ETBU sophomore centerfielder Kyle Pope has been voted the 2008 American Southwest Conference East Division Newcomer of the Year by the league's coaches.

Pope, a sophomore from Longview, hit a team-high .386 this past season while helping lead the Tigers to a six-game improvement (17-23) over the 2007 season. Pope also was the Tigers' team leader in hits (59), runs (41), doubles (15) and stolen bases (14) while batting primarily from the leadoff spot all season.

Pope led a contingent of five ETBU players who were voted to the All-ASC East Division team. Pope was named a second-team outfielder, while senior Will Melton (.306, 4 HR, 25 RBI), of Sugarland, was named second-team designated hitter.

Junior first baseman Cody Jones (.345, 4 HR, 45 RBI), of Hallsville, sophomore second baseman Matt Hale (.309, 6 HR, 30 RBI), of Jefferson, and senior outfielder Jared Gage (.338, 5 HR, 31 RBI), of Prairiland, were named honorable mention All-ASC East.

Marshall grad Hood gets nod

Jared Hood, an outfielder for UT Tyler, was named a first-team member of the ASC East Division all-conference team Monday in voting by the league's coaches.

Hood batted .390 (64-of-164) while starting in all 45 games for the Patriots. He tied for the team-lead in triples with four while also putting up gaudy totals of 47 runs scored, 14 doubles, seven home runs, 50 RBI and 107 total bases. He also walked 22 times.

UT Tyler finished its season 36-9 and won the ASC East title. The Patriots finished third in last weekend's conference tournament.

Hood is a junior transfer from Hill College, where he batted .307 with seven doubles in 2007. He is majoring in kinesiology.

Saberkats set location for try outs this month

The East Texas Saberkats, a professional women's football team that is being formed in Marshall, will hold open try outs May 24 and May 31 at William B. Travis Elementary school.

Start time for the first try out is 10 a.m. but general manager Kirkland Trammer is asking that athletes show up an hour ahead of schedule in order to get the proper paper work filled out.

The second try out will begin at 11 a.m.

Lady Bulldogs earn eighth place at state

Jefferson's girls golf team earned an eighth-place finish at the UIL Class 2A Girls Golf Championships on Tuesday at Austin's Jimmy Clay Golf Course.

The Lady Bulldogs shot a 783 as a team behind Kathryn McGee, Beth Moore, Pauline Jacobs, Taylor Smith and Stephanie Phy.

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Cox East Texas reports and ETBU's sports information department contributed to this report.