Marshall Football: McKelvey moved to linebacker

Per the Twitter account of Herald Dispatch reporter Andrew Ramspacher, sophomore Evan McKelvey has been converted from safety to strong side linebacker. As a reserve McKelvey appeared in six games last year, registering three tackles. At the start of spring practice Marshall listed him at 6’1, 205 pounds.

Report: WVU AD Oliver Luck “I see us down the road playing Marshall at some point"

Per a article in today’s Herald Dispatch, West Virginia University athletic director Oliver Luck believes Marshall and the Mountaineers will meet in football again, although it might not be for another 20 years.

From the Herald Dispatch:

"I see us down the road playing Marshall at some point," Luck said. "When that is? Who knows? It could be five years from now. It could be 20 years from now. We have to figure out how we do our non-conference going forward.

Make sure you read the rest of the story here, Luck discusses the ever evolving landscape of college athletics and his former teammate Marshall football coach Doc Holliday.

Marshall Basketball: Herd to play New Mexico State?

Per a report by CBSSports.com, Marshall will host another NCAA exempt basketball tournament this upcoming season, like last year’s Global Sports Shootout. The report indicates that New Mexico State will be part of the event. Last year the Lobo’s won 26 games and received a NCAA tournament bid.

No official word yet if New Mexico and Marshall are playing, much less where the game would take place.

Marshall Baseball: Blair shines on the Cape

For the second week in a row Marshall University pitcher Aaron Blair was named the Cape Cod Leagues “Pitcher of the Week”. Against the Brewster Whitecaps last Thursday Blair pitched six innings, striking out seven batters while giving up zero runs and only allowing six base runners.

Blair, a member of the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, has failed to yield an earned run in two starts this summer.

*Update* Marshall Basketball: Herd to play at Kentucky next season

*Update*

Chuck Landon is reporting in today’s Herald Dispatch that the much discussed basketball game between Marshall and Kentucky is still being negotiated. In the column Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick shoots down December 20^th as the game date and mentions schools other than UK, specifically Pittsburgh and NC State as possible opponents.

*Original Post*
Per multiple reports on Twitter, Marshall University will visit the University of Kentucky in men's basketball next season.

Details are hard to come by but, it appears that the game will be broadcast on ESPN. Apparently, neither school has signed a contract to play although, it seems to be eminent.

According to the Twitter account of incoming freshman basketball player Kareem Canty, the game will take place December 20th.

Marshall Basktball: Isaiah Williams leaves program

Per the website ZagsBlog.com, Marshall University freshman basketball player Isaiah Williams has left the program. Williams joined the Herd as a academic non-qualifier last August and did not participate in the 2011-2012 season.

Grades appear to be the driving force behind Williams departure. Zagsblog.com reports that the New Jersey native will spend at least one year at State College of Florida Manitee, a junior college, before enrolling at Iona.

Marshall Baseball: Straily shines in AAA debut

Former Marshall University pitcher Dan Staily had an impressive performance in his first AAA start last night. Taking the bump for the Sacramento River Cats, Straily pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight batters while only allowing three hits. Straily earned the win as Sacramento beat the Fresno Grizzlies 6-0.

For the year Straily has registered 116 K’s, the most in professional baseball.

Marshall Golf: Brand within striking distance at WV Open

Former Thundering Herd golfer Christian Brand is within two strokes the lead entering today’s final round of the West Virginia Open. After the tournament’s first two days Brand finds himself at six under par, tied for second and two shots behind leader Craig Berner.

Brand tees off with the tournament’s final paring at 10:51am this morning, you can find a live leader board here.

Today's Marshall University athletics news, 6/21/12

From the Herald Dispatch

Marshall makes academic progress

Coach grows Herd from Georgia roots

Huntington sports landmark comes down

Marshall Football: Michael Selby commits to Herd

Washington County High School (GA) offensive lineman Michael Selby has given a verbal commitment to Marshall University. Selby announced his decision to join the Thundering Herd via Twitter.     

Listed at six-foot-three, 273 pounds, Selby is rated a three star prospect according to Rivals.com and Scout.com. Besides Marshall, Selby also had scholarship offers from Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee. A GoUpState.com article from February indicated that the Georgia lineman was also receiving interest from Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Duke and Maryland.

For more on Selby follow the links below:

1) Rivals.com profile

2) ESPN.com profile

3) Scout.com profile

Marshall Football: Gerald Wright Commits to Herd

Per Rivals.com, Miami Northwestern offensive/defensive lineman Gerald Wright has verbally committed to Marshall University.

Standing in at 6-foot-two, 321 pounds, Wright was named one of the top 25 prospects in Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties by SoFLAFootball.com last season. Although he plays both sides of the ball, Wright is being recruited to Marshall as an offensive lineman. Besides the Thundering Herd, Wright reportedly had scholarship offers from Florida A&M, Florida State, and Mississippi.

For more on Wright follow the links below:

1) Rivals.com profile 
2) Scout.com profile 
3) ESPN.com profile 
4) Highlight video

*Update* Marshall Baseball: Straily closing in on K’s lead

*Update*
With nine strikeouts against San Antonio this evening former Thundering Herd pitcher Dan Straily now leads all of professional baseball with 108 K's. Straily's line for the Midland RockHounds Friday night, eight innings pitched, one hit, one earned run, one walk, and 9 strikeouts.

*Original Post*
By the end of the night a former Marshall University pitcher could lead professional baseball in strikeouts. Dan Straily, a 24^th round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics in 2009, has registered 99 K’s for the class AA Midland RockHounds this season. The Oregon native only trails Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals (100) and Detroit Tiger Justin Verlander (103) in strikeouts.  Straily takes the mound tonight against the San Antonio Missions. In two previous starts against San Antonio Straily has registered six punch-out’s.

For more on Straily and 11 other former Marshall baseball players in the minor leagues, click on this link for a story by HerdZone.com’s Jack Bogaczyk.

Marshall Football: Start times & TV schedule partially set for 2012

Per HerdZone.com, nine of Marshall’s 12 football games have been assigned broadcast partners and start times for this upcoming season.

They are as follows:

September 8th vs. Western Carolina – 6:30pm EST (TBA)

September 15th vs. Ohio – 6:30pm EST (TBA)

September 22nd at Rice – 4:30pm EST (CSS)

October 6th vs. Tulsa – 3:30pm EST (CBSSN)

October 20th at Southern Miss – 7pm EST (CBSN)

October 27th vs. UCF – 8pm EST (CBSN)

November 10th at UAB – 4:30pm EST (CSS)

November 17th vs. Houston – 12pm EST (CSS)

November 23rd at ECU – 2pm EST (CBSSN)

CSS - Comcast Sports South

CBSSN – CBS Sports Network

*Marshall’s game against ECU was previously scheduled for Saturday November 24th, it has been moved to Friday November 23rd.   

Tulsa & El Paso to host C-USA basketball tournament, league will explore further expansion

Big news from Conference USA's board of Directors meeting earlier today.

First, it has been decided that Tulsa and El Paso will host the next two C-USA basketball tournaments. This upcoming seasons league championship will take place March 13-16 at Tulsa's BOK Center. El Paso will serve as host in 2014.

Also, the board decided to explore future membership growth and throw it's support behind a four team playoff in college football.

You can read the official release from C-USA here.

Hamrick promises baseball stadium & Tinnon's eligibility still in question

Two items from the Herald Dispatch article on yesterday’s Big Green coaches tour event in Hurricane:

1)   Athletic director Mike Hamrick promised after the Vision Campaign is completed, Marshall’s fundraising drive to build a new soccer stadium, indoor practice facility,  athlete academic center, and sports medicine research facility, that constructing a baseball stadium will be his number one priority.

2)   According to basketball coach Tom Herrion, Dennis Tinnon’s eligibility is still be reviewing by the NCAA. Herrion told the Herald Dispatch that associate athletic director of compliance Derek Gwinn meet with NCAA officials in Atlanta yesterday to provide further insight on Tinnon’s request for a fourth year of eligibility.

Background on Tinnon’s fight for an additional season with the Thundering Herd can be found in this article from Chuck Landon.

Marshall Baseball: Church & Mason selected in MLB Draft

Two Marshall baseball players lived out life long dreams earlier today as Mike Mason and Joe Church were selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

One of the Thundering Herd's top relievers in 2012, Church was picked in the 17th round, 525th overall, by the San Diego Padres. A Princeton West Virginia native, Church tossed 28.2 innings with a ERA of 3.45 while striking out 37 batters to only 14 walks this season. As a redshirt junior he will have the option of returnig to Marshall for his senior year.

Marshall's Saturday starter for the past three seasons, Mason was selected in the 24th round, 738th overall, by the Colorado Rockies. A left-handed senior, Mason started 14 games in 2012, accumulating a record of 4-6 with an ERA 4.15.

   

Marshall Basketball: 2012-2013 schedule coming together

Informative article by Jack Bogaczky on Marshall's challenge to put together a quality men's basketball schedule next season. According to the story, which you can see here, the Herd is looking to add a home and home against a quality mid-major opponent like last years series with Belmont. An away game with a traditional power (ex. Syracuse 2011 and Louisville 2010), is also not out of the question.

Marshall Basketball: Herd announces series against Morehead St.

In a official release Marshall University announced a four year agreement with Morehead State to face off in men’s basketball.

The Herd will host games next season (November 28^th) and in 2014 while Morehead State takes home court advantage in 2013 and 2015.

Long time rivals Marshall and Morehead have meet on the hardwood 93 times. Marshall holds a 50-43 advantage in the all time series, including 16 of the last 20 meetings.

You can read the official release from Marshall Athletics here. 

Marshall Football: More on LeGrander & Okorha

A little bit more information on Doc Holliday's newest additions, Boston College graduate transfers Dominik LeGrander and Okechukwu Okorha:

The Herald Dispatch, Charleston Daily Mail, Charleston Gazette, and WV Metro News all have articles on the Herd’s new safeties.

Chuck Landon goes in-depth and predicts that Okorha could start at safety along redshirt freshman D.J Hunter while LeGrander slides in at nickel back.

You can also find a direct release from Marshall athletics on the addition LeGrander & Okorha here.

Marshall Football: Former BC Eagles transfer to Herd

Per the Twitter account of Charleston Daily Mail sports editor Chuck McGill, two former Boston College football players, safeties Dominick LeGrande and Okechukwu Okoroha, enrolled at Marshall University this morning. Both will be eligible to play immediately after spending the 2011 season away from football.

LeGrander decide to transfer from Boston College in August of 2011. At the time he was projected to start at strong safety after recording 21 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 2010. According to his Boston College profile LeGrande stands at 6’3, 211 pounds.

Four days before LeGrander’s departure Okorha was dismissed from BC for disciplinary reasons. During the 2010 season Okorha appeared in 13 games, starting six while registering 27 tackles. The Maryland native was last listed at 6’1, 205 pounds by Boston College.

LeGrander and Okorha have one year of eligibility remaining.

Marshall baseball looks towards MLB Draft

Major League Baseball will begin it's 50 round draft tomorrow. With eight players selected in 2011 Marshall University should represent a number of picks over the next three days.

Last year then sophomore Isaac Ballou was chosen in the 36th round by the Pittsburgh Pirtaes. A center fielder, Ballou decided to forgo professional baseball and return to Marshall for his junior season. Ballou did nothing but improve his draft stock in 2012, batting .308 while stealing 21 basses on 28 attempts. Hitting over .300 is impressive but, Ballou's patience at the plate was epic. The Virginia native earned 43 walks while only striking out 41 times. Ballou's keen eye helped him record an .488 on base percentage. Don't be surprised if you hear his name called in the first twenty rounds of this years draft.

Another member of the Thundering Herd selected last year, senior starting pitcher Mike Mason, should be picked again. Marshall's Saturday starter for the past three seasons, Mason recorded 60 strikeouts to only 27 walks in 2012 with an ERA of 4.15. A lefty, the Texas Rangers selected Mason in the 23rd round of last years draft.

Like Mason, Joe Church was also selected in the 2011 draft, 40th round Los Angeles Angels, but elected to returned to college . One of Marshall's hardest throwers, the right handed Church tossed just over 28 innings this year, with an impressive 3.45 ERA and 37 strikeouts to 14 walks.

Not among the players picked last year, Marshall closer Jesse Fernandez is a candidate for selection in 2012. Beyond his four saves opposing batters only recorded a .170 batting average against him this season, a team low. Looking at the Thundering Herd's position players, first baseman Nathan Gomez could hear his name called. The brother of former Marshall standout Victor Gomez, Nathan lead the Herd in hits (65), batting average (.316), slugging percentage (.442), runs batted in (39), and total bases (91) this year.

The draft will be broadcast by the MLB Network starting tomorrow at 6pm EST, full schedule below:

Monday, June 4 (Day One) 

Round 1 and compensation round A, 6 p.m ET (MLB Network)

Tuesday, June 5 (Day Two)

Rounds 2-15, 12 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

Wednesday, June 6 (Day Three)

Rounds 16-40, 12 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

Marshall Basketball: Henderson Center upgrades & Herrion talks C-USA

Two stories on HerdZone.com focusing on Marshall basketball:

1) Jack Bogaczyk has a run down of recently completed renovations at the Henderson Center including new sound and cooling systems.

2) Bogaczky also sat down with head coach Tom Herrion and discussed the new look Conference USA, make sure you give it a read here.