University of Memphis Athletics
Thirty-Nine Tigers to Graduate on Saturday
May 01, 2008 | General
May 1, 2008
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The University of Memphis athletic department will graduate 39 Tigers in ceremonies scheduled for Saturday at FedExForum at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The Tiger football team will have 11 graduates on Saturday, followed by five members of the women's track and field team. Baseball and women's soccer will each have four graduates, while men's track and men's golf will have three.
The complete list of expected graduates is below:
Maurice Avery, Football - Four-year letterwinner for the Tigers from 2002-05...Finished UM career tied for sixth in pass receptions with 97, and seventh in receiving yards with 1,373...Named second-team All-C-USA in 2003...Invited to the Hula Bowl following his senior season...Atlanta, Ga./McNair HS.
Cameron Barber, Women's Golf - Four-year letter winner for the Lady Tigers. She posted a two top 25 finishes during her career, both during her senior year. Her best finish was a tie for 20th at the America's Choice Mortgage Lady Jaguar Invitational in 2006. Although she missed time during her junior and senior years due to neck and shoulder injuries, Barber contributed to the Conference Championship title the Lady Tigers captured during her senior year. She was named an Academic All-American in 2007 and also served on the Tiger athletic training staff ... Highlands Ranch, Colo./Highlands Ranch High School.
Caroline Barrett, Women's Soccer - Four-year letterwinner for the Lady Tigers soccer team since 2004. In her senior campaign led her team to a Co-C-USA Regular Season crown and a C-USA Championship title. A member of the 2007 squad that made history advancing to the NCAA Tournament, for the sports first time since its inception. Barrett started every match in her senior campaign and played every single minute of the NCAA Tournament match. As a defender she recorded two goals, five assists and one gamewinner in 2007, including being named to the C-USA All-Tournament team. She finished her Memphis career with eight goals, seven assists and two game-winners. Augusta, Ga./Aquinas HS.
Jared Britcher, Men's Soccer -- Four-year letter winner for the Tigers. He scored 16 goals and 13 assists in 54 career games. He was second on the team in goals and assists as a senior. He had three game-winning goals in his career. He made the All-Conference USA Second Team as a senior. He was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team as a junior and a senior. He was twice selected as an ESPN/Cosida Academic All-American (2005 and 2007). He was a member of the 2004 Conference Championship team ... Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut High School.
Antonio Burks, Men's Basketball -- A three-year letterwinner, Burks was the 2003-04 Conference USA Player of the Year and helped lead the Tigers to the Conference USA regular season title that same season. The 6-foot guard also was an Associated Press honorable mention All-America and All-Conference USA first team pick in 2004. A 2004 Bob Cousy Award finalist, Burks finished his career with 1,028 points, 487 assists and 177 steals. The Memphis, Tenn., native is one of four players in Tiger hoops history to record 1,000 poimts, 450 assists and 175 assists in a career. His 41.3 three-point percentage as a senior is the fourth-best mark for a single season in school history. Burks was a member of Tiger teams from 2002-04 that had a combined record of 72-24 and made three postseason appearances (2003, 2004 NCAA; 2002 NIT). Burks' 2002 Tiger squad won the NIT championship. Following his collegiate career, he was a 2004 NBA second round draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies. Burks played two seasons for the Grizzlies from 2005-07, and has continued to play professional basketball overseas. Burks earned his bachelor's degree in University College. Memphis, Tenn./Booker T. Washington HS.
Shelby Burton, Volleyball - One of the best players ever to wear a Memphis volleyball uniform, Shelby Burton will graduate with a degree in communications. Burton is the only Tiger volleyball player to earn first team American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region honors in consecutive seasons, as she was noted as an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America performer in both 2006 and 2007. The San Antonio, native, had a record-setting career at Memphis, providing the program with several accomplishments that had never before been attained. She was the first Tiger volleyball player to tabbed a First Team All-C-USA performer in consecutive seasons (2006-07). The 20th player to reach the 1,000-kill milestone, Burton also set historical marks by becoming the first Memphis volleyball player ever to lead her team in hitting all four years of her career. She entered the season as the program's all-time hitting percentage leader by just one point, and capped her career as the all-time leader with a .369 career attack percentage. Burton is tied for sixth on Memphis' all-time kills ledger with 1,389 kills. Her 397 block assists ranks second all-time at Memphis, while her 484 total rejections are third-most by a Tiger volleyball player. The 6-2 middle blocker ripped opposing defenses for 449 kills (3.51 kpg) in her final collegiate campaign and hit .383--good for first in C-USA and 18th in the country among players that averaged at least four attacks per game. Burton led Memphis, C-USA and finished 58th in the country with 1.34 blocks per game. She also served up a team-high 39 aces. A First Team All-C-USA selection, Burton anchored the Memphis defense with a team-high 171 blocks. San Antonio, Texas/Holmes HS.
Dawn-Marie Conaty, Women's Golf - Three-year letter winner for the Lady Tigers after transferring from North Carolina State prior to the 2006 season. Recorded eight top 20 finishes in her career, five at the U of M. Best finish was a tie for second at the Patsy Rendleman Invitational in 2004. Best Finish as a Lady Tiger was a tie for second at the America's Choice Mortgage Lady Jaguar Invitational in 2006. As a junior, she finished 16th at the Conference USA Championships and helped the Lady Tigers win the championship and earn a spot in the NCAA West Regional. She was named Third Team All-Conference USA in 2007 ... Dublin, Ireland/North Carolina State.
Mary-Claire Dake, Women's Track and Field - Four-year letterwinner for the women's cross country and track and field teams. She was a steady number two runner for the Lady Tigers in her senior campaign as she was the second Lady Tiger to cross the line at Conference USA Championships. By the end of her senior year she had dropped her personal-best time by over two minutes. Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut HS.
Michael Denning, Football - Lettered in 2007 on the Tiger offensive line...Played in all 13 games...Helped pave the way for an offensive line that led Conference USA and was ranked 10th nationally in sack denial...Missed the 2006 season with injuries...Will complete his senior year of eligibility in 2008...Will earn a degree in business...Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS/Northwest Miss. CC.
Joe Doss, Football - Played in 47 career games as a Tiger and made 29 starts...Ended his career ranked fourth all-time in career rushing yards at with 2,339 yards...Only fumbled the ball twice in his career on 537 carries, both of which were against Southern Miss in 2004 and 2005...Voted one of the team captains for the 2007 season..Started all 12 games played in 2007...Only the sixth Tiger in school history to amass 2,000 career yards rushing...Led the team in rushing with 806 yards on 174 attempts...Fifth on the team in scoring among non-kickers with 30 points off five rushing touchdowns...Second on the team in all-purpose yards with 951...Averaged 79.2 all-purpose yards per game and 14.5 rushes for 67.2 yards...Has five career 100-yard rush games (two in 2007)...The five 100-yard games ties for sixth in school history...Worked an internship in the M Club office during the spring...Is receiving his degree in business...Memphis, Tenn./Melrose HS
Chen Edri, Women's Track and Field - Four-year letterwinner for the women's track and field team. Edri is a three-time NCAA Mid East Regional qualifier. In her freshman year she earned C-USA Outdoor Female Freshman of the Year honors, broke the school record in both the high jump and javelin, while qualifying in both events for the regionals. Sophomore year she qualified in the javelin for NCAA regionals for the second straight year and improved her school record in the event. Junior year she qualified for NCAA regionals in the high jump and placed eighth. Both her records in the outdoor high jump and javelin still stand. Nazaret Ellit, Israel/Moshe Sharet HS.
Glenwood Edwards, Men's Track and Field -- Is a two-year letterwinner for the U of M track and field team from 2006-08. Transferred from Barton CC and made an immediate impact, winning the Conference USA Men's Indoor Shot Put title his first season. Edwards successfully defended his title in 2008 becoming a repeat champion. He qualified for NCAA Mid East Regionals in the shot put in 2007 posting a season-best 17.10 meters. Edwards recorded 13 top-five finishes, including four first place marks in his first year as a Tiger. He has already this spring season thrown a personal-best in the shot put and is No. 1 in the conference in the event. Baltimore, Md./Barton CC.
Benedikt Fischer, Men's Tennis - Will have one season of eligibility remaining after this year...Graduating with a degree in International Business and is applying to the University of Memphis graduate school for business...Is a two-year letterwinner at Memphis...Sports a 27-31 singles mark, including a 20-18 mark in dual season play and a 28-23 mark in doubles...Conference USA All-Academic Team honoree in both 2007 and 2008...Dusseldorf, Germany/Landrat-Lucas-Gymnasium...Tyler JC.
Jamarcus Gaither, Football - Played in four games in 2007 before suffering a knee injury against Marshall that sidelined him the remainder of the year...Played in 27 career games and scored four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) for the Tigers...Scored two rushing TDs in 2006 against Chattanooga...Scored on runs of three and 13 yards...Forced a fumble on special teams against Marshall in 2006 that resulted in the Tigers getting the ball back...Completed his career with 43 carries for 136 yards and three scores...Is receiving his degree in education...Memphis, Tenn./Frayser HS.
Jessica Hall, Women's Basketball - Led the Lady Tiger basketball team in scoring with 13.0 ppg after missing two full seasons due to injuries...Was a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award...Scored double-digit points in 13 of Memphis' last 15 games and scored 20 or more points five different times...Was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Lady Tiger Thanksgiving classic....Has 496 career points following just two seasons of play and already ranks eighth all-time in career three-point field goals made with 65...Graduating with a degree in Exercise and Sport Science...Would have eligibility remaining if she decided to return for another season or possibly two if granted a sixth-year due to back-to-back seasons with medical hardships....Tallahassee, Fla./FAMU HS.
Cassandra Harding, Women's Track and Field - Four-year letterwinner for the women's track and field team. While specializing in the long and triple jump at the U of M, Harding in her first year as a Lady Tiger, placed eighth in the triple jump at Conference USA Indoors and fifth at C-USA Outdoors in the triple jump. She recorded 13 top-ten finishes in her first three years of competition. Kileen, Texas/Ellison HS.
Larry Harris, Men's Track and Field -- Was a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers from 2003-07, while qualifying for the NCAA Regionals twice. Finished seventh in the 110 hurdles at C-USA Outdoor Championships and second in the 400-meter hurdles in his senior year to help the men's team win the conference title. He posted a personal best 52.37 in the 400-meter hurdles and 14.33 in the 110 hurdles. He is completing his degree in interdisciplinary studies...Memphis, Tenn./Cordova HS.
Jake Kasser, Football - Named to the 2007 Coaches and Media All-Conference USA teams in 2007...Named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following the UAB game after totaling a career-high 13 tackles in the win over the Blazers...Received one of the Top Tiger Awards at the team's post-season banquet...Selected as one of the five permanent captains as voted on by his teammates...Was an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first-team pick...Also selected to the C-USA All-Academic Football team...Played 48 career games for the Tigers...Led Memphis with 100 tackles last season and finished his career with 182 total tackles...Also tallied eight TFL for minus46 yards, one forced fumble and five fumble recoveries...Was a semifinalist for the Draddy Trophy, which is considered the "Academic Heisman"...Is earning his degree in business...Germantown, Tenn./Germantown HS.
Lindsay Kelso, Softball - A transfer from Phoenix College, Lindsay Kelso served as one of this year's co-captains on the softball team. She made over 100 starts for the Tigers primarily at catcher and center field. During her two-years with the U of M, Kelso has compiled 11 home runs, 18 doubles, 45 RBI and 52 runs scored. Her seven home runs and 10 doubles this season rank second on the team. After splitting catching duties her junior season, Kelso moved to center field at the beginning of the year to fill a void for the Tigers. Having never played outfield before, the Phoenix, Arizona, native made the adjustment and has thrown out four base runners from the position. A 2007 Conference USA All-Academic team selection, Kelso will graduate with a bachelor's degree in accounting and will continue to stay at Memphis working toward a master's degree in the same field. She will also help out in the Athletic Academic Services office. She was also shared the Female Scholar Athlete award with women's track team member Chen Edri for having the highest GPA among the female student-athletes in the athletic department. Phoenix, Ariz./Greenway HS/Phoenix College.
Susan King, Women's Track and Field - Two-year letterwinner for the women's track and field team. King earned 2008 All-American honors for her fourth place finish in the shot put at NCAA Indoor Championships. She was ranked No.1 in the nation in the shot put for indoor season. In her final indoor season she won the 2008 Conference USA Indoor Shot Put title. King is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation in the outdoor shot after posting a career best mark 17.53m (57-06.25). King owns the school indoor shot put, outdoor shot put and discus records. League City, Texas/Clear Creek HS/Barton County CC.
Chris Kirkland, Baseball - Kirkland is a two-year letterwinner on the baseball diamond for Head Coach Daron Schoenrock. He came to Memphis after spending his freshman year at the University of Alabama and his sophomore campaign at Chipola Junior College. Over his two years in the Blue and Gray, Chris has been the Tigers starting catcher, playing in 84 games and making 71 starts. He started in 41 games in 2007 and hit .275, with 25 RBI and four home runs as he helped Memphis to its first NCAA Regional appearance in 13 years. Kirkland is a career .248 hitter and has knocked in 35 runs to go with his 10 doubles and four round-trippers. The highlight of his career came on March 18, 2007 when he went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, three RBI and two home runs in a 12-6 win over Akron. Kirkland will graduate with a degree in management. Knoxville, Tenn./South-Doyle High School/Chipola JC.
Taz Knockum, Football - Lettered four seasons for the Tigers...Saw action in 39 career games, with three career starts...Registered four receptions for 72 yards and one touchdown in 2007...Caught a touchdown pass against East Carolina...Averaged 18 yards per catch and had a season and career-high 48-yard reception against UCF...Finished his career with 10 receptions for 115 yards and one score...Also totaled two carries for 18 yards and one kick return for 14 yards during his career...Will receive his degree through the University College program...Baton Rouge, La./Catholic HS.
Ashley Liford, Volleyball - Ashley Liford finished her illustrious volleyball career third all-time at Memphis and top-16 in C-USA with 1566 kills. The San Antonio, native, became the 17th Tiger volleyball player to ever eclipse the 1,000 kill plateau and is just the second Tiger to ever record over 4,000 attempts. Liford had a standout senior campaign, leading Memphis and finishing seventh in C-USA with 504 kills in 2007--ninth on Memphis's single-season ledger. Her 3.94 kills per game ranked eighth among C-USA players and garnered her 2007 Second Team All C-USA honors. She ranked fourth in C-USA in 2007 with 18 double-doubles and was 10th in the league with 4.39 points per game. The 2007 Team captain became the fourth Tiger volleyball player to reach the 30 kills when she slammed 30 versus UCF in the C-USA Tournament on November 15, 2007. She also hauled in 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV Third Team accolades, along with earning a pair of C-USA All-Academic awards in 2006 and 2007. Liford recorded over 300 kills in all four seasons and combined 1,000 kills with 1,000 digs in her career. She was a Tiger Invitational All-Tournament selection in 2007 and Memphis Invitational All-Tournament selection in 2006. She also was named to the O'Charley's Tiger Invitational All-tournament as a sophomore in 2005. She and fellow senior Shelby Burton wrapped up their careers with 93 victories--the most wins over a four-year period since Memphis won 101 matches from 1987-1990. Liford will graduate with a degree in marketing management. San Antonio, Texas/James Madison.
Joseph Mack, Football - Transferred to Memphis and only had one season of eligibility with the Tigers...Handled kickoffs in the first four games of 2007...Made 17 kickoff for an average of 50.5 yards...Came in during the New Orleans Bowl when Matt Reagan was injured and hit field goals of 38 yards and 35 yards...Also had four kickoffs for an average of 50.2 yards in the contest...Is receiving his degree through the University College program...Duluth, Ga./Duluth HS/Southern Utah .
Meghan Mahoney, Women's Golf - Four-year letter winner for the Lady Tigers. She was riddled with injuries during her career and took a medical redshirt to recover from a back injury during the 2005-2006 campaign. She posted three top 20 finishes in her career, her best finish was a tie for 10th at the Pat Bradley Invitational in 2004. In 2007, she tied for 29th at the Conference USA Championships and helped her team capture the C-USA Championship title and an automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional ... Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket High School.
Antonio McCoy, Football - Missed the 2007 season after suffering a devastating knee injury against Southern Miss in 2006...Had surgery to repair the damage and has been working on his rehabilitation and has been hopeful for a return to the field...Opened the 2006 season with his first career touchdown against Ole Miss...Made five catches for 34 yards and a score against East Carolina...Entered the starting lineup for the first time against Tulsa...Registered a four-yard reception against the Golden Hurricane...Totaled two kickoff returns of 20 yards and 16 yards versus Southern Miss before leaving the game with an injury...Dislocated his knee on the 16-yard return that ended the first quarter...Had knee surgery on November 16, and was unable to participate in spring practice...Ended the season with 11 receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns in seven games played...Has been working an internship this spring in the video department...Will receive his degree in education...Starkville, Miss./Starkville HS.
Quinton McCrary, Football - Played in seven games in 2007 before leaving the team...Totaled 41 tackles, a sack and six fumble recoveries as a senior...His six fumble recoveries set a single-season school record...Played in 44 career games and logged 211 total tackles as a Tiger...Registered 15 career TFL for minus 73 yards...Finished his career with three forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and six pass breakups...Is receiving his degree in education...Columbus, Miss./Columbus HS.
Corey Mills, Football - A defensive lineman who is completing his senior year of eligibility in 2008...Played in all but one game as a junior and started at end against Marshall...Had a season-high five tackles against SMU in the regular-season finale...Registered his first career interception against UAB at the Memphis 34-yard line and made a nine-yard return...Ended the season with 23 tackles, including one sack...Also recorded a fumble recovery against Arkansas State...Transferred to Memphis from Ole Miss in 2005 and has played in 23 career games...Totaled 10 starts in the defensive line in 2006...Finished his sophomore season with 29 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles...Is earning his degree in business...Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers HS/Ole Miss.
Gaylon Muhammad, Women's Track and Field - Four-year letterwinner for the women's track and field team since 2005. Accumulated 14 top-five finishes in her first three years. She helped lead her team to a third place finish at Conference USA Indoor Championships, their highest showing ever. Little Rock, Ark./Oak Grove HS.
Amrit Narasimhan, Men's Tennis - A second-team, all-Conference USA honoree in 2007, Narasimhan wraps up a two-year Tiger career with a 30-32 singles record, mostly at No. 1 singles, and a 31-28 mark in doubles, also mostly at No. 1..Won the 2007 Southern Intercollegiate Classic doubles title with Charlie Ramsay in the fall and opened the spring schedule the No. 98 ranked singles player in the country...Is going to spend the next year playing professional tennis before possibly entering law school and becoming a sports agent...Graduating with a degree in Sports Management...Richmond, Texas/William P. Clements HS/Tyler JC.
Chris Newsom, Baseball -- Chris Newsom joins Neil Schenk as one of two graduating student-athletes on the baseball teams that have spent their entire career at the University of Memphis. However, Newsom will complete his undergraduate degree requirements before concluding his eligibility on the diamond. A graduate of Germantown High School, Newsom came to Memphis in the fall of 2004 and served as the Tigers starting rightfielder in the 2005 season. He started in 35 of the 40 games he played in that season and batted .226 batting with 28 hits, 23 runs, four doubles, six stolen bases and a home run. He hit his lone round-tripper versus Austin Peay on March 30, 2005. Since his freshman campaign, Newsom has seen limited action as a reserve outfielder for the Tigers, making 12 starts in 57 games. The Tigers outfielder hit just .219 as a sophomore in 2006 before redshirting the 2007 season. As junior, Newsom has made nine starts in a limited role. For his career, Newsom is a .212 hitter with 11 RBI, nine stolen bases, six doubles and a home run. Newsom will receive a degree in international business and plans to enroll into graduate school at the University of Memphis. Germantown, Tenn./Germantown HS.
Amaechi Oselukwue, Men's Track and Field - Four-year letterwinner for the men's track and field team since 2004. In 2007, won the men's 110-meter hurdles at Conference USA Outdoors qualifying for the NCAA Mid East Regionals. For the past three years, Oselukwue has scored his events at both indoor and outdoor conference. Was the runner-up at the 2008 C-USA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles, after finishing third the previous year. Memphis, Tenn./Kirby HS.
Brandon Pearce, Football - Will complete his eligibility as a member of the Tiger offensive line in 2008...Started all 13 games in 2007 at right tackle...Played in 96-percent of the team's offensive snaps as a junior...Part of an offensive line that led Conference USA and ranked 10th nationally in sack denial...Also paved the way for a Tiger offense that finished the season ranked 13th nationally in passing offense and 23rd nationally in total offense...Played every snap in a Memphis and C-USA record 108 plays in the triple overtime win over SMU...Was a second-team selection on the ESPN The Magazine District IV all-academic team...Is earning his degree in business...Memphis, Tenn./Christian Brothers HS.
Kyle Ritchie, Men's Golf - Two-year letter winner for the Tigers after transferring from Tulane prior to 2006-2007. He recorded six top 20 finishes in his career, and three since transferring to Memphis. His best career finish came at the Memphis Intercollegiate in 2005 while at Tulane. His best finish as a Tiger came at the Louisiana Classics in 2007 when he tied for 11th. As a senior, he competed in five tournaments during the spring season and tied for 35 at the Conference Championships helping the Tigers to a third place finish ... Corning, Iowa/Tulane
Neil Schenk, Baseball -- Neil Schenk is the second four-year Tiger baseball player that will receive his degree. The 6-5 left-hander will earn his degree in Spanish. Schenk has taken on several roles on the Tigers pitching staff in his four-year career. He came to Memphis as a starting pitcher after an all-star high school career at Briarcrest High School. Injuries forced Neil into a starting role as a freshman and responded by striking out 36 batters in 12 starts--one of which was a complete-game victory over East Carolina on April 23, 2005. He has since moved into the Memphis bullpen where he has thrived in the middle to late innings. He has been the Tigers' top late relief options over the last two seasons. Of his 129 career strikeouts, Schenk has recorded 93 of them in the last two-plus seasons, including tying his personal-best with 36 as a senior. He is 5-5 as a reliever and has won seven games in 48 outings in his collegiate career. Schenk is experiencing the best season of his four-year college career in his final campaign. He leads the Memphis pitching staff with a 2.41 ERA. As Head Coach Daron Schoenrock's top middle-relief option, Schenk has been brought on to pitch in a staff-high 16 games and has held opponents to a staff low .215 batting average. Neil has logged two saves in his career, both in 2008, and he is averaging over nine strikeouts per nine innings pitched. In his career he has pitched in 61 games and made 17 starts. He has logged a 6.50 ERA in 166.1 innings of work as a Tiger. A scholar in the classroom, Neil was named the 2008 University of Memphis Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest HS.
Elaine Sedgewick, Women's Soccer - Three-year letterwinner for the U of M women's soccer team. A member of the 2007 squad that made history advancing to the NCAA Tournament, for the sports first time since its inception and winning the Conference USA Championship. As a defender for the Lady Tigers, scored four goals and had two assists in her career. Durham, England/Durham HS.
Harumi Someya, Women's Soccer - Two-year letterwinner for the women's soccer team. In her senior campaign was the third leading scorer for the Lady Tigers, scoring seven goals, four assists and two gamewinners. She helped lead her squad to a 2007 Conference USA Championship and NCAA appearance. Someya appeared in all 22 matches for the U of M and finished her U of M career with eight goals and six assists. Someya, Japan/Martin Methodist.
Halley Jo Sullivan, Women's Soccer - Four-year letterwinner for the U of M women's soccer team since 2004. In her final season she helped lead her team to a Co-C-USA Regular Season crown and a C-USA Championship title. A member of the 2007 squad that made history advancing to the NCAA Tournament, for the sports first time since its inception. Sullivan started every match in her senior campaign and played every single minute of the NCAA Tournament match. She finished her Lady Tiger career with two goals, one assist and one game-winner. Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS.
Philip Utley, Baseball -- Known to his peers as the "Chief", Philip Utley came to Memphis after a stellar career in the junior college ranks at Walters State Community College. Utley quickly showed his value to the U of M pitching staff in 2006, starting out as the team's closer before working into the weekend rotation. He finished his junior season 4-5 with a 6.30 ERA in 20 outings. He tied Scott McGregor for the staff lead of 50 strikeouts. Utley is the last Tiger pitcher to strikeout 10 batters in a game, as he fanned a career-high 10 in a 10-4 win over UCF on May 13, 2006. He picked up saves against Alabama and Nicholls State before being moved into a starting role. The 6-3 Utley was awarded a medical redshirt in 2007 after an early-season injury limited his season to just two outings. Utley is 5-7 and has logged a 5.48 ERA in 105.1 innings of work in his career at Memphis. He has also struck out 69 batters in 31 appearances. Jackson, Tenn./Jackson Central-Merry/Walter State Community College.
Players Mentioned
