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A 32-page NT special insert for a how-to guide to living a college life A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 26, ISSUE 20 FEB. 18 - 24, 2014 NINERONLINE.COM
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FEB. 25 - MARCH 10, 2014
Volume 26, Number 20 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
COMMUNITY EDITOR
EDEN CREAMER
PATRICK BOGANS
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MANAGING@NINERONLINE.COM
NEWS EDITOR
Inside this
issue
SPORTS EDITOR
CLAIRE DODD
LIBBY WEIHSMANN
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SPORTS@NINERONLINE.COM
e NT A 32-pag sert for special in guide to a how-to llege life living a co
A&E EDITOR
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
LIZ LANIER
MICHELLE LIRINGIS
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ASHLEY SPEECE
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COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS • INSIDE PHOTO COURTESY OF GRANDSTAND MEDIA AND MANAGEMENT
FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
NINERTIMES
Campus Police utilizes systems to alert Niners of danger Campus Police responds to recent complaints regarding the university’s emergency alert systems SARA CARSON
ASST. NEWS EDITOR Recent incidents on campus such as wintry weather conditions and a sexual assault case have prompted questions regarding UNC Charlotte’s emergency plans, namely the process of their alert notification system. A main concern students are having with the alert system is receiving information regarding emergencies on campus through social media before being notified by the professional alert system. “We are doing well and I have seen some of the comments concerning alerts and the confusion that exists,” said Jeffrey Baker, UNC Charlotte chief of police. Baker went on to explain the process of how the alert system functions. The process for notifying students, faculty and staff varies for different types of emergencies. For example, if the emergency has to do with weather, then the chancellor is the only person who can make the final decision on whether or not school will be canceled. Once the decision is made, the chancellor sends an email to both the UNC Charlotte Police Department and the university’s public relations department. From there, the public relations department creates a message to be sent out and then forwards the message to the police department who, in turn, sends out the official alert email to all students, faculty
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Red
Building(s) specific
PPS, CFD, FM, PNG, MEDIC
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Building(s) specific
PPS, CFD, FM, PNG, MEDIC
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Building(s) specific
PPS, CMPD
Red
Building(s) specific
PPS, CDF, CMPD, MEDIC
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PPS, CFD, CMPD, MEDIC
Acronym Key PPS UNC Charlotte Police and Public Safety
CMPD
CFD Charlotte Fire Department
PNG
MEDIC Mecklenburg County Emergency Medical Services
and staff. This creates the first variable as to why students may be receiving alerts via social networking prior to receiving the university email alert. Since the public relations department creates the alert message, they have first access to it and are able to send it before the police department can even view the message. Not only that, but also the fact that the police department’s server slows down due to having to send
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Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Piedmont Natural Gas UNC Charlotte Facilities Management
countless emails, as opposed to the public relations department who can simply post the message straight to Facebook or Twitter . The university not only has to send emails to all students, faculty and staff, but also to students who have either recently graduated or recently enrolled, and who no longer or do not yet attend the university. Baker wants students to know that any of the official university social media pages (the ones with the check beside their name in
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Information published by campus police on Jan. 20, 2012. Provided by Chief Jeffrey Baker
the picture) are just as reliable as the official university email notifications. Therefore, students should not worry over which method they are notified through first. “The goal is to get messages out to as many folks in as many ways as possible,” said Baker. In the case of emergencies that may be an imminent threat to campus such as sexual assault, hostage situations or shootings, the process is mildly different.
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In these types of situations, officers are generally the first to respond to the emergency and generally the first to send out the university-wide email. All officers have been trained on how to send appropriate messages for different types of emergencies. To assist in this process, the police department will be providing iPads for all field officers beginning in the next few months. The format for the current official email notifications was created by Baker when he took the role of police chief in November 2009. “We have found that many students prefer the email blast because they don’t have Twitter or Facebook accounts, which is hard to believe ... At the same time, the folks communicating through social media seem to be viewed more often as the ‘voice,’” said Baker In addition to receiving notifications by email and social media, students, faculty and staff can also opt to receive alerts by text message. These text alerts are sent out through the PIER system and are mainly used for “red alerts.”
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Red alerts are consistent with emergencies such as an active shooter, campus evacuations, campus-wide power outages, tornado warnings, etc. “In other words [a red alert is] the most serious alert that could be
using the text notification system for red alerts is the lack of those who have signed up to receive them. At the Jan. 24 emergency management meeting, it was reported that only 4,655 of 24,746 students, 850 of 2,477 staff
The goal is to get messages out to as many folks in as many ways as possible. - Chief Jeffrey Baker
sent and received,” said Baker Although it is a common misconception, students who sign up for the text alerts should not expect to receive texts regarding things such as class cancellations or wintry weather. Baker explained that the police department’s reasoning for only
members, 436 of 1,396 faculty and 980 parents have signed up to receive text notifications. The chief noted a struggle that the department has faced with the alerts is that individuals who believe certain information should be shared concerning non-criminal, non-weather incidents that pose no
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threat to the campus community. “Those types of incidents involve situations of a very sensitive nature to families,” said Baker. Baker, Lt. Brian Thomas, UNC Charlotte’s emergency management coordinator, and other police officials hold bimonthy emergency management meetings where they review the most efficient ways to send out the notifications. In these meetings, the officials also review ways to improve campus safety and emergency plans as a whole. The police department has an emergency alerts webpage that has videos which demonstrate exactly what to do in the case of many different emergency situations. “We encourage students, staff and faculty to review [the emergency alerts webpage] that incorporates many new strategies that did not exist on campus just a few years ago,” said Baker. To visit the emergency alerts webpage or to sign up for the text notifications, visit http://emergency. uncc.edu.
NINERTIMES
JARED GREEN STAFF WRITER
The Phase XII Residence Hall project is well under way as seen by the current progress of the building. This residence hall, which will be dedicated as Martin Hall, is scheduled to open for student occupancy in fall 2014. The structure will be approximately 175,000 square feet and will feature 101 four-bedroom apartments. This is one of the first projects for East Village laid out in the campus master plan. The East Village sector plan covers 32 acres, and as quoted in a recent construction report by the UNC Charlotte Department of Business Affairs, will accommodate, “new residence halls, a new convocation center, an evaluation of an existing dining facility, parking, relocation of existing greenhouses, recreation fields and infrastructure to support the improvements.” The project’s contractor, Holder Construction, reported that construction work was nearly two weeks behind as of December. A plan to recover lost time by extending working hours was submitted. Initially the report stated that there was no funding
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ge n a h c s e c u d tro n i e g a l l i V t l l a Eas H e c n e d i Res 2 1 e s a h P h t wi source specified for the roughly $42 million project. However Brian Kugler, the project manager, has certified that the project is being funded “as part of ‘phase two’ of the campus infrastructure development project.” The Division of Business Affairs for the Department of Facilities Management currently has plans in place for multiple new residence halls as well as infrastructure and renovation projects. The Residence Hall Phase XII and XIV projects are in their
design and planning stages respectively. The Phase XIII project will be constructed where Hunt Village used to be located near Holshouser Hall. Phase XIV is still in design and will be constructed adjacent to Sanford Hall. Current plans for the Phase XIV residence hall suggest its use for housing for honors program and Levine Scholar students. According to Kugler, who is also the project manager for the Phase
XIV Residence Hall, “The project is early in design, with construction expected to begin in the spring of 2015 for a fall 2016 opening.” For more information on upcoming construction projects, visit the Facilities Management website at http://facilities.uncc. edu/ and click on the “Construction Information” tab.
Phase XII Residence Hall, also known as Martin Hall, is just the start of new buildings in East Village. FILE PHOTO
FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
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POLICE BLOTTER FEB. 16 - 20
ARREST FEB. 19 KRISTEN KIMBROUGH INTERN
At the Thursday, Feb. 20 meeting of the Student Government Assocation Student Senate, senators had heated discussion over the Bowling Alley Act and the Digital Grant Act. Both will be discussed again at the Feb. 27 meeting, which is open to the student body. The Bowling Alley Act Senator Andre Jefferies took the floor to talk to the senate about the Bowling Alley Act. One senator asked where they would get funding for a bowling alley. Senator Tim Wallace said it would be the university’s decision to see if it is in their budget, but the point of the legislation is to let them know the students want a bowling alley. A senator asked why they planned to charge a fee to use the bowling alley and Wallace said if it was free it would have to be paid for by student fees, which is not what the committee wanted. Senator Davonte Belle made a motion to table this legislation until further researched and it was seconded. Financial Bill Senator John Daley took the floor and read a list of all grants requested and given to student organizations in the past week. Many groups were rejected for grants. Senator Amber Lowe TUESDAY FEB. 25
asked how they could let the groups know how to properly do the applications to get funding. Daley said the university offers a workshop on how to get funding, and they will work more with OrgSync next year. “I won’t hold their hand through the entire process because that’s not my job,” said Daley. Daley made a motion to approve the Financial Bill and it was seconded. The Financial Bill was approved unanimously. The Digital Grant Act Senator Joshua Niday presented the Digital Grant Act. He made the point that student organizations often make errors in their applications to get grants, wasting the time of the committee and the organizations who have to do applications multiple times. The proposed online applications would prevent organizations from advancing in the application process until they have provided all the needed information. If the grant is still denied, they will receive a prompt stating why. Act of Registration Revision Act Daley explained the Act of Registration Revision Act to the senate. The act states that UNC Charlotte student organizations are to be open to all students enrolled at UNC Charlotte with WEDNESDAY FEB. 26
THURSDAY FEB. 27
the only exception being that nationally recognized sororities and fraternities are the only organizations that can limit membership based on a person’s sex. All organizations must have at least three advisors who are currently enrolled students at the university. They also must maintain eight members. Each organization can have its own UNC Charlotte email account. Currently, organizations need to have an advisor, which tends to be one of their biggest roadblocks. According to the Act of Registration Revision Act, having an advisor would not be required but is recommended. There is currently a requirement that officers must be in academic “good standing,” however Dean Christine Davis explained that the university has no technical definition of good standing. She said the organizations would have to set their own individual standards for good standing. Comments/ Announcements At the end of the meeting, Lowe said, “I know we get a little feisty in here now and again but I do appreciate the debate we’re having. It’s making senate relevant. We made the front page not too long ago. Let’s do that again.” FRIDAY FEB. 28
SATURDAY MARCH 1
• Library Lane, subject obstructed and delayed a law enforcement officer with false information, subject was issued a new trespass order from UNC Charlotte campus.
CALLS FOR SERVICE FEB. 16
• Craver Road, officer responded to a call regarding a fire alarm.
FEB. 18
• Lex Drive, subject reported harassing phone calls from an acquaintance.
FEB. 20
• Cameron Blvd., officer responded to a call regarding a welfare check.
HIT AND RUN FEB. 18
• Broadrick Blvd., driver reported an unknown vehicle hit her in the rear bumber and fled the scene.
LARCENY FEB. 18
• Alumni Way, unknown subject stole victim’s bicycle from bike rack.
TRESPASSING FEB. 17
• Cameron Blvd., officer responded to a call regarding a harassment complaint.
VANDALISM FEB. 18
• Craver Road, subject wrote graffiti on the inside of the bathroom stall.
FEB. 20
• Mary Alexander Road, unknown subject wrote graffiti on the building. @UNCCWeather FOLLOW FOR FORECASTS AND WARNINGS
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56°F
Mostly cloudy Low of 38.
46°F
Rain showers. Low of 37.
50°F
Mostly sunny. Low of 35.
48°F
Partly sunny. Low of 35.
FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
43°F
Rain showers. Low of 28.
For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
NINERTIMES
Redefining masculinity and coming out LGBT EDWARD AVERETTE STAFF WRITER
America and the locker rooms of its gridiron gladiators are at a crossroads. Former University of Missouri defensive end and NFL draft prospect Michael Sam recently came out as gay during an interview, garnering mixed responses from around the nation. Sam received an outpouring of support from celebrities, teammates and NFL commissioner Roger Goddell. However, his critics, including NFL players like New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas, labeled Sam’s coming out a distraction and possible detriment to locker-room dynamics. Several NFL players who cited this line of reasoning pointed to Sam’s sexuality, saying it could create a situation in which Sam expresses his sexual orientation in the locker room in a lustful and predatory way – because, of course, gay men are far more hypersexual than heterosexual men, right? The problem with this conclusion, and others like it, is its reliance on dated stereotypes which label gay people as pedophiles and perverts instead of accepting someone for who they are, which is usually less scary and far more realistic. It only highlights how narcissistic and insecure these macho, hypermasculine NFL players are if they can’t handle sharing locker room space with someone outside their heteronormative spheres. “The society that we live in is heterosexist, which means we assume everybody is straight,” said UNC Charlotte counselor Terri Rhodes. “There are two main reasons to come out. One is to educate people and say, ‘Look, you know a gay person.’ The other is for the person to be who they are – to be free and genuine.”
Being one of the toughest defensive players in college football, Michael Sam helps dispel common stereotypes about LGBT individuals. Photo courtesy of MCT Campus
According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 60 percent of Americans said society should accept gay people, compared to 33 percent who said otherwise. This is a noticeable difference from 2007, when only 49 percent said gay people should be accepted. Still, with the possibility of being the first openly gay NFL player, Sam faces an environment that differs drastically from the American public. “Football is probably the most masculine-identified symbol in our society,” said Rhodes. “If somebody is playing football – doing the most
EDITORIAL POLICY Niner Times is written and produced by students at UNC Charlotte. All unsigned editorials are the expressed opinion of the editorial board and do not represent the views of the University. Views expressed in signed editorials are solely those of the author. Niner Times is published on Tuesdays during the regular academic year except during holidays and exam periods.
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masculine thing – yet they’re not straight, then it gets all confusing for people.” The confusion comes from associating masculinity with sports and the concept of masculinity itself. Masculinity is often equated to being in opposition to femininity. Being a gay man is often seen as being feminine, despite gay men being incredibly varied beyond the stereotypical media representations as fashion-conscious, effeminate sidekicks. While not every NFL associate is uncomfortable with gay people – as indicated by a recent ESPN survey in which 86 percent of players expressed a lack of interest regarding sexual orientation – there’s still skepticism as to whether the NFL can adapt to having an openly gay player. “One of the problems with him coming out for the NFL is that it makes them see their symbol of masculinity in a broader way,” said Rhodes. “This guy (Sam) is a defensive player. He’s one of the toughest guys in football. They can’t wrap their heads around how he can be that and gay.” While Michael Sam takes his first steps preparing for the NFL Draft, with the Scouting Combine concluding this week, he’s not only competing to land a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sam, just by being his authentic self, is also competing against rigid, unyielding stereotypes and unrealistic standards seeking to box people into simplified notions of behavior. Even though Sam may face struggles and obstacles in his future, his coming out is important in that it will serve to show others how his version of manhood is just as a valid as anyone else’s.
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INFERNO BY DAN BROWN MICHELLE LIRINGIS LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Dan Brown, bestselling author of “The Da Vinci Code,” impressed readers once again in May 2013 with the release of his latest novel, “Inferno.” The newest novel features much loved character Robert Langdon in a new mystery. Langdon was featured in Brown’s previous novels “The Da Vinci Code,” “Angels and Demons” and “The Lost Symbol.” Brown effortlessly combines science with art and history, as in most of his novels. In “Inferno,” Brown addresses the issue of overpopulation through an extended metaphor of Dante Alighieri’s famous epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” more specifically, the chapter titled “Inferno.” Brown demonstrates his intellect through the numerous references made throughout the novel without being showy. He clearly invested a lot of time in research to produce a novel that flows and peaks such interest. The novel opens with a delirious Langdon who has no idea how he has traveled from the comfort of his home at Harvard to a hospital bed in Florence. From there, readers are thrown into to the thrusts of a mystery about what happened to Langdon and why he has been summoned to Florence.
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The novel is a roller coaster of plot twists that Brown keeps coming until the last pages of the novel. Just when you think you have the story figured out, Brown throws in another twist to make you question everything that you believed. While sometimes so many plot twists can be dizzying, Brown strings them together with ease. He has been writing long enough that he has nearly perfected the craft and can manage so many unexpected twists without feeling as though he just jammed them all together in an effort to make an interesting story. The twists make sense and lead the story to a good place. Most of all, they make the somewhat daunting 465-page novel fly by in a breeze. Longer novels are often overlooked because they seem to go on and on forever, often in a way that is unproductive to the story. Brown, however, uses all 465 pages to their fullest extent and does not waste a single one. It is obvious that his plot was well thought out and mapped. Take your next free day and curl up with “Inferno.” It is a thrill ride of a novel and is one you surely will not regret picking up.
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NINERTIMES
GRAHAM COLTON
FINDS NEW SOUND IN ‘LONELY ONES’
Photo courtesy of Grandstand Media and Management
PATRICK BOGANS COMMUNITY EDITOR
Venturing to a new sound is a frightening step for a musician. But for Graham Colton, it was a necessity. The singer/songwriter has had success in his genre; nationwide tours with bands like Maroon 5 and artists like Mat Kearney, deals with major record labels, breakout hits like “Best Days,” and the list goes on. But during the early stages of creating his latest album, the usual process of picking up the guitar and writing songs felt stale to Graham. “During the process of writing three or four new songs on the acoustic guitar, I realized I had to stop and be like, ‘Man, this isn’t even who I am. I’m not inspired to write this,’” Colton said. And after hearing from many close friends about what to do, Colton decided to put down the guitar and find another route for his sound. Needless to say, it was an adventure for him to break away from the comforts of the guitar that
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he had relied on for the past 12 years. “There was a process of me putting [the guitar] down and really realizing that I needed to – I had to take this new step creatively,” Colton said. “ It was terrifying.” Dropping something so near and dear had its ups and downs– the downs prevailed at first, when Colton felt like a fish out of water. “When I dropped to the guitar, yes, there was a period of extreme vulnerability,” Colton said. “But there were also these moments that started to happen throughout the writing process where I got really excited again, and it felt like when I first started writing music when I was 17.” Colton decided to stay in his hometown in Oklahoma City to write and record his new album, “Lonely Ones.” Teaming up with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips– as well as his songwriting partners and producers, Chad Copelin and
Jarod Evans– Colton had many ears to help him shape his new sound. The album is a drastic new step away from his previous acoustically-driven albums. The album is defined by its mysterious, indie-rock vibes solely driven by keyboard sounds and echoing vocals rather than acoustic melodies. “Lonely Ones” has a more visual feel, a goal Colton intended to fulfill, despite knowing exactly what that meant at the time. “It took a lot of exploration, it took a lot of bad songwriting, you know, until I figured out what the sound was,” Colton said. “But visually, I definitely saw it. I think I saw the record before I heard it.” The two-year process of internal conflict, rediscovery and adaptation led to “Lonely Ones” releasing earlier this year. The “Lonely Ones” tour began on Feb. 13, and will stop in Charlotte on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Neighborhood Theatre.
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Converting the new sound onto the stage has been a constant evolution since the first show back in Grand Rapids, Mich., Colton says. “It’s such a different type of show for me. It’s been really fun to path this uncharted territory,” Colton said. “But that’s the cool thing– all the twists and turns in my career and in my life have brought me to this point, which is really exciting.” Colton has only been to the Charlotte area a few times over the years, but the Queen City tends to be a special stop for him. He remembers a certain performance at the Evening Muse a little while back that he remembers fondly. “It was one of those random magical nights,” Colton said. Colton and the crowd hopes for another magical night when he returns to the Charlotte area. For tickets to the Wednesday, Feb. 26 show at the Neighborhood Theatre, visit the venue’s website.
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CHRIS HARDWICK TALKS ‘@MIDNIGHT’
Chris Hardwick on the set of “Talking Dead.” MCT Campus
LIZ LANIER A&E EDITOR
After successfully hosting gigs for AMC shows like “Talking Dead” and “Talking Bad,” Chris Hardwick has ventured into a new job: hosting the late night game show “@midnight.” The show takes three comedian contestants and pits them against one another to see who has the funniest take on pop culture and the media in a series of tests and wit. Though Hardwick’s hosting career and visibility has taken off in more recent years, he’s not new to show business. Hardwick’s many talents— from stand-up comedy to acting and even writing— have translated into a packed schedule more than anything else. “My iCal looks like a Tetris board,” Hardwick reveals in a recent interview, referring to his color-coding method for managing his time. Between hosting “@midnight” along with other shows while still making time for his website, The Nerdist, Hardwick needs all the time hacks he can get. Since “@midnight” premiered in late 2013, the show has taken off with the targeted 18-49 demographic, and even outweighed viewers of “Chelsea Lately” in that age bracket. After being renewed for a second season, Hardwick is excited for the success of the show and the brand of humor it brings. Though much
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of the comedy is based partially on Internet memes and twitterisms, there is plenty that draws from everyday life. “We’re basically just doing what comedy always does— which is to sort of assess the state of the union, so to speak, and deal with it with jokes. That’s what comedy is. Comedy is just a re-expression of usually negative things in a comedic way to deal with them.” The social media aspect of the show has also drawn some attention. In particular, the game segment “Hashtag Wars” has spawned trending hashtags after airing. In this contest, contestants must come up with a humorous answer to hashtags like “#sadtoys.” Once the contestants have contributed their answers, viewers frequently give their own answers on Twitter. This leads to an even more interactive game show experience while also providing a viral way for the show to take off even further. For example, the above formerly trending hashtag “#sadtoys” garnered such answers as “Mr. Potato Famine” and “Sylvia Plath’s Easy Bake Oven” and gained plenty of retweets. You can catch fresh episodes of “@ midnight” every Monday through Thursday at 12 a.m. on Comedy Central.
ACROSS 1 Lunchbox staple, initially 4 Handy, say 8 Hatcher of “Lois & Clark” 12 Pakistani language 14 Pakistan neighbor 15 Tablecloth fabric 16 Striped fish 17 Dangerously sharp 19 Ranch nightmare 21 “Wake Up Little Susie” singer Don or Phil 22 “Curb Your Enthusiasm” creator 24 Next-to-last Greek letter 26 Difficult turn on the slopes 27 Fellows 28 Cape Town’s land: Abbr. 31 1983 Streisand film 33 “From __ to shining...”
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34 Has-__ 35 Common pump choice 39 Early garden 40 La-Z-Boy room 41 Very unpleasant, weather-wise 42 Country south of Turk. 43 Costly cracker-topper 44 35-Across, e.g. 46 Boxer’s stat 47 Gnarly one on the waves 50 “Beat it, kid!” 53 “I’m serious!” 56 “Star Wars” droid, and a hint to letters shared by 17-, 22-, 35- and 47-Across 58 Eyelid trouble 59 Taxi fixture 60 Clothier Strauss 61 Traffic sound 62 Glimpse 63 Lose sleep (over) 64 Mario Brothers console
DOWN 1 Stout servers 2 Unruly kid 3 Holden Caulfield creator 4 Cable stations, e.g. 5 Vintage sitcom step family 6 Vegged out 7 Ambient music pioneer Brian 8 Assisted through a tough time, with “over” 9 Caltech grad, often: Abbr. 10 Hose holder 11 Race nickname 13 West Point letters 15 “Deathtrap” playwright Ira 18 Disclose 20 Suave shelfmate 23 “So true!” 24 Funereal piles 25 Like some rye bread 28 Comedian who ended his show with “... and may God bless” 29 Make arrangements for 30 Raggedy dolls 32 Winery cask 33 Baltimore daily 34 Cry from a flock 36 Loved to pieces 37 Scuba spot 38 Come after 43 Gossip fodder 44 Vinyl record feature 45 Cleverly skillful 47 “Here, piggies!” 48 “It’s open!” 49 Imprecise cooking measure 50 Pool or polo 51 Raw rocks 52 Web address opening 54 Harp kin 55 Strong urges 57 Pixie
NINERTIMES
PROMISING BULLPEN The 49ers bullpen proved to be promising with so many experienced upperclassmen, but can the younger field players measure up? LIBBY WEIHSMANN, MATT CHAPMAN AND SCOTT GORDON SPORTS EDITOR, ASST. SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER
Charlotte 49ers starting pitcher Ryan Butler made his first appearance on the mound since 2011 and he tossed a gem in the 49ers (1-1) 6-0 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins Friday, Feb. 21, for opening day at Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium. Butler (1-0), who missed much of the last three years due to injury, was stellar all day as he took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning in his first action in a Charlotte uniform. “I’ve got to be honest, this has been a long time coming,” said Butler post game. “In the first couple innings I had some early game jitters, butterflies I guess you could say. Honestly I’m just glad to be back out here, it’s been so long and it’s really a blessing to be back playing.” Butler threw 86 pitches on Friday, going six shutout innings while allowing just one hit on the afternoon. Butler, a 16th round draft pick by the New York Yankees last year, fanned seven Canisius batters in his first game back on the rubber. “I thought Butler was pretty good. He really found his stuff in the middle innings. It took him a little while to get going, but that’s to be expected since this was his first division one game in about three years,” said Charlotte Head Coach Loren Hibbs after the game. “He’s 6-5, he’s 230 pounds, he’s got a really good arm, he’s got a developing breaking ball that’s getting better all the time and he’s got a good feel for a change-up. He’s got a lot of physical ability. He’s still learning how to pitch, but I think he’s going to continue to get better hopefully as time goes on with each start.” The 49ers jumped out on top of the Golden Griffins early with a couple first inning runs to grab a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish for the remainder of the day. Following two singles and a wild pitch to lead off the inning, third baseman Brad Elwood lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to put Charlotte on top 1-0. A few moments later, sophomore Brett Lang hit an RBI single into left field to extend the 49ers advantage to 2-0 after one inning of play.
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Corey Roberts pitching against Canisius. Photo by Chris Crews FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
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CONFERENCE USA BASKETBALL STANDINGS MEN’S Middle Tennessee (21-7, 11-2) Southern Miss (23-5, 10-3) Louisiana Tech (22-6, 10-3) UTEP (20-8, 10-3) Tulsa (15-12, 10-3) Tulane (15-13, 7-6) Old Dominion (13-15, 7-6) UAB (17-10, 6-7) Charlotte (14-12, 5-8) North Texas (14-13, 5-8) FIU (13-15, 5-8) Florida Atlantic (10-18, 5-8) East Carolina (15-13, 4-9) UTSA (8-18, 4-9) Marshall (9-19, 3-10) Rice (7-19, 2-11)
WOMEN’S Middle Tennessee (23-4, 12-1) UTEP (21-5, 10-3) Tulane (19-7, 10-3) Southern Miss (21-5, 10-3) East Carolina (21-5, 9-4) UAB (15-10, 7-5) Charlotte (12-13, 6-6) Old Dominion (13-14, 6-7) FIU (12-14, 6-7) Rice (12-14, 5-8) Tulsa (11-13, 5-8) North Texas (11-15, 5-8) UTSA (13-13, 4-9) Louisiana Tech (8-18, 3-10) Florida Atlantic (13-13, 3-10) Marshall (9-17, 2-11) 14
Members of the Charlotte 49ers congregate at the mound during Sunday’s game. Photo by Chris Crews
Charlotte plated two additional runs in the fifth inning as a Matt Creech single into center field scored Mikal Hill from second base putting the 49ers up 4-0. Following the RBI from Creech, Lang hustled home from third on a passed ball to stretch the 49ers lead to 5-0 through five frames. Canisius broke up Butler’s no-hitter with one out in the sixth inning when Jesse Puscheck rifled the first pitch he saw right back up the middle into center field. Butler rebounded nicely by striking out the final two batters of the inning to strand the runner and finish his day on the mound. “The first couple innings I didn’t use my cutter at all so it was fastball and change-up mainly,” said Butler. “My change-up wasn’t really there, but once I started bringing my cutter in there I started to get a better feel for my pitches. Once I started to get in a rhythm things began to work a lot better.” The 49ers capped their scoring for the day when freshman designated hitter Logan Sherer led off the seventh inning with a bomb over the left field wall to put Charlotte on top 6-0. Sherer finished the day with three hits in five at-bats, including his first career home run. “Logan is a really physical kid for a freshman and we’re asking a lot of him,” said Hibbs post game. “He’s hitting in the middle of the order and we’re also throwing him on the back end of the bullpen and that’s a lot for a freshman. We’ve got a lot of young guys, we’ve got a lot of inexperienced guys and they’re going to continue to get better as we move forward.” Hunter May closed out the game on the mound for Charlotte as the 49ers picked up their first victory of the 2014 season in their home opener. The 49ers racked up 12 hits on the day compared to just four knocks for the Golden Griffins. Elwood, Sherer, Lang and Creech all tallied a single RBI for Charlotte in the win. On Saturday for game two of the series, the game FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
required 12 innings of play, but the 49ers were able to grab the 4-3 victory on a walk-off single from junior third baseman Brad Elwood. Charlotte sent redshirt senior Corey Roberts to the mound to start the game. The Charlotte native got into some trouble early allowing base runners, but none were able to get past third base. Roberts did a great job of getting settled in and not allowing the hits to faze him. There was no score through two and a half frames when Des Roberts was able to reach on a one-out bunt in the third. Zach Jarrett was then able to get on base for the 49ers following an error from the Golden Griffin shortstop Ronnie Bernick. After a sacrifice from Elwood, Roberts moved to third before being brought in on a balk by Canisius pitcher Rohn Pierce, who was one of eight players to be named Louisville Slugger Player of the Week after his latest performance against North Carolina State.
Des Roberts slides home to score against Canisius. Photo by Ben Coon
NINERTIMES
In the bottom of the sixth inning with one out, Logan Sherer and Mikal Hill were able to get back-toback singles to put runners on for Brett Lang who drove them in with a double to left. Canisius responded in a big way in the seventh when Bernick was able to reach second on an error. Ryan Coppinger added a single to put two on the bases for Jesse Puscheck who hit a bomb over the right field wall to tie the game up at three runs apiece. Charlotte was able to load the bases in the 11th inning before pinchhitter Corbin Shive grounded into a double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the next frame, Roberts was able to get on base again and found himself on second when Elwood hit a ball to left that glanced off of the glove of the Canisius third basemen allowing Roberts to come around from second for the deciding run. The designated hitter for Charlotte, Sherer, was called on to pitch the last two innings for the 49ers and was credited with his first win of the season. Brandon Bielecki took the loss for the Golden Griffins. “We knew coming in it was going to be tough,” said 49ers Head Coach Loren Hibbs. “We showed up and played. Their pitchers do a good job. They’re around the strike zone so we’re just going to be as aggressive as we can and try a hit and run and we ended up getting it to work.” Elwood also had some words about his team after the win. “It’s huge for our confidence. We are finding out who we are every game whether it was yesterday in the 6-0
NINERONLINE.COM
Brett Lang steps up to bat for the 49ers on Friday. Photo by Ben Coon
win or today in a 4-3 win. We are able to learn a lot about how we work as a team, how we operate, and what we need to do to get better,” he said. In the final game of the series, Charlotte had a tough time stopping the Canisius offense as the Griffs had a six-run seventh inning to help them pick a 10-1 victory over the 49ers. The game was scoreless in the top of the sixth. Canisius lifted a hit to left-center to send a runner home to give the Griffs a 1-0 lead over Charlotte. The 49ers responded right back when Zach Jarrett’s run-scoring double tied it 1-1. Unfortunately, the Griffs went up 7-1 in the seventh inning and eventually would take the win. “We just didn’t pitch well after the sixth inning,” said Hibbs. “That ends up with a loss when you’re playing a really good team.” Charlotte (2-2) travels to College of Charleston for a 4 p.m. game on Tuesday, Feb. 25 followed by a game at the Citadel on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
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After being snowed out the weekend of Feb. 14, 49ers baseball played their first home series against the Canisus Golden Griffins from Feb. 21 through 23, winning the series 2-1. Day Two
Day One
Day Two
Charlotte 49ers started the weekend right, defeating the Canisus Golden Griffins 6-0 on Friday, Feb. 21. Day One Photos by Ben Coon.
After 12 innings on Saturday, Feb. 22, the 49ers beat the Golden Griffins 4-3. Day Two Photos by Chris Crews.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, the 49ers fell to the Canisus Golden Griffins 10-1. Day Three Photos by Chris Crews. Day Three
Day Three
Day Two
Day One
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FEB. 18 - 24, 2014
NINERTIMES