Hey, sports fans,
Once again, you’ll be getting a separate press release from me later tonight regarding our Roadrunner men’s basketball team. We’re in Hutchinson, Kansas for the NJCAA Division I National Tournament, and AC doesn’t tip off until 5:30 p.m. this evening against South Georgia State College. I’ll write and send from the facility to speed things up, and I’ll include game photos.
Another note: All the NJCAA Division I National Tournament games will air on ESPN+ except for the championship game, which will air on ESPNU.
It was certainly a hectic week, starting with last week’s “Watch Party” at which time the Roadrunners learned they’d earned the No. 12 seed in the national tournament. AC’s athletes spent the rest of the week running through some baseball and softball action.
Here’s a quick rundown of the week’s events, along with what’s coming up next:
Roadrunner Basketball Gets Sendoff to “Hutch”
The ‘Runners certainly drew attention all season, finishing the year with a No. 12 ranking and the nation’s No. 1 defensive unit. After Sunday’s watch party, all that remained was hitting the road.
Fans showed up on Thursday to send off the guys in style.
Angelina College hosted a “Sendoff” Thursday afternoon outside Shands Gymnasium, and the crowd featured students, faculty and staff alike. AC Board of Trustees member Joey Garza spoke, as did head coach J.J. Montgomery and Roadrunners Chris Carpenter and Kyle Morgan.
The team then boarded the bus to Kansas and received a police escort out of town.
Saturday in Wichita, AC president Dr. Michael Simon continued his tradition of taking Roadrunner and Lady Roadrunner national tourney participants out to dinner.
Should the ‘Runners handle South Georgia State College Sunday evening, the team will face No. 5 seed Jones College at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Again, all NJCAA National Championship Tournament games will air on ESPN+ except for the final, which will air on ESPNU.
Lady Roadrunner Softball Splits Conference Games
The Lady Roadrunners opened the week with a pair of tough losses at Blinn College, falling to the Lady Bucs 7-3 and 11-2 in Brenham.
AC’s ladies bounced back with a Saturday sweep in Beeville, taking both ends of the doubleheader against Coastal Bend Community College. Pitcher Madison Johnson threw a complete-game three-hitter, allowing just one unearned run. Elizabeth Craig drove in two of AC’s runs, while River Hulsey plated another one.
In the nightcap, Jessi Sumpter also tossed a gem in the circle, going the distance while allowing just one earned run.
Hulsey, Izzy Allen and Katherine Page each picked up a pair of RBI, while Craig, Emily Zunker, Emma Flayol and Kiersten Bradshaw also drove in runs.
Earlier, the Lady ‘Runners got the opportunity to meet with some of their fans, as a group of youngsters showed up for a meet-and-greet (complete with autograph signings) with their favorite players.
The Lady Roadrunners (12-22, 5-3) held onto their second-place position in the Region XIV South Zone standings. AC this coming week will host first-place Galveston College in a Wednesday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus.
The Lady ‘Runners will close out the week with a doubleheader Saturday in Houston against San Jacinto College. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
AC Softball’s Davila Breaks Record for Stolen Bases
Saturday at Coastal Bend Community College, Lady Roadrunner Riley Davila broke the single-season stolen-base record set by – Riley Davila.
Davila established the single-season mark with 35 swipes in 2024. The sophomore stole one base in the opener, a 3-1 Lady Roadrunner win; then pilfered another one in the 12-3 win in the nightcap.
For her career, Davila now has 72 career stolen bases, and with at least 18 more games on the schedule – not counting future tournament games – the number is sure to climb nearly as fast as Riley runs.
AC Baseball Take Three of Four on the Week
Have yourself a day, Billy Theroux.
The freshman from St. Thomas High School in Houston blew up the scoresheets in Tuesday’s 18-4 AC win over Dallas College-Brookhaven. Theroux homered twice – including a grand slam – and finished with eight RBI in the game. Teammate Diesel Gonzalez also homered to drive in a pair of runs, and Ashton Wagner finished with three more RBI. Sean Bazmore, Cole Standley, and Ryan Lewis also drove in runs for the ‘Runners. Pitcher Ethan Jezierski threw seven strong innings in a starting role, striking out seven and leaving without walking a single hitter. Austin Gaskins closed out the game with a scoreless sixth inning.
AC took the nightcap in a much closer contest, beating the Bears 8-7 on Lewis’ sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth. Bazmore and Tine Hampshire drove in a pair of runs each, and Lewis and Mark Henderson each picked up an RBI.
Saturday against TCS Post Grad, AC opened the twin bill with a 15-5 win in six innings. Connor Ficarra tripled and drove in four runs, Standley tripled and drove in three runs and Theroux added three RBI with a hit in two at-bats. Cooper Molnes and Ryan Beaty drove in runs in the win.
AC dropped the nightcap by a 12-4 final.
The Roadrunners (16-16, 4-8) resume conference play with a three-game series against Navarro College starting with a single, nine-inning game starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Poland Stadium on the AC campus. The series wraps up Saturday in Corsicana with a twin bill set for a 1 p.m. start.
Lady Roadrunner Basketball Hosting Tryout Camp in April
AC’s Lady Roadrunners just wrapped up a season in which the team qualified for the conference tournament in head coach Randy McKelvey’s first season at the helm, and they’re looking to reload for the future.
The Lady ‘Runners will host a tryout camp for prospective players from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 at Shands Gymnasium. Cost is $40 per player.
Here’s the link for registration and other information:
For more information, contact Randy McKelvey at rmckelvey@angelina.edu.
AC’s Camp Roadrunner Sessions Set for Summer 2025
Over the past few years, Camp Roadrunner has become a “gotta do” event for youngsters throughout East Texas, with the recreational and youth sports camps drawing bigger crowds every summer.
To view the available sports camps and locate the links for registration, visit https://www.angelina.edu/camproadrunner/ and look for each specific sport.
Following are the dates for each Youth Sports Camp:
Baseball: June 2-5
Soccer: June 9-12; July 7-10
Basketball: June 9-12
Softball: June 9-12
Live Streaming Reminder:
All AC Athletics regular-season home games will be live streamed on TSBN Sports (a free streaming service for fans), with most of the conference road games also available for streaming. (This does not include baseball and softball fall games, as those are not considered official games.)
Once TSBN posts its schedules, AC fans simply need to visit the AC Athletics web site, look at the scrolling schedule in the middle of the page and click the blue “Video” link.
TSBN also offers an app great for smart phones, devices and smart TVs. (You’ve GOT to see those matches and games on the big screen.)
Reminder II: Admission to ALL Angelina College Athletics sporting events is free, as is the TSBN live streaming. Any other links offering streaming are scams.
Reminder III: For the most current schedule updates (especially for potential weather issues) visit the official Angelina College Athletics website (angelinaathletics.com). Fans can also receive updates on the AC Athletics Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Instagram pages.
Upcoming schedules:
POSSIBLE TUESDAY, MARCH 25 GAME:
Roadrunner Basketball vs. Jones College, NJCAA Division I Men’s Championship Tournament Round 2, 5:30 p.m. in Hutchinson, KS. (Broadcast on ESPN+)
Wednesday, March 26:
Lady Roadrunner Softball vs. Galveston College, doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus.
Roadrunner Baseball vs. Navarro College, single, nine-inning game starting at 2 p.m. at Poland Stadium on the AC campus.
Saturday, March 29, 2025:
Roadrunner Baseball at Navarro College, doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Corsicana, TX.
Lady Roadrunner Softball at San Jacinto College, doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. in Houston, TX.
For any other information, contact Sports Information Director Gary Stallard at gstallard@angelina.edu.
We’ll see you at the games.
Gary Stallard
Email: gstallard@angelina.edu.
Phone: (936) 465-4614
