Sports

Team chemistry driving ASU baseball’s success

• The Rams, who currently lead the SIAC East Division, credit much of their success this year to a strong team nucleus.

Scott Chancey

ALBANY — Albany State shortstop Chuncey Ward sent a team-wide text message during Christmas break.

“It said, ‘Get ready for the season, we’re going undefeated. Believe in it and it could happen,’ ” Ward recalled Friday.

Although the Rams are not undefeated (28-12 overall, 11-2 SIAC), they lead the conference’s East Division as they prepare for today’s home key conference doubleheader against Benedict. After sweeping a three-game series from defending conference champion Stillman last weekend, the Rams have proven they are capable of winning the program’s first title since 2006 and ninth overall.

“It’s the team chemistry, to be honest,” said former Rams pitcher turned coach Taylor, whose team returned Ward and left fielder B.J. Stewart. “That means a lot.”

On Friday afternoon, Taylor was in his element.

As a former ASU star on the diamond, Taylor stood on the same mound from when he was a player while his team took batting practice. Between the intermittent pings of aluminum bats and sights of teammates shagging fly balls, one could not help but notice the laughter.

And while mostly inside jokes, the barbs the Rams players threw at one another were symbolic of the nuances that happen between good friends spending a warm spring day doing what they love to do. Despite the team returning just two starting position players from last year, Albany State leads its division.

“We have a good time, joking around, but when it’s time to crank it up, we go out and play ball,” pitcher Brandon Griffin said.

And when they’ve done that, they’ve won. In fact, Albany State has won eight of its past 11 games.

“There’s a lot of spunk out here,” Ward said. “There were a lot of open positions when the season began and a lot of players got to practice early and stayed late. It was really nice to see.”

Ward, who led NCAA Division II in doubles with 21 and was eighth in runs scored (49) when the week began, has been more than just a reliable No. 3 hitter.

“He’s the spark plug,” said Taylor of Ward, who bats around .450. “No matter how hard the pitcher throws, he can hit it.”

Lawson State transfer Nate Coggins, who bats cleanup, hits .440, and following him are De’Marcus Price and football player/Georgia Military transfer Demetrice Johnson. That gives Taylor his best middle-of-the-order potential since his first year as coach in 2003.

When Albany State returns to SIAC play today in a doubleheader against Benedict, Taylor expects to see the same things that brought his team together throughout most of this season.

“No one argues with each other, and no one wants somebody to play bad so (that he) will get a chance to prove himself,” Taylor said.

The most recent example was last week’s 8-4 loss against Columbus State.

After freshman Corey Reeves struck out in his first at-bat, his teammates encouraged him in the dugout and he finished 2-for-5 with a double.

Albany State’s pitching has been just as solid. Griffin —the team’s ace left-hander —is 5-1 and No. 2 pitcher, right-hander Samuel Murphy, is the lone unbeaten starter at 5-0.

“They throw strikes, it’s that simple,” Taylor said.

And with the mix of seniors, youth and transfer players, the result has been just a simple — it works.

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