House Resolution 26

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY BRAVES BASEBALL TEAM AND HEAD COACH BARRET REY FOR ALCORN'S FIRST EVER BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE AND FOR THEIR EXCELLENT 2011 REGULAR SEASON AND FIRST NCAA REGIONAL APPEARANCE.

WHEREAS, the Alcorn State University Braves Baseball Team, led by Coach Barret Rey and Most Valuable Player Kilby Perdomo, achieved a dominating 12-6 victory over the Southern University Jaguars on Sunday, May 22, 2011, in the 2011 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Baseball Tournament in Fair Park Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana; and

WHEREAS, the 2011 SWAC Baseball Tournament was Alcorn's first conference baseball championship and first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Baseball Regional appearance in the history of the university's baseball program, dating back to the institution's first team in 1882; and

WHEREAS, Alcorn's baseball team finished the 2011 season with an overall record of 27-26 and with a SWAC record of 19-4; and

WHEREAS, outfielder Kilby Perdomo put Alcorn on the board in the first inning, hitting his third home run in four games to give Alcorn a 1-0 lead before the Jaguars even had a chance to bat; and

WHEREAS, Alcorn carded two four-run innings in the fourth and sixth innings, and then added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth to keep the Jaguars at an arm's length all day; and

WHEREAS, Kenny Rowan's two-run homer in the sixth gave the Braves a 7-2 lead before adding two more runs in the inning to extend it to 9-2; and

WHEREAS, Southern was able to chase Alcorn starter Brent Blaum in the sixth inning as McGriff added another RBI, and the Jaguars scored three times; and

WHEREAS, Rowan knocked in another run with a double in the ninth to highlight a three-run rally in the final two innings that allowed the Braves to finish the game on cruise control for their first SWAC title; and

WHEREAS, Alcorn pitcher Steve Easter worked 3.2 innings of solid relief giving up just one unearned run to earn the save, and Blaum earned the tournament victory with Alcorn scoring 49 runs in the tournament, going 4-0 to earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament; and

WHEREAS, second-year Alcorn coach, Barret Rey, could not have been more proud of his team after the SWAC Championship game, as the team accomplished their goal of making it to the NCAA Tournament; and

WHEREAS, the SWAC Champion Alcorn Braves went on the road to face 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champions, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Saturday, May 28, 2011, at Bethune-Point Park in Daytona Beach, Florida, in an unscheduled doubleheader battle for the title of 2011 Black College Baseball National Champions; and

WHEREAS, the Braves split the doubleheader, losing to Bethune-Cookman with a score of 1-3 in the first game and taking the second game 4-3 as Alcorn's Ryan Fuentes was the winning pitcher; and

WHEREAS, in the final BlackCollegeBaseball.com poll, the Braves claimed the #2 ranking in the nation and they drew a spot in the NCAA Baseball Tournament Houston Regional where they were matched with the Rice University Owls, Baylor University and the University of California; and

WHEREAS, as hosts of the Houston Regional at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas, Rice proved that it was one of the top offensive teams in the country in the regional opener, and Alcorn's season ended on June 4, 2011, as the Braves fell in a monumental matchup against California in the consolation bracket of the Houston Regional in the NCAA Baseball Tournament; and

WHEREAS, the 2011 Braves roster was comprised of: Brandon Hollins, Kilby Perdomo, Antolin Morales, Alvin Jackson, Angel Rosa, Troy Williams, Ryant Piper, Chris Garza, Ryan Akins, Kenny Rowan, Cole Vicars, Mundo Sanchez, Justin Barney, Darryl Parks, Harrison Gary, Edgardo Salas, Jann Butler, Joshua Powell, Gabriel LeBron, Joseph Camp, Ryan Fuentes, Jordan Boston, Eduardo Gonzalez, Karlos Ferbos, Terence Stubbs, Steve Easter, Jonathan Dorsey, Cedric Pomerlee, Stephen Loupe, Harry Ferguson, Brent Blaum, Rodney Warren, Darien Hardaway and Assistant Coaches David Gomez and Kevin Vital; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend excellence, such as the athletic abilities displayed by the Braves Baseball Team, and it is with great pride that we recognize this group of student athletes, their parents and coaches, who have brought honor to their university, their community and to their state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Alcorn State University Braves Baseball Team and Head Coach Barret Rey for their impressive victory against the Southern University Jaguars in the 2011 SWAC Baseball Tournament Championship Game on May 22, 2011, and for their outstanding 2011 regular season, and extend best wishes to the team, coaches and administration on this most auspicious occasion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Alcorn State University Braves Baseball Team, Coach Barret Rey, President N. Christopher Brown, II, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.