Centenary Athletics: Spring Sports Recap

Postseason awards and honors are still rolling as we approach the summer months, but the spring season is now in the books for the Ladies and Gents. Let's take a look back at a memorable and successful spring – enjoy!

BASEBALL:

The Diamond Gents had another successful season as they finished 23-15 overall and 13-7 in SCAC play, earning the No. 3 seed in the SCAC Championship in Cleburne, Texas. Ten players were named to the All-SCAC Team and two made the SCAC Championship All-Tournament squad.

Head coach Mike Diaz became the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 292^nd win with the Maroon and White on April 16 at home versus Schreiner. Diaz, who just completed his 13^th season, is now 299-211-1, and has passed former HC Ed McCann (1999-2010) for the all-time wins mark.

The Diamond Gents hit .301 as a team and averaged six runs per game. Centenary finished the season scoring double digit runs in a game 10 times and posted 10+ hits in a game an impressive 22 times. Centenary pitched well all season, finishing with a 3.30 team ERA, which is the second-lowest in a single season in the division III era (2012-present). Centenary has now won 13 or more conference games in the regular season seven times in the D3 era.  

All-American senior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) anchored the pitching staff as he turned in one of the finest seasons in program history, finishing a perfect 8-0 with a 2.13 ERA (48th in country) in 19 appearances (nine starts) and had three saves and three complete games. He is the first Centenary pitcher in the D3 era to finish a season undefeated, was named First-Team All-SCAC, and named to the 2023 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team. He was just one of 11 pitchers in the country in all of division III to win at least eight games and go undefeated.

Primeaux, who received two votes for conference Pitcher of the Year, struck out 75 and walked just 24 in 84.1 innings pitched. He finished the regular season as the league leader in innings pitched, second in appearances, second in wins, second in saves, and sixth in strikeouts. Primeaux's last three appearances of the season, all starts, were complete games. He struck out a career-high 12 in dominating performance at Austin College on April 29 as he allowed just four hits and an unearned run with a walk.

He was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Week once this season and went at least seven innings in eight of his nine starts and struck out five or more batters five times and 10 or more twice. He needs just one save to tie former All-American Taylor Henry for the all-time program record (17) in the D3 era.

Freshman RHP Aidan Reichek (Bellaire, Texas) burst onto the scene as a rookie this season as he was named the SCAC Freshman of the Year after finishing fifth in the conference in ERA (2.42) in the regular season and tossed a no-hitter against Dallas at home on March 25, which was the first thrown since Matthew Devillier held Austin College hitless on April 20, 2018. Reichek and Devillier's no-hitters are the only two in the division III era (2012-present) in program history.

He finished the season 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA and two CG's in 13 appearances and seven starts. In 49.2 IP, he struck out 44 and walked only 13. He nearly threw his second no-hitter of the season on April 22 against Southwestern as he held the Pirates hitless for 6.2 innings. Reichek, named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC, went six or more innings in four starts and struck out six or more batters three times.

Senior CF Gary Hewitt (Cedar Park, Texas) had a superb season for the Diamond Gents as he earned First-Team All-SCAC honors in the outfield. Hewitt hit .348 (.387 OBP/.406 slugging) with a team-leading 54 hits in a team-high 155 at-bats. He scored 36 runs and had 23 RBI with five doubles and two triples. Hewitt stole a team-leading 16 bases in 17 attempts and only struck out 11 times while drawing 10 walks.

He had 17 multi-hit games and finished the season with a season-high 13-game hitting streak in which he hit a sizzling .426 (26-61) with 10 RBI, 17 runs scored, three doubles, four walks, and six stolen bases. He only struck out twice in his final 64 at-bats and went 50 at bats without going down on strikes from April 14-May 5. Hewitt, one of the league's top defensive players, finished with a .973 fielding % with only two errors in 73 total chances.

Freshman OF Carson Livesay (Lafayette, La.) was Centenary's leading hitter as has was one of the top players all season in the conference. The rookie finished a team-best .388 (.469 OBP/.525 slugging) with a team-high 54 hits (tied with Hewitt), 41 runs scored, and nine doubles. He also had two triples, two homers, 20 RBI, 19 BB, and 13 stolen bases as he ranked in the top 10 in the conference in a multitude of offensive categories. Livesay only struck out 23 times in 139 at-bats and had 17 multi-hit games this season including eight 3-hit performances. He earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors, earned a spot on the SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, and was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team following the season.

Junior 2B Jobee Boone (Opelousas, La.) was named First-Team All-SCAC in his first season with the Diamond Gents after transferring from Delgado CC in New Orleans. Boone was one of the top offensive players in the conference all season and finished with a .327 batting average (.382/.382 on-base percentage/.381 slugging) and had 48 hits, a team-high 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored. He had five doubles, a homer, 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and in 147 at-bats he only struck out nine times while drawing eight walks. He had 15 multi-hit performances this season which includes a 5-hit game and a pair of 3-hit games. Boone did not strike out in his final 33 at-bats of the season.

Freshman 3B Clay Menard (Berwick, La.) earned First-Team All-SCAC honors following an impressive rookie season which he hit .326 (.446 OBP/.348 slugging %) with 30 hits, 17 runs scored, and 13 RBI. He had two doubles and four stolen bases. Menard was very patient at the plate as he drew 18 walks against just 17 K's in 92 at-bats. He recorded five multi-hit games which included a trio of three-hit performances and had four games with at least two walks.

Freshman 1B Collin Pitts (Lufkin, Texas) settled in as the Diamond Gents' starting first baseman halfway through the season and turned in an impressive rookie campaign as he earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors. He hit .329 (.400 OBP/.482 slugging %) with 28 hits in 85 at-bats. Pitts belted three home runs, second on the team, with 21 RBI and added four doubles. Pitts recorded seven multi-hit games with six coming in conference play. He stole seven bases, walked 11 times, and finished with a .996 fielding % as he committed only one error in 235 total chances.

Junior RF Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.), freshman DH Lenny Forth (Flower Mound, Texas), and All-American sophomore LHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) joined Livesay and Reichek in garnering Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors and a trio of pitchers - freshman RHP Jacob Broussard (Houston, Texas), senior RHP Christian Diaz (Houston, Texas), and freshman LHP Cody Myers (Friendswood, Texas) all had impressive seasons on the mound. Sophomore Zachery Van Gorkom (Shreveport, La.) was named to the 2022-23 Academic All-District® Baseball Team by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) following the season.

MEN'S GOLF:

The Gents, led by longtime head coach Emlyn Aubrey, finished seventh at the SCAC Championships in Kerrville, Texas and were led all season by the consistent play of junior Andrew Bennett (Bossier City, La.). Bennett earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors after finishing in a tie for sixth place at the championships.

Bennett was the Gents' top finisher as he fired a 2-under par 70 in the final round, which was the lowest round shot for the day of all 42 players in the field. Bennett now has one runner-up, a pair of top five finishes, and six top-10 finishes in his career.

He finished third at the Gents' annual home tournament in March, the Hal Sutton Invitational, after recording a runner-up finish in the Pinecrest Invitational the week prior winding up just one shot shy of his first-career individual title.

Freshman Jeffrey Borchert (Katy, Texas), junior Ricky Blair (Bossier City, La.), and senior Devan Martin (Watson, La.) were part of the Gents' regular lineup throughout the season alongside Bennett and were joined by a combination of starts from freshman Hahn Bridges (Sterlington, La.), sophomore Tyler Jones (Stonewall, La.), and freshman Colton Mayer (Heath, Texas).

Martin earned a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Team and was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

WOMEN'S GOLF:

Freshman Kaylee Roberts (Watonga, Okla.) and junior Madison Wing (Bossier City, La.) were the only two golfers on the Ladies' roster this past season. Roberts competed in all five tournaments and Wing played in the first two – the Tempest Intercollegiate and the Crusader Invitational, both in the fall.

Roberts played as an individual at the SCAC Championships in April and shot a 73-over par 217 to finish 34^th. The rookie Roberts was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

GYMNASTICS: 

First-year head coach Meg Crowley led the Ladies to one of their most successful seasons in the division III era as an impressive eight Ladies qualified for the 2023 USA Gymnastics Women's Collegiate National Championships, marking the most Centenary gymnasts to qualify for the prestigious event since 2017.

Four Ladies received All-American honors following the event as sophomore Carissa Martinez (Albuquerque, N.M.) and senior Taylor Ann Wilson (Memphis, Tenn.) each received First-Team All-American honors following their impressive performances in the event finals. Martinez tied for seventh place on floor (9.75) and Wilson finished second in the bars competition with a 9.825. Freshman Amy Foret (Bedford, Texas) and freshman Sophie Schmitz (Trophy Club, Texas) each earned Second-Team All-American honors as Foret tied for seventh place on floor with a 9.80 while Schmitz earned a season-high 9.775 on bars to tie for sixth place. Senior Kendall Huff (Riviera, Texas), senior Leilani Johnson (Wichita, Kan.), sophomore Emma Lavelle (Mandeville, La.), and senior Kennedy Stephens (Bella Vista, Ark.) also qualified for nationals.

Johnson and Wilson each earned spots on the 2023 All-Midwest Independent Conference Team as second-team selections.  Johnson also received the MIC weekly Coaches' Choice Award on March 15 following her impressive performance on Senior Night (March 11 versus Lindenwood) as she won the floor competition with a career-high 9.90 - marking the highest individual score by a Centenary gymnast since Navia Jordan earned a 9.90 on floor at the 2016 USA Gymnastics Championships. Johnson's score also tied Jordan's for the highest in the division III era (2013-present). Wilson posted another great season for the Ladies in which she scored a 9.675 or better seven times and tied for the bars title on her Senior Night against Lindenwood with a season-high score of 9.85. She competed at nationals for the third year in a row.

Foret flourished in her rookie season, winning the AA four times and in three-consecutive meets (Feb. 26, March 4, and March 11). In the Ladies' final home meet of the season, Foret earned a career-high 38.425 in the AA and also posted a new career high on vault (9.60). She was named MIC Newcomer of the Week twice this past season.

Huff qualified on vault for nationals as her season high was a 9.75 on at TWU on Feb. 10 and scored a 9.50 or better seven times during the season. She competed at nationals for the third time in her career.

Lavelle qualified on beam and competed at nationals for the second season in a row after doing so last year as a rookie in the AA. She earned a 9.65 or higher on beam five times this season and recorded a career-high 9.80 to finish second against Lindenwood on March 11.

Martinez qualified on vault and floor for nationals following an impressive sophomore season. She won on vault with a new career-high 9.75 versus Lindenwood in the Ladies' final home meet, finished third on floor with another career-high 9.80, and also tied for fourth on beam (9.75). She scored a 9.70 or better four times this season.

Schmitz posted a solid rookie season with the Ladies in which she earned a 9.60 or higher seven times in 10 meets highlighted by a season-high 9.70 against TWU on March 4. She finished 22^nd on bars with a 9.60 at the MIC Championships.

Stephens qualified on beam following a solid season in which she earned a 9.60 or higher five times with her season-best of 9.725 coming on Jan. 20 in a quad meet in Denton, Texas against host TWU, Air Force, and Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Ladies earned their highest score (192.475) in eight years on Senior Night as it was their highest team score since posting a 193.775 on March 15, 2015 versus New Hampshire. The Ladies earned their best score of the season on vault (48.325) against Lindenwood and tallied six individual career highs.

Eleven Ladies were named MIC Scholar-Athletes and four had perfect 4.0 GPA's. Five Ladies earned a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Women's At-Large Team – Huff, Lavelle, Stephens, and Wilson were joined by junior Isabel Plaza (San Antonio, Texas), The prestigious team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom.

LACROSSE:

The Gents, led by head coach Billy LeClair, finished 2-10 overall and 0-2 in Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference (HCLC) play. The Maroon and White scored 95 goals, an average of 7.9 per game, and tallied 41 assists. Centenary had five players score 10+ goals each this past season and placed one player on the all-conference team as junior D Matthew Lulich (New Orleans, La.) was named to the second team. Lulich, a standout defender, earned Second-Team honors for the second-straight season. Lulich played in all 12 of the Gents' games, starting 10, and finished with 29 ground balls (fourth on team) and a team-high 21 caused turnovers.

The Gents set a program record for goals in a game in their dominant 23-2 victory over Spalding University at Mayo Field on March 17. Centenary topped 20 goals for the first time in program history as its previous single-game record was 18 in a win at Dallas on April 24, 2021.  

Sophomore A G'Colby Spivey (Dallas, Texas) scored a team-high 22 goals, one more than senior John Mark Waniewski (Bossier City, La.) who netted 21. senior M/A Kyle Comi (Allen, Texas) scored 16 and was tied for second on the team in assists with eight. Senior A/MF Mark Temple (Houston, Texas) scored 13 goals and added four assists. Sophomore A Braxton Parchman (Shreveport, La.) scored 10 goals this season and had six assists. Freshman A Liam Johns (Shreveport, La.) recorded a team-leading 10 assists and freshman MF Dominic Ogier (St. Louis, Mo.) had four. Sophomore GK Alex Nicks-Davis (Nashville, Tenn.) started eight of the 10 games he played in and recorded a team-best 128 saves.

Comi and Waniewski were each named the HCLC Offensive Athlete of the Week during the season as Comi earned the honor on March 21 after an impressive week against Spalding and Earlham in which he scored eight goals and tallied three assists with five ground balls and four caused turnovers. In the Gents' 23-2 Senior Day win over Spalding, Comi scored the Gents' first goal at the 13:45 mark in the first quarter and proceeded to score four more times and added three assists for a memorable Senior Day performance. He then had a hat trick versus Earlham along with two ground balls and two CT's. 

Waniewski earned his honor on Feb. 13 after he scored a team-high five goals in the Gents' 12-8 loss to Cornell College in their home opener. He finished just two goals shy of his single-game career high of seven and recorded his fifth multi-goal performance in the last two seasons as he found the net five times in the 11 shots he took.

Senior D Chris Dant (Bossier City, La.), freshman MF Xavier Nixon (Dallas, Texas), and senior Def. MF Caleb Smith (Dallas, Texas) were each named academic all-conference and Dant also earned a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District® Men's At-Large Team. The prestigious team recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom.

SOFTBALL:

The Ladies, led by head coach Whitney Patterson, had one of their most successful seasons in the division III era (2012-present) as they finished fourth in the conference after being picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll, finishing at 18-24 overall and 12-9 in league play. The Ladies tied the D3-era single-season record for conference wins (12) and became the first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference team in four seasons to defeat conference and national power Texas Lutheran as they recorded a 7-6 home win over the No. 4 Bulldogs on March 25.

The Ladies finished in the top five in the SCAC in hitting, pitching, and fielding and placed seven players on the all-conference team. Junior RF Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) earned First-Team All-SCAC honors for the third-straight season and the speedster ranked 36^th nationally in stolen bases with 27 in 30 attempts. She Led the conference in triples (six) and tied for 25^th nationally, recorded 12 multi-hit games and in 125 at-bats she only struck out 14 times while drawing 10 walks. She tied for seventh in conference in runs scored and hit .362 in conference games with a .409 OBP and slugged .500 with five extra-base hits.

Senior LF/SS Kaylea Patridge (Las Vegas, Nev.) had a conference-best 53 hits during the regular season and earned Second-Team All-SCAC honors. She was named the SCAC Softball Elite 19 award winner, the conference's most prestigious individual academic award, and finished in top 10 in the conference in eight different statistical categories. Patridge posted 19 multi-hit games (one 5-hit game, a 4-hit game, and three 3-hit performances. She was the team leader in RBI and doubles and in 132 at-bats, she only struck out nine times with eight walks. Patridge had a 14-game hitting streak during the season and collected two or more hits in 11 of her final 15 games of the season. She hit for cycle (5-5 with 8 RBI) against Westminster (Mo.) on Feb. 18 as she set a SCAC mark for RBI in single game and her five hits are tied for second-most in SCAC history for a single game. She was appropriately named SCAC Hitter of the Week on Feb. 20 following her historic performance.

Sophomore 3B Viviana Rivero (Redondo Beach, Calif.) followed up her impressive 2022 rookie season with another solid campaign to earn Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors. She tied for the team lead in home runs and ranked in the top 10 in the conference. Rivero ranked second on team in RBI, third in runs scored, and fourth in hits. She recorded eight multi-hit games including a five-hit game and a pair of 3-hit games. She hit for the cycle and went 5-5 with four RBI in a 7-6 win over Howard Payne on April 4.

Freshman 2B Catherine Stokes (Natchitoches, La.) turned in a fantastic rookie season as she ranked earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors after she ranked first on the team in games played and at-bats, third in doubles and hits, fourth in RBI, and fifth in runs scored. In a team-high 138 AB, she only struck out four times compared to 14 walks. She recorded 11 multi-hit performances and finished with a perfect 1.000 fielding % as she did not commit an error in 205 total chances with 107 putouts, 98 assists, and turned eight double plays. Stokes was also named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Sophomore P Anna Scarbrock (Alexandria, La.) was one of the top pitchers in the conference as she earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors as she ranked in the top 10 in seven different statistical categories. She only walked 18 batters all season and did not walk a batter in her final 9.1 innings of the season. Scarbrock pitched a career-high 11 innings in a 6-5 win over Dallas on April 8.

Senior CF Mallory Stout (Trinity, Texas) and freshman C/3B Jaeden Thrasher (Forney, Texas) each were also earned named Honorable-Mention All-SCAC. Stout had a conference-leading 18 walks during the regular season and played great defense as she committed just one error all season to finish with a .980 fielding % and threw multiple runners out at home. Thrasher tied for the team lead in homers with four and had a team-high 12 doubles. She finished third on the team in RBI (24) and also played great defense, as she threw out nine runners attempting to steal, tied for the most in the conference.

Five Ladies were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2022-23 Academic All-District® Softball Team following the season – Cox, Patridge, Rivero, Stout, and sophomore 3B Alyssa Akers (Maurice, La.). Centenary and Trinity led the way within the conference for most on what is the most prestigious national academic honor which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances in the athletic realm and in the classroom.

MEN'S TRACK & FIELD

The Gents, led by head coach Joseph Moses Jr., were paced all season by junior Xavier Venious (Bossier City, La.) as he capped his impressive campaign by being named All-West Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). Venious was honored as one of the region's top-five individuals in the 400-Meter Hurdles. He was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team following the season.

The Gents finished sixth at the SCAC Championships in April as Venious had the Gents' top finish in the Men's 400 Meter Dash, running a time of 51.33 while junior Michael Smith (Baton Rouge, La.) placed 26^th (57.22). Freshman Eli Melton (Carencro, La.) finished 23^rd in the Men's 1500 Meter Run (4:54.07), and four Gents earned top-15 finishes in the Men's 100 Meter Dash, as freshman Lydell Hunter (New Orleans. La.), freshman Randy Levert (New Orleans, La.), freshman Joshua Ware (Shreveport, La.), and junior Coby Harris (Lafayette, La.) placed 12-15 in order.

Hunter ran a time of 11:36, Levert 11:44, Ware 11:50, and Harris 11:52. The men's team of Harris, Hunter, Smith, and Venious finished sixth in the 4 x 400 Meter Relay in a time of 3:54.92. On the first day of the championships, Venious recorded Centenary's top individual finish of the day as he placed fourth in the 400-meter hurdles, running a time of 55.00. Venious also teamed with Harris, Hunter, and Levert to finish fourth in the men's 4 x 100 Meter Relay (43.54). Melton finished 12^th in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase (11:45.55) and 16^th in the 800 Meter Run (2:10.79). Harris ran a time of 23.08 to finish 22^nd in the 200 Meter Dash and Levert finished 25^th (23.71). Hunter was right behind him in 26^th place (23.73) and Ware placed 27^th (24.00).

WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD

The Ladies, led by head coach Joseph Moses Jr., finished seventh at the SCAC Championships as freshman Shinaya Branch (Jonesboro, La.) had the Ladies' best individual finish of the day and weekend as she placed sixth in the Long Jump (4.68 m). Junior Maddie Schonberg (Harbor City, Calif.) and sophomore Aubrey Salazar (San Antonio, Texas) each earned top-15 finishes in the Women's Discus Throw as Schonberg threw a distance of 24.48 and Salazar 23.88. In the Shot Put, Schonberg finished 11^th (9.71 m) and Salazar was 17^th (7.96 m).

Freshman Olivia Sepulvado (Zwolle, La.) finished 18^th in the Women's 400 Meter Dash (1:18.94) and freshman Julianna Malloy (Dallas, Texas) finished 14^th in the 100 Meter Hurdles (17:99) and 19th in the Women's 100 Meter Dash (13.78).

Senior Veronica Dougherty (McAllen, Texas) finished 21^st in the 1500 Meter Run (6:01.22). Dougherty earned a 22^nd-place finish in the 800 Meter Run (2:49.07) and Malloy finished 22^nd in the 200 Meter Dash (29.13). Freshman Lauren Castillo (Keller, Texas) finished 26^th in the 800 (3:11.74). Dougherty was named to the 2023 SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team following the season.

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