Individual Tickets to the Fan Fair Hall at the Nashville Convention Center Available for $25; $20 if Purchased With a CMA Music Festival Nightly Concert Ticket for LP Field

Chris Young poses with Kathy Aubridge of Paublo Robles, Calif., in the Fan Fair Hall during the 2011 CMA Music Festival in Downtown Nashville. Photo Credit: Jim Hagans

NASHVILLE – Live performances, exciting new events, lifestyle exhibits, and autograph signings are the centerpiece of the Fan Fair® Hall during the 2012 CMA Music Festival, which will be held Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10 in Nashville, Tenn.

“The unique bond between our artists and their fans has been the foundation of this event since it began as Fan Fair in 1972,” said Steve Moore, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “And the epicenter of that relationship exists today in the Fan Fair Hall.”

“We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the experience for our fans and the artists and we have made several exciting changes and additions to the Fan Fair Hall this year that are sure to be popular with our attendees,” said Sheri Warnke, CMA Senior Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

Hours for the Fan Fair Hall are Thursday through Saturday June 7-9 from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM/CT; Sunday, June 10 from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM.

Each day new names are being added to the list of celebrities signing in the Fan Fair Hall including Lauren Alaina, Bill Anderson, Lynn Anderson, Laura Bell Bundy, Bucky Covington, Cowboy Troy, Billy Dean, Donna Fargo, Colt Ford, William Lee Golden, Jack Greene, Casey James, Joey + Rory, The Lacs, LoCash Cowboys, Manuel, The McClymonts, Scotty McCreery, Robin Meade, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Joe Nichols, LuLu Roman, Matt Stillwell, Doug Stone, Two Foot Fred, Bryan White, Winfield’s Locket, Chris Young, and many more to be announced soon.

Durango Acoustic Corner Broadcast by 650 AM WSM

Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery pose with Rae Ann Cook of Callisburg, Tx. at the CMA booth in the Fan Fair hall during the 2011 CMA Music Festival. Photo Credit: Jim Hagans

CMA Music Festival is about music and the fans and you will find both in the Durango Acoustic Corner Broadcast by 650 AM WSM. For the first time in 2012, the Durango Acoustic Corner is moving to the floor of the convention center with seating for fans and continuous music.

Performances take place Thursday through Saturday, June 7-9from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM; on Sunday, June 10 from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. Schedule in order of appearance (subject to change):

Thursday, June 7 – Gene Watson, Georgette Jones, Lulu Roman, Riders in the Sky, Bryan White. Jesse Keith Whitley, James Wesley, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Black Lillies, Billy Dean

Friday, June 8 – The Roys, Bucky Covington, Janie Fricke, Gwen Sebastian, Buddy Jewell, T. Graham Brown, Carter’s Chord, Jimmy Fortune, Marty Raybon, Con Hunley

Saturday, June 9 – Dana Romanello, Jason Michael Carroll, Lonesome River Band, Heidi Newfield, Doug Stone, Mark Wills, Lynn Anderson, Teea Goans, Chase Rice, Joanna Smith

Sunday, June 10 – Donna Ulisse & The Poor Mountain Boys, Chuck Wagon Gang, Sarah Darling, The Grascals, Due West, The McClymonts, Lesley McDaniel, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

Fan Fair Hall Red Carpet

Fans get to be the paparazzi! An exciting new feature of the Fan Fair Hall in 2012 is the Red Carpet where fans can take photos of their favorite stars as they arrive to sign autographs throughout the day.

“Crowding around booths sometimes made it difficult to get a good photo of an artist, but with this new area with a raised Red Carpet, fans will have a much better opportunity to get that coveted photo of a favorite artist as they enter or leave the Hall,” Warnke said.

Wrangler Fashion Show

The Wrangler Fashion Show is the place for Country Music fashionistas to see artists modeling the hottest styles. Hosted by GAC personality Suzanne Alexander, the Wrangler Fashion Show will be held Saturday, June 9 (1:00-2:00 PM) at the Fan Fair Hall Red Carpet.

The Wrangler Fashion Show will be a showcase of Wrangler fashion with additional designs from Manuel, designer to the stars who is known world-wide for his embellished and embroidered motifs. Manuel will also be embellishing a two Wrangler items that will be auctioned after CMA Music Festival to raise funds for CMA’s music education campaign, Keep the Music Playing. Durango Boots will be providing footwear for all models.

Budweiser Supports Folds of Honor Foundation

As part of their Fan Fair Hall exhibit, Budweiser is continuing their 100+ year commitment to the brave men and women of the U.S. armed forces by partnering with the Folds of Honor Foundation to honor the sacrifices of the fallen and support their families through scholarships and other opportunities.

Budweiser is dedicating the 2012 baseball season to recognizing their sacrifices through the Walk-Off A Hero program; for every walk-off win, Budweiser will donate $5,000 to Folds of Honor. Budweiser is also pleased to feature special patriotic cans and bottles available in stores this summer.

Additionally, Budweiser will be donating a portion of sales (April 20-July 7) to Folds of Honor Foundation. These programs are all part of an effort to raise as much as $2.5 million. The partnership between the Folds of Honor Foundation and Budweiser will significantly expand the mission to help these deserving military families.

The Fan Fair Hall Marketplace

Special mementos and unique fashions can be found in the Fan Fair Hall Marketplace featuring a variety of vendors including Apparel, The Charleston Soap Company, Dillards for the Reba Brand, Hillbilly Brand, Manuel, Mignon’s, Twisted Sisters, and more.

New Autograph Drawing

Fans gather around the CMA booth in the Fan Fair hall during the 2011 CMA Music Festival. Photo Credit: Jim Hagans

CMA recently announced new procedures for autograph seekers to enhance the overall Festival experience, improve safety, and make the process for securing a treasured autograph equitable for all Festival goers. The new system will be a drawing with online sign ups and advance notification, which will enable Festival goers to better schedule their time so they can attend concerts and take part in free events and activities rather than waiting in line in hopes of securing a signature. The advance sign-up system creates a level playing field for all fans to enter for their chance to win an autograph signing ticket.

Here is how it works: Individual booths will no longer distribute tickets for autograph signings each morning inside the Hall. Instead, fans will enter a random drawing for the opportunity to meet various artists appearing in the Fan Fair Exhibit Hall. Patrons will enter this drawing in advance of CMA Music Festival via an online entry form at CMAfest.com. Entering the drawing is easy:

• Go to www.CMAfest.com anytime until May 28 (ending at 5:00 PM/CT).
• Patrons enter their contact information and then select from the list of participating artists signing autographs in the Hall.
• Patrons may select as few or as many of the artists listed to be entered to win a ticket for each respective signing.
• Once the entry has been submitted, it can’t be changed. Duplicate entries will not be considered.
• All winners will be notified on Friday, June 1 via email.

The confirmation emails will contain  detailed information on which artist(s) the fan gets to meet as well as the date, time, and location of the signings inside the Fan Fair Hall, plus instructions on where, when, and how to retrieve autograph wrist bands inside the Nashville Convention Center.

Tickets for the Fan Fair Hall

CMA Music Festival four-day ticket holders aren’t the only lucky ones with access to the Fan Fair Hall. Tickets to visit the Fan Fair Hall cost $25 per ticket, per day; $20 if purchased with a ticket to one of the Nightly Concerts at LP Field. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.com (http://www.ticketmaster.com/Country-Music-Festival-tickets/artist/1711387). Tickets will also be available at the Nashville Convention Center at the Commerce Street entrance beginning Wednesday, June 6 from 9:00 AM-6:00 PM.

CMA Music Festival is the Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience – a celebration of America’s music that takes over downtown Nashville with non-stop concerts on multiple stages with a vast and varied roster of artists. CMA Music Festival is a four-time winner of the International Entertainment Buyers Association’s LIVE! Award for Festival of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).

CMA Music Festival is organized and produced by the Country Music Association. Fan Fair® is a registered trademark of CMA. Chevrolet™ is the Official Ride of Country Music. BIC is an Official Partner of the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Connect with CMA online at CMAfest.com, Facebook.com/CMA and Twitter.com/CountryMusic.

Photos by JOE SHIVAK

Murfreesboro, TN ( 4/8 ) ………The Blue Raiders used a bases loaded hit by Ryan Ford to break a 3-3 tie with the Trojans of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The win completed a three game sweep of the Trojans and the first for Middle Tennessee this season who have now won five straight games.   Daniel Palo, one of 5 pitchers to see action, picks up the win, having pitched to only one batter. The Trojans jumped to a 3-0 lead, scoring two runs in the 1st and adding another in the 2nd.  Middle Tennessee scored 3 runs in the 3rd and the winning run in the 9th.  The game went 5 straight innings without a score from either side.

Jonathan Sisco started on the mound for Middle Tennessee in front of his hometown crowd.  The Junior transfer from Volunteer State College worked  5.1 innings and gave up 3 runs on 8 hits.

The Trojans loaded the bases in the 1st and a fly ball to the left field inside the foul line by Blake Johnson scores 2 runs.  Nick Rountree was tagged out at home plate trying to score the 3rd run and making it two outs.  Sean Bignall struck out and David Guarno was the final out ending the scoring burst.  The Blue Raiders saw Ford fly out to the right fielder.  Justin Guidry hits a line drive out to the first baseman for the second out and Johnny Thomas grounds out to second base to retire the side in order.

Little Rock started off the 2nd inning with a Ben Crumpton walk.  He steals 2nd base and then is hit home by a Cameron Bentley grounder up the middle. The Trojans take a 3-0 lead.  Middle sees three up and three down as Trent Miller commits the first out on a grounder to the third baseman.  Hank LaRue and Jordan Rorex  are both called out on strikes to end the inning.

Sisco got out of the 3rd inning with two Trojan base runners left on with a Crumpton fly out to right field. The Blue Raiders saw two base runners with no outs and a Dain McNabb bunt advances the runners into scoring position.  Ford gets a RBI with a fly ball to short center scoring Stephens from 3rd base.  Middle gets on the board but trail 3-1.  Guidry scores Robert Lawrence from 2nd with a grounder between  1st and 2nd.  Thomas bats with only 1 out and runners at 3rd and 1st.  He hits the ball right back to the pitcher but Ford is picked off trying to make it home for the 2nd out.  Miller makes it to first on a passed ball as Middle scores another run. Thomas is picked off trying to steal home plate to end the inning but Middle ties the score 3-3.

Arkansas sees a base hit by Tyler Cameron in the 4th, but he is picked off trying to steal 2nd and the inning ends with a ground out to Ford at shortstop.

In the 4th inning, both teams retire their batters in order and the score remains tied at 3-3.  The Trojans leave two base runners as Guarno, the desiganated hitter, flies out to center to end the 5th inning.  The Blue Raiders had Lawrence lead off with a double just inside the 3rd base line.  Both McNabb and Ford strike out and Guidry flies out to center to end the 5th inning.

The Trojans get a lead off base hit by Crumpton to start the 6th but end up leaving two base runners to end their inning.  The Middle batters are retired in order.

Joey McClung comes in to pitch 1.2 innings for Middle Tennessee.

Ethan Williams returns to lineup to play 1st base after being on the injured list.  Guidry remains in the lineup and is moved to left field.

Bubba Cooper comes in to pitch the 7th inning for Little Rock.  Williams gets a lead off base hit with a fly ball that drops just in front of the center fielder.  Lawrence advances the runner with a fly ball that drops into short right field.  With runners at 1st and 2nd, the catcher McNabb hits a grounder to the 3rd baseman. With two outs, Ford is out at 1st base on a check swing which results in a bunt.

Paul Mittura is brought in to pitch the top of the 8th.  He gives up 1 hit and he faced 4 batters.  Middle Tennessee strands Guidry at 2nd base as the Trojans bring in Marshall Hamrick, a left hander, to pitch with 2 outs in the inning.  LaRue is out on a fly foul ball to end the inning.

Cody Tollison begins the 9th inning on the mound for Middle Tennessee.  He gets two outs and then Daniel Palo is brought in to face Bignall who grounds out to the first baseman.  Middle starts off with a hit by Williams.  Lawrence who is 2 for 2 on the day, is intentionally walked making runners at 1st and 2nd.  Matt Drake pinch hits and loads the bases with a hard shot to the short stop.  Ford faces new Trojan pitcher, Bryson Thionnett, their 4th pitcher of the day.  Ford hits the first pitch past the short stop and the winning run scores.

The Blue Raiders return to action on Wednesday when they travel to Clarksville to play a non-conference game against Austin-Peay University.  On April 17th, they travel to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt. The next home game is April 18th when they take on Austin-Peay with a 6:00 pm start.

Murfreesboro, TN ( 4/7)…………….The Blue Raiders defeated the Trojans of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock 7-6 in Sun Belt Conference baseball action at Reese Smith, JR Field on Saturday afternoon.  Middle Tennessee took a 7-0 lead and survived a late game rally by the Trojans for their 7th conference win. Nick Montgomery picks up the win after pitching 1.2 innings as Trojan starting pitcher Ethan Schlechte gets the loss.

Johnny Thomas hit the game’s only home run when he connected with a long ball which hits the scoreboard in right field at the 365 foot mark.

“I was thinking it was going to be a fastball,” Thomas said. “It was a full count, so I knew he was going to give me a strike or something close. He left it over the heart of the plate, and I took advantage of it.”

Freshman Johnathan Frebis, a standout at Riverdale High School, pitched the first 4.1 innings and picked up 5 runs on 5 hits, striking out 6 Trojans batters.  Little Rock scored 5 runs in the 5th inning after the bases were loaded. They added another run in the 6th.

Tyler Cameron hit a ground ball which went thru the legs of 3rd baseman Hank LaRue for an error. Cameron scored the run 6th run when Sean Bignall hit a ground ball up the middle.  Rountree was hit by a pitch to load the bases but Blake Johnson hits a grounder to the 2nd baseman to end the threat.  Middle is three up and three down, as Robert Lawrence, Michael Adkins and Ryan Ford all strike out.

Paul Mittura is brought in to pitch in the 7th inning for Middle Tennessee.  He pitches 2/3 of an inning giving up 1 hit before being replaced by Cody Tollison.  Andrew Hohn is the new pitcher for Little Rock.  He loads the bases but Ryan Stephens commits the final out with a fly ball to left field.

Daniel Palo, a right hander, is the new Blue Raider pitcher.  Middle Tennessee gets their second double play of the game to end a Trojan rally.

Middle starts the 8th inning off with a Robert Lawrence walk.  A Michael Adkins bunt moves Lawrence into scoring position. Ford flies out for the 2nd out and the inning ends when Guidry hits a fly to the shortstop.  Marshall Hamrick, a left hander, is on the mound for the Trojans.

Palo strikes out three straight Trojans batters in the final inning to end the game.

“It felt good to go out there and have an opportunity to get a save,” Palo said. “The defense is great, and I have 100% confidence in those guys anytime there’s a groundball. I go out there and just try to throw strikes. I have to come in and compete right away.”

Guidry was named Player of the Game going 2-5, with 2 RBI’s and a 2B hit.

Photo by JOE SHIVAK

Murfreesboro,TN ( 4/6)……….The Blue Raiders defeated the Trojans of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock 4-0 in Sun Belt Conference baseball on Friday night at Reese Smith JR Stadium. Middle Tennessee scored runs in the 5th and 6th and 8th innings to shut out the visitors in game #1 of a three day series.

Trent Miller scored the game’s only home run with a solo hit in the 8th inning to add to comfortable Middle Tennessee lead.

Today’s starting pitcher for the Blue Raiders was Hunter Adkins. Adkins is 3-3 this year with an ERA of 4.24 and34 K’s in 40.1 IP.  He retired the first three batters.  Middle sent three batters to the plate and were retired in order.

The Trojans had Sean Bignall make it to first base on a grounder hit to Justin Guidry but a fly ball to Trent Miller ended the threat.

Little Rock left runners stranded at first and second base in the 3rd as Chris Burk struck out.  Middle sent four batters up and Ryan Ford’s base hit past the short stop put him on 1st base. Ford stole 2nd base but Guidry committed the final out of the inning when he ground out to the 2nd baseman. The game remains scoreless.

In the top of the 4th, Little Rock was three up and three down. Middle’s Thomas got on 1st base but was a victim of a double play.  LaRue flyed out to center to end the inning.

The Trojans had John Clark get on base as LaRue bobbled a grounder and then Guidry dropped the throw. Clark stole 2nd base but that’s as far as he made it, as Cameron Bentley hit a long fly foul to Miller in right field.  The Blue Raiders score one run on a grounder by Robert Lawrence who scores Jordan Rorex from 2nd base.  Middle takes a 1-0 lead but stranded two base runners as Ford flys out to center field and then Guidry committed the final out when he flys out to deep left field.

Little Rock has a scoreless inning despite a 360 foot blast to left center field by Nick Rountree.  Middle starts the inning off with Thomas hit by a pitch.  Miller commits the first out when he flys to right field.  Miller is able to steal 2nd and LaRue brings him home on a grounder past the 1st baseman.  Middle has a 2-0 lead. Rorex makes it on at 1st, but LaRue is the 2nd out. Stephens hits a double bringing in the 3rd run. The inning ends with Lawrence striking out.

Blake Johnson got a two base hit with a fly to right field but the Trojans fail to score again in the 7th inning.  Ford gets a base hit on another error for Little Rock but Guidry hits into a double play to end Middle’s inning.

In the 8th inning, Adkins retires Little Rock’s  first batter but then is relieved by Joey McClung.  He retires Burk and Rountree and leaving two runners on base for the Trojans.  Middle Tennessee gets another run on a long ball over the left field by Miller and now lead 4-0.  Miller is the team leading home run hitter.  Rorex strikes out to end the inning.

In the final inning, Little Rock had three straight outs. McClung is credited with the save throwing 27 pitches in 1 and 2/3 innings.

Adkins is the winning pitcher with 7 and 1/3 innings on the mound and is named Player of the Game. His record is now 4-3. Chance Cleveland is given the loss.

The attendance was 324 on a sunny, breezy, 70 degree night.

By JOE SHIVAK

Photos by JOE SHIVAK

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/28 ) ………..The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders split a two game series with the Memphis Tigers after a 13-5 loss at Reese Smith JR Stadium in game 2.

Memphis had an explosive 1st inning, scoring 4 runs after starting pitcher Jordan Cooper loaded the bases.  Cooper was pulled and Keaton Baker, a right hander was brought in. Trent Miller scored Justin Guidry with a two base blast to the outfield for Middle’s only score in the opening inning.

In the 2nd inning, with the bases loaded, Eli Hynes hit a home run over the right field wall making the score 8-1.  Ford Wilson strikes out leaving two base runners. Middle had 3 batters up and out and still trailed the Tigers 8-1.

In the 3rd, Middle Tennessee sent 4 batters up, but only Hank LaRue’s walk posed any threat as Trent Miller stuck out after a full count ending the inning.

Memphis leaves one runner on base in the 4th as the Blue Raiders leave two runners after Jordan Rorex walked and Ryan Stevens got a hit to center field. Michael Adkins strikes out to end the inning.

Wes Robinson is brought in as the 4th Middle Tennessee pitcher.

The Blue Raiders score 3 runs in the 5th inning as Trent Miller hits a long ball off the wall to the left field.

Clayton Gant was brought in for the 6th inning to pitcher for Memphis.  The Blue Raiders have runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out.  Austin Bryant brings in a run to make it 13-5 with Memphis still out front.  Guidry makes the final out of the inning when he hit to the first baseman.

Right hander Aaron Hyder opens the inning on the mound for the Blue Raiders.  He is the 7th different pitcher for Middle. Memphis is three up and three down to end the inning but still with a 13-5 lead.

Memphis leads off the inning with a double by Jacob Wilson.  Hynes walks and Middle coach Steve Peterson decides to bring in Joey McClung, the winner from last night.  He is the 12th pitcher of the game, the 8th for the Blue Raiders.  McClung gets out of the inning, with Memphis leaving runners at 2nd and 1st.  The score remains 13-5.  The Blue Raiders sent 3 batters to the plate but they produce no runs.

The Tigers sent three batters to the plate and all got retired.  Johnathan Van Eaton pitched the final inning for Memphis.  Guidry led off for the Blue Raiders and grounded out to the first baseman.  Lawrence got on base with a hit to left.  Andrew Cash walks.  Thomas strikes out bringing up Dalton Henzman who ends the game with a strikeout.

Memphis scored 4 runs in the 1st. followed by another 4 in the 2nd.  They added 5 runs in the 5th inning.  The Blue Raiders had 1 run in the 1st, 3 runs in the 5th and 1 run in the 6th.

The Blue Raiders are now 15-11 while Memphis is 11-14.

Fourteen total pitchers saw action between the two teams.  Eric Schoenrock is credited with the win for Memphis while Cooper gets the loss for Middle.

Coach Peterson said, ” It was gonna be hard for us to comeback ( down 8-1 ) but we have to flush this and head down to South Alabama.”

The Blue Raiders play a 3 game series against South Alabama beginning on March 30th.  They return home on April 6th for 3 games against UALR.

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/27)……..The Blue Raiders defeated the Memphis Tigers, 8-7  in baseball at Reese Smith JR Stadium on Tuesday evening. The game was a two game series opener and the first visit for Memphis to Middle Tennessee since 2009. The teams played each other in Memphis last year where they split the two games.

The game was decided on the final out of the 9th inning as Justin Guidry hits a fly ball off the 365 foot mark in right center in front of the scoreboard.

Memphis ended the first inning with 3 hits, leaving the bases full as Carter White grounds to the first baseman.  Middle Tennessee scored on a Trent Miller home run with Ryan Ford and Hank LaRue on base.  LaRue had a two base hit with Ford on first with a walk.  Mathew Drake struck out and Johnny Thomas flyed out to short center field. Middle leads 3-0 at the end of the first.

Memphis scores two runs on a fly to center field by T. J. Rich which hit off the glove of Dain McNabb.  Carter White then hit a grounder to right field brining in Rich to tie the game 3-3.

Middle Tennessee started Daniel Palo on the mound. He lasted 3 innings giving up 3 runs. Nathan Foriest comes in to relief pitch at the top of the 4th inning.

Jordan Rorex came up to bat in the 4th with two runners on and bunted to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd.  Ryan Stephens got a hit over the 1st baseman’s head on a full count scoring two runs, making it 5-3 for Middle.  McNabb flys out to center and Ford flys out to left, ending a two run inning.

Memphis picks up a run on a sacrifice fly to center in the 4th inning by Eli Hynes. Willis scores from 3rd base after he advanced here on an overthrow trying to pick him off at 1st base. Middle leads 5-4.

Guidry hits a long fly ball into right center which drops and he makes it to 3rd base.  A grounder to short stop by LeRue brings in the 6th Middle run.  Miller gets his own triple with a blast to left at the 365 foot mark which bounces off the wall.  Guidry scores on a wild pitch making it 7-4 for Middle.   With two outs. Thomas ends the inning with fly out to the right fielder. Memphis has brought in Dylan Toscano to relief pitch.

Colton Simbeck hit a double to center with two outs. but Keaton Aldridge ended the inning with a strikeout.

Memphis left a batter on third in the top of the 7th when Simbeck flyed out to the shortstop.

The Tigers bring in J.D. Wallace to pitch.  He faces Miller who walks.  Matt Drake then strikes out and Thomas

Kooper Kessler, a right hand-er, started the 7th inning for Middle Tennessee. After one out, Middle coach Steve Peterson decides to bring in Cody Tollison to pitch. Nick Montgomery becomes the third pitcher of the inning as Tollison lasts only 1 out.  Memphis has no runs, on no hits and no errors in the long inning.

Memphis extended the game when  Jacob Wilson hit a home run when two runners on base, tieing the score 7-7.  Joey McClung is brought in to pitch the final out. Patrick Bailey is in to pitch for Memphis.

With two outs, Guidry hit a long ball to right center which hit off the wall, scoring Ford from 1st who had walked. The throw to home plate wasn’t in time and Middle takes the one run win in the 9th inning.

Guidry was named player of the game with a game winning RBI in the 9th inning. He also had a triple in the 5th inning with five at bats.

Adam McClain for Memphis has a .415 batting average in 23 games this season. He has 39 hits from 94 at bats and has 2 home runs. The Memphis Houston High School grad is 6’1′ and 205 pounds and playing in his last season as a Tiger. McClain did not play in tonight’s game due to a strep throat illness but was on hand in the dough out.

Ethan Williams leads the Blue Raiders witha .322 average with 87 at bats, hitting 28 times and 5 home runs.

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/24) …………The Blue Raiders fell to the Owls of Florida Atlantic 4-1 in Sun Belt Conference baseball on Saturday afternoon.  After an hour and a half weather delay, Florida scored 4 runs in the 8th inning to come from behind to win their 15th game of the season. Kyle Newton hit a solo home run over the 365 foot mark to tie the game 1-1.  Corey Keller scored from 3rd base when Mitch Morales got a base hit to right field.  Newton flied to right field bringing in the 4th run.

Middle had 7 hits but only scored 1 run.  Johnathan Frebis had a perfect game going until he was pulled from the game in the 8th inning.

Hank LaRue scored the solo Middle run from second base when Mathew Drake got a base hit to right field.

Michael Adkins hit into a double play to end the game for Middle.

The Blue Raiders are now 14-9 for the season and return on Sunday to play the final game of the Florida Atlantic series.

MTSU OUT OF NIT WITH 78-72 LOSS

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/21 ) ………The Men’s Blue Raiders basketball team fell to the Minnesota Golden Gophers 78-72 in the third round of the National Invitation Tournament ( NIT ) at Murphy Center on Wednesday night.  A near capacity crowd of 10,521 fans witnessed the best post season effort for Middle Tennessee since the 1989 season.  The Golden Gophers now advance to the semi finals in Madison Square Garden in New York City to take on the Washington Huskies on March 27th.

With :07 left in the game and down 74-72, LeRon Dendy picked up a technical foul for reaching over the out of bounds line attempting to block the inbound pass by Minnesota. The Gophers made good on the two free throw shots and added two more free throws on the resulting possession foul.  Andre Hollins made four straight free throws to give Tubby Smith’s team a six point win.

“I had (the ball) in front of me, and I pulled it back. He just reached over and slapped the ball out of my hands,” said Minnesota’s Rodney Williams, the in-bounds passer. “Luckily the ref saw it because it took me a minute to realize what happened. But he slapped it out of my hands and it hit the court.”

Dendy’s version was different and said,  “He just dropped the ball, but the referee said I touched it.”

When asked by head coach Kermit Davis if he touched the ball, Dendy’s one word answer was “No”. Three plays during the game were video reviewed by the officials, but the controversial play by Dendy was not.

Minnesota was led by Hollins and  Williams who had 24 points each and lead all scorers.  Hollins, a freshman, played his high school ball at White Station in Memphis.  Elliott Eliason had 12 points and Austin Hollins had 10 points.

Marcos Knight had 19 points for the Blue Raiders which matches his career high.  Cintron had 15 points followed by  Dendy with 11 points.

Dendy got off to a very slow start in the game.  With 13:19 left in the first half, Dendy had only 2 points and went the whole first half with only one bucket and one rebound.  The Sun Belt Player of the Year had averaged 14.7 points in 33 games.  Dendy, playing in his final game, picked up the pace in the second half, including a three point play which cut the Gopher lead to 51-50.  Dendy had 5 rebounds. Knight lead the Blue Raiders with 9 total.

JT Sulton also had a sub par night.  Coming into the game, the Junior forward from Yazoo City, MS had averaged 8.2 points.  He ended the night with 4 points and 2 rebounds in 25 minutes of playing time.

Middle saw 5 players come off the bench to produce 14 points.  Seeing playing time were James Gallman, Shawn Jones, Jimmy Oden, Torin Walker and Kerry Hammonds.  Jones, Walker and Hammonds had 4 points each. Minnesota’s bench scored only 1 point.

The Blue Raiders took a 32-28 lead into the halftime locker room.  The largest lead of the game was 9 points by Minnesota with 2:21 left in the game.  Middle’s largest lead was 4 points with :53 left in the first half.

Minnesota’s record was 21-14 coming into the game, playing in the Big Ten Conference.  They had six straight losses in February and lost to #2 seed Michigan in the Conference Tournament.

“It’s a great reward,” said Minnesota coach  Smith. “Our goal was to get to postseason play, get to the NCAA (tournament). They can feel good about themselves and not have to listen to naysayers say they’re not any good or can’t play or coach can’t coach. That’s what it does for them.”

NIT MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES OF INTEREST

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/21 ) ………..

Middle Tennessee is 4-2 all time in NIT games and is now 2-0 in the second round. With a 71-64 win over Tennessee in Knoxville, the Blue Raiders continue to advance in post season play for the first time since 1989.

Middle brings in a 27-6 record.  They are the first Sun Belt Conference team to win an NIT game since WKU won in 2005. Prior to MT,  the last Sun Belt team to advance past the second round was UAB in 1989.

The winner of tonight’s game takes on Washington in Madison Square Garden on March 27th.  They defeated Oregon 90-86 for a berth in the semi-finals. Also advancing to the NIT Final 4 were UMass and Stanford.

The starters for Middle were LaRon Dendy, Bruce Massey, Marcos Knight, Raymond Cintron and JT Sulton.

Minnesota brings a 21-14 record into the contest.  They represent the Big Ten Conference.  Two of their starters, Andre Hollins and Austin Hollins are both from the Memphis area. Andre attended White Station High School while Austin went to Germantown.  Both players are guards.  Andre is a 6’1″ freshman while Austin is 6’4″.

Each time will have 4 30-second timeouts and 1 60 second timeout. Each team may carry over 3 30 second timeouts to the 2nd half.

Tonight’s officials were Doug Shows, Mike Nance and Tony Chiazza.

By JOE SHIVAK

Murfreesboro, TN ( 3/15 )………..The Blackman Blaze first ever entry into the #TSSAA basketball state championship series ended quickly with a round #1 loss to Memphis East, 57-56.  The Thursday morning game ended a encouraging season for head coach Barry Wortman as the Blaze ( 26-3) brought the District 7 and Region 4 Championships into the state tournament.  Memphis East is a five time state champion but haven’t won the title since 1996.  Their third place finish in the District 16 competition brought them to the state finals.

The Blaze jumped out to a 14-7 lead mid way through the 1st period with two 3 point baskets by Darius Thompson. Damian Sales added a 3 pointer of his own, as the Blaze would lead at the end of 1 period, 19-15.

Thompson missed a 3 pointer at the start of period 2, but Sales soon added another 3 pointer of his own, as the Blaze looked strong building up a 28-17 lead, the largest of the game so far, with 4:00 minutes to go until the locker room break.  Quindell Cousin made a 3 point play after being fouled during his layup shot, as Blackman took a 31-23 lead at half time.  The Mustang’s Nick King would lead all scorers with 11 points.

The Blaze were playing the best basketball of the season, but Memphis would tie the game 39 all at the 3:18 mark of the 3rd period. A layup by Alexander Anderson would give Memphis a 43-41 lead at the end of the period. Memphis used a full court press to get the Blaze out of their normal rhythm. Memphis played for the last shot, taking 1:20 off the clock before being called for a traveling violation. Thompson would try a long 3 point shot with only :05 on the clock, but the ball hit off the back board.  King would lead all scorers with 19 points.  Smotherman had 14 points for the Blaze and Cousin added 11.

Cousin would open the final period with a dunk tieing the score 43 all but the Blaze were still having a problem beating the Memphis full court press.  Memphis built up a 5 point lead, 50-45 as Smotherman went to the bench with an injured hand. He was able to return to the game, but sat out nearly 2:00 minutes.  With 3:11 showing on the clock, Blackman cut the lead to 55-54.

Alec McMiller missed a 3 point attempt, but Mathew Butler made good on two free throws.  Cousin made good on a jumper but missed the foul shot which would have tied the game with just :34 to play.  Butler would miss on his next free throw as Cousin gets the rebound. With :18 to go, the Blaze take a timeout to set up the last play of the game.  Thompson would miss on a jumper and after a mad scramble on the floor for the ball, Memphis recovers it and wins the state title.

King ends up with 22 points to lead all scoring.  Cousin has 17 points for the Blaze followed by Smotherman with 14 and Sales added 12.

Blackman committed 18 turnovers compared to only 7 for Memphis.

K.J. Dowdy, Andrew Rogan, Josh Maher and Debo Henry came off the bench to play for the Blaze. Dowdy scored 2 points and had 1 rebound in his 10 minutes of playing time.

The Blaze finish their season 27-3 while Memphis advances to take on Science Hill in the semi-finals.

The Blackman players showed their emitions in the post game press conference as well as coach Workman but vowed to work hard in the off season and hopefully return to contention for next year’s championship.