Bulldogs wrap up spring football practice
A 5 p.m. scrimmage Friday, April 7, at Bulldog Stadium will end Fresno State spring football workouts that began March 13. The Bulldogs are looking forward to one of their most attractive schedules ever, beginning Sept. 1 with a Western Athletic Conference showdown against Nevada at home. Also on the schedule are two Pac-10 teams, Oregon (at home Sept. 9) and Washington (away Sept. 16) and national power LSU (in Baton Rouge on Oct. 21).

Skipper, Frazier join Bulldog football coaching staff
Following the hiring of offensive coordinator Steve Hagan in February, Tim Skipper and Derek Frazier have been added to Pat Hill’s coaching staff. Skipper replaces John Settle as running backs coach and Frazier takes Mark Webber’s old spot as offensive line coach. Skipper, familiar to Bulldog as a standout middle linebacker from 1997-2000, spent the past two seasons at Sacramento State as defensive coordinator. Frazier returns to Fresno State after one season as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern Arizona. As a graduate assistant at Fresno State for the 2003 and 2004 seasons, he worked with the offensive line, helping develop the nation’s fifth-ranked scoring offense and playing a part in two bowl championships.

2006 Bulldog Foundation Scholarship Fund Drive set to begin
The 2006 Bulldog Foundation Scholarship Fund Drive gets under way at 5:30 p.m. Friday, April 6, with a kickoff dinner at Pardini’s Catering and Restaurant.  Bulldog Foundation volunteers will reach out to the community to renew current members and sign up new members as it strives to reach funding needed for the 2006-07 academic school year.  For information, call 559.278.7160 or e-mail Terry Johnson at terryj@csufresno.edu.

’Dogs work to improve APR Scores
While the majority of Fresno State Athletics Department teams showed improvement in recently released NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR), Fresno State’s overall scores need to continue to climb to meet national standards.  The majority of the programs are in solid shape, performing near the national average for public institutions, but five team sports did not meet the baseline score. Each program has a plan in place to move the score upward as part of Fresno State Athletics’ to exceed the national average APR scores for public institutions and rank in the upper 50% nationally for each sport.  For more information about the APR visit www.ncaa.org.

'Margie Wright Show' airs on ESPN Radio
“The Margie Wright Show,” which began last month on ESPN 1430 AM, showcases the winningest coach in collegiate softball history from 12:30 to 1 p.m. each Tuesday. Paul Swearengin and Wright discuss what’s going on with the Bulldog softball team, Western Athletic Conference news and what’s going on nationally with collegiate softball.

Elementary school athletes compete in Bob Mathias Relays
The 2006 Bob Mathias Fresno Relays’ elementary schools division competition will be held Wednesday, April 5, at Warmerdam Stadium on campus.  For information on the relays, check www.gobulldogs.com or call the track and field office (559.278-4097). The open/intercollegiate relays will be held on campus the week of July 10.

10th annual Kiwanis Torch of Excellence set May 8
The 10th annual Kiwanis Torch of Excellence, honoring student-athletes, has been set for May 8. The event is spearheaded by Fresno State’s Student-Athlete Services.

WAC baseball, softball championships at Fresno State in May
Fresno State will host two spring Western Athletic Conference Championships. The softball championship tournament will be played May 11-13 at Bulldog Diamond. The WAC baseball championship will be decided May 25-28 at Beiden Field. Tickets and tournament information will be forthcoming.

1430 ESPN Dog Zone airs Fridays
Catch up on Fresno State sports news from 4-6 p.m. Fridays during the “1430 ESPN Dog Zone Show.” The program, which airs from Fashion Furniture, includes interviews with coaches, student-athletes and staff members in front of a live audience. 

Day football games return to Bulldog Stadium
The 2006 Fresno State home football schedule will end with three Western Athletic Conference games that kick off at 2 p.m. In the first day game, the Bulldogs host Hawaii on Oct. 14. The others are Nov. 11 against New Mexico State and Nov. 18 against Idaho. 

Tracking the Bulldogs
April officially showcases all the Fresno State springs sports in midseason form as teams play through conference schedules toward postseason tournaments. To keep up to date with what team is playing when and where, take advantage of the athletic department’s composite schedule online at gobulldogs.collegesports.com/calendar/events/.

V-mail keeps fans on top of athletics
If you want to get inside the Pride of the Valley, sign up to receive Fresno State's free V-mail on www.gobulldogs.com. Sent out periodically through e-mail, V-mail offers information on Fresno State sports, ticket information, special events, promotions and donations/giving opportunities.

(Sports Briefs compiled by Jan Winslow, assistant athletics media relations director.)