Oregon Center to Tour with Athletes in Action

As of 2006, AIA had a ministry presence in 85 countries and on nearly 100 college campuses and 35 professional sports teams.

Ray Schafer will tour with Athletes in Action this summer. Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - Senior center Ray Schafer has been invited to join the Athletes in Action team that will play a series of exhibition games in Australia this summer, the AIA announced Friday.

The team will train at the AIA headquarters in Xenia, Ohio, Aug. 4th-8th before departing to Sydney.

Between Aug. 9th-22nd, the team will play between six and eight games in Sydney and Perth versus professional teams from Australia’s National Basketball League. The squad will return to the United States on Aug. 23rd.

Schafer, a 7-0 center from Wasilla, Alaska, averaged 1.3 points and 1.0 rebounds per game in 23 appearances as a junior for Oregon last season. He scored a season-high 10 points at Washington and grabbed a season-best six rebounds versus Idaho State.

For his career, Schafer has played in 73 games with 13 starts, averaging 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, and has shot 63.4 percent from the field (83-131).

Also on the AIA roster is guard Jay R Strowbridge from Nebraska. Strowbridge played 17 minutes with three assists and no points when the Ducks and Cornhuskers met at the Rose Garden last Dec. 9th, a 68-56 Oregon win.

The rest of the AIA roster includes forward Josh Carter (Texas A&M), forward Jimmy Graham (Miami, Fla.), guard Matt Hall (Texas-Pan American), guard Jason Holsinger (Evansville), forward Wes Johnson (Iowa State), center Michael Niemi (Southern Methodist) and forward Luke Zeller (Notre Dame). The AIA said it will likely add one or two more players prior to the beginning of training camp.

According to the organization’s web site, www.aia.com, the faith-based Athletes in Action was founded in 1966 by David Hannah. As a branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, AIA’s mission is to “bring Jesus Christ and His message of victory into the hearts, homes, and communities of millions around the world...and to share one message: Life’s greatest victory is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

As of 2006, AIA had a ministry presence in 85 countries and on nearly 100 college campuses and 35 professional sports teams.

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