by Travis Byrd | Feb 11, 2014 | Sports
Baseball is a game of consistency. Every game comes down to being able to execute the fundamentals that will win or lose a game. The Lipscomb Bisons baseball team is ready to prove that they have what it takes to compete in 2014. “Consistency is huge,” said Lipscomb baseball head coach Jeff Forehand. “A team that is built that way through pitching, hitting and defense is going to be successful. Everybody being consistent in every phase of the game is going to be huge for us.” Opening day is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day), and this group of Bisons are itching to finally get the games started. “Every year when the first game comes around, everybody is excited,” Forehand said. “We have practiced and prepared so much without being able to play games. It’s a thrill to finally get out there and play.” This team’s identity is rooted in consistency, and Forehand believes that these players are ready for the grind of a new season. “We recognize who were are,” Forehand said. “They know that through consistency we will be good.” Baseball is also an individual sport at times. A lot of focus is put on the individual performance of players, but for this group to be successful, they are going to have to take on a selfless quality. “Others will want to hear about their batting average or pitching stats, but this team has to be willing to sell out for their team,” Forehand said. The road to success will not be easy. The Bisons will play schools such as Connecticut, Western Kentucky and Vanderbilt during the season. To Forehand,...
by Martin Baker | Feb 10, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb men’s tennis team defeated North Alabama in their match on Sat., Feb. 8 at the Richmond Tennis Club. This was the Bisons’ first win of the season, making their record 1-1. “We only had five players when we are supposed to have six, so we were in a bit of a hole to start the matches, but our guys were aware that that was going to be something we would have to deal with this week,” said head coach Mario Hernandez. “They handled it great and came out with good intensity and focus right from the start to prevent us from getting even into more of a hole.” Lipscomb’s David Salazar and Robert Mitchell took down Benjamin Poire and Max Druppel of North Alabama 6-4 in doubles. Also in doubles, Stuart Tierney and Miguel Cortez of Lipscomb won their match 6-5(3). “The guys played pretty loose and didn’t seem to get tight with some of the pressure we faced. I was happy to see that. You want your team to embrace the challenges and the pressure that is going to come with competition,” Hernandez said. In singles, every player was able to snag a victory. No. 1 Salazar beat Guillaume Dechoz 6-3, 6-5. No. 2 Tierney beat Poire 6-1, 6-3 and No. 4 Cortez beat Aliaksei Kavalenka 6-4, 6-3. No. 3 Mitchell beat Druppel 6-4 in the first set and then defeated him in the second set 6-0. No. 5 Nacor Ibanez beat North Alabama’s Ali Murad after a tough tiebreaker that ended 3-6, 6-1, (10-8) “This match is only the second one of our season,” Hernandez said. “We...
by Janice Ng | Jan 15, 2014 | News Slider
Service and change is the focus for the Lipscomb community as students and faculty remember the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Lipscomb’s multicultural organization Kappa Iota Theta will host “Change for Change!,” a weeklong change drive. Students can bring their extra change to the student center front desk to help purchase school supplies for the Youth Life Learning Center. “The Change for Change drive is a great example of how small change can add up and make such a big difference,” said Elizabeth Hayes, Intercultural Engagement and Development administrative assistant. “We want students to remember that sometimes, it’s the small deeds that are truly impactful.” Students from Lipscomb, Belmont, Fisk, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State and Trevecca will come together at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Tennessee State University’s Kean Hall to kick off the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Students will have several opportunities to choose from, including helping to paint McKissack Middle School, sorting food at Second Harvest Food Bank, painting a mural at Hadley Park Community Center, sorting medical supplies at Project C.U.R.E. and helping the Christian Women’s Job Corps of Middle Tennessee move to their new location. “The MLK Day of Service is a significant event in that it’s one of the only times in which all the universities come together, and it’s really exciting to see that vision that MLK had of serving, that everybody can serve,” SALT program coordinator Cara Harris said. “And I think just the way [students] take some time to come together and learn about why they’re doing it, that’s what makes it a unique service opportunity for Lipscomb...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Nov 11, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
In their first win of the season, the Lipscomb men’s basketball team held off a late game surge by the Oakland City University Mighty Oaks to walk away with the 88-78 Monday night victory at Allen Arena. The Mighty Oaks battled back from being down by 20 points at halftime. However, the Bisons were able to hold off the perimeter shooting of Oakland City, a major factor in accomplishing the win. “[The win] would feel a lot better if we had played a more complete 40 minute game,” said Casey Alexander, who won his first game as the Bisons’ head coach. “But it’s still better than the alternative.” Alexander said the team has also made adjustments from their last game, including improvements with turnovers and better defense. “Tonight, we were much better at taking care of the ball and getting good shots, and then we also defended well. “We just challenged them to be better, and in a lot of ways, we need to play without regard for the score or the opponent. Try to play your best on each possession, then, the results will more often be what you want them to be.” Speaking of good results, junior forward Malcolm Smith produced a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Smith was 6-9 from the field, and knocked down both of his free throws. Smith spoke about the team earning the win, a task accomplished after Friday’s loss to Belmont. “Our coach told us good teams bounce back,” Smith said. “That’s something that everyone in the locker room knows. It’s common knowledge.” Smith also gave insight into some...
by Monaih Sam | Sep 19, 2013 | News Slider
Working with inmates is a natural fit for Lipscomb alum Scott Pieper. After graduating in 2012 with a degree in social work, Pieper is now working to help former inmates integrate back into society. “Dismas is family.” This is the slogan residents, staff members and volunteers live by at the Dismas House. The Dismas House is a transitional housing program on a mission to facilitate the reconciliation of former prisoners to society through supportive communities. That community consists of students and former prisoners living together in a family setting. Pieper interned with the Dismas House while attending Lipscomb University. After graduation, Pieper became the Executive Director. “Former inmates were one of the populations that I had identified with wanting to work with,” Pieper said. “It was a natural fit.” “My most important job is keeping everything we do focused on accomplishing the mission – organizing volunteer opportunities, arranging in-house programming and developing partnerships or fundraising efforts,” he said. “Everything is in the spirit of working towards the Dismas House mission.” The name “Dismas” comes from the “repentant” or “good thief” who was crucified with Christ on Calvary in the Christian tradition. The late Father Jack Hickey and a group of Vanderbilt students founded the Dismas House in 1974. Student residents are still a big part of the Dismas community today. “Father Hickey recognized the similarities between college students and individuals exiting incarceration as sort of being in the same transitional period of entering into society,” Pieper said. “Student residents present a constant presence of the supportive community in our mission.” “Student residents are living in the house – they...
