Eagle Nation,
I pray this note finds you and your family safe and healthy.
The Clay Helton Era is in full swing as the program enters its fourth week of spring practice. I often get asked my thoughts on how things are going this spring, and I am happy to share a couple of observations:
- Our offense has shown explosiveness, particularly in the first scrimmage.
- Our defensive install is progressing nicely, and the defense has been flying to the ball.
- Our student-athletes' dedication in the strength & conditioning and nutrition areas are already showing dividends … we look and are more physical at the line of attack.
Speaking of football, our Blue-White Game presented by Morris Bank and Southern Exchange takes center stage during our True Blue & BBQ event on April 23. If you are looking for a full day of activities, look no further than staying on campus that day. There are numerous activities for all ages to take part in, most notably the groundbreaking of the Anthony P. Tippins Indoor Practice Facility (IPF). The groundbreaking for this transformative project will be at the Paulson Stadium Parking Lot at 10 a.m. Here is a listing of all events that weekend.
Our staff and coaches have thoroughly enjoyed being out on the road for the Eagle Club Tour. Eagle Nation never ceases to amaze me with its unwavering support. We have had some tremendous crowds, and visiting with members of Eagle Nation is always a highlight of mine. One of the better questions asked during a recent Eagle Club meeting was directed to Tracy Ham and Adrian Peterson (A.P.). A crowd member asked which Eagle Football team was better - the 1985 or 1989 team. Before Tracy could answer the question, A.P. mentioned not to forget the 2000 team! We have had a blast and look forward to our remaining visits over the next few weeks.
Baseball is coming off a three-game series win against No. 10 Texas State on the road and has a top-20 RPI as of this morning. One thing is for sure - our team has a lot of GRIT! Coach Hennon and I have visited several times following recent games, and I have commented on how our baseball student-athletes never give up! They battle every single out of every single game. We have some big home series coming up, starting this Thursday against Georgia State. The first pitch is 6 p.m. Let's pack J.I. Clements Stadium!
Men's golf continues its torrid streak, notching another top-five finish at The Stitch Invitational in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Carter Collins-led team continues to build momentum heading into the Sun Belt Championship on April 24-27 at the Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado, Arkansas. The Eagles look to repeat last year's performance where it claimed the program's second Sun Belt team title.
Not to be outdone, women's golf claimed a tournament win last week at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate in Morganton, North Carolina. Sarunchana Rattanasin secured her first collegiate win. Rattanasin and Abby Newton tied the school record with a round of 66. For the year, the Mimi Burke-led team has tallied four top-two finishes. The Eagles will compete in the Sun Belt Championships on April 17-19 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Our men's and women's tennis teams are gearing up for Sun Belt Championships in the coming weeks. Our men's team opens play on Thursday against South Alabama at the Peachtree City Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Georgia. Our women's team looks to defend its Sun Belt Championship the following week (April 21-24) at the same venue.
Our softball team continues its growth this season as it prepares for the Sun Belt Tournament in Mobile, Alabama, from May 10-14. Our women's track & field team continues its preparations for the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana, from May 12-14. Good luck to both teams!
April 2 was a big day for our women's rifle program as we announced Soren Butler as our new rifle coach. Butler was the top assistant rifle coach in the country at West Virginia and was instrumental in leading the Mountaineers to back-to-back national championship runner-up finishes and several conference championships. He also excelled as a student-athlete at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he was a two-time NRA All-American and co-captain. I also want to thank Sandra Worman for her tireless efforts over the past five seasons as she heads into a well-earned retirement at the end of the month. Georgia Southern rifle is in a terrific spot due to her leadership, and I know Soren will continue to lead our program to new heights.
Often forgotten in the spring are the offseason work of our fall programs - particularly our men's and women's soccer teams and volleyball. Our women's soccer program tallied a 1-0 exhibition win at the University of Florida this past weekend. Our men's soccer team has also shown growth in its scrimmages. Volleyball has picked up where it left off last fall, securing several exhibition wins.
How about our cheerleading teams?!? Our All-Girls squad won its second consecutive National Championship! Our Co-Ed team also secured a third-place finish in its division. The young men and women in our cheerleading program put in countless hours toward perfecting their craft (all the while cheering on our student-athletes at games). Please join me in congratulating them!
As our seasons wind down, plans are being made to start several facility projects that we look forward to sharing soon. Additionally, we have already been meeting on several new initiatives for game days this fall that are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Please know that we are working tirelessly to provide you with the best game-day experience possible.
I want to thank everyone for your patience and support of our ticket modernization process. It went about as smooth as it could have - THANK YOU! We exceeded last year's renewal rates and have waiting lists for several premium areas. This month is heavily focused on assigning tickets and parking spot locations. Thank you in advance for your patience as we work through changes being introduced for the 2022 football season - most notably, construction related to our IPF facility and the introduction of new seating configurations and offerings in Paulson Stadium.
Lastly, April 1 marked the start of my third year at Georgia Southern. Not a day goes by that I do not thank God for blessing my family and me with such a wonderful opportunity to live and work in Statesboro. We have celebrated successes and battled headwinds together over the past two years. Collectively, we are getting better every day under the leadership of Dr. Kyle Marrero and will continue to pursue competitive excellence in all we do.
In closing, for Georgia Southern to reach its desired goals, I will continue to strategically highlight three (3) action steps that individuals and companies can take to help us:
- Financially support the Athletic Foundation and the Erk Russell Fund
- Buy season tickets and create a home-field advantage
- Get others to do the same!
Our best days are ahead – thank you for your continued support!
Original source can be found here.
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