by Erika Plunkett | May 3, 2021 | News Slider, Sports
After a rocky start to the weekend, Bison Baseball closed out their series against North Alabama with a strong 14-5 victory. The series kicked off Friday afternoon with the Lions’ making early progress as Bison pitcher junior Max Habegger allowed four runs in his inning and two thirds of work. Meanwhile, offensively the Bisons could not get anything going, until the Lions had already extended their lead to five. Finally, in the fifth inning junior center fielder Maddux Houghton brought home a run with an RBI-triple and scored off of a wild pitch bringing the Bisons back within striking distance. Senior infielder David Graves added to the Bisons score with a home run in the bottom of the sixth, but a North Alabama insurance run in the seventh and four runners left stranded by the Bisons clinched the game one victory for North Alabama, 6-3. Saturday, the Bisons looked to bounce back and were able to take the early advantage with sophomore infielder Robbie Merced’s run brought home by freshman outfielder Tiger Borom. North Alabama evened the game at 1 in the fifth inning before Houghton added to his RBI total and Merced scored another run. The Lions would not stay at bay, however, and once again the game was tied. Lipscomb thought they had the winning run in the bottom of the sixth when sophomore catcher Chaz Bertolani hit an RBI single, but the back and forth trend continued, and the game was tied at 3. Sophomore closer Tyler Guilfoil, who came in during the fifth inning, was tasked with finishing the game for the Bisons, but struggled...
by Grant Ledgister | Apr 16, 2020 | COVID-19, News Slider, Sports
Telling Lipscomb athletes that sports for the semester had ended hurt Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson as much as it hurt the athletes. “It was totally heartbreaking knowing what that meant for all of our spring sport athletes,” Hutcheson said. “When I went and told the baseball team about it, I felt like I was talking to 35 guys who had all torn their ACLs at the same time and their careers were over.” From quarantines and stay-at-home orders to school closing and everything in between, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed daily life for people across the world. For collegiate athletes and administrators, the virus has flipped their seasons upside down. In an announcement made in early March, the NCAA canceled the seasons of all spring and winter sports. This included the popular March Madness national basketball tournament. “Obviously there are many worse things going on in the world right now than not being able to play a sport,” Hutcheson said. “But for all of these students it’s very important and something they’ve worked towards for a long time. They realize that it’s not just games they’re going to miss, it’s time with their teammates and coaches.” To make up for the inability to play, the NCAA made the decision to give athletes playing spring sports an extra year of eligibility. Some athletes, however, may not be able to take advantage of this. “We know already that about half of the seniors will not be coming back,” Hutcheson said. “The rest of them – some financial decisions have to be made. Most spring sport athletes, if not all of them,...
by Erika Plunkett | Jul 6, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider, Sports
It is time to invest in some new Bison gear after Lipscomb Athletics signed a five-year deal to make Under Armour the official sports outfitter. This partnership, signed this week, gives the Bisons a number of unique advantages over fellow ASUN teams. Lipscomb’s agreement with Under Armour makes it the only ASUN member to have an exclusive, direct partnership with an apparel powerhouse. By joining the Under Armour family, Lipscomb Athletics will have newly available funds that can be used throughout the department. “Coming off of one of the greatest competitive years in the history of Lipscomb Athletics, I am excited to see what’s next for us, and I’m glad to have Under Armour as a part of the plan to elevate our programs,” Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson said in a statement released by Lipscomb Athletics. “Recruits, serious athletes and casual fans alike all are familiar with the Under Armour brand, and we are proud they will be outfitting our Bison fans and teams in the coming years.” Not only does this deal offer Lipscomb monetary savings, but additionally Under Armour offers an annual allotment of promotional dollars to be spent on apparel, equipment and uniforms; a significantly reduced rate on all additional apparel and equipment purchases; marketing and branding dollars to enhance the athletic facilities and direct access to UA’s inventory and customer service. This deal covers all of the Bisons sports teams except men’s soccer, which has a separate arrangement. The incentives and financial support are almost secondary to the brand recognition that Lipscomb will enjoy as a partner of Under Armour, as the Bisons will...
by Grant Ledgister | Jun 18, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
The ASUN conference is getting a new challenger in athletics in the Bellarmine University Knights. The Knights will become the 10th school to join the conference, Bellarmine announced Tuesday morning. However, the university will not join the conference until the 2020-2021 school year. Bellarmine, located in Louisville, is a Catholic university with nearly 4,000 total students. It is set to become the only private D-I school in the state. The Knights were formerly competing in Division II athletics as a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, a conference it helped create in 1978. Out of its 22 varsity teams, Bellarmine will compete in 17 sports sponsored by the ASUN conference, including basketball and soccer. Men’s lacrosse, field hockey and wrestling will all compete at other conferences or with independent D-I status; men’s and women’s swimming will compete in the Coastal College Sports Association. Bellarmine showed it had the ability to compete at the D-II level, reaching the NCAA Division II basketball championship every year for the past 11 years and winning the tournament in 2012 under coach Scott Davenport. Knights baseball received an automatic berth into the D-II Midwest Regionals, and women’s soccer has reached its tournament six out of the past 10 years. “ASUN is a perfect fit for the Knights, because – like Bellarmine – every school in the conference is committed to putting students first,” Bellarmine Athletic Director Scott Wiegandt said in a press release. “Our student-athletes already meet Division I academic standards, and our players and coaches will be ready to compete when we join our new conference next year. The move to Division I...
by George Wong | Apr 25, 2019 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb University’s own athletic Grammy Awards, the Lippys, commenced Wednesday on its usual night before Study Day. The annual event commemorates the achievements of Lipscomb’s athletes on and off the field. It was a night of fun and glamor as every student-athlete came together dressed formally in the heart of Allen Arena. Hors d’oeuvres, fondue for dessert and refreshments were on the menu, while everyone took pictures before the award ceremony hosted by head volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal. Students also joined in on co-hosting and pleasantries throughout the evening. The Lippys were founded by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and past track and field athlete April Terry. Over the past few years the Lippys staff, run primarily by student-athletes, has continually sought improvement of the event. “There were nomination surveys sent out to all the athletes this year,” SAAC president Ahmed Amaar said. “This form is what we are basing the voting ballot off of, so if people wanted to nominate someone for the awards listed, that was their chance. “Changing the awards system to give every single [athlete a] voice this year — besides that we are just trying to make it [a] more inclusive event. I think the day after the Lippys no one really cares or remembers about the awards — what they remember is the memories they made and the feeling of togetherness. It’s rare to have the entirety of Lipscomb Athletics together, and so sharing that moment is what makes it the best.” A feedback survey for improvements was emailed out after the event as well. “This year was a more sit-down style instead...
