by ROB JENKINS
Sports Editor 

It wasn’t a particularly busy summer as far as Appalachian State athletics go, but there were some important stories you might have missed while you were out.

Just as the school year was coming to a close in late April, Buzz Peterson was hired to lead the men’s basketball program for a second time.

Peterson was 79-39 at ASU from 1996 to 2000, winning the Southern Conference Tournament in 2000.

Peterson, who replaced Houston Fancher, was given a five-year contract worth $177,500 a year.

In June, four former Mountaineers were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

The Tampa Bay Rays drafted closer Zach Quate in the 14th round, the Florida Marlins took outfielder Rand Smith in the 20th round, the New York Yankees selected Isaac Harrow in the 24th round and the Baltimore Orioles picked up pitcher Josh Dowdy in the 38th round.

The four draft picks were the most in one year in Appalachian history.

Also in June, the ASU football team agreed to a series with Montana and McNeese State.

Appalachian will host Montana in 2012 and McNeese State in 2015.

The Apps will travel to Missoula, Mont. in 2013 to take on the Griz and will visit Lake Charles, La. in 2014 to face the Cowboys.

The home teams in the series will pay the visiting team $100,000.

In other football news, ASU was picked by the SoCon coaches and media to win their fifth-straight conference championship.

Armanti Edwards was named SoCon preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Jacque Roman was named preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

The Mountaineers also had offensive linemen Mario Acitelli, Brett Irvin and Daniel Kilgore, defensive lineman Jabari Fletcher and defensive backs Mark LeGree and Cortez Gilbert selected to the first team.

But the biggest story of the summer involving Edwards also involved a piece of landscaping equipment.

Edwards slipped under his lawn mower and cut his right foot Aug. 5.

After the injury, Edwards was expected to be out for 2-4 weeks.

Coaches believe Edwards will be ready to play East Carolina Sept. 5.

The final ASU athletics story of the summer is still developing: women’s soccer coach Ben Popoola has taken a leave of absence from his coaching duties.

Details surrounding the leave of absence have not yet been made public.

That’s about it for the summer in ASU athletics.

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