By MONTE DUTTON

Here’s where Presbyterian College basketball stands.

Quinton Ferrell remains the men’s basketball coach, coming off the best of his five seasons. Though finishing with a 14-19 record, the Blue Hose played in the Ro College Basketball Invitational in Daytona Beach, Fla., falling to Montana.

The nucleus of a competitive Big South team returns … if it returns. A postseason berth was likely an incentive. Holding teams together has been a struggle in past seasons. Eligible to return are Marquis Barnett, Samage Teel, Kory Mincy, redshirt Houston Jones, Jamahri Harvey, Qadir Pettaway and Jonah Pierce, among others.

Not a bad foundation. Hang on, Quinton.

The new question is what becomes of women’s players such as Tilda Sjokvist, Mara Neira, Paige Kindseth, Ashley Carrillo, Aubrey Kierscht, Natalie Herrin and Dennaye Hinds.

Here’s hoping a new coach is hired before that is determined.

The new women’s basketball coach at Appalachian State was heretofore Presbyterian College’s coach, Alaura Sharp.

It could hardly be considered a surprise. Sharp gradually elevated the program under her watch.

“We feel so lucky to have worked with such an amazing coach,” stated Presbyterian College Director of Athletics Dee Nichols. “We are so proud of what she brought to this program and to our community. We wish Alaura the best in her next venture.”

The move is not without precedent.

In 2019, Dustin Kerns left PC – after its most recent winning men’s season – to become head coach at the Boone, N.C., institution of higher learning.

In her six seasons at the Blue Hose helm, Sharp compiled a 27-47 record, but her final team surprisingly won the Big South tournament and earned a First Four NCAA slot. PC ended Sacred Heart’s 15-game winning streak with a 49-42 victory in Columbia, where two days later the Blue Hose fell to the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, 91-39.

Sharp’s final season at PC ended with a 21-15 record. Kerns’ latter season with the Blue Hose achieved a 20-16 mark. He is 91-67 in five seasons with the Mountaineers. The past season’s 27-7 record ended with an NIT first-round loss.

Presbyterian announced the obligatory “nationwide search” for Sharp’s replacement. Starting over becomes more complicated in the age of the transfer protocol.

Meanwhile, the Blue Hose were playing ball with flare on campus.

Daniel Eagan limited Radford to three hits over seven inning and sent 14 Highlanders down swinging in PC’s 4-2 baseball in the first of three games at Elton Pollock Field on Friday.

The hard-throwing junior from Fuquay-Varina, N.C., limited Radford (9-18, 2-5 Big South) to one earned run, facing 27 batters and walking just three. Sean Hollister came on to pitch two perfect innings – with two strikeouts – to earn his first save.

Center fielder Joel Dragoo picked up his usual two hits, driving in a run with his 10^th double.

Catcher Drew Biggerstaff doubled for the Highlanders, whose other hits were singles by Zack Whitacre and Jhonkeanu Perez.

Noah Lebron also doubled for Presbyterian (14-16, 5-2) and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

Scott Rouse (L, 1-2) went six frames on the hill for Radford, yielding three earned runs, walking two, fanning nine and allowing all five PC hits. Ben Keefe walked the only batter he faced, and Drew Stanley finished up, giving up a run but notT a hit.

The Blue Hose never trailed, but the game was tied 1-1 and 2-2.

Presbyterian and Radford are to tangle again on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 2.

Take a look at the box here.

First baseman Kendall Owens went 3/4 with a double as Presbyterian (14-24, 4-3) fended off Charleston Southern (16-18, 3-4) in the first of three Big South softball tussles on Friday.

The series concludes with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m.

Owens, a junior from Purcellville, Va., helped the Blue Hose overcome a three-run deficit with two runs in the sixth inning and the game-winner, error aided, in the seventh.

Third baseman Kelby Goodrum doubled twice and drove in two runs. Logan Grice, the PC catcher, also doubled and drove in a run.

Jenna Greene went 5-1/3 innins, yielding all four Radford hits, three runs and five walks. She struck out six. Kasey Wolfe (W, 4-8) stopped the Highlanders cold in 1-2/3 innings of relief.

Nealy Lamb (8-6) took the loss in relief of Annah Junge, who left the game leading 3-1.

Carston Sandvig and Harper Schoeneweis doubled for the Highlanders.

Bailey Memorial Stadium is the site of Saturday’s noon meeting of Presbyterian and Furman in lacrosse.

PC (1-9, 0-2 Big South) takes on a Paladins squad that has won three of its past four. Furman (4-7, 2-0) won last season, 16-11. The Paladins have won all six previous meetings.

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