Shepherd Rams

Shepherd Rams
University	Shepherd University
Conference	Mountain East Conference
NCAA	Division II
Athletic director	B.J. Pumroy
Location	Shepherdstown, WV
Varsity teams	12
Football stadium	Ram Stadium
Basketball arena	Butcher Center
Baseball stadium	Fairfax Field
Soccer stadium	Shepherd Soccer Complex
Nickname	Rams
Colors	Blue       Gold
Website	shepherdrams.com

The Shepherd Rams are the athletic teams that represent Shepherd University (formerly Shepherd College), located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Rams compete as members of the Mountain East Conference for all 12 varsity sports. Shepherd has been a member of the Mountain East since it split away from the now-defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2013.

Varsity teams

List of teams

Individual teams

Baseball

The current head coach is Matt McCarty, a 2010 graduate of Shepherd. McCarty was named as the interim head baseball coach in September 2012 and was elevated to head baseball coach in July 2013.^[1] He won the MEC and Atlantic Region Baseball Coach of the Year in 2014.^[2][3]

The Ram baseball team has won the Championship in 1983, 1984, 2004, 2009, and 2012.

Football

The current head coach is Monte Cater, a 1971 graduate of Millikin University. Cater was appointed the program’s 12th head coach on February 9, 1987 and served as Shepherd’s director of athletics from 1993–2004. Shepherd’s all-time winningest football coach, Cater boasts a 190–87–1 (.685) record in 26 seasons as head coach of the Rams, and an overall record of 221–110–2 (.667) in 32 years as a head coach.^[4]

The NAIA Years (pre-1994)

In 1983, Shepherd reached the post-season for the first time in school history, losing to Carson-Newman 42–21 in the first round of the NAIA playoffs.

The Rams again advanced to the playoffs in 1986 and again they lost to Carson-Newman 30–10 in the first round.

In 1991, they advanced and this time they lost to Central State 34–22 in the first round.

Finally in 1992, the Rams earned their first ever post-season win by beating Carson-Newman 6–3. In the next round, however, they lost to Gardner-Webb 22–7.

The NCAA DII Years (1994–present)

Postseason success

Note: The NCAA expanded the playoff field from 16 to 24 teams in 2000 and from 24 to 28 teams in 2015.

Rams on the next level

Baseball

Shepherd has had 2 baseball players^[5] drafted by MLB:

• 1B Nathan Minnich, the 2012 Tino Martinez Award winner,^[6] was taken in the 8th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox.^[7] He played for 2 seasons, alternating between the GCL Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League and the Lowell Spinners of the New York-Penn League.^[8] Minnich was released by the Red Sox on March 31, 2014.

• RHP Josh McCauley was taken in the 21st round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.^[9] He did not sign with the Cubs, however.

Other notable Shepherd baseball players:

• LHP Charles "Lefty" Willis played for 21 teams from 1923–1938.^[10]

• RHP Frank Funk played for 24 teams from 1954–1969 and managed 9 teams from 1969–1991^[11]

• RHP Cecil Perkins played for 12 teams from 1962–1968.^[12]

• RHP Brian Sands played for the Elmira Pioneers of the Northeast League for 1 season.

• OF Michael Spry played for the River City Rascals, Chillicothe Paints, and Evansville Otters, all of the Frontier League, from 2003–2007.

• 3B Nash Hutter played for the Rockford Aviators of the Frontier League for 1 season.

• RHP Charlie Gordon played for the Normal CornBelters of the Frontier League and the Sussex Skyhawks of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball.

• LHP Paul Hvozdovic, holder of Shepherd career marks for most wins (34), innings pitched (340), most strikeouts (307), most games started (56), most complete games (19), played for the River City Rascals of the Frontier League.

Football

Shepherd has had 3 football players^[13] drafted by the NFL:

• QB John Shearer was taken with the 6th pick in the 28th round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts, and T Bob Hogue was taken with the 11th pick in the 20th round of the 1960 NFL Draft, also by the Colts. Neither played in the NFL.

• RB Wayne Wilson was taken with the 21st pick in the 12th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played for 3 NFL teams from 1979–1987^[14] and is currently the WR coach at Shepherd.

Other notable Shepherd football players:

• DB/KR James Rooths played for the New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also played for NFL Europe's Scottish Claymores for 2 seasons. After his playing career, Rooths was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Frankfurt Galaxy. He was an assistant football coach for Wilde Lake High School in 2010 and was part of the Baltimore Ravens strength and conditioning staff in 2013.

• K/P Ricky Schmitt has played for 6 NFL teams and 2 CFL teams.

• TE Dominique Jones has played in the United Football League, the Indoor Football League, and for 8 NFL teams. He currently is on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

• QB Joel Gordon played with Arena Football League 2's Richmond Speed and the Winterthur Warriors of the Swiss Nationalliga A. Gordon led the Warriors the Swiss Bowl in 2006. Gordon has coached for Shepherd (2003, 2005-07, 2011-2015) as the QB coach at Shepherd. In 2016 Gordon became the OC at Ferrum College ^[15]

• DE Ramal Faunteroy played for AFL2's Manchester Wolves. Faunteroy is currently the defensive line coach at Shepherd. On June 12, 2014, Faunteroy was selected to participate in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship.^[16]

• DL/LB Robert Hayes signed with the Portland Thunder of the Arena Football League in December 2014.^[17]

• LB Louis Corum played for the United Football League's Virginia Destroyers and the Indoor Football League's now defunct Richmond Revolution.

• LB Howard Jones was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2014 NFL Draft.^[18] He currently is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers active roster.

References

External links

• Official Website of Sheperd Rams Athletics