Albany State University set to host more SIAC Championships

ALBANY — These days, it’s good to be busy in the Albany State athletic department, as activity has led to sizable growth in the last few months.

Fresh off hosting the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Track and Field Championship, ASU is gearing up for a doubleheader as it hosts both the conference baseball and softball championships scheduled for May 3 through 6. The university signed a one-year contract to host the events initially with plans to extend that down the road. Athletic Director Sherie Gordon said thanks to the help of Rashelle Beasley and her staff at the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, there is an opportunity to bring the school and the city together.

“It’s huge. One of our strategic priorities is to attract events to our community and to our institution,” Gordon said. “This gives us the opportunity to bring people to the great city of Albany but also our institution.”

She said that the homefield advantage will not only help the student athletes, but the university as well.

“It’s incredibly important for our coaches and student athletes,” the Albany State AD said. “Anytime you have the opportunity to compete at home in front of your home fans, it’s a great deal. And from a financial standpoint, it saves us resources. We don’t have to pay for three teams to get on a bus and travel away from Albany; we can do it here. So it helps in so many ways.”

While the university’s athletic program has taken tremendous strides in just two short years, Gordon said ASU is not done. The next step is to bring the playoffs to Albany.

“What often happens in sports such as baseball and softball, if you come out with an [automatic qualifier], you’re regionally ranked, you have an opportunity to host the NCAAs,” she said. “So the next step for us is to make a bid for an NCAA regional championship to bring here to the community.”

To ensure that, Gordon said the university has to make sure not only that the teams are competitive and in the hunt once the postseason begins, but also to continue to showcase their facilities.

“You’re likely to get that nod if you’re regionally ranked, and then we would have to compete with places like Valdosta or West Georgia, or depending on the sport, Columbus for the opportunity,” she said. “What we try to do is showcase our facilities and the fan experience year ‘round in non-conference competition.”

As of right now, the ASU teams are doing their part to be competitive. Both the men and women’s track teams placed in the top three during the conference championships, and the baseball and softball teams are set to make a run for their respective titles.

ASU’s softball team made history on Saturday afternoon after a series sweep of Fort Valley State. The Rams finished the regular season with a perfect 19-0 record in SIAC play.

According to available records, this is ASU’s best conference record since posting an 18-1 mark during the 2010 campaign and ASU’s only perfect conference season.

The men had a big weekend as well, sweeping Paine College to improve to 13-4 in the conference. They sit atop the East Region.