Rams fast-pitch into new softball season
Experience of senior
team members is key,
Coach Hays says
BY VANESSA L. NIESON
Reporter
It’s the seventh inning, there are
runners on first and third and your team is
down by a run. What player would you
want stepping up to the plate?
Is it true that seniors really do play
differently than underclassmen when it
comes to college athletics?
Michael Winbush, the head coach of
the Lady Rams Softball team, says that
there is a difference. He says experience
is key.
Winbush says,’’When players have
been in a system for numerous years, it
makes them help out younger players and
make the whole team better.” He
continues, “...senior leadership is the key.
You have to have senior leadership in any
sport to be successful.”
Senior player Rachel A. Hicks
agrees. She says: “That’s the key to our
success, if the seniors can step up and
play, it will give us the edge we need to
win. We could win the division and even
theCIAA.”
The Lady Rams finished first in the
Western Division last season and hope to
take it all the way this year. This could
very well be possible with five seniors on
the team. Kenisha Williams, Rachel A.
Hicks, L’Tona Samuels, Nichelle
Woodard and Erica Leggett all have the
experience needed to take the team to the
top.
Winbush says that the seniors will
have a large effect on the team’s record.
“Seniors here have been here three and
four years in key spots,” he says.
“Kenisha is at left field, the best in the
conference; she’s the total package —
hitting, running, the best arm that I’ve
seen in years and her attitude is excellent.
“Rachel is dedicated and has overall
leadership abilities, and she knows the
game and is an excellent hustler, day in
and day out.
“L’Tona has speed; she’s the Icadoff
hitter, she gets on base and utilizes her
speed for stealing bases. This is important
because you have to get on base to win.
“Nichelle has the ability to keep
everyone focused and keep them in the
game, and she swings the bat well.
“Erica played as a freshman and
made all conference. She’s got a good
glove, speed and is very competitive.
“The seniors are a vital part of what
we are trying to get accomplished this
year and they have been showing great
leadership so far in the pre-season.”
Williams thinks that the seniors will
have a big effect on the team this year.
“We’re used to playing together,” she
says. “The new girls have to adjust to us
and how we play. II' wc play well, we
should beat the same teams that we beat
last year.”
Samuels says “Leadership is the key;
that’s the effect that the seniors have and
it’s a big effect.”
Seniors have a big cffect on teams
and their records because they have been
in the game situations more. This makes
them able to react to new situations on
instinct, which is much quicker than
having to think before making the play.
They also help to teach underclassmen
more about the game and bring the team
together to play as a whole.
The Lady Rams season opener is
Sunday Feb. 28 at 1 p.m. at Civitan Park
against Johnson C. Smith University.
Returning players take Rams to new level
RASHEED OLUWA
Sports editor
At the beginning of the basketball season, there
thoughts of CIAA championships running around in the
minds of Winston-Salem State University basketball
fans. For the woman’s team.
The men’s basketball team on the other hand started
the season with little fanfare. With a team featuring a
new coaching staff and a roster filled with new faces, no
one gave this season much thought.
Fans had trouble identifying with many of the new
faces on the roster. CIAA coaches had pretty much
written the team off, picking the Rams to finish last in
the Western division. Even the the Ram coaching staff
didn’t know what to expect.
“We were hoping to go .500 and build from that,”
says Ram assistant coach William McNeill.
“But these thought they can be better.”
The Rams have proved to everyone that they were
better than everyone's expectations this season.
They finished the season on the top half of the
Western Division, with a shot at the CIAA
championship, and a berth at the Division II NCAA
championship.
Although the Rams entered the season with four
experienced players returning to the lineup, there were
plenty of question marks. Windell Owens, the Rams
senior forward had been plagued with inconsistency
through his career with the Rams.
Ram guard Tyrone Thomas, a senior, had come off
of All-CIAA honors the previous year but was now
moving from his shooting guard position to the point
guard slot.
Three point bomber Larry Patterson was coming off
a up and down year, while senior forward Torrian Wynn
was coming off a year in which he barely played.
Despite these question marks, the four players
emerged and brought their play to another level.
“The returning players have really adjusted to us
well,” says assistant coach Phillip Stitt.
“They have played surprisingly well with the
freshman.”
A freshman who has made a big impact with the
team this year is Marcus Best. Best, who was recruited
by Duckett at Fayetville State, followed Duckett to
WSSU and has become one of the most feared defensive
players in the league.
■ “He’s done everything we’ve asked of him,” says
Stitt.
“When I recruited him I thought he was the best
defensive player I ever saw injii^h s^hool^He’s
managed to parlay that to the CIAA.”
Best along with freshman Keith Breland have
combined to form one of the most formidable perimeter
defense duo in the CIAA.
Another freshman who has made big contributions
to the team is Corey Thompson.
Thompson, a walk on, joined the team after spending
last year on Fayetteville Stale University’s band.
This season, he has surprised everyone and now
starts for the Rams.
“We’re really pleased with what he has given us,”
says Stitt.
Now that the CIAA tournament is here, the Rams
enter as contenders, a huge improvement from their pre
season doormat status.
According to the coaching staff the Rams success in
the tournament hinges on the success of the seniors.
“It’s up to the .seniors,” says McNeill.”If they want
to go out as winners its there responsibility.”
RASH, from page 8
because you’re a gunner.
Kobe Bryant odds for appearing 60:1
Allen Iverson odds for appearing
50:1
J.R. Rider odds for appearing 40:1
Glenn Robinson odds for appearing
25:1
Sam Cassel odds for appearing
10:l(he’s got an early season ankle
injury).
And finally, the odds on favorite to
take home the team MVP for the Chicago
Bulls.
Tony Kukoc odds for winning 100:1
Brent Barry odds against winning
20:1
Ron Harper odds against winning
20:1
Randy Brown odds against winning
50:1
Rusty Larue (Jessie Helms has a
better chance of becoming president of
the NAACP. Rusty should just be happy
he’s not in some Cambodian pro-league
with Randolph Childress).
It’s hard to believe after all these
years, the WSSU men’s basketball team
has a chance to win the CIAA
tournament. Now if I could only afford
tickets.
CIAA leaves Winston
Sadly, this tournament marks the last
time that fans will see Coach Debra
Clark’s first recruiting class. Even if they
don’t win, they should be remembered for
bringing the program to the level success
that our program has enjoyed. So Ram
fan, enjoy Kesha Broadnax, Erica
Leggett, Rachel Hicks, and Nikki
Blackwell.
By the time you read this column, the
Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue will be
on the stands, and a lot of people won’t
pay attention to word of this. So now that
I’ve got this rare opportunity, I’d like to
tell everyone that the Knicks will win the
NBA championship. I’d also like to tell
everyone that the UNC Tar Heels arc not
that good this year, and will probably get
eliminated in the “Sweet 16” of the
NCAA tournament.
I know that the last statement about
the Tar Heels would normally get me
killed in certain parts of this state.
Lucky for me, swimsuit calendars
should be shipping out right about now.