Mount Olive Hosts 47th Annual Pickle Classic

Mount Olive celebrates Homecoming and tips off its 2012-13 season as the Trojans play host to the 47th Annual Pickle Classic tonight and Saturday at Kornegay Arena. Participating teams are Fayetteville State, Lenoir-Rhyne and West Virginia State. Two games take place each evening at 5 and 7:30 p.m.

All-session tickets are available in advance for $15. At the gate, tickets are $10 each night.

Fayetteville State goes up against Lenoir-Rhyne in the tournament opener today, followed by Mount Olive vs. West Virginia State in a rematch from the 2007 Pickle Classic. Saturday, Lenoir-Rhyne faces West Virginia State in the opening game and the tournament concludes with Mount Olive taking on Fayetteville State.

During halftime of tonight's MOC-West Virginia State game, Conference Carolinas commissioner Alan Patterson will formally present the 2011-12 Hawn Cup to Mount Olive College. The annual award recognizes the top overall athletics program in the conference. Mount Olive also won the Men's Sports Hawn Cup and Women's Sports Hawn Cup in 2011-12.

Saturday's activities begin with the Trojan women's basketball team playing host to Converse in the two teams' Conference Carolinas opener. Tip-off is noon at Kornegay Arena.

At 3 p.m., the Mount Olive College Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in the Lois K. Murphy Regional Center on the MOC campus. Baseball alum Merrill Morgan, three-sport alum Valerie (Williams) Newberne Cox and the 1992 Trojan Baseball Team form the Class of 2012.

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is open to the public and admission is free. Contact the MOC Athletics Office at 919-658-7759 to RSVP for the induction or for ticket information for the Pickle Classic.