Texas State held its third annual Maroon-Gold spring game on Saturday night, hoping to prove the Bobcats could clean up the mistakes that plagued them during a 4-8 season in 2012.

The result was mixed, but in the end Maroon prevailed over Gold 28-14 at Bobcat Stadium, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Jordan Moore’s 151 all-purpose yards.

Running back Chris Nutall chipped in seven carries for 63 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought there were some nice teachable moments in that game,” said Coach Dennis Franchione. “There were a lot of things that were positive, and we are starting to look a little more like a football team.”

Moore fumbled on third-and-goal at the 1-yard line during Maroon’s first possession and threw an interception at the end of the first half. He bounced back with rushing and passing touchdowns in the second half and no turnovers. Overall, Texas State committed four turnovers and four penalties.

Former Texas State first baseman Paul Goldschmidt signed a five-year contract extension with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks with a club option for the 2019 season, according to the team’s press release.

The contract is worth $32 million. The team has the option for 14.5 million in 2018. Goldschmidt set franchise records for Arizona first basemen, including his 43 doubles last season.

In an interview with USA Today and ESPN, manager Kirk Gibson called Goldschmidt “the model Diamondback guy.”

“What’s not to like?” Gibson said. “I mean, everything he does from the time he gets to the park until the time he leaves every day. He’s very good at preparation, before, during the game, after, a great teammate, and works really hard. He has high aspirations to be a world champion. He wants to win a Gold Glove. And he would never change. It will never change until he stops playing.”

Conference realignment shuffled more Tuesday. The Sun Belt will add former Football Championship Subdivision contenders Georgia Southern and Appalachian State, along with previous WAC and 2013 independents New Mexico State and Idaho, according to multiple outlets.

The conference will total 14 programs by 2015, 12 for football. New Mexico State and Idaho will join as football-only members while UT-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock will play in other major sports besides football.

The addition of Appalachian State and Georgia Southern in 2015 will allow the conference to have its first championship game since 2001 when the Sun Belt began football.

Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Idaho will have to make renovations to their football facilities to meet FBS requirements. Idaho’s Kibbie Dome seats 16,000, the smallest FBS stadium to date. Georgia Southern’s Paulson Stadium seats 18,000 and was last renovated in 2007.

After seven years at the helm of the men’s basketball team, head coach Doug Davalos’ contract will not be renewed for next season.

Davalos finished 92-107 in seven seasons with the Bobcats. He was the only coach in the country hired in 2006 still with the same team who failed to take them to a postseason, non-conference tournament and did not have a winning season. Athletic director Larry Teis said in a release from Texas State athletics the decision not to renew Davalos’ contract was ‘mutual.’

“He has talked about new challenges and possibly moving into athletic administration,” Teis said in an email. “He won in the classroom and in compliance.  Coaches also represent us in the community, on campus, and around the nation.  I don’t judge coaches on one aspect of their job.”

Texas State men’s basketball got their third conference tournament win under Coach Doug Davalos Wednesday against second-seeded Denver, but could not advance to the WAC Championship.

The Bobcats lost 74-65 to No. 3 New Mexico State in the WAC Semifinals Friday evening in Las Vegas. Junior forward Joel Wright led the team with 17 points, following his 32 points in the team’s 72-68 upset win over the Pioneers. Men’s basketball got their first tournament win under Davalos in 2011, against Southern Louisiana in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament, 72-68.

Men’s basketball became the second major sport to earn a victory in the WAC Tournament. Soccer defeated Idaho 2-1 in overtime before falling in the semifinals to Denver.

Texas State women’s track and field has claimed the university’s first WAC Championship.

The women took home the indoor track and field championship this past weekend in Albuquerque, N.M., bringing home individual golds and new school records.

“It’s definitely special and I definitely can appreciate this event,” said Coach Dana Boone. “It’s really big to our staff. It wouldn’t have mattered what conference we’re in, just our first championship as a staff makes it special.”

Senior thrower Kelsey Titzman, junior jumper Danielle Candelaria and freshman pole-vaulter Hannah McWilliams took home gold medals over the weekend, helping the women to a first place finish. Titzman’s 15.60-meter throw was her personal best. Titzman was named women’s field athlete of the year.

The Texas State women’s basketball team could not overcome Shanice Steenholdt’s 32 points in a 78-76 overtime loss to Houston Baptist Tuesday night, the team’s fourth loss in the last five games.

Steenholdt, who had 26 points and 12 rebounds in the Huskies 86-61 loss to Texas State last season, attributed 32 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 assists and 2 steals in Houston Baptist’s victory Tuesday. Steeholdt was 11-19 from the floor and 9-11 from the foul line.

Senior guard Diamond Ford, with 36 seconds remaining in overtime, had a chance to tie the game at 75 but missed her second free throw. Freshman guard Ayriel Anderson made a lay up to put the Bobcats in front 76-75, but the Huskies scored the final 3 points in the last 16 seconds of overtime.

Ford led Texas State with 22 points on 8-21 shooting, 2-4 from the free-throw line. Ford pitched in six assists but had five of Texas State’s 15 turnovers. The Huskies won despite 20 turnovers.

The Texas State softball team suspended two players indefinitely and seven players in total over the weekend for “violating team rules,” according to Coach Ricci Woodard.

“We have two that we let go and five that we suspended for the weekend,” Woodard said.

Woodard would not name the seven players suspended, but did mention that the suspensions were handed down by her in an interview on Monday. The following players were absent from the box score at the Hilton Houston Plaza Classic this weekend:

• Anna Hernandez, senior second baseman
• Selena Hernandez, sophomore shortstop
• Brittney Garcia, sophomore outfielder
• Alli Akina, sophomore outfielder

• Timishia North, junior utility

• Delia Saucedo, junior pitcher

• Courtney Harris, sophomore third baseman

The Bobcats were predicted to finish first in the WAC this year in the Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

The rise in competition saw just as great a rise in ticket revenue for the athletics department.

Texas State’s jump to the Western Athletic Conference not only made the football team bowl-eligible, helped recruiting and brought increased exposure to the program— it boosted revenue through ticket sales as students, fans and alumni flocked to more games and spent more money than ever before.

Texas State football made an estimated $1.4 million in ticket revenue for the 2012 season. This figure does not include single-game tickets for the final home battle, which saw more than 15,000 fans file into Bobcat Stadium to watch Texas State hand New Mexico State University a 66-28 loss in the final WAC football game.

The Sun Belt announced today that Florida Atlantic University and Middle Tennessee State University would not be participating as members of the conference next fall. The change will trim football-playing schools in the Sun Belt from 10 to eight teams. Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State left for Conference-USA, the conference UTSA will be joining in 2013.

Texas State now only has 11 games on the schedule, from a loss of one conference opponent. All Sun Belt schools will need to add a non-conference game. The only remaining schools outside of the Sun Belt that need one more non-conference game are Duke University, Syracuse University, Wake Forest University and the University of Missouri. If Texas State fails to schedule one of these FBS schools, the program will have to schedule another FCS opponent, along with the already-scheduled Prairie View A&M University.