FAMU signs JUCO Softball Pitcher, Amanda Reyes

Photo: RH Pitcher Amanda Reyes (Photo provided TCC).

Tallahassee Community College (FL) announced yesterday that student-athlete Amanda Reyes has been signed to a national letter of intent by Florida A&M University.

A native of Scotts Valley, California, Reyes has appeared in 59 games during her two seasons with the Eagles. She has a career record of 24-22, including a 14-7 mark as a freshman in 2007, with a 1.75 ERA. The only returning pitcher for the Eagles in 2008, her ten wins have helped TCC secure its fourth straight berth in the FCCAA Gulf District Tournament.

Reyes appeared in 28 games with 14 complete games. She recorded 88 strikeouts with 54walks and in Panhandle Conference games, she went 5-3 with 3.06 ERA with 18 strikeouts.

Amanda played at Scotts Valley High School where she was a four-year starter and two-time MVP. As a senior, she earned Pitcher of the Year honors for Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Athletic League in California; was named 1st team all-conference; and posted a 0.36 ERA while averaging 8.4 strikeouts per game.

Reyes pitching will be a welcomed addition next season to a Lady Rattlers club that is sporting a 2008 record of 11-36 (1-5 MEAC), going into this weekend home series with Bethune Cookman University.

FAMU currently has only two pitchers on a team led by Coach Veronica Wiggins. Wiggins has a 367-412 career record, and last won a MEAC championship and participated in the NCAA softball tournament in 1999.

WSSU's Hayes eager to see if he gets drafted

Archive Photo: Winston Salem State University William Hayes awaits NFL draft selection, possibly on Sunday in Rounds 4 thru 7.

This is a big week for William Hayes, a defensive end from Winston-Salem State. Hayes has been poked and prodded and asked plenty of unusual questions by NFL scouts and assistant coaches. In the process, he has learned a lot about the NFL. "Oh, definitely I've found out that it's all business," Hayes said.

He has had visits with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts, and a scout for the Atlanta Falcons was on campus yesterday to talk with Hayes one more time.

Hayes, a 6-2, 272-pounder and a graduate of High Point Andrews High, started at WSSU for four seasons. He led the team with 8.5 sacks last season and was second in tackles with 78. Earlier this month, he ran a very good 40-yard dash time for scouts, 4.62 seconds.

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Grambling legend Patricia Cage-Bibbs will not return to take over former program

Photo: North Carolina A&T State University head women's basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs turns down her alma mater's head coaching position at Grambling State University. Coach Cage-Bibbs has 422 career wins and nine conference championships on her resume.

GRAMBLING — Nearly three weeks into the search for a new Grambling State women’s basketball coach, it remains unclear who will replace David “Rusty” Ponton. We now know, however, who it will not be: GSU product Patricia Bibbs. Bibbs, currently head coach at North Carolina A&T, called Grambling athletics director Troy Mathieu on Tuesday and removed her name from consideration.

“He told me to think about it, to sleep on it,” Bibbs said. “I love my school, and I will always love my school, but I have to do what’s best for me and my family — and that’s stay here.”

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Ingrid Wicker-McCree named NCCU Athletic Director

Photo: North Carolina Central University athletic director, Ingrid Wicker-McCree.

It turned out to be something entirely different when N.C. Central on Wednesday announced that Ingrid Wicker-McCree, 41, had been hired from a large pool of candidates as the school's athletic director, a job she had held on an interim basis for five months.

In landing the job, Wicker-McCree qualifies as a rarity in college athletics. Less than 2 percent of the NCAA's 300-plus Division I schools have female African-American ADs, which in part explains her surprise when the school made the decision.

"It was a big surprise, but it was a big, pleasant surprise," she said. "I don't know who all of the candidates were, but I do know there were a lot of very good ones."

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Rodgers-Cromartie’s success harkens back to Tennessee State Tigers glory days

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has become one of the nation’s best cornerbacks and on Saturday, is expected to become the first Tennessee State University player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Waymond Bryant were selected 34 years ago.

“I always thought I was capable of playing in the NFL,” said Rodgers-
Cromartie. “That didn’t just come about this past year or the year before. I thought I could play on that level ever since I got to TSU and it's something I've looked forward to, like everybody does.”

Rodgers-Cromartie made big splashes at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine, and during individual workouts for pro scouts. The 6-2, 184 pound Bradenton, Fla., native’s last workout came Tuesday at TSU’s Hale Stadium for the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Patriots have the seventh pick and are in the market for a cornerback after losing Asante Samuel to free agency.

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TSU Express Interests In Playing Football Games at New Stadium

Dynamo Stadium Efforts Land a New Ally

The Houston Dynamo's efforts to partner with the City of Houston on a downtown soccer stadium received a boost Wednesday when Texas Southern University expressed interest in playing its home games in the proposed facility.

Photo: Texas Southern University athletic director Charles McClelland hits the ground running to improve the Tigers facilities.

"Although I officially start on May 1 at Texas Southern University and I haven't had an opportunity to look at all of the data involving the proposed stadium, TSU athletics and its football program would be excited to be able to participate and partner with all entities involved in the project to ensure Texas Southern has a state of the art football facility," said Charles McClelland, the schools' new athletics director in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

The Dynamo and the City of Houston are in the midst of intense negotiations on the project that would be built near Minute Maid Park with an estimated cost of $110 million.

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SCSU to take on Bethune-Cookman in Lowcountry Classic

Visits to the Port City have generally gone well for the South Carolina State football team under head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

On Sept. 13, SCSU will get another shot at the Bethune Cookman University Wildcats in Johnson Hagood Stadium on the campus of The Citadel. SCSU Board Chairman Maurice Washington made the announcement Thursday of the game moving from Orangeburg to Charleston as part of the fourth Lowcountry Classic.

Photo: SCSU Cleve McCoy scores over Bethune Cookman's Cedric Mason in the 2007 game at Daytona Beach, FL.

SCSU is 2-1 in the Classic, including last year’s 51-7 trouncing of North Carolina A&T. The lone loss, however, was a 45-21 pouncing by Bethune-Cookman in which SCSU jumped out to an early 14-0 lead before allowing 45 unanswered points and giving up 493 passing yards before an estimated 16,000 fans.

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