Golden Rams overcame obstacles to win SIAC East, earn No. 1 tournament seed

ALBANY, Ga.- The 2016 edition of the Albany State baseball team has seen a little bit of everything this season. From facing high-caliber teams to experiencing key injuries, ASU has had to carry a lot on its proverbial shoulders during the season.

However, the Golden Rams will set those issues aside before traveling to Ozark, Ala. April 28-May 1. After generating a 17-33 overall record and a 15-6 SIAC mark, Albany State has managed to win the SIAC East Division title and earn the No. 1 seed for the 2016 SIAC Baseball Championship Tournament.

Albany State will enter the event as the defending tournament champion. The Golden Rams defeated Stillman in last season's title game and participated in the 2016 NCAA Division II South Region Tournament.

Before the season began, Albany State lost is best two pitchers that severely depleted the ranks in that area. The Golden Rams also played a brutal non-conference slate with several ranked opponents. That schedule included top-ranked and defending national champion University of Tampa and Peach Belt conference winner Georgia College.

ASU has also been victimized by a rash of injuries during the season. Newcomers Levi Koebel and Nick Griggs both suffered season-ending shoulder injuries in the early part of the year. All-American first baseman Terrence Worthy became the next major casualty when he broke his left wrist in a game against Paine College. Freshman Austin Sheltra was also making valuable contributions late in the season before he was injured in a car accident.

However, the Golden Rams have refused to fold. As a matter of fact, they have actually flourished. ASU head baseball coach Daniel Stockdale and his staff has regrouped the team by using a mixture of returning and new players to help team peak at the right time.

The balanced ASU team will depend on several different players in its quest to capture the school's second consecutive SIAC tournament crown and earn a spot in the NCAA regionals for a second straight year.

Junior outfielder Trevor Billings leads the team with a .357 batting average, while sophomore third baseman Cody Fleck (.351) is the team's top homerun hitter (8). Junior right fielder Bryant Prather also chips in with a .324 average and three homers.

Short stop Kelvin Wimbish, the 2016 SIAC Freshman of the Year, and second baseman Payton Dixon have served as Albany State's best defensive players with .979 and .977 fielding percentages, respectively. Pitchers John Paul Barnard, Tyler Wilcher and DaMarkus Green have started to find their strides, along with freshman catcher Sage Sammons.

As the top seed from the East, Albany State will open SIAC tournament play on Thursday. The Golden Rams will face Tuskegee University (11-27 overall, 7-13 in the SIAC), the fourth seed from the West division. The two teams will play at 6 p.m. (central time).

The winner of the Albany State-Tuskegee game will play the victor of the contest between #2W Miles College and #3E Claflin University. The two winners will play on Friday at 6 p.m.

In other tournament action, #2E Paine and #3W will open the event at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Stillman College, the West division's top seed will face #4E Benedict at 12 p.m.

Fans who would like to follow the Albany State-Tuskegee contest can log on to Live Stats at http://www.sidearmstats.com/albanystate/baseball/.

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