Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 3, 1990 TAG: 9005030155
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: Doug Doughty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Williams, rated one of the top 25 football prospects in the state by the Roanoke Times & World-News, had taken four official visits when he announced Feb. 14 that he would concentrate on baseball in college.
After three more visits, two of them unpaid, Williams signed a letter-of-intent to play baseball for James Madison.
"It's definitely taken a long time," said Williams, who is batting .596, with five home runs and 30 runs batted in for the Chargers (14-1). "I never thought [recruiting] would take away from baseball, but this hasn't been my strongest season."
Williams also has 27 stolen bases, but he hasn't had the kind of power surge he had in 1989, when he set a school record with 12 home runs.
"The coaches at JMU said this has not been one of the most productive offensive teams they've had," said Williams, who plays shortstop for Bath County. "They said they like my speed and my hitting, and they'll work me around at various places on defense."
Williams said JMU's communications department was a factor in his decision. He picked the Dukes over Virginia Tech and Richmond.
He could have received a full scholarship at any of the schools he visited for football: Wake Forest, Duke, Virginia and William and Mary. At JMU, he will receive a partial baseball scholarship.
"I'll get a mixture of financial aid, academic scholarship and athletic scholarship," said Williams, who ranks third in his class and scored over 1,000 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. "The bottom line is, everything is paid for."
Williams hasn't ruled out the possibility of signing with a major-league baseball team.
"I hear there is a possibility I will be drafted [in June]," Williams said. "Some say there's a strong chance. Some say it's not so strong. I can't say what I'd do if offered. I guess it would depend on how good an offer it was."
The least likely possibility is that he will play football in college, although he rushed for 1,338 yards and 23 touchdowns and shared the Group A player of the year award with his younger brother, Tim.
"There has been a lot of skepticism," Williams said. "I haven't heard a lot of it personally, but I still think my decision was for the best. I don't think there's any question where I have more of a future."
Providence coach Rick Barnes, in an interview with the Providence Journal, tried to imply that he was never offered the basketball position at Virginia, although UVa athletic director Jim Copeland has publicly stated otherwise.
"People say I lied, that I was a hypocrite, that I was looking to go to Virginia all along," Barnes said. "If that was the truth, my wife wouldn't have put up new wallpaper and new carpeting in our house."
Antonio Lang, rated one of the top 25 basketball prospects in the country by USA Today, has signed a letter-of-intent with Duke. Lang, a 6-foot-7 swingman from Mobile, Ala., picked the Blue Devils over LSU. All five Duke signees, including Lang, are projected as wing players.
VCU was turned down in its bid to sign 6-10 Eugene Kisyrin, a promising member of the Soviet National team, but continues to negotiate with Soviet officials for another, less-prominent 7-footer who would have two years of eligibility. . . . VCU's signees include Rod Ladd, a 5-10 guard from Montezuma, Ga., who averaged 23 points, with a high of 51.
In an unusual move, Richmond coach Dick Tarrant removed sophomore forward Joe Jon Bryant from the team for poor attitude, explaining that Bryant's constant complaints about playing time and style of play were disruptive. Another Spiders player, seldom-used freshman guard Justin McDonald, has said he plans to transfer.
Maryland freshman guard Curley Young has transferred to East Carolina, where he will have three years of eligibility but must sit out the 1990-91 season. . . . Anthony Buford, leading scorer for Akron in 1989-90, has transferred to Cincinnati.
Stan Clements, a 6-foot-5 swingman who played on teams at Middlesex High that went 65-9, has made an oral commitment to Roanoke College. Maroons coach Page Moir also has commitments from the leading scorer in Timesland, 6-3 Kevin Martin from Fieldale-Collinsville; 6-4 Hilary Scott from E.C. Glass in Lynchburg; 6-3 Michael Thornton from Fauquier County and 6-foot Jamara Jones from Deep Creek in Chesapeake.
Salem High girls' basketball player Lynn Holliday, the Group AA player of the year in Virginia, has signed with Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. Holliday, a 5-8 guard, averaged 18 points as a senior and scored 1,814 in her career.
Virginia offensive guard Roy Brown and wide receiver Tim Finkelston have signed free-agent contracts with the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts, respectively. Brown, a two-time All-ACC choice, suffered a bruised calf in the Florida Citrus Bowl and could not run for pro scouts after a calcium deposit developed.
Carroll County product Mike Montgomery, a pitcher on East Tennessee State's baseball team, improved his record to 7-4 in the Buccaneers' 5-2 victory over Furman in the Southern Conference tournament. . . . Radford's baseball team, which improved its record to 20-23 with an 11-9 victory Tuesday at Virginia, will entertain Liberty at 7 p.m. at Salem Municipal Field. . . . After scoring 50 runs in a pair of games with Maryland, Virginia was shut out Monday by Liberty 4-0.
Virginia Tech's baseball team ranks fourth in Division I in scoring, with an average of 8.76 runs through 41 games. . . . VMI senior Andy Beasley is fifth in home runs, with 13 in 36 games. . . . Clinch Valley left-hander Bill Higgins is 16-1 with a 1.73 ERA and seven shutouts in the past two seasons.
VMI finished third in the race for the Commissioner's Cup, the Southern Conference all-sports competition, behind Appalachian State and East Tennessee State. . . . UVa sprinter Julie Sandy, a junior from Salem, finished second in the 100 meters at the ACC track meet with a time of 11.92 seconds.
by CNB