BCSP IX-48: BCSP Notes

USA Baseball announced last week that Weeks topped an incredibly talented field of five finalists to capture the 2003 Golden Spikes Award, amateur baseball's most prestigious honor. The 26th presentation of the award, which is sponsored annually by the Major League Baseball Players Association, will be held at a later date and time to be determined.

Just as impressively, the Golden Spikes Award can be added to Weeks' list of accomplishments which include the Dick Howser Trophy, the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America Player of the Year Award, the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year Award and the Rotary Smith Award.

Weeks - a native of Altamonte Springs, Florida - won back-to-back NCAA batting titles (2002-03) with batting averages of .495 and .479, respectively. In 2003, Weeks went 78-for-163 with an NCAA-best 1.61 runs scored per game (82 in 51 contests). He added 16 home runs and 66 RBI and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second straight year. Weeks led Southern to the nation's best winning percentage (.863) in Division I baseball this season at 44-7. The standout capped his season by belting a two-run homer to push the Jaguars into the second round of the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional with a 5-3 triumph over Southern Mississippi.

"Growing up as a little kid, I always wanted to be considered one of the best players in the country. So, I'm very elated to win the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award - it's the Heisman Trophy of baseball."

Weeks was the second overall pick in this past June's Major League Baseball Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

"USA Baseball is extremely proud to honor Rickie Weeks of Southern University with the 2003 Golden Spikes Award," said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. "Rickie's magnificent collegiate career in which he helped put the Jaguars back on the college baseball map, certainly proves he was the most outstanding amateur player this year. We're also excited that Rickie is such an exemplary young man off the field, and we're very happy for the Southern baseball program and their head coach, Roger Cador."

For the past 25 years, USA Baseball has honored the top amateur baseball player in the country with the Golden Spikes Award. The award is presented each year to the player who exhibits exceptional athletic ability and exemplary sportsmanship. Past winners of this prestigious award include current Major League Baseball stars J. D. Drew, Pat Burrell, Mark Kotsay, Jason Jennings and Mark Prior, as well as 2002 winner Khalil Greene of the San Diego Padres.

Green departs Hampton
Hampton University has announced that junior swingman Devin Green has requested his release from the men's basketball program.

"Devin has been a model citizen during his time here at Hampton University," stated Pirate head coach Bobby Collins. "He has had an excellent career both on the court and in the classroom. I personally believe he was on his way to doing great things here, but he has decided to move on based on personal reasons. Although I would have loved for Devin to continue as a part of our program, we have to move on. I wish Devin success in whatever he decides to do in the future."

Green, a 6'7", 205 lb. rising junior averaged 14 points and 4.9 rebounds in 63 career games at Hampton. The 2001-02 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, Green led the Pirates in scoring last season at 14.9 points per outing. His game blossomed at the end of the season as he averaged 19.3 points over the last 10 games, including a career-high 28 points against North Carolina A&T.

Along with senior David Johnson, Green was to be the only other returning starter for Collins and the only Pirate remaining on the roster that averaged in double figures last season. With Green's departure Hampton's top returning scorer is sophomore guard Jeff Granger who contributed 7.1 points per game during his rookie campaign.

Southern's Cador to participate in MLB/HBCU Forum
Southern University head coach Roger Cador has been selected by Major League Baseball to participate in the first symposium for the survival of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) baseball programs. The symposium will be held, August 15th at 7:00 PM at "The Grill" in Henderson Hall on the campus of Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA.

The symposium was conceived due to the apparent struggle some HBCUs are having in trying to offer baseball as a collegiate sports at their respective universities. This symposium is designed to identify the obstacles HBCUs face in trying to field competitive baseball programs.

Roger Cador is one of seven panelists selected by MLB to participate in this event. Joining Cador will be Hall of Famer Bobby Bonds, father of current San Francisco Giants All-Star Barry Bonds; Hall of Famer Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Senior VP of Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball, Jimmy Lee Solomon; Atlanta Braves scout Robert Lucas; MLB Scouting Bureau representative J.D. Elliby; and former Howard University baseball coach Jimmy Williams.

Cador feels this is a unique opportunity that will give him a chance to give his expertise to the panel, as well as being able to bring back important information for Southern University and the city of Baton Rouge.

No stranger to professional baseball, Cador himself was a member of the Atlanta Braves' Organization from 1973-1977.

Cador also holds the distinction of being the first coach of an HBCU to win a game in the NCAA Tournament. His 1987 Jaguars upset then No. 2 ranked Cal-State Fullerton, 1-0. In addition, his Jags became the first HBCU to win a NCAA Play-in game, when they defeated Austin Peay in 1996.

The Southern Jaguars won their opening round game in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, with a 5-3 upset win over Southern Miss, in Hattieburg, MS.

BCSP Notes . . .