Grambling Legends to induct third class into Sports Hall of Fame

The Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame will induct its third class of honorees during a gala ceremony to be held Saturday, July 16, at the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center on the campus of Grambling State University.

This year’s honorees include former NFL Pro Bowl MVP James “Shack” Harris, former Super Bowl champions Gary “Big Hands” Johnson and Everson Walls, former NBA champion Larry Wright and Douglas Porter, already a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Tickets may be purchased through the PayPal link on the group’s Web site, at gramblinglegends.net, or by contacting Albert Dennis III by phone at (318) 261-0898 or by email at albertdennis3@bellsouth.net.

Biographical details on this year’s class of inductees follow:

FRANK GARNETT (baseball) – A New Orleans native, Garnett was a three-sport letterman and a state champion in both baseball and basketball at St. Augustine High. He then served as a team captain on the 1962-63 Grambling baseball teams, as the Tigers advanced to the national NAIA baseball tournament for the third of what would be four times between 1961-67. He was named all-conference in each of his four years on campus – once at first base, twice at third base and once a shortstop – and earned first-team All-America honors in 1963. Garnett, later a longtime Los Angeles area educator, then signed a baseball contract with the Washington Senators, and played seven seasons of minor league baseball.

JAMES “SHACK” HARRIS (football) – A senior personnel executive for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, the Monroe, Louisiana, native led Grambling to SWAC championships in each of his four years as quarterback and was named MVP of the 1967 Orange Blossom Classic. Drafted by the AFL’s Buffalo Bills, he would become the first black player to start a season at quarterback, the first to start a conference championship game and the first to be named MVP of the Pro Bowl over the course of a career that also included stops with the Rams and Chargers.

TASHA HOLLIS (women’s basketball) – A standout at Grambling from 1988-91, the Mobile, Alabama, native scored a total of 2,058 points. She boasted a career shot percentage of 58 percent, and a free-throw average of 64 percent. That included scoring in double figures 75 times in 85 games played. The Lady Tigers, under fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Pat Bibbs, claimed the SWAC regular-season and tournament titles in 1988-89. Hollis also notched double figures in rebounds in 69 career games, and had 140 blocked shots and 142 steals.

DELLES HOWELL (football) – Famously started at Grambling as a freshman cornerback, then in the NFL as a rookie. The Monroe, Louisiana, native starred on a trio of Southwestern Athletic Conference title teams for fellow Grambling Legends Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson, then for the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets in a six-season NFL career – collecting 17 career interceptions. He has found a second calling in the ministry, serving as pastor of New Light Baptist Church in northeastern Louisiana.

JAMES “HOUND” HUNTER (football) – Drafted 10th overall out of Grambling, where the two-time All-SWAC corner claimed a league championship in 1974, Hunter led the NFL’s Detroit Lions in interceptions in 1976-77 and in 1980, eventually logging 27 career picks. Hunter was runner-up for NFL defensive rookie of the year before a neck injury in the early 1980s shortened a promising pro career. He died of an apparent heart attack in 2010; Hunter was just 56.

GARY “BIG HANDS” JOHNSON (football) – A three-time All-SWAC defensive tackle, the Shreveport, Louisiana, helped Grambling to a trio of conference titles before becoming the first pick of the 1975 draft for San Diego, playing for the Chargers until a 1984 trade to San Francisco – where he won a Super Bowl. Johnson made the Pro Bowl in each of the 1980-83 campaign, setting a 17 ½ sack season record for San Diego that still stands. Johnson died in August 2010 at age 57, having never recovered from a stroke he suffered the previous July.



JAMES JONES (basketball) – Averaged 20 points and 8 rebounds a night over 104 career games, as fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Fred Hobdy led the Tigers to three SWAC championships, then was selected 13th overall by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1967 NBA Draft. He finished as one of the old ABA’s all-time leaders in every category, becoming just the second in league history to score more than 2,000 points in one season. Jones played seven years in the ABA and then three with the NBA’s Washington Bullets.

FRANK LEWIS (football) – Part of the Pittsburgh Steelers first two Super Bowl-winning squads, Lewis helped Grambling to a SWAC crown and then led the league in scoring over his final two seasons. A two-time all-conference wingback, he finished with 42 career touchdowns at Grambling, then had nearly 400 receptions and 40 touchdowns in the NFL. Later an all-pro with the Buffalo Bills, Lewis was the first player in league history to gain 100 yards in receiving in postseason games for two different clubs. He is employed in workforce development in south Louisiana.

ALEX PERO (baseball) – In 1962-63, Pero had a staggering 0.00 ERA to help Grambling to the national NAIA baseball tournament. Grambling led the nation in ERA that season, and the team would earn NAIA berths four times between 1961-67 under fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach R.W.E. Jones. In 1965, Pero set a Division II mark for strikeouts per nine innings amongst 50-game starters that to this day remains second all time. He played for three seasons in the minor leagues. Pero passed in 2009 at age 65.

EVERSON WALLS (football) – An all-conference selection for the SWAC champion Tigers, Walls led the nation in interceptions in 1980 – setting a school record that still stands. He then played 14 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, leading the league in picks in both 1982 and 1985, earning All-Pro honors three times and a Super Bowl after the 1990 season with the Giants. The Texas native works as a businessman in Dallas.


VISIT: GIFTFORLIFEFOUNDATION

ROBERT WOODS (track and field; football) – A two-sport star, Woods left Grambling in 1978 with a SWAC championship and all-conference honors as an undersized but unstoppable wingback for fellow Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson. He was the Bayou Classic MVP of 1977, then was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in ’78. Woods played two seasons in the NFL. Now executive director of a residential treatment center for adolescents in Houston, Texas, he has worked in the mental health field for more than 20 years.

LARRY WRIGHT (basketball) – Wright, of Richwood, Louisiana, helped Grambling to the 1976 league tournament championship and then led the Washington Bullets to an NBA title in 1978. A former head basketball coach for the Tigers, Wright was a two-time all-conference selection, a two time NCAA small college All-American and the SWAC player of the year in 1975-76. Later, Wright was a celebrated player overseas, earning MVP honors as Roma claimed its first-ever European title. He currently serves as an associate high school principal in northeastern Louisiana.

AL DENNIS JR. (pre-1960 honoree) – A New Orleans native and World War II veteran, the late Dennis was one of Grambling’s most celebrated early football captains. Playing from 1946-49, he was a two-time All-America blocker for future College Hall of Famer Paul “Tank” Younger. In 1968, he would become the first African-American to receive a master’s degree in health and physical education from Northwestern State University in Louisiana. He coached and taught for more than 45 years, notably at Brown High in Springhill, Louisiana.

DOUGLAS PORTER (contributor) – A former assistant at Grambling under Eddie Robinson, Porter was a head coach at FCS programs Mississippi Valley State (1961-65) and Howard (1974-78) and finally at Division II Fort Valley State (1979-94), earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame (2008). He has remained a trusted advisor for every coach to have succeeded Robinson, and was instrumental in the efforts to construct a museum in Robinson’s honor on the Grambling campus.

VISIT: GRAMBLING LEGENDS
VISIT: GRAMBLING STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: GSUTIGERS

WSSU stays committed to baseball program

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The CIAA’s decision to drop baseball is something coach Kevin Ritsche of Winston-Salem State has been bracing for.

When Elizabeth City State dropped its program before the 2014 season, the conference had slipped below the NCAA minimum of six schools sponsoring baseball to qualify for an automatic berth into region play. Even though the CIAA had five baseball programs, the NCAA gave the conference a break over the next three seasons, with the conference champion still getting rewarded with an automatic berth into regional play.

The conference decided to drop the sport because there was no sign of another CIAA school adding baseball to compete with teams already at WSSU, Chowan, Saint Augustine’s, Virginia State and Lincoln (Pa.).

WSSU athletics director Tonia Walker said the school is committed to the sport.

“We will maintain baseball as an independent sport with hopes that the CIAA will increase membership with other schools who play baseball or if current schools add it,” Walker said.

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A new color barrier?

Photo: Bethune Cookman University 2008 Baseball Team.

Baseball seeing fewer black athletes on deck.

Central High School junior Johnny Gray has never played organized baseball, although his friends have attempted to talk him into giving it a try. "They tell me I'd be good at it," said Gray, who plays basketball and runs track at Central. "But I'm so busy with basketball, I don't really have time."

Besides, Gray said, baseball just doesn't do anything for him. "It's kind of boring to me," he said. Gray's view seems typical of many young black athletes who dream of earning a college athletic scholarship. Baseball probably isn't their ticket. The number of black players in college baseball continues to decline, with black players comprising only 2.6 of the NCAA Division I total in 2006, the latest NCAA report.

That's down from 6 percent in a 2004 report by Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Lapchick isn't pointing fingers at the college game or its coaches. He said the dwindling number of blacks in baseball is an across-the-board problem.

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Florida A&M Baseball Announces 2017 Schedule

HEAD COACH JAMEY SHOUPPE
Courtesy FAMU Sports Information

TALLAHASSEE, Florida – Florida A&M baseball officially announces its 2017 schedule that will total 30 home games at Moore-Kittles Field and will begin on February 17 with a three-game opening series against Wofford College. FAMU will start the season playing 16 of its first 20 games at home at Moore-Kittles Field. The Rattlers will also play 14 games against in-state competition and eight games against opponents who played in the 2016 NCAA Baseball Tournament.

“Our staff and players are extremely excited for the upcoming season and the level of competition we’re able to face on our schedule in 2017, “head coach Jamey Shouppe said. “The players have put in a lot of time this fall and worked extremely hard, both on and off the field, this fall to prepare for the upcoming season. We’re extremely fortunate to have 30 home games this spring, which allows our fans to have the opportunity to come see up play more often and also gives our student athletes the ability to stay in class more during the spring semester.”

FAMU will host non-conference series against Wofford, George Washington, Mercer, East Tennessee State and Jackson State, while having single games versus Jacksonville, Alabama State and North Florida at Moore-Kittles Field. Florida A&M will also travel to Auburn, Florida, South Florida, Jacksonville, Mercer, Alabama State, and North Florida as part of its out of conference schedule.

The Rattlers begin their MEAC schedule the weekend of March 11-12 at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla. and the first home conference series is the following weekend, March 18-19, against Savannah State. FAMU will wrap up the regular season at North Carolina A&T on the weekend of May 12-13.

2017 FAMU Baseball Schedule

The 2017 MEAC Baseball Championship will once again be held in Salisbury, Maryland at Perdue Stadium, home of the Baltimore Orioles Single A team the Delmarva Shorebirds. The top three teams in each division of the MEAC will advance to the MEAC Baseball Championship.

Florida A&M is returning 16 players from a 2016 team that finished the regular season as the overall number one seed in the MEAC. Florida A&M also recorded its first 30-win season since 2003 and just the third 30-win season since becoming a Division I program in 1980. 2016 posted a strong offensive season as the Rattlers finished ranked in the top 10 nationally in three categories. FAMU also set program records in seven categories and finished in the top three of 19 different categories in program history.

With 21 newcomers to the fall roster, there has been plenty of competition for positions in the middle infield and in the outfield that was left vacant from graduating seniors following the 2016 season. With the addition of many talented new arms to help fill out the pitching staff, 2017 is poised to build off the success of 2016.

As always, fans can follow Rattler Baseball on Twitter @BaseballFAMU and on Facebook. Updated news is also always available at FAMUAthletics.com.

FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Late Rally Lifts ASU Hornets Over North Carolina Central

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- A four-run eighth inning rally lifted the Alabama State baseball team to a 9-8 win over North Carolina Central Sunday at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Trailing 7-5, Richard Amion led off the eighth with a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. Cesar Rivera beat out a grounder to the right side for an infield single, scoring Amion. After a sacrifice bunt by Richard Gonzalez moved Rivera to second base, Waldyvan Estrada's single to right field scored Rivera to tie the game at 7-7. Emmanuel Marrero then singled to right field, advancing Estrada to third. Branden Castro's perfectly executed safety squeeze bunt scored Estrada with the go-ahead run. Dexter Price then walked before Chase Waters' single into right field scored Marrero for a 9-7 lead.

Amion, Rivera, and Estrada each had three hits and scored two runs in the 19-hit attack for the Hornets (24-8), who won their sixth straight game in completing the three-game sweep.

"We sat on a five-run lead, and we know in baseball that's not enough," head coach Mervyl Melendez said of his team, which scored five runs in the first inning but did not score again until the late-game rally. "Teams at this level are going to be able to come back, they're going to make a run, and put some innings together. That was the case today. North Carolina Central did a very good job in doing just that to take the lead. I'm just extremely proud of our team. I've said it many times – when adversity hits, that's when we are at our strongest and play our best baseball. This is a very good victory, especially coming from behind."

Armando Ruiz (2-2) pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and a run in the ninth. With the tying run on third, he struck out Eric Kimber on a 1-2 pitch for the final out.

"You have to depend on guys who want the baseball," Melendez said of Ruiz. "I had every intention in the ninth inning to take him out the game, but he said 'I got it.' He was very firm about wanting the baseball with the game on the line. I stepped back, and watched him do his thing."

Alabama State scored five runs in the first inning to take an early lead. The Hornets began the game with four straight hits. Amion and Rivera each singled to right field, and Gonzalez' single to left scored Amion. Estrada then doubled to left center field, scoring Rivera and advancing Gonzalez to third. After an RBI groundout by Marrero scored Gonzalez for a 3-0 lead, Castro's sacrifice fly scored Estrada. Price then walked and later scored on a single up the middle by Einar Muniz for a 5-0 lead.

North Carolina Central (9-17-1) took the lead with three runs in the fourth and sixth innings, and a run in the seventh before the late-game rally by Alabama State, which improved to 8-0 on Sunday games this season.

"All the credit goes to this group of guys that believe in themselves," Melendez said. "They made a commitment last year, knowing they had to play better to win ball games. It's a true testament of the hard work they have put in during the offseason and early part of this season and I'm very happy for them."

The Hornets continue the five-game homestand Tuesday against Mercer and Wednesday against Jacksonville State, with first pitch both days at 6 p.m. at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.

Box Score

 COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION

UAPB 2018 spring baseball season kicks off on Feb. 16 in NOLA

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions baseball team will begin its 2018 spring season on February 16 as it faces Alcorn State University in New Orleans, Louisiana, at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark at the University of New Orleans. UAPB will also face Grambling State University (Feb. 17) and Alabama State University (Feb. 18) at the same location.

On February 20, the Golden Lions will travel to Kansas to face the University of Kansas at Hoglund Ball Park before the highly anticipated home opener and three-game series against the University of Tennessee at Martin on February 23, 24 and 25 at Torii Hunter Baseball Complex. UAPB will then head to Knoxville, Tennessee, to face the University of Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on February 28 before returning home to open up Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Southern University in a three-game series which will begin on March 2.

Another SWAC three-game series at home, this time against Grambling, will start on March 9. UAPB will then play host to Valparaiso University on the following weekend for another three-game series at Tori Hunter Baseball Complex.

On March 20, the Golden Lions will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to face Texas Christian University at Charlie and Marie Lupton Baseball Stadium before heading to Texas Southern University for a three-game series at Macgregor Park in SWAC play. On March 28, UAPB will head to Conway, Arkansas, to face in-state opponent University of Central Arkansas at Bear Stadium before hosting UCA at home on April 10.

The Golden Lions will head back to Texas on April 17 to face Stephen F. Austin at Jaycees Field before heading to Waco, Texas, to face Baylor University at Baylor Ballpark on April 18.

On April 24, UAPB will host the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in a much anticipated in-state game before returning the favor in Little Rock on May 8 at Gary Hogan Field.

On May 16, the 2018 SWAC Baseball Tournament will begin at Pontchartrain Park in New Orleans.

Click here for a complete list of UAPB's spring baseball schedule.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS PINE BLUFF SPORTS INFORMATION

Rattlers trying to make the right pitch for '08 season

Photo: FAMU head baseball coach Robert Lucus.

The Florida A&M Rattlers were picked to finish fifth in the MEAC's preseason baseball poll. Whether FAMU finishes above, below or right at its preseason ranking could depend a lot on its effectiveness of their pitching.

Injuries decimated the unit last season, but the pitching staff appears relatively healthy heading into this weekend's season-opening series at Central Florida.

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Florida A&M University 2008 Baseball Schedule

Date Opponent / Event Location Time / Result

02/16/08 Alumni Game Tallahassee, FL 10:00 a.m. ET
02/22/08 at UCF Orlando, FL 6:00 p.m. ET
02/23/08 at UCF Orlando, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
02/24/08 at UCF Orlando, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
02/28/08 at Concordia Al Selma, AL 3:00 p.m. ET
03/01/08 vs. Savannah State Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
03/02/08 vs. Savannah State Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
03/04/08 at Mercer Macon, GA 4:00 p.m. ET
03/05/08 at Mercer Macon, GA 1:00 p.m. ET
03/06/08 vs. Presbyterian Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
03/07/08 vs. Presbyterian Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
03/12/08 at Edward Waters Jacksonville, FL 6:00 p.m. ET
03/22/08 vs. Bethune Cookman @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
vs. Bethune Cookman @ Tallahassee, FL TBA
03/23/08 vs. Bethune Cookman @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
03/25/08 vs. Alabama State Tallahassee, FL 2:00 p.m. ET
03/26/08 vs. Albany State Tallahassee, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
03/27/08 at Albany State Albany, GA 3:00 p.m. ET
03/29/08 at North Carolina A&T @ Greensboro, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET
at North Carolina A&T @ Greensboro, N.C. TBA
03/30/08 at North Carolina A&T @ Greensboro, N.C. 1:00 p.m. ET
04/01/08 at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/03/08 vs. Concordia Al Tallahassee, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/05/08 at Savannah State Savannah, GA 1:00 p.m. ET
04/06/08 at Savannah State Savannah, GA 1:00 p.m. ET
04/08/08 vs. Mercer Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
04/09/08 vs. Mercer Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
04/10/08 at Morehouse Atlanta, GA 3:00 p.m. ET
04/12/08 at Delaware State @ Dover, DE 1:00 p.m. ET
at Delaware State @ Dover, DE TBA
04/13/08 at Delaware State @ Dover, DE 1:00 p.m. ET
04/15/08 vs. Edward Waters Tallahassee, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/16/08 vs. Jacksonville Tallahassee, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/19/08 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
vs. Maryland Eastern Shore @ Tallahassee, FL TBA
04/20/08 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
04/22/08 at Alabama State Montgomery, AL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/23/08 at North Florida Jacksonville, FL 3:00 p.m. ET
04/26/08 vs. Coppin State @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
vs. Coppin State @ Tallahassee, FL TBA
04/27/08 vs. Coppin State @ Tallahassee, FL 1:00 p.m. ET
05/03/08 at Norfolk State @ Norfolk, VA 1:00 p.m. ET
at Norfolk State @ Norfolk, VA TBA
05/04/08 at Norfolk State @ Norfolk, VA 1:00 p.m. ET
05/15/08 MEAC Baseball Tournament Norfolk, VA TBA
05/16/08 MEAC Baseball Tournament Norfolk, VA TBA
05/17/08 MEAC Baseball Tournament Norfolk, VA TBA
05/18/08 MEAC Baseball Tournament Norfolk, VA TBA

WATCH | THREE STRAIGHT K'S FOR THE W!

Opening Victory in the Tourney✅ pic.twitter.com/ZkEoA5AREa

— Coach Jam (@JAMcCollum09) May 23, 2024

THREE STRAIGHT K'S FOR THE W!

FAMU - 8
SU - 5#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp🐍 pic.twitter.com/kHStj3WjqU

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

TWO-RUN 💣!!

Janmikell Bastardo crushed the ball to add two more runs!

FAMU - 8
SU - 5
📺 https://t.co/3ZBNvhokll
📊 https://t.co/8eSUy1Cj12#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp🐍 pic.twitter.com/9CnV7ZMvhi

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐎𝐍 ⚾️🏟️

Janmikell Bastardo hits a BOMB to left field to give the Rattlers a three-run lead over the silly kitties.
🐍 | 8
😿 | 5

📸 @fxyyth_ #FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 pic.twitter.com/JA2JRndAQb

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

GO-AHEAD RUN!

True Fontenot drives in Jalen Niles to give the Rattlers a late lead.

FAMU - 6
SU - 5
📺 https://t.co/3ZBNvhokll
📊 https://t.co/8eSUy1Cj12#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 pic.twitter.com/L1BNjLzPIl

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

DIVING GRAB!!

Ty Jackson with the web gem to get the first out of the 7th inning.

FAMU - 5
SU - 4
📺 https://t.co/3ZBNvhnMvN
📊 https://t.co/8eSUy1BLbu#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/mZcwMyioBJ

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

RETAKE THE LEAD!

Ty Jackson reaches home after a Southern error to take the lead.

FAMU - 5
SU - 4
📺 https://t.co/3ZBNvhnMvN
📊 https://t.co/8eSUy1BLbu#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 pic.twitter.com/lQtkzOw6zu

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

𝐒𝐨 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭? 🤷‍♂️

Rattlers advance to day 2 in the winners bracket…but the job’s not done. 🐍⚡️😤#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 pic.twitter.com/wBc8pXAilf

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) May 23, 2024

Mike DeMilia Named Next Lincoln Baseball Coach

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri  --  Mike DeMilia, who helped lead Truman State to the postseason last spring, is the next head coach of the Lincoln baseball program. Lincoln Athletic Director Betty Kemna announced the hiring on Tuesday (July 1).

"We are very excited to welcome Mike to Lincoln University," Kemna said. "Mike is a high-energy guy who brings tremendous enthusiasm to our program. We believe his passion for the game of baseball, his understanding of the sport and his knowledge of the MIAA will take Lincoln to the next level."

DeMilia spent the past three seasons as the assistant coach at Truman, including helping the Bulldogs transition from the MIAA into the Great Lakes Valley Conference for the 2014 season. This past spring, DeMilia helped lead Truman to a program-record 26 wins and a berth in the GLVC postseason tournament, where the Bulldogs won two extra-inning games against higher-ranked teams. One of those wins was a 13-12 come-from-behind victory that eliminated eventual NCAA Midwest Regional-qualifier Indianapolis from the GLVC tourney.

DeMilia becomes the eighth head coach in Lincoln baseball history.



"I've coached for 21 years, the last three at Truman State, and we've played Lincoln 11 times [in that span], and I've always kind of seen it as a program with some promise," DeMilia said. "I see some talent, and a facility that I think can be really good. I believe Lincoln is a place where you can be successful."

Prior to becoming the assistant at Truman, DeMilia was the assistant coach at Millard North High, where he coached two all-state position players and three All-Omaha Metro Area players. That season, DeMilia helped Millard North finish third in the Legion season and fourth at the state tournament. DeMilia was also the head coach at Omaha Bryan High from 2006-2010, winning 184 games overall between the high school and American Legion seasons.

DeMilia has coached baseball on some level since 1994, when he started his professional career as a junior varsity assistant coach with the Nebraska Medical Center Legion team. DeMilia was promoted to head coach of that squad in 1996, and held that position until taking over as head coach of the varsity squad in 2000. In six seasons with the Nebraska Medical Center Legion team, DeMilia won 126 games with players who had been cut from their high school squads.

DeMilia also concurrently coached as an assistant at Millard West High in 1999 and at Omaha Central High from 2004-2005. DeMilia helped both programs set school records for wins in a season.

In addition to his coaching, DeMilia has also organized, coordinated and instructed at a variety of youth baseball camps and clinics. At Truman State, DeMilia was responsible for scouting opponents and coaching defensive positioning as well as all aspects of the Bulldogs' offensive system. In 2014, the Bulldogs set five offensive records, including runs scored (292), total hits (482), RBI (248) and stolen bases (118). DeMilia coached eight position players that earned All-GLVC recognition and one that was named the Midwest Regional Player of the Week.

DeMilia expects to bring an aggressive offensive approach to the Blue Tigers.

"We want to make pitchers uncomfortable, we want to make the defense uncomfortable," DeMilia said. "At some point, I want to bring speed to our team and steal bases, hit-and-run, things like that. The biggest thing is, I want a group of guys that will compete. You're going to see kids fighting hard, playing as a team, playing with enthusiasm."

DeMilia earned his bachelor's degree in Physical and Health Education at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1999 and later received a master's degree in Health and Human Performance from Oklahoma State University in 2001. While at Oklahoma State, he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Cowboy baseball team.

DeMilia and his wife Mendy have three children: Easton, Nolan and Claire.

Dan Carr, Assistant AD for Media Relations

COURTESY LINCOLN UNIVERSITY BLUE TIGERS ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Former MLB manager Dusty Baker visits FAMU and talks with Rattlers baseball squad. Stay tuned for full recap.

FAMU president @LRobinsonFAMU got a visit today form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/gdWUE2jX1C

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019

Former #MLB manager Dusty Baker visits #FAMU and talks with @BaseballFamu squad. Stay tuned for full recap. pic.twitter.com/NPDMN63iTk

— RattlerNews.com (@RattlerNews) April 9, 2019

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/kpwvQ9tgp0

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/plS8lrq4vX

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/QDVhxOuXQ4

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019 

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/OojplnFaac

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/fAgxrXqCPj

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019

The Rattler baseball team got a visit form an MLB legend, Dusty Baker. @BaseballFamu pic.twitter.com/UIaKx5QOgv

— FAMU Athletics (@FAMUAthletics) April 9, 2019 

Roger Cador All-Star Baseball Camp set for July 16

SU HEAD BASEBALL COACH ROGER CADOR

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Southern University Baseball will host the Rodger Cador All Star Youth Baseball Camp July 16-19 from 9 a.m to noon at Lee Hines Field on the Southern campus.

Campers, ranging from age 6-16, will learn baseball fundamentals geared towards raising baseball IQ in all areas of the sport.

"We are going to enhance the baseball experience for young people and they will have an appreciation for it," said head coach Roger Cador. "We try to teach them how to play the game the right way."

Drills of baserunning, hitting, catching, throwing and various throwing techniques will be conducted during the camp. The coaches will also be assisted by some of the active players on Southern's roster. Campers can expect to receive an all around learning experience.

Campers are asked to dress weather friendly. Equipment will be provided but campers are asked to provide their own personal material.

"We are truly excited for the kids to come out. They are in for a great experience that will last a lifetime," said assistant coach Fernando Puebla.

Camp fee costs $150, which will cover liability insurance, camp cost and t-shirt can be mailed to Coach Roger Cador, Southern University, P.O. Box 10850, Baton Rouge, LA 70813 or can be delivered upon arrival.

For more information, contact Coach Cador 225-771-3712 or Coach Puebla 225-505-6734.

2012 Roger Cador All-Star Camp app (.pdf)

COURTESY: JaMarlan Peoples, Athletics Media Relations Student Asst., SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

NJ Mourns Loss of Hall of Fame Baseball Star Monte Irvin (Lincoln University Star)

ORANGE, New Jersey - The baseball world stopped Tuesday for a moment to give homage to one of the sport’s great contributors, Monte Irvin from Orange, NJ.

Before the Dodgers signed Jackie Robinson and made him Major League Baseball's first African-American player, the team owners in the Negro League believed that one day Monte Irvin would be the one to break baseball's color barrier. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball scout and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner's office.

At the time of his death, Irvin was the oldest living former Negro Leagues player, New York Giant and Chicago Cub.

Born Monford Merrill Irvin in February 25, 1919 and nicknamed Monte, Irvin was an American left fielderand right fielder in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB). Irvin was born in Haleburg, Alabama and raised in Orange, NJ.

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Stillman will retain baseball and softball

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- After what was thought to be the final seasons for the Stillman College baseball and softball programs, Stillman athletic director Donte Jackson has announced that the school will retain both programs and continue play next season.

“We looked at softball and baseball as two of the traditional sports that have always been here at Stillman College, and two of the traditional sports that we’ve had a lot of success with,” Jackson said. “So in our efforts to boost enrollment, it was a good to retain softball and baseball.”

In December, Stillman announced the move from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in NCAA division II to the Gulf South Athletic Conference in the NAIA. Stillman made the move to drop all of its athletic programs except men’s and women’s basketball following the 2015-2016 school year. With the new addition of junior varsity teams for both the softball and baseball teams, Stillman will have the financial capabilities to keep both varsity teams.

Rumblings of both the baseball and softball programs being retained began in the late spring, especially after both finished well in the SIAC conference with limited rosters. The softball team finished 14-10 in the conference, while the baseball team finished with 16-5 conference record and made it to the conference championship game.

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Alabama A&M Elevates Lora to Head Baseball Coach

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — The search for Alabama A&M's baseball coach is complete.

Alabama A&M announced on Thursday that Manny Lora has been hired as the Bulldogs' new head baseball coach.

"We are really excited to have Manny Lora as our new baseball coach," Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Bryan Hicks said. "Manny is a bright up-and-coming coach in collegiate baseball. He brings a lot of enthusiasm and a high baseball IQ to our program, and he will serve our baseball program and student-athletes well.

"He is an asset to our program."

Lora, a Miami native, spent the past three seasons at Alabama A&M working under former coach Mitch Hill as the team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Before making the transition to coaching, Lora played for Alabama A&M as a relief pitcher from 2010-14, recording 151 strikeouts in 54 appearances.

"I want to thank our president, Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr., and our Athletic Director, Bryan Hicks, for trusting me to lead our program," Lora said. "Being a former player, this program here at A&M is important to me.

"I have always envisioned myself leading young men to achieve and dominate both in the classroom and on the field."

The foundation of Lora's strategic plan for Alabama A&M's future focuses on recruiting and player development. He also plans to continue Alabama A&M's recent trend of playing a strong non-conference schedule to help prepare the Bulldogs for anything they might face during league play.

"There's a lot of potential here," Lora said. "Right now, we're focused on recruiting and bringing in players who can build on the foundation we've established.

"I'm excited about what's ahead — establishing a program with a vision that's ultimate goal is to win championships."

ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Florida A&M Assistant Coach Bryan Henry Named Head Baseball Coach at Tallahassee Community College

Congrats to Bryan Henry. He transitions from his longtime role as pitching coach for @FAMU_Baseball to become the head coach at @TCCeaglesBB. Henry replaces veteran baseball guru Mike McLeod. #FAMU #TCC #collegebaseball pic.twitter.com/cFPBnQPpbO

— Married 2 the Game (@married2game1) July 6, 2022

Baseball Assistant Coach Bryan Henry (@BryanHenry22) Named Head Baseball Coach at Tallahassee Community College.

📰 https://t.co/vPOPR7OdVQ#FAMU | #FAMUly | #Rattlers | #FangsUp 🐍 pic.twitter.com/1P6dvqI2CS

— Florida A&M Baseball ⚾️ (@FAMU_Baseball) July 6, 2022

Bryan Henry – a former player at Florida High and Florida State and the pitching coach at Florida A&M the past eight seasons – has been hired as the head baseball coach at Tallahassee Community College. https://t.co/kX56gusBPC

— Tallahassee Democrat (@TDOnline) July 7, 2022

We are pleased to announce the hiring of Bryan Henry as the new Head Baseball Coach at Tallahassee Community College. Welcome, Coach Henry! pic.twitter.com/EDRm4Gl9gh

— Tallahassee CC Athletics (@TCCeagles) July 7, 2022

SU Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement set for Friday

The Southern University Sports Hall of Fame (SUSHOF) will hold its 28th Annual Enshrinement and Banquet Ceremony Friday, October 30, 2015 at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium at 7 p.m.

The (SUSHOF) will induct 26 members into the 2015 class. The new members will also be recognized during pre-game activities at the Alcorn State game Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

The 2015 Class includes current Southern University assistant athletic director Earl Hill, who is also a member of the Ashland University Sports Hall of Fame as a player. As head coach of the Southern University-New Orleans men's basketball program, Hill led the Knights to the NAIA Division I National Basketball Tournament during 1994-95, 1997-98 and 1999-2000 seasons.

The Knights became the first team to win the GCAC Tournament in 1994-95. Hill earned GCAC coach of the year honors three times and his innovative, no-nonsense coaching style produced the league's player of the year seven times, including Willie Quinn, father of current SU football star wide receiver Willie Quinn.

Former women's basketball head coach Herman Hartman, Sr., men's basketball star Kevin Florent and baseball star Leroy Boyd.

Southern's 1958-59 baseball team that won the NAIA Tournament will also be enshrined during Friday's ceremony.

The Jaguars claimed the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Baseball Championship, finishing 4-1. MLB Hall of Famer Lou C. Brock unloaded a three-run-homer, with the score tied 2-2 to start the Jaguars to a 10-2 victory and the championship over Omaha University.

Southern University Jaguars were the first Negro team to participate in the Annual NAIA Championship Tournament. The tournament was held in Alpine, Texas at Sul Ross State College June 2-5, 1959.

This year’s inductee’s class includes the following:

BASEBALL
Henry C. Baker, Jr.
Leroy Boyd
Raymond Duplechain

BASKETBALL
Yolanda Y. Brown
Kevin R. Florent
Herman L. Hartman, Sr.
Earl R. Hill
Dervynn F. Johnson
Gwendolyn Wilson-Gene

FOOTBALL
Fredrick Bailey
Ezra J. Landry

GOLF
Paul A. Moore
Brian E. Washington

TENNIS
Charles Ketchum
Melvin C. McCurley
Karen K. Scott

TRACK & FIELD
Renan A. Gilkes
Willie C. Owens
1958-1959 BASEBALL TEAM
1958-1959 SWAC/NAIA CHAMPIONS
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Paul Lewis, Jr.
Herman Rhodes
Alvin Woods

Southern University took the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Baseball Championship, taking four games while losing only one. Lou C. Brock unloaded a three-run-homer, with the score tied 2-2 to start the Jaguars to a 10-2 victory and the Championship over Omaha University.

Southern University Jaguars were the first Negro team to participate in the Annual NAIA Championship Tournament. The tournament was held in Alpine, Texas at Sul Ross State College June 2-5, 1959.

1959 -1960 SWAC CHAMPIONS
BASEBALL ROSTER
Sanford Isom Harry Levy
Paul Lewis William Stoudeamire
Wiley MacMillan James L. Dickerson
McVea Griffin Charles East
Seargeant Douglas Herman Rhodes
Alvin Woods Charlie Grey
Henry Triplett Earvin Sams
T. Ashery Gerald Kimble
James Maryland Lee Otis Green
Julius Smith Quincy Mason
Kyle Wells William Sautens
Roy MacGriff Herman James!

COURTESY SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS

Stillman faces Albany State in SIAC series

TUSCALOOSA | The Stillman College baseball team, riding a six-game conference winning streak, will take on Albany State in a key Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference series this weekend at historic Eagle Stadium in Ozark.

The teams will play a nine-inning game tonight at 7, then wrap up the series with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. The doubleheader will consist of two, seven-inning games.

Stillman (12-13, 6-0 SIAC) will serve as the home team for the three-game series to be played in one of the state’s oldest minor league ballparks.

Ozark stadium to host its first four-year college baseball game

OZARK, AL – Several baseball fans and players from Tuscaloosa and Albany, Ga., are expected to be in Ozark this weekend for the city’s first baseball game with four-year, Division 2 college players.

Baseball teams from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa and Albany State University are playing a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game at Eagle Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday and will have a double-header at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Department of Leisure Services Director Steve Sherrill said Auburn University in Montgomery will play at the stadium against Thomas University in Thomasville, Ga., on April 12.

The stadium, which seats 800, was built in 1946 for the Ozark Cardinals Class D Minor League Baseball team. Sherrill said renovations to the facility have since drawn several junior college and high school baseball teams to the city for regional and state tournaments.

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Fitzgerald hopes to fit baseball into his schedule

Winston-Salem State University Interim Head Baseball Coach Kevin Ritsche.

Dominique Fitzgerald chuckled when asked if he might be the best baseball player at Winston-Salem State. Fitzgerald is a rising junior wide receiver on the WSSU football team. But he's also very interested in playing baseball next spring, when the Rams will field a team for the first time since 1973. "I've already talked to Coach (Kevin) Ritsche, so we'll just have to see what happens," Fitzgerald said in a telephone interview.

Ritsche, named the interim coach of the fledging baseball program last week, is trying to find players for a team that will play in the CIAA next spring. He'll have to do that without the benefit of a large recruiting budget, so any talent he can find that's already on campus can only help.

Fitzgerald, who played football and baseball at George Washington High School in Danville, Va., is playing summer baseball with the Virginia Marlins, a traveling team of college players based in Danville. He's plays the outfield, and he also pitched some in high school.

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Fourteen Savannah State Athletes Graduate With Honors

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Several former Savannah State athletes were awarded their degrees during the university's 180th commencement ceremony in Tiger Arena on May 5.

Michael King (baseball) earned his master of business administration degree.

Receiving undergraduate degrees were Julius Green (baseball), Dexter Kelley (baseball), Rod Mitchell (basketball), Derek Williams (football), Ashley Roper (women's basketball), Cheick Diop (football), Darren Hunter (football), Cordarian Robertson (baseball), AJ DeFilippis (football), Ivy Smith (women's basketball), Courtrevez McTier (baseball), Treasure Monroe (women's basketball), Chris Herans (football), Brittany Lewis (volleyball), Matthew Nowacki (baseball), Channing Welch (football), Courtney Long (women's basketball), Alisha Nelson (women's basketball, track), Thelmore Jackson (football), Amara Jones (women's track), William Edwards (football), Damon McKinney (football), Eric Ransom (baseball), Calvin Leonard (football), Vince Cochran (football), Brandon Miller (football), Angela Palmer (tennis), Patrice Rogers (softball), Jarvis Thomas (football), Rodney McDowell-Turner (track), Shamyra Adama (softball), Craig Huling (football) and Devin Stowers.

A total of 14 athletes graduated with honors.

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N.C. A&T Aggies Removes Interim Tag, Name Hall Head Coach

GREENSBORO, North Carolina – Ben Hall, who held the position of interim head coach this past season, has been selected as North Carolina A&T’s new head baseball coach, director of athletics Earl M. Hilton III announced Tuesday.

“Coach Hall played under (longtime college baseball coach) Jack Leggett like (former A&T baseball coach) Keith Shumate. I see a lot of similarities between coach Hall and coach Shumate in terms of their approaches and philosophies to the game,” said Hilton. “Coach Shumate was a very successful coach for A&T, and I think coach Hall can be as well. I had a chance to observe him throughout the season, and I was impressed with what I saw from him in terms of paying attention to detail, preparation and overall leadership. While our win-loss record was not what we hoped it would be, coach Hall effectively guided the program through a difficult transition period.”

Hall was announced as an assistant coach under then head coach Joel Sanchez on October 1, 2014. Three weeks later Hall was named interim head coach after Sanchez’s dismissal. In Hall’s first season as a head coach, the Aggies finished 10-36 overall and 7-17 in the MEAC. But in the Aggies last 12 games, they went 6-6 including a win over arch-rival N.C. Central in the regular-season finale that prevented the Eagles from qualifying for the MEAC tournament.

Hall discusses the importance of pitching

“I am truly blessed and thankful for the opportunity to lead the North Carolina A&T State University baseball program forward,” Hall said. “First I want to thank Chancellor Harold L. Martin, and athletics director Earl Hilton for this opportunity and the confidence they have displayed in me through this appointment. In addition, I definitely want to thank all of the A&T staff and faculty I have had the pleasure to work with this past year. A&T is an amazing place that displays all the characteristics of a destination for student-athletes to come and chase their dreams.”

Hall’s first season saw three players earn first-team All-MEAC honors including conference rookie of the year Adan Ordonez. Ordonez was also named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American under Hall.

“Our program’s first priority is to lead our student-athletes as they develop into men while striving for success on and off the field. Secondly, our daily work will honor the rich tradition of Aggie baseball, yet push for new heights,” said Hall. “I am excited about the new staff we have in place. Their talent, energy for the game and consistency in their work ethic will directly benefit this program going forward. We are excited for the future of Aggie baseball.”

Before he came to A&T, Hall spent three seasons as assistant with the Winthrop Eagles baseball program. During his time with the Eagles he assisted with infielders, hitters and all aspects of recruiting, which included 2014 first-team All-Big South outfielder TJ Olesczuk who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles and 2013 all-conference third baseman Chad Smith.

Before accepting the post at Winthrop, Hall worked at Division II Wingate for four seasons. He started there as a graduate assistant before being promoted to an assistant coach in 2010, where he worked with hitters and infielders. In 2011, the Bulldogs finished in the top-10 in hits, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage nationally. The Bulldogs finished 34-22, won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament and earned a bid to the Southeast Regional. The Bulldogs won the SAC regular-season title in 2010.

As a player, Hall spent one season each at Stetson and Daytona Beach Community College before transferring to Clemson University where he played under Leggett. At Stetson he hit .321 and was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman team. His best season at Clemson came in 2005 when he hit .319 with five doubles and nine RBI.

Hall received his undergraduate degree in sports management from Clemson in 2007 and his master’s degree in business administration from Wingate in 2009.

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION