Spring sports roundup
You know that annoying ‘In case you missed it’ feature on Twitter? The one that shows you a tweet you already saw 21 hours ago but Twitter feels you need to see it again for some odd reason? It’s hardly ever a tweet you actually missed, or if it is, it’s a tweet you hoped to high heaven that you did. In short, it sucks. But we’re going to fix it.
It’s summer and, let’s be honest, you’re more worried with either forgetting that Fall semester starts in 11 weeks or working your butt off enough during those 11 weeks to pay for it. As such, news sometimes passes you by without you even noticing. That is what an ‘In case you missed it’ feature should really be and that is what this is. Here’s what you missed over the past few weeks.
Softball
FINAL. AGGIES!! #AggiesAllTheWay #LightTheABlue pic.twitter.com/rWnQ8Mx2Fp
— USU Softball (@USUSoftball) May 16, 2017
While the Aggies were left out of the Women’s College World Series, USU did accept an invitation to the National Invitational Softball Championships. In an opening match, the Aggies dominated San Diego 8-0 in a five-inning game. The momentum quickly ceased, however, as Utah State was eliminated from the tournament in a single day after a 2-0 loss to Weber State and 10-2 loss at the hands of Boise State. Despite finishing the season only 1-7, the Aggies’ record of 33-18 was USU’s highest winning percentage since 1993. After upping their win total for the fourth year in a row, the team will look to continue its string of improvement and continue to chase the program’s first conference championship in over 20 years.
Track & Field
ICYMI, we crowned 1 first-team All-American and 2 second-team All-Americans last night in Eugene! | https://t.co/T6LTI3ARf1 #AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/xGQvg4EExd
— USU T&F/XC (@USUTF_XC) June 8, 2017
Congratulations to our 18 of student-athletes who qualified for the NCAA West Prelims! https://t.co/7O2ThQmB2a#AggiesAllTheWay pic.twitter.com/W1XNP2PdhN
— USU T&F/XC (@USUTF_XC) May 18, 2017
So much has stuff has happened for USU Track & Field over the past month that it feels criminal trying to narrow all of their accomplishments down to a single paragraph. Utah State finished third in men’s team competition at the MW championships while the women placed eighth. A total of 18 Aggies qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, with four advancing to the NCAA Finals held in Eugene, Oregon. Senior AJ Boully and junior Clay Lambourne both qualified as second-team All Americans in the 400 meters hurdles and 800 meters, respectively. Sindri Gudmundsson made first-team All American by placing sixth in the javelin with a 73.28 meter throw. On the women’s side, Brenn Flint placed 23rd in the shot put with a 14.6 meter throw of her own.
Baseball
Your Utah State Aggies are headed to nationals! With a 4-3 win over Western Washington yesterday, we are making… https://t.co/AmRsqMhsBZ
— Utah State Baseball (@USUBaseball) May 15, 2017
The NCBA National Champions of 2012 and 2014 gave the title another chase, but ultimately fell short, coming within three games of the championship round. The Aggies swept through the NoPac Regional Tournament, defeating Western Washington 11-7, Gonzaga 9-1, and a rematch with Western Washington 4-3. In the NCBA World Series, USU lost in the opening round to Nevada 6-3, pushing them over to the consolation ladder. The Aggies rebounded, defeating Michigan State 9-8, but a second defeat to Nevada, 10-4, bounced Utah State out of the tournament.
Men’s Tennis
THE @ITA_Tennis Kick Off Weekend has been set. We'll compete on January 28th at 10am MT #AggiesAllTheWay 🐮🎾 pic.twitter.com/femHoVsLdm
— USU Men's Tennis (@USUMensTennis) June 8, 2017
Ben Mullis Named ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year
RELEASE >>> https://t.co/LyFOQPRf6H pic.twitter.com/6PwltEOVwD
— USU Men's Tennis (@USUMensTennis) May 16, 2017
We last left the men’s tennis team after their first appearance in the NCAA tournament ended in the first round versus Northwestern. Despite the loss, the season was unequivocally the Aggies’ best ever, with a number of accolades and awards to show for it. USU assistant coach Ben Mullis was named the Assistant Coach of the Year for the ITA Mountain region. USU has already been hard at work already prepping for next season. Four new recruits have already signed with the team, including Jose Carvajal, the top-ranked Columbian in the U12, U14, U16, and U18 ranks, and Valdemar Holm, who has gone an unblemished 12-0 while playing for the Swedish national team. Aditya Vashistha from India and Felipe Acosta of Argentina also signed with the team. Utah State will have their mettle tested early, as the Aggies will again participate in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in a tournament featuring No. 33 UCF, No. 5 UCLA, and UC Davis.