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DAILY NEWS, BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2012 - PAGE 3C WKU BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK WKU BASEBALL Blue Raiders keep hold Perkins, Hageman on rivalry with Toppers tabbed by Sun Belt By CHAD BISHOP The Daily News second complete game of the year WKU to finish tied for fourth [email protected]/783-3241 Hilltoppers projected to MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — finish tied for fourth place against Florida Atlantic, his with Florida Atlantic, behind Middle Tennessee had only beaten eighth win of the year, on his way Florida International and Troy – Western Kentucky five times in a By the Daily News to becoming WKU’s winningest both received four first-place row once in the programs’ series Western Kentucky baseball freshman pitcher. votes – and third-place Louisiana- history going into Thursday night. was picked to finish tied for League coaches predicted Lafayette. The Blue Raiders can now say fourth in the Sun Belt Conference they’ve won five straight over in 2012 and two players were WKU for the second time in their named to the Preseason All-Sun 2012 Sun Belt Conference history after downing the Hilltop- Belt Conference Team, Baseball Preseason Awards pers 72-64. announced today by the confer- “I don’t think it (changes our ence office. 2012 Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll (first- mentality),” MTSU coach Kermit Junior left-hander Tanner place votes) — as voted on by the league’s head coaches: Davis. “It’s good because Western Perkins and sophomore right- 1. FIU (4) – 93 pts Kentucky has dominated this hander Justin Hageman earned 1. Troy (4) – 93 pts series for the last whatever how two of the three preseason starting 3. Louisiana-Lafayette (1) – 74 pts many years. The overall record pitching spots. The two selections 4. Florida Atlantic – 60 pts speaks for itself. Fortunate to have to the Preseason All-Sun Belt 4. Western Kentucky – 60 pts five in a row, that’s hard to do Pete Rodman/Daily News Conference team from WKU 6. South Alabama – 56 pts against Western Kentucky. It’s Western Kentucky interim coach Ray Harper yells instructions were the third most by any team 7. Arkansas State – 36 pts Thursday during the Hilltoppers’ 72-64 loss at Middle Tennessee in in the league. Florida Internation- 8. Middle Tennessee – 31 pts really hard to do and I’m sure No. Murfreesboro, Tenn. 6 is going to be really hard here in al was tops with four selections. 9. Louisiana-Monroe (1) – 26 pts 10. UALR – 21 pts a couple of weeks.” from behind the arc, with eight son. Gordon had 13 rebounds at Perkins was named second- Middle Tennessee beat WKU points, four fouls, three turnovers, Southern Illinois on Dec. 7. ... team All-Sun Belt Conference in five straight times from 1925 from 2011 after finishing his second 2012 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Team two rebounds and one steal. With the win, MTSU tied a pro- — as voted on by the league’s head coaches: 1930. “I thought they were very phys- gram record for most wins in a season on the Hill with a 7-4 The Blue Raiders have never record and a league-best 2.32 Tyler Ray (Troy, senior, SP) ical with him for the most part,” regular season with 22 set in 1986- Justin Hageman (WKU, sophomore, SP) won six in a row against the Hill- WKU interim coach Ray Harper 87. The Raiders have won 23 total ERA. He ranked among the top 10 in the league in innings Tanner Perkins (WKU, junior, SP) toppers. They’ll try to do that Feb. said. “When (Crook) got to the games in a season four times. Hugh Adams (Florida Atlantic, senior, RP) 25 in E.A. Diddle Arena. basket a little bit, I thought Dendy pitched (99), strikeouts (75), wins Mason McVay (FIU, RS-sunior, RP) For many MTSU players who did a great job of altering some MTSU 72 (seven) and opponent batting Mike Albaladejo (Florida Atlantic, senior, Catcher) came to Murfreesboro this season shots or making him change some average (.243). Lefties hit .218 Mike Martinez (FIU, senior, 1B) and for many WKU players who shots. Give Middle credit, they’re WKU 64 against him, while he limited Caleb Clowers (Louisiana-Monroe, senior, 2B) are either freshmen or first-year a very, very good defensive team right-handers to a .245 average. Logan Kirkland (South Alabama, sophomore, 2B) transfers, Thursday’s game was an WKU (8-16) and they didn’t make anything Gordon 2-11 4-4 9, Crook 3-12 2-2 8, Akol Perkins walked 22 batters on the Tyler Hannah (Troy, senior, SS) introduction to the 98-year-old easy tonight.” 2-6 0-0 4, Zollo 2-6 0-0 5, Price 4-11 3-3 season. Hank LaRue (Middle Tennessee, sophomore, 3B) rivalry. The Raiders said containing 14, McDonald 2-5 3-3 8, Akamune 1-2 0- Hageman was named the 2011 0 2, Snipes 1-2 0-0 2, Fant 5-10 2-2 12. Alex Hudak (Florida Atlantic, senior, OF) “If the fans didn’t show up, it Crook was a major concern com- Totals 22-65 14-14 64. Sun Belt Conference Freshman of Pablo Bermudez (FIU, senior, OF) would’ve been a really good ing in. MIDDLE TENNESSEE (22-4) the Year after finishing the season Justin Guidry (Middle Tennessee, senior, OF) game, but they showed up, so they Dendy 10-22 6-12 26, Massey 1-6 1-2 3, “It was a team effort,” MTSU Knight 6-13 0-2 12, Hammonds 4-8 1-4 with an 8-5 record. He ranked Rudy Flores (FIU, junior, DH) made it more of a rivalry game,” guard Bruce Massey said. “All 10, Sulton 2-5 0-0 4, Gallman 1-1 1-2 3, among the top 10 in the league in MTSU senior LaRon Dendy said. week we just practiced keeping Cintron 2-4 5-6 11, Oden 0-2 0-1 0, Walk- ERA (3.22), wins (eight), innings 2012 Preseason Player of the Year er 0-0 2-3 2, J. Jones 0-6 1-5 1. Totals 26- 2 “You have to play as if it’s a rival- the point guard outside of the lane 67 17-37 72. pitched (100 ⁄3), strikeouts (85) Pablo Bermudez (FIU, senior, OF) ry game. It felt like a regular team, and it worked tonight.” Halftime—Middle Tennessee 28-26. 3- and opponent batting average but they’re a good, young team. NOTES — Freshman Derrick Point Goals—W. Kentucky 6-21 (Price 3- (.256). Hageman went 6-2 in 2012 Preseason Pitcher of the Year We’re looking forward to seeing Gordon is seventh on the pro- 7, Gordon 1-1, McDonald 1-4, Zollo 1-4, Tyler Ray (Troy, senior, SP) Akol 0-1, Snipes 0-1, Crook 0-3), Middle league games with 60 strikeouts them again in two weeks.” gram’s all-time list for total points Tennessee 3-11 (Cintron 2-4, Hammonds and 18 walks. Hageman threw his scored in a season by a freshman 1-3, Oden 0-1, Massey 0-1, Dendy 0-2). Crook struggles Fouled Out—Snipes. Rebounds—W. with 277. Gordon needs 24 points Kentucky 44 (Fant 11), Middle Tennessee After playing solid ball over the to surpass Johnny Britt for sixth 51 (Dendy 14). Assists—W. Kentucky 11 From Page 1C past two weeks, junior guard place. ... George Fant became the (Gordon 6), Middle Tennessee 18 (Massey 8). Total Fouls—W. Kentucky Price scores 14 points in WKU’s fifth straight loss to MTSU Jamal Crook struggled Thursday. second Hilltopper to have a dou- 30, Middle Tennessee 18. A—7,080. Crook finished 3-of-12, 0-for-3 ble-digit rebound game this sea- pass to Kerry Hammonds on the was going to be a tough game and best field-goal percentage teams left baseline running the fast we had to play through that. in the country because the ball From Page 1C break led to a 23-17 lead. Tonight we just weren’t physical moves from side-to-side, we Still, the Raiders couldn’t pull enough to the end and they got in make extra passes. Now, Western Greenwood swimmers one of several teams chasing favorite BG away for good. Even after extend- us. They never gave up anything had something to do with that, ing a 23-22 lead with five straight easy. We had to earn it.” too. They played awful hard, but titles. BG recorded 718.5 total swimmers from South Warren and of the region meet. The Lady Pur- – including a dunk by Dendy off a Davis said his team sharing the the second half we shot over 50 points in 2011, topping Green- Warren East. “Maybe in a few ples scored 48 points and swept the Marcos Knight feed – Gordon hit ball had a lot to do with Middle percent. We shared the ball bet- wood’s 376. more years, we should be at or near top three spots with strong perfor- a jumper from the left side after a Tennessee pulling away in the sec- ter.” The swimming preliminaries the top of the region. We’re still mances by Goodman Johnson, pump fake and a Nigel Snipes ond half. Price led WKU with 14 and begin today in Owensboro, with working through some of that Katie Berryman and Trevor bucket down low thanks to a “We played selfishly in the first Fant ended the night with 12 the finals slated for Saturday.