Hall named associate head baseball coach

Charlotte head baseball coach Loren Hibbs has promoted assistant Brandon Hall to associate head coach, while continuing his duties as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Hall, a Raleigh native, is entering his eighth season with the 49ers coaching staff, and the fifth season as the team's recruiting coordinator. His main on-field responsibility is handling the pitching staff.

“Over the past seven years, Brandon has developed into one of the top assistant coaches in this region,” said Hibbs. “He has displayed a tremendous work ethic, an incredible desire to improve and a loyalty to our program and this institution that is unmatched.

"He fits with our overall program philosophy and has been a major factor in our success in recent years. Brandon ‘gets it’ and I am really looking forward to continuing to work alongside him in the future.”

In his 11 seasons as an assistant at two different schools, Hall has been on a coaching staff of teams that have won five regular-season championships. Six of the pitching staffs have been ranked nationally in ERA, including the top spot in the nation in 2007 (with a team 2.64 ERA).

“I want to thank Coach Hibbs and the Charlotte 49ers for this promotion,” said Hall. “I have really enjoyed coming to work each day for the past seven years at Charlotte. We have accomplished a lot on and off the field as a program in that time, but we also understand there is still more to do. I am excited about what the future holds as we continue to grow as a program and University.”

Women's soccer hosts A-10 tourney in '09

The Charlotte 49ers women's soccer team, which has won the past two Atlantic 10 conference tournaments, will try to win a third consecutive title this fall on its Transamerica Field. Charlotte, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, will host the conference tournament Nov. 5-8.

The women's team has also released its 2009 schedule which will feature six home games in September. The 49ers host Francis Mation on Sept. 4 and Villanova on Sept. 6. Charlotte plays at Davidson on Sept. 10 and hosts Georgia on Sept. 13, East Tennessee State on Sept. 18 and N.C. State on Sept. 20. Charlotte opens A-10 play hosting Duquesne on Sept. 25 and plays at Fordham on Sept. 27.

In October, the 49ers host Rhode Island on Oct. 2 and Massachusetts on Oct. 4. Then, the 49ers travel play at Dayton on Oct. 9 and at Xavier on Oct. 11. Charlotte hosts Richmond on Oct. 16 and George Washington on Oct. 18. The 49ers conclude the regular season with three A-10 road games - at Temple on Oct. 23, at Saint Joseph's on Oct. 25 and at Saint Louis on Oct. 30.

2009 men's soccer schedule released

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team has released its 2009 schedule. The season begins with two exhibition games in August. Charlotte hosts Gardner-Webb on Sunday, Aug. 23. Then, the 49ers host their annual Alumni game on Saturday on Aug. 29.

Charlotte kicks off the regular-season at rival South Carolina on Sept. 1. Then, the 49ers remain on the road with a game at Elon on Sept. 4 and play at Clemson on Sept. 9. Charlotte faces Campbell in its home opener on Sept. 12. Then, the 49ers look to capture their second straight Charlotte/Nike Invitational title when they welcome Appalachian State, Cal-State Bakersfield and Winthrop to Transamerica Field. The 49ers play Cal State Bakersfield on Sept. and Winthrop on Sept. 20. Charlotte concludes the month with games at UNC Greensboro on Sept. 26 and at Wake Forest on Sept. 29.

In October, Charlotte plays at Furman on Oct. 3, host George Washington on Oct. 9 and Richmond on Oct. 11. Charlotte travels to Saint Louis on Oct. 17, hosts La Salle on Oct. 23 and Fordham on Oct. 25. The 49ers conclude the month with a road game Oct. 30 at Dayton. In November, Charlotte plays at Xavier on Nov. 1, at Saint Jopseph's on Nov. 6 and at Temple on Nov. 8. The Atlantic 10 tournament is Nov. 12-15 at Rhode Island.

Two men's soccer players named preseason A-10

Two members of the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team were selected preseason All-Atlantic 10 in a vote by the league’s 14 head coaches.

Senior midfielder Adam Gross, who was a 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American, was named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 team. While freshman midfielder Steven Saballos was named to the preseason A-10 all-rookie team.

Last season, Gross (six goals, six assists) played a major role in helping the 49ers earn their first national ranking since 1998. Charlotte captured three regular-season tournament titles en route to 12 wins.

Saballos, a midfielder from Miami, played for the Miami Kendall F.C. in the United States Academy League. He is a United States Under-18 National Team Pool player.

The 49ers kick off the 2009 season when they host Gardner-Webb in an exhibition at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at Transamerica Field. Charlotte opens the regular season at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at South Carolina.

Four earn preseason A-10 women's soccer honors

Four members of the Charlotte 49ers nationally-ranked women’s soccer team earned preseason All-Atlantic 10 honors.

Senior midfielder Hailey Beam, junior forward Whitney Weinraub and junior defender Whitney Bryant named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 team. Freshman defender/forward Taylor Rovito was named to the preseason A-10 All-Rookie team. The preseason All-Atlantic 10 teams were selected by a vote of the league’s 14 head coaches.

Last season, Beam, Bryant and Weinraub played integral roles in helping the 49ers win their third straight A-10 regular-season title and their second straight A-10 tournament championship.

Charlotte reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a school-record 18 wins.

Former 49ers soccer star on U.S. team

Former Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer All-American and Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch has been named to the United States soccer senior national team roster for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Busch, who was the 2008 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, is one of three goalkeepers on the team. Busch, who played in the 2004 MLS All-Star game as a member of the Columbus Crew, posted a shutout against Colombia as a member of the United States National team in March of 2005.

The CONCACAF Golf Cup runs through July 26. The U.S. team opens group play against Grenada on Saturday at Seattle’s Qwest Field. The United States faces Honduras on July 8 at RFK Stadium on Washington D.C. Then, the United States concludes group play against Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, July 11.

At Charlotte, Busch was named first-team All-America by the NSCAA in 1996 as he helped lead the 49ers to their first-ever appearance in the College Cup and a school-record 19 wins. In 1996, he recorded a career-high 12 shutouts, including two in the NCAA Tournament, and a career-low 0.89 goals against average.

Highly-rated combo guard picks 49ers

One visit to Charlotte and a few hours of basketball were all Ge-Lawn Guyn, one of the top-rated combo guards in the Class of 2010, needed to make the 49ers his college home.

Guyn and his parents drove to Charlotte over the weekend and after participating in Sunday’s Elite Basketball Camp at Halton Arena returned home, but not before giving Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz a commitment he would join the 49ers.

Guyn, a 6-foot-3, 165-pound guard who plays at Scott County in Georgetown, Ky., is ranked the 143rd best player in the Class of 2010 by recruiting Web site Rivals.com and the 33rd best shooting guard.

“I really didn’t know a lot about Charlotte but after they expressed interest in me, I began to do some research of my own on the Internet,” said Guyn, 18. “Then when I came for a visit Sunday, I really bonded with some of the players and the coaching staff.”

Guyn had already made a visit to Western Kentucky and had planned a visit to Oregon State, but has canceled that trip. He said he also received recruiting interest from Cincinnati, Indiana and Xavier and Dayton, both rivals of Charlotte in the Atlantic 10.

“Charlotte has an up-tempo style that I like,” he said. “I’ve watched some film of some of their games. They get up and down the floor, shoot the 3. That certainly fits my style.

“Unlike a lot of players, I like to play defense. I think I can contribute immediately and hopefully get Charlotte back in the NCAA Tournament.”

As a junior last season, Guyn averaged 15.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals a game. He shot 49.6 percent from the field, including 39.8 percent from 3-point range.

Guyn said he has no second thoughts on his early commitment and he and his parents think the 49ers are the best choice.

“I remember on Sunday looking up to all the (NCAA) banners while I was in Halton Arena,” Guyn said. “I just said to myself, ‘I’d like to help add a few more.’ ”