A&T baseball team ranked 7th in preseason poll

[Bornthrilla]

B-CC #1 IN PRESEASON BLACK COLLEGE BASEBALL POLL
Jan 17, 2007

PIKESVILLE, Md. –Bethune-Cookman College has been selected as the preseason number one choice in the Black College Baseball poll, while North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State ranked seventh and eighth, respectively as released on Tuesday by the home office in Pikesville, Md.

Bethune-Cookman was also picked to finish atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference [MEAC] by Black College Baseball, though the official MEAC Preseason poll won’t be released until later this month.

The Wildcats rolled through the MEAC last year with an unprecedented 15-0 mark during the regular season. They went on to complete their perfect conference run with three wins in the MEAC Tournament to capture the 2006 MEAC crown in Norfolk, Va. In the process, the Wildcats tied Howard’s record back in 1998 as the only teams in MEAC history to go 15-0.

This season, the Wildcats return an overabundance of talented players, as well as bringing in two Junior College All-American talents. The Wildcats may have one of the best hitting teams they’ve had in years, according to B-CC head coach Mervyl Melendez … as well as some of his best pitching in recent memory with all but one starter returning on the mound.

Bethune-Cookman tied for the Black College Baseball title last season alongside Prairie View A&M who had a dream season, and fell just short of an NCAA upset bid against Rice University. B-CC took home Pitcher of the Year honors with Francisco Rodriguez, while Melendez was selected as co-Coach of the Year with Prairie View’s Michael Robertson.

North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State ranked seventh and eighth in the Black College Baseball poll, respectively.

The Aggies are returning 16 starters from a team that was 6-12 in MEAC play and 22-36 overall. All-American Jeremy Jones, the 2005 MEAC Player of the Year returns alongside 2007 Wallace Watch candidate third baseman Charlie Gamble and outfielder Joe McIntyre, who finished second in the MEAC in hitting with a .371 average last season.

Norfolk State returns 22 of 26 letterwinners from last year’s team, including seven everyday starters, two of its top three starting pitchers and four All-MEAC performers.


The Spartans are coming off of a 23-28 season in 2006, when they finished second in the MEAC with an 11-7 record. The 11 MEAC wins set a new school record.

© Copyright 2005 meacsports.com

[Bornthrilla]

www.blackcollegebaseball.com/News/2007/013107ncatjones.htm

Swing Away: Jeremy Jones returns to North Carolina A&T's lineup

by Chuck Curti

January 31, 2007




The offer was tempting. The decision was difficult.


Jeremy Jones of North Carolina A&T was the 2005 Black College Baseball Player of the Year and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore. He batted .402 with a school-record 82 hits in helping the Aggies win the conference and gain their first bid to the NCAA Tournament. He wasn't able to deliver an encore performance, however, as he suffered a broken hamate bone in his hand during batting practice and was forced to miss the 2006 season.


Despite that setback, the Colorado Rockies organization thought enough of his 2005 numbers to take a chance on him. The Rockies drafted Jones in the 25th round last spring.


"It was an opportunity for a team who believed in his talent before anyone else got him," said Aggies coach Keith Shumate. "They just wanted to get his rights."


But what to do? Jones had the chance to fulfill the dream of every young baseball player: to play professionally and have a shot at making the Major Leagues. If he didn't go, would he be forgotten by the pros the next year?


Then there was the flipside: If he did go, what would he miss in college? He was on track to complete his degree in fitness and wellness -- what Jones calls his No. 1 goal -- and the thought of missing a whole season with the first significant injury of his career gnawed at him. Is that how he wanted to end his run at A&T?


"It was real tough," said Jones. "It was probably the toughest summer I ever had. But I felt I owed that one last season to my team."


So, Jones is back for his redshirt junior season. He's eager to show that the injury has not affected his ability, and he's eager to prove to the rest of the conference that the Aggies are serious about making a run at the MEAC title.


"I think we're going to shock a lot of people," said Jones. "I think we're going to win a lot more games than people give us credit for."


Jones is certainly capable of helping the Aggies live up to that expectation. For his career, Jones is hitting .368 with a .528 slugging percentage, nine homers and 73 RBIs. But there will be some rust to knock off.


When he first discovered his hand injury last season, he thought it was minor and would heal after a few days' rest. As it turned out, the injury was more serious. Jones decided to forego his junior season and have surgery to get the bone removed.


After two months of rehab, it was another three months before Jones was able to swing the bat with the same power and speed that had made him such a feared hitter. With the Aggies set to play their first game Feb. 21 at North Carolina State, Jones declared that he is completely healthy.


"I'm pretty anxious. I've been working hard to get my body back into shape," said Jones. "A year off seemed like an eternity."


Jones aims to make up for lost time. And while teammate and roommate Charlie Gamble, who broke Jones' team record last season with 84 hits, wound up on the Wallace Watch list for national player of the year honors, Jones aims to show that he's still one of the top baseball players in the nation.


"Jeremy kind of fell off the radar with his injury," said Shumate. "But I think all the scouts know of him. He has great 'hitability' and they think he has some untapped power. He's a lefty with above-average bat speed. I think he has some unfinished business."


Because he didn't sign with the Rockies, Jones' name will go back into the draft this spring, and he can be chosen by any team. He's confident that he has what it takes to be drafted again and doesn't regret for a moment his decision to return to Greensboro.


"I want to prove my worth," he said. "I didn't want to take a slotted amount of money for the 25th round. I want to see how far my talent can take me."


The Aggies are no doubt happy to come along for the ride.

Have any comments, questions or suggestions for stories? Contact Chuck at [e-mail].

[dj98]

Don't sleep on the baseball team, the group shumate has can make it happen!!!!

[truthseeker]

Coach Shumate and his staff has done everything possible to put a quality product on the field from the first day he stepped foot on campus!!! The budget baseball has to operate on is no secret to anyone..... it's down right ridiculous...... but baseball continues to strive to be the best!!! I just think it's time for A&T to start appreciating the quality of coaches we have and do more to help them be successful!!! The mens tennis coach is a prime example of of what I'm talking about..... we went from league bottom to league contenders and look what happened to him and the mens program!!!!