LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS COMPOSITE CALENDAR
It's one of the most wonderful times of the athletic school year – winter postseason and the start of spring break.
This week, Ashland's women's and men's basketball teams begin play in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, while Eagle baseball, softball, women's golf and women's tennis all head to their respective warm destinations for spring-break action.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (LINK) – The No. 1-ranked Eagles (28-0) will be the No. 1 seed in the GLIAC Tournament, and will play host to a GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday (Feb. 28) at 5:30 p.m. vs. No. 8-seed Walsh (15-12).
With a win on Tuesday, Ashland, the only undefeated women's or men's basketball team in NCAA Division II, will play host to the tournament's Final Four on Saturday (March 4) and Sunday (March 5).
ONE TO WATCH: Freshman point guard Renee Stimpert has 22 assists to eight turnovers in the last four games.
MEN'S BASKETBALL (LINK) – Ashland (17-9) will begin its third consecutive GLIAC tournament appearance on the road on Tuesday at 7 p.m., playing Lake Superior State (16-9). The Eagles are the No. 6 seed in the conference tourney, and the Lakers are the No. 3 seed.
A win on Tuesday would put the Eagles in the GLIAC Final Four for a second straight season, and would have them playing the winner of Findlay-Grand Valley State on Saturday.
ONE TO WATCH: Three of freshman center Drew Noble's five double-digit scoring games this season have come in the last four games.
BASEBALL (LINK) – The Eagles (2-2) begin their annual Florida spring trip with three games this week – Friday (March 3) at 11 a.m. vs. Kentucky Wesleyan, Saturday at 2:30 p.m. against Minnesota State-Mankato and Sunday at 3:15 p.m. vs. Mankato.
ONE TO WATCH: Senior shortstop Brad Hartman was 6-for-13 with a double, triple, home run and three RBIs in the first four games of the season.
SOFTBALL (LINK) – Ashland (2-3) will head to Florida for its yearly trip south, and will start with two games on Sunday at 6 p.m. vs. Southern Indiana and 8:30 p.m. vs. Southwest Minnesota State.
ONE TO WATCH: In five games at the Lewis Dome Invitational, senior outfielder Ally Farrah was 12-for-18 (.667), and had two or more hits in four of those contests.
WOMEN'S GOLF (LINK) – The Eagles return to the links for the spring championship season in the first day of the Las Vegas Desert Classic in Sunday. It is the first of four spring tournaments prior to the 2017 GLIAC Championships, April 21-23.
ONE TO WATCH: Senior Kaitlin Neumann had an average round of 77.3 in the fall, with four of 10 rounds being a 75 or better.
WOMEN'S TENNIS (LINK) – Ashland (0-13) will start its spring trip to Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Sunday against Davis & Elkins. It will be the first of five spring matches for the Eagles prior to Senior Day at home vs. Mount Vernon Nazarene on March 18.
ONE TO WATCH: At Mercyhurst on Sunday (Feb. 26), freshman Brianna Brdicka lost 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2 singles and 8-3 in No. 1 doubles.
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