WSSU losing two assistant coaches

Bobby Collins, the men's basketball coach at Winston-Salem State, gave credit for his team's successes to the assistant coaches as often as possible. Whether it was in recruiting or in preparing for opponents, Collins said that Murray Garvin and Byron Jones were valuable assets for the Rams.

But next season, he'll be without them — both have left WSSU and moved on to other jobs. Garvin, WSSU's associate head coach for the past three seasons, has taken an assistant coach's job at S.C. State. Jones, who played a part in the Rams' 19-8 record and CIAA Southern Division title last season, has taken a job at Fresno State.

"It's good that my coaches are being noticed," Collins said. "I think that proves that my system works pretty well when you get the right players and the right mix." Collins said he hopes to hire new assistants by July 1 and said he already has received nearly 50 résumés.


Videographer: QCQT09

North's Collins to play golf at WSSU

SPENCER, N.C. — North Rowan’s Kyle Collins’ future was mapped out at the age of five. No one realized it at the time but when he visited his grandfather in Las Vegas as a little kid, a golfer was born.

“My grandfather got me started,” said Collins, who has accepted a scholarship to Winston-Salem State. “I picked it up pretty early. I always remember practicing my putting. I’d put a cup down and just hit it into the hole in the cup. I still do it to this day.”

Collins has played golf for Kelly Everhart for four years but this season, he had his sights set on impressing someone enough to get a scholarship. He was shooting in the high-30s to low-40s over nine holes when he started looking at colleges. “I was comparing my scores to all the colleges and thought Winston-Salem State would be the best fit,” he said.

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WSSU Rams fall in regional baseball

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Nick Gillung struck out 10 batters in the first four innings and allowed just three hits in seven innings Friday as Mercyhurst defeated Winston-Salem State 7-2 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional baseball tournament.

Despite finishing with just four hits, the Rams stayed close through 51/2 innings, trailing just 2-1. Mercyhurst broke the game open with three runs in the sixth, then added two insurance runs in the eighth. In the sixth, Mercyhurst used three consecutive singles to push across one run, then scored two more on an Ethan Santora double, making it 5-1.

Rams Open NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional with a 7-2 Loss to #17 Mercyhurst

LANCASTER, PA - The Winston-Salem State Rams (30-24) struggled to get their offense going in a tough 7-2 loss to the Mercyhurst Lakers (40-23), Friday afternoon. The Rams gave their best effort in the game, but the runs were hard to come by for the Rams as the team managed just four hits and two runs in the hard-fought loss.

Though the Rams, took the loss, the game gave a great defensive effort to keep the game in reach, trailing 2-1 through the first six innings, but the Rams were outscored 5-1 in the final four innings of play to take the loss. The Rams struggled against the Mercyhurst pitching with just four hits on the day and 16 WSSU strikeouts in the loss. The Rams were able to get on the scoreboard with some clutch hitting as junior catcher Michael Robbins forced an error to third base with a sacrifice bunt that scored junior second baseman Jordan Graham. Freshman outfielder Andrew Smith added a sixth-inning RBI single that drove in sophomore centerfielder German Reyes. The two runs were all that the Rams could muster, however as the team finished the day with the loss.

Box Score

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Winston Salem State back and thriving

After 37 years, Rams baseball is reimplemented and succeeding

Winston-Salem, N.C. - For nearly 40 years, baseball at Winston-Salem State only lived on in memories. Perhaps once in awhile those memories would be dusted off by former players, but the idea of the sport ever coming back to life after being dismantled in 1973 seemed unlikely.

Everything changed when the school decided to put the brakes on its transition to Division I. The thing is, to do that, it had to revive the baseball program because the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association requires all schools to offer the sport.

Revive, as it turns out, might be an understatement. All the Rams have done this season is command attention, winning 30 games, taking home the title in the CIAA tournament and punching a ticket to its first ever NCAA Division II tournament.

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WSSU wins CIAA tournament

PETERSBURG, Va. -- Winston-Salem State defeated St. Augustine's twice Saturday, 7-6 and 3-0, to win the CIAA tournament championship and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

WSSU (30-19) had to win the first game to force the second in the double-elimination tournament after losing 3-2 to St. Aug's in Thursday's opener. The Rams took a 7-2 lead in the first game, then survived a four-run rally by the Falcons (36-18).

Reliever John Markley struck out Kevin White with the tying run on third and the winning run on second to end the game, and Andrew Smith went 3 for 5. In the second game, Markley (5-3) pitched seven shutout innings, and Brice Rivenbark pitched the last two for his second save of the year. Markley allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three.

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Salisbury's Isis Miller to WSSU

SALISBURY, N.C. — Salisbury girls basketball coach Chris McNeil had a feisty group on and off the court this season. “The toughest competition of all was to see who could get the highest GPA,” McNeil said. “They were all over 3.0s. They pushed each other hard in the classroom.”

Not only did the Hornets go 27-1 and win their third straight 2A state championship, they will have six seniors moving on to play college basketball.

The latest to sign is 5-foot-10 post player Isis Miller. She’s headed to Division II CIAA school Winston-Salem State. The always upbeat Miller was a big part of that daily quiz bowl on the basketball team.

“There was a lot of emphasis on schoolwork on the team and also from my mom,” Miller said. “She always told me there were no C’s allowed in her house. I’ve made all A’s and B’s in high school except one. I had one ‘C’ in pre-calculus.”

Prep Sports: Salisbury salutes three title teams

SALISBURY, N.C. — A decade ago, Salisbury High’s athletic program was suffering through its own version of the Great Depression. At least as far as the high-profile, flagship sports.

A 3-8 football season in the fall of 2000 was followed by the girls and boys basketball squads combining for a 10-34 record in a dreary winter in which a doubleheader sweep over anybody would have prompted a parade down Lincolnton Road. The Hornets’ indoor struggle was followed by the arrival of spring and a 6-15 baseball season.

 But that’s ancient history now.

Today, even with its enrollment down to 885, and with 72 percent of its students classified as “economically disadvantaged,” Salisbury has been rebuilt into a model environment that is churning out major scholars as well as ACC athletes.

Salisbury girls win again

Salisbury’s girls soccer team stayed unbeaten with a 6-0 romp against CCC opponent East Davidson on Monday. The Hornets (10-0-2, 5-0 CCC) opened up a two-game lead in the conference race at the midway point. Catawba signee Karen Presnell dominated the match, scoring four goals.

“She’s in a zone right now,” Salisbury coach Matt Parrish said. “She’s playing exceptional, high-level soccer.”

Susannah Dixon scored her first goal as a Hornet, burying a shot to the back post five minutes into the match to put fifth-ranked Salisbury on top and set the tone.

Salisbury Boys and Girls Track Teams

Salisbury boys and girls track teams won the Western Carolina High School Invitational meet in Cullowhee on Saturday. Salisbury’s girls scored 129 points to top A.C. Reynolds (88), North Buncombe (87) and 15 other teams, mostly from the mountains.

Salisbury’s Summer Taylor won the long jump (15 feet, 11 inches) and triple jump (33-0), while Alisha Bradshaw took the shot put (42-8) and discus (120-8).

Katherine Shields won the 1600 (5:23.17), and the 4x400 relay team also finished first in 4:16.89. Emily Shields placed third in the 800 (2:27.06), Ayanna Holmes was third in the high jump (4-6), and Cheyenne Gloster was third in the shot (29-6). Salisbury also was third in the 4x200 relay.

Salisbury's Heilig leads East all-stars, wins MVP

The Salisbury girls' basketball team, which has has claimed three straight state championships, is used to winning. Saturday afternoon, coach Chris McNeil and three of his best players led the East All-Star team to a 63-52 win in the Charlotte Pro-Am Classic at Providence Day.

Senior Jessica Heilig (Gardner Webb signee) was the most valuable player, scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds. The East also got big contributions from her Salisbury teammates Olivia Rankin (Charlotte signee), who added 16 points and seven rebounds; and Ayanna Holmes (Charlotte signee), who had seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

"It helps a lot to have familiar players around, especially late in the game because you know what to expect from them," Heilig said.

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WSSU plays in CIAA baseball tournament today

Winston-Salem State's first baseball season since 1973 has been successful, and coach Kevin Ritsche is hoping the success continues during the CIAA Baseball Tournament in Petersburg, Va.

WSSU, seeded No. 3, will take on No. 2 St. Augustine's at 10 a.m. today to open the four-team double-elimination tournament. No. 1 Chowan will play No. 4 Virginia State at 1 p.m., and the first-game losers will meet in an elimination game at 4 p.m. The title game is scheduled for Saturday.

"A true measure of how we've done this season will be if we can win the CIAA," said Ritsche, who has one of the best pitching teams in the league. "That was our goal at the start of the season, to win the conference, and we have a chance to do that."

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Some Sports Could Be Cut as WSSU Faces Budget Deficit

 

Some sports could be cut as Winston-Salem State University works to recover a $3.9 million deficit in its athletic program. The school went back to Division II this year after four years in the Division I ranks. That saved $2 million, but left the aforementioned $3.9 million deficit.

The downgrade has led to an upgrade in basketball game attendance, increasing by nearly 400 a game this year.

"Attendance was definitely up. It was more support for the team, especially since the basketball team went to the CIAA this year," said Kelsey Mobley, student.

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NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional: Shaw men roll over WSSU 75-47

WEST LIBERTY, W. Va. -- Shaw didn’t have any hangover from its CIAA Tournament championship on its way to 75-47 thumping of conference-rival Winston-Salem State on Saturday in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.

The Bears (23-8) controlled the game throughout thanks to an effective fast break and the all-around play of point guard Tony Smith. The Bears, who won their sixth straight, will play top-seed and host West Liberty on Sunday in the semifinal of the region. West Liberty improved to 30-0 with a 117-73 win over Slippery Rock.

Greg Thomas led the Bears with 15 points and David Jones added 12 with Dwight Bell, Devon McLendon and Darryl Johnson added nine points each.

Bears Defense Smothers WSSU in NCAA Tourney Opener

West Liberty, WV - After a closely played first half, No. 4 seed Shaw found its transition game in the second - even with three starters on the bench with foul trouble - and easily defeated No. 5 seed Winston-Salem State in an NCAA opening round game played at the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex on the campus of West Liberty University.

With the win, Shaw (23-8) now advances to take on No. 1 seed and 30-0 West Liberty at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. WSSU finishes their season at 19-8.

"Both teams came out slowly," said Shaw Head Coach Cleo Hill, Jr. "Both teams were sluggish. Both teams had been off a while since the CIAA and you can practice all you want, but you can't simulate actual game situations."

Both teams were slow to find offense - and WSSU struggled offensively the entire game. Midway through the first half, Shaw held a six-point 15-9 lead. By the end of the first half, the two teams had combined for only 52 points -- only five more than Shaw would score alone in the second.

Rams Take Tough 75-47 Loss to Shaw at NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Regional Quarterfinal

WEST LIBERTY, WV - The Winston-Salem State Rams (19-8) just couldn't find the answers in a tough 75-47 loss to the Shaw Bears (23-8), Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Regional tournament. The Rams gave a solid overall effort, but the team struggled mightily in the second half to take the tough loss. Though the Rams shot a solid 41.7% from the field in the game, but the Rams shot 25% from the field in the second half with just six field goals made in the half and were outscored 47-23 to take the season-ending loss.

NEXT GAME: SHAW BEARS (23-8) vs. WEST LIBERTY (30-0) --SUNDAY, MARCH 13@ 7:35 p.m.  VIEW GAME LIVE ON INTERNET AT:  www.wltvonline.com OR CLICK HERE

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Winston-Salem State Earns At-Large Bid To NCAA Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - The Winston-Salem State Rams (19-7) received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, Sunday. Though the Rams fell short in the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) tournament, they will receive a shot at ultimate redemption when they face the 2011 CIAA champion Shaw Bears in the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.

"We didn't like the way the season ended. This will give us a chance to go out and make it right," WSSU men's basketball head coach Bobby Collins said.



 WSSU gets Division II bid

Winston-Salem State’s season will continue. The Rams (19-7) are seeded fifth in the eight-team Atlantic Region and will take on CIAA champion Shaw (22-8), the fourth seed, in the first round of the 64-team Division II Tournament on Saturday.

The winner of the Shaw-WSSU game will take on the winner of the West Liberty-Slippery Rock game in the second round on Sunday. West Liberty is 29-0 and is the seeded No.1 in the eight-team regional, and Slippery Rock (21-10) is seeded eighth.

West Liberty is located in West Virginia.

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Jordan Lifts Bowie State Past Winston-Salem State and into CIAA Semifinals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Named the CIAA Defensive Player of the Year, Bowie State junior Chanita Jordan (Philadelphia, PA, University City, North Carolina State) is known for blocking a multitude of shots.

But she changed this game on offense.

Jordan, who averages just 8.3 points per game, scored seven in a span of 50 seconds midway through the second half in Bowie State’s decisive run to lift the Lady Bulldogs past Winston-Salem State 63-56 on Tuesday evening and into the CIAA Tournament semifinals.

Jordan finished with just two rebounds, though she did record four blocked shots – more on those in a minute -- but the 6-foot-4 junior center led the No. 2 seed from the CIAA North with 15 points on six-of-13 shooting. Her seven points in less than a minute fueled a 13-3 Bowie State run that gave the Lady Bulldogs a 52-40 lead with 8:31 to go.

“I just had to make sure I had the right form,” said Jordan, “and fortunately, they went in today.” But don’t think for a moment that Jordan is thinking about changing her game.

When Winston-Salem State (17-11) managed to trim the deficit under 10 points with less than six minutes remaining, Jordan swatted away back-to-back shots from the Lady Rams’ Jazmine Wilson deep in the paint as the Lady Bulldogs (18-9) were able to stem the Winston-Salem State comeback attempt.

Lady Rams take Heartbreaking 63-56 Loss in CIAA Quarterfinals

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (17-11) gave it their all, but the team fell short in a heartbreaking 63-56 loss to the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs (18-9) in the quarterfinal round of the 2011 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) tournament, Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Rams played a great game, but could not overcome a big second half effort by the Lady Bulldogs.

"It was a hard fought ballgame for us. I really think we had a three-minute stretch during the second half where we really lost the ballgame," WSSU head women's basketball coach Stephen Joyner, Jr. said. "I think outside of that three-minute stretch, we actually played pretty even with them and actually had them in the ballgame that we wanted. But nevertheless, we didn't finish out what we came here to do and Bowie [State] moves on."

Box Score | Photo Gallery

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NEXT GAME: 3 P.M. FRIDAY, VS. Johnson C. Smith University
VIEW GAME LIVE AT: theciaa.com -- or CLICK HERE

WSSU wins division title

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- With little coming easy for the Winston-Salem State Rams this season, it was no surprise that clinching the CIAA's Southern Division on Saturday night was hard work.

The Rams nearly let a 17-point lead slip away before holding off Fayetteville State 74-69 in front of more than 4,000 at Capel Arena. And when it was finally over, there was plenty of celebrating, especially among the veterans on the team.

"Wow, that's really all I can say," said Coach Bobby Collins of the Rams, whose team will get a top seed in this week's CIAA Tournament in Charlotte. WSSU will have a first-round bye and won't play until Thursday's quarterfinals.

Fayetteville State rally falls short against Winston-Salem State

Fayetteville State failed in an attempt to play spoiler Saturday and springboard itself into next week's CIAA Tournament with momentum. But just barely.

The Broncos clawed their way back from a 17-point second-half deficit and had a chance to tie the score in the final seconds before falling to Winston-Salem State, 74-69, before a crowd of 4,594 at Capel Arena.

Winston-Salem State guard Andrew Jackson stripped the ball with about 15 seconds to play from FSU's Sidney Evans, who appeared to be about to launch a potential game-tying 3-point shot from near the top of the circle. The play sealed the Broncos' fate and a 13-13 regular-season finish. The Rams (19-6) clinched the CIAA Southern Division and a coveted first-round bye in the CIAA Tournament.

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WSSU to seek division title against Fayetteville State

The road to this season's CIAA Southern Division title goes through Fayetteville.

Winston-Salem State, tied for first place, can win the division title with a win today at Fayetteville State. The Rams (18-6, 6-3 Southern Division) also can lose the game and win the title if Shaw loses tonight to St. Augustine's.

Tipoff for the game between WSSU (18-6, 6-3) and Fayetteville State (13-12, 4-5) in Capel Arena is 5 p.m.

WSSU is coming off one of its most impressive wins of the season, 59-49 over Shaw at the Gaines Center. Six seniors got a win in their final home game and can add to their success with a division title and first-round bye in the CIAA Tournament.

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Tenth no-hitter in Francis Marion school history beats Winston-Salem State

FLORENCE, S.C. – Sophomore right-hander Don Sandifer tossed the 10th no-hitter in school history, allowing only two baserunners, as Francis Marion beat Winston-Salem State 13-0, Saturday afternoon in non-conference play.

FMU (6-3) picks up its fourth consecutive win, while Winston-Salem State drops to 5-6. Francis Marion will play host to Benedict College at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Sandifer (2-1), a native of Bamberg, S.C., fanned a career-high 14 batters and walked only one. That free pass came with two outs in the fifth inning. Earlier in the frame, a Ram batter reached on an FMU infield error but was then erased on a double-play line-out. The 14 punchouts were the most by a Patriot in four seasons and only three shy of the school record.

The 2010 Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year recorded eight ground ball-outs, one line-out, one pop-up, and only two fly-ball outs.

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Thomas, Killebrew lead WSSU Lady Rams to first CIAA title in school history

Final Results

Hampton, VA - The Winston-Salem State Lady Rams claimed their first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association indoor track & field championship Sunday after a specatular two-day effort at the meet. The Lady Rams finished the meet with a team total of 99 points, topping second-place Johnson C. Smith's 95 total points. It was the strong performances in the middle distance and relay events that propelled the team to its first indoor track & field championship in school history.

"We knew what we had in our athletes and believed in them and this weekend, they performed," WSSU interim head track & field coach Inez Turner said. "We used a great strategy and everybody stepped up."

The Lady Rams played to their strengths as the team dominated middle distance and field events at the meet. After winning the women's distance medley relay on the first day of the meet, the Lady Rams kept things going on the second day, taking four of the top five spots in the women's 800m run. Freshman Brittney Killebrew, the 2010 CIAA Women's Cross Country champion, took first place in the women's 800m run with a 2:27.44 while sophomore Manuela Rigaud added a strong second-place finish in 2:28.75. Fellow sophomore Tyrah Winfrey took third in the event with a 2:29.06 while senior Ashley Fraser added a fifth place finish at 2:33.19.

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By WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations

Shaw Bears turns back WSSU Rams

RALEIGH -- The race for the CIAA's Southern Division title just got a little more interesting. Shaw made all the right moves on Saturday night to come away with a 77-64 victory against Winston-Salem State at sold-out Spaulding Gym. One Shaw official was asked how many Spaulding actually seats. His reply: "It seats 1,000. … Well, it seats 1,000 skinny people."

The Rams were a little shell-shocked out of the gate playing in such a small gym and fell behind by 17, thanks to the Bears (15-7, 4-2 Southern Division) scoring on 10 of their first 13 possessions. The Rams (16-5, 4-2) finally did get it together late in the first half.

"This was the smallest, hottest gym I've ever been in," said forward McIntoche Alcius of the Rams. "And it was a tough crowd out there."

Strong Performances Lead Shaw Past Winston-Salem State

(Raleigh, NC) - Shaw got zero points from its bench Saturday night, but four of the five starters scored 17 points or more to lead the Bears past Winston-Salem State 77-64 in a CIAA divisional game played at C. C. Spaulding Gymnasium.

Shaw (15-7, 8-5 CIAA) built a big lead early, and while Winston-Salem State (16-5, 9-4 CIAA) tied the game with their first bucket in the second half, they did not hold a lead at any time in the game.

The Bears seemed equally comfortable from the arc and the paint, hitting nine of 23 three-point attempts and garnering 32 points in the paint (versus 22 for the Rams).

Coming off a career-high 27-point performance against Livingstone Monday night, Dwight Bell started the game hot – scoring Shaw's first eight points, on the way to what would become a 16-2 lead with 14:40 remaining in the first.

Second Half Scoring Surge Powers Shaw Lady Bears Past WSSU 73-53

(Raleigh, NC) - The Shaw women's basketball team used a 34-9 scoring run at the start of the second half to power past Winston-Salem State 73-53 in a CIAA divisional contest played at C. C. Spaulding Gymnasium.

Shaw (14-10, 7-6 CIAA) and Winston-Salem State (14-8, 9-4 CIAA) played a see-saw first half, but the Lady Bears stormed through the opening ten minutes of the second half to build a lead that never fell below 20 in the last eight minutes of the game.

The Lady Rams opened the game with a hot shooting hand from the three-point line, with Jasmine Newkirk hitting three three-pointers to build an 11-2 lead with 15:33 left in the half.

Demaria Liles, in her first game for the Lady Bears, hit two unanswered buckets, then Kyria Buford added two more – one a three pointer – to tie the game at 11. Aslea Williams would then add four unanswered points of her own, allowing Shaw to take a 15-11 lead with 9:05 left in the first.

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Videographer: ShawUniv; 2011 CIAA TICKETS ON SALE

WSSU Peay following in footsteps of his parents

Maybe William Peay should be a history major.

Peay, a freshman basketball player at Winston-Salem State, probably knows more about the history of WSSU than anybody on campus. Peay, a former star at Reagan, has been deeply schooled in WSSU's storied history. His parents, William and Brenda, are 1974 graduates of WSSU and have been active boosters for many years.

"It's amazing," Peay said. "I didn't know I'd wind up here but I always wanted to come; and so when I got the chance, I was ecstatic with the opportunity."

There aren't a lot of young players who dream of one day putting on the WSSU uniform. But Peay is different. If his mother and father weren't regaling him with tales of their time in school — when Big House Gaines ruled the CIAA in basketball and Bill Hayes ruled the CIAA in football — his godfather, Devaldean Penn, was telling him one of his countless stories.

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Videographer: UrbanSportsITG

Harris: Does anyone care about Elizabeth City State's Michael Bonner?

Harris: Does anyone care about Michael Bonner?

At one end of the basketball court in the R.L. Vaughan Center are team photos for the Elizabeth City State teams. In the men’s basketball picture, one of the biggest smiles belongs to Perquimans graduate Michael Bonner. Although he didn’t know it then, it was the only time Bonner would put on an ECSU uniform.

Since then, Bonner has been getting a raw deal. And that is about as nice as I can put it and get it past my editors.

He should be playing with the Vikings and contributing as they make a run in the final weeks of the season. Instead, Bonner is watching the games from the stands. Always with a smile on his face...

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READ RELATED ARTICES:

ECSU's Bonner in limbo - The Daily Advance

Incoming ... Booner comes to ECSU - The Daily Advance

NOTE TO VIKINGS AND HBCU FANS:

Please pass the link to this story "Harris: Does anyone care about Michael Bonner?" on to your friends and let us all assist this deserving student-athlete in receiving a fair decision from CIAA Commissioner Leon G. Kerry.

ECSU beat writer Will Harris of the Daily Advance Newspaper is on point -- that student Michael Bonner has received a raw deal from the professionals that he and his family trusted to provide the proper guidance for both his academic and athletic careers. Why should he suffer for their incompetency?

Will you help by bringing political pressure on the CIAA Commissioner's Office to provide Mr. Michael Bonner with a quick waiver of this silly two-year rule, that should not be applied to the Winston Salem State University situation? Please express your support and ask the Commissioner to render a decision, now, that is long overdue to Mr. Bonner and his family.

You may contact the CIAA commissioner's office at:

Mr. Leon Kerry, Commissioner
E-mail: LeonKerry@aol.com
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Post Office Box 7349
22 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 210
Hampton, Virginia 23666
E-Mail: TheCIAA@aol.com
Office: 757-865-0071
Fax: 757-865-8436

We appreciate your support and assistance on this effort for this deserving CIAA student-athlete. Thank you.

beepbeep

P.S. If this was my son, I would be breaking out a can of whoop ass on the Commissioner's office -- but I won't go there today.


Videographer: UrbanSportsITG

WSSU Rams Open 2011 Season with Tough 4-3 Loss at Wingate

WINGATE, NC - The wait is over as Rams baseball made its return after a 37-year hiatus, but the return was a bittersweet one as the Winston-Salem State Rams (0-1) could not hold on in a tough 4-3 loss at Wingate (1-0), Tuesday evening. The Rams had a solid day, holding a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but four unanswered runs by the Bulldogs in the final three innings ended the day with the WSSU loss.

"First game or not, it's disappointing that we didn't play baseball for nine innings; we played for seven innings," WSSU head baseball coach Kevin Ritsche said following the tough loss. "We had some runners on base in scoring position with only one out and we get them across. We only had one error so I can't be too upset about, but it was a costly error."

The WSSU offense had a solid day with eight total hits for the game and took advantage of three Wingate errors to score three unearned runs. Junior outfielder Brice Rivenbark led the effort with two hits and two RBI in the game. Junior catcher Michael Robbins added a hit and a pair of runs scored.

'Dogs rally for 4-3 win over Rams in season opener

Wingate, N.C.----The defending South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate University Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to rally for a 4-3 victory over the Rams of Winston-Salem State University in the 2011 season opener Tuesday afternoon at Ron Christopher Stadium and Plyler Athletic Field. Wingate is 1-0 on the season, while the Rams, playing their first game since 1973, are 0-1.

Junior outfielder Casey Allison (Horse Shoe, N.C.) was two-for-three with a double and a run scored to lead the Wingate offense. Redshirt sophomore first baseman Brian Yeung (Raleigh, N.C.) had a pair of hits and an RBI for the Bulldogs, while redshirt sophomore infielder James Tedder (Clemmons, N.C.) was one-for-three with an RBI.

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Winston Salem Rams' reborn baseball program to open season today

After a 37-year absence, baseball is back at Winston-Salem State.

The Rams, with their program resurrected, are scheduled to open their season at 3 p.m. today at Wingate. And although there was rain in the forecast Monday night, there's only a 10-percent chance of precipitation at Wingate this afternoon. "We are monitoring the weather, but we hope we can play (today)," Coach Kevin Ritsche said.

Outfielder Dominique Fitzgerald, also a wide receiver on the football team, will start in center field and said he's looking forward to seeing how the Rams will fare. "It's exciting for the school to be playing baseball again," said Fitzgerald, a junior from Danville, Va. "It's going to be interesting to see how we can compete as a first-year program."

Rams 2011 Baseball Schedule

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