Centenary Athletics: Spring 2024 Recap

An NCAA Tournament appearance and a conference title for baseball, 33 Centenary student-athletes named to the SCAC Spring Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll, a pair of All-Americans, and an individual conference champion highlighted the impressive efforts by the Ladies and Gents this past spring. Let's take a look back at all of that and more … enjoy!

BASEBALL

The Diamond Gents won the 2024 SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas by defeating Texas Lutheran University by a score 9-5 in the title game on May 6 and made their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in program history.

Centenary completed a memorable run through the loser's bracket in Cleburne by winning three-straight elimination games over three days to win their second SCAC tournament title in three years after claiming the title in 2022.

The Diamond Gents went 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament as they fell 5-2 to the nationally-ranked and top-seeded East Texas Baptist University Tigers in Marshall, Texas in their opener and were then eliminated by the No. 2 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags by a score of 10-5.

The NCAA Championship berth was Centenary's third all-time after appearing in the 2017 event in Tyler, Texas where the Diamond Gents went 1-2 and the 2022 tournament where the Maroon and White went 0-3 against the LaGrange College Panthers in LaGrange, Ga. Centenary is now 1-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament after today's loss with its lone win coming back on May 18, 2017 – a 12-1 win over Linfield in the West Regional in Tyler, Texas.

Centenary head coach Mike Diaz moved into third-place all-time in conference history with 144 SCAC regular-season wins with a win on April 20 against Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, passing Jim Mallon of Southwestern.

Diaz, who just completed his 14^th season at the helm, became the all-time winningest coach in program history last season with his 292nd win and is now 318-229-1, having passed former HC Ed McCann (1999-2010) for the all-time wins mark in school history. He won his 300^th game this season on Feb. 13 in Centenary's season-opening win over Rhodes College.

Nine Centenary players were named All-SCAC, seven made the All-Tournament Team, and two were named All-Region. Freshman 1B Alex Miller (Cypress, Texas) was named the league's Freshman of the Year and is the third consecutive Centenary player, and fifth all-time, to earn SCAC Freshman-of-the-Year honors.

Senior SS Jobee Boone (Opelousas, La.) and sophomore LF Carson Livesay (Lafayette, La.) were named to the All-SCAC First Team and Miller also earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors. Sophomore LHP Cody Myers (Friendswood, Texas) was also named Second-Team All-SCAC and five players were named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC - senior RF Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.), senior P Blaine Hardy (Shreveport, La.), sophomore 3B Clay Menard (Berwick, La.), sophomore CF Collin Pitts (Lufkin, Texas), and freshman DH Walker Wicklund (Shreveport, La.). Herrera and freshman 3B Gage Morris (Livingston, Texas) joined Benoit, Livesay, Miller, Myers, and Wicklund on the SCAC All-Tournament Team.

Centenary finished 23-20 overall and went 13-7 in conference play during the regular season to finish second in the standings and was one of the country's top offensive clubs all season and finished with a team batting average of .304 with a .401 on-base percentage and slugged .406 with 20 home runs. The Diamond Gents averaged 6.9 runs per game and had 454 hits and 102 extra-base hits. They scored 10+ runs in a game 15 times during the season.

The Diamond Gents have notched nine 20-plus win seasons since 2013 and have also won 13 or more conference regular-season games in four-consecutive seasons. The Diamond Gents have finished first, second, or third in the conference in every season except one (fourth – 2021) since joining the SCAC in 2013.

Livesay and Myers were named to the 2024 D3baseball.com All-Region Team, as Livesay made the Third Team and Myers landed on the Second Team. Myers was also named to the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. III All-Region Team as a Second-Team selection

Livesay had a stellar sophomore season as he established himself as one of the conference's and country's top all-around players. He led the team and ranked fifth in the SCAC with a .370 batting average as he earned First-Team All-SCAC honors and was the league leader in both hits (64) and runs scored (52) and ranked in the top five in both OBP (.486) and slugging % (.555).

Livesay belted six home runs (second on the team) and added 12 doubles and a triple and finished with 32 RBI. He was the conference leader in total bases (96) and ranked in the top five in walks (30) while only striking out 32 times in a team-high 173 at-bats. Livesay stole a team-best 19 bases and was only caught five times as he ranked in the top five in the league in the category.

Livesay was red-hot for the Diamond Gents in the conference tournament as he finished 9-18 (.500) at the plate with three multi-hit games and was named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team. He hit a homer and a double, scored eight runs, had four RBI, walked twice, stole two bases, and only struck out once in five games in the tournament. He posted 20 multi-hit games including six 3-hit games, a 4-hit game, and one game with a career-high five hits.

Myers had a sensational sophomore season as he established himself as the team's ace and one of the league's and country's top pitchers, finishing an impressive 10-4 with a 2.38 ERA in 16 appearances and 13 starts with a team-leading three complete games. He allowed just 31 runs (25 earned) and 84 hits in 94.2 IP with a 1.20 WHIP and 8.94 K/9.

Myers tied for fourth in wins, tied for 16th in strikeouts, and ranked 46th nationally in ERA, had an ERA under 1.00 for the majority of the season and ranked in the top 10 in the conference in IP and opposing batting average. Myers was named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team as he made three appearances for the Diamond Gents and picked up a pair of wins, one in a starting role and one in relief.

Myers started Centenary's SCAC Tournament opener against Southwestern University on May 3 and picked up the win as he allowed just four earned runs with a BB and five K's in 7.1 IP. On May 5, he picked up the victory in relief in an elimination game, pitching 1.1 innings against nationally-ranked Trinity University. Myers allowed no runs on one hit with a BB and a K as Centenary edged the top-seeded Tigers 7-6. He then started the SCAC Tournament title game and went four innings and allowed just one earned run with a BB and a K in the Diamond Gents' 9-5 win.

Myers, named the SCAC Pitcher of the Week in consecutive weeks (March 25 and April 1) fanned 10+ batters in game four times and struck out a season-best 13 twice (March 18 at Dallas and April 12 at St. Thomas) as his 13 K's are tied for the second-most in a single game in the division III era (2012-present). He worked at least seven innings nine times and did so in seven-consecutive starts from Feb. 23-April 12.

Miller excelled in his rookie season and was appropriately named the league's Freshman of the Year. Miller hit .345 with a .419 OBP and slugging .532 and belted a team-high seven home runs with a team-leading 47 RBI. He totaled 43 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple, and eight stolen bases in nine attempts. Miller walked 18 times in 171 at-bats while only striking out 10 times and recorded 21 multi-hit games this season.

Miller, named SCAC Hitter of the Week on Feb. 27, was also named the Div. III Rookie of The Month by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) on Feb. 28 after he batted .462 (12-for-26) with nine runs, eight RBI, five walks, three homers, and two doubles in the month of February. He posted four multi-hit games over the seven he played in, headlined by a 3-for-5 day with two doubles, a run scored, and RBI in a 13-3 win at Occidental on Feb. 24.

Miller went 5-for-13 with four runs, four RBI, and two homers in the Gents' three-game sweep of Occidental. He began his career with a 14-game hitting streak and finished the season by going 7-23 (.304) in the conference tournament with five RBI, seven runs scored, and a pair of extra-base hits. Miller was also excellent defensively, finishing with a .992 fielding % with just three errors in 365 total chances and 19 assists.

Boone had a superb season for the Diamond Gents as he ranked in the top 10 in the conference during the regular season in batting average (.343) and hits (58) while posting a .423 on-base percentage and slugged .402. Boone had 29 RBI, scored 32 runs, and had five doubles, a triple, and a home run. In 169 at-bats,

Boone struck out just 13 times while drawing 16 walks. He finished with 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts and recorded 17 multi-hit games this season with six three-hit performances and one four-hit game. He opened the season with a 12-game hitting streak and got at least one hit in 21 of his first 22 games.

Boone was especially impressive in conference games, as he hit .406 with 18 RBI and in 69 at-bats, he only struck out three times. Boone was the team leader in hits during the regular season and top five in batting average and was named the SCAC Hitter of the Week on April 1.

Wicklund had an impressive rookie campaign as he hit .345 in 87 at-bats and 34 games. He finished with 30 hits, 14 runs scored, 15 RBI, four doubles, and a homer. He had a .435 OBP and slugged .425 and had 10 multi-hit games which included a four-hit performance and a pair of three-hit games. Wicklund was 8-18 (.444) in the SCAC Tournament with three RBI, four runs scored, a double, four walks, a stolen base, and did not strike out the entire weekend.

Benoit hit .323 with 54 hits, 34 RBI, 30 runs scored, and a team-leading 17 doubles in 167 at-bats and 43 games played. Benoit, who was named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC for the second season in a row, also hit three home runs, had a triple, stole eight bases, and walked 16 times while only striking out 24 times.

SOFTBALL

The Ladies did not finish the season the way they wanted nor planned, but there was still a great deal of success to celebrate. Centenary finished 13-27 overall and 8-13 in SCAC play but finish the season on a 12-game losing streak.

Centenary, led by third-year head coach Whitney Patterson, finished fifth in the standings at the conclusion of the regular season after being picked to finish fifth in the league this season in the preseason poll. The Ladies hit .294 as a team with a .361 on-base percentage and slugged .365.

They scored 176 runs, averaged 4.4 runs per game and finished with a team ERA of 4.34. The Ladies ranked in the top five in the conference in batting average, hits, runs scored, RBI, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, walks, stolen bases, HBP, doubles, triples, and stolen bases during the regular season. The Ladies have collected 10+ hits in game 17 times this season and ranked 92^nd nationally in stolen bases.

Senior RF Mackenzie Cox capped her stellar career by being named to the 2024 NFCA Division III All-Region team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Cox, named to the First Team, was one of 376 student-athletes from 167 schools to make the prestigious team. She was named First-Team All-SCAC, earned a spot on the 2024 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, and was named SCAC Hitter of the Week once during the season. She is the first Centenary player to be named All-Region since Anna Dunn was named to the West Region First Team in 2018.

Cox, who finishes her career by being named First-Team All-SCAC four times, was one of the top players this season in the conference and country as she led the SCAC in hits (61), runs (48), and triples (4), was second in total bases and walks, and third in batting average (.466), OBP (.541), and slugging (.618). She ranked in the top 20 in the country in hits and top 50 in batting average.

Cox ranked second in the country in stolen bases (49) and was only caught four times. She posted 21 multi-hit games with a season-best 15-game hitting streak. Cox went 5-8 in her two SCAC Tournament games with three RBI, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base.

Five Ladies were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023-24 Academic All-District® Softball Team as Cox, sophomore River Boultinghouse (St. Gabriel, La.), sophomore 2B/P Emma Crow (Krotz Springs, La.), sophomore DP Abigail Hodgson (Georgetown, Texas), and junior LHP Emma Shepherd (Athens, La.) each earned a spot on the prestigious team.

The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom.

Cox was joined on the All-SCAC team by senior 1B Isabelle Dominguez (Newark, Calif.), Hodgson, junior P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.), junior LHP Emma Shepherd (Athens, La.), sophomore SS/2B Catherine Stokes (Natchitoches, La.), and sophomore C Jaeden Thrasher (Forney, Texas). Hodgson earned Second-Team honors and the other five Ladies earned Honorable-Mention recognition. Boultinghouse was the Ladies' representative on the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Softball Team.

Scarbrock, despite suffering an injury against Schreiner on March 29 and missing the final month of the season, posted outstanding numbers and earned all-conference honors for the second time in her career as the Ladies' top pitcher this past season. She was 6-5 with a 2.54 ERA and tossed three complete games and three shutouts. She finished third in the conference in ERA, fourth in opponent batting average (.256), and tied for eighth in wins.

She pitched five or more innings in 10 of her starts and walked one or less batters in all but one start. She was the team leader in ERA, wins, complete games, shutouts, and games started and second in IP. Scarbrock worked 63.1 IP and allowed 64 hits with just 23 earned runs and only walked six batters with 22 strikeouts. She was named Honorable-Mention all-conference and named the SCAC Pitcher of the Week once during the season.

MEN'S GOLF

Senior Andrew Bennett (Bossier City, La.) was the story of the season for the Gents as he became the first Centenary men's golfer to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the division III era (2013-present) and was named the SCAC Men's Golfer of the Year after he claimed the individual title at the SCAC Championships in Whitney, Texas in April. Bennett posted under par scores (71, 71 and 70) in each of his three rounds at the conference championships, becoming just the third player in conference championship history to do so, and his three-day total of 212 is tied for the third-lowest finishing score in conference history.

Bennett, one of six individuals selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Championships in Boulder City, Nev., and played one round before he was forced to withdraw due to illness. Bennett was also named a 2024 Division III PING All-American by the Golf Coaches Association of America after earning a spot on the PING All-Region Team, landing on the Third Team, and is the first Centenary men's golfer to be named an All-American since Hal Sutton in 1980. He earned First-Team All-SCAC honors this season, was named SCAC Men's Golfer of the Week once, and claimed two individual wins, three top-five finishes, and a top-15 finish during the season.

Freshman Aubrey Snell (Shreveport, La.) was named the SCAC Freshman of the Year as he helped form a dynamic duo for the Gents alongside Bennett. Snell finished third in the conference championships at 8-over par 224 as he was named to the All-SCAC First Team. He shot a 3-over par 75 in round one to sit in a tie for 10^th place and followed with a 3-under par 69 in round two which was the second-lowest round shot all day. Snell had a superb collegiate debut at the UMHB Men's Invitational in September as he fired a 5-under par 135 to finish in a tie for fourth place as he shot a 2-under 68 in round one and followed that with a 3-under 67 in the final round.

Bennett and Snell led the Gents to a fourth-place team finish at the conference championships, which is their best at the event since finishing fourth in 2014. Senior Devan Martin (Watson, La.) was the Gents' representative on the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Men's Golf Team.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

Senior Xavier Venious (Bossier City, La.) had another outstanding season to lead the Gents as he was named All-SCAC following his runner-up finish in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2024 SCAC Championships in San Antonio on April 28. Venious' time of 55.64 was second to only Trinity's Justin Johnson (53.51) and the second-fastest all season run in the conference.

Venious helped lead the Gents to a sixth-place finish the conference meet as the Maroon and White tallied 16 points. He also placed sixth in the 400-meter dash as he ran a time of 49.80 (seventh-fastest in conference during season). Venious put an exclamation point on a superb senior season which saw him record multiple top-five finishes. He was also the Gents' representative on the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Senior Coby Harris (Lafayette, La.) was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023-24 Academic All-District® Men's Track & Field Team, as he earned a spot on the prestigious team for the second year in a row. The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Men's Track & Field Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom.

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

The Ladies tied for seventh place at the 2024 SCAC Championships in San Antonio.

Senior Nyla Pierce (Ruston, La.) and senior Maddie Schonberg (Harbor City, Calif.) were each named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023-24 Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field Team, the organization announced on Tuesday.

The 2023-24 Academic All-District® Women's Track & Field Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the track, in the field, and in the classroom.

Freshman Mackenzie Haley (Orange, Texas), sophomore Julianna Malloy (Dallas, Texas), and junior Aubrey Salazar (San Antonio, Texas) teamed with Schonberg and Pierce to compete in five meets during the season. Haley was named to the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Women's Track & Field Team.

WOMEN'S GOLF

The Centenary women's golf team finished seventh at the 2024 SCAC Championships in April as the Ladies shot a 391-over par 1,255 in Whitney, Texas to cap their season.

Freshman Hailey Adams (Hamburg, Ark.) earned a 30^th-place finish to lead the Ladies as she shot an 88-over par 304 (97-98-109). Freshman Jordyn Templeton (Columbus, Texas) and sophomore Kaylee Roberts (Watonga, Okla.) finished in a tie for 31^st place at 99-over par 315. Freshman Mya Thompson (South Jordan, Utah) finished 33^rd at 105-over par 321 as she has shot rounds of 108-108-105.

The Ladies recorded a fourth-place finish in the Hal Sutton Invitational, their annual home tournament, on March 19. Adams was the top finisher for the Ladies as she shot a 40-over par 184 to finish 16^th. Thompson finished at 47-over par 191 in 23^rd place, Templeton shot a 56-over 200 to finish 29^th, and Roberts shot a 62-over par 206 to finish 32^nd. Roberts was also named to the SCAC All-Sportsmanship Women's Golf Team.

GYMNASTICS

The Ladies, led by second-year head coach Meg Crowley, finished fifth at the annual Midwest Independent Conference Championships, and six Centenary gymnasts qualified as individuals for the 2024 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships.

The Six Ladies who qualified were sophomore Amy Foret (Bedford, Texas), senior Rylie Molina (Moss Bluff, La.), sophomore Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas), senior Lacey Wedge (Belle Chasse, La.), freshman Olivia Williams (Cape Coral, Fla.), and senior Izzie Plaza (San Antonio, Texas). Five of the six competed except Wedge who was injured.

Williams was named a First-Team All-American following her appearance in the finals at the National Championships on April 14 held at West Chester University as the sensational rookie Williams finished 13^th on floor with a 9.66. Williams put a cap on her outstanding rookie season for the Maroon and White after recording a career-high 9.75 on floor on April 12 to qualify for the event finals.

The Ladies earned a season-high 190.325 on March 17 to finish second in a dual meet against the host Texas Woman's University Pioneers inside Kitty Magee Arena in Denton, Texas. The Ladies' 190.325 is their highest team score since posting a 192.475 on March 11, 2023 against Lindenwood at home.

Centenary assistant gymnastics coach Joseph Hodges was named the division III Region Nine Assistant Coach of the Year by the Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association. Hodges, in his second season with the Ladies, helped the Maroon and White to a successful season in which six Ladies qualified for the USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships.

Senior Roxanne Myers (Prairieville, La.) was the recipient of the MIC Coaches' Choice Award on March 19. Myers earned one of the four individual honors that the conference chooses on a weekly basis and received it for the first time in her career. She finished eighth on bars with a new season and career-high 9.65 against TWU on March 17.

Wedge had a superb season for the Ladies as she was selected as the MIC Gymnast of the Week on March 13 as she earned the prestigious honor for the first time in her career. Wedge highlighted the Ladies' performance on March 8 in their tri-meet against the host West Chester University Golden Rams and the William & Mary Tribe at West Chester, Pa. as she won on floor (recording her first-career win) with a new career-high 9.85 and finished second on vault with a career-high tying 9.725.

Wedge earned a 9.80 on floor in the Ladies' final home meet of the season on Feb. 26 against Bridgeport, which at the time was a new career high in her final appearance in the Gold Dome. Her career high on floor coming into the season was a 9.575 and she scored a 9.60 or higher six times during the season and 9.70 or higher four times. She previously scored a 9.725 on vault in a tri-meet against the host Air Force Academy Falcons and the UC-Davis Aggies in Colorado in February.

Schmitz was the recipient of the MIC Coaches' Choice Award on March 14 as she received the honor for the first time after an impressive weekend in a pair of road meets. She recorded a new season and career-high 9.775 on bars to finish second and finished second in the All-Around with a new season and career-best 37.925 on March 10 against Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Schmitz also tied for seventh place on vault with a 9.55.

Schmitz, who competed in the AA for the first time in her career on March 8 against West Chester and William & Mary, also earned a season and career-high 9.55 on floor to finish eighth. In that Friday meet, Schmitz finished second in the All-Around with a 37.675, tied for sixth place on vault with a new career-best 9.65. She finished 10^th on bars with a 9.625 and 14^th on floor with a 9.525 in her debut in the event.

CHEER

The Centenary Competitive Cheer team, led by second-year head coach Kaylee King, capped a successful season by being named Star Spirit Nationals Virtual Finale Champions for the College Game Day Division following its appearance in the Star Spirit Productions Nationals on May 13. The bid was awarded to the team's game time routine that was performed in February in Baton Rouge.

Centenary earned three national runner-up finishes at the United Spirit Association Collegiate Championships in February in Anaheim, Calif. The Maroon and White, which earned two runner ups and an additional third-place finish on day one of the USA Collegiate Championships, competed in the college game day division where they were crowned national runner-up in the fight song and band chant division and brought home third place in the situational sideline division The team posted season and program-high scores in each routine earning a 94.9/100 in fight song, 96.4/100 in situational sideline, and 96.8/100 in band chant.

Last Fall, Centenary athletics announced the addition of STUNT with competition to begin Spring 2025, and is the first collegiate program in the State of Louisiana.

USA Cheer created STUNT as an opportunity for colleges, universities and high schools to meet the strict Title IX requirements of a sport. With more than 500,000 high school cheerleaders, STUNT expands participation opportunities for young women by providing an avenue for female athletes to use their cheerleading background in a new format.

STUNT, according to USACheer.org, is "One of the fastest growing female sports in the country, and removes the crowd-leading element and focuses on the technical and athletic components of cheer, including partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, group jumps and tumbling.

LACROSSE

The Gents, led by fourth-year head coach Billy LeClair, finished their season with a 1-12 record but three games were decided by three goals or less which included a pair of losses by one goal.

Centenary was strong on offense as the Maroon and White scored 93 goals for an average of 7.15 per game and tallied 50 assists. The Gents scored 10+ goals in a game three times and scored a season-high 16 in a 16-2 victory at Spalding.

Four players scored 18 or more goals during the season – Senior A/MF Mark Temple, Freshman M Ethan Hewett, sophomore A G'Colby Spivey, and Senior M Jordan Cook as they combined to score 84 goals.

Junior GK Dylan Miller (Shreveport, La.) started 11 games and set a program single-game record with 30 saves in Centenary's game against Hendrix on March 13 at home.

#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity