Welcome to the MMI Athletic Department's website!
We are looking forward to a great 2012-2013 year! We have a new athletic logo this year after a much needed branding campaign was completed last spring. A big thanks to Amy Skiles and her crew at Phoenix Design Works. Look for new merchandise with the logo so you can support your favorite Marion team.
Men’s Tennis Finishes 15th in Nation; Hernandez Reaches Semifinals
Plano, TX—The Marion Military Institute Tigers stormed to wins at Singles Flights 1, 2, 3, and 4 and produced two more impressive wins at Doubles Flights 1 and 2 to score a whopping 12 points in opening-round play of the 2013 NJCAA Men’s National Tennis Championship, which was held at Collin College’s 12-court tennis complex. The Tigers scraped together three more points in other match play to finish with 15 points overall and a 15th-place national ranking.
Shepherd Newcomb notched Marion’s first point of the day at No. 1 singles with an easy 6-1, 6-2 win over McHenry County’s Matt Miller. Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez followed Newcomb’s lead by posting double-bagel wins (6-0, 6-0) over Mesa’s Marco Navarro and Meridian’s T.J. Carter, respectively. Gabe Llewellyn downed New Mexico Military Institute’s Pedro Ruiz, 6-1, 6-1, for Marion’s fourth first-round singles win.
In doubles play, Marion’s No. 1 doubles team of Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez overwhelmed McHenry County’s Dylan Clark and Matt Miller, 6-0, 6-1, and Marion’s No. 2 doubles team duplicated that score in its win over New Mexico Military Institute’s Dylan McArthur and Pedro Ruiz.
Newcomb and Salomon fell to players from New York’s ASA College, which finished in 2nd place in the overall team standings. Newcomb bowed out to Tim Srkala, the 7th seed at Singles Flight No. 1, 6-1, 6-0, and Salomon lost a close 6-4, 6-3 decision to Nail Khabiyev, the 4th seed at Singles Flight No. 2.
The dark horse of the tournament at Singles Flight No. 3 turned out to be Marion’s Romar Hernandez, who, after knocking off Seward County’s huge-serving Daniel Alonte (6-3, 6-2), surprised Mitchell Maroscher, the No. 2-seeded player from Scottsdale Community College, 6-4, 6-4. Hernandez’ dream run ended in the semifinals when he narrowly lost to the tournament’s No. 5 seed, Collin College’s Oscar von Koch, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1).
“Romar played some incredible tennis during the tournament,” said Coach Wright. “I was impressed with his serve and his down-the-line forehand. Romar’s shot-making expertise during that four-match stretch was nothing short of spectacular and breathtaking. Romar has all the tools to be a great, great player. I think he now has the fire and the desire to go along with his great talent.”
Marion’s Salomon and Hernandez lost a tight first-set, 7-6 (4), to Scottsdale’s Filip Burnac and Kaimalu Cope, the 5th-seeded team in Flight No. 1 doubles, before being blown out in the second, 6-1. Collin College’s Oscar von Koch and Chris Carrillo, the 6th seeds at Doubles Flight No. 2, handed Marion’s No. 2 doubles team a 6-0, 6-1 loss.
Tyler Junior College outpaced the competition with 47 points to take home the championship, while ASA College, with 35.5 points, finished in second place.
Five MMI Lady Tiger softball players are 2013 All-Conference selections!
Marion Military Institute received good news this past week by hearing that five softball players were selected for All-Conference. Here are the highlights from each player selected:
Freshman pitcher Kalynn Allen was the lone First Team selection for MMI this year. Allen, from Santa Fe, TX, recorded pitching wins against nationally ranked Shelton State Community College and Wallace State Community College-Hanceville. Allen finished the regular season with a 2.81 ERA and eight wins. She’s the first freshman pitcher in school history to achieve such an honor. She’ll be in a great position to be even better next season. Congrats to Kalynn!
Sophomore pitcher, Brittani Sampson was a 2nd Team All-ACCC North Conference selection. The Yucaipa, California native, capped off an outstanding MMI career going 12-11 for the 2013 season. Sampson finished the regular season with a 2.70 ERA. Her 12 victories are second most in Marion single season history. Her three Region tournament victories for MMI are the most in school history. She’ll also leave MMI with 21 total wins, which is the school’s all-time record. Sampson will play next season at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. Congrats to Brittani!
Sophomore shortstop, Amy Lara, from Rio Linda, California, capped off an outstanding career as a 2nd Team All-ACCC North selection this year. Lara finished the regular season with a .385 batting average and fifteen doubles. Lara hit two triples in her final game in the NJCAA Region 22 tournament. Lara will be remembered as the most versatile defensive player in the MMI program to date. She recorded a .950 fielding percentage as a freshman at third base and a .940 fielding percentage as a shortstop this season. Very few players can achieve such numbers at both difficult defensive positions. In addition, Lara will leave MMI as the only All-Region selection in the program’s history. She’ll be playing NCAA Division I softball at Jackson State University next year. Congrats to Amy!
Freshman catcher, Jessie Moorhead, from Fresno, California, was also named to the 2013 All-ACCC North conference team as well. Moorhead hit .341 for the regular season with eight doubles and seventeen RBIs. In addition, Jessie threw out over half the runners that attempted to steal against her and made only five errors at her position this season. Most impressive, Jessie was walked thirty-one times this season. A record that will probably only be broken by her. Moorhead will be a great asset to the program next year. Congrats to Jessie!
Freshman second baseman, Ashley Strength, from Deatsville, Alabama was the final All-ACCC North 2nd Team selection for MMI. Strength put together quite possibly the best offensive season ever for an MMI freshman. She batted .381 with twelve doubles, three triples and five home runs in the 2013 regular season for Marion. She also drove in 32 runs this season. Ashley will be one of the most feared hitters in NJCAA Region 22 next season. Congrats to Ashley!
MMI Softball Bows Out at NJCAA Region 22 Tourney; Begins a New Era
The Marion Military Institute softball team gave a good effort at the 2013 NJCAA Region 22 tournament defeating ACCC South Conference Runner-up in the opener, but lost a hard fought game to nationally ranked, ACCC Central Conference champion Southern Union State Community College. MMI also was defeated by Calhoun Community College in their final game. Calhoun has a population of students approaching 12,000 while MMI’s enrollment is around 400 students. 2013 was a very good season for the MMI Lady Tiger softball program.
The win over Alabama Southern marked the 100th victory for the Marion Military Institute program since its inaugural season in 2009. For MMI Head Softball Coach Joe Guthrie, the 2013 NJCAA Region 22 tourney was his last game as coach. The Kristi Basso era will officially begin this summer for the program. Here the highlights from the tournament, the past five years and a final farewell from Coach Guthrie:
MMI 11 Alabama Southern 3
MMI continued their hot hitting by scoring 11 runs on ten hits. Ashley Strength pounded three hits including a double to lead the Lady Tigers. Christy Nelson also added two hits and three RBIs. Rachel Ward and Cherokee Strickland combined for four RBIs. Brittani Sampson won her twelfth game of the season. She pitched five solid innings. Sampson yielded just three runs on seven hits. The MMI defense did not make an error in this game.
Southern Union 6 MMI 4
This game matched MMI with the region’s best offense. The Lady Bisons managed two home runs that proved the difference against MMI. Ashley Strength, Christy Nelson, Rachel Ward and Cherokee Strickland all smashed doubles for Marion. Kalynn Allen took the loss in the pitching circle. MMI made only one error in the contest as well.
Calhoun 10 MMI 2
In their third game of the day, the Lady Tigers ran out of gas. Despite trailing just 5-2 headed into the fifth inning, CCC’s bats awoke and capped their victory in the bottom half out that inning. Brittani Sampson took the loss for MMI. Amy Lara capped off a great career with two triples. Ashley Mrozinski, Jessie Moorhead and Rachel Ward added hits as well.
Since playing its first game in the spring of 2009, here are some of the things that the softball program has accomplished at MMI…
-3 20 plus win seasons…2009, 2010, 2013
-3 NJCAA Region 22 Tournament Appearances…2010, 2012, 2013
-32 win season…2010
-2012 NJCAA Region 22 Best Defensive Team
-21 All-Conference Selections
-1 All-Region Selection
-100 wins in the program 2009-13
-2 NJCAA Academic Teams of the Year 2010, 2012 (2013 selections yet to be announced)
-4 NJCAA Academic All-Americans (2013 selections yet to be announced)
-1 All-Alabama Academic Team Member 2012
-1 All-Alabama Leadership Team Member 2012
-100% of players offered college softball scholarships
-1 Head Coach elected to the NFCA Recruiting Committee, 2012-13
“I want to say thank you to everyone who supported this program. I especially want to thank Kristi Basso for the last two years. She’s an outstanding person and an asset to the profession of coaching softball. I have put maximum effort into this job and am glad that I did it. I believe that our program has overachieved in a state junior college athletic system that habitually rewards the richest few schools. For a military school with around 400 students, (sparse local population), playing against teams with enrollments as high as 12,000, (their metropolitan areas exceed one million people in some cases), we’ve accomplished a great deal. Despite these obstacles, I am very proud to have been the leader of the achievements listed above and the thorn in many of those favored school’s sides for the past few years. I believe that our players will be better citizens as a result of the sacrifices they’ve made at MMI. I am proud and thankful for knowing all of them. I know that the future players and coaches will make this program even better,” said MMI Head Coach Joe Guthrie.
MMI Softball Wins last home game against Shelton; clinches spot in NJCAA Region 22 Tournament
On April 25, 2013, the Marion Military Institute softball team eclipsed many milestones. On a day that began with a ceremony honoring the 2013 sophomore class, MMI softball players headed to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Head Coach Joe Guthrie, Marion finished its home schedule in style. After losing a hard fought 4-1 decision to Shelton State in the opener, MMI played an outstanding second game, winning 8-0.
The win makes the third season in the five year history of the program that MMI will accomplish a 20 win season. In addition, MMI softball earns its third birth to the NJCAA Region 22 tournament in the past four seasons. The MMI softball program is also one win away from its 100th victory since the program’s inception.
“I want to thank all the players, fans, and others at MMI who have made the past six years very special to me. I am thankful to Dr. Michelle Ivey for the opportunity to start a softball program. It has flourished on a level that few believed would ever happen. I am excited about its future, but know that Coach Kristi Basso and our returning players will continue to build on our success to date. Yesterday was a great way to end our last home game together. I am looking forward to the postseason,” said MMI Head Coach Joe Guthrie. At the conclusion of this season, Coach Guthrie will be moving to Lexington, Kentucky, to start life anew with his girlfriend. He plans to pursue a career with the Lexington Police Department. Here are the highlights from the Shelton games:
Shelton 4 MMI 1
Offensively, MMI was lead by sophomores Amy Lara and Christy Nelson. Each tallied hits. Ashley Strength added an RBI single as well. Brittani Sampson pitched very well in defeat, but Shelton was just a little better than the Lady Tigers in game one.
MMI 8 Shelton 0
Kalynn Allen turned in a dominant performance for MMI in the pitching circle. She scattered five hits and struck out one in the complete game shutout victory. The Marion defense also did not yield an error. Rachel Ward smashed three hits including two doubles. Ashley Strength added a double, three hits, and three RBIs. Cherokee Strickland and Jessie Moorhead also added crucial RBIs to aid in MMI’s excellent effort.
MMI would again like to say a special thank you to departing sophomores Brittani Sampson, Amy Lara, Ashley Mrozinski, Christy Nelson and Shannon Dwyer. They are the first MMI sophomore group to ever reach the NJCAA Region 22 tournament in consecutive years among many other highlights. They will be sorely missed.
Lastly, congratulations to Cherokee Strickland and Sara Cammuso. These ladies will be playing softball and attending the United States Coast Guard Academy. Both players have been accepted into USCGA next year. Congrats to the sophomores and these two great people!
MMI will be back in action Sunday, April 28th at 2PM at Gadsden State Community College. The contest is scheduled as a doubleheader.
MMI BASEBALL SIGNS FIVE MORE FOR 2013-2014 SEASON
Tiger Head Coach, Jake Rowell, announces the signing of five more student-athletes for the 2013-2014 school. “We addressed more needs with these guys, especially on the mound. Four of them are pitchers, and a few have a legitimate chance to be dual-guys for us. This class has an opportunity to do some good things for the program next year.”
Cody Roby/RHP/Panama City, FL – “Coming out of Rutherford HS as well, Cody will bring added depth to our bullpen or rotation. He has faced some adversity in his high school career, and that will bode him and his good ‘stuff’ in this conference. We’re excited to see what Cody brings to the program.”
Bo Hoffman/RHP & 3B/Clanton, AL – “Bo hails from Thorsby High School here in Alabama, and he knows how to win. He’s another guy that will bring depth to our pitching staff with a good fastball and breaking stuff. A football player as well, Bo brings some tenacity and a good mentality to the program. Bo can also swing the bat well and has a chance to do both for us.”
Billy Rose/OF/Kennesaw, GA – “ Billy comes from the same high school as current Tiger, Keith Pachmayer (North Cobb HS). Billy has a chance to really blossom into a good college player. He’s super athletic, very quick, has a big-time arm, and has a great frame to fill out offensively. He’s played high quality baseball throughout his career, travel ball and high school, and that will help him out in this tough division.”
Darren Whatley/RHP & 1B/Bibb County, AL – “Darren comes to us after transferring from Shelton State Community College, where he was a ‘go-to’ guy for them. Based on pure ability alone, Darren has a chance to get drafted highly out of here. He’s a big, strong physical player, and his 90-93 MPH fastball explodes out of hand. We expect BIG things from Darren.”
Daniel Faulk/RHP & UT/Bridge City, TX – “Daniel is another guy who is super athletic. Another ex-football player, Daniel played QB and knows how to handle pressure situations and game management. He’s got the repertoire to be a starter, but some good velocity to stick in the back end of our bullpen. He can also play all over the field it seems, and has the ability to swing the bat for some power.”
Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez Etch Their Names into MMI Doubles History
Decatur, AL—Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez completed a near-perfect season by winning the No. 1 doubles flight at the Alabama Community College Conference, 6-2, 6-1, on Saturday. With the win, the dynamic duo improved their record to 14-1 on the year.
“Peter and Romar played some excellent tennis this year,” Coach Wright said. “Neither of them is a great doubles player by himself, but the two of them together, with their tremendous gifts and strengths as tennis players, make an intriguing pair and a tough team to beat.”
Salomon also won MMI’s first USTA/ITA Southern Regional Doubles Championship in the fall of 2012 with his former doubles partner, Pil Ki Min.
Gabe Llewellyn Finishes Tennis Career with Unprecedented Four State Titles
Decatur, AL—Gabe Llewellyn capped his MMI tennis career by adding two more Alabama Community College Conference titles to his collection. Last year, Llewellyn claimed two titles at No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles. This year, he repeated the feat by winning 7-6 (4), 6-4 at No. 4 singles and 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles with Shepherd Newcomb.
“Llewellyn’s transformation as a tennis player from the beginning of last year to this year’s conference tournament has been nothing short of spectacular,” Coach Wright said. “If you saw Gabe play last year, you probably enjoyed a few good laughs at his expense. He was, to put it kindly, erratic. I had to wear a helmet every day to practice to protect myself from all of his stray shots. This year Gabe is having the last laugh. It just goes to show that hard work pays off. I’ve never seen a harder worker than Gabe. You might be faster, more coordinated, more everything than Gabe, but Gabe is going to beat you in the end because of his great work ethic. My helmet’s off to him. He has my utmost respect. Great job, Gabe! You are one of a kind.”
Shepherd Newcomb Crowned ACCC MVP in Men’s Tennis
Decatur, AL—Following in the footsteps of former Tiger standout Alex Fioravante, last year’s Alabama Community College Conference MVP, Shepherd Newcomb picked up this year’s MVP award by downing Gadsden State’s Aaron Triplett, 6-0, 6-0, at the No. 1 singles flight. Newcomb also teamed up with Gabe Llewellyn at No. 2 doubles to win that flight’s championship.
“All season long Shepherd has been our go-to guy,” Coach Wright said. “Although quiet by nature, Shepherd has an extremely fiery and competitive spirit. He leads by example, not with words. Whenever I asked him to do something for the team this year, he never balked at or fussed about it. He just did it. I am very proud of Shepherd and all of his accomplishments this year. He is a great team player and a fantastic young man.”
Newcomb finished 11-2 on the season at No. 1 singles and 13-2 at No. 2 doubles with Gabe Llewellyn.
Clutch Play Delivers ACCC Championship to Men’s Tennis Team
Decatur, AL—After Friday’s singles and doubles matches came to an end in opening-round play in the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Tennis Tournament, the Marion Military Institute Tigers trailed the Gadsden State Cardinals, 8-6. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers had to return on Saturday to the Jimmy Johns Tennis Center and win all six matches they were slated to play. Four players—Shepherd Newcomb, Peter Salomon, Romar Hernandez, and Gabe Llewellyn—had to come up big in both singles and doubles play to bring home the conference crown. And step up they did. In a clutch performance for the ages, the Tigers won all six matches to take home the ACCC title by the narrowest of margins, 12-11.
Romar Hernandez got the day off to a good start with an impressive 6-0, 6-0 win over Faulkner State’s Martin Bryant. Hernandez’ victory was soon followed by two more impressive MMI singles wins. Shepherd Newcomb at No. 1 singles defeated Gadsden State’s Aaron Triplett, 6-0, 6-0, and Peter Salomon at No. 2 singles downed Gadsden’s Hayden Clowers, 6-2, 6-1.
In the match of the day, MMI’s Gabe Llewellyn won the first set, 7-6 (4), against Gadsden’s Jacob Mitchell before falling behind 3-4 in the second set. Llewellyn then reeled off three straight games to polish off the set and the match. Llewellyn’s sterling net play in those crucial last three games of the second set paved the way to the win.
With singles play in the books, doubles play, which would now determine the conference champion, was set to begin. The Tiger tandems of Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez at No. 1 doubles and Shepherd Newcomb and Gabe Llewellyn at No. 2 doubles were the prohibitive favorites to win both matches. Both teams scored identical 6-2, 6-1 wins to secure the conference championship for the Marion Military Institute Tigers.
The men’s tennis team will now head to Collin College in Plano, Texas, to participate in the Men’s National Tennis Championships. Play will begin on Monday, May 12 and continue through Friday, May 17.
Women’s Tennis Team Goes 4-for-4 in Service Academy Program Appointments
Marion, AL—In the fall, Tasha Bull, Marie Petrangeli, Cora Moody, and Summer Thomas enrolled in MMI’s General Bruce K. Holloway Service Academy Program, which, according to MMI’s Web site, provides young men and women “a year of solid academic preparation, military training, leadership development, and physical training.” They are now being rewarded for their hard work. These four members of the women’s tennis team were awarded their Service Academy Program appointments this past week.
Marie Petrangeli, Cora Moody, and Summer Thomas—all of whom are sponsored AOG scholars—received notification from West Point that they have been accepted into the Class of 2017.
Tasha Bull, on the other hand, received her appointment the hard way: Bull accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Marion Military Institute as a non-sponsored cadet and earned her appointment to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy by compiling a sparkling 4.0 Fall semester GPA while taking such rigorous courses as College Chemistry I, General Physics with Calculus I, and Calculus I.
Tasha Bull and Marie Petrangeli have been with the women’s tennis team since the beginning of the school year, while Cora Moody and Summer Thomas, both of whom are newcomers to the sport of tennis, began playing on the team in January.
“I am extremely proud of all four young women,” said Coach Wright. “This is quite an accomplishment for them. It just goes to show that if you want something badly enough and if you work hard to achieve it, you can make your dreams come true. Great job, girls!”
MMI Softball to begin community service work with Children’s Hospital in Birmingham
On February 21st, the Marion Military Institute softball team will begin the first of three sessions of volunteer work with Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Assistant Coach Kristi Basso has worked nearly two years to get MMI on the list to volunteer for such a worthy endeavor. “I cannot say enough about what Coach Basso has done on this project”, said MMI Head Softball Coach, Joe Guthrie. “This idea started about two years ago. She’s taken the reigns and put together a nice plan for the kids at Children’s,” said Guthrie. The softball team will spend three Thursday afternoons with the patients of the hospital. While there, they will lead them with arts and crafts activities and provide much needed cheer to the people in need. A special extension of thanks goes out to Coach Basso and the MMI softball players for participating in such a wonderful cause.
Salomon and Hernandez Battle for Spot in Finals
Meridian, MS—Marion Military Institute’s top two players—Peter Salomon and Romar Hernandez—took to the courts on Friday afternoon to determine who would make it to the finals of the 2012 USTA/ITA Southern JUCO Regional Tennis Championships.
Chuck Wright, Marion Military Institute’s head coach, said, “You can flip a coin when those two play. They are both incredibly talented players. Both have great serves and tremendous ground strokes. The difference between the two is slight.”
The two players battled to a 6-6 first-set draw and settled the match in a tiebreaker. Salomon slipped by Hernandez, 7-4. Hernandez, experiencing lightheadedness, retired after the first set.
Peter Salomon will return to the court on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. to play Holmes Community College’
