Hey, sports fans,
Yet another big week for our soccer teams – both of which currently are ranked nationally – and our Lady Roadrunner softball team opened its Fall Ball season on Sunday.
We also saw two of our Roadrunner baseball players shine at the annual Texas-New Mexico JUCO All-Star game in Dallas.
Finally, both our basketball teams held their respective Media Days, following up the event with an appearance at the Lufkin High School football game, where they participated in the big scholarship presentations. The men’s team also helped with a local food drive as part of their commitment to community service.
All this, and basketball season is right around the corner.
We are AC, and we’re ready to Run ‘Em.
Here’s a quick rundown of the past week’s events, along with what’s coming up next:
No. 17 Lady Roadrunners Continue Roll with Win over No. 20 Blinn
Another couple of steps up the Top 20 rankings, and another week proving they belonged there.
Now ranked No. 15 in the nation, AC’s Lady Roadrunners proceeded to rout Texas Southmost College Friday at the Larry Phillips Family Sports Complex on the AC campus. Anne Vandaele and Beatriz Almeida each scored a hat trick, accounting for all six goals in AC’s 6-0 win over the Lady Scorpions.
Almeida also accounted for one assist, while Paula Suarez added two assists. Michelle Naderman and Madi Heubel each finished with an assist as well. Goalkeepers Sara Gonzalez and Callie LaChance-Herman kept the Scorpions off the scoreboard, with Gonzalez saving three shots and La’Chance-Herman saving another.
With the win, the Lady Roadrunners (6-1-1) tightened their grip on the top spot in the Region XIV South Zone. AC leads second-place Louisiana State University-Eunice (4-2-2) by two full matches.
The Lady ‘Runners will have some time off this week as the Hill College match originally scheduled for this Tuesday, Sept. 30, has been canceled with no makeup date in the plans.
AC’s ladies next will travel to Eunice, Louisiana to face Louisiana State University-Eunice in a women’s/men’s doubleheader scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m.
No. 18 Roadrunners Take Down Ranger, Texas Southmost
The Roadrunners climbed their way back into the national rankings, hitting No. 18 in this past Monday’s polls.
AC then went out and won both their matches this week.
On Tuesday, the Roadrunners broke open a tight match with two second-half goals. Christian Castaneda converted a pass from Jhosua Jory in the 72nd minute for the match’s first score, and Diego Ramirez followed in the 88th minute with a goal on another feed from Jory.
Keeper Iori Tanaka was spectacular in the net, saving seven Ranger shots on goal.
On Friday, the ‘Runners blanked Texas Southmost College by a 3-0 final. Ramirez scored just four minutes into the match thanks to an assist from Albi Zyla, then Jory found the nets after a Shuto Ishikawa feed in the 22nd minute. Castaneda converted a Jory assist for the final goal in the 64th minute. Tanka again finished with a shutout in goal.
The Roadrunners (6-1-1, 4-1-1) maintained their first-place position in the Region XIV South Zone. AC travels to Beeville to face Coastal Bend Community College at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The ‘Runners then play at Louisiana State University-Eunice at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
Ficarra, Standley Shine at TX-NM JUCO All-Star Game
AC Baseball’s Connor Ficarra and Cole Standley showed up and showed out at the annual Texas-New Mexico JUCO Baseball All-Star Classic held last weekend in Dallas.
Ficarra, a sophomore from Katy, went 3-4 with one walk at the plate, then added a pair of stolen bases to his stats. Standley, a sophomore from Woodville, was 1-3 with a walk in his four at-bats.
The Roadrunners will host their first home game of the “Fall Ball” season on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Poland Stadium on the AC campus. The doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
Lady ‘Runner Softball Kicks off Fall Season
AC’s Lady ‘Runner softball team kicked off its Fall Ball season on Sunday, facing the Lady Patriots-Babbs in doubleheader. Because the games are considered “exhibition” games, there were no stats or scores recorded; however, AC’s ladies showed they’ve been preparing for some live action, with some big hits throughout the lineup to go along with some solid pitching and defensive plays.
The Lady Roadrunners will travel to Waxahachie on Saturday to face Nelson University in a doubleheader scheduled for a 12 p.m. start.
Lady Roadrunners, Roadrunners Assist at Dinner at the Diamond
This year’s Dinner at the Diamond proved another big success, in large part because of the efforts of Angelina College athletes.
Players from every sport assisted with everything from setup and takedown to manning all the games to delivering auction items to the highest bidders.
Some of the players even showed the crowd how to dance to the “Y.M.C.A” while also handling the “Bah, Bah, Bah” part of “Sweet Caroline” during the seventh-inning stretch.
The event raised funds for all Angelina College students, providing numerous resources to those individuals trying to navigate their way through college.
Basketball Teams Assist with Scholarship Presentations at Local Football Games
The Lady Roadrunner and Roadrunner basketball teams are still a few weeks away from the start of their season openers, but that hasn’t stopped the players from making an impact.
This past week, both teams showed up to assist AC recruiters with some big scholarship presentations.
The men’s team also performed community service at the Christian Information Center’s recent food drive.
AC’s Roadrunners open their pre-season schedule this week at the Oklahoma Jamboree in Norman, Oklahoma. On Friday, Oct. 3, the Roadrunners play three one-hour scrimmages: vs. Eastern Oklahoma State at 11 a.m.; vs. Coffeyville Community College at 3 p.m.; and vs. Colby Community College at 5 p.m.
Baseball Adds “Kids Camp” in October
AC’s baseball team will offer a “Kids Camp” on Monday, Oct. 13 at Poland Stadium on the AC campus. Ages 6-10 will hit the field from 9-11 a.m. (with 8:45 check-in), while ages 11-14 will be on the diamond from 12-2 p.m. (with an 11:45 check-in).
Click the link for registration and other info:
For further questions, contact Roadrunner head baseball coach Jon Phillips at jphillips@angelina.edu or assistant coach Cody Crowder at ccrowder@angelina.edu.
All AC Teams Have Schedules Up and Running Online
Lady Roadrunner and Roadrunner fans can now find their favorite teams’ schedules on the Angelina College Athletics website (www.angelinaathletics.com). For now, only the fall schedules for baseball and softball are in place (with the potential to add more events later), but all other teams, including both women’s and men’s basketball, are ready for viewing and planning.
We’ll update any changes as we receive them.
We can’t wait to see you at the games.
Live Streaming Reminder:
All AC Athletics regular-season home games are 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.)
