University on the Rise

Travel 30 miles East on Interstate 44 to Claremore and it is easy to see College Hill crowned with the gold dome of Preparatory Hall on the campus of Rogers State University. The fastest growing university in Oklahoma since being accredited in 2000, Rogers State has seen enrollment increase more than 70 percent. RSU is also the only public four-year, residential university in the Tulsa metropolitan area. Rogers State has the only fully-powered, over-the-air broadcast television station licensed to a college or university in Oklahoma. RSU Public Television reaches a broadcast audience of 1.2 million viewers while broadcasting college-level telecourses, local programming and RSU Hillcat Basketball. Rogers State is home to KRSC 91.3 FM or RSU-Radio which plays "College Alternative" programming and broadcasts Hillcat Athletics. Both RSU-TV and RSU-Radio serve as "hands-on" teaching facilities for communications students. Rogers State University offers a wide variety of degree programs including Criminal Justice Studies, Sport Management, Nursing, and Game Development. The Sport Management degree prepares students for careers in intercollegiate athletics, professional sport teams, sport marketing and management, golf course management, and sport tourism. The Department of Communications offers a Bachelor of Arts with options in Communication Arts, Corporate Communications, and Radio/Television. With a degree in Communications graduates will be prepared for careers in broadcast journalism, public relations, media management and more. But it is Rogers State University's athletic programs that have the campus buzzing. The Hillcats are led by Athletic Director and Men's Basketball Head Coach Wren Baker a disciple of former Oklahoma State Head Coach Eddie Sutton. Baker has done an excellent job in building the athletic department from the ground up. It was the Hillcat soccer teams that introduced Rogers State to the Sooner Athletic Conference, considered one of the best conferences in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Head Men's and Women's Coach Derek Larkin had something to be proud of after both teams made appearances in the NAIA Region VI Tournament in their inaugural season. The Hillcats Women's team was led to a 20-3 record by Region VI and SAC player of the year Robin Sutherland who set the SAC single season record for goals at 44. The Women's team also featured many players from Green Country including Carey Cloud (Broken Arrow), Tiffany Roberts and Vanessa Oxford (Claremore) along with many others. The Men's team finished the season 11-5-2 with a roster loaded with local players like Luke Helm (East Central), Salim Nelson (Union), and Bryce Taylor (Broken Arrow) among others. The Hillcats Men's Basketball team is loaded with six NCAA Division-I transfers including Broken Arrow's Abram Donlon a transfer from the University of Texas-San Antonio. The Hillcats are predicted to finish 5th in the Sooner Athletic Conference according to the Coaches Preseason poll. The Hillcat coaching staff of Baker, Associate Head Coach Lloyd Williams, and Assistant Coach Fred Castro have been busy recruiting and signed Jenks F/C Vince Boncaldo in the early signing period. Head Women's Basketball Coach Amy Williams' team was voted 10th in the Coaches Preseason poll. But freshman Hayley KnifeChief (Claremore), Hunter Peterson (Jenks), and Katie Rice (Pryor) have provided good play for the Hillcats early in the season. Hillcat Baseball looks to build off the success of 2007 heading into this spring and inaugural conference play under Head Coach Ron Bradley. In 2007, Rogers State finished 28-23 in the programs second season of play. The RSU Softball team made it to the Region VI Tournament last season finishing 31-15 under Head Coach Dawn Reed-Schultz. In two-years the Hillcat softball program has gone from non-existent to a household name in the small college softball community. Reed-Schultz will expect the same from her team this year as they enter conference play for the first time. The Hillcat Basketball teams play their home games at the newly renovated Claremore Expo Center with a seating capacity of 3,500. Hillcat Basketball teams practice at Bushyhead Field House located on campus, Bushyhead also houses the athletic department offices and the private weight training facility for student-athletes. RSU Soccer games are played at Soldier Field located in the heart of the RSU campus. Located on the Northwest corner of RSU's campus is the Hillcat Complex with the Hillcat Softball Field and Hillcat Baseball Field. Both feature brand new professional playing surfaces and large locker rooms equipped with coaches offices, individual lockers, athletic training area, showers and 42-inch flat screen televisions and DVD players. Rogers State University is a growing school with a new sense of excitement. It's easy to catch Hillcat Basketball games on RSU-TV channel 35/COX cable 19 or RSU-Radio 91.3 FM. Hillcat Basketball Radio broadcasts are also available online streaming at rsuhillcats.com. Or just make your way up I-44 to the Claremore Expo Center to see what all the hype is about. With the leadership of President Dr. Joe Wiley and Athletic Director Wren Baker, Rogers State University is making great strides both academically and athletically. When you come to see a Hillcat sporting event drive around campus and see the construction and improvements being made including the Student Services Center scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2008.-