News and Notes from East Carolina, Conference USA and Beyond

PREVIOUS NUGGETS

05.12.06: Pirates still alive in C-USA softball tournament ... ECU women tied for 20th in golf regional ... St. John's receives ruling on infractions

05.11.06: Harrell makes first team All C-USA ... Danger of spearing in football cited ... Prep star says dream led him to Jayhawks

05.10.06: Vols sign multi-sport standout Mattingly ... 2006 College Football Hall class announced ... Ducks tab Casey Martin to guide golf team

05.09.06: ECU's Harrell honored on eve of tournament ... Washington's Romar to guide USA under-18's ... Cavs, Terps take aim on NCAA lacrosse title

05.08.06: Mountaineers to be recognized in Raleigh ... Towe to join Lowe at NCSU ... 'Noles edge Deacs in record setter

05.07.06: N.C. State's long hunt officially over ... ECU gains berth in C-USA Softball Tourney

05.06.06: Hoops rule committee looks at 3-point distance ... Blue chipper makes late commitment to Duke ... Colorado cage coach faces season in limbo

05.05.06: Lowe and behold, Pack fills its vacancy ... Horns, Sooners extend deal with Cotton Bowl ... Mascot lands 7th-seeded Illini on the road

05.04.06: ECU's Harrell snares another C-USA award ... 'Bama okays hefty new contract for Shula ... Downey heading from Bearcats to Gamecocks

05.03.06: ECU's Chris Moore signs deal with Saints ... NCSU represented on World Cup team ... Politics: Shuler projected to face Rep. Taylor

05.02.06: ECU's Baker inks free agent pact with Steelers ... ECU women golfers headed for East regional ... UAB's Hackney signs with Browns

05.01.06: Giants take ECU's Whimper in fourth round ... Memphis back Williams selected by Panthers ... More names popping up in N.C. State search

04.30.06: C-USA affiliates with new Birmingham Bowl ... UNCW, new coach Moss get contract done ... Three NCSU D-linemen are first round picks

04.29.06: NCSU's Williams to go No. 1 in NFL draft ... Duke point guard's brother commits to Heels ... Blue Devils get a lacrosse victory

04.28.06: Pirates add juco guard to recruiting class ...
C-USA players contend for Howser Award ... ECU-Tulane Sunday game time changed

04.27.06: Larranaga gets contract extension at GMU ... Breakfast of Champions to honor Hunt, Reale ... SMU captures Conference USA men's golf

04.26.06: Stanford hires Iowa AD ... Houston, Memphis tied in C-USA golf ... Another Huskie headed for NBA

04.25.06: Matt Doherty takes Mustangs' reins ... ECU's Henderson cops C-USA hitting honor ... Texas' Tucker exploring NBA option

04.24.06: Lavin reportedly offered NCSU post ... Pirates perform well in rain-shortened meet ... Southern Miss hosting C-USA men's golf

04.23.06: C-USA relief aces up for Stopper of the Year ... Mother Nature leaves Wolfpack, Heels hanging ... Freshman quarterback shines for Gators ... UCLA duo considering NBA

04.22.06: Apparent West Virginia spy nabbed at Marshall ... Veteran guard plans to leave Georgia Tech ... ECU's tennis seasons end

04.21.06: UNCW coaching search gathers Moss ... ECU women advance in C-USA tennis ... NCAA examining prep diploma mills

04.20.06: Deacs to install FieldTurf at Groves Stadium ... Zags' Morrison headed to NBA ... Walberg to guide Pepperdine hoops program

04.19.06: Krog leads Pirates to C-USA women's golf title ... UConn sophomore opts for NBA ... Another UConn cager eyes different pro route

04.18.06: Two Duke lacrosse players reportedly indicted ... ECU leads C-USA women's golf ... Tar Heels ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball

04.17.06: Pirate track team has success in Knoxville ... ECU's Salisbury wins women's javelin ... FSU's Johnson will examine NBA option

04.16.06: Houston Bowl payouts not yet fulfilled ... Simmons looking at NBA draft status ... More apparent rejections for Wolfpack

04.15.06: Calipari signs new contract with Tigers ... UAB's Davis selects staff ... NBA D- League lowers minimum age

04.14.06: Dooley withdraws from consideration at UNCW ... Redick wins Sullivan Award ... Young's death now believed accidental

East Carolina junior Eric Frasure continued his award-winning season by capturing his second consecutive league hammer throw title during Thursday's first day action at the Conference USA track and field championships at Kidd Field in El Paso, TX.

Frasure recorded a school-record toss of 64.34 meters which topped his previous personal standard of 61.79 set last season. He turned in the record-breaker on his second attempt after opening with an effort of 56.17 and following with throws of 63.07 and 63.61. Last season, Frasure won the same event in Houston with a 61.50-meter total.

East Carolina senior Jake Smith is one of two Conference USA players among the semifinalists for the 2006 Johnny Bench Award, given to the nation's top catcher.

Smith and Central Florida senior Ryan Bono represent C-USA on the list of 10 standouts. Voting on the award is conducted by a national committee comprised of sportswriters, sportscasters, Division I coaches and scouts.

Smith is batting .309 on the season with a team-best 13 doubles, nine home runs and 51 RBI's, a figure that ranks fourth in C-USA. Since missing five games with a leg injury in mid-April, he is 12-for-26 with three home runs and 11 RBI's, while slugging at an .808 clip. With 120 career RBI's, Smith is closing in on ECU's all-time Top 10.

A product of (Greensboro) Southern Guilford High School, Smith has also smacked 25 career home runs.

Third-seeded Houston eliminated fifth-seeded East Carolina from the 2006 Conference USA Softball Championship on Thursday, blanking the Pirates 7-0 at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex in Tulsa, OK.

Sophomores Paige Baggett and Beth Nolan accounted for the Pirates' only hits. Their only other teammate to reach base was freshman Jessica Johnson, who drew a walk and reached on an error.

Houston's Angel Shamblin (16-9), the C-USA Pitcher of the Year, retired 15 of the final 17 batters she faced. She struck out six and walked just one in six innings of work.

ECU pitching ace Keli Harrell (26-15) gave up seven hits in 3 and a third innings and was charged with three runs as she lost for the first time in her last six starts.

Illinois has announced a $116 million renovation project of historic Memorial Stadium. The 83-year-old facility will undergo its first major construction since its inaugural season in 1923.

The renovation project is slated to begin following the completion of the 2006 football season and IHSA championship football games. Construction will occur on the north, west and east sides of the stadium, with permanent seating on the north end being completed for the 2007 season. Construction in the remaining areas, which include the east and west side, should wrap up in time for the 2008 season.

Among the renovations on the west side is the addition of luxury suites, indoor and outdoor club areas and a refurbishment of the concourses. An outdoor club space, the Colonnades Club, will be added under the west balcony and will allow for indoor game day hospitality, as well as outdoor chair back seats for contest viewing.

In the west balcony, a three-level structure will be built to house two floors of suites and an indoor club space as well as a new press box for media seating and game day operations. The indoor club, which seats 200, has been named "77 Club" to honor the retired number of Illinois gridiron legend Harold "Red" Grange.

The entire project will be conducted in a manner designed to keep the stadium in a functioning capacity for the Illinois football team during the time of construction.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from other sources. Copyright 2006 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.