UIC Faces Minnesota In First Round Of WNIT On Wednesday Night -- Wednesday, March 14 2007
Chicago, Ill. - The UIC women's basketball team squares off against Minnesota in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) on Wednesday, March 14. The game is set for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. The winner will travel to face Western Kentucky on Saturday, March 17 or Sunday, March 18 in the second round.

This marks UIC's (19-12) first postseason appearance in school history. The Flames posted the best regular season finish in history with 19 wins and an 11-game winning streak.

UIC finished second in the Horizon League with an 11-5 mark. The Flames are coming off an 88-83 loss in overtime to Butler in the 2007 Horizon League Tournament semifinals in Green Bay, Wis. on March 9.

The Flames are led by senior LaShonda Grant with 15.7 points. Senior Jacquay Holmes owns a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game, while averaging 11.8 points per game.

Minnesota is making its first WNIT appearance after earning bids to the NCAA Tournament the last five seasons. The Golden Gophers (16-15) tied for fourth place (7-9) in the Big Ten Conference. Minnesota fell in the quarterfinals to Michigan State (77-68) on Friday, March 2.

Senior Kelly Roysland paces the Gophers with 13.1 points per game. Freshman Ashley Ellis-Milan owns a team-best 7.2 boards per game.

Gill-Morlis Named League Women's Tennis Athlete Of The Week -- Wednesday, March 14 2007
Chicago, Ill.- UIC junior Grace Gill-Morlis (Lima, Peru/Villa Maria) was named the Horizon League Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week for the period ending March 13th, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Gill-Morlis won all six of her matches this past week, going 3-0 at No. 3 singles and 3-0 in doubles play to help the Flames extend their winning streak to four matches.

She rebounded from a first-set loss in her first singles match of the week against Northern Illinois' Nao Umemura to win her next six frames of play and guide UIC to a win over NIU, a shutout of Detroit and a victory over UNI.

Gill-Morlis has not lost in a singles or doubles contest since February 11th, a span of five consecutive wins on both the singles and doubles sides.

The third-year standout is now 6-3 in dual match singles play and 9-2 overall this season in her first full year near the top of the lineup.

UIC (4-5) begins a two-match spring trip through the Lone Star State this Friday against North Texas in Denton.

Steve Crnkovich Named League Pitcher Of The Week -- Wednesday, March 14 2007
Chicago, Ill.- UIC right-hander Steve Crnkovich (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South H.S.) was named the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week for the period ending March 12th, the league office announced on Tuesday morning.

Crnkovich tossed eight innings against No. 1 Vanderbilt this past Saturday, allowing just three hits and one run, in taking a tough-luck loss against the Commodores.

The true freshman starter struck out six Vandy hitters without allowing a walk during his complete-game effort.

The Downers Grove native also earned the InsidePitching.com Great Lakes Region Performance of the Week award.

He is now 1-2 with a 1.80 earned run average in 25 innings of work. He has made five appearances for the Flames (4-8), including three starts.

This marks the second consecutive week that UIC has featured the league's Pitcher of the Week. Closer David Cales (Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel) earned the nod last week after notching two saves against No. 19 Tennessee.

Crnkovich and the Flames will travel to Pullman, Wash., to take on Washington State in a three-game series beginning on Friday.

Women's Gymnastics Signs Emily Fiorelli, Sarah Murray To National Letters Of Intent -- Wednesday, March 14 2007
Chicago, Ill.- UIC co-head women's gymnastics coaches Peter Jansson and Mary Jansson officially announced on Tuesday that Emily Fiorelli (Solon, Ohio/Solon H.S./Gymnastics World) and Sarah Murray (St. Paul, Minn./White Bear Lake H.S./Flips Gymnastics) have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Flames beginning in the 2007-08 campaign.

Fiorelli is a Level 10 performer who competed for the Gymnastics World club in Broadview, Ohio. Last year she was the runner-up in the all-around at the Ohio Level 10 State Championships meet and earned the state title on uneven bars.

"Emily is a powerful athlete on all four events with lots of exciting skills," said Peter Jansson. "She is very excited about joining the UIC Flames next year."

Murray, who is also a Level 10 gymnast, cut her teeth at the club level with Flips Gymnastics in Bear Lake, Minnesota. She is a former Level 9 national champion on vault and qualified for the Level 10 national meet in her first year at the level.

"Sarah is a fantastic vaulter and floor worker with bars and beam not far behind," said Peter Jansson. "UIC was at the top of her list and we are fortunate that Sarah joining the program is becoming a reality."

Both Fiorelli and Murray will enter UIC with splendid academic credentials as well, with both maintaining identical 3.83 grade point averages in their high school work.

Jansson believes the two newest additions to the program will have an immediate impact.

"These two girls bring a ton of skill but also a positive attitude and a great level of excitement," said Jansson. "It really sets us up for a great 2008 season."

Baseball Falls Short Of Series Sweep Over No. 19 Tennessee In 4-2 Defeat -- Tuesday, March 6 2007
Knoxville, Tenn.- The UIC baseball team came up short in its attempt for a series sweep of 19th-ranked Tennessee, falling 4-2 in the weekend finale at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Sunday.

Brett Schaefer went 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Larry Gempp Jr. was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

Micky Pingree also drove in a run.

UIC (4-5) opened strong in its bid to become the first team to sweep the Vols (7-7) at home since Miami (Fla.) accomplished the feat in 2003. The Flames posted a two-spot on the scoreboard in the top of the first when Schaefer ripped a double to right to plate Chad Schroeder from second.

With Gempp at third, Pingree grounded out to first to send in another run.

Tennessee would even the game in the fourth on Yan Gomes' two-run single off of starter Steve Crnkovich. Gomes then drove in the go-ahead run two innings later on his first collegiate home run to give the Vols the lead.

Gomes would drive in his fourth run of the game on a single in the eighth to give the Volunteers some breathing room.

Crnkovich (1-1) was charged with the loss despite a solid outing, going six innings and allowing just one earned run.

Kyle Dotson and Peter Ifft made their UIC debuts on the mound in the final two innings.

The Flames out-hit the host Vols during the three-game series by a 35-29 margin.

UIC will face its second straight SEC opponent next weekend, traveling to Nashville to face top-ranked Vanderbilt beginning Friday.

Softball Bounces Back Against Host UT-Chattanooga, 1-0 -- Tuesday, March 6 2007
Chattanooga, Tenn. - UIC softball (4-11) concluded the UTC Frost Classic on Sunday against Tennessee Tech and host UT-Chattanooga. The Flames fell to TTU, 10-0, in five innings in game one, but bounced back against host UTC for a 1-0 victory.

UIC's next stop is the USF Adidas Tournament hosted by South Florida in Clearwater, March 8-11.

Tennessee Tech 10, UIC 0

Tennessee Tech scored multiple runs in four innings to notch its 13th win of the season, 10-0.

UIC freshman Chelsea Fuemmeler moves to 1-6 in the circle, while Golden Eagle pitcher Bonnie Bynum (8-3) picked up her eighth victory on six strikeouts in five innings.

Senior Liz Jacoby was 1-for-2, while pinch hitter Brooke Frydendall tabbed a hit for the Flames in the fifth inning.

Bynum not only guided Tennessee Tech to a win in the circle, the pitcher was 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. First baseman Stephanie Fischer was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, while center fielder Kristina Hortert was 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI.

The Golden Eagles picked up two runs in the bottom of the first and second inning to take an early 4-0 lead.

Tennessee Tech added one run in the bottom of the third inning on a Bynum double to left field. Shortstop Beth Boden began an offensive burst in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Golden Eagles with an RBI triple.

After tacking on three more runs, Fischer scored on a fielder's choice to secure TTU's 10-0 victory after five innings.

UIC 1, UTC 0

Clynes (3-5) fanned five batters and recorded a shutout to top host UT-Chattanooga, 1-0.

Clynes not only dominated in the circle, but the sophomore was 2-for-3 at the plate with the winning RBI. Junior Ashlee Ackerman was 2-for-3 on the afternoon.





UTC shortstop Tia Blosser was 3-for-3 and designated player Lynleigh Hurndon was 1-for-2 against the Flames.

UTC pitcher Ashley Frizzell walked Nikki Rogers with two outs in the top of the second inning. Rogers then stole second base to get into scoring position.

Clynes stepped up to the plate and ripped an RBI single through the right side for a 1-0 lead.

Scoreless for the rest of the contest, the Flames defeat host UTC, 1-0.

Men's Basketball Edged By Loyola, 66-62, In Horizon League Tournament Second Round -- Saturday, March 3 2007
Fairborn, Ohio - Senior Blake Schilb pushed Loyola into the Horizon League Tournament semifinals with 31 points, including a back-breaking off-balance jumper with 10 seconds left, as the Ramblers edged the UIC men's basketball team 66-62 on Friday evening at the Nutter Center.

The Flames (14-18) had trimmed a 12-point deficit in the second half down to two with 43 seconds remaining on a basket by Othyus Jeffers. Loyola (21-10) worked the shot clock down on its next possession and Schilb converted a jumper from the baseline, getting fouled by Jeffers in the process, to end UIC's comeback bid.

Jeffers finished with a team-high 14 points to lead the Flames while sophomore Josh Mayo (13 points), senior Jovan Stefanov (12 points) and junior T.J. Gray (11 points) also scored in double figures.

Schilb was the only Loyola player to score in double figures with his game-high 31 points. Freshman Andy Polka led a dominating rebounding effort by the Ramblers with 12 boards. Loyola out-rebounded UIC, 40-26.

The Flames came out hot early on Friday, leading by as many as seven points in the first half. UIC fell into foul trouble late in the period, though, forcing starters Jeffers, Robert Bush and Scott VanderMeer to the bench.

Loyola capitalized, going on an 18-6 run to close out the half to take a 39-34 lead into the locker room.

The Flames would go cold to start the second half, going 1-for-13 from the field in the first 10 minutes which allowed the Ramblers to build their lead.

Baseball Rallies To Beat No. 19 Tennessee, 6-5 -- Saturday, March 3 2007
Knoxville, Tenn.- The UIC baseball team overcame a four-run deficit with five unanswered runs in the final two innings to defeat 19th-ranked Tennessee, 6-5, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday.

Micky Pingree went 3-for-4 at the plate with three RBI, while Chad Schroeder and Ben Trotter also drove in runs.

Larry Gempp Jr. was 3-for-5 at the dish with a run scored. Nick Rainwater had a 2-for-4 day in the batter's box.

"I was really pleased that our guys played nine innings today, and that has been an encouraging pattern for us all year," said UIC head coach Mike Dee.

UIC (3-4) fell behind after the host Vols (6-6) scored three times in the bottom of the first off of starter Zach Peterson.

The Flames got on the board in the third when Schroeder brought in Rainwater from third on a single.

Peterson calmed down to give up just one more run during the rest of his outing, which lasted six innings.

Tennessee scored in the fifth on a two-out solo shot off the bat of Tony Delmonico and added another in the seventh off of reliever Adam Worthington to go up 5-1.

That's when the Flames began their rally. With one out Gempp singled to right center, Tyler Moore bunted for a base hit and Brett Schaefer walked to load the bases. Trotter then delivered an RBI single to center to cut the Vols' lead to 5-2 and keep the bags full of Flames.

Pingree followed with a bases-clearing double into left center to tie the game.

After Andrew Davis pitched a scoreless eighth, UIC took its first lead of the game in the top of the ninth. Schroeder walked with one out and moved to second on a Gempp single. Moore then hit a single to short, and a throwing error by Delmonico allowed Schroeder to score the go-ahead run.

David Cales moved from first base to the mound in the bottom of the frame to close out the game. Tennessee's Danny Lima led off with a single and moved 90 feet away from tying the score with just one out after stealing second and advancing to third on UIC catcher Erik Whinery's throwing error. But Cales struck out Michael Moore and induced a groundout to third off the bat of Cody Brown to pick up his second save of the year.

"We did a nice job at the end," said Dee. "Hopefully we can come back tomorrow and put forth the same kind of effort."

Davis earned his first win in a UIC uniform. UT reliever Nick Hernandez was charged with the loss.

UIC and Tennessee play the second game of their three-game series on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. CT.

Softball Spilts On Day One At UTC Frost Classic -- Saturday, March 3 2007
Chattanooga, Tenn. - The UIC softball team spilt at the UTC Frost Classic on Friday. Top-ranked Tennessee inched past the Flames, 2-0, in game one on a one-hitter from Lady Vols pitcher Monica Abbott. UIC bounced back in game two with a 1-0 victory against UT-Martin to move its overall record to 3-9.

Sophomore Melissa Marinacci picked up UIC's lone hit against Tennessee. Juniors Brittany Dixon and Ashlee Ackerman was 2-for-3 against UTM, while junior Nicole Robinson was 1-for-3 with one RBI. Freshman Chelsea Fuemmeler notched her first collegiate win in the circle against the Skyhawks.

Tennessee 2, UIC 0


Lady Vols senior pitcher Monica Abbott tossed a one-hitter against the Flames Friday morning to guide the Orange and White to a 2-0 victory.

UIC's Marinacci picked up the team's lone hit in the top of the third. Lady Vol senior India Chiles was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with one run scored. Freshman Tiffany Huff and junior Tonya Callahan each tallied an RBI against the Flames.

Tennessee took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of third inning on a sacrifice fly by Callahan. Huff then doubled to right field in the fifth, sending Chiles home for a 2-0 advantage.

Abbott picks up the win in the circle allowing one hit, while fanning 18 batters. Sophomore Sarah Clynes moves to 2-5 on the season, totaling two strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

UIC 1, UT-Martin 0

Fuemmeler notched her first collegiate win in the circle for the Flames, totaling three strikeouts in seven innings versus UT-Martin.

Ackerman and Dixon were 2-for-3 at the plate, while Dixon picked up one run scored. Robinson totaled one hit and one RBI.

With two down in the bottom of the fifth inning, Dixon singled to right field. Robinson then doubled to left center for a 1-0 lead and the go ahead run.

The Flames face Austin Peay on Saturday, March 2 at 4:45 p.m. CST. UIC concludes UTC Frost Tournament play on Sunday when they battle Tennessee Tech at 11:15 a.m. and host UT-Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m.

Pappalardo, Fitzer And Economides Complete First Day Of NCAA Zone C Diving Championships -- Saturday, March 3 2007
Ann Arbor, Mich.- UIC seniors Mark Pappalardo, Ryan Fitzer and Sarah Economides concluded the first day of action at the 2007 NCAA Zone C Diving Championships at the University of Michigan's Canham Natatorium on Friday.

Fitzer was UIC's leading finisher, placing 23rd overall in preliminary action with a score of 242.20 in the men's one-meter competition.

Pappalardo finished 28th overall in the prelims after tallying a 235.30.

In the women's three-meter qualifying competition, Economides placed 41st overall with a 168.80.

UIC's Zone C diving trio returns to action on Saturday.