TM FOOTBALL IN / Watch Southern Miss's Damion Fletcher, Houston's Case Keenum, East Carolina's C.J. Wilson and the rest of the C-USA on the gridiron this fall in HD. On the CBS College Sports Network. WHAT'S INSIDE lhc 200() ( .ontcrcncc USA Baseball Hi~. PICJNSHIP INFOR ( :harnpiomhip Program is published b:· ( :1)nkrcnn- l 1S,-\ and !\IC College>. Welcome to C-USA Baseball 2 Conference USA 4-5 C-USA Championship and the College World Series 6 Championship Results 18 Conference USA Individual Championship Records 19 Commissioner Hritwn Hanowskv Team Championship Records 20 Editorial Staff All-Tournament Teams 22 Coun m-v \lorrison-Archcr, Scorecards 23-24 Rus,cll Andcr son TEAM INFORMATION l1~lG \\Ww.imgworld.com (88SJ 48+4G-s East Houston Marshall Corporate Officers Carolina Pg. 9 Pg. 10 Chairman and CEO Pg. 8 lheodorc J. Forstmann President, Sports and Entertainment ( ;corge Pvne Senior Corporate Vice President, College P:lt Hattie Senior Vice President, College Sales and Marketing IA·l' St:ICL'\' Memphis Rice Southern IMG College Senior Vice President, Managing Director Pg. 11 Pg. 12 Miss lliom.r-, I. Siult1, Pg. 13 Senior Vice President, Operations \tl'\l' ( .ornvcll Senior Vice President, Sales Lawton \1. l.og;rn PUBLISHING Director of Publishing Br.id !nhn\1111 Production Manager Tulane UAB UCF Kirk Phillips Project Manager Pg. 14 Pg. 15 Pg. 16 kffrc:· Salmon Editorial Dan Peters. 'vlatiannc Stocss , Dan Kins. [avon Brunn. Richard Groves. Chad lavtham. KJ.rJ. Koscelski. \Lur (:oy. Jason Crisler, Abby Lrnb Design Kri_q~· \LHques, Sarah Jane Hudson, l.vnxav Harris VP, Director of Print Services John Harden ADVERTISING/MARKETING Vice President, Sponsorship Sales David Nunnery (864) 294-2977 Vice President, National Sales Leo Pieri (770) 963-9205 Director, Local and Regional Sales Doug Iler (502) 459-4346 Advertising and Marketing Manager Matt Briggs (859) 226-4556 Advertising and Marketing Coordinator Kerry Sorrell (859) 226-4559 ~ . ·- - ' _ 2009 BA EB L CHAMPIONSHIP 1 CHAMPIONSHIP WELCOME LETTER FLCOME T H T" URG A.ND 'THE 2009 0 NF E RE r; r. S i\ B A I: BA I" H. A I:,I PI O NS HI P Every year, Conference USA continues its commitment to athletics, academics and community. With our outstanding institutions sharing this unwavering commitment, the league continues to enjoy competitive success, as well as success in the classroom and in our communities. We welcome you into the house that is Conference USA. Our house is built on a solid foundation of competition, tradition, education and sportsmanship and in it you will find the cornerstones: smart athletes and strong students. C-USA championship events are the highlight of every season - an opportunity to enjoy the outstanding talents and abilities of our athletic programs, as well as appreciate the competitive spirit of all of our student• athletes and coaches. Congratulations to all of the coaches and student• athletes who will compete for the C-USA baseball championship title. We would like to extend sincere thanks to Southern Miss, who along with the championship committee, has worked hard in preparation for this event. The league also appreciates the support from our fans across the country. On behalf of everyone involved with Conference USA, I hope you have a wonderful rime in Hattiesburg. Sincerely, ~!~ Cornrnissioner Aubrey Keith Lucas Administration Building 2 // 2009 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ·""~ .. :· Be there far the next big moment. Whether it's cheering for your school as it brings home a championship, being there as a friend wins an unforgettable match, or watching a family member walk across the graduation stage, big moments happen every day in Conference USA. Don't miss a minute of it. To get the full story behind each of these big moments, go to ConferenceUSA.com. E<USA~ TRADITION LIVES HERE CONFERENCE USA C-US C:OMPEll'::":O LIVES HERE field as well. In 13 years, 118 studenr-arhleres W cl come to Conference L; SA, home to 12 Men's Basketball earned national f:'Sl'N The Magazine nationally prominent, tradition-rich members • Consistently rated as one of the top Academic All-America honors, while 405 were 111 East Carolina, Houston. Marshall, basketball leagues in the country named All-District. In addition, more than Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, • One of IO NCAA Division I conferences 17,000 student-athletes have been named to Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UC:F and L'TEP. This that welcomed more than one million the Commissioner's Honor Roll or received combination enhances men's and women's fans in 2007-08 the Commissioner's Academic Medal. programs that are steeped in athletic success • 78 postsl'ason reams (42 NCAA, 3.3 NIT indicative of outstanding achievement in the and academic prowess. Together, we arc and 3 CBI) classroom. committed to excellence, integrity and • Three Final Four teams leadership in athletics, academics and in our • National championship title game in C-USA ON TV communities. Dedication to excellence is a 2008 C-L:SA enJO\"S significanr television common thread for C-USA and rhe guiding • Seven Ll in- Eight NCAA tournament exposure through its partnerships with ESPN initiative for the league's promising future. teams Inc. and C:BS College Sports Television All C-USA institutions sponsor Division I • One NIT champion and four NIT semi• Networks (formerly CSTV). The league football in rhe Football Bowl Subdivision, finalists entered into long-term agreeml'nts with both along with several other men's and women's • Inaugural C:BI champion ESPN and CBS College Sporrs, which, athletics programs, many of which compete combined, provides C-USA with significant regularly for NCAA championships. C-USA Women's Basketball national and regional exposure for football, sponsors I 'J sports - nine for men (baseball. • 42 NCAA tournament appl'arances men's and women's basketball, and all other basketball, cross country, football, golf, • 2') WNIT appearances conference sports. Additionally, the CBS soccer, tennis and indoor and outdoor track • One team in the NCAA Sweet 16 ( :olkge Sports agreemenr includes video-on• and field) and IO for women (basketball, cross • Two WNIT semifinalists demand, Internet, broadband, national over• country, golf, softball, soccer, swimming and r hc-a ir and satellite radio, and wireless diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and Baseball distribution as well as corporate marketing field and volleyball). • 44 NCAA appearances rights, and Web site production through The league sponsors numerous academic • Five College World Series appearances C:STV.com, part of C:BS College Sports. The awards, including the Commissioner's Honor (2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2001) agreement wirh ESPN extends the Roll and the Comm isxionc rs Academic • IO Super Regional appearances conference's current regular-season football Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement • Has produced ar least four NCAA teams package to include the broadcast of the in the classroom. C:-USA annually awards up in each of the last seven seasons Conference USA Football Championship to 12 post-graduate scholarships, along with Game. It also encompasses distribution of the Sport Academic Award, Scholar Athletes In addition, 32 volleyball teams, 46 men s men's basketball and women's basketball on of the Year and the Institutional Academic and women's soccer teams and 21 softball ESPN/ESI'N2 and both C-USA tournament Excellence Award. reams have earned NCAA tournament bids. championship games. C:-CSA has xcnr three men's soccer teams to SUCCES::: UN THE PL G the NCAA College Cup, five softball teams to C-USA YN THE COMMUNITY FIELD the Women's College World Series and three The conference's footprint is concentrated Conference USA performers have achieved volleyball teams to the Sweet I h. The league with 12 members in nine statl's and a great success in competition, placing the has also had four national champions in combined area population of nearly 17 league among the top conferences in the NCAA track and field co m pcr ir i o n , one million, More than l, I million living alumni nation. national champion in diving and numerous represent C:-USA schools across the nation. NCAA individual and team competitors in Wirh a renewed commitment to community Football cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and involvement, the conference has begun • Rared among the top seven conferences track and field. Overall, Conference USA development of several initiatives to maintain in the nation reams and individuals have made more than strong ties in C:-USA cities, as well as with • 50 teams have earned bowl bids 500 NCAA appearances. fans and alumni across the coururv. C-LJSA • Member of the Bowl Championship schools also place a priority on giving back to Series (BCS) SUCCESS ON THE FIELD their communities through volunteer service • Bowl tie-ins with the AutoZone Liberrv C-USA institutions are among the nation's with local and national organizations. Bowl, GMAC Bowl, Bell Helicopter best in academic performance among student• Armed Forces Bowl, St. Petersburg athletes. bolstered by the facr that student• GOVERNANCE Bowl. R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl ar hlcres at league schools have a higher Along with the AC:C, Big East, Big Ten, Big and Texas Bowl graduation rate rhan the general student 12, Pac-IO and SEC, Conference USA is one of population. Among C:-USA's 5,000 student• the seven conferences having significant athletes, there are champions off the playing representation 111 the NCAA governance 4 // 2009 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP -! · .. - CONFERENCE USA C- s co ~VES structure. The Presidents of the member Tulane, UAB and USF. Eleven of the ( 1999) for all sports and they began institutions serve as the lcagues Board of institutions began athletics participation in competition in 2001.