Herd prepares for first postseason action in 22 years
After Marshall men’s basketball heartbreaking loss to Tulsa in the C-USA tournament quarterfinals, postseason hopes seemed far away.
"They refused to die.”
That is how Houston head coach Tom Penders described his team after the Cougars upset No. 1 seed UTEP in the Conference USA Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Herd loses to tourney host Tulsa
When the buzzer sounded, Tulsa center Jerome Jordan proved why he was Conference USA’s resident star big man.
Third and a Mile
As it turns out, my lucky Jesse Oglesby jersey is not so lucky.
At first, Jerome Jordan seemed hesitant.
With an Aubrey Coleman splash, Memphis’ NCAA Tournament bubble may have burst.
As head coach Donnie Jones sat in the BOK center in Tulsa on Wednesday, he saw what he will be dealing with tonight.
Ramspacher’s Rumblings
Tom Penders wasn’t being rude, he was just proving a point.
The Marshall University baseball team will play some tough competition this weekend at the Tennessee Tournament in Knoxville, Tenn.
Don’t be surprised if Tyler Wilkerson flies a little more quickly to the hole today.
March Madness — Conference USA style
Many coaches have one philosophy for their teams this March at the conference tournaments: win or go home.
March Madness — Conference USA style
The irony to Tuesday’s open practices at the men’s Conference USA Tournament came in the discussions afterward.
The Marshall University softball team split a pair of games Tuesday afternoon against Valparaiso at Don Hicks Field. Marshall won the first game of the doubleheader 8-0 in five innings, but fell 6-4 in seven innings in the second.
Marshall University men’s basketball player Hassan Whiteside has been selected Conference USA Rookie of the Year and Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.
For roughly 39 minutes, Marshall University’s women’s basketball team seemed to handle March.
As she plays her last season at Marshall University, senior golfer Larie Lynch remembers how she got started in golf and looks forward to her future.
As in Saturday’s loss against Princeton, Marshall struggled early in doubles action on Monday, falling 6-1 to Virginia.
With a win over SMU Saturday, Marshall University’s men’s basketball team has posted its highest win total since the 1987-88 season. More importantly, it has a bye in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament.
Over the past five years, this incarnation has been dominated by Memphis. The Tigers have been C-USA champions every year, and the tournament has been hosted in the Bluff City.
With the cold weather breaking, home field advantage and a couple of extra innings, the Marshall softball team placed second in the Marshall Holiday Inn-vitational Tournament.
The Marshall University softball team rolled to a 13-3 five-inning win against Delaware and edged a 4-2 victory against Cleveland State as the sun set Saturday afternoon at Dot Hicks Field.
The Marshall University softball team (10-5) fell late in the game, 3-2, to the Kent State Golden Flashes on Friday.
At the 2009 Conference USA Tournament, the UCF women’s basketball team took over New Orleans. From its support in the stands to its play on the court.
The clock was ticking on Marshall’s season and the Herd’s Tania Walters was waiting patiently for the play to develop.
Marshall University senior tennis player Deanna Bailey continues to impress the tennis world with an undefeated singles record of 10-1.
The No. 28 Marshall women’s tennis team fell to No. 44 Princeton, losing their first game of the season 5-2.
The Marshall University women’s golf team will rely on senior leadership and hard work to make it to the Conference USA Tournament in April.
The Marshall University men’s golf team opened the spring portion of the 2009-10 season this weekend at the USF Invitational. Play began Friday at the Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City, Fla. Round two was Saturday with the final 18 holes Sunday.
The Marshall University women’s Track and Field team does not have a track facility to call its own.
Mike Mason pitched 6.2 innings of shutout work on the mound with a career-high nine strikeouts while the top five batters in the Thundering Herd lineup combined for 12 hits to lead the Marshall University baseball team past Georgia Southern University, 8-0 on Sunday afternoon at J.I. Clements Stadium.
The Marshall University baseball team held a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning, but Georgia Southern used a three-run hit in the sixth and added an insurance run in the eighth to defeat the Thundering Herd, 4-3, on Saturday at J.I. Clements Stadium.
Herd visits SMU for last game of the season
After coming off an emotional week featuring a triple-overtime win and the last home game for seniors, the Marshall men’s basketball team can end the season on a high note.
Five minute major
I have been a fan of hockey for as long as I can remember. It is a sport that most people don’t know much about, but this past Sunday, everyone was a fan.
The Marshall University softball team will open its home schedule on Friday, when the Herd faces Kent State (1-9) at 2 p.m. in the Marshall Holiday Inn-vitational, hosted by the Holiday Inn. Cleveland State (7-3) and Delaware (2-6) will also make the trek to Dot Hicks Field for the weekend tournament.
Marshall women fall to ECU on senior night
The Marshall University women’s basketball team lost a close game against ECU at the Cam Henderson Center on Wednesday night.
As I see it
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear No. 23? If you’re like me, you think of NBA legend Michael Jordan.
No. 21 UTEP too much for Herd after big second half
On senior night for the Marshall men’s basketball team, it was a couple of UTEP juniors who stole the spotlight.
Ramspacher’s Rumblings
Donnie Jones calmly strolled to the postgame news conference, took a deep breath and uttered the most telling line of the night.
The Thundering Herd women’s basketball team will wrap up the 2009-10 season Wednesday evening, playing host to East Carolina at 7 p.m. at the Cam Henderson Center.
When Marshall takes the court tonight against UTEP at the Cam Henderson Center it will be the last home game in the green and white for Chris Lutz.
Even though he has family coming to see his last game at the Cam Henderson Center, Tyler Wilkerson would feel at home even if they didn’t show up.
Fans that look at Darryl Merthie can call him the elder statesman of the Marshall men’s basketball team.
With 22 wins on the season, the Herd has yet to do one thing: beat a ranked team.
Pena, Lutz lead Herd past UCF in thrilling triple overtime game
After surrendering a 17-point lead, the Marshall men’s basketball team seemed all but destined to lose. Dago Pena seemed to not believe in destiny.
Amber Jones connected on a jumper as time expired, giving UAB a 45-44 win over the Marshall University women’s basketball team Saturday evening at Bartow Arena.
The Marshall football team has named Chris Rippon its defensive coordinator for the upcoming season.
Third and a Mile
With apologies to UCF, it’s a good thing I’m not a member of the basketball team. You see, I’m looking ahead to Tuesday’s contest with UTEP.
Marshall’s Jenny Johnsson just missed a personal best in the 500-yard freestyle to lead the Thundering Herd on day two of the Conference USA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Houston.
Second-half run powers Memphis over Herd women
Brittany Carter and Ramses Lonlack each scored a game-high 17 points as Memphis downed the Marshall women’s basketball team, 62-53, in Conference USA action Thursday evening at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
Hassan Whiteside reset the Conference USA record for most blocks in a season as Marshall University (21-7, 9-4 C-USA) defeated Rice University 77-54 (8-19, 1-12 C-USA) Wednesday night in Tudor Fieldhouse.
Softball enters its third bracket in as many weeks
With two tournaments in the books and nine games on record, the Marshall softball team still feels it hasn’t hit its stride.
The Thundering Herd women’s basketball team will take to the road for the final time in the regular season, taking on Memphis on Thursday evening before traveling to UAB on Saturday.
As I see it
Thirty-year-old NFL running backs are dropping like flies. A day after the San Diego Chargers released LaDainian Tomlinson, the Philadelphia Eagles released Brian Westbrook.
Herd heads to Rice for rematch of C-USA tournament
Even a year later, it still runs through the minds of the Marshall men’s basketball team.
The Marshall University women’s tennis team continues to rewrite the record books as MU has attained its highest ITA ranking ever at No. 34, according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) polls released on Tuesday.
Herd reaches 20-win plateau for the first time in a decade
Some may call it the dark ages of Marshall men’s basketball, but finally the Herd has reached the light at the end of the tunnel.
Herd women fail to keep up with SMU
The Marshall University women’s basketball team came up on the losing end of a battle with SMU on Sunday at the Cam Henderson Center.
The Marshall University baseball team picked up its first victory of the season by taking the second game of a doubleheader at Samford, 5-4 on Saturday evening at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
Marshall softball player Marcena Bertoldo was named Marshall University Student Athlete of the Week for the week ending Feb. 14.
With two straight wins over two Conference USA top tier teams, it would seem the upcoming road trip to bottom dwellers Tulane and Rice would ease head coach Donnie Jones’ mind.
Undefeated singles players help lead Marshall tennis
Seven matches into No. 45 ranked Marshall women’s tennis’ season, there have been six total points scored against it, five home wins, four shutout wins and three undefeated singles players.
Third and a Mile
The recent news that Marshall hopes to expand Joan C. Edwards Stadium got me thinking. Why in the world would the university want to spend millions of dollars to put more seats in a stadium that has been sold out exactly once?
The Marshall University baseball team opens up the season this weekend against Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
Herd looks to add to undefeated record
The Marshall University softball team looks to continue its perfect start to the season this weekend in the Florida Lipton Invitational tournament in Gainesville, Fla.
Lutz leads Marshall past Tulsa as Herd picks up another revenge win at home
With the final seconds of the game winding down, it was only right for senior Chris Lutz to be the one to ice it.
Ramspacher’s Rumblings
With 17:29 remaining in Wednesday’s Marshall-Tulsa game, the Herd’s tallest drink of water was ready to finally tip over.
As the Marshall men’s basketball team continues on the final home stretch, it has to look ahead instead of looking back. That’s an idea easier said than done.
You can call it redemption, you can call it revenge, you can even say it was right, but Marshall Men’s basketball head coach Donnie Jones would call it finished.
Fouled Off!
Perhaps it’s just the media blitz that goes with it, but there is something special about the Olympics that most other sporting events can’t match.
Individual accomplishments can be a distraction to a team’s goals and its ability to play together.
In the closest match of the season for No. 67 Marshall University women’s tennis (8-0), a pair of singles wins that came in three sets help lift the team to a 5-2 victory over No. 54 Virginia Tech (3-2) at the Huntington Tennis club on Saturday. Three players remain undefeated in singles matches for the season.
Tyler Wilkerson scored a career high 28 points and posted his 15th career double-double with 10 rebounds as Marshall (18-7, 6-4 C-USA) defeated UAB (19-5, 7-3 C-USA) in Bartow Arena.
After missing the previous seven games, Marshall junior Tynikki Crook scored 15 points to lead the Thundering Herd women’s basketball team to a 65-56 win over UTEP Saturday at the Cam Henderson Center.
Herd never finds footing as Tulane cruises to victory
The Tulane Green Wave scored the first points of the game Thursday night against the Marshall women’s basketball team and never looked back, beating the Herd 64-54 in front of 292 fans at the Cam Henderson Center.
With five seconds left, 5-foot-8 UAB guard Aaron Johnson threw the ball up over Marshall’s 7-foot center Hassan Whiteside.
Third and a Mile
Conference USA got its second black eye in as many years Thursday.
Men’s soccer gets new blood after winning season
Marshall men’s soccer signed four recruits for the fall 2010 season.
Ramspacher’s Rumblings
When you look up at Marshall’s basketball sky, you aren’t wowed by any supernovas. Nope. The Herd doesn’t have a star big enough to make that kind of explosion.
For the second time in as many matches, the Marshall University women’s tennis team defeated a nationally-ranked opponent.
As I See It
He became the first Thundering Herd player to ever record a triple-double earlier this season against Brescia, just 10 games into his collegiate career, only to match it nearly a month later in Orlando against UCF.
Team effort helps Marshall blow by Red Storm
For the Herd it seemed like a warm-up game with the last stretch of conference games coming. For Rio Grande, it was an exhibition game to prove something.
Herd goes out of conference to take on Rio Grande
The Marshall University men’s basketball team will host to Rio Grande 7 p.m, tonight at the Cam Henderson Center.
Hangin’ with Hobstetter
In 2004, the San Diego Chargers wanted a new quarterback. With the first pick in that year’s draft, the Chargers wanted Eli Manning; they got Phillip Rivers.
Marshall ends losing streak with 51-point win over East Carolina
With five straight losses, its easy for the Marshall men’s basketball team to be angry. Unfortunately for East Carolina, it was the Pirates time to visit Huntington.
Marshall University women’s tennis (6-0) defeated West Virginia University (3-1) 7-0 Friday night and Miami (OH) (3-2) 6-1 Sunday. The Herd swept doubles action in both games, but suffered a mild scare in the first doubles against WVU.
With a tough five-game stretch behind them, the Thundering Herd are looking to right the ship. Good thing Marshall hosts the East Carolina Pirates on Saturday.
Chantelle Handy led all players with 18 points, but it was not enough as UCF downed the Marshall University women’s basketball team 56-47, Thursday evening at the UCF Arena.
A few observations from the last week in sports:
Herd outlasts Bobcats, captures Pizza Bowl
DETROIT—As Craig Ratanamorn’s 41-yard field goal attempt boinked off the left upright, Rick Minter turned to his defense and gave it to them short and sweet.
“I told them to ‘man up,” Minter said.
They did. And a minute later, they raised up. As one. Green bands on their wrists. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl trophy in their hands.
After seven long years, Marshall’s back in the bowl winners circle. As weird as it sounds. As odd as it played out.
The Herd outlasted Ohio 21-17 in front of 30,311 Saturday afternoon at Ford Field.
'Doc'Holliday becomes first time head coach after nearly 30 years
As he stepped to the podium Thursday afternoon, new Marshall head football coach John “Doc” Holliday did not hold back his emotions.
After spending his entire career as an assistant coach, most recently as associate head coach and recruiting director for WVU, Holliday will get his first chance as a head coach.
Herd fans react to Holliday's hiring
Marshall University football fans got an early “Holliday” gift Thursday afternoon in the Alumni Lounge of the Memorial Student Center.
Wide smiles and applause filled the room as Marshall University Athletic Director Mike Hamrick introduced new head football coach John “Doc” Holliday to the public.
Before the opening tip, Salem International was already in a 2-0 hole.
It was a loooong night.
Marshall used a game-opening 20-0 run to jumpstart a 119-35 historic romp over the Tigers on Thursday at the Cam Henderson Center.
Somewhere lost between filling this page daily with articles and getting to an abundance of work from other classes, I never got around to much column writing this semester.
But don’t fret, I’m back to get everyone caught up with a year-in-review.
Without further adieu, I present the second annual “Rumblings.”
Written in the final paragraph of the last press release involving Mark Snyder, Marshall assistant athletic director for media relations Randy Burnside noted the following:
“(Athletic director Mike) Hamrick confirmed that a search for a new coach will begin immediately and to protect the integrity of the search he will not comment on any aspect of it during the process.”
To put it less formally, mum will be the word on the Herd coaching front until a hire is officially announced.
So let the speculating begin.
Junior baseball player Shane Farrell has pitching in his blood.
Snyder resigns after five season as MU's coach
On the day he stepped down, Huntington was unseasonably warm and comfortable. Twenty-four hours later, the town he called “home” five years ago went back to being dark, cold and windy.
Fitting.
Mark Snyder’s up-and-down Marshall coaching career came to an end Sunday when he announced his resignation from the position.
Marshall brings back former Herd star as football coach
Editor’s note: This article is from the April 15, 2005 edition of The Parthenon.
“You can never go home again” was a song many members of the Marshall University family sang after the retirement of football coaching legend Bob Pruett. After yesterday’s press conference announcing Mark Snyder as Pruett’s successor, it is obvious “Home is where the heart is.”
Snyder returned to Marshall yesterday, not as an opponent like he had on other occasions, but as the man in charge of the team he once played for.
Herd coach struggled in his five seasons at the helm
It started with an epic miscommunication and ended with a titanic loss. These were the trying times of Mark Snyder’s career.
