GRANBURY, Texas – Eight Southwestern student-athletes and head coach Joe Austin will take part in the eighth annual Tazón De Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) on Saturday, Dec. 17, at Zorros Stadium at CETYS University in Mexicali, Mexico.

The eight Pirates – Zach Cole, Tyler Frisby, Matt Gillen, Dereck Harenda, Jacob Harton, Bryan Hicks, Dante Smith and Dylan Wilburn – will join 46 other Division III seniors to form Team Stars & Stripes. The squad will face the CONADEIP All-Stars.

Seven of the eight Southwestern seniors participating in the game earned first-team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference last month, including Gillen, who was named the league's co-offensive player of the year.

Austin, who was tabbed SCAC Coach of the Year, is heading back for his seventh year as a member of the Team Stars & Stripes coaching staff and fourth consecutive as the offensive coordinator. Austin helped Team Stars & Stripes to a 15-14 victory in last season's contest, which was played at the Margarita Astiazrán de Fimbres Stadium on the CETYS Tijuana campus.

The 54 players are scheduled to arrive in Mexico on Sunday, December 11, and in addition to installing their game plan during daily practice sessions at CETYS University, will conduct a service project with local youth.

For more information on Tazón De Estrellas, visit GlobalFootball.com.

– SOUTHWESTERN –