Saint Aug's White Headed to Italy on AIST U.S. Softball Team

RALEIGH, North Carolina  --  Saint Augustine’s University standout Jo’Landa White will play in Italy on a U.S. all-star softball team from June 10 to June 21, 2013.

White will compete for the Stars squad of the American International Sports Teams (AIST) travel organization. She is one of 14 players on the softball team but the only one from North Carolina. Her teammates consist of 13 Division II players and one Division III player.

White is thrilled to represent her country against international competition.

“It is an honor,” she said. “I have never been away from home like this before. This will be my first plane flight. I am looking forward to seeing Italy.”

The Stars will play several games against teams from Italy and other countries during the tour, which includes sightseeing in places such as Milan, Florence and Venice. White expects to see action at catcher, shortstop and the outfield. She will wear No. 7.

White was invited to the AIST team based on her stellar play at St. Aug the past two seasons. A rising junior from Leland, N.C., White has 18 career home runs including a CIAA-leading 10 homers as a freshman in 2012. As a sophomore in 2013, she earned Daktronics All-Region honors after smacking eight homers, which tied her sister Daja for tops in the CIAA.

White also posted a .422 batting average and drove in 29 runs this season, which ranked her among the CIAA's top 10 in both categories. She helped lead the Lady Falcons to their first winning season in 10 years (17-12-1) and a fourth-place finish in the CIAA Championships, their highest finish in recent years.  As good as her numbers were this season, White looks to improve even more as a hitter in Italy.

“We will play good teams and face good pitchers,” White said. “This will be a great experience.”

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Two charged in FAMU hazing case get house arrest, probation

ORLANDO, Florida -- Rikki Wills, the roommate of the Florida A&M drum major who died after undergoing a hazing ritual in 2011, won't spend any time in jail for his role in the death, and neither will fellow drum major Shawn Turner.

Both Wills and Turner previously pleaded no contest to felony hazing charges in connection with Robert Champion's death aboard a bus in Orlando.  The two were sentenced in Orange County on Friday.  Wills will serve one year of house arrest and five years probation.  Turner will serve 18 months of house arrest and three years probation.

Champion's parents, Robert Sr. and Pamela, traveled from their home in Georgia to Orlando for the sentencings.

"I don't have any hatred," said Pamela Champion, who spoke for about 25 minutes before Wills was sentenced, most of the time looking directly at him.  "It hurts more than anything to know how much my son loved me, how much he would do anything to help anyone," she said, "and the person that he shared a living quarters with wouldn't reach out to him."



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From Colleton County to college baseball glory

WALTERBORO, South Carolina --  In this weekend's super regional, you won't see Savannah State, which is no surprise. But it was a surprise that you saw them in the tournament at all.

What the Tigers did was almost surprise everyone watching the tournament.

The small school, playing in their first ever NCAA tournament, was led by a guy who is small in stature, but big in heart. Colleton County's Darien Campbell ended his career in a 3-2 loss to Alabama in the Tallahassee regional.

"I'm not that big," said Campbell. "I'm 160, 5-foot-5. Coming out of high school I was 125 pounds soaking wet. Big schools weren't interested in a guy small in stature but Savannah State gave me a chance. I became a freshman starter and took off from there."

When Campbell started at Savannah State, they weren't even in a conference. The Tigers were playing as an independent before they joined the MEAC two years ago.

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Alabama State Coaches Caravan To Roll In July

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  --  The Alabama State University Coaches Caravan will roll through Alabama and Georgia July 11-20.

The caravan, in its third year aimed at promoting and increasing awareness of Hornet Athletics, will make stops in seven cities beginning Thursday July 11 in Mobile, Friday July 12 in Tuscaloosa, and Saturday July 13 in Atlanta. The caravan will resume Tuesday July 16 in Dothan, Thursday July 18 in Columbus Ga., Friday July 19 in Birmingham, and will culminate Saturday July 20 in Montgomery.

Alabama State acting athletic director Melvin Hines, head football coach Reggie Barlow and head men's basketball coach Lewis Jackson will lead the Tour Team.

The Alabama State Coaches Caravan will reflect on the 2012-13 athletic year, another stellar campaign in the classroom and in competition, and look ahead to the upcoming campaign, highlighted by the first full home football season in The New ASU Stadium.

Hornet student-athletes excelled academically. More than 170 ASU athletes earned at least a 3.0 GPA during Fall 2012, with another 160 earning at least a 3.0 GPA this past spring. In the fall, 23 achieved 4.0 GPAs, while 30 achieved a perfect GPA in the spring.

This season, Alabama State University claimed the women's All-Sports Trophy as the best all-around women's sports program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. It was the first time Alabama State has earned the award in the women's all-sport competition. ASU finished third in the men's all-sport standings, and that combination helped to give Alabama State its third consecutive runner-up finish in the overall SWAC Commissioner's Cup Standings.

Highlighting the in-season competition was the women's track program's second consecutive “Triple Crown”, earning SWAC championships in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Outdoor Track. It was the second straight league title in cross country, the fifth consecutive title in indoor track, and the fourth consecutive outdoor track championship. Both the women's and men's golf programs won SWAC Championships this spring, earning NCAA Tournament appearances. The women's team earned its second SWAC title in three years, while the men's team won its second consecutive league title.



The following is the schedule, subject to change:

Thursday, July 11 – Mobile, Ala.  6-9 p.m.
Grand Central, 256 Dauphin St., Mobile, Ala. 36607

Friday, July 12  - Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6-9 p.m.
Cypress Inn, 501 Rice Mine Road, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35406

Saturday, July 13  - Atlanta, Ga.  5-8 p.m.
Stats Restaurant, 300 Marietta St. NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30313

Tuesday, July 16 - Dothan, Ala. 6-9 p.m.
TBA
Thursday, July 18 – Columbus, Ga.  6-9 p.m.
DoubleTree Hotel, 5351 Sidney Simons Blvd., Columbus, Ga. 31904

Friday, July 19 – Birmingham, Ala. 6-9 p.m.
TBD

Saturday, July 20 – Montgomery, Ala. 5-8 p.m.
The New ASU Stadium

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Gun, ammunition and Weed found during P.J. Hairston's and ECSU's Faulcon arrest

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina  --  A 9-millimeter handgun, one magazine with nine rounds of ammunition and one bag of marijuana were found outside the rented 2013 GMC Yukon that North Carolina basketball player P.J. Hairston was driving when he and two other men were arrested during a license check Wednesday night, the Durham Police Department confirmed Friday.

Hairston, 20, was charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and driving without a license after he was stopped at the intersection of Holloway Street and North Guthrie Avenue in Durham at 10:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Elizabeth City State basketball player Miykael Faulcon, 20, and former college basketball player Carlos Sanford, 23, were also charged with possession, and all three men were released on $1,000 unsecured bonds.

According to the police report, which was released Friday, the items taken as evidence were 41.1 grams (or 1.45 ounces) of marijuana in a plastic bag, 2.1 grams (or 0.07 ounces) of marijuana in plastic, three cigars, plastic baggies, a handgun, an ammunition magazine and a rental agreement.

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SSU’s Kyle McGowin Drafted By Angels In 5th Round

KYLE MCGOWIN
(Courtesy: SSU Tigers Athletics)

LOS ANGELES, California – Savannah State RHP Kyle McGowin was selected as the 157th pick in the fifth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Angels on Friday.

McGowin was the Angels fourth pick in the draft and third right-handed pitcher. The Angels also picked up south paw and 17-year-old Hunter Green out of Kentucky in the first round. L.K. grabbed RHP Keynan Middleton and RHP Elliot Morris prior to drafting McGowin.

The 6-3, 180, Sag Harbor, New York native, pitched the Tigers to their first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship in May, and the programs first Division I NCAA Regional bid.

McGowin was named the MEAC Pitcher of the Year after ending the regular season with an ERA of 1.49 in 96.1 innings pitched and a 12-1 record. He led the MEAC in strikeouts (111) and wins, and was ranked sixth nationally after the end of the regular season.

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Hampton University's OC Wilson gets Savannah State head coach's job

Hampton University offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson was named head coach at Savannah State, Pirates' head coach Donovan Rose confirmed Friday.

Wilson had been coordinator at HU for one year, and was chosen from among a list of four finalists to take over the program at the Pirates' MEAC rival.

"I think it's a tribute to the kind of program we have here that he was asked to be a candidate," Rose said. "When he called and told me, I said, 'I wish you the best.' I think he did a good job for us."

Rose said that he is likely to promote from within the staff to replace Wilson as coordinator. He said that he will hire someone to replace Wilson as wide receivers' coach, perhaps as soon as next week.
Rose acknowledged that June is a bit late to replace a coordinator, but didn't begrudge Wilson the opportunity.

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Savannah State names new football coach

SAVANNAH, Georgia  --  A new era of Tiger football begins Friday as Savannah State University announces the selection of Earnest Wilson III as its new head coach, effective immediately.

The coaching veteran of 23 seasons becomes the 24^th head coach of the Tigers since the football program started in 1915. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Wilson replaces Steve Davenport who served as SSU head coach for the past two seasons.

Wilson, 48, comes to Savannah State from fellow Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) member Hampton University where he spent the past year as the Pirates offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Under Wilson, Hampton averaged 317.2 yards of total offense and 21.7 points per game.

Before joining Hampton, Wilson worked at Jackson State University (JSU) as offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and wide receiver coach for two years (2010-12). While at JSU, Wilson’s offense led the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in scoring offense, total offense, pass offense, pass efficiency, first downs and fourth down conversions.

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