Sports sponsorship: The University of South Dakota will drop its baseball program as part of a three-year, $1.26 million plan to strengthen women's sports. The plan includes adding 19 scholarships for women, increasing the size of the women's coaching staff, upgrading lockers and facilities, and increasing the recruiting budget for women's sports. The university also plans to cap rosters in men's sports and grow roster sizes in women's sports over a three-year period. Estimates are that discontinuing baseball will save the university about $100,000 annually. Two and one-half scholarships will be shifted to other programs. "We were forced to look at options and alternatives," South Dakota Athletics Director Joel Nielsen said. "We felt that this was the only plan that would put us in position to ensure we have future success in our programs in relation to funding, compliance and competitiveness." With the elimination of baseball, South Dakota will sponsor 17 varsity sports ... Holy Family University will add women's tennis beginning next fall. The addition brings to 10 the number of Division II sports sponsored by the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference member.

Milestones: Armstrong Atlantic State University baseball coach Joe Roberts won his 1,000th career game March 24 with a 3-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State University. After the victory, Roberts' record stood at 1,000-455, making him the fourth active Division II coach to win 1,000 games ... Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball coach Gary Collins recorded the 800th win of his career against Lewis University on March 27 ... Denny Lorsung, baseball coach at St. Cloud State University, won his 500th game at St. Cloud State University on March 29 with a 2-1 victory over South Dakota. Lorsung is in his 26th season at St. Cloud State. After the victory, his record at the school stood at 500-475-3; his all-time coaching record was 537-499-3 ... Ashland University women's softball coach Sheilah Gulas won the 500th game of her career when Ashland swept Gannon University on April 10. Gulas has been a college head coach for 18 years, having previously coached at Allegheny College and Wittenberg University. After the victory, her record was 500-237 ... Shepherd College men's tennis coach Chris Stambaugh won his 100th career match February 20 with a shutout over Frostburg State University.

Miscellaneous: Around the time of the Men's and Women's Final Fours, various media reported that the University of Connecticut was the first institution to win men's and women's basketball championships in the same year. While the Huskies were the first to accomplish the feat in Division I, Central Missouri State University won the Division II men's and women's basketball championships in 1984. The Mules and the Jennies won their championships on the same night in the same arena in Springfield, Massachusetts. (The Central Missouri State men's program, by the way, is something of a "cradle of coaches." Prominent coaches who once led the Mules include Forrest "Phog" Allen, Gene Bartow, Joe B. Hall and Lynn Nance) ... Emily Gastineau of Pittsburg State University was barely into April when she set a Division II softball record for most grand slams in a season. She hit her fourth of the year April 6 to help the Gorillas defeat Washburn University of Topeka. The grand slams also tie the Division II career record. After the Washburn game, Gastineau had 10 home runs and 54 runs batted in for the season, which ranked her second on the Pittsburg State single-season list in both categories ... Kelley Tiesi of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania set a Division II record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched. In the seventh inning of a three-hit shutout against Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, she broke the old record of 76 2/3 innings set by Karissa Hoehn of St. Cloud State University in 2000. Tiesi's record was extended to 83 2/3 innings before she gave up a run against Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. Going back to last season, Tiesi went 110 2/3 innings without surrendering an earned run. Through the Mansfield game, she had a 17-1 record with 187 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings pitched and an 0.06 earned-run average.

-- Compiled by David Pickle