Dec. 4, 2008

• Photo Gallery

GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina baseball team completed its Annual Fire of Blackbeard Challenge last week as the 2008 fall practice schedule came to an end, with Shawn Armstrong, Brett Bowers, Jacob Davis, Devin Harris, Lance Honeycutt, Drew Schieber, Sthil Sowers and Mark Wilder guiding the Gold team to the Fourth Annual Championship.

Head Coach Billy Godwin and his staff broke the squad into five groups and put them through a series of challenges that tested endurance, strength and teamwork.

"Once again this was an exciting and fun event for our team," said Godwin. "I am pleased with the results and strides that we have made during the fall semester. Our players are faster and stronger right now more than they were a year ago, and all of that is a credit to the hard work that this team along with Coach Mason Baggett (strength and condition) and Zack Womack (athletic trainer) has put in."

The first day of competition saw the teams compete in the dumb-bell bench press (Bailey Daniels), close grip bench (Kyle Roller), chin-ups (Cam Freeman), dead lift (Kyle Roller) and plate hold (Bobby Fowler).

On day two, the teams completed six events including the vertical jump (Trent Ashcraft), broad jump (Trent Ashcraft), 300-yard shuttle (Britton Cole), 60-yard shuttle (Trent Ashcraft), pro agility (Devin Harris) and stadium run (Devin Harris).

Final day of competition saw all five teams wake-up at 5:30 a.m. for a three-mile run, in which Brad Mincey edged out Ashcraft and Harris for the fastest time. Then each team participated in the crucible completing in a series of challenges which they had to carry weights, pull weights on a sled, push wood sleds, sprint 40-yards and finish with a 20-yard army crawl. The team with the best time received points to be added to the previous two days events, deciding the overall team champion.

At the teams end of the semester banquet, which was held at the Murphy Center in the Jones Room, Godwin announced that Ashcraft (268) had narrowly edged out Harris (267), in the closest finish for the individual title in the four-year history of the challenge. Last year it was Harris who beat out Ashcraft for the title by two points, 197-195.

Teams in order of finish:
Team Gold - Shawn Armstrong, Brett Bowers, Jacob Davis, Devin Harris, Lance Honeycutt, Drew Schieber, Sthil Sowers and Mark Wilder (627 points).

Team Light Grey - Trent Ashcraft, Philip Clark, Dustin Harrington, Chris Heston , James McGhee, Kyle Roller, Seth Simmons and Zach Woods (582.5 points).

Team Purple - Mike Anderson, Britton Cole, Austin Homan, Brad Mincey, Broc Sutton, Ryan Wood and Mike Wright (554 points).

Team Dark Grey - Jared Avchen, Bailey Daniels, Cam Freeman, Seth Maness, Joe O'Malley, Jonathan Ratledge, Trent Whitehead and Zach Wright (481.63 points).

Team White -Stephen Batts, Kevin Brandt, Ethan Brown, Bobby Folwer, Brandon Henderson, Patrick Somers and Corey Thompson (321.29 points).

East Carolina will begin spring practice on Friday, Feb. 1 in preparation for the season opener against Monmouth on Feb. 20, 2009.