Staff writer
Did playing all that tough non-conference competition recently help or harm Louisiana Tech’s softball team?
The Lady Techsters, with the early lead in the Conference USA West Division softball race, hope to come out stronger this weekend at UAB, while the bowling team goes into a second postseason tournament.
SOFTBALL: Through two weekends of C-USA action, Louisiana Tech (13-19, 3-1 C-USA) sits atop the West Division.
That position will be put to the test this weekend when interim head coach Bianca Duran and Co. travel to Mary Bowers Field to face Alabama-Birmingham in a four-game series. Today’s opener starts at 6 p.m. while Saturday’s doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday’s finale will begin at noon.
Today’s game can be seen on ESPN3 while the remaining three contests will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Tech must snap a five-game losing streak if it wants to stay atop the West Division. The Lady Techsters have dropped games against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 15 LSU and Mississippi State during the rough stretch.
“We have had a tough stretch,” Duran said. “Part of it is we have played some really good teams and then part of it is we haven’t played up to our standard. Our players know what it will take this weekend against a very good UAB team. I’m excited about the series and getting back into league action.”
UAB (18-16, 5-3 C-USA) is just percentage points behind Tech entering the weekend after taking three out of four against UTEP last weekend. Tech leads the all-time series 14-6, including six straight wins at Mary Bowers Field.
BOWLING: A second chance.
That’s what the Lady Techsters get this weekend when they travel to Dallas to compete in the United States Bowling Congress Sectionals starting today and running through Sunday.
Tech, ranked No. 6 in the country, had a disappointing outcome in the NCAA Championships a week ago, dropping its first two matches and coming home.
There are four sectional qualifiers this weekend taking place in Smyrna, Tennessee, Addison, Illinois, Dayton, Ohio, and Dallas.
The top four teams from each sectional will then advance to the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITC) which will be held May 5-8 at the Spectrum Entertainment Complex in Wyoming, Michigan.
Friday will be the intercollegiate singles championship qualifiers where individuals will compete in six games.
Saturday and Sunday will be the team qualifiers with each team competing in 20 Baker games on each day for a total of 40 games. The total pinfall will determine which teams advance to the ITC.
The USBC Sectionals will be streamed on BowlTV.
GOLF: Bulldog Mac Murphy was named the Conference USA Golfer of the Week following his second place finish at the Huntsville Toyota Bearkat Invitational this past week.
Murphy shot a four-under-par 212 (71-71-70) to finish as the runner-up at the event, carding 12 birdies (four in each round) over the 54 holes.
He becomes the second Tech player to earn the award this year, joining his brother Sam who was honored back in mid-February.
Murphy will lead the Bulldogs into the C-USA Championships starting April 26 in Texarkana.