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1
Herd football: Coming attractions
HUNTINGTON – A look at the 2015 Marshall football schedule (times still TBA on most games):
Date
Opponent
Time
Sept. 6
Purdue
3 p.m.
“Labor Day Sunday” opener is first
visit by a Big Ten Conference team to
Edwards Stadium
at Ohio
TBA
Last date in six-game contract of
“Battle for the Bell” series; teams
resume rivalry in 2019-20.
Norfolk State TBA
Hall of Fame Weekend; first meeting
with NSU; Herd is 15-1 versus FCS
teams since 1997
at Kent State TBA
First meeting since 2004, when Herd
left Mid-American Conference; Marshall
has won last 10
—
Oct. 9
Southern Miss 7 p.m.
Friday game; series at 5-5, with Herd
winning last four; MU has 59, 61, 63
points in last three
Oct. 17
at Florida AtlanticTBA
49ers are football newcomers to
C-USA, guided by former Herd assistant
coach Brad Lambert
Nov. 7
at Middle Tenn. TBA
Herd leads series 3-1, but last visit to
Murfreesboro brought 51-49 loss on last
play of game
Nov. 14
FIU
TBA
After Herd romps at Miami the last
two seasons, Panthers make first trek
to Huntington
—
North Texas TBA
MU Homecoming; First date as C-USA
foes; Herd won, 7-0, in 1988 Division
I-AA first round
—
at Charlotte TBA
—
Herd has won two in row here – at
0:00 over Owls in 2013, then Boca
Raton Bowl last season
Oct. 24
Oct. 31
—
—
—
Sept. 26
Herd’s Conference USA opener;
Monarchs’ first visit to “The Joan;’
Marshall leads 1-0
—
—
Sept. 19
Old DominionTBA
—
—
Sept. 12
Oct. 3
Nov. 27
at Western Ky TBA
Herd out to avenge lone 2014 loss
on Thanksgiving Friday; first trip to
Western since 1950 win
3
HerdInsider.com
Features
One more time!
The final edition of the Herd Insider for 2014-15 is our next one, scheduled to appear between June 7-11 online, in your mailbox or available at many
local businesses. We’ll wrap up the Marshall sports year in that one, and look ahead to our first issue of 2015-16, scheduled in August.
Have a great summer!
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In the chase
Thanks to another winning weekend and some clutch performances,
Herd baseball climbed back into the chase for one of the eight spots
in the Conference USA Tournament bracket
Big ‘Bird’
Jack Bogaczyk: Marshall’s new No. 1 quarterback, Michael Birdsong,
sat down with the Herd Insider editor and talked about himself, his
transfer from James Madison, and his desires to lead the team
In the NFL
With six former Herd stars in NFL rookie camps last week, one of
those had to miss his graduation to be living his dream … and linebacker Neville Hewitt seems in a good place with the Dolphins
‘Z’ gets an ‘A-plus’
Whether it’s on the field where she’s setting records, or as an
All-Academic pick, Herd softball star Morgan Zerkle did much more
than pilfer bases in her sophomore season
A stew for Butler
After his arrest for allegedly punching two gay men in downtown
Huntington, rising senior running back Steward Butler gets dismissed from the Herd football program
Mound chemistry
The Herd has won four of its last five C-USA baseball series after
a 2-10 start in league play, and a big reason is the success Friday
starter Chase Boster is having in the strike zone
Sophomore Jordan Dixon (9) tied Andi Williamson’s 2013 singleseason Herd softball record with 33 wins in 2015. Dixon went 33-15
with 308 strikeouts, second only to Williamson’s 364 whiffs in 2013.
Photo by Eric Sullivan
GM/Publisher: Mike Kirtner
Like father …
When Maryland transfer Shawn Petty needs help on playing linebacker for the Herd, he can get it from his MU coaches, or he can
picks up some tips from his coaching father at home
Editor: Jack Bogaczyk
Senior Columnist: Woody Woodrum
Design/Production: Alex Hackney
Columnists: Steve Cotton, Chris Dickerson, Mark Martin,
Jacob Messer, Keith Morehouse, Paul Swann
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HerdInsider.com
Contributors: Marshall Sports Information
Advertising Manager: Reeves Kirtner
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First Subscriber: Geoff Sheils
Founder: Greg Perry
Photography: Brad Helton, Rick Haye, Braxton Crisp
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4
The Herd Insider Magazine
Fajardo’s dive makes big splash for Herd
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
CHARLESTON — The Marshall diving team’s season ended nearly three
months ago, but you’d never have known that last Friday on a sunny, steamy
afternoon at Appalachian Power Park.
With the baseball Herd in need of wins last weekend to climb in its bid to
reach the eight-team Conference USA Tournament, Coach Jeff Waggoner’s
club dived back into the race by winning a series over Western Kentucky – the
Herd’s fourth C-USA series win in its last five.
In Friday’s opener, Marshall eked out a 3-2 triumph despite getting only four
hits. Then on Saturday, the Herd again had only four hits, but eight strong
innings on the mound by JD Hammer and a first-inning, three-run homer by
Aaron Bossi paved the way to a 5-3 triumph.
In Sunday’s series finale, the Hilltoppers (24-26, 10-17) powered their way
to a 12-3 victory over the Herd (18-31, 10-17).
So, it’s a wild scramble from seventh through 11th place, as Marshall – still
on the outside looking in at the bracket — heads for Ruston, La., for a threegame series Thursday through Saturday with last-place Louisiana Tech in
hopes of getting a C-USA Tournament berth for the first time since 2010.
The good news for the Herd – at this juncture – is that Waggoner’s team
owns the tiebreakers over Charlotte, Old Dominion and Western, thanks to
Marshall winning 2-of-3 in recent series with those foes. The exception for MU
among the hopefuls is FIU, which won two of three over Marshall at Power
Park in late March.
Setting the tone in the WKU series on Friday was Herd right fielder Robert
“Boobie” Fajardo.
He made a forward diving catch in the second inning to aid Herd starter
Chase Boster (6-1), and then shortstop Sergio Leon turned a bad baserunning move into a triple with an aggressive dive into third base in the
fourth … eventually scoring what would be the deciding run.
However, Fajardo saved the best – “the best catch I’ve ever made,” he said
– for the seventh inning, snuffing out a potential game-leading WKU rally as
he made a stretching, diving grab of Danny Hudzina’s drive down the line that
was tailing away from the Herd fly chaser.
WKU had runners on first and second with two outs after Boster
intentionally walked ‘Toppers’ leadoff man Anderson Miller. And when Hudzina
lifted one toward the right field line, it looked like Marshall’s 3-2 edge was in
serious trouble.
The 6-foot Fajardo made a game-saving play … and considering the Herd
hopes of reaching the May 20-24 C-USA Tournament, it might have been a
season saver, too.
After a long run, the redshirt junior from Miami dived as the ball was sinking
toward earth and tailing toward the foul line. Fajardo outstretched his left arm
and gloved the ball as he slid, side-first, onto the grass between the fair and
foul warning tracks.
The ball also nearly snow-coned on him as he headed to the ground.
“I was playing him straight-away,” Fajardo said after the Herd made four
hits enough to win. “I knew it was up there, so I knew I had a chance at it.
I put my head down … I saw it, then put my head down, took a couple of
steps, then saw it again.
See FAJARDO, Page 24
5
HerdInsider.com
Birdsong’s grit, savvy elevated him to top QB
HUNTINGTON — When I sat down for a one-on-one interview with
Michael Birdsong a couple of weeks ago, it didn’t take long to learn how and
why he won Marshall’s No. 1
quarterback job.
The traits were as evident as
the big guy’s red hair.
Coach Doc Holliday already
had talked about “the
intangibles” in Birdsong’s spring
practice, where he won the job
over Gunnar Holcombe, Chase
Litton and the transferring Cole
Garvin.
Between watching his work
and listening to his answers in
a 20-minute sitdown, I quickly
gripped Birdsong’s tangibles —
the arm, the physical stature,
the strength. Add in his football
savvy, blue-collar toughness
and resilience, and you see the
ingredients that carried the
rugged junior transfer through
his youth and to his arrival with
the Herd.
He tackled my questions as if
he were a middle linebacker …
which he’s big enough to be.
Birdsong said, “I only played
quarterback when we wanted
to throw the ball.”
As a 6-2, 200-pound
sophomore at Matoaca High
school in Chesterfield County,
Va. (suburban RichmondPetersburg), Birdsong started
two games at quarterback. He
missed the start of his junior
season, however, recovering
from fractured bones in his
left knee, an injury suffered in
basketball camp.
As a Matoaca senior – then
6-4, 220 — he was ranked among the top 50 high school players in Virginia.
But recruiting was a game he really didn’t play although he passed for more
than 3,000 career yards to go with 31 touchdowns, and was the 2011 Central
District Player of the Year as a senior with 1,758 passing yards with 19
scores, and another 400 yards on the ground.
“I committed to JMU second week into the season, and I didn’t get any
other offers,” Birdsong said. “JMU jumped the gun and offered me, were on
me early, and I stuck with them. A couple schools were looking at me in my
sophomore year and I already was a big kid, but JMU was the one that stuck
with me through even when I messed up my knee.
After his transfer from James Madison,
strong-armed Michael Birdsong (11)
used his blue-collar work ethic to play
his way into the No. 1 quarterback spot
in spring drills for the Herd
Photo by Brad Helton
For example, as a sophomore
starter in 2013 at James
Madison, Birdsong suffered
a torn left labrum in a tough
Week 2 loss at Akron … and the
right-hander went on to start
the final 10 games in his final
year with the Dukes before having surgery shortly after the season.
Now, to follow under center, where Herd names like Fodor, Payton, Donnan,
Pennington, Leftwich and Cato have stood?
“It’s pretty challenging,” the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Birdsong said of his
elevation to the Herd QB starter following spring practice. “I don’t think I’ve
soaked it all in yet. It’s only written in pencil right now, not written in pen yet.
“It all won’t sink in until that Saturday night before we go up against Purdue
(in a Sept. 6 season opener). It’s pretty sweet, you know, to be among those
guys right now. I just want to do my best to follow those footsteps and lead
these guys here now.”
Birdsong, 21, talked about the who, what, when, where, why and how
of the new Marshall starting quarterback. A frustration helped bring the
Hampton, Va.-born quarterback to the Herd, but it’s obvious he hasn’t let any
roadblocks define his life.
He and an older brother and sister were raised by the quarterback’s father,
Frank, a machinist who played football (wide receiver), basketball and ran
track at Newport News Apprentice School. After a divorce, Birdsong said his
mother “was out of the picture … I was about 2; I really don’t remember her.
“It was just us four. It was rough sometimes. You have some adversity
when you’re little, wondering where your mom is … is she still around? My
dad did a great job, really great. It didn’t affect me so much because I was so
young when she left. I think it had more of an effect on my brother and sister.
I had no clue who she was.
“It was tough sometimes, dealing with just my dad,” Birdsong said, smiling.
“There was a lot of testosterone going around in there, and no motherly love
maybe when you needed it sometimes, but I talked to my grandma a lot. But
the way it was made me who I am today.
“I had to deal with a lot, because my dad put a lot on us. We learned early
on we had to carry our own weight, starting pretty young because he was
working his tail off trying to support three kids and he’s at work, not around
a lot, so you had to do things on your own and get things done. And I think
that really helped in that way.”
He started playing football at age 5, through peewee and grade school
always as a running back or linebacker. In the seventh and eighth grades,
“They never, ever stopped being in contact. I knew they really wanted me,
and I wanted to go to some place where I was wanted. I didn’t want some
coach second-guessing on why we took this guy.”
Birdsong’s main contact on the James Madison staff is a familiar name here.
His recruiter was former Virginia Tech All-America nose tackle J.C. Price, who
was on Coach Mickey Matthews’ JMU staff from 2004-11, before Price joined
Holliday’s Herd staff.
That mattered later for Birdsong, too.
At the Harrisonburg, Va., school, Birdsong became the only true freshman
to play for the Dukes in 2012. He made two starts, and then started all 12
games the following season, playing through the aforementioned labrum tear.
It was then that Birdsong really began to hurt, as JMU fired Matthews – the
Herd defensive coordinator from 1990-95 for Coach Jim Donnan – after 15
seasons. The Dukes hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Everett Withers,
who was the head coach at North Carolina in 2011.
“With the coaching change … I loved Coach Matthews,” Birdsong said. “I
can’t say enough about the guy; he was a great coach, a great mentor to me,
took me under his wing, made sure I was good to go, and he did that with
everybody.
“I was really upset when they fired him, because we had just gotten a
new offensive system, a new coordinator (former Clemson quarterback and
NC State head Coach Mike O’Cain). We were in our first year (with O’Cain)
See BOGACZYK, Page 25
6
The Herd Insider Magazine
Hewitt hopes to fill Dolphins’ need at LB
By JACK BOGACZYK
Hewitt, of Conyers, Ga., has a three-year contract for the league minimum
at $1.575 million, which breaks down to $435,000, followed by $525,000 and
$615,000. Of course, like Roberts, Hewitt has to make the roster to get that.
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Last
weekend already was
going to be memorable for
Neville Hewitt. And that was
before the emotion and the
excitement was doubled.
“I’ve been optimistic about it all along,” Hewitt said.
Hewitt’s 123 tackles for the nationally ranked Herd led Conference USA in
2014. In two seasons with Marshall as a junior college transfer from Georgia
Military, he proved to be a quick study as well as a quick hitter.
One pre-draft scouting report via NFL.com said Hewitt “has flown under the
radar in part because he lacks the ideal size and strength teams like at middle
linebacker, but could help immediately on special teams. He is a physical,
aggressive and instinctive run stopper.”
Last Saturday, Hewitt
became the first member
of his family to gain a
college degree, when Neville
Jermaine Hewitt was among
the College of Business grads
in Marshall University’s spring
ceremony.
However, the former
Thundering Herd linebacker
wasn’t at Big Sandy
Superstore Arena for
the ceremony. The 2014
conference USA Defensive
Player of the Year was in his
second day of rookie camp
in Davie, Fla., with the NFL’s
Miami Dolphins.
The Herd’s two previous C-USA Defensive Players of the Year – ends Vinny
Curry and Albert McClellan – both made the NFL and are still in the league.
The rangy, 6-foot-2 Hewitt hopes to make it a trio, and he’s added 10 pounds
to the 220 he carried last season for the Herd to enhance his chances.
On his Graduation weekend, former Herd
linebacker Neville Hewitt (6) was doing
his best to impress the Miami Dolphins
after signing as an undrafted free agent
Photo by Brad Helton
“This is the opportunity of
lifetime,” Hewitt said last week before leaving here for Friday’s camp opening.
“The only reason I’d miss graduation is for this.”
Hewitt landed an NFL shot on May 2, within hours after the league’s 80th
draft was completed. He is one of four undrafted free agent linebackers the
Dolphins signed. Hewitt, Penn State’s Mike Hull, Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc and Utah
State’s Zach Vigil combined for 550 tackles as 2014 seniors.
Hewitt also is one of five 2014 Herd seniors to get a free agent shot
– joining tight end Eric Frohnapfel (San Diego), center Chris Jasperse
(Cincinnati), defensive lineman James Rouse (Houston) and quarterback
Rakeem Cato (Cleveland).
Rouse’s bid sadly ended very quickly. In the Texans’ first rookie workout
last Friday, the former Herd MVP tore an Achilles tendon – the same injury
he suffered in April 2012 that lengthened his absence from the field with the
Herd.
On that same day, former MU cornerback Darryl Roberts – the Herd’s lone
NFL Draft pick this year – signed a contract with the New England Patriots.
The seventh-round pick received a four-year, $2.334 million deal. Of that,
Roberts’ signing bonus of $54,223 is guaranteed. His annual salaries – if
he makes the defending Super Bowl champions’ roster – will be $435,000,
followed by $525,000, $615,000 and $705,000.
As for Hewitt, his deal with the Dolphins seems a good opportunity at a
position that was in flux for Miami last season.
“I worked out for the Patriots here at Marshall,” Hewitt said when asked
about his pre-draft experiences following the Herd’s Pro Day on March 11. “I
went to Atlanta to do their area workout, and the Falcons head coach (Mike
Smith) stopped me and told me to keep working hard. After what he told me,
it really helped me out.
“Then I’d been talking to coach Mark Duffner of the Dolphins (linebackers
coach) throughout the whole process and it got to the point where he started
calling me every other day … The other opportunities were Atlanta, and my
agent (David Schuman) mentioned New York – the Giants – as well.”
As the NFL Draft turned to Rounds 4-7 on May 2, Hewitt said he was
anxious.
“Coach Duffner called me at the beginning of the fifth round and said they
See HEWITT, Page 26
7
HerdInsider.com
Zerkle’s numbers more than one for the books
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Morgan Zerkle’s sophomore softball season ended sooner
than she or her Marshall teammates would have liked … but what a season it
was for the Herd center fielder.
Zerkle’s teammates call her “Z,” but perhaps a better nickname for her
might be “E.T.”
That’s because the numbers she put up this season really do seem out of
this world.
“Extraordinary,” said veteran MU Coach Shonda Stanton, a couple of days
before the Herd season ended at 35-15 with a 3-1 quarterfinal loss to UAB
last Thursday in the Conference USA Tournament in Miami.
Zerkle, from nearby Milton, was hardly a stranger to success after a 2014
freshman season in which set rewrote the school’s stolen base record, with
48. One year later, her play was about much more than pilfering pillows, and
she was an All-C-USA first team selection as well as a C-USA All-Academic
Team choice.
Her 2015 season started with a 27-game hitting streak as the Herd’s left
handed-hitting leadoff hitter.
Yes, Zerkle is now more than a Woman of Steal.
“Coming into this season, I had a lot of goals set, kind of with some
numbers,” Zerkle said. “I thought it would be really awesome to get this
many hits, get this many stolen bases, but I didn’t actually know it would be
attainable.
“I just kind of thought in my head I wanted to do better than last year,
and I batted three-something then (.358). So, I strived to get on, two hits a
game. I thought I could do it, but I never knew I could attain it. I was just
hoping I could do it. What’s happened has actually shocked me.”
Marshall sophomore center fielder Morgan Zerkle (18) was an AllConference USA first team selection and made the league’s AllAcademic Team, too
Photo by Brad Helton
The 5-foot-9 Zerkle isn’t alone.
“Her numbers are freakish, and it’s not that she’s surprised me, because we
know how gifted … she’s phenomenally gifted,” Stanton said. “I just talked to
her last week about how she needs to understand how freakish her numbers
are, because she’s only a sophomore and if she starts her junior year and
doesn’t go on a 27-game hit streak, she has to be OK with that.
“So, she has to understand she’s at a really special, elite status right now
and so her ability to maintain is going to be about being able to handle some
failure along the way. It’s such an incredibly difficult game to put up numbers
like hers. It’s unbelievable.”
Zerkle finished with 47 steals, one off her school mark of a year ago. More
impressively, she registered on the national stage, not just in C-USA and on
her “hometown” campus.
See ZERKLE, Page 27
8
The Herd Insider Magazine
Butler dismissed from football after arrest
Herd Insider report
HUNTINGTON — The Marshall football career of running back Steward
Butler is over.
Butler, a rising senior running back, was dismissed from the Thundering
Herd program last Wednesday, following his arrest by Huntington Police on
two counts of misdemeanor battery stemming from an alleged April 5 incident
in downtown.
Butler, of Lakeland, Fla., turned himself in to authorities and was arraigned.
He was arrested on charges that he punched two gay men in the face minutes
after the men kissed at the corner of 5th Avenue and 9th Street.
The two men – Zackary Johnson of Ravenswood, W.Va., and Casey Williams,
of Ironton, Ohio – were allegedly approached by Butler, who was said to have
left a car that was traveling past the men. The Herald-Dispatch reported that
other Herd football players were in the vehicle, but they do not face criminal
charges.
Criminal complaints charged Butler witnessed the men kiss and left a
“passing vehicle” – identified as a red Chevy cobalt in some news reports —
and he proceeded to shout derogatory words toward the men before punching
each in the face.
Cabell County Magistrate Darrell Black released Butler on a $10,000
personal recognizance bond. Butler left his arraignment with local defense
attorney Rich Weston, who declined comment.
Several hours after Butler’s arraignment, Marshall Athletic Director Mike
Hamrick’s Twitter account provided the following statement, the third one
from MU Athletics during the day:
“Head Coach Doc Holliday and I have decided to dismiss running back
Steward Butler from our program in light of additional information regarding
his charges.”
About 90 minutes prior to that statement, Hamrick had announced that
Butler was suspended from the football team, pending further investigation
into the situation. That statement followed strong words from MU interim
President Gary White in a statement released by the university:
“The entire university community is shocked and disappointed to learn the
details surrounding the alleged actions that led to Mr. Butler’s arrest this
morning.
“The type of violent, bigoted behavior reported to have been perpetrated
by this student is not tolerated at Marshall University. Period. This is an
extremely serious matter.
“We will allow the legal process to run its course and will act swiftly and
appropriately within our Student Conduct System and according to the Code
of Student Rights and Responsibilities as more details become clear.”
Butler, who rushed for 2,063 yards in three Herd seasons — ranking No. 13
on the career list at MU — is on schedule to graduate in December 2015.
According to The Herald-Dispatch, Williams said he recalled hearing a series
of derogatory slurs from a vehicle. Butler then exited the vehicle and struck
the face of both victims with a closed fist, according to the criminal complaint.
That allegedly occurred as Williams and Johnson returned to their hotel
room from an Easter Sunday evening dinner with friends. Williams told the
Huntington newspaper he hopes the incident brings about a change to West
Virginia’s hate crime statute, which does not include protections based on
sexual orientation.
Huntington Police Detective Chris Sperry said neither victim received
hospital treatment and credited the alleged victims with recording the attack
on video. The two decided to video any incidents after enduring verbal abuse
during a visit to the Kings Island amusement park.
The video of the alleged incident was available on WOWK TV the night of
Butler’s arrest. Some media reports said the car in which Butler was riding
was allegedly driven by an unidentified Marshall football player.
Sperry told the Herald-Dispatch that consultation with the U.S. Justice
Department, FBI and state Attorney General’s Office caused a month’s delay
in Butler’s arrest. He proceeded to file misdemeanor charges last Wednesday
(May 6) upon receiving assurance such a move would not affect any
prosecution of any federal civil rights violation.
Huntington Police Chief Joseph Ciccarelli said the FBI was contacted and is
conducting an investigation.
The alleged incident occurred with Holliday’s team having completed two
weeks (six practices) of the five-week spring practice period (15 practices).
Butler practiced throughout spring ball, which ended April 25.
The Herald-Dispatch reported that Sperry said the Marshall football program
was made aware of the allegations against Butler prior to last Wednesday’s
arrest, but the newspaper mentioned no time frame or date of that
information sharing.
“You ought to be able to travel around anywhere in the United States or the
world and express whatever feelings you have for whatever it is,” Sperry told
the Huntington newspaper. “Male, female — it doesn’t matter. That’s their
lifestyle.”
9
HerdInsider.com
Boster brings more than chemistry to mound
By JACK BOGACZYK
classroom, with a major in chemistry and minor in entrepreneurship.
Herd Insider Editor
“I thought, after how I pitched last summer, that I could be pitching like
I have,” Boster said. “I had success (with the Beckley-based West Virginia
Miners in the wooden-bat Prospect League) and I carried that into this
season.
HUNTINGTON — Let’s cut to
the chase on Marshall’s seriesleadoff starting pitcher.
“I’m not really sure about this summer. I honestly haven’t given it too
much thought. I’m just focusing on the season, winning games, making the
conference tournament. After the season, maybe I’ll see what opportunities
present themselves.”
His ERA is 2.39. His GPA is
3.37.
Which of those numbers is
more impressive for Chase
Boster?
Boster will go to the mound Friday at Louisiana Tech night as the Herd tries
to play its way into next week’s C-USA Tournament in Hattiesburg, Miss.
His mound work has helped Marshall climb back into striking distance of the
eight-team bracket.
Maybe neither. Consider
how the Marshall right-hander
has pitched recently as the
Conference USA series-leadoff
starter, and maybe it’s this:
Boster (6-1) has won four of his last five starts, against Charlotte, Old
Dominion, Middle Tennessee and western Kentucky, losing only at Southern
Miss. In those four wins, he’s worked 28 1/3 innings, allowing 18 hits and
three earned runs, striking out 19.
“His fastball command, he’s
at 67 percent fastball strikes
right now,” said Marshall’s
pitching coach and former
Major League lefty Josh
Newman.
Veteran Herd Coach Jeff
Waggoner said he figures the
6-foot-4, 220-pounder Boster
will be selected in the June MLB
Draft. However, considering
Boster’s commitment to
academics – if he isn’t a high
pick – he might return to the Herd
Seven weeks ago, there was little indication of this kind of success. Boster,
of Stafford, Va., made two early starts before forearm tightness kept him off
the mound for three weeks. He then pitched one inning on March 14 against
UTSA and went another two weeks without an appearance.
Junior right-hander Chase Boster has
emerged as a strong Friday starter for
Coach Jeff Waggoner’s baseball Herd
Photo by Vanessa Niblett
as a 2016 senior.
Boster isn’t getting ahead, however – except in the count, and in the
The setback came after his success last summer, when he made the
Prospect League postseason all-star team and was named a Perfect Game
Summer Collegiate All-America third team selection after going 5-2 with a
0.74 ERA for the Miners. He allowed 28 hits and had 60 strikeouts and only
10 walks in 60 1/3 innings.
“I had an MRI and there was no structural damage,” Boster said of his
shelving. “I had inflammation in my ulnar nerve and worked in rehab with
See BOSTER, Page 30
10
The Herd Insider Magazine
Petty transfers linebacker play from home to Herd
By JACK BOGACZYK
Herd Insider Editor
HUNTINGTON — Like many of his Marshall football teammates, Shawn
Petty played in the Military Bowl to close the 2013 season.
He’s unique, however, among the Herd from that late December day in
Annapolis, Md. He was on the losing side, as a
backup inside linebacker in Maryland’s last game
as an ACC member before moving to the Big
Ten.
“Really, it’s very beneficial. Whatever I can’t pick up from out here and if it’s
something my dad can help me with, he can teach me. It’s been a big plus,
because it’s helped my game throughout my whole life.
“I’ve learned a lot from him. My whole life, I’d been playing quarterback
until I moved to linebacker. He taught me what he did. And once I got to
college, he taught me everything he knew. He’s here (Saturday for the Green
and White scrimmage), and I’m pretty sure he’s
going to critique me when we get back to my
apartment.
“The biggest thing I learned from him is
basically, play hard. They key on defense is just
playing football, get to the football … instinctive.
Being a football player, it’s always been kind of
interesting (at home with a coach).
This isn’t one of those “if you can’t beat ‘em,
join ‘em” tales, however. It’s a story rooted in
research.
After two seasons with his home-state
Terrapins, Petty was seeking a new place to play.
He didn’t pick Marshall because he was green
with envy about that bowl game. He considered
rosters of several schools before checking out
the Herd.
“So, it’s more than just going hard every play.
It’s making sure you get your assignment. It
comes naturally to me, kind of. So, with my dad,
it’s play hard, play smart and you’ll make plays.”
Petty, 21, put his 2014 transfer season to good
use and won the Herd’s Offensive Scout Team
Award for the practice looks he gave Rakeem
Cato and Co.
“I had a couple of other schools in mind, but I
knew Marshall was a good program, on the rise,”
Petty said after the Herd closed spring practice.
“And I looked and they needed linebackers here
after their senior class (was out of eligibility),
and I felt like this would be the best opportunity
for me to come in and play right away.”
“When you’re in that kind of situation, you
have to make a statement that way, because
that’s all you have,” Petty said. “I didn’t have a
game on Saturday, so I had to go hard Tuesday
through Thursday, every week. That was
important to me.”
Petty saw that while he would have to sit
out for the 2014 season after transferring,
that season also would be the last for Herd
linebackers Neville Hewitt, Jermaine Holmes,
Raheem Waiters and Cortez Carter. Marshall also
has since lost Kent Turene, whose career was cut
short by injury. Hewitt and Holmes were the top
tacklers for Coach Doc Holliday’s program.
“Sitting out last year, with what they
accomplished (a Conference USA title, bowl win
and national ranking), that was really hard, but
my teammates helped me get through that,” the
6-foot, 251-pound Petty said. “Daily, I used my
practices as my games – that’s all you have.
In 2011, Petty and fellow Herd junior
linebacker Stefan Houston were Maryland 4A/3A
(large schools) All-State first team linebackers.
After Petty’s graduation from Eleanor Roosevelt
High, he found himself in a larger role than
expected as a Terps’ true freshman.
Maryland transfer Shawn Petty (56) had a strong
spring practice and is anxious to make his Marshall
debut at inside linebacker in the 2015 season
Photo by Brad Helton
“So I just came out and went hard in practices.
It was tough, but my teammates helped me out
with it. Having to sit and watch games, it made me more hungry, not being
out there on Saturdays.”
This spring, with weakside linebacker Evan McKelvey still bouncing back to
full health after a second ACL tear surgery in his career, Petty and sophomore
Raheim Huskey got plenty of reps at the inside linebacker spots.
The former Terrapin was among the more impressive newcomers to
Holliday’s club.
“Shawn has good size and athletic ability,” said Adam Fuller, the Herd’s
third-year linebackers coach. “He’s good in the meeting room, picks up
concepts well, understands, and he’s a plus in zone coverage with excellent
ball skills.
“If there’s a place he needs to improve, it’s playing with more power and
burst. We like him … he’s a good player, but he needs to continue to improve
in order for him to be an every-down player in our defense.”
Petty admits he has an advantage in getting what he needs. He not only has
Fuller and other Herd coaches on campus, but when he’s home in Greenbelt,
Md., he has a coach, too.
His father, Ray Petty, is the defensive coordinator at Howard University, and
a linebacker at Elon in the late ‘70s. The elder Petty also has had two stints
as a head coach (2002-06, 2013) at Howard, and also has been defensive
coordinator at Norfolk State and Delaware State and also coached at
Southern and North Carolina A&T.
“There’s no extra pressure having your dad as a coach,” Petty said.
He began 2012 as a scout team linebacker, but
when injuries struck the ACC program, Petty was
moved over to quarterback, where he made four
late-season starts. Petty completed 39-of-84
passes (.464) for 500 yards, with six touchdowns
and two interceptions. He also rushed 58 times
for a net of 14 yards (152 gain, 138 lost), with
one TD.
That experience assists him now, Petty said.
“It helped me a lot because basically, at quarterback, you learn a lot more
because on offense, you’ve got to know where everybody’s going,” Petty said.
“Then, going over to the defensive side, you pick those things up you learned
on the offensive side, like splits and looking at the backs alignments.
“Half of the game is mental, so if you know the sets before the play, it
makes the physical part easier. It really is beneficial for me now to have been
on the other side of the ball.”
Petty’s father was a running back who was moved to linebacker. Like his
dad, the Herd junior has learned that versatility is a key to success, too. Petty
played weakside and middle linebacker this spring, and the two inside spots
can be interchangeable to the Marshall scheme.
“You want to learn as much as possible about both positions,” he said. “The
more you know, the better, so you can always flip.”
What Petty said he enjoyed most, however, about spring football was just
being 15 practices closer to getting back onto the field for his first game since
that Military Bowl.
“It felt good to actually be out here competing for a job and going hard
every day,” Petty said. “It feels good to just be on the field again. When
you’re like I was last season, you kind of have to lag off. “You can’t go
full speed, because on scout (team) these other guys you’re playing against,
they’ve got a game on Saturday. Now, I can go full speed, go my hardest and
battle for a position. That’s what I’m here for.”
HerdInsider.com
11
Junior Katalin Lucas (92) brought versatility to Herd softball, working some at catcher in addition to being the regular shortstop for a 35-15
team. Lucas batted .320 with five homers and 27 RBI, making 49 of 50 starts
Photo by Brad Helton
12
The Herd Insider Magazine
Coach Shonda Stanton’s team gets together before taking the field May 3 on Senior Day. The Herd finished 35-15, ending the season last week
with a 3-1 setback to UAB in the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinals
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
13
Herd right fielder Emileigh Cooper (12) makes her Senior Day walk on May 3 before the Herd’s softball loss to UAB. Cooper, one of only two
Herd seniors on the 2015 squad, batted .434 and was an All-Conference USA second team selection this season
Photo by Brad Helton
14
Marshall second baseman Elicia D’Orazio, here catching a popup in
the final home series against UAB at Dot Hicks Field, was named the
Conference USA Freshman of the Year and also was an all-conference
first team pick. She batted .354 with 28 RBI and 24 steals
Photo by Eric Sullivan
The Herd Insider Magazine
HerdInsider.com
Freshman Jordan Colliflower (29), from Huntington, had six steals this softball season as one of the Herd’s key pinch-runners
Photo by Brad Helton
15
16
The Herd Insider Magazine
HerdInsider.com
17
Marshall sophomore center fielder Morgan Zerkle (18), here stealing one of her 47
bases this season, had a special 2015 for Herd softball. She was an All-Conference
USA first team selection and made the league’s All-Academic Team (3.62, majoring
in exercise science). She batted .506 – a Marshall and C-USA single-season record —
and her 89 hits led NCAA Division I softball through last weekend. Zerkle, of Milton,
fell one stolen base shy of her school record of a year ago. (See story, Page 7)
Photos by Brad Helton
18
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd Coach Jeff Waggoner (center) congratulates senior reliever Kolin Stanley (13) on his second save of the baseball season on Friday
following a series-opening win over Western Kentucky in Charleston. Matt Reed is the catcher
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
19
Sophomore leadoff hitter Corey Bird (50) doubled on this pitch to open
the Herd’s series with WKU last Friday at Appalachian Power Park.
Marshall won 2-of-3 in the C-USA series. Bird is batting .296 entering
the final series of the regular season
Photo by Brad Helton
Junior second baseman Aaron Bossi (17) circles the bases after he
belted a three-run, first-inning homer last Saturday against Western
Kentucky, getting the Herd started toward a C-USA victory
Photo by Brad Helton
20
The Herd Insider Magazine
Herd first baseman TJ Diffenderfer (44) reacts with glee as he’s on base when Aaron Bossi ripped a threerun, first-inning homer in Saturday’s 5-3 MU win over Western Kentucky at Power Park
Photo by Brad Helton
HerdInsider.com
21
22
The Herd Insider Magazine
Junior right-hander JD Hammer (34) went a career-long eight innings to get a win over WKU last Saturday at Appalachian Power Park.
Hammer struck out 11 and only allowed two runs and six hits
Photo by Brad Helton
23
HerdInsider.com
Herd track and cross country add 13 signees
Herd Insider report
Women’s track and field/cross country
HUNTINGTON — Marshall track and field and cross country Coach Jeff
Small recently announced the addition of 11 recruits to the women’s track
and field and cross country rosters. The Herd also gained two signees in
men’s cross country.
Audrey Barber (Hurricane) – Hurricane HS … Multis … Personal bests of
14.97 in 100 hurdles, 16-10 in long jump
All have signed National Letters of Intent or Institutional Financial
Agreements. The list includes athletes from six states and The Netherlands.
Five signees are West Virginia high school seniors, including Hurricane’s
Audrey Barber, the daughter of former Herd star and College Football Hall of
Fame receiver Mike Barber.
Hasana Clark (Raleigh, N.C.) – Southeast Raleigh HS … Throws … Personal
bests of 45-3 in shotput, 147-7 in discus
Sarah Bever (Parkersburg) – Parkersburg HS … Hurdles/jumps … Personal
bests of 5-5 in high jump, 15.09 in 100 hurdles, 46.12 in 300 hurdles
Adriana Cook (Coal City) – Independence HS … Middle distance … Personal
best of 2:23.70 in 800 meters
“I think this is a solid recruiting class for the Herd,” Small said. “We have
really improved our teams’ strength in the throwing events, which has been
our biggest weakness the last few years. (Throws coach) Travis Coleman
did a great job bringing in several recruits that will really help us at both the
Conference USA and the national level.
Taylor Craigo (Warren, Ohio) – Howland HS … Distance … Personal bests of
2:29.80 in 800 meters, 5:11.83 in 1,600 meters, 12:01.72 in 3,200 meters,
19:05.21 in 5K
“We have improved our depth in the jumps, multis and distance with this
class and we feel that Elisabeth Paulina will be a great addition to our sprint
group and can have an impact at the national level as well. The thing I like
most about this class is these kids are all great students from great families,
and will be first-class representatives of Marshall University.
Heidi Heiniger (Sabetha, Kan.) – Sabetha HS … Throws … Personal best of
144-3 in javelin
“Nick Schmidt is the fastest 2-miler (9:19 indoors) I have ever signed at
Marshall University, while Daniel Green has unlimited potential. So, I feel very
good about our men’s cross country class as well.”
A look at the 2015-16 Herd track and field/cross country signees (listed
alphabetically):
Men’s cross country
Daniel Green (Mercersburg, Pa.) – James Buchanan HS … Personal best of
15:55.00 for 5K.
Nick Schmidt (Davison, Mich.) – Davison HS … Personal best of 15:45.60 for
5K
Lauren George (Landisville, Pa.) – Hempfield HS … Jumps … Personal bests
of 17-6 in long jump, 36-10 in triple jump
Elena Marchand (Hermitage, Pa.) – Hickory HS … Throws … Personal bests
of 47-5 in shotput, 142-0 in discus
Whitney McAtee (Williamstown) – Parkersburg HS … Throws … Personal
bests of 41-2 in shotput, 130-11 in discus
Elisabeth Paulina (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) – CSG Calvijn Vreewijk
School … Springs … Personal bests of 25.39 in 200 meters, 55.90 in 400
meters
Allie Perry (Scott Depot) – Winfield HS … Jumps … Personal best of 11-0 in
pole vault
Small’s programs lose six seniors in women’s track and field and cross
country and two seniors in men’s cross country. The Herd next heads to the
13-team Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, scheduled
Thursday-Sunday at UTEP.
24
FAJARDO
From Page 4
wanted to catch it.”
The Herd Insider Magazine
“And I realized it was tailing away from me. I knew
if I was going to catch it, I wasn’t going to have to
make a diving catch. I never hesitated. I couldn’t if I
“This one’s definitely up there, a game-saving catch, men on second and
first. It’s a big catch, and I had to make it because my pitcher’s out there
busting his butt, so I’m going going to make a play for him.”
Boster continued his strong series-opening Friday mound work. The junior
went 7 1/3 innings, spacing seven hits and allowing two runs, one earned. He
fanned five and his only walk was the intentional one to Miller.
Southpaw Caleb Ross and righty redshirt senior Kolin Stanley finished, the
latter getting his second career save.
Offensively, the Herd’s only hit after the fourth inning was Corey Bird’s oneout bunt in the eighth, but he was erased on a steal attempt. That hit in the
fourth, however, was Leon’s triple.
On the drive down the line in right, Leon headed for third, where the ball
arrived about 20 feet ahead of the Herd senior. He dived through the air at
Hudzina’s tag … and the ball flew out when the WKU third baseman’s glove
came off.
Leon then scored on a wild pitch by Hilltopper starter and tough-luck loser
John Harman (4-4).
The Herd’s first two runs came in the first after WKU had taken a 1-0 lead.
Designated hitter Andrew Dundon’s two-out single down the line in right
scored Bird, who had led off with a double, and TJ Diffenderfer, who had
walked.
Dundon, a senior who played third earlier in the season, was back in
the lineup for only his second game after being benched for 11 games as
Waggoner looked for more power and run production.
Seniors Leon and Dundon and fourth-year junior Fajardo came up big for
the Herd, which needs its veterans to show the way if it is to climb into the
C-USA bracket in Hattiesburg, Miss.
“The older guys, the younger guys look up to us and if they see us go out
there and have success and play hard, they know they can do it, too,” Fajardo
said. “We’re playing hard, playing together right now.”
As for Fajardo and his crucial catch, also consider it’s his first season as a
right fielder at any level of baseball. He’s there because Cory Garrastazu, the
regular in right last season – is sitting out 2015 after injury and surgery. So,
Fajardo moved over from left.
He made only two putouts Friday, but both were highlight-reel deals for a
guy who got his nickname at La Salle High in Miami. This season at his new
position, he has 86 putouts, two assist … and no errors.
“Honestly it comes down to practice,” Fajardo said of dealing with slicing
flies and drives as he did in a crisp game that was played in 2:09. “We did it
all fall all spring, and the only difference is right is the way the ball tails on
you. This is the tough one, a righty hitter, the ball’s going to tail away from
me.”
Fajardo is hitting .270, but said “defense is bigger to me because defense
wins championship. It’s like Coach (Josh) Newman (pitching coach) says all
the time: ‘You don’t go into a slump when you play defense.’
“I wasn’t going to let in bounce, play it safe,” Fajardo said when told if he
didn’t match the catch, the Hilltoppers were looking at a two-run triple at
least. “They’d have scored at least one run (if he had pulled up). We needed
that out. It ended the threat and the inning.
“It’s the best catch I’ve made. It got us a win, and that’s we need to get
into the tournament.”
25
HerdInsider.com
BOGACZYK
From Page 5
and we were pretty young, went 6-6 and lost the
last three games. I didn’t think, big picture, Coach
Matthews should have been fired, so I already had a
bad taste in my mouth when Coach Withers was coming in.
“There were a lot of things we couldn’t do because of depth at certain
positions, and we just needed some time, but that rubbed me the wrong way
when Coach Matthews was let go. I was upset that the guy I came to play for
just got snipped and his contract wasn’t even up.
“Coach Withers came in, got us fired up, but I was still upset about Coach
Matthews, and once I heard about the offense Coach Withers was bringing
in and the quarterback (Georgia Tech graduate transfer Vad Lee) he was
bringing in, that was it.
“I was bitter, coming off shoulder surgery, so I really couldn’t do anything
about it, sitting on the side, watching what I felt was my team being taken
away from me … I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Birdsong went through 2014 spring practice with the Dukes, although he
was limited due to his rehab from the labrum surgery. Two days after the
JMU spring game, Birdsong asked for his release so he could transfer after
throwing for 3,206 career yards with 26 touchdowns.
“I went to (Withers’) office on Monday after the spring game,” Birdsong
said. “I stuck it out through spring, and I was pretty optimistic, splitting
reps some, but it got to the point where I could see where the whole thing
was going. The system wasn’t what I wanted, so I knew I needed to make a
change. I stuck it out pretty much just so I could practice after surgery.”
Birdsong realized what the Herd looked like with the ball under coordinator
Bill Legg, and what four-year starting QB Rakeem Cato was producing in an
attack that was among the nation’s best in total offense. He knew Cato was
entering his senior season, as was Taylor Heinicke of Old Dominion, which
was new to the FBS ranks.
The Herd, it seemed, had to aces to play – Matthews’ past and present
connections with the Herd, and Birdsong’s former James Madison recruiter,
Price.
“Picking where to go, it was a little bit of everything, and Coach Matthews
helped me out a lot when I needed to get things done or needed to find
things out,” Birdsong said. “Coach Price — who’s here now — recruited me at
JMU, so I knew I had a trustworthy source when I asked around.
“After I was released, he communicated back to our people that there was a
place to go here. I knew then I could make a decision. Once the release was
sent through and cleared, I think Coach Price may have been the first person
I talked to.
“It was between ODU and Marshall, and the reason it was is because both
offenses throw the ball left and right, and that’s what I want to do. That’s
my strength. Everybody’s goal is to go to the (National Football) League, and
you’re not going to the NFL if you’re running the ball.
“So, that played a huge part in my decision. And eventually picking Marshall
over ODU was a lot about because this program was even more successful at
(the major college) level for years. Ultimately, that was the factor.”
Birdsong arrived in Huntington last summer. Sitting out last season, he
quickly bonded with new teammates, and as the Herd won its first Conference
USA title, going 13-1 with a Boca Raton Bowl victory and finishing nationally
ranked (Nos. 22 and 23) in the final polls, the big Virginian made an
impression.
He was picked by coaches as the Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year
for the opponents’ presentation he gave under center in practice. And when
the calendar turned to 2015, Birdsong was primed for what he came to do at
Marshall.
Birdsong gambled that if he took an aggressive, motivational tone in winter
conditioning, his teammates would accept him. He surmised that if he were
going to be a leader at more than in the Herd’s pending quarterback derby,
he had to make an impact.
“I just knew this was it,” Birdsong said. “I knew I had good competition
there with Gunnar, Cole and Chase, and I knew I only had one shot at this –
and this was it. I transferred for a reason, and that was to start.
“So, if I wanted to be the guy – and I did – I’d have to put everything out
there. I think that’s what I did. As soon as January came, from a leadership
standpoint, in the weight room, I think that’s where I really started my
gains, leading those guys, trying to get every ounce of energy I could out of
everybody … trying to push them.
“The way I thought about it was, ‘Yeah, I’m a new guy here, but a lot of
guys, they know me.’ I got my foot in the door pretty quickly with the guys.
They all seemed to like me, knew I was serious about it. I knew they wouldn’t
be upset if I went in there and was vocal, because that’s what we needed,
you know.
“Cato was gone; somebody’s got to step up and get the job done. There’s
no time getting wasted in trying to warm up to these guys. You’ve just got to
go in there … They’re either going to accept it or they’re not, and fortunately
they accepted it, and that really helped me, and us. They supported what
I was trying to do and when you have the support, it makes it a whole lot
easier.”
With his size, arm and Holliday’s “intangibles” in play, Birdsong brings
plenty to the position. What does he see as his No. 1 trait?
“I think my big strength is my leadership, out there on the field being
upbeat,” Birdsong said. “I’m not really too pessimistic. If I throw an
interception, it doesn’t really bother me. Dropped passes, doesn’t bother me.
“If it keeps on happening, you’re going to say something, but it’s not about
getting on someone and breaking them down. You have to get on ‘em and
bring them up, remind them how good they are, that’s why they’re playing.
“I think I’m pretty good at motivating guys and getting them fired up. The
skill set, it’s there. I know I’ve got the arm; I can make all the passes and I’m
a big physical guy, 6-4, 235, 240. That physical presence is pretty strong.”
When Holliday named Birdsong the new Herd starter on Monday, Legg
said one factor that carried the transfer to the top of the heap was “Mike’s
capacity to learn, and then his capacity to fix errors. If he’d make a mistake,
he’d come back and fix that mistake the next time, and transition it into a
positive result. That made a difference.”
Birdsong grinned when told of Legg’s remark.
“I give credit to my dad on that one,” Birdsong said. “He only coached
me one, two years in rec league basketball, and whenever I did something
wrong, he let me know. And if I did it wrong again, he’d jump me a little bit
harder.
“You learn quick that way. It goes back to that. If I’m going to make a
mistake, fine. We all make mistakes … just don’t do it a second time.”
Two other things you notice about Birdsong right away – his red hair, and
his high-top football cleats.
“My red hair comes from my grandpa,” he said. “And my dad’s hair was red,
he told me, until he was about 10, and then it turned black.”
The “Johnny Unitas” footwear?
“My dad is a huge fan of high tops,” Birdsong said. “He said he had terrible
roll (ankle) problems. I mean, I’ve rolled them a time or two, had a bad one
the end of my freshman year at JMU, sat me out the last two games of the
season, a bad ankle sprain.
“Other than that, I’ve never had any ankle problems, and I think it’s due to
the fact my dad always made me wear high tops. Ever since I’ve played, I’ve
worn them, except that freshman year at JMU I didn’t wear them – and I got
that bad ankle sprain, so …
“They’re not all that high, three-quarters, I guess. But they are different.
You’re taping your ankles wearing braces anyway, so wearing high tops is
not going to hold you back. You see linemen wearing them and maybe inside
linebackers, but no skill position guys. I’m just comfortable with them.”
So, the Marshall starting QB job is Birdsong’s job to lose. He’s not a guy
who thinks that way. It may be “written in pencil” as he said, but he’s not
worried about anyone bringing an eraser.
So, what is his message to Herd fans as someone walking in very large
footsteps?
“Whew!” he said.” The fans, they’re just as much the reason I chose this
place as anything. I knew the tradition of the program, the fans coming out,
supporting this team. This city is Marshall. I just couldn’t find that other
places I was looking. A big reason I came to Marshall is because of them.
Honestly, that had a lot to do with it.
“So, I just hope I can bring success and continue the legacy this program
has established. And I’m going to everything in my power to do that. There’s
never going to be a moment when I’m not giving it my all.
“That’s one thing that I’ve always been about. I’m not going to shy away
from anything. I’m stepping up to the plate, no matter what. I might not win
all the time, but if we do, I’m going down fighting. I’ve never been a quitter.
“That’s what I want to do for this school, this town. They’re a big part of the
reason why I’m here.”
26
HEWITT
From Page 6
had four picks in that round (9, 13, 14, 20) so I
didn’t know what they were going to do,” Hewitt
said. “He ended up texting me and said they’d be making me a Dolphin by
the end of the day.
“I just felt comfortable with them during the whole process, felt like they
really wanted me. I told my agent that if it was possible, that’s where I
wanted to go.
“Coach Duffner told me they’d put me at the Will (weakside) position and
have me play on special teams. He just told me to go out there and go full
speed, the way I played here. That sounded fine to me.”
Duffner, the former University of Maryland head coach who is entering his
19th season as an NFL linebackers coach (Bengals, Packers, Jaguars and
Dolphins) made an impression and got an impression, too.
For that, Hewitt thanked Adam Fuller, the linebackers coach with the Herd,
and veteran Marshall defensive coordinator Chuck Heater.
“Coach Heater, he helped me a lot and his defense helped me,” said Hewitt,
who turned age 22 a month ago. “It wasn’t too complex. You just used your
skills and it gave you a chance to show your skills. The linebacker had to
make the right call for the defense to work properly and once that happened,
if everyone did their jobs, then it was simple.
“Coach Fuller helped me out a whole lot through this process, told me I’d
definitely have to gain weight, had me over there in the indoor facility at 6:30
in the morning doing drills. When I got injured, after (neck) surgery last year,
he was the one who really emphasized watching film, and that helped me
develop.
The Herd Insider Magazine
trafficking charge.
“My mom called me during the draft and I told her, ‘Mom, I’m going to have
to call you back; I’m waiting for a call,’” Hewitt said. “She called me after the
draft and that time when I was on the phone with her, that’s when I got the
call from Coach Duffner on the contract and stuff.”
It wasn’t lost on Hewitt that Sunday is Mother’s Day. “We practice Friday
and Saturday and are off for Mother’s Day before we go back to work,” he
said.
Hewitt said he’s still uncertain how much more prison time his mother is
scheduled to serve, “but one thing I know — once I finally make the team and
stuff, we’re going to start working on that.”
Missing graduation tugged at him, too.
“It’s great, being a graduate,” Hewitt said. “I’m the first person in my family
to graduate from college and that’s special. And I’m going to ask Miss Tara
(Helton, football academic advisor and director of the Buck Harless StudentAthlete Program) if I can come back one day and walk (in graduation) just so
my family and younger siblings can see it.
“I want them to see that somebody did it, and maybe one day they can do
it as well.”
Asked how long he’s thought about wanting to play in the NFL, the former
Herd linebacker went back to his formative years. A native of Silver Spring,
Md. – a suburb of Washington, D.C. – Hewitt lived there until moving to
Georgia when he was 13 and entering the eighth grade.
“Yes, sir … the Redskins were my favorite team,” he said.
“He always pushed me. And with the Dolphins, he and Coach Heater put in
good words for me. One thing Coach Duffner told me … He mentioned that
when Coach Heater and Coach Fuller told him I was a quality guy, that goes a
long way with him, and I appreciate that.”
Game-clinching interception for the Herd’s first Conference USA
Championship ... Conference defensive player of the year … The first Marshall
player to lead C-USA in tackles in one season … First graduate in his family …
NFL opportunity …
Hewitt said his optimism grew during that Pro Day experience in the Herd’s
indoor facility in front of personnel men from nine NFL clubs. The linebacker
had a 4.64 time in the 40, broad jumped 9-11 and had a 37-inch vertical
jump.
“It’s been special,” he said. “This is why you play. Growing up, I always
thought about playing in the NFL. When I was younger, I played Pop Warner
in Silver Spring before I moved to Georgia. My Pop Warner coach, Mike Wills,
(of the White Oak Warriors) told me, ‘You’re probably going to play in the NFL
one day.’
“I felt like going into Pro Day that someone was going to notice me and
then when I was working out, I had people tell me I was really good in
space,” Hewitt said. “Coach Fuller always told me that when he had me
working out, and I realized that – being good in space — was going to sell me
the most.
“And then when I went to Atlanta and the coach was really surprised, and
with the Patriots, working out here, they liked the way I moved. I think they
were surprised, too. Lateral, forward, backward.
“I guess my history at safety really helped out there. I never played
linebacker until I came here to Marshall. Having played safety helps me a lot
as far as playing special teams. You’re running around a lot, covering more of
the field. At safety, I wasn’t that close to the ball. The more you can do, the
better you are.”
Besides Duffner, Hewitt handled a couple of other phone calls during that
final day of the draft – from his mother. In mid-December at the Herd’s
football banquet and then in an interview, Hewitt revealed that his mom,
Deon Jones, has been in a rural Georgia prison for six years for drug
“And I’m thinking, ‘I’m only 12 years old! Wow!’ I just always worked
hard and tried to stay motivated. I always told myself if I made it college –
because where I came from in Georgia, I never saw people go to college …
But I told myself if I made it to college, I’m going to the NFL.”
One of Hewitt’s 2013 Herd teammates, defensive end Alex Bazzie, is a
Silver Spring product, too. After a brief NFL tryout a year ago, Bazzie went
north and had a big rookie season for the BC Lions in the CFL.
If he doesn’t reach his NFL dream, would Hewitt consider following Bazzie?
“Sure, I’m willing to go there, whatever it takes,” Hewitt said. “But I’m
focused on going to Miami and do what I need to do.”
Maybe there’s something in the water. Hewitt was regularly seen on the
Marshall campus and in the Shewey Building lugging around a plastic gallon
jug.
“Water,” he said. “I drink a gallon and a half a day … Just hydration.”
Well, a Dolphin does need water, right?
27
HerdInsider.com
ZERKLE
From Page 7
Her 89 hits led major college softball entering last
weekend. With a .506 batting average (89-for-176),
she ranked second nationally among players with at
least 100 at-bats. The previous Herd record was .425 by Rachel Folden – a
three-time All-American — in 2008. The old C-USA mark of .461 was set by
Tulsa’s Jill Barrett last season.
“This year, I’m getting on base more, so I thought I’d have more stolen
bases, but it’s pretty much turned out to be the same number. A lot of the
times now that I can hit, I’m getting a double, or runners are in front of me.
I’m not just getting a single when I hit the ball harder, and our team is great
offensively (hitting .348, set to obliterate the school record of .294 set in
2009), getting runners on base a lot, so that’s made a difference.
Zerkle’s 62 runs scored – ranking in the top 10 in Division I – already is the
Marshall single-season mark, one shy of the conference mark set in 2004 by
Katrina Dowd of USF.
“And playing shortstop last year, I wasn’t even a natural shortstop per se,
so that was a lot of stress, first year, going back and forth. Now, playing
the outfield all the time, while I’ve had to learn to read balls off the bat that
I’ve never played, before but I think it’s helped me to relax and focus on the
offensive part of my game.”
And if you’re looking for something more obscure, Zerkle’s 95 career steals
rank ninth among active Division I players. She is the only sophomore among
seniors and juniors in the top 40 on that list.
She became a left-handed hitter in her junior season at Cabell Midland High
School to take advantage of her speed, which has been clocked between 2.6
and 2.7 seconds, home to first, contact of the bat to contact with the bag.
“It’s been kind of what I thought it would be,” Zerkle said when asked if
her batting average were more stunning to her than a repeat of stolen base
success. “In high school, I batted .600 and I knew that wasn’t going to
happen in college.
“My first year was (.358), and I was like ‘OK, that’s a huge difference …
OK, I get it.’ Then this year when I improved, it’s like, ‘OK, it’s not that much
harder because you improve as the level gets harder.’ You improve as the
game improves, or you should.
“I did a lot of training in the offseason, strengthening, hitting off the tee.
Last season, I did a lot of bunting and soft-slapping, and this year I’ve been
able to do hard-slap more and swing and get hits, too, develop my skill set
further.”
There have been other alterations for the 19-year-old as well. While she
burst into the college game as something of an unknown last season, now
there’s a scouting report. And playing on a Herd team that leads the nation
in stolen bases (152), opponents were alert to deal with the Go-Go Herd –
particularly with the aggressive Zerkle, Kaelynn Greene and Elicia D’Orazio
– the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2015 and also an all-conference first
teamer — at the top of the order
“Last year, when I was a freshman, they didn’t know who I was as much as
now,” Zerkle said. “This year … ‘Oh, she stole 48 bases last year.’ They pitch
out every single time – basically — I’m on first base. That’s made it harder,
and with Kaelynn and Elicia, they know we’re all about running, stealing
bases and they’re prepared for it, for sure.”
On the other hand, Zerkle said her move to center from a rookie season
shifting between shortstop and left field has seemed to aid the player who
came to Marshall after bring named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year for
the Knights in 2013.
It’s not surprising the exercise science major (pre-physical therapy) has
figured most of it out. She has a 3.62 grade point average, and has fingers
crossed on hiking that with a 4.0 in the semester that ended last week.
“Obviously, you have to get on to be able to steal,” Zerkle said, “and that’s
why I thought my stolen base numbers would be a lot higher this year,
because last year I was in the three-hundreds and I had 48 steals.
In 2014, Zerkle had only one double and two triples among her 67 hits. This
season, she had eight doubles, four triples and two homers. Her strikeouts
were down from 43 to 25 and she’s had only four hitless games in her 49,
and just three games in which she didn’t reach base.
Her success belies her “tank of gas” recruitment to Marshall, too. While she
followed Herd softball from the short trip down U.S. 60 between her home
and campus, Zerkle said her days as a college prospect were cut short.
“I had knee surgery (left meniscus) my junior year at Cabell Midland and I
was out that entire summer,” Zerkle said. “That’s your main recruiting year, so
while all my friends were going to colleges and camps, I was on crutches.
“So, I didn’t really get to go to many other camps and by the time I was
a senior, it was ‘OK, everyone’s already committed, so I’ll just go to college
right here in my backyard. We went over (to Lexington, Ky.) to watch them
in the (2013 NCAA) regionals. I figured, it’s a pretty successful program, so it
will be good.”
Zerkle smiled when asked her secret to stealing a base, and admitted it’s all
about timing.
“Honestly, recently I’ve kind of struggled with that,” said Zerkle, who is
95-for-105 on steal attempts in her two MU seasons. “I was thrown out once
because I left too late, and the next time I left too early and got called for
running early.
“Coach is pushing it – ‘You’ve got to leave early,’ — so I left too early. I’m
really not that great at leaving on time. It’s just that I’m actually fast enough
to get there, so if I could get my timing down better, I’d probably be more
successful, and that’s something I’m working on.
“Lately they’ve been pitching out a lot — she’s going – and it’s hard stealing
second because you absolutely have to run as hard as you can. When you’re
on second, you can actually leave a little earlier because the umpire’s not
even looking in your direction.
“But it all depends on the batter, because when you steal third, the batter
is usually showing a bunt and pulling back, so if they show too early, then the
shortstop cheats in and can get you out. If they do that correctly, then I like
stealing third.”
Last season, Zerkle was named to the C-USA All-Freshman and AllTournament teams. She’s made herself into a different player a year later
– and helped a young Marshall team with only two seniors to a morphing
identity.
“The difference is her confidence,” Stanton said. “We talk a lot about how
you feel confident from past success and preparation. ‘Z’ had that past
success as a freshman and she worked incredibly hard this summer, but
that’s not enough.
“You can have past success and preparation, but you also have to be
capable. And she’s that. She has all three of those attributes – past success,
preparation, being capable – that make for an athlete to be able to perform
the way she has.
“I would say that’s the difference this season. She now believes she is
capable.”
#
#
#
Marshall’s all-conference first team picks Zerkle and D’Orazio were joined
by three teammates chosen as second team honorees by the 12 C-USA
coaches. Sophomore pitcher Jordan Dixon, senior right fielder Emileigh
Cooper and junior third baseman Shaelynn Braxton made the second squad.
The five picks on the two honor teams were the most for any C-USA school.
Braxton was a repeat second team pick from 2014.
28
The Herd Insider Magazine
Marshall Athletics schedules, 2014-15
BASEBALL
DateOpponentSiteTime / Score
Feb. 13
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
L, 4-3
Feb. 14
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 24-2
Feb. 15
at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla.
W, 10-9
Feb. 20
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-3
Feb. 20
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 6-2
Feb. 22
Alabama A&M
Starkville, Miss.
L, 8-1
Feb. 22
at Mississippi State
Starkville, Miss.
L, 7-4
Feb. 27
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 2-1
Feb. 28
Towson
Winston-Salem, N.C. W, 7-6
Feb. 28
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 6-5
March 1
at Wake Forest
Winston-Salem, N.C. L, 8-3
March 7
George Mason
Thomasville, N.C.
W, 5-4 (13)
March 8
George Mason (DH)
Thomasville, N.C.
S, 4-6, 9-6
March 13
UTSABeckleyL, 2-0
March 14
UTSABeckleyL, 10-5
March 15
UTSABeckleyL, 16-8
March 17
at Eastern Kentucky
Richmond, Ky.
L, 8-4
March 18
Morehead State
Huntington
L, 7-1
March 20
at UAB
Birmingham, Ala.
L, 5-2
March 21
at UAB (DH)
Birmingham, Ala.
S, 7-6, 1-2
March 25
at Ohio
Athens, Ohio
L, 11-8
March 27
FIUCharlestonL, 7-4
March 28
FIUCharlestonW, 5-4
March 29
FIUCharlestonL, 3-1
April 1
at Miami (Ohio)
Oxford, Ohio
W, 16-3
April 3
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 9-4
April 4
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 10-3
April 5
at Florida Atlantic
Boca Raton, Fla.
L, 6-1
April 7
Miami (Ohio)
Huntington
Cancelled
April 8
OhioHuntingtonL, 4-2
April 10
Charlotte
Beckley
W, 5-1
April 11
Charlotte
Beckley
L, 5-4
April 12
Charlotte
Beckley
W, 8-6
April 14
at Akron
Akron, Ohio
L, 7-0
April 17
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
W, 6-1
April 18
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
W, 5-1
April 19
at Old Dominion
Norfolk, Va.
L, 6-2
April 21
at West Virginia
Morgantown
L, 3-2
April 24
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
W, 3-1
April 25
Middle Tennessee
Charleston
Postponed
April 26
Middle Tennessee (DH)Beckley
S, 1-2, 2-0
April 28
West Virginia
Charleston
W, 3-2
May 1
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
L, 6-0
May 2
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
L, 4-0
May 3
at Southern Miss
Hattiesburg, Miss.
L, 6-2
May 8
Western Kentucky Charleston
W, 3-2
May 9
Western Kentucky Charleston
W, 5-3
May 10
Western Kentucky Charleston
L, 12-3
May 12
Eastern Kentucky
Huntington
Cancelled
May 14
at Louisiana Tech
Ruston, La.
7 p.m.
May 15
at Louisiana Tech
Ruston, La.
7 p.m.
May 16
at Louisiana Tech
Ruston, La.
2 p.m.
May 20-24 C-USA Tournament
Hattiesburg, Miss.
—
SOFTBALL
DateOpponentSiteTime / Score
Charleston Challenge
Feb. 6
Army
Charleston, S.C.
W, 10-4
Feb. 6
at College of Charleston Charleston, S.C.
W, 3-1
Feb. 7
Bethune-Cookman
Charleston, S.C.
Feb. 7
UMass-Lowell
Charleston, S.C.
Feb. 8
UNC Greensboro
Charleston, S.C.
—
Pirate Snow Classic
Feb. 12
at East Carolina
Greenville, N.C.
Feb. 13
Towson
Greenville, N.C.
Feb. 14
Bucknell
Greenville, N.C.
Feb. 14
East Tennessee State Greenville, N.C.
—
USF Tournament
Feb. 20
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 20
at USF
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21
Auburn
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 21
USF
Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 22
Dartmouth
Tampa, Fla.
—
Gamecock Invitational
Feb. 27
Tennessee State
Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
Charleston Southern Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 28
at South Carolina
Columbia, S.C.
March 1
South Alabama
Columbia, S.C.
—
March 7
at FIU (DH)
Miami
March 8
at FIU Miami
March 14
Western Kentucky Dot Hicks Field
March 15
Western Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
March 19
Ohio
Dot Hicks Field
March 21
at Charlotte (DH)
Charlotte, N.C.
March 22
at Charlotte
Charlotte, N.C.
March 28
at Furman (DH)
Greenville, S.C.
March 29
at Furman
Greenville, S.C.
March 31
Wright State (DH) Dot Hicks Field
April 4
North Texas (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
April 8
at Kentucky
Lexington, Ky.
April 11
at Middle Tennessee (DH) Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 12
at Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tenn.
April 18
Florida Atlantic (DH)Dot Hicks Field
April 19
Florida Atlantic
Dot Hicks Field
April 22
Northern Kentucky (DH) Dot Hicks Field
April 25
at UTEP (DH)
El Paso, Texas
April 26
at UTEP
El Paso, Texas
April 28
Liberty (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 2
UAB (DH)
Dot Hicks Field
May 3
UAB
Dot Hicks Field
May 7
UAB (C-USA) Miami
W, 2-1
W, 3-0
W, 8-0
W, 5-4
L, 3-1
W, 11-3
W, 3-0
W, 9-0
W, 6-4
L, 5-4
L, 18-5
W, 1-0
W, 9-1
W, 6-1
L, 2-0
L, 5-3
W, 13-5, 13-3
L, 9-1
W, 2-0 (10)
L, 3-2, 9-5
W, 18-3
S, 0-4, 7-2
L, 8-1
W, 3-0, 3-0
W, 2-1
W, 3-2, 11-2
W, 1-0, 16-8
Cancelled
W, 9-0, 14-7
W, 6-1
S, 0-3, 6-5
Cancelled
W, 9-2, 6-3
S, 3-1, 5-10
W, 7-4
L, 3-1
W, 5--2, 6-1
L, 5-2
L, 3-1
TRACK AND FIELD
Outdoor
DateMeetSite
March 19-20 USF Bulls Invitational
Tampa, Fla.
March 27-28 Raleigh Relays
Raleigh, N.C.
April 4
Cherry Blossom Inv.
Athens, Ohio
April 11
WKU Hilltopper Relays
Bowling Green, Ky.
April 17-18 Virginia Challenge
Charlottesville, Va.
April 18
JMU Quad
Harrisonburg, Va.
April 23-25 Penn Relays
Philadelphia
May 2
Kentucky Relays
Lexington, Ky.
May 14-17 C-USA Championships
El Paso, Texas
May 28-30 NCAA Outdoor Prelims
Jacksonville, Fla.
June 10-13 NCAA Outdoor Champ.
Eugene, Ore.
HerdInsider.com
29
Freshman catcher Taylor McCord (20), of Gilbert, Ariz., gave the Herd a strong presence behind the plate in her rookie season, with a .973
fielding percentage to go with a .257 batting average. She also threw out six of 19 on steal attempts
Photo by Brad Helton
30
The Herd Insider Magazine
BOSTER
From Page 9
it gives me a wide range of business classes,” and he wants to use his major
and minor to get into medical or pharmaceutical sales,
Newman said Boster was “carving up” Mississippi State in the fourth inning
of his second start when things went south.
“It’s pretty tough a lot of times after games, or on road trips on the bus,
when you’d like to sleep and relax,” Boster said of his academic commitment.
“But then you’re going to be up until 2 a.m., finishing up work, finishing up
projects and then you have to go into late classes, finish up labs.
our trainer, Russell (Smotherman). I still wasn’t
really feeling that well, so what we decided was to
completely do rest. For a five-day stretch, I didn’t
pick up a baseball, and I think that really helped out a lot.”
“We shut Chase down three weeks with no games. We went to a throwing
program, monitored his arm. We were being careful at that end of it. The
biggest thing now is he’s healthy. Maybe we were a little conservative, but
we erred on the side of caution and that’s something, as a pitching staff, in
player development, you take care of him and make sure he’s healthy. And
it’s all helped him.”
Besides confidence after a big summer, Boster brought something else to
his third season with the Herd – a new pitch.
“I kind of started throwing my slider over the summer,” he said. “Sometimes
it worked, sometimes not, but it’s added a harder breaking pitch for me. And
so I kind of have a different speed for all my breaking pitches – curve 7072 (mph), slider 79-80, changeup 83, you get a speed difference and that’s
helped. My fastball, it’s been up to 93 (and consistently 89-90). And my arm
feels very good.”
When Boster was at Colonial Forge High School – one year behind Marshall’s
football Frohnapfel twins – his only Division I baseball offers were from
Marshall, Campbell and UNC Asheville. That left him, he felt, with plenty to
prove.
He said some of his recent success is rooted in his recruiting experiences.
“I feel like, individually, I try to keep the same exact routine every week,
rehab-wise, icing, throwing bullpens,” Boster said when asked to pinpoint his
mound mindset in recent weeks. “I think what also helped is I had a pretty
big chip on my shoulder when I was pitching against Charlotte and ODU.
“When I was coming out of high school, those were two schools that told
me I wasn’t good enough, didn’t throw hard enough, didn’t have what it took
to play Division I baseball. So, that added fuel to the fire.
“Team-wise, we’ve been playing very good defense, a lot of double plays.
Matt Reed has been great back there behind the plate, catching, throwing
runners out and controlling the game, and our hitting has been there as well
when I’ve been out there.”
Boster, 21, said he is a different pitcher than in his first two Marshall
seasons. Newman explained how and why.
“I really feel Chase has come to understand his identity as a pitcher – what
makes him successful – and that’s his fastball command, pitching to both
sides of the plate with his fastball, getting ahead, pitching to advantage
counts,” the Herd pitching coach said. “Chase is throwing a slider this year;
last year we went with just a three-pitch mix (fastball, change, curve).
“This year he’s developed that slider as an out pitch … just attacking the
hitters with his strength. He’s done a remarkable job. His fastball command,
he’s 67 percent fastball strikes right now. He just pounds the zone. He’s
throwing his two-seamer at times, and he really wasn’t comfortable throwing
it last year. He’s pitching to his strength and pitching to who he is, and
attacking the game like that, and it’s paid off.”
Off the diamond, Boster carried a 14-credit load in the just-completed
semester during the season. He took entrepreneurship as a minor “because
“I really give credit to a lot of people in our chemistry department, because
they’ve helped me a lot, working with me and my schedule and allowing me
to make up work.”
Newman and Boster concurred that those smarts on the mound have to be
managed just like the pitching arm.
“Being smart, it’s huge, but it also can get in the way,” Newman said.
“Being a pitcher, you have a lot of time to analyze things, and sometimes we
overanalyze things. So, we’ve got to keep it to having an understanding of
the game, and Chase has really done a great job of just slowing things down
and trusting who he is.
“He’s a remarkable student, very intelligent and really is in control of the
game. He understands hitters, looking at swings, what the plan of attack
is. He’s using his strengths against hitters’ weaknesses, and attacking
accordingly.”
Boster said he was one of those “over-thinkers” in previous seasons.
“I think I did that my freshman and sophomore years,” the dark-haired
right-hander said. “I tried to be too perfect with my pitches. I think that
contributed to the number of walks I had – too many.
“I felt like I wasn’t really pitching to my potential until (last) summer. My
mindset now is just to attack hitters, attack, attack, and make them prove
themselves to me. I’ve got seven guys behind me and one behind the plate,
so the chances of that batter getting on are very slim.
“Over last summer, I kind of just told myself that when you’re on the
mound, you really have nothing to lose. Just throw as long as you can, as
hard as you can. And at the end of the day, you had nothing to lose. And
that’s carried over and that’s the attitude I take out there.”
HerdInsider.com
31
It was Senior Day for Herd baseball last Saturday at Appalachian Power Park. Honored for their time in Coach Jeff Waggoner’s program were
infielder Andrew Dundon (14), pitcher Clint Wilson (39), pitcher Kolin Stanley (13), infielder Sergio Leon (4), pitcher-infielder Josh King (11)
and first baseman TJ Diffenderfer (44)
Photo by Brad Helton
32
The Herd Insider Magazine