OK, so I haven't been blogging much lately. To be fair, though, there hasn't been a whole lot for me to talk about - all of the Abilene schools are done with pretty much everything other than Wylie baseball, which I figure is a lock to play in the championship game in Round Rock next week.

One thing that is news, though, is that Dave Campbell's will be hitting the stands soon, which I know is big news for the Big Country and, well, pretty much the entire state. I talked with Jake Shaw over there today, and the last batch of stuff will get to the printer tomorrow morning and the magazine will, hopefully, hit the stores on Monday, June 11.

I didn't ask him - and I couldn't tell you even if I knew - but it'll be interesting to see who makes the cover. My money is on Colt McCoy, which would make him a back-to-back cover guy. He was on there last year (see above and left) as a small shot in the upper right corner.

I wrote the Lone Star Conference preview again this year so be sure to check that out ... but I also wrote one of the cover boy features for the high school section. I promised Jake I wouldn't spill just which one of our Big Country athletes is featured, but he's going to be a big-time player this year and has a great story which, I hope, I told well.

I ought to be getting a copy in the mail a few days before it shows up in the stores. And that should be close enough to release date for me to share a few things with those interested.

(And while I know that no one ever leaves me a comment ... who do you think should/will be on this year's cover?)

Posted by · May 30, 2007 10:24 PM · Comments (0)

Crane's Chad Aguilar won the 2A pole vault in Austin by more than a foot and finished third in the 110 hurdles.

Why do Abilene fans care, you ask? Chad, the younger brother of former ACU vaulter Cory Aguilar (and brother-in-law of national PV champ Angie Aguilar) signed to compete for the Wildcats next season.

EDIT: Nick Jones out of Amarillo Tascosa won the shot put today in Austin as well. He, too, is signed with ACU for both track and football.

Posted by · May 12, 2007 5:51 PM · Comments (0)

This is from Jim Vertuno of Texas AP ... just thought I'd pass it along.

Athletes who want to watch their race or families who just want to see a gold-medal performance all over again can view archived video on the University Interscholastic League web site: www.uil.utexas.edu.

Every race at this year’s meet was taped and put on the site’s track link for the first time, UIL spokeswoman Kim Rogers said.

“It gives the kids a chance to look at their race. And in case somebody couldn’t come to the meet, it gives family members a chance to see it as well,” Rogers said.

The league is also trying to produce as much archival material as possible to prepare for the UIL centennial anniversary in 2010.

Posted by · May 12, 2007 4:29 PM · Comments (0)

Well, five days, 11 games and a lot of baseball ... that's been my life so far this week ... and I'm done with baseball for just a while now, I think.

Even with the loss, ACU has got a great shot at a regional berth, I think, as the Cats were moved up to No. 3 in the region before today's game. The only other team, I think, that could bump them out of the last at-large berth would be Montevallo, but that's a team that got run-ruled in the Gulf South tourney and finished it 1-2. That and the Wildcats have six more wins in-region than any other team should give them the upper hand.

The frustrating thing for ACU fans, though, is that with a win the team may have moved up to No. 2 in the region and had a shot to host the regional again.

We'll know late Sunday night if they're in or not, and I'll let you know when I do.

As a side note, what a fantastic job by Brandon Stover and the grounds crew out at Crutcher-Scott ... I hear Stover slept at the field last night, working it between storms. Fans showing up for today's game would never have known just how wet the field was last night.

Coach Bonneau said following the game that, had it been held anywhere else, the tournament would never have been completed. I agree, and that speaks highly for the crew, the field and the administration that has allowed ACU to put together such a nice facility.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 3:45 PM · Comments (0)

3-1

Posted by · May 9, 2007 1:09 PM · Comments (0)

Allen Smith connects for his second dinger of the season and ACU is to within two, 3-1.

The Cats had two runners on with a chance to pull ahead, but the Rams got out of it with a strikeout for the third out of the 8th.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 12:56 PM · Comments (0)

ACU's first hit of the day - a double by DH J.J. Pacheco - went for naught as the Rams ended the frame on a quick double play. Rams still leading, 3-0.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 12:29 PM · Comments (0)

That's pretty much all I had to say ... no matter how well Wiman pitches in this one, he's going to have to get a little support, and so far all he's getting are a bunch of pop-ups and ground-outs.

Oh, and Angelo scored again. 3-0 Rams.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 12:10 PM · Comments (0)

An RBI single up the middle in the top of the fifth just made Angelo’s lead 2-0.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 12:02 PM · Comments (0)

A pair of doubles in the top of the third have given Angelo a 1-0 lead, but Wiman is still looking strong.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 11:40 AM · Comments (0)

We're now in Day 5 of a four-day tournament ... the LSC baseball champ will be decided today, though, on the field - barring yet another rain delay.

Chris Wiman, who already won one game this series for the Wildcats, is on the mound for ACU and looks sharp - he just struck out his second batter of the inning. As long as he stays on it, ACU ought to have a fantastic chance to win this thing - especially if they can get into the sixth or seventh with a fresh Jameson Maj waiting.

Posted by · May 9, 2007 11:06 AM · Comments (0)

Well, it's official. No baseball tonight.

The coaches will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday to determine if the game can start at 11 a.m.

Posted by · May 8, 2007 9:07 PM · Comments (0)

Sorry about the delay, but the coaches are wanting to wait until it stops raining before taking the tarp off the field to see what type of condition the field is in.

It doesn't look too good as there is already standing water in shallow left field.

However, ASU wants to play so that they can have a shot at making the regional tournament. If the tournament is not complete by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night, then the champion is the top remaining seed, which would be ACU.

I'll keep you guys posted as we find stuff out tonight.

Posted by · May 8, 2007 8:50 PM · Comments (0)

It's still raining.

I'm planning on Game 11 of the LSC tournament being played tomorrow.

That's all for now.

Posted by · May 8, 2007 6:55 PM · Comments (0)

The decision right now is to wait until 8 p.m. to make the decision ... I'll tell ya right now that ol Crutcher-Scott is getting clobbered pretty good, though, and odds are this thing will have to be finished out tomorrow - if that changes, I'll let ya know.

Posted by · May 8, 2007 6:24 PM · Comments (0)

There's a huge storm system headed this way, and we're gonna get nailed.

The tarp is on the field and I'd guess we're about 45 minutes from this thing hitting ... the perfect plan is for them to play at 6, but it's not gonna happen. Problem is that these kids all have finals, so they want to get it in tonight ... I'm just not sure I see that happening ...

Posted by · May 8, 2007 5:03 PM · Comments (0)

We're finally back up and going here ... there was a light drizzle here at Crutcher-Scott that finally turned into a full-blown rain storm at 2:12. The grounds crew quickly got the tarp out and, once the skies cleared, the tarp came off.

The crew began to ready the field for play and, just as they were about ready to go, the rain came again. This time the delay was significant.

We just got started here, though, after almost two hours, and the Wildcats - trailing 5-0 after a rough start - pushed in a pair in the top of the sixth to get a little life back in the ACU dugout.

Posted by · May 8, 2007 4:10 PM · Comments (0)

I’ve officially decided who will be getting the Fan of the Tournament award and this thing isn’t even three days finished.

The choice is easy - I’d actually decided yesterday. ACU catcher Alec Soward’s grandma takes it in a landslide. While walking in to purchase her tournament pass, she took a hard spill. Then, on Sunday, while she was sitting in the stands for the day’s first game she took a hard foul ball right in the stomach.

I fully expected to see her in the training room icing down after the Wildcat win Sunday night, but she took it like a champ and was back in the stands today to see Sowards and the rest of the team take another win.

She was safely behind the netting this time - and I don’t blame her one bit.

Congratulations, Grandma Sowards. You earned it.

Posted by · May 7, 2007 5:06 PM · Comments (0)

Well, if you haven’t been out at Crutcher-Scott Field the last few days, you’ve been missing out on some fantastic baseball - much of it played by the ACU Wildcats.

The ACU pitching staff, as good as it’s been through the rest of the season, has been incredible in the team’s three games at the Lone Star Conference Postseason Baseball Tournament. Through 25 innings of play the Wildcats have earned two shutouts, surrendering a combined two runs on nine hits, walking nine and striking out 20. Yeah - that’s pretty good. And it’s the biggest reason the Wildcats will be playing in tomorrow’s championship game.

ACU’s opponent will either be Angelo State (currently throttling A&M-Kingsville 12-3) or Central Oklahoma. Those two will play tonight at 7 with the winner moving on. That team, then, will have to beat the Wildcats twice in order to take the championship away from Abilene.

Of course the infield defense has figured into the outcomes here as well, and there have been some great plays all around. Freshman shortstop William Uechi has been automatic (there’s a reason he was voted as the division’s freshman of the year) and senior Alec Sowards has been great behind the plate. Sowards was moved to catcher, in large part, to enable coach Britt Bonneau to shift a few others on defense, strengthening the right field play with normal catcher Jordan Schmitt. Trey Watten, then, was moved to third base so his arm could be saved for his pitching appearance today, and it worked as he wound up picking his 10th win of the season in a stellar performance.

Bonneau wasn’t entirely sure who he would pitch in tomorrow’s championship game, but anyone other than Watten is a possibility. I expect to see lefty Matt Davis. A juco transfer out of California, Davis is 5-2 on the season with a 4.75 ERA. The second-best option would probably be hometown sophomore righthander Matt Sullivan (2-1 with a 4.54 ERA). Chris Wiman, the Game 1 winner, will also be rested enough to play if needed, but I would imagine Bonneau goes with the fresh Davis.

Posted by · May 7, 2007 3:59 PM · Comments (0)

Well, it's been a bit since I last posted, but I do have a good excuse - my laptop is officially dead. It's sort of been on life support for a while, but now I've got nothing. The warranty ought to come in handy, but it will take an annoyingly long time before I get it back, I'm sure.

I did want to pass along one note on the upcoming Lone Star Conference track and field championships, though. The meet is being held in Commerce, and the school will be posting results online.

In order to track the Wildcats, click here.

Posted by · May 3, 2007 4:11 PM · Comments (0)