ATHLETICS Battle family honored at historic Homecoming game education at the University of South Florida; the late Laurie C. Battle, a 1934 BSC graduate, BSC Sports Hall of Fame member, and four-term U.S. representative from Alabama; and Mary Virginia Battle Mudd of Lutherville, Md., who attended Birmingham-Southern in 1943-44. A 1930 graduate of Birmingham- Southern, William Raines Battle Jr. was a letterwinner in football, basketball, and baseball, and is a member of the BSC Sports Hall of Fame. Battle also served BSC for many years as both director of athletics and professor of physical education. When constructed in 1981, the Bill Battle Coliseum on campus was named in his memory, and each spring the William Raines BSC President Dr. David Pollick (left) presents Bill Battle III (center) and Jean LeMerle Battle Award is presented to a senior Battle with game balls in recognition of naming their late father, William Raines Battle Jr., who has exemplifi ed scholarship, honorary game captain. citizenship, and concern for physical Birmingham-Southern recognized attendance were Martha Frances fi tness throughout his or her time at family members of the late William Davies of Birmingham and Blanche BSC. Battle’s wife, the late Kathleen Raines Battle Sr., a Methodist Inez Battle Reed of Newnan, Ga., Scruggs Battle, was also a 1930 BSC minister, during the Panthers’ who both attended BSC in 1941; graduate. historic Homecoming football game Bill Battle III of Atlanta, a BSC “Birmingham-Southern College Nov. 8 for their loyal support of the trustee and chair and founder of The is grateful to the Battle family for college and its athletics program for Collegiate Licensing Co., and his its tremendous support in so many nearly eight decades. wife, Mary; Jean LeMerle Battle ’58 of ways and over so many years,” said Nearly 60 members of the Battle Huntsville; and Brooke Tanner Battle Birmingham-Southern President family were on hand at Panther ’96 of Birmingham, who serves as Dr. David Pollick. “The Battles’ Stadium for a ceremony prior to a member of BSC’s Birmingham contributions to our college’s kickoff of the game, where William Regional Campaign Committee. students and athletics program Raines Battle Jr. was posthumously Other members of the Battle continue to have a tremendous named honorary game captain for family with BSC ties include the late impact on this institution. We are the Panthers’ fi rst contest on the Dr. Jean Allen Battle, a 1936 BSC truly honored to have the Battle Hilltop in nearly 70 years. graduate and longtime educator family as part of the Birmingham- Among the family members in and the fi rst dean of the college of Southern community.” Dees wins second straight Southeastern Air Rifl e Conference title Senior shooter Nikita Dees of Maplesville won her second Southeastern Air Rifl e Conference individual title in March at the SEARC Championships hosted by The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. Dees shot a 579 in the initial round, making it into the top 10, which held a 10-shot shoot-off to determine the champion. Dees had the highest average in the competition to win the title of SEARC Shooter of the Year. She also won the title at last year’s championships in March 2008. As a team, the Panthers placed third overall behind The Citadel and North Carolina State. The Rifl e Panthers, who are the only team at Birmingham-Southern still competing at the Division I level, placed second at two SEARC meets in the spring season, and won a dual meet with UAB in October, among other competitions. Senior sharpshooter Nikita Dees Individually, Dees led the Panthers in every tournament, and won two meets in addition to the SEARC Championships. 54 / ’southern ATHLETICS Baseball Panthers claim school’s fi rst SCAC division championship The Birmingham-Southern baseball team, under the direction of Head Coach Jan Weisberg, captured the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference East Division Championship this season in only its second year of NCAA Division III play. After posting a .500 record (20-20) last season, the Panthers really found their offense this season. BSC fi nished the 2009 campaign with a 28-11 record. Their 10-5 record in the SCAC- East was enough to place them atop the standings at the end of the regular season, giving them the division championship win despite not being eligible for the post-season tournament because of NCAA transition rules. Two BSC players collected SCAC Player of the Week honors Drew Leachman received an SCAC Offensive Player of the Week honor this season. Sophomore infi elder Drew Leachman of Mobile this season. was the Offensive Player of the Week in March, and sophomore pitcher Drew Crofton from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, was named run average. Crofton started 10 games and fi nished with a 5-0 a Pitcher of the Week. record and a 4.15 ERA. Sophomore Darby Weppner of Deerfi eld Beach, Fla., led the The Panthers posted series wins over SCAC rivals Sewanee, team with a .425 batting average, followed by Leachman at .408. Oglethorpe, DePauw, and Rhodes. In only its second year of Sophomore Clay Malcolm of Marietta, Ga., started 11 games on Division III play, the Panther squad is comprised almost entirely the mound and fi nished with a 7-3 record and a 3.57 earned of freshmen and sophomores. Softball ends most successful season ever with national ranking A season-ending three-game sweep of (.969). The pitching staff broke the Indian Springs led the team with a conference foe Hendrix propelled the single-season shutouts record (16), as .455 batting average. Muehlenfeld Birmingham-Southern softball team to a well as the single-season records for led the pitching staff with 14 wins. history-making season, going 32-5 overall lowest ERA (1.19) and lowest opponent to tie the record for most wins in a batting average (.186). The team tied the season and break the record for winning single-season wins record (32), but now percentage. owns the best overall record (32-5) and Under the direction of fi rst-year Head winning percentage (.865) in program Coach Stephanie VanBrakle, with only 11 history. players on the roster, the Panthers closed Senior pitcher and utility player the season on an 11-game winning streak. Melissa Muehlenfeld of Auburn broke The squad also had nine- and 10-game several individual records, including winning streaks this spring. BSC was single-season stolen bases (38) and 18-1 in conference play, sweeping every stolen base percentage (.974), career Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference stolen bases (81) and stolen base opponent except Austin College. percentage (.890), and single-season runs The Panthers also defeated No. 3 (50) and career runs (128). Louisiana College and No. 19 Methodist Senior outfi elder Kayla Backlund of University, and were ranked as high as Aurora, Colo., broke the career (19) and No. 17 in the nation at one point. single-season (10) record for triples; Birmingham-Southern ended the 2009 junior infi elder Jena Franks of Muscle season having broken several program Shoals the single-season record for RBI records, including single-season batting (46); and junior pitcher and utility Senior outfi elder Kayla Backlund broke the single-season and average (.364), runs (279), stolen player Tori Harris of Columbus, Miss., career record for triples this year. bases (86) and stolen base percentage the single-season low ERA (1.03) and (.945), triples (17), RBI (236), fewest opponent batting average (.158). strikeouts (102), and fi elding percentage Freshman outfi elder Ashley Bice of spring 2009 / 55 ATHLETICS Golf teams close out successful seasons The Birmingham-Southern women’s golf team closed out a highly successful season in April with its fi fth tournament title in the Stonebridge Invitational in Rome, Ga., hosted by Berry College. The BSC women, coached by Casey Smith, also claimed top prizes at the Alabama State Invitational, BSC Tri-Match, Rhodes College Invitational, and University of West Georgia Invitational. The Panthers claimed fi ve individual wins as well. Junior Kelly Burgess of Birmingham took fi rst place at the ASU Invitational; freshman Gaukhar Amandossova of Pelham won the Rhodes Invitational; and senior Jordan Hardy of Sylacauga took top honors at the ASU Invitational (tied with Burgess), BSC Tri-Match, and the West Georgia Invitational. The men’s team, coached by Jason Buha in his fi rst season, collected a tournament win at the Alabama State Fall Classic, placing fi rst in a fi eld of nine. Junior Nick Blakely of Chattanooga took fi rst in the Senior Jordan Hardy took top honors individuals at the classic as well as sharing in the team win. in three competitions this year. Tennis teams fi nish seasons nationally, regionally ranked The 2009 Birmingham-Southern men’s and women’s tennis teams may not be eligible for postseason competition this year, but they were still able to make waves in both the regional and national rankings as compiled by the International Tennis Association. The Panther women, coached by Ann Dielen, ended the season ranked No. 27 in the nation and tied for seventh in the Atlantic South Region by the ITA after going 12-2 in 2009. Senior Kathryn Carroll of Madison, Miss., tied for 11th in the region in singles play, while she and fellow senior Lauren Russell of Foley tied for 12th in the doubles rankings. Carroll was 7-3 this past season, and she and Russell went 9-4 at the top doubles spot. Senior Kate Lambert of Huntsville and junior Janie Asseff of Shreveport were also impressive in doubles, going 14-1, and sophomore Brittany Cooper of Gulfport, Miss., was 10-3 in singles.