GREENSBORO, February 21, 2008 – To say senior North Carolina A&T baseball players Joe McIntyre, Jeremy Jones, John Primus, Neil Rosser, Nick Mayo and Phillip Brewington need the fact that this is their final chance to win a MEAC Championship as motivation would be shortsighted.

Their motivation since arriving at N.C. A&T has been their love for baseball and their desire to win. But to say they wouldn’t like to go out as one of the most accomplished senior baseball classes since the Aggies joined the MEAC would be naïve.

The Aggies begin the 2008 season 3 p.m., Friday at War Memorial Stadium against Buffalo. McIntyre, Jones, Primus, Rosser, Mayo and Brewington all have MEAC Championship rings from the 2005 season. They have helped the Aggies reach the MEAC Championship game two out of the last three seasons. Over the past three years, they have won 77 games and broken the school record for wins twice.

But they also have a sour taste in their mouths from coming just shy of winning the MEAC title last season. Bethune-Cookman scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to rally and defeat the Aggies 6-4 in the MEAC Baseball Championship Game.

“It’s nice to see any senior class go out on top,’’ said head coach Keith Shumate, who is entering his 12^th season as the head of the Aggies program. “But to say this is their last chance just adds more pressure than there needs to be.

“These guys have always been about winning every time they step on the field. They will be no less or no more prepared this year than they normally are. They’re going to try to win the first game and then go from there.”

The evidence for the Aggie seniors being winners is overwhelming, especially when it comes to McIntyre, Jones and Primus. The trio has compiled numerous honors, including All-American, all-conference and Player of the Year recognition.

Jones, a fifth-year senior, returns for the 2008 season as the most accomplished player on the roster. Jones is so accomplished in fact, he’s even been drafted by a major league baseball team. Jones won the 2005 MEAC Player of the Year award. He earned All-American notoriety from four different organizations, including the National College Baseball Writers Association, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Louisville Slugger. He was also deemed a national player of the year candidate by the Brooks Wallace Watch List and CSTV.com.

In 2006, the Colorado Rockies drafted him in the 25^th round even though Jones missed most of the ’06 season with a wrist injury. Therefore, he decided to return for the 2007 season. Jones hit .323 with seven homers, 45 RBI and he led the team in runs with 62. He also earned second-team All-MEAC honors.

Other than his batting average, his numbers were very comparable to the 2005 season, but Jones went undrafted in 2007. But he still obtained something valuable in 2007 – his college degree. It will go along nicely with another year of eligibility for the Fayetteville, N.C., native.

“Any time a player of his caliber is back in the lineup, the manager is happy,’’ said Shumate. “As a college athlete, he’s pretty much seen everything there is to see, so you have to be careful each time he steps to the plate. That is a valuable person to have on your team not to mention his abilities as a baseball player.”

McIntyre brings some of the same offensive abilities as Jones. The two will switch roles to start the season. Jones will be the Aggies designated hitter as he tries to recover from an injury, while McIntyre will move to right field. McIntyre was the MVP of the tournament during the Aggies 2005 run. He was a first-team All-MEAC selection as sophomore and a second teamer as a junior.

McIntyre dropped a considerable amount of weight during the off-season, but that shouldn’t alter his ability to put the bat on the ball. McIntyre is a career .348 hitter, with 17 home runs and an impressive 129 career RBI in 169 games played. On top of all that, McIntyre has had numerous clutch and game-winning hits over his career.

“Joe’s always been a hard worker,’’ said Shumate. “His most exemplary quality is his ability to lead by example. His bat is so good people don’t see he is our best base runner. He plays outstanding baseball out in the in the field and he is just a great all-around leader.”

Primus is also an accomplished senior. He will enter his second season as the Aggies ace. As a freshman, he earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors. Primus’ career record is 17-13 with a 4.01 ERA. A year ago he was 4-4 on the season and pitched brilliantly in a 6-0 tournament win over Norfolk State. He pitched a complete-game, eight-hit shutout, striking out eight and he didn’t walk a batter.

“You can’t have a solid staff without an ace,’’ said Shumate. “Again, Primus is one of those players who has pretty much seen it all when it comes to collegiate baseball. I don’t care who you are, you’re not going to scare John Primus. He’s a pitcher, not a flame thrower, so he’s always going to have good command of every pitch he sends to the plate.”

The Aggies other long-term seniors will also be in familiar positions. Mayo will return for his fourth season as the Aggies shortstop. He provides a reliable glove there and his range at the positions is certainly valuable. Meanwhile, Rosser returns for his fourth year as the Aggies catcher. He has plenty of help with Lester Rivenbark and Jerel Wilson backing him up. Jaron Neal and Lee Patton will also provide the emergency depth in case of injury.

Brewington returns in his familiar role of being a valuable pinch runner for the Aggies and a fourth outfielder. Brewington’s speed always gives opposing pitchers fits.

Reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year CJ Beatty will remain a fixture in the Aggies outfield as he will go from center to left field. Shumate is hoping to capitalize on Beatty’s great arm making him a player who can throw out runners at the plate. The sophomore is coming off of a season in which he batted .313 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. A year ago, he batted ninth for the Aggies but with one of the Aggies all-time greats Charlie Gamble in the Houston organization, Beatty could find himself in the middle of the Aggies lineup.

Newcomer and switch hitter George Hines used his speed, arm strength and aggressive outfield play in the fall and early spring to win the starting nod as the team’s center fielder.

Other than Rosser and Mayo, there will be significant changes in the Aggies infield. Nelson Santos, who provided the Aggies with valuable offense late in the season, will start the season as the Aggies second baseman. The senior out of Monroe Community College had impressive power numbers last season with seven home runs and 30 RBI. James Howard, a player with speed on the field and a high IQ in the classroom, will also earn playing time at second base along with Rivenbark.

When he and Mayo turn double plays, the end recipient on the play will likely be Nick Rogers at first base. Rogers was an Aggies starting pitcher last season. He will still get work on the hill as a closer and could earn some time at third base. Speaking of third base, the position is wide open as the season starts. Joe Wade, who provided pop as the Aggies No. 2 hitter last season is battling Cyril Daniel for the starting nod.

“The odd man out will likely be our top pinch hitter,’’ said Shumate. “The great thing is, both men are very good hitters so I don’t think we lose either way.”

While third base in unsettled, the Aggies rotation looks set. The Aggies No. 2 this season will be Tim Johnson. Johnson was 4-4 last season with a 6.70 ERA after transferring to N.C. A&T from UNC-Asheville. Jody Calloway, Ryan Sellers, Chris Mullins, Jonathan Smith and Cyril Daniel will battle for spots 3-5 in the rotation. The name Chris Eggers was not mentioned in the rotation because Shumate plans to use him as the Aggies star closer this season.

Eggers pitched well in the MEAC Tournament. He struck out 15 in a win over Delaware State. Marquis Frink will likely be his set up guy with Rogers joining in.

The Aggies staff will be tested early in the season as Shumate plays a tough non-conference schedule as normal. But Shumate has the players who are battle-tested against that schedule and the schedule that awaits them in the MEAC. The Aggies are picked to finish third in the MEAC and blackcollegebaseball.com picked the Aggies as a preseason No. 4 team.

“We are excited about the beginning of the 2008 season,’’ said Shumate. “All of our conference opponents are tougher than ever and we respect them all. Our extremely tough non conference schedule has become a necessity to prepare us for our conference schedule. Our plan is no different than any other time. Our greatest resource is our hunger. Our focus is on playing together while pushing and grinding to get better at the end of each and every day than we were when the day began.”