Sports Shorts

The Rutgers baseball team will debut new uniforms in the 2008 season.Manufactured byWilson, the baseball team's newjerseys come in separate home and away styles.

The ScarletKnightswill play their home games at Bainton Field in their white uniforms and play on the road in their gray uniforms. Both uniforms are stitched with the Rutgers insignia on the jersey with the player's number in the bottomright. The two uniforms have different color stripes around the buttons. The pants match each specific uniform style.

Rutgers will debut its new uniforms Friday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. in Norfolk, Va., opening the season at Old Dominion.

Led by first-place finishes from juniorAlison Hartwig and sophomore Laura Sevarino in the beam and vault, respectfully, the Rutgers gymnastics team edged Yale, 188.250 - 188.200 on the road Saturday afternoon for its third win in its last four meets.

The Scarlet Knights improved to 8-4 on the season, while the Bulldogs fell to 8-4.R

utgers took six of the first eight spots on the vault as Sevarino and juniorLatara Northcuttfinished first and second, respectfully. Sevarino, competing in her home state, recorded a 9.625, while Northcutt registered a 9.500. Sophomore Prishani Seebadri finished fourth with a 9.450.

Senior Stephanie Pannick finished a close second in the uneven bars with a 9.700 to finish just behind Yale's Alina Liao, who had a 9.725. Northcutt had a top-three showing in her second event with a third-place finish after posting a 9.650.

Hartwig's 9.775 took top honors in the beam, while Sevarino was third with a 9.725. Hartwig's score was a season-best, while Sevarino's total tied her seasonbest first recorded last Saturday against Cortland.

Sevarino finished third in the floor exercise to lead the Scarlet Knights with a 9.600. Sophomore Alyssa Lewandowski was fifth with a 9.450.

Sevarino posted a score of 38.350 in the all around - her second-highest score of the season - for first place.

Rutgers has now defeated Yale four out of the last five times the schools have faced off against each other.

Rutgers returns next Saturday, Feb. 23, hosting West Virginia, Bridgeport, Rhode Island and Ursinus at 7 p.m. at the Livingston Recreation Center. The meet will serve as Alumni Day for the Scarlet Knights, who encourage all former RU gymnasts to attend and cheer on the current Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers senior basketball player Matee Ajavon has been named one of nine candidates for the Ninth Annual Nancy Lieberman Award, given annually to the nation's top point guard.

The award is a national project of the Rotary Club of Detroit and honors the top collegiate point guard in NCAA Division I. Sportswriters from across the country voted for the nine nominees and will select three finalists and finally, a winner at the beginning of April.

Ajavon is averaging 12.5 points per game this season for the Scarlet Knights. The Newark, N.J. native is adding 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per contest this season. Ajavon is ranked ninth all-time on the RU scoring chart (1493), seven points out of the eighth place. The senior places fourth all-time in assists and sixth in steals in the RU record book.

Other nominees include: Kim Beck (George Washington), Shannon Bobbitt (Tennessee), Kristi Cirone (Illinois State), Leilani Mitchell (Utah), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State), Kristi Toliver (Maryland) and Erica White (LSU). Ironically, Ajavon and her RU teammates have faced five of the other seven candidates.

No. 4/4 Rutgers (19-4, 9-1 Big East) will look to earn its 20th win of the season when the Scarlet Knights travel to South Florida (12-11, 2-8 Big East) on Saturday, Feb. 16. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.