UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS FAN ZONE

UNO Privateers News, Schedule, Pictures and Players

NEW ORLEANS - The last few months have not been what college men's swimming and diving programs would like to see. Two programs - Arizona State and Rhode Island - have seen their men's swimming programs shut down. While efforts to bring back the Arizona State program proved successful, a slew of men's programs have been cut across the nation due to the finances of collegiate athletics and Title IX.

While programs are being eliminated, the University of New Orleans men's swimming and diving program is the newest kid on the block. The program's addition prior to the 2008-09 season was announced by athletic director Jim Miller in fall of 2007 and the athletic director is enjoying what he has seen thus far.

Not long after the announcement, NCAA on Campus came to the Lakefront to among other things; highlight the re-emergence of the UNO athletic program and the addition of the men's swimming and diving program. The show which airs on the ESPN family of networks included an interview with Miller and UNO head coach Randy Horner, who came on board during the summer of 2007

Continue reading "Pieces Coming Together for UNO's New Men's Swimming and Diving Program" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans volleyball head coach Jozsef Forman and junior outside hitter Lindsey Loyd are on their way to Zagreb, Croatia, where they will join the USA/BiP Development Team in preparation for the 2008 Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia that takes place next week.

Forman, serving as an assistant coach and Loyd will get a chance to compete against several national, junior national and club teams primarily from Europe.

The Global Challenge, which gets underway July 21 kicks off with an Opening Ceremonies event on July 20. Prior to the tournament, the team will compete in three practice matches with two taking place in Slovenia before the team moves to the host community of the tournament.

Continue reading "Forman, Loyd Head to Croatia for International Volleyball Competition" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans women's basketball team will hold a raffle for a pair of New Orleans Saints suite tickets, the athletic department announced on Thursday.

The season tickets are being sold for $100 each with the winner of the raffle being announced at 7 p.m on Aug. 14 at Lafitte's Cafe. Individuals participating in the raffle do not have to be present to win.

The tickets have been donated by Meet Your Market, L.L.C, with the proceeds benefiting the Lady Privateers program.

Continue reading "Season Tickets in Saints Suites Raffled to Benefit UNO Women's Hoops" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans Athletics Department had 30 student-athletes honored on the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List and Academic Honor Roll, it was announced recently.

The Commissioner's List honors student-athletes with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, while the Academic Honor Roll is for those achieving a 3.0-3.49 mark.

Below is a list of honorees.

Continue reading "30 UNO Student-Athletes Receive Sun Belt Academic Honors" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans head women's tennis coach Burzis Kanga announced the signing of Kozue Matsumoto to the Privateers tennis program on Tuesday morning.

A transfer from Division III University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Matsumoto became the first member of the Falcons tennis team since 1989 to capture the No. 1 singles title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship when she did so this past fall. The Japanese native went 15-0 in singles competition during the season without dropping a set.

Matsumoto also became part of the first doubles team from UWRF since 1992 to capture the No. 1 doubles title at the conference championship. In winning both titles, she became only the tenth player in WIAC's 52 year tennis history (men's & women's) to win both the No. 1 singles and doubles title in the same year.

Continue reading "UNO Women's Tennis Adds Matsumoto" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans men's basketball coach Joe Pasternack has announced that former University of Memphis standout Doneal Mack has transferred to the Lakefront.

Mack, who led Memphis in 3-point field goals made last year, has enrolled in summer classes at UNO. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will be eligible in the 2009-10 season.

Continue reading "Former Memphis Standout Transfers to UNO" »

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans businessman John Georges and former UNO basketball star Gabe Corchiani today announced a $1 million gift to the University of New Orleans.

"The rebuilding of UNO is important to the recovery of New Orleans," said Georges, a former member of the UNO Foundation.

The gift is the largest ever to the UNO Privateer Athletic Foundation and one of the largest to the university. UNO Chancellor Dr. Tim Ryan said the money will help restore UNO's full Division I status.

Continue reading "Georges, Corchiani Make Historic Donation to UNO Athletics" »

Almost 20 years after he played his final game at UNO, Gabe Corchiani remains the school's assists leader.

And now, Corchiani is giving his alma mater a helping hand in another way -- joining with business partner John Georges to make a $1 million donation to the Privateers' men's basketball program.

The donation, spread over five years, is the largest in school history for any sport. The official announcement will be made today at which time it will also be announced that the floor at Lakefront Arena will be renamed "Corchiani Court."

Continue reading "UNO basketball getting big assist" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans Athletic Department will be hosting a Select-A-Seat event at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Lakefront Arena.

All fans interested in purchasing UNO men's and women's basketball season tickets for the 2008-09 season are invited to attend.

The event will include free food, music, and the opportunity to select from the best seating available in Lakefront Arena. Coaches and players from both teams will be in attendance.

Continue reading "UNO Basketball Hosting Select-A-Seat Event on Wednesday" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans junior Lindsey Loyd has been selected to compete on the USA/BIP u20 Select Volleyball Team that will compete in Croatia next month.

The team, led by Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick, will take part in the 4th annual Global Challenge Tournament in Pula, Croatia July 20-25 after training in for a few says in Slovenia.

The tournament will consist of several European National, Junior National, Youth National and clubs teams from countries such as Denmark, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Russia.

Continue reading "Lindsey Loyd Selected to USA Select Volleyball Team" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans baseball team had seven selections on the All-Louisiana baseball team, it was announced by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association this past weekend.

UNO right-hander Bryan Cryer was named the Pitcher of the Year, and the Denham Springs product joined catcher Josh Vander Hey and outfielder Joey Butler on the All-Louisiana first team.

Second baseman Johnny Giavotella, third baseman T.J. Baxter and utility player Jeff Lanning were second-team picks, and first baseman Nick Schwaner received honorable mention accolades.

Continue reading "UNO Places Seven on All-Louisiana Team; Cryer Named Pitcher of the Year" »

10.) 1984 UNO baseball (46-26) - lost in CWS;
2001 Tulane baseball (56-13) - lost in CWS;
2005 Tulane baseball (56-12) - lost in CWS

We start our countdown off on the right foot ... by cheating and including three teams at the No. 10 spot. Hey, it's our list, and we can do what we want.

Seriously though, each of the teams here achieved a great deal and at the end of the day, there's not a whole lot separating them. They all topped 45 wins, they all featured great individual athletes, and they all reached the College World Series.

Credit the Tulane squads for more dominating regular seasons, but the 1984 University of New Orleans baseball team achieved the feat of a CWS appearance first, giving the Privateers some bragging rights of their own. And frankly, that UNO team was a good one.

Continue reading "Greatest N.O. sports teams of all time: No. 10" »

NEW ORLEANS -- A handful of UNO Privateers are making their professional debut this summer. Follow UNO baseball alums as they continue to chase the Major League Baseball dream.

A list is below and fans can visit UNOPrivateers.com to keep tabs on these players.

Continue reading "Follow the Privateers in Pro Ball" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans senior pitcher Bryan Cryer was a second-team All-America selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association, it was announced late Sunday evening.

Cryer, the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, led the league in wins (12) and strikeouts (104) and was also second with a 3.48 ERA.

The Denham Springs, La., native was the only player from a Louisiana school to make the All-America team.

Continue reading "UNO's Cryer Named to ABCA/Rawlings All-America Team; Makes Professional Debut." »

As part of our determination of the best sports teams in the history of New Orleans, we're going to open the door to the fans to offer their say. Last week, you got to put in your two cents for who should be nominated. Now, it's time to pit your choices against one another.

Today, we vote on the best local college teams in the city. This is by no means a complete list, but rather a collection of fan submissions. And while there's no way to include everyone, these are some of the best teams this city has probably ever seen.

(Poll after the jump)

Continue reading "Poll: What's the best N.O. college team of all time?" »

NEW ORLEANS - Seven standouts from the 2008 University of New Orleans baseball team have signed professional contracts this week.

Major League Baseball draftees Johnny Giavotella (Kansas City), Joey Butler (Texas), T.J. Baxter (Baltimore), Mark McGonigle (New York Mets), along with free agents Justin Garcia (Kansas City), Bryan Cryer (Traverse City) and Josh Vander Hey (Brockton) have all signed contracts and will report to their respective teams shortly.

Cryer and Vander Hey are the latest to become professionals. Cryer, a third-team All-America selection and the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, will join the Beach Bums on Friday and will play in the Frontier League.

Continue reading "Seven Privateers Ink Professional Contracts" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans baseball team had three players selected to the 2008 ABCA South Central All-Region team, it was announced on Wednesday.

Senior pitcher Bryan Cryer and catcher Josh Vander Hey were first-team selections, and senior outfielder Joey Butler was a second-team pick.

Cryer was named the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and recently finished off one of the best Privateer pitching careers in recent history. The former walk-on became the school's all-time strikeout leader in May and finished his four-year career with 340 K's.

Continue reading "Privateer Baseball Places Three on All-Region Team" »

LAKE CHARLES, La. - University of New Orleans golfer Ken Looper had a solid end to his 2007-08 freshman season, and the Mandeville product continued the surge into the summer.

Looper shot a 4-under par 68 in the final round of the Louisiana State Amateur Championship on Sunday to finish in a tie for ninth.

He shot 76-76-72 in the first three rounds at Gray Plantation before posting the second-lowest score of the day on Sunday. Looper, who finished the spring season with three sub-par rounds in his last two tournaments, had six birdies on the day and shot a 33 on his final nine.

Continue reading "Looper Claims Top Ten Finish at State Amateur" »

NEW ORLEANS - Both the University of New Orleans men's and women's tennis teams added players to their roster as head coach Burzis Kanga announced the addition of Rohit Chivukula to the men's team and Ceara Howey to the women's team on Tuesday afternoon.

Chivukula reached a rank of No. 52 in India where he won each of the All-India Talent Series events in singles while winning five of these competitions in doubles. In national ranking tournaments, Chivukula finished as a runner-up on four different occasions while ranking No. 34 in the U16 national rankings.

"We got a good addition with Rohit in the sense that he is a smart player, who is willing to prove himself and come here on an academic scholarship," said Kanga. "I think he will certainly help us in singles and doubles."

Continue reading "Kanga Announces Addition of Howey, Chivukula to UNO Tennis Program" »

After witnessing the wonderful season just turned in by the New Orleans Hornets, the folks at NOLA.com just had to wonder: Is this the best the local fans have ever had it?

After all, these Hornets compiled a staggering number of wins on their way to a division championship and the verge of the Western Conference Finals. But is this team really the best this city has ever had to offer?

NOLA.com wants to find out. We've begun the heavy lifting of digging through our archives (and the archives of some of your favorite teams) in search of the best of the best, but we want to hear from you too. What are your favorite teams from years gone by? Who would you rank amongst the best teams ever? Are the 2006 New Orleans Saints the best Saints team ever? Do the Tulane football squads of years gone by deserve inclusion? And what of the LSU Tigers? Do they deserve to be included at all?

Continue reading "What is the greatest New Orleans sports team of all time?" »

NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans Athletic Department will be hosting a Select-A-Seat event on Wednesday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m at Lakefront Arena. All fans interested in purchasing UNO men's and women's basketball season tickets for the 2008-09 season are invited to attend.

The event will include free food, music, and the opportunity to select from the best seating available in Lakefront Arena. Coaches and players from both teams will be in attendance.

Fans are encouraged to come out, support their hometown team and reserve their season tickets before it is too late.

Continue reading "UNO Announces Basketball Season Ticket Information, Tentative Home Schedules" »

NEW ORLEANS -- The University of New Orleans golf team had one of its best seasons in recent school history in 2007-08, and the program got some extra recognition on Monday.

Junior standout Jose Toledo was named the Louisiana Player of the Year, and head coach Chris McCarter was tabbed as the Coach of the Year as the All-Louisiana golf team was announced by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Sophomore Hector Arias was named to the all-Louisiana second team.

Toledo, a native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, won the state player of the year award for the second straight season. The two-time All-Sun Belt Conference recipient led the league with a 70.97 scoring average and competed as an individual in the 2008 NCAA Central Regional.

Continue reading "Toledo, McCarter, Arias Receive All-Louisiana Golf Accolades" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans head tennis coach Burzis Kanga signed the third player of his initial recruiting class as he announced the addition of Oliver Cuthill of New Zealand to his roster on Monday afternoon.

This year, Cuthill has posted wins at the Southland Open and Wanaka Open. In 2007, Cuthill won the doubles championship at the Otago Open while also finishing as the runner-up in the singles competition at the same event.

No stranger to team competition, Cuthill represented his district at the national team championships as the number one singles player for the Southern Districts team in 2008.

Continue reading "UNO Men's Tennis Adds New Zealand Native Cuthill" »

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans senior pitcher Justin Garcia has signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals, it was announced Sunday.

The right-handed pitcher recorded a career-high 73 strikeouts in 2008 and won his first six decisions of the year. The senior tossed his second career complete game in a March 28 win at Troy and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

Garcia went 6-2 with a 5.77 ERA on the year, having at least seven strikeouts five times while reaching nine K's on two separate occasions.

Continue reading "Garcia Signs Free Agent Contract with Kansas City Royals" »

NEW ORLEANS - When the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft came to an end on Friday afternoon, the University of New Orleans baseball had five players selected to bring their two-day total of draftees up to six.

Jeff Lanning was the first Privateer selected on the second day of the draft, chosen with the No. 246 pick in the eighth round by the Minnesota Twins. As the draft continued, Joey Butler, T.J Baxter, Ryan O'Shea and Mark McGonigle would also have their names placed on the draft board.

The six UNO players drafted over the last two days represents the most players to be drafted since 1988 when eight players were selected in the MLB draft. The 2008 draft class ties the 1979 class as the second largest in school history.

Continue reading "Six Privateers Selected in MLB Draft, Equals Second Largest Class in UNO History" »

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where NOLA.com comes in. David Gladow offers a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave will touch on your hot topics every week.

Continue reading "Live Chat: Friday sports talk" »

For University of New Orleans baseball player Johnny Giavotella, it was only a matter of time.

After another great offensive season, the Privateers' second baseman figured to be drafted sooner rather than later in the MLB Draft, and that proved to be the case with the Kansas City Royals making the call with the third pick of the second round (No. 49 overall).

Giavotella finished 2008 with a .354 batting average, 12 home runs and 56 RBI in leading the Privateers to a second-straight NCAA Tournament berth.

NEW ORLEANS - University of New Orleans junior second baseman Johnny Giavotella was a second round pick by the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, it was announced on Thursday.

Giavotella, a first-team preseason All-America selection, was chosen with the No. 49 selection overall, the third pick of the second round. He hit .354 this past season to help UNO claim an NCAA Tournament berth for the second straight year.

The Harahan product hit 12 home runs and had 56 RBIs. He also led the Privateers with a .470 on-base percentage.

Continue reading "Giavotella Selected in Second Round of MLB Draft by Kansas City." »

NEW ORLEANS - This past spring, the University of New Orleans athletic department began "Today in UNO Athletics", an e-mail initiative to keep fans abreast of all the latest in Privateer athletics.

The daily e-mail sent out by the sports information office includes the latest UNO athletic stories, ways for Privateer fans to follow upcoming athletic events, upcoming Privateer Athletic Foundation functions and more.

While the athletic calendar has come to an end for a few months, the athletic department is in the process of collecting e-mails of all interested parties to be added to the mailing list.

Continue reading "Be Amongst the First to Know with "Today in UNO"" »

BATON ROUGE, La. - The University of New Orleans had its season come to an end on Sunday, as Southern Mississippi hit three home runs in an 8-2 win at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional at Alex Box Stadium.

Keith Winstead hit two home runs, and Kyle Maxie launched a three-run blast as the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles (42-21) advanced to a 6 p.m. elimination game against top seed LSU.

Winstead finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, and Maxie had two hits and four RBIs. The USM 5-8 hitters (Drew Carson, Maxie, Chris Matesich and Winstead) combined to go 11-for-16 with seven runs scored.

Continue reading "Privateer Season Comes to an End in NCAA Regional Loss to USM" »

BATON ROUGE, La. - So far, the University of New Orleans has experienced dejà vu at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. And the Privateers are hoping it will continue for a few more days.

For the second straight weekend, UNO found itself in a tournament loser's bracket, and the Privateers continued their solid play in the sudden death format following an 18-5 win over Texas Southern on Saturday at Alex Box Stadium.

Johnny Giavotella and Josh Vander Hey combined to go 5-for-5 with five RBIs and six runs scored, and Jeff Lanning hit a grand slam as the Privateers (43-20) advanced to a 1 p.m. elimination game on Sunday against the LSU-Southern Mississippi loser.

Continue reading "Privateers Eliminate Texas Southern to Stay Alive in NCAA Regional" »

BATON ROUGE, La. - Southern Mississippi gave up a six-run lead in the sixth inning but fought back with seven unanswered runs to take a 13-6 win over New Orleans in NCAA Baton Rouge Regional action on Friday at Alex Box Stadium.

Michael Ewing went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and USM had 16 hits as the No. 2 seed Golden Eagles (41-20) advanced to a 6 p.m. winner's bracket game against top seed LSU.

Josh Vander Hey had a three-run home run for the Privateers (42-20), and Johnny Giavotella added two RBIs. But the Privateers managed just seven hits to fall into a 1 p.m. elimination game against No. 4 Texas Southern on Saturday.

Continue reading "Privateers Rally But Still Fall to Southern Miss" »

With so much going on in the New Orleans sports community, it's easy to lose sight of things.

That's where we come in. David Gladow of NOLA.com and George Pepis and Emmanuel Pepis of WGSO will offer a weekend preview of sorts every Friday at noon in the form of a live chat with the New Orleans community.

Want to talk about the Saints' latest moves or the upcoming VooDoo game? Want to vent your frustrations over the Hornets playcalling? This is your time to sound off. Send in your questions and comments, and Dave and the gang from WGSO will touch on your hot topics every week.

Continue reading "Live Chat: Friday sports talk" »

NORMAN, Okla. - University of New Orleans junior golfer Jose Toledo has been named to the Division I PING All-Southeast Region team, it was announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America this week.

Toledo, a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection, is now eligible for the PING All-America team, which will be announced later this summer.

The Guatemala native recently was selected to compete as an individual in the NCAA East Regional after helping the UNO golf team finish second in the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

Continue reading "Privateers' Toledo Named to PING All-Region Golf Team" »