The Centenary softball team will kick off the 2011 season when it travels to Denton, Texas to take part in the Sleep Inn Classic hosted by North Texas. The Ladies will open the tournament on Friday against Tennessee Tech at 10 am, followed by Northwestern State at 5 pm and Nebraska at 10 am on Saturday. Centenary will close out the weekend with a 3 pm contest against host North Texas on Sunday afternoon.

Mark Lambert

LAMBERT TO LEAD
Mark Lambert begins his first season as the head coach of the Ladies softball program. Prior to his new role, Lambert served as an associate head coach under Mark Montgomery in 2010. His duties included assisting with on-field coaching, managing the Ladies' strength and conditioning program as well as serving as the recruiting coordinator. Lambert comes to Centenary directly from Captain Shreve High School in Shreveport, where he served as the head coach for six years. Lambert strengthened the program and guided his team to the playoffs in four of his six seasons as the head coach.

Laruen Highsmith

SENIOR DUO
Centenary rosters two seniors on this year's squad. RHP Lauren Highsmith and outfielder Bonnie Matak. Highsmith, a Houston, Texas native, returns as a fifth year senior after redshirting her freshman season due to an injury. The righty recorded a 1-4 record last season and a 7.20 ERA. In 45.2 IP, she struck out 33. Matak started all 44 games in the outfield, primarily in left and finished 2010 hitting .244. She had 10 RBI and 31 H in 127 AB. In 58 PO, Matak didn't commit an error for a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

The Centenary swimming teams are in the middle of The Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend. The Ladies and Gents are in Indianapolis until Saturday, in hopes of showcasing a strong finish to the final year in Summit League competition.

The men are looking to finish as strong as last year with at least a second-place finish without a diving team. Gents’ head coach Butch Jordan was named “Men’s Coach of the Year” a year ago. The women took fourth a year ago and look to improve on that mark.

The Centenary baseball team will open the 2011 season Saturday against Louisiana College, beginning at 1pm The Gents will play a double-header at Shehee Stadium. Game 1 is set for 7 innings, followed by a 9-inning Game 2.

The Gents (0-0) will meet future ASC opponent, Louisiana College on the diamond for the 68th time in the school's history. Centenary holds a 44-23 mark over the Wildcats all-time.

Mike Diaz

This season, Mike Diaz enters his first year as a head coach for the Centenary baseball team. The former assistant begins his seventh year with the Gents, but the first as the leader of the squad. While at Centenary, Diaz has helped guide the Gents to a 171-155 record, garnering multiple 30-win seasons. He has also helped coach Centenary to six straight conference tournament appearances, while finishing runner up twice. As the recruiting coordinator, Diaz was fortunate to bring in and work with four All-Americans, 25 All-Conference players, including the 2010 Summit League Pitcher of the Year in Boone Whiting, and several All-Louisiana Sports Writers Association selections. Also under his direction, eight players have signed professional contracts, two of which came last season.

Justin Kraft and Derek Dalzell are the only two seniors on Centenary's roster this season. Both have played a huge role in the Gents' success over the last three years. Kraft, a right-hander pitcher is from Yakima, Wash. and Dalzell, a two-way guy is a three-year letter-winner from Bay City, Mich.

Centenary's other returners include junior catcher Jeff Schaffert, junior RHP Seth Lugo and sophomores Cole Thompson and Matt Creamer. Along with Kraft and Dalzell, all six made a contribution on the field a year ago.

This season, Centenary welcomes 21 newcomers to the squad, including 16 freshmen. Hailing from California, Texas and Louisiana, the 16 young guns will have to play an integral role on this year's squad. Five transfers will see action this season in juniors Dan Lazarou, Zach Christ and Kyle Morton as well as sophomores Kyle Mauch and Kelby Langston. The five will immediately become role players in the outfield, infield and on the mound this season.

READ last season’s recap and opponent preview & rArr;

The Centenary women's basketball team is gearing up for its "Think Pink" game against Summit League travel partner, Oral Roberts. Tip-off is scheduled for 2pm Saturday in the Gold Dome, for the Ladies only game of the weekend.

Along with numerous other schools and companies, Centenary and the women's basketball team is teaming up with WBCA and supporting "Think Pink" week on Saturday. The WBCA Pink Zone initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The window set aside for this year's initiative is February 11-20. The WBCA's charity of choice is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

All fans are admitted free of charge. Wear Pink and support YOUR Ladies!

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The Centenary men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to host the final week of play for the 2010-11 season next week. The Gents host Western Illinois on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 pm in the Gold Dome.

Both the Ladies and Gents will meet IUPUI on Saturday, Feb. 26. Ladies tip-off at 2 pm, followed by the Gents at 4:30 pm.

The women will wrap up their season with Western Illinois on Monday, Feb. 28 at 7 pm. Come out and support YOUR Ladies and Gents as they wind down the season.

The Chard Gonzalez Dance Theatre will perform their latest work, The Divine Feminine, Friday, tonight at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse beginning at 7:30pm Ticket prices are $15 for general admission or $12 for students and seniors, and will be available at the door.

The Divine Feminine was created from an inspirational reading of Portuguese playwright Armando Nacimento Rosa's "Mary of Magdala: A Gnostic Fable." Chard’s cast of amazing performers takes the audience on a ride through conflict and mayhem due to the seduction of a goddess, the wrath of a bitter queen, the marvel of a heroine plus other divine women and their boy-toys.

In conjunction with the performance, Gonzalez will also lead a dance theatre workshop at Centenary, Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10:30am until noon. The workshop is free and open to the public.

For more information on the performances or workshops, contact Sarah David, associate director, at 504.615.3093.

Constance Carroll

The Greater Shreveport Music Teachers Association will present pianist Constance Carroll in concert Friday, Feb. 25 at 7:30pm The concert will be held in the Anderson Auditorium of the Hurley School of Music at Centenary College and is free and open to the public.

During the concert, Carroll will perform selected works by Soler, Schubert, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and Scriabin.

Carroll has received acclaim for her performances as a recitalist, a chamber musician, and as an orchestral soloist. She has been featured artist at many state conventions of the Music Teachers Association throughout the country, as well as presenting lecture-recitals at national MTNA conventions in Houston and Kansas City.

For more information, contact the Hurley School of Music at 318.869.5235.

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Escaped Images, the dance ensemble of the Theatre and Dance department will present the original ballet Excavating Self, February 25 and 26 at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse beginning at 7pm

Tickets go on sale Saturday, Feb. 12 at the playhouse box office, and cost $15 for adults; $12 for military and seniors; $10 for students; and free for Centenary students, staff and faculty members.

This "modern ballet" tells the story of the women of the company and their struggle to find what they're looking for in the contemporary society they find themselves living in today. The narrative was written by artistic director Renee Cheveallier and members of the dance company.

Written and choreographed by the dance company, this ballet will be preformed to music composed by Centenary College senior, Costas Dafnis. It will mark the first time Escaped Images has taken on this type of performance.

For more information on Excavating Self, please call 318.869.5242.