Clarksville, Ark.-32 University of the Ozarks student-athletes were named to the 2017-2018 winter/spring American Southwest Conference All-Academic Team, it was announced by the league office Tuesday (June 5).
Clarksville, Ark.-Ten University of the Ozarks baseball players received All-Conference honors from the American Southwest Conference, it was announced Wednesday, May 9.
Clarksville, Ark.-In a game that was dominated by pitching, the Eagles prevailed in a way that they have all season long – late with a comeback. The Eagles trailed all the way until the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Sam Swartz proved to be the hero as he laced a double down the right field line to bring in Justin Crider and Patrick Clifford in the bottom of the eighth inning. Crider drew a walk and Clifford ripped an RBI single through the left side of the infield to set up the game-winning hit. In the top of the ninth, Corey Steward was inserted to pitch for Waggoner with one out. With runners on first and second, Steward quickly forced a groundball, but shortstop Fielder Dufrene was unable to get an out to load the bases for the Tigers. However, Steward got redemption as he induced a double play ball in the infield to end the game. Second baseman Josh Woolly fielded a grounder, stepped on second base and then threw over to first base for the third out and send the Eagles into a celebration. The Eagles’ bats were quiet until the eighth and starting pitcher Dalton Spurgeon kept the Tiger bats in check in his 5.2 innings. Spurgeon fanned five and allowed only four hits. Jack Waggoner tossed 2.2 innings and struck out three to receive the win. Steward recorded the save in .2 innings of work. Swartz drove in two runs and the Eagles totaled four hits.
Austin, Texas-UT-Tyler broke open a tight game in the fourth with six runs to post a 12-5 win and end the Eagles season in the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament. The Patriots recorded 16 hits in the contest and starter Nate Imig threw a complete game. The Eagles scored twice in the top of the second behind a Fielder Dufrene RBI single and an error. In the sixth, Sam Swartz sliced a single through the left side of the infield to score one and bring the score to 11-3. Ozarks scratched across two runs in the seventh on a Breyden Varner two-run single. Patrick Clifford finished 2-for-4 in his final collegiate game. AJ Chalupka stared for Ozarks and Garrett Stevens finished the game. Chalupka went 3.1 innings and Stevens went 3.0. Stevens fanned four during his appearance.
Austin, Texas-The Eagles opened the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament with a 10-4 loss against UT-Tyler Friday in rainy and wet conditions. The Eagles let an early lead slip away as the Patriots rallied for four runs in the fourth inning and never gave the lead back to the Eagles. Up 6-4 after seven innings, the Patriots added four more runs in the eighth frame to secure the game. The Eagles scored twice in the first inning on back-to-back solo home runs from Breyden Varner and Patrick Clifford. UT-Tyler got one run back in the bottom half of the inning, but the Eagles responded with another run in the top of the second. This time Justin Crider had an RBI on a ground out. After UT-Tyler cut it to 3-2 after three, the Eagles appeared to be in control scoring another run in the fourth on Crider’s RBI single up the middle. But UT-Tyler mounted a comeback starting in the bottom half of the inning by scoring four runs. UT-Tyler had three hits and took advantage of one Eagle error in the inning. The Eagles had trouble recovering after that, but did pose a threat in the eighth recording two singles and a walk. However, UT-Tyler was able to strand each runner to end a potential rally. In all, the Eagles posted eight hits, while UT-Tyler had 13.
Clarksville, Ark.-University of the Ozarks sophomore right-handed pitcher Gyeongju Kim was named the American Southwest Conference Pitcher of the Week, the conference announced Monday (April 30).
Clarksville, Ark.-The University of the Ozarks baseball team beat the Belhaven Blazers 7-6 in eleven innings Saturday afternoon to sweep the series. Jordan Jones - on Senior Day - provided the dramatics with the game-winning single in the bottom of the 11th to seal the win. Patrick Clifford used a homerun in the third to put the Eagles on the board and tie up the game, 1-1. Ozarks would add two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth making the score 6-6 going into the ninth inning. After two scoreless innings, Matt Alamia pinch ran and stole second and third to put him on third base with Jones up to bat. Jones hit an RBI single to left field to secure the win over the Blazers. Bryce Elder had three hits and two RBI’s, Breyden Varner and Clifford had two hits apiece.
Clarksville, Ark.- Head University of the Ozarks Baseball Coach Aaron Gentry has led his team to the playoffs in just his third season with the Eagles.
Clarksville, Ark.-The Eagles blasted Belhaven University 15-1 behind three home runs and a standout pitching performance from starter Gyeongju Kim. Josh Woolly got things started for the Eagles in the first inning with a two-run double. Sam Swartz followed with an RBI single and the route was on for the Eagles. In the second, Breyden Varner launched a three-run homer, and in the fourth Patrick Clifford blasted a two-run shot to put the Eagles in front 10-0. The hits kept coming as the Eagles scored five more in the fifth. Woolly highlighted the frame with a three-run homer. Kim (3-5) cruised through 5.1 innings and did not allow an earned run to receive the win. Kim scattered six hits and fanned four in his appearance. Rocky Liveoak and Swartz each had three hits. Woolly drove in five runs. Varner drove in three runs. In all, the Eagles pounded out 14 hits.
Clarksville, Ark.-The second annual University of the Ozarks OZZY awards took place Tuesday, April 24 in the Rogers Conference Center where numerous student-athletes and teams were honored for their outstanding athletic and academic seasons.
A Zach Gartner RBI single in the fourth inning proved to be the difference in the game as East Texas Baptist edged the Eagles 1-0 in game one Friday. Two outstanding pitching performances made for a fast game. The game lasted only one hour and 13 minutes. Starters Gyeongju Kim and Derrick Findley went the distance to record complete games. Kim allowed only three hits, while Findley gave up four to the Eagles. Kim struck out one and issued two walks. His run was earned. Findley fanned eight. The Tigers scratched across their run by stringing one hit and one walk. The Tigers recorded back-to-back bunts to set up the run for Gartner. The Eagles never had a base runner in scoring position. Justin Crider went 2-for-3 for Ozarks.
Marshall, Texas-East Texas Baptist University overcame a 5-4 deficit to begin the eighth inning and scored five runs in the frame to claim a 9-6 victory over the Eagles. The Tigers plated five runs in the bottom of the eighth behind just two hits. The Tigers took advantage of four Eagle errors in the frame. Fielder Dufrene put the Eagles on the board first with an RBI single in the second. The Eagles forged ahead 4-0 in the top of the third on three hits. Breyden Varner drove in one run and Josh Woolly later scored on an error. The final run came on a Dakota Ebarb RBI single. But the Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to climb within 4-2. Varner drove in another run in the fourth to make it 5-2. However, the Tigers scratched across a run in the fifth and sixth inning and then exploded for five in the eighth. The Eagles generated one run in the top of the ninth on a Sam Swartz RBI single.
Arkadelphia, Ark.-Ouachita Baptist University overcame a 2-0 deficit to take a 4-2 win over the Eagles Tuesday afternoon. In the second inning, Mason DaBour singled in Dakota Ebarb, who had earlier reached base on a double. With one out, Justin Crider reached base on a single to put a pair of runners on base for Rocky Liveoak. Liveoak delivered an RBI as he grounded out to second base. The Tigers were able to get the third out, but Ozarks still led 2-0. In the fifth, Ouachita Baptist battled back behind two hits. With two outs, the Tigers had a two-run double and an RBI single to take the lead for good. The Eagles did record two hits in the sixth and two hits in the seventh, but were unable to generate any runs. The Eagles outhit the Tigers 11-7. Breyden Varner, Fielder Dufrene and Josh Woolly all had two hits. David Beck took the loss after tossing 4.2 innings.
Clarksville, Ark.-After four hits and two runs, including Patrick Mixon's sixth-inning homerun, the Eagles suffered a 6-2 loss against the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys. The first run of the game came from Justin Crider, who scored in the first inning off a fielder's choice. Crider and Mixon both went 1-for-3. Crider, Mixon, Breyden Varner, and Rocky Liveoak each added one hit to the board. The Eagles used 12 combined hits to score 11 runs, including one home run from Breyden Varner and another from Justin Crider, to sweep past the Cowboys in an 11-8 win Saturday afternoon in the second game of the series. Dakota Ebarb, Crider, Varner, and Josh Woolly all added two hits. Corey Steward pitched the final three innings to remain perfect on the season (5-0).
Clarksville, Ark.-For the third straight year, University of the Ozarks student-athletes celebrated National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III Week by hosting a Field Day for local students from self-contained classrooms.
Conway, Ark.-Conway, Ark.-A two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning proved to be the difference as Hendrix College rallied to a 6-5 win over the Eagles Tuesday night. The Eagles took a 3-2 lead in the third behind three hits and two Hendrix errors. The Eagles moved ahead 4-2 in the top of the fourth on Fielder Dufrene's RBI single. Sam Swartz homered in the fifth to put the Eagles in front 5-3. But the Warriors rallied from the deficit and scored once in the seventh and twice in the eighth. The Eagles outhit Hendrix 11-8. Justin Crider, Rocky Liveoak, Patrick Clifford and Dufrene all had two hits. Starter David Beck went 5.2 innings and struck out four.
Longview, Texas-LeTourneau University edged the Eagles 4-3 in game one. The Eagles climbed back into the game in the top of the seventh. Justin Crider ripped a two-run double to make it 4-3. Crider eventually ended up on third to represent the tying run, but LeTourneau was able to force a groundout to end the game. The Eagles outhit LeTourneau 7-5, with Crider recording a team-best two hits. With the score tied 1-1, LeTourneau scored three times in the sixth inning to mount pressure on the Eagles.
Longview, Texas-Will Bradshaw hit a walk-off homerun in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift LeTourneau University to a 5-4 win over the Eagles Friday night. In the top of the 10th, Fielder Dufrene’s infield chopper and an error by LeTourneau gave Ozarks a 4-2 advantage. The runs were generated as a result of three consecutive hits to start the 10th inning. LeTourneau got back-to-back RBI singles in the bottom of the 10th to even the score. Bryce Elder and Justin Crider had RBI in the seventh inning to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead. Gyeongju Kim scattered five hits over seven innings and allowed only one run as the starter.
Conway, Ark.-The Eagles' offense struggled to generate any runs as Hendrix College shutout the visitors 3-0 Monday night. The Eagles tallied only five hits with Justin Crider recording two of them. Seth Tucker struck out five Eagle batters. Hendrix scratched across one run in the first inning and then plated two in the fourth on a double. Jake Holland took the loss for Ozarks.
Clarksville, Ark.-The Eagles roughed up six pitchers, recorded 22 hits, batted two grand slams and scored the most runs since 1996 in Saturday's 21-13 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor. With the win, the Eagles swept the series 3-0. Oddly enough, the game appeared to be headed for a disaster as Mary Hardin-Baylor plated five runs in the third and four in the fourth to hold a 9-0 lead. But the Eagles had other things in mind as Patrick Clifford began with a grand slam in the bottom half of the third. Clifford's home run ignited a six-run third inning. Rocky Liveoak followed with a two-run double and Patrick Mixon recorded an RBI single. The Crusaders responded with three runs in the top of the fifth only to have the Eagles answer with three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. Still trailing 12-9, the difference was the sixth inning. The Eagles blasted the Crusaders for ten runs on eight hits. Breyden Varner cranked out a three-run homer to begin the surge. Patrick Mixon then hit a grand slam to give the Eagles a 16-12 lead and let the air out of the Crusaders. In Mixon's standout game, he finished 3-for-5 with six RBI. Not to be outdone, Clifford went 2-for-5 with five RBI. Varner had four RBI. Josh Woolly and Rocky Liveoak each had four hits.
Clarksville, Ark.-The Eagles exploded for all eight runs on six hits in the fifth inning to take game one 8-3. Ozarks cranked out two home runs in the frame, with Breyden Varner and Fielder Dufrene blasting a two-run and three-run shot, respectively. The Eagles' big fifth inning still didn't overshadow starter Gyeongju Kim's strong performance. Kim tossed a complete game and scattered six hits while fanning five. Josh Woolly had three hits, while Varner drove in two and Dufrene drove in three. In game two with the score tied 6-6 in the seventh inning, the Eagles nudged across the game-winning run on an error by the Crusaders.
Russellville, Ark.-Arkansas Tech starting pitcher Layton Robinson threw a complete game with 10 strikeouts to edge the Eagles 3-1 Tuesday. The Eagles held the lead first when they scored in the top of the third on an error. Tech came back in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead for good scoring twice. The Eagles would generate a few hits after that, but Robinson induced two double plays to end any threats.
Brownwood, Texas-Howard Payne exploded for eight runs in the first inning en route to a 14-4 win over the Eagles Saturday in game three of the conference series. Howard Payne recorded five hits in the frame. Ozarks did score once in the second, but Howard Payne got the run back in the bottom half of the inning. The Eagles cut it to 9-4 in the third on RBI from Justin Crider, Breyden Varner and Josh Woolly. Howard Payne would later score four runs in the sixth to finish out the game.
Brownwood, Texas-Breyden Varner's RBI double to centerfield pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning to give Ozarks a 2-1 victory over Howard Payne in game one.
Clarksville, Ark.-The Eagles' bats were red hot to start the game Saturday afternoon and finished with a 10-9 comeback victory. After three straight home runs by Sam Swartz, Patrick Clifford, and Dakota Ebarb put Ozarks up 5-0, a comfortable victory seemed apparent. Sul Ross had other plans. Entering the seventh inning, the Lobos trailed 6-1. Over the next two innings the visiting team would go on to amass six runs, which tied the game at 6-6. The Eagles were able to answer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. A Patrick Clifford home run and a Patrick Mixon single to left had Ozarks ahead 8-6. A dramatic ninth inning saw Sul Ross first baseman, Jacob Ocoa, hit a three-run home run to put the visitors back on top at 9-8. The scrappy Eagles once again mounted a comeback in the bottom of the inning. Matt Alamia scored on a Breyden Varner single, and Dakota Ebarb put the game away with a game winning, walk-off single to center field.
Clarksville, Ark.-Sul Ross State University opened the scoring with a home run in the first inning to take a come-from-behind win. The Eagles took the lead in the second inning adding three off a home run from Patrick Mixon. The Eagles continued scoring in the third inning by putting two on the board from a home run by Breyden Varner. That was the last the Eagles would score. The Lobos would take the lead and the win in the top of the seventh with a home run, winning 6-5.
Austin, Texas-Dakota Ebarb's fifth-inning grand slam fueled a 9-2 win over Concordia in game one Saturday. Ebarb's big day started in the first inning when he doubled in a pair of runs to give Ozarks a 2-0 lead.