SportsWeek
Also Religion and Classifieds April 23, 2015
For Lady Rams' Hargett, the best is yet to come
Photo by Craig T. Greenlee
Mercedes Hargett leads the Lady Rams in home runs (6) and RBIs (21).
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
FOR THE CHRONICLE
Here's a chilling thought for CIAA
Softball teams. Mercedes Hargett is just
beginning to scratch the surface of her
potential in her second season at Winston
Salem State University (WSSU).
As a freshman a year ago, Hargett
turned heads with scintillating perform
ance as a starting pitcher who made the
CIAA All-Tournament team. She posted a
14-8 record with 123 strikeouts (second in
the conference in both categories). When
Hargett wasn't pitching, she put in time as
a catcher and played both comer positions
in the infield.
This spring, she's putting up all-star
caliber numbers at the plate. At the start of
this week, the sophomore from Havelock
had a .366 batting average to go with a
team-high 6 home runs and 21 RBIs.
Entering the final days of the regular
season, Hargett the pitcher was 7-10 with a
4.38 ERA. Those are surprising numbers
considering how she routinely handcuffs
hitters. In 23 appearances, Hargett had 109
strikeouts, tops in the CIAA by a wide mar
gin.
The win-loss numbers are somewhat
misleading. Non-conference opponents
have tagged Hargett for 23 home runs, but
that's not the only factor to consider.
The Lady Rams haven't provided
enough run support, and in too many
instances, fielding errors have contributed
heavily to losses in tightly-contested
games. Against CIAA competition, though,
it's a different story. Hargett was 3-1 with
a 2.33 ERA and she's allowed only one
home run all season.
"Over the years, we've developed a
tradition of producing outstanding pitch
ers," said Coach LaTaya Hilliard-Gray of
WSSU. "Mercedes will be part of that tra
dition. I have no doubts that she'll break
some records by the time she's finished
here. Yes, she has velocity, but what sets
her apart is ball movement."
Hargett's repertoire consists of six
pitches (fast ball, screw ball, curve, drop
pitch, riser and change-up). One advantage
she has over opposing batters is her ability
to accurately throw to different locations
around the plate while throwing at varying
speeds.
The most significant area of
improvement for Hargett this season is at
the plate. As a rookie, she struggled and
stumbled through a season-long batting
slump. Given her level of offensive pro
duction in 2015, it's hard to imagine that
she hit .182 a season ago.
"There's always room to grow," said
Hargett. "There's always some aspect of
the game for me to work on and improve
on. Right now, I'd say that my progress is
decent."
Hargett's disappointments as a rook
ie hitter fueled her desire to improve dra
matically. Last summer, she went back to
the basics and eventually recaptured the
form that helped her earn post-season
accolades during her prep career.
When Hargett returned for her sec
ond season, Gray sensed that she would
make good on her promise to come back a
better hitter than when she left. This sea
son, she's third in the batting order and has
a team-leading slugging percentage of
See Hargett on B2
Rams' Roberts making the most of a second chance
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
FOR THE CHRONICLE
When outfielder Des Roberts arrived at
Winston-Salem State at the start of the new year,
he had no idea of what to expect in his new situa
tion. Unforeseen circumstances had forced him to
transfer from UNC Charlotte (UNCC), where he
had established himself as a reliable starter.
Four months have passed since then, and it's
clear that Roberts and the Rams have benefited
from their union. The addition of Roberts to the
lineup has produced handsome dividends for a
WSSU team looking to repeat as ClXA champs
and make a return to the NCAA playoffs next
month.
Roberts, a redshirt senior who bats left and
throws left, is hitting .311 with 28 RBIs and a
team-high 12 doubles. It hasn't taken Roberts long
to become a fixture in the top portion of the Rams
batting order.
At times he hits in the lead-off spot. At other
times he bats second or third in the lineup. As an
outfielder, he's been close to flawless (no errors in
the 41 games he's played in this season).
"Des came in and got acclimated to the team
right away," said Coach Ken Ritsche of WSSU.
"He's very consistent and that's what we need
from him. Not only is he a constant threat to get on
base, but he drives in runs when those opportuni
ties present themselves."
Roberts has produced at a relatively high
level in spite of an ongoing wrist injury. Last fall,
he had a bone removed from his right hand, but
never went through a full recovery period. As a
result, he's had to deal with ongoing pain and dis
comfort, which affected his swing earlier this sea
son. >;>
By mid-March, he had learned how to cope
with pain where it would no longer hamper his
ability to hit for average. During a 10-game
stretch, he hit .433 with eight RBIs and upped his
batting average by 65 points to .370.
"It all comes down to pain tolerance," said
Roberts, who played two seasons at Garden City
Community College (Kansas) before going to
UNC Charlotte. "I had to learn how to get past the
pain and play through it. My batting numbers
would be better if it wasn't for the injury. But I'm
hitting over .300, so I can't complain."
This final college season for Roberts almost
never happened. Last November, he was accused
See Roberts on B2
Photo by Craii T OretZe
Des Roberts' 12 doubles is a team high for the Rams.
Reagan High 400 sprinter is on a mission
BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE
FOR THE CHRONICLE
This could be the year when Chace Washington
Saunders finally gets answers to all of his "what if'
questions. Over the past year, Reagan's top 400-meter
sprinter has had his moments of glory. On the flip
side, he's had his share of down times.
"I've gone through some humbling experiences,"
said Washington-Saunders, who's being recruited by
Hampton University and N.C. A&T. "With the
injuries I've had, I'm no longer boastful about my
ability. This year I've run the fastest I've ever run and
I feel like I can go faster. My confidence is high, but
not to the point where it keeps me from staying hum
ble."
Last spring, Washington-Saunders had the look of
a legitimate state championship contender in his spe
cialty. He was clearly among the top eight high
school quarter-milers in North Carolina. But
Washington-Saunders' vision for winning a title was
crushed when he pulled a hamstring coming down the
stretch of the 400 at the regional championships.
Washihgton-Saunders was hobbled, but still ran
49.1 seconds to finish fourth, which was good enough
to qualify for the state. Pulled hamstrings do not heal
in a week and it became painfully obvious in the
biggest meet of the year. He clocked 51.43 for a 14th
place finish.
That's when the questions began to repeatedly
bombard his thinking. What would have been the out
come if he had a healthy hamstring?
See Sprinter on B2
Photo by Craig T. Greenlee
Chact Washington-Saunders is No. 2 in NC Runners
Class 4-A state rankings for the boys' 400-meter sprint.
WSSU's Aja Grant
Selected As
All-CIAA in Tennis
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
HAMPTON, VA ? The Central Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (CIAA) in conjunction with its
Tennis Coaches Association has announced their selec
uons lor tne zuid women s tennis
All-CIAA Team, Rookie of the
Year and Player of the Year, and
WSSU's Aja Grant has earned a
spot on the All-CIAA Team.
Aja Grant (Fr, 5-2, Winston
Salem, N.C. / Reagan High), is 8-4
on the season in single competition,
7-4 in the CIAA. She is 8-2 in her
last 10 contests. She has gone 7-5
in doubles on the season. She is the
daughter of Vicki and Tim Grant.
Chowan University's Natalaya
Grant
Kamenshchikova is Player of the Year for the second
straight year. Johnson C. Smith's Kay la Roman is this
year's Rookie of the Year.
A two-time player of the week, Kamenschchikova fin
ished the regular season with an overall singles record of
18-5 from the #1 position. She went 12-1 in conference
competition.
Roman's CIA A singles record was 6-0 from the #6
position.
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