MIAMI (AP) —Dwyane Wade wanted to play in the All-Star Game and wants to be as healthy as possible for the stretch run of the season.
So playing this weekend was deemed an unneeded risk.
The Miami Heat guard announced Tuesday he will not play in the NBA’s midseason showcase, a decision made in an abundance of caution as he continues recovering from his latest hamstring injury. Wade has missed Miami’s last six games and will remain inactive when the Heat close their pre-All-Star schedule in Cleveland on Wednesday night.
“I felt like this was best,” Wade said. “I wasn’t going to play much either way. I think with the circumstances, I think the smartest thing to do is let someone else come in and really enjoy the All-Star experience. … I think I owe it to the Heat fans to at least play in a Heat jersey first than go out there in the All-Star Game and play a couple minutes.”
Later Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed that Atlanta’s Kyle Korver will be Wade’s replacement on the Eastern Conference roster. Wade said he thought Milwaukee’s Brandon Knight, who was born in Miami, would have been a fitting choice.
“I think it’d be fitting for a Miami guy to take an honorary Miami guy’s spot,” Wade said of Knight. “He’s done a great job of leading that team.”
Korver, who was All-Star weekend bound anyway for the 3-point contest, is the record-tying fourth Atlanta player on the East roster. The Hawks are the runaway leaders in the East.
Wade will still go to New York for All-Star weekend, with a number of events planned with business partners including Stance, Li Ning and Hublot. Also on Wade’s schedule: He’ll host an exclusive spades tournament for NBA players and celebrities, plus a bowling event to raise funds for Game Changer, a sports program created by his Wade’s World Foundation and Sandals Foundation to assist youth in underserved communities.
There will also be league matters to tend to, with Wade committed to attend the NBA Players Association meeting.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Charles Tucker was named Adidas OVC Freshman of the Week after helping the Tennessee State University men’s basketball team to two-straight conference victories, Monday.
Tucker scored 23 total points (11.5 per game), grabbed seven rebounds (3.5 per game), and dished out three total assists (1.5 per game). The Lansing, Mich. native shot 60 percent (6-for-10) from the floor for the week and 75 percent (9-for-12) from the charity stripe.
With his help, TSU completed a come-from-behind win against Jacksonville State on Saturday. He scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had an assist compared to no turnovers for the game.
He scored 11 while getting three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the win over Tennessee Tech on Thursday.
Nationally broadcast games include Saturday SWAC Showdown at Texas Southern
MONTGOMERY – Alabama State University Athletics and the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) have extended its broadcast partnership which began during the fall of 2014.
Select Alabama State University basketball, baseball, and softball contests will be broadcast on HSRN platforms, including HSRN.com and the HSRN mobile app, as well as over-the-air radio affiliates in more than 20 cities nationwide, and on all tablets, Xbox, PlayStation and Wii devices.
The upcoming national broadcast schedule for ASU Athletics include Saturday’s SWAC men’s basketball showdown between first place Alabama State and second place Texas Southern, along with the softball season opener vs. Buffalo, and the baseball season opener vs. #12 Louisville. Fri. Feb.6
Softball vs. Buffalo in Troy Tournament – Noon Mon. Feb.9
Basketball DH vs. Miss.Valley St. – 5:30/ 7:30 p.m. Fri. Feb.13
Baseball vs. #12 Louisville in South Florida Tournament – 2 p.m. Sat. Feb. 14
Men’s Basketball vs. Alabama A&M – 5 p.m. Mon. March 2
Basketball DH vs. Prairie View – 5:30/7:30 p.m.
All Hornet basketball games will continue to be produced by Hornet Sports Productions and broadcast online free of charge at bamastatesports.com/showcase and are also available on the free Alabama State Athletics mobile app for Droid and IPhone devices and tablets. Select softball and baseball games will be broadcast on the ASU Athletics platforms.
Already during the HSRN partnership, eight Hornet contests (four football games, four basketball games) have been broadcast nationwide.
TROY – Western Kentucky used a nine-run first inning and that was all the scoring as the Lady Toppers defeated Alabama State 9-0 in five innings on Sunday for the final game of the Troy Chick-Fil-A Invitational.
The Lady Hornets (1-4) were able to hold the score after the first inning, however, with some solid work from relief pitcher Melissa Christmann, who held the Lady Toppers scoreless in three innings of work.
Christmann struck out two, walked just one and allowed three hits.
She threw 41 pitches with 25 accounting for strikes.
Preslie Cruce gave WKU a 2-0 lead on a two-run home run to left-center field. Hannah Parker, Shawna Sadler and Dani Pugh each had RBI singles in the inning for the Lady Toppers (4-1).
One day after throwing a no-hitter against Troy, Western Kentucky pitcher Miranda Kramer was tough to hit as she allowed just two hits on singles by Valerie Centeno and Kendall Core.
Kramer struck out eight and walked none.
ASU will next travel to Monroe, La. to take part in the University of Louisiana-Monroe Tournament.
The Lady Hornets will play Southeast Missouri State Friday at 2 p.m. followed by a game against Louisiana-Monroe upon the conclusion of the first game at the ULM Softball Complex.
Tourney play will continue Saturday with games against SE Missouri State at 9 a.m. followed by another game against Louisiana-Monroe. Both games are scheduled to be played at the ULM Softball Complex.
MOBILE, Ala. – The Alabama State University men’s tennis team traveled to Mobile to face undefeated University of South Alabama. The Hornets played the Jaguars hard before falling 7-0.
“This was a really good South Alabama team we played today,” Head Coach Anuk Christiansz said. “They are an established program and again, these are the types of matches that are making us a better team down the road when conference matches come around.
“I continue to be pleased with the way the guys compete. They played with a lot of excitement and really pulled and fought for each other on the court.”
The Hornets once again took the doubles point down to the wire losing two of the games 7-5 at one and two doubles. In singles play, the Hornets were again competitive as Karlo Skovrc went three sets before losing and Ronald Mataba, Jarred Thompson and Digvijay Naruka played competitive matches.
At two singles Takura Mlambo faced the NCAA’s 71st ranked player in Daniel Leitner and pushed him to the limit in a 6-4 opening game score before falling. Leitner was then able to close out the set with a 6-2 win in the second set.
“As happy as I am with the way we competed we still have a ways to go,” Christiansz said. “We had our chances. We could have easily won the doubles point and we had several chances in singles play to pull out a win. We are still having problems closing out games, but we will keep working at it.
ASU will begin a three-match home stand Friday when they host North Alabama in a double-header match with the women. The matches are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the Olean Black Underwood Tennis Center.
South Alabama 7, Alabama State 0 Feb 10, 2015 at Mobile, Ala. (Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts)
Singles Competition
1. Srkala, Tim (USA) def. Patrik Cvik (ALST) 6-0, 6-2
2. Leitner, Daniel (USA) def. Takura Mlambo (ALST) 6-4, 6-1
3. Jacobs, Tuki (USA) def. Ronald Mataba (ALST) 7-5, 6-0
4. Gruindelingh, G. (USA) def. Karlo Skovrc (ALST) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-2)
5. Gingras, Olivier (USA) def. Jarred Thompson (ALST) 6-2, 6-3
6. Troglia, Juan (USA) def. Digvijay Singh Naruka (ALST) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles Competition
1. Srkala, Tim/Troglia, Juan (USA) def. Patrik Cvik/Digvijay Singh Naruka (ALST) 7-5
2. Leitner, Daniel/Jacobs, Tuki (USA) def. Takura Mlambo/Karlo Skovrc (ALST) 7-5
3. Gruindelingh, G./Gingras, Olivier (USA) def. Ronald Mataba/Adam Coyne (ALST) 6-2
Match Notes
Alabama State 0-4
South Alabama 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,2,6,5,3,4)
The Southwestern Athletic Conference’s softball Preseason Poll and Preseason All-Conference selections were released from the home office in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Alabama State was honored with four selections to the SWAC All-Conference Preseason teams including a Player of the Year selection, a First-Team selection and two Second-Team nods.
The Lady Hornets were also predicted to finish in third place in the East Division by gaining 44 votes in the poll with two, first-place votes.
The polls are based on SWAC head coaches and sports information directors in an annual voting process where points are awarded based on top selections. Aleesa Yanez, a junior from Ventura, Calif., was named the SWAC Preseason Player of the Year. The catcher hit .385 with three home runs, 35 RBI and five stolen bases and led the conference in runners picked off with four and threw out 15 base runners attempting to steal.
Sophomore Kendall Core earned an automatic bid to the All-Conference First Team in the third baseman position as finishing out the 2014 season with the selection. Returning players with an All-Conference selection in the previous season are rolled over to the following season. Core hit .354 with 10 doubles, six home runs and 32 RBI.
Each of the Lady Hornets’ Second-Team selections earned their first recognition by the conference. Junior Melissa Christmann was named to the All-SWAC Second Team as a pitcher while Valerie Centeno was named to the team as an outfielder.
Christmann led ASU in innings pitched (110.2), wins (eight), strikeouts (66) and complete games (four). She was second on the team in ERA (5.19). Centeno started in all 42 games last season and hit .316 with 30 runs scored, 18 RBI and eight stolen bases. She had a .953 fielding percentage and also recorded a 4.83 ERA on the mound with 14 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched.
Mississippi Valley State was projected to win the Eastern Division title – recording its fourth consecutive prediction win. The defending champion, Texas Southern, was selected to win the Western Division title.
MVSU’s conference performance in the 2014 season allowed it to receive six, first-place votes with a total of 55 points in the poll. Valley’s loss in last season’s SWAC Softball Tournament Championship game, against TSU, ended its SWAC title winning streak and chances of making its ninth NCAA appearance.
Like last season, Jackson State collected enough votes to land a second-place position in the East with five, first-place votes and a total of 54 points in the poll.
Alabama A&M and Alcorn State registered fourth and fifth positions in the division – both with no first-place votes, but holding 25 and 17 points, respectively.
In the West, Texas Southern picked up 92 percent of the first-place votes (12) with 64 total poll points. TSU also enters the season with an individual honor under its belt as Samantha Jimenez received the preseason Pitcher of the Year award.
Prairie View A&M tallied 38 total poll points, making them second in the West, while Southern was recognized with one first-place vote, 37 total points and a third-place finish. Grambling State (32 points) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (24 points) placed fourth and fifth in the division with no first-place votes, respectively.
The 2015 softball season is upon us as Alabama State will welcome in many changes with fresh faces to both the roster and coaching staff.
The re-energized Lady Hornets squad will feature nine new players for the 22 available roster spots and three new coaches to its staff.
Alabama State will have experience where it matters though. Of the 13 returning players, seven positional players appeared in at least 34 games last season. Additionally, all four players who pitched last season were retained.
Lady Hornets head softball coach Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson will make her debut at the helm after spending the previous six seasons in leading highly successful Auburn-Montgomery teams.
Steiner-Wilcoxson led the Warhawks to national prominence with three consecutive NAIA Tournament appearances and the school’s first national championship in 2014. Winning was something that she did a lot of as AUM won at least 30 games in each season, including at least 40 wins in her last three seasons.
ASU is coming off the heels of a season in which it went 17-25 overall, but held an 11-6 inside SWAC conference play to earn a No. 2 seed in the SWAC East Division behind top-seeded Jackson State (28-29 overall, 16-1 SWAC).
The Lady Hornets were defeated on day two of the SWAC Tournament after being nipped by the West Division No. 3 seed Prairie View A&M 3-2.
2015 Schedule
The Lady Hornets are scheduled to compete in five tournaments, one invitational and the SWAC Round-Up this season.
It will be tournament-heavy at the beginning with dates set at the Troy Tournament in Troy, Ala. from Feb. 6-8, the University of Louisiana-Monroe Tournament from Feb. 13-14, the Samford Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. from Feb. 20-22, the Stetson Tournament in Deland, Fla. from Feb. 27-March 1, the Tiny Laster Invitational in Birmingham from March 6-8, the SWAC Round-Up in Longview, Texas, from March 20-22 and the SWAC Tournament from May 6-9 in Decatur, Ala. Position breakdown Outfield: Jenna Mae Thorne, Valerie Centeno, Britney Wilson, Alexis Johnson, Rachel Mills, Raven Walker, Diauna Nelson, Tacresha Favors.
Thorne returns after a one-year absence from playing the game. The junior was a two-time First Team All-American at Sierra College and hit .444 with eight triples, six home runs and 45 RBI to garner Big 8 Conference Player of the Year honors in 2013. Thorne sports one of the best arms on the team, bats left and offers up plenty of speed in the field and on the base paths.
Centeno is a returning starter who played all three outfield positions, second base and pitched. The versatile sophomore batted .316, scored 30 runs and was a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts. Centeno covers a lot of ground in the field and sported a .953 fielding percentage.
Wilson split much of her time last season between center field and right field. The sophomore is aggressive and is said by coach Steiner-Wilcoxson to “play with no fear.” As a good hustle player, her work ethic is contagious to the rest of the team.
Johnson is one of five players who joined the Lady Hornets after helping Sierra College win the California Community College Athletic Association Championship in 2014. A.J. provided some pop at that level with seven home runs and drove in 37 runs. The junior also showed good plate discipline with a .405 on-base percentage.
Mills is a two-year letterman who can play multiple positions. In 2014, Mills was used mainly as a pitcher, but spent more time as an outfielder in 2013. She provides outfield depth and pitching insurance with three complete games and a combined shutout under her belt last season.
Walker made waves in her limited time at the plate by batting .524 (11-for-21) with nine runs scored, three RBI and a perfect 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts.
Nelson is a sophomore, who played in 34 games, and had a team-high seven sacrifice hits.
Favors has plus speed with six stolen bases in seven attempts and hit .462 (6-for-13) in limited action.
Third base: Kendall Core, Perry Hindi, Yvette Ducoing.
Core got off to a rousing start as a freshman by earning a SWAC All-Conference First Team nod after hitting
.354 (44-for-124) with 10 doubles, six home runs, 32 RBI and 18 runs scored. She started in all 42 games and enjoys being a leader on the team. Durability and focus have been two of her strong points.
Hindi is a newcomer from Cleveland State Community College (Tenn.) with local roots tied to being a Prattville native. The sophomore can slide around position-wise by being a solid utility option at either catcher, either of the infield positions or even the outfield. Hindi has some power with eight home runs and 49 RBI in 48 games played last season.
Ducoing is the lone senior on the squad, offering up the most experience in the current ASU program. Ducoing hit .271 (16-for-59) with three doubles, nine RBIs and 12 runs scored as a part-time player.
Shortstop: Laura Aguilar, Kaylee Davis, Perry Hindi
Aguilar started the most games at shortstop with 21 in 2014. Coach Steiner-Wilcoxson described her as “tough with a big heart” and a player who goes all out every time she’s on the field.
Davis is one of two freshmen on the team. The Woodland High School alum was a Second-Team All-Conference selection and team captain for the All-American Team Mizuno Gold squad of Sacramento, Calif.
Second base: Jazzmin Romero, Chelsea Rivera
Romero was the usual everyday starting second baseman with 31 starts at the position and played in every game. The sophomore recorded a .308 batting average (36-for-117) with 12 doubles and 23 runs scored. She was a slick fielder as well with a 953 fielding percentage.
Rivera has been competitive in practice and is a player who is not afraid of the big moments. The junior scored the winning run in the helping Sierra College defeat Mt. San Antonio College 6-5 to claim the CCAAC championship last spring.
First base: Carly Evans, Shelby Holley, Yvette Ducoing
Evans is another addition from the championship Sierra College squad. The junior was a Big 8 All-Conference First Team selection as a catcher, but can also man the corner infield positions. Evans hit .369 (48-for-130) with 35 RBI and 37 runs scored. She also had one of the team’s best fielding percentages (.989).
Holley is a transfer from Chattahoochee Valley Community College. The Lady Hornets’ power hitter smacked 21 home runs and drove in 47 runs in 2014. Deemed as one of the most prolific power hitters in state history, Holley set the AHSAA and national records for home runs in a career and a single season with 78 dingers in her Pisgah High School career.
Catcher: Aleesa Yanez, Perry Hindi, Shelby Holley
Yanez comes off a decorated season behind the plate after hitting .385 (50-for-130) with three home runs and 35 RBI to go along with five stolen bases. Yanez excelled in big moments as she batted .404 (23-for-57) with runners in scoring position. Difficult to run on, Yanez threw out 15 base runners attempting to steal and picked off another four runners. Coach Steiner-Wilcoxson said Yanez is one of the hardest workers and most self-motivated players that she has ever coached.
Pitchers: Melissa Christmann, Maddie Phelps, Shantelle Smith, Chelsea King, Rachel Mills, Valerie Centeno
Christmann, a junior, returns as an ace pitcher with the most innings logged (110.2), wins (eight), strikeouts (66) and complete games (four) and second-best ERA (5.19) on the team.
Phelps joins the team after spending two seasons with Sierra College. She won a CCCAA championship and was a Big 8 All-Conference Second Team selection. In 16 appearances, Phelps went 10-0 with seven complete game, three shutouts and a 1.11 ERA.
Smith is a junior returner, who made eight starts with two complete games. Smith will be seeking to firm up one of the rotation spots.
King is a freshman from Bartow High School in Lakeland, Fla. She was a First and Second Team All-County selection during her high school career.
Centeno and Mills could be used as a spot starter or relief out of the bullpen. Centeno had the best ERA on the team last season (4.83) in 29 innings of work and struck out 14 batters. Mills picked up six victories and had 37 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched.
Outlook
The Lady Hornets should receive strong competition in its quest for an East Division crown from Mississippi Valley State, who reached the SWAC Championship game last season, and Jackson State, who went 16-1 in conference play.
ASU brings in a good mix of talented veterans and newcomers. The team has returning starters at catcher, third base, shortstop, second base, center field, right field and retained four of its pitchers. The Lady Hornets did lose power hitter Meagan Dixon (.476, 14 home runs, 52 RBI) to graduation, but should see enough improvement from the remainder of the roster to be a strong contender to win the East and make some noise come SWAC tournament time.
MONTGOMERY – Season tickets are on sale for the upcoming 2015 Alabama State Baseball season, a 24-game home slate at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
Current ASU season tickets holders in any sport can purchase tickets for just $50, while new season ticket holders can purchase tickets for $75. Single game tickets are only $5. All military personnel w/military ID can purchase four season tickets for $40, or single game tickets for $2 (limit 4). Baseball will open its home season February 21 in a 1 p.m. doubleheader against Florida A&M.
ASU softball will open its 13-game home schedule February 17 in a 4 p.m. doubleheader against Troy. All softball games are free.
For more details on this and other theme nights for all sports, visit bamastatesports.com/promotions. Baseball Ticketing Specials / Theme Nights Military Tickets – Single Game Tickets – $2 for every game (w/ ASU or military ID; limit 4); Season Tickets – 4 tickets for $40 (w/ ASU or military ID) Mid-Week Special – All tickets $2 for all mid-week games
Feb. 24 vs. South Alabama – 6 p.m.
Feb. 25 vs. UAB – 6 p.m.
March 3 vs. Troy – 6 p.m.
March 18 vs. Jacksonville St. – 6 p.m.
March 24 vs. Samford – 6 p.m.
April 7 vs. Jacksonville St. – 6 p.m. Sunday – Kids Day / Run The Bases
All kids ages 12 and under – $1 admission (w/parent); run bases after the game
Feb. 22 vs. Florida A&M – 1 p.m.
March 22 vs. Alabama A&M – 1 p.m.
March 29 vs. Jackson St. – 1 p.m.
April 12 vs. Miss. Valley St. – 1 p.m.
April 19 vs. Alcorn St. – 1 p.m. Alumni Weekend
March 21 vs. Alabama A&M (DH) – 1 p.m. All former players who attend reception admitted free Military Weekend
All military personnel admitted free w/military ID (up to 4 people)
March 28 vs. Jackson St. (DH) – 1 p.m.
March 29 vs. Jackson St. – 1 p.m. Friday Night Live – All tickets $2
April 3 vs. Savannah St.– 6 p.m. Senior Day
Baseball Seniors Honored – April 19 vs. Alcorn St. – 1 p.m.
Softball Theme Nights
Saturday – Kids Day / Run The Bases
Kids run bases after the game
March 14 vs. Northern Kentucky (DH) – 2 p.m.
April 18 vs. Alabama A&M (DH) – Noon
April 25 vs. Alcorn St. (DH) – 1 p.m. Friends And Family Day
March 14 vs. Northern Kentucky (DH) – 2 p.m. Military Appreciation Day – March 31 vs. Samford – 6 p.m. Youth Weekend – April 25 vs. Alcorn St. – 1 p.m.
Senior Day – Softball Seniors Honored
April 27 vs. Middle Tennessee St. – 5 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.– Better Basics, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit United Way agency dedicated to improving literacy through school-day, after school, and summer learning programs, offers a better way to spend Valentine’s Day with the Love for Literacy event. The event will be held on February 14, at Bridge Street Gallery at 213 Richard Arrington, Junior Boulevard South from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Schaeffer Eye Center is the presenting sponsor of the romantic event which features dinner, drinks, and dancing. There will also be a silent auction where the attendees can find wonderful gifts to give to their Valentines.
Tickets for the celebration event are $75 each. You may purchase tickets through the website, www.betterbasics.org. For questions, please email
sblank@betterbasics.org or call 205- 944-2928.
The proceeds from the Love for Literacy event will support Better Basics’ full range of literacy programs in area public schools. Last year, Better Basics served more than 25,000 students and gave away almost 45,000 books to children who might not otherwise have books in their homes.
“Better Basics is honored to have the support of people who are truly concerned about furthering literacy in our community,” said Karen Kapp, Executive Director of Better Basics. “By helping children develop a life-long love of reading, we truly can increase the high school graduation rate in Alabama, create a well-educated workforce, and decrease both the number of inmates in Alabama prisons and the number of welfare recipients,” said Kapp.
DALLAS — Promised Land®, a premium line of all natural dairy products, today announced the debut of its new Salted Caramel Latte flavored milk, available at retailers from February – April 2015.
Salted Caramel Latte, the first of three brand new limited time flavors to launch in 2015, features the flavors of rich caramel swirled into a café-style latte, topped with a pinch of gourmet salt and blended with Promised Land’s rich, wholesome Jersey milk.
“We are excited to share our indulgent new Salted Caramel Latte flavor with Promised Land fans,” said Allen Spence, director of marketing at Promised Land Dairy. “Our fans – or ‘Moo Crew’ – are our primary focus, and we love surprising them with new flavors we’ve spent time perfecting. We’re proud to have three exciting additions in store for this year.”
Promised Land is currently available in 5,424 retail stores across 32 states, and has recently expanded into Walmart stores throughout Florida.
Promised Land’s array of products is comprised of white milks, creams and a variety of flavored milks. White milks include Homogenized Whole, Reduced Fat 2% and Fat Free. Promised Land’s core flavored milks include Midnight Chocolate and Very Berry Strawberry. Promised Land also offers seasonal flavors such as Egg Nog.
All Promised Land products come from pampered Jersey cows that produce naturally creamier, nutrient rich milk. Promised Land products are free of artificial hormones, like rBST and rGBH, artificial flavors and antibiotics.
