already on base he has spent at Western _getting drafted when they Was red-shirted, which crosses home plate. Out Carolina. should really be focused Ieans he could not play of 264 times at bat hehas When asked aquestion on going out with their allseason but gained only been struck out35 -hemusthaveanswered _ teammates and trying Afifth year ofeligibil- times and has hit 21 home dozens of times, Bowman to win a baseball game ity. Drafted last yearin runs. Hison base per- gave a surprising answer. with them. People do not found 33toMLBteam centage is 438. The stats He said his favorite base- want to watch players the New York Yankees, areendless, butthesum ball player was himself. only trying to showcase Bowmanforwentthe of itallis that Western His reason was not van- their talent, they want to draft and chose to return Carolinais thankful that ityoraninflatedego. watch a team goout and wman returned for his Lcan'tblamefailure win a game together. Revenoryett Senior year onanyone else but me." Bowman backed up his Bowman has played When asked why he and can control my own words by staying in the baseballsincehe was chose to transfer to West- success, explained Bow- community of players at four years old. Hehas ernCarolina, Bowman man. Western Caroling and started all 7l games he said, the atmosphere Looking ahead inthe _holding off the MLB dra! has played for Western and people and coaches season, Bowman an ToF another season. The Carolina, playing both broughtmeto WCU." _ticipates the Southern Catamounts are look. Tightandeenter field. He |. Bowman places the Conference Tournament ing for another excellent has beenaconsistent hit. fansinhigh regard. He more than any specific season out of him and ferfor the Catamounts, especially appreciaies' amo, He says thecon. wish him the best of luck boastingacareer bat. the Left Field Lunatics, fidence level within the _in the draft this year. Go ting @ of.318. This whoare the supporters team {s high and they are support Bowman and the means that 31.8 percent that sit above left field. ready for conference play Catamounts this season Of the times heis at bat, Thesefans commonly, _to begin. by attending upcoming he hits the ball. For refer- have a megaphone and Ina time when some games as can be seen on ence, the batting average are not afraid to voice question thefutureof _the schedule at www. of MLB team the Chicago their opinions. baseball, Bowman main- catamountsports.com.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
  • Text
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2017-03-30
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.5" x 11.25"
  • Pages: 12
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2017-03-30_Vol85_No03
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library