ATHLETICS
was another strong year on the fields and courts for Louisburg College athletics, with six of our nine varsity teams showing up in the national rankings over the course of their seasons. Some highlights of these rankings include our women’s basketball team being ranked #1 the first week of the national polls and our men’s basketball team placing as high as 2nd in the country.
2013
Our baseball team experienced another fine season, finishing regular-season play tied for first place in Region X. The women’s soccer team followed up their 2012 national tournament run by advancing to the Region X tournament finals, and our men’s soccer team also had a successful year, winning the Region X Championship. The women’s basketball team lived up to their pre-season status with another Region X championship; they went on to finish in the final 16 at the NJCAA National Championship.
ATHLETICS
LC Welcomes New Cross Country Coach for Program Reboot
Eight of our nine teams finished the season with winning records, and every team saw players matriculate to four-year colleges to continue their academic and athletic careers. In fact, we had 110 student athletes transfer to four-year college programs during the past year.
During the Fall 2013 semester, Louisburg College Athletic Director Mike Holloman made the announcement that the College would add Men’s and Women’s Cross Country to the mix, upping the school’s athletic programs to 11 teams. Shortly after the announcement, Jay Koloseus was hired as head coach.
Our student athletes continue to excel academically. 60 out of the College’s 113 graduates in 2013 were student athletes, and 20 of them graduated with honors. During the spring and fall of 2013, 18 Hurricane athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs, 40 were on the Dean’s List, and 56 made the College’s Honors List. Athletics continue to be a vital part of the Louisburg College campus, and our teams continue to make us proud both athletically and academically.
As an NCAA Division I competitor (Syracuse University) and coach (Auburn University), Koloseus brings a wealth of experience to a program that is being renewed from its early 2000s roots. Recruiting began immediately upon Koloseus’ arrival, and both teams will commence competition in the fall of 2014.
- Mike Holloman ’83, Athletics Director
Season Summaries by Don Stopa, Softball Coach & Sports Information Director
Baseball Thrives With New Coach The Hurricanes baseball team had a change in the guard last season, as NCAA veteran coach Keith Shumate took over the reins of one of the College’s oldest programs. Shumate stepped up to the job, leading his team to a 2013 final record of 34-15, 17-9 in Region X play. Sophomore outfielder Bradley Morton (Winston-Salem, NC) led the offensive effort for the Canes as he hit a whopping .420, smacked seven homeruns, and drove in 39 RBIs; all of Morton’s numbers were team-leading marks. John Allen (Creedmoor, NC) was the leader on the hill as he finished with a record of 8-1, and he led the team in innings pitched at 53.1. Shumate also had a pair of twins on the bump as Joe and John McGillicuddy (Fairfax, VA) combined for a record of 8-4, with each throwing a pair of complete games.
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COLUMNS / SPRING 2014
Softball Streak Leads to Regionals Don Stopa entered his second season at the helm of the Lady Canes softball team, with his squad finishing out the Spring 2013 season with a record of 23-20. The Canes finished the season on a nine-game winning streak, but they couldn’t maintain their momentum going into the Region X tournament , during which they lost two games straight. Morgan Tharrington (Youngsville, NC) was the offensive leader for Louisburg as she belted 17 homeruns, a top-10 ranking in the NJCAA. The sophomore infielder also picked up a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America nod for her efforts. Trina Bartlett (Greensboro, NC) didn’t quite put up the power numbers of Tharrington, but did lead the team with a .424 batting average and 16 stolen bases.
Golfer Finishes in Top 20 at Nationals Charles Sloan and his men’s golf team played their usual competitive schedule, taking on two- and four-year programs in tournaments throughout Fall 2012 and Spring 2013. Zach Robins (Southern Shores, NC) was the standout for the Hurricanes as the team leader in most of the spring events, and he was rewarded by qualifying for the NJCAA National Championship in Chautauqua, New York. Robins finished 18th overall, bettering his scores in each of the tournament’s three rounds of play.
SPRING 2014 / COLUMNS
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