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PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- Matt Wright went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs, and Bethune-Cookman clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 7-3 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday.
The Wildcats moved to 15-0 in the MEAC, 29-19 overall, and clinched the top seed for the conference tournament. UMES fell to 8-35 overall and 7-11 in the MEAC. Patrick Goelz (6-3) allowed two runs, neither earned, on six hits in seven innings. He fanned 11 and walked just one on his way to the victory.
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - The Wildcats battled out a pitcher’s duel through the early innings of Sunday’s finale with Maryland Eastern Shore. Beginning in the sixth, the B-CU offense picked up steam while the Wildcat defense held UMES off in the 7-3 win to sweep the Hawks and remain perfect in MEAC play, clinching the MEAC regular season crown and the number one seed for the conference tournament
Matt Wright opened up the scoring for the Wildcats in game three, as the left hander hit a high drifting solo homer beyond the right field fence to take the 1-0 lead. Brashad Johnson’s fifth inning triple to right field set up designated hitter Anthony Stokes’ groundout RBI to create a little more breathing room at 2-0, as Johnson crossed home on the play.
Much like the first games of the series, UMES played tough defense and held B-CU’s hitters without any further runs through the fifth inning, but it’s difficult to keep B-CU down for long.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (April 5) - Alabama State University held off the Florida A&M University baseball team, as they scored a run in the bottom of the 11th inning to hand the Rattlers a 12-11 loss in extra innings, here Tuesday afternoon at the ASU Baseball Complex.
Both FAMU (10-23) and ASU (11-14) finished with 14 hits each.
The Rattler were led by both Tobi Adeyemi and Jimmie Terrell as they both finished with three hits each for FAMU, while Jourdan Mott and Gerald Washington both finished with three hits apiece for the Hornets.
Ron James (1-0) picked the win for the ASU as he pitched two and one-third innings giving up two hits and striking out one in relief, while Stephen Dollar received the loss for FAMU as he gave up two hits, two earned runs and striking out two in two and two-thirds innings of relief.
The Hornets took advantage of a FAMU infielder’s error to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as both Drew Quinney and Reginald Mitchell scored on the Rattler error.
B-CU Coach Mervyl Melendez's Wildcats clinch #1 Seed for MEAC Tournament and earned 2010 Regular Season MEAC Baseball Title.
For the second time in school history, Bethune-Cookman's baseball team has gone undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. B-CU scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning in a 13-9 win over Delaware State (12-30, 8-10) on Sunday. It's the first-ever 18-0 MEAC regular season; B-CU was 15-0 in 2006. The Wildcats (32-19) will have the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament May 20-23 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.
Dover, DE -- Bethune-Cookman scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning in a 13-9 win over Delaware State in MEAC baseball at Soldier Field today. The Wildcats, who clinched the MEAC regular season title on Saturday, completed the conference schedule with an 18-0 record (32-19 overall). Delaware State is 8-10 in the MEAC and 12-30 overall. Delaware State broke an 8-8 tie on a two-out single by Scott Davis in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Bethune-Cookman tied the game at nine on a single by Emmanuel Castro in the top of the ninth inning. The Wildcats pulled ahead 10-9 when Matt Wright followed with a run-scoring in the inning. BCU padded its lead when the next batter, Alejando Sanchez, followed with a three-run homer. The Hornets trailed 6-1 before scoring seven runs in the third inning to take the lead. Mike Rizzuto doubled in the first two runs of the inning. Also in the inning, Matt Aleman had a run-scoring single and Abe Eubank was credited with a RBI on a bases loaded walk. Brandon Crist capped off the inning with a three-run homer to give DSU an 8-6 lead.
B-CU will play Cal State Northridge, UCLA, and Southern University at Classic on February 19, 2010. This is Wildcats third straight year at MLB Classic.
The 2010 baseball edition of B-CU returns six returning starting players including team hitting leader (C. J. Lauriello, .403, 4 HR, 36 RBI), team home run, RBI leader Ryan Durrence (11 HR, 48 RBI), and freshman All-American catcher Peter O'Brien (.314, 30 RBI). Also returning is a talented group of pitchers led by freshman All-American sophomore lefty Ali Simpson (9-2, 3.23 ERA, 79 K's). Coach Mervyl Melendez expects junior OF Matt Wright (transfer from Daytona State College) to be a starter in the outfield and four-year OF Justin Hoyte (.270, 32 starts in 2009) returns for his senior season. Transfer OF DJ Leonard adds depth to the B-CU outfield and will battle for a starting spot.
"Our team returns most of the position players from our NCAA regional team," said Coach Melendez. "C.J. (Lauriello) is a very advanced hitter will have a tremendous year for us. He is a very tough out and hits well in big games. We have high expectations as a team. We want to play for championships and have won four straight and nine of out the last 10 MEAC championships and NCAA regionals. We want to go out and play hard and out-play our opponents. I am excited about our team. We have the pieces in place to be a very good team."
The starting left side of the infield returns - in sophomore SS Alejandro Sanchez (.299, 2 HR, 24 RBI) and the teams' second leading hitter in 2009 - Jr. 3B Emmanuel Castro (.345, 4 HR, 36 RBI). Hard-hitting Sr. 1B Alejandro Jimenez looks for a solid final season with the Wildcats. Jimenez led the `Cats with 22 stolen bases last year and he hit .330 with 9 HR and 32 RBI. Jimenez did have surgery again following the 2009 season to repair the bone chips in his non-throwing elbow. Valuable infielders Sr. 3B Jeremy Davis (.333, 1 HR, 20 RBI) and So. 2B-SS-3B - Jairo Acevedo return in 2010. Both were impressive offensively in the Fall season and are solid veteran players.
The 2009 season was highlighted by winning the fourth straight MEAC championship and earning B-CU's ninth NCAA regional appearance in 10 years. Winning milestone game number 300 for Coach Mervyl Melendez, at Maryland-Eastern Shore in late April, was icing on the cake for the Wildcats.
Sophomore LHP Ali Simpson, last year's MEAC Rookie of the Year, will be the number one starter in 2010. His role expands from last year as the number three starter behind senior 1-2 aces Hiram Burgos and Eric Thomas. Simpson was tabbed the pre-season 2010 MEAC Pitcher of the Year in February balloting and he hopes to add to his Freshman All-American status of last year. Jr. LHP Joseph Munoz (3-6, 5.14) will be a specialist in the bullpen in 2010 and his new role bolsters the B-CU relief pitchers.
Sophomore RHP Rayan Gonzalez hopes for an injury free season and Jr. LHP Roman Lancara will be in his third year of pitching for the Wildcats. Both Gonzalez and Lancara are projected into the starting rotation as the season opens in February. Returning relievers RHP Andrew Tilka and LHP Justin Dahl (coming back off of knee surgery during the off-season) both return in 2010. Dahl had four saves and was the B-CU closer in the early season before his injury in March. The 2010 roster includes eight new pitchers all vying for innings and starts. Six are freshman and two are JC transfers (Jr. RHP Julio Morales and Jr. RHP/3B Juan Perez). Perez is the projected closer entering 2010 Spring practice after an impressive Fall practice season on the mound.
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Bethune Cookman University 2010 Baseball Schedule Date Opponent Event Location Time
February Fri., Feb. 19 vs. vs. Cal State Northridge @ MLB Urban Classic Compton, California 2:00 p.m. Sat., Feb. 20 vs. vs. UCLA @ MLB Classic Compton, California 6:00 p.m. Sun., Feb. 21 vs. vs. Southern Univ. @ MLB Classic Compton, California 2:00 p.m. Mon., Feb. 22 at UC-Riverside Riverside, California 3:00 p.m. Thu., Feb. 25 at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas 4:00 p.m. Fri., Feb. 26 vs. Washington State Lubbock, Texas 1:00 p.m. Sat., Feb. 27 vs. Washington State Lubbock, Texas 1:00 p.m. at Texas Tech Lubbock, Texas 5:00 p.m.
March Tue., Mar. 2 vs. Stetson Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Wed., Mar. 3 vs. Jacksonville Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Fri., Mar. 5 vs. Troy Troy, Alabama 6:00 p.m. Sat., Mar. 6 vs. Troy Troy, Alabama 6:00 p.m. Sun., Mar. 7 vs. Troy Troy, Alabama 1:00 p.m. Wed., Mar. 10 vs. Wagner Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Fri., Mar. 12 vs. Wagner - B-CU Invitational Daytona Beach, Fla. 2:30 p.m. vs. VCU - B-CU Invitational Daytona Beach, Florida 6:00 p.m. Sat., Mar. 13 vs. Wagner - B-CU Invitational Daytona Beach, Florida 6:00 p.m. Sun., Mar. 14 vs. VCU - B-CU Invitational Daytona Beach, Fla. 12:00 p.m. Tue., Mar. 16 vs. Stetson Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Sat., Mar. 20 at Florida A&M * Tallahassee, Fla. 1:00 p.m. at Florida A&M * Tallahassee, Fla. 4:00 p.m. Sun., Mar. 21 at Florida A&M * Tallahassee, Fla. 1:00 p.m. Mon., Mar. 22 vs. Ohio State Daytona Beach, Florida 3:00 p.m. Wed., Mar. 24 vs. North Florida Daytona Beach, Florida 6:00 p.m. Thu., Mar. 25 vs. Dartmouth Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Fri., Mar. 26 vs. Dartmouth Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Sat., Mar. 27 vs. Dartmouth Daytona Beach, Fla. 12:00 p.m. Tue., Mar. 30 at UCF Orlando, Florida 6:30 p.m. Wed., Mar. 31 vs. UCF Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m.
April Wed., Apr. 7 at Stetson DeLand, Fla. 6:30 p.m. Sat., Apr. 10 vs. North Carolina A&T * Daytona Beach, Fla. 1:00 p.m. vs. North Carolina A&T * Daytona Beach, Fla. 4:00 p.m. Sun., Apr. 11 vs. North Carolina A&T * Daytona Beach, Fla. 1:00 p.m. Tue., Apr. 13 at North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7:00 p.m. Wed., Apr. 14 at Florida International Miami, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Sat., Apr. 17 vs. Norfolk State * Daytona Beach Fla. 1:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk State * Daytona Beach Fla. 4:00 p.m. Sun., Apr. 18 vs. Norfolk State * Daytona Beach, Florida 1:00 p.m. Tue., Apr. 20 at Miami Coral Gables, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Wed., Apr. 21 at UCF Orlando, Fla. 6:30 p.m. Sat., Apr. 24 at Coppin State * Baltimore, MD 1:00 p.m. at Coppin State * Baltimore, MD 4:00 p.m. Sun., Apr. 25 at Coppin State * Baltimore, MD 1:00 p.m. Tue., Apr. 27 at Stetson DeLand, Fla. 6:30 p.m. Wed., Apr. 28 at Florida Atlantic Boco Raton, Fla. 4:00 p.m. Fri., Apr. 30 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore * Daytona Beach, Fla. 1:00 p.m. vs. Maryland Eastern Shore * Daytona Beach, Fla. 4:00 p.m.
May Sat., May 1 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore * Daytona Beach, Fla. 1:00 p.m. Tue., May 4 at Florida Gainesville, Fla. 6:30 p.m. Wed., May 5 vs. Florida International Daytona Beach, Fla. 6:00 p.m. Sat., May 8 at Delaware State * Dover, Delaware 1:00 p.m. at Delaware State * Dover, Delaware 4:00 p.m. Sun., May 9 at Delaware State * Dover, Delaware 1:00 p.m. Tue., May 11 at West Virginia Morgantown, WV 7:00 p.m. Wed., May 12 at West Virginia Morgantown, WV 7:00 p.m. Thu., May 20 vs. MEAC Tournament * Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA Fri., May 21 vs. MEAC Tournament * Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA Sat., May 22 vs. MEAC Tournament * Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA
FAMU baseball went 24-29 last year, and the majority of that team is back this season and hoping to make waves in 2010.
FAMU head baseball coach Robert Lucas says, "We should be able to be a lot better this year because we have more arms. We got another year of experience, and I feel probably better about this team than any the last three years." FAMU shortstop Jarrod Jeffries adds, "Things are going great. Everyone is showing they put in the personal time to get better, we're just trying to communicate as a team."
Preseason predictions have the Orange and Green finishing tied for fourth in the MEAC. Lucas says, "Predictions don't mean anything to me because we determine what our outcome is going to be. People sitting in an office don't decide what we do on a baseball field."
Coach Roger Cador ends year with a 30-17 mark with two-and-out in the NCAAs.
Sunglasses still covered much of his face. A gleaming dark-blue helmet still sat atop his head. Near home plate at Alex Box Stadium, Southern catcher Michael Thomas bent forward and placed his hands on his knees. His eyes searched the bright reddish-brown dirt for answers. Saturday afternoon, the Jaguars had just finished their last game of the season — an intense, emotional back-and-forth elimination game in the Baton Rouge Regional that ended in an 11-8 loss to Minnesota.
“A lot of pain,” Thomas said. “Standing out there, I thought we were going to pull out the win today.” For Thomas, this was tough to process. So many times, SU had battled back — not only in Saturday’s game, but for much of their wild and mostly successful 2009 season. Thomas, for his part, had returned to action after missing 20 games with a broken hand, one of many Jaguars who’d succumbed to injures over the season.
GAINESVILLE, FL -- Another day, another heartbreaking loss, another early exit from the NCAA Regionals for the Bethune-Cookman baseball team. On Friday, B-CU lost 8-7 when Florida scored three runs in the ninth. On Saturday vs. Jacksonville, the Wildcats again fell 8-7, this time when a pinch hitter failed to come through with two men on base in the ninth.
"We lost two close games," Bethune-Cookman coach Mervyl Melendez said. "(Friday) we lost in the ninth inning. (Saturday) we lost in the eighth inning. That is baseball." Jacksonville (37-21) moved on to play in another elimination game at 1 p.m. today against Miami, which lost 8-2 to Florida on Saturday night. Bethune-Cookman (32-28) went two-and-out in the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 trips under Melendez, this time with an unusual ending.
LORMAN, MS — With Alcorn State’s baseball season coming to an end with a loss in the SWAC Tournament championship game last Sunday, one might think that coach Willie “Rat” McGowan could finally take it easy. After all, McGowan did announce his retirement last month and has coached his final game in the ASU dugout. But McGowan’s retirement doesn’t take effect until June 30, and the coach is still working hard until then.
“I’m recruiting and trying to find some ball players,” McGowan said on Wednesday. “We’ve got some good kids coming in. I’m going to be coaching until my last day. I want to leave the Alcorn baseball program competitive for the next coach. I think the team we’ll put together will be able to win a championship.”
Coach Willie "Rat" McGowan #25, won 720 games with the ASU Braves.
And that is something McGowan’s final Alcorn team almost did. The Braves lost the opening game of the SWAC Tournament to Texas Southern before winning four straight games to advance to the championship game. However, the Braves lost to Southern 12-10 to bring down the curtain on McGowan’s 40 years at the helm of the Alcorn baseball program.
LSU was named the No. 3 national seed in the 64-team NCAA baseball tournament field that was revealed today. The Tigers (46-16) will play Southern (30-15) at 1 p.m. Friday in the first game of the four-team regional that begins Friday at Alex Box Stadium. The second game at 6 p.m. Friday will pit Baylor (29-24) against Minnesota (38-17) on the first day of the four-team, double-elimination regional tournament.
Southern catcher Michael Thomas tags out LSU Matt Clark at home plate.
The national seed means the Tigers will host a super regional if they can survive the four-team regional that begins Friday at Alex Box Stadium. The winner of the Baton Rouge regional will play the winner of the Houston regional, hosted by Rice. Kansas State, Xavier (Ohio) and Sam Houston State are the other teams in the Houston regional. The LSU regional is the program’s 19th at home — all since 1986. Southern is in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.
Grafton High senior Robbie Brownschidle said today that he will play baseball next season at Norfolk State. Brownschidle will sign and send the paperwork to NSU within the next couple of days. Brownschidle said that between academic aid and the athletic grant he will sign, that he will not have to pay to attend NSU. Brownschidle carries a 3.65 grade point average.
Brownschidle batted .406 last season with 26 RBI and five home runs, earning Group AA All-State honorable mention honors as a first baseman. He was 5-0 pitching last season for Grafton's Region I tournament semifinalists. He is batting .350 this season for the Clippers (7-1) and is 2-1 on the mound. He has moved into the role as Grafton's No. 1 pitcher, and his only loss was a complete-game 3-2 decision at unbeaten Poquoson (9-0). Brownschidle, 6-foot, 175 pounds, said that NSU is recruiting him as a pitcher, but that Spartans coach Claudell Clark is interested in Brownschidle batting after seeing his hitting numbers from last season.
The Southern baseball team cooled off all at once Saturday afternoon at Lee-Hines Field. The Jaguars’ bats went silent. Their winning streak ended at nine, and it ended with a thud. They lost 12-1 against Prairie View in the second game of a doubleheader, thanks to a near-perfect performance from Panthers pitcher Mark Almaguer. And yet, none of that qualified as the scariest part the afternoon.
That happened at 1:14 p.m., in the fourth inning of the first game — a 12-5 victory for Southern. At that moment, ace pitcher Jarrett Maloy took a line drive to his right ankle. He collapsed and spent two minutes face-down on the mound, then eventually got up and walked around, testing the ankle. Maloy threw two warm-up pitches, then got back to work. Better yet, he worked himself out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth. That was his last inning.
DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Ryan Durrence's three-run homer highlighted an eight-run third inning and Bethune-Cookman hung on to defeat Michigan State 11-9 Saturday night in the Bethune-Cookman Invitational at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. "Sometimes you've got to tip your hat to your opponent," B-CU coach Mervyl Melendez said of Michigan State (1-8), which battled back from a 10-3 deficit. "They never gave up and they kept the ball in play."
It was Durrence's second homer in two nights. He also hit a three-run shot Friday night against Xavier. B-CU's Eric Thomas (1-2) earned his first win of the season, although he allowed seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked two and gave up eight hits. Justin Dahl stranded two baserunners in the ninth to earn his third save.
"I thought (Thomas) did a good job," Melendez said. "Our mentality when we're up by that many runs is to attack the hitters. I thought he commanded the strike zone. He threw hard." The Spartans scored five runs in the seventh against three B-CU pitchers, but the key hits were a bad-hop single and a misjudged fly in center field that fell for an RBI double. Atlantic High grad Chris Brown smacked two RBI doubles for B-CU (7-5). Leadoff batter Jose Ortiz scored three runs on two walks and a double. He scored twice in the decisive third inning.
"I'm very happy with the way we're hitting so far this season," Melendez said. "It's a long season, and we're counting on a lot of guys, and they're coming through for us." The Wildcats sent 12 men to the plate in the third. Durrence hit a towering three-run shot over the left-field fence, while Alejandro Jimenez had an RBI single and Brown ripped his second RBI double of the game.
Coach Robert Lucas realized one of his greatest fears about the FAMU baseball team – that his pitchers might have a disastrous day no matter how much hitting the Rattlers do. That became clear Tuesday afternoon at Moore-Kittles Field, where the Rattlers lost two seven-inning games to Campbell University. The Camels (8-1) took the first game 7-0 then FAMU's pitching collapsed in a 16-6 loss.
Yes, this is the same team that scored 41 runs in the two previous games. That gave Lucas a bit of optimism just four days ago, but inconsistencies by his pitchers spurred Lucas' ire. Pitching coach Brett Richardson was just as furious over what transpired on the mound. What he saw was enough to begin tinkering with the rotation, Richardson said.
"You can talk a whole bunch about confidence, but confidence is something you can't give a guy," Richardson said. "Either you've got it or you don't." Despite their troubles on the mound, the Rattlers out-hit Campbell in both games (9-8 and 15-10). FAMU never led in the second game and it left nine runners on base for a total of 18 in both games.
The University of South Carolina - Beaufort baseball team wasn't intimidated by its first NCAA Division I opponent -- in fact, the Sand Sharks played the role of bully. Designated hitter Jon Schmidt's grand slam in the first inning set the tone, and the Sand Sharks pounded Savannah State, 15-6, on the road Tuesday, snapping a three-game losing streak and starting a string of five consecutive days with games on the right foot.
Schmidt's third home run of the season was the only hit USCB managed against Tigers starter Mark Sherrod, but knuckleballer Nick Rhodes and three relievers made it stand up until the Sand Sharks could break it open with a seven-run eighth and a three-run ninth. Gabe Torres, T.J. Kemp and DeShontay Berry each drove in two runs, as the Sand Sharks snapped out of an offensive funk after scoring only one run in a doubleheader against Warner University on Saturday. Dustin Britt, Kemp and Rossetti had two hits apiece for USCB.
Rhodes (3-1) had another solid start, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. Ryan Kroko allowed one run in two innings of relief, Colton Rudd gave up an unearned run in an inning of work and Kyle McCullough allowed one run in pitching the ninth. The Sand Sharks are members of the NAIA Sun Conference and records their first victory against a NCAA Division I program.
Bethune - Cookman head baseball coach Mervyl Melendez
Simpson handles first college start well
COMPTON, Calif. -- Making your first collegiate start as a freshman pitcher is never an easy task. And when you're making that start more than 2,500 miles away from your school, in a high-profile tournament at MLB's Urban Youth Academy, it doesn't get any easier. But Bethune-Cookman left-hander Ali Simpson handled the pressure well, tossing 6 2/3 quality innings to lead the Wildcats to a 10-4 win over Southern University on Sunday in the final game of the second annual Urban Invitational at the Academy.
"He was definitely good today, and he gave us the edge," Bethune-Cookman head coach Mervyl Melendez. "He did a good job of keeping them off balance, and it gives some security to our hitters, because they know they don't have to do it all themselves." Simpson was admittedly a little bit nervous before his start, and it showed early, as he allowed the first three runners to reach base before Melendez came to the mound and talked to him.
"Coach calmed me down a little bit," Simpson said. "He told me it was the same game I've been playing all my life." Melendez's advice worked, as Simpson settled down and retired the next three batters. It gave him confidence, and he went on to allow just three runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine
FAMU Coach Robert Lucas cleans Rattlers house; only 12 players return from last year's squad
With less than half of the players from last year's roster returning to FAMU's baseball team, coach Robert Lucas has reloaded the Rattlers with a mix of transfers and walk-ons. At least two football players are expected to join the team along with transfer outfielders Stavone Martin and Tobi Adeyemi. Their presence should bolster the Rattlers offensively, said Lucas, who has shaken up his team's personnel after they were unable to carry late-season momentum into the MEAC tournament.
"We talked about last year and the disappointment we had in the tournament for one day," Lucas said. "There is no point in us belaboring the fact that we didn't do what we were supposed to do. I think not bringing it up is going to help us focus on the things we need to do fundamentally." FAMU will have a much different look when the season starts with a doubleheader against Jackson State on Feb. 20. Only 12 players, including infielder/pitcher Tim Schalch and MEAC MVP pitcher Jared Jefferies, will return from last year's squad.
Of the 14 players who won't return, only two were lost to graduation, Lucas said. "After a while, you have to make some decisions on education and athletics," he said, explaining the cuts that he's made. "I felt from what I didn't see in their abilities that it was time for them to work on their academics."
Athleticism comes easy for 18-year-old Spencer Johnson. Maybe it's the simple fact that it's a family affair. His father, Larry, played football for Jacksonville State University in Alabama and his mother, Phyllis, was on the tennis team for Miami University in Ohio. Both of his sisters, Megan, 19 (University of West Florida), and Emily, 20 (Howard University), earned full academic and athletic scholarships for softball. Now it's Spencer's turn. He received a scholarship to pitch for Bethune-Cookman University, becoming Ed White High School's first Division I signee in baseball in 15 years.
"They saw what I was capable of," Johnson said. After the historically black university took note of his 90-mph fastball, it offered him a full academic and athletic scholarship. His parents are proud that all three of their kids have full rides to college. "After seeing our daughters succeed," Larry said, "it's truly been a blessing to see Spence get a shot at it." It was an uphill battle for the senior, however. Standing next to the 6-foot-2, 215-pound man (who benches close to 300 pounds), you wouldn't have a clue that his health was once a challenge. By the time he was 11, Johnson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, the same illness that affects Jaguars quarterback David Garrard.
Two of Southern’s latest baseball signees checked in with school beginning this week.
Terrell Stringer, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-handed pitcher originally from Phenix City, Ala., was the 1,264th pick (42nd round) by the New York Mets in 2006, when he was a Class 6A All-State honorable mention at Smiths Station High.
Shortstop/second baseman D.J. Henderson (6-2, 175) of Southeastern High School in Detroit was picked in the 30th round, with the 916th overall pick, by the Philadelphia Phillies. Stringer further bolsters a pitching staff, while Henderson can help fill in at second base. “Terrell was the one we had to have,” Cador said. “We tried to recruit him out of high school, and we got him two years later. We needed that one big arm.”
ORLANDO — Bethune-Cookman University freshman pitcher Joseph Munoz recently was named the Most Valuable Pitcher for the Orlando Suns during the Florida Collegiate Summer League (FCSL). Munoz finished the summer with a perfect 6-0 record and an ERA of just 1.33 through 40.2 innings of action. He also posted 34 strikeouts and had three saves out of the bullpen, though seeing most his action as a starter for the Suns.
The Suns finished in fifth place for the year. Munoz was a three-time FCSL Pitcher of the Week for the Suns, as well as being the only Suns player to hold a perfect record as a starter. He finished his freshman season at B-CU with 20 strikeouts collected in 25 innings on the bump for the Maroon and Gold.
Carver baseball standout Cedric Coleman has played more baseball games than anyone he knows at Carver. As a matter of fact, he finished his prep career second on the all-time list of games played at CHS.
“He’s played in just about every game,” said Carver head baseball coach Melvin Palmer. “He’s been a tremendous impact player for us for four years. Anytime you lose a four-year starter it’s big. He impacted the team in every game. We’re also losing a leader. He’s the type of guy that motivated other players to play hard.”
Coleman played rather well for the Yellowjackets too. He finished with a .410 batting average. Coleman had a .640 slugging percentage, to go along with a .450 on base percentage. He also finished with 37 RBIs, 12 triples, 32 doubles, 54 runs scored, 24 steals and 22 strikeouts in four years. Those numbers, as well as a few other things helped Coleman get a scholarship to play baseball for North Carolina Central University. He signed his letter of intent in front of family and friends last Friday — one day before graduating from Carver.
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- Matt Wright went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs, and Bethune-Cookman clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season title with a 7-3 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Sunday.
