As the only varsity sports team competing on campus this fall, Winthrop Esports is adding two new games to its repertoire: Valorant, a tactical shooter game released in June 2020, and Rocket League, a vehicular soccer game.
To ensure a full roster for these games, Head Coach Josh Sides had to recruit some new players. The group of students includes two freshmen, two transfers and a “walk-on” Winthrop student. Here’s what Sides had to say about his new players.
Brock “Twice” Cheung, Sophomore, Valorant, Jefferson City, MO (University of Missouri)
“Brock was originally a player I was recruiting for St. Ambrose a few years back for Overwatch. He ended up going to Mizzou last year to play Overwatch but left before the start of the Spring semester. When over the summer he decided to switch games to Valorant and we decided that Valorant was a game we wanted to compete in, it seemed like a good fit to reopen conversations with him. He has the type of skills that work universally in any FPS [first-person shooter] game – aim, reaction times, fast decision making – and he is a good team player as well. I’m excited to see what this team can accomplish in the first year.”
Jared “Hound” Pickens, Freshman, Rocket League, Plano, TX (Lebanon Trail HS)
“Jared is an extremely talented Rocket League player. He excels in the 1v1 game, so he still has some developing to do in adapting to the 3v3 team play style, but he should have no problems adjusting. He is also a great teammate, somewhat of a team joker/class clown type that keeps everybody laughing and in good spirits. Hound was also a recruited prospect in football with a few walk-on offers – most notably with [Southern Methodist University] – pre-COVID-19. So, if Winthrop decided to add a football team, we might have a dual-sport athlete.”
Brady “The Hitman” Peek, Sophomore, Rocket League, Goode, VA (Southern Virginia University)
“Brady is an excellent Rocket League player with a great competitive mentality. He comes from a family of Winthrop Eagles athletes, with [his] mom Courtney playing softball, [his] dad David playing baseball, and most recently [his] brother Zach playing baseball as well. Once we decided to add Rocket League to the games we compete in, it opened the opportunity for Brady to transfer in from SVU and continue that legacy.”
Noah “Murmur” Smith, Freshman, Rocket League, Tega Cay, SC (Fort Mill H.S.)
“Noah, or Lightning McMurmur as we have come to call him, is a local Rocket League talent. He has been active in local events and that’s how he initially caught my attention. He has a lot of potential as a player and I believe he will put in the work to grind and achieve that potential.”
Christian “Far Too Busy” Morris, Junior, Rocket League, Winthrop University
“Christian is a current Winthrop student that we are currently trialing with the team. He is a talented and highly ranked Rocket League player who happened to reach out to me in an email with interest in trying out for our new Rocket League team. That email led to a conversation and then a tryout, and now he is working with the team. This is why I encourage any players on campus who are highly ranked in their game like Christian – [who is] in the top 1% – to reach out. It may or may not result in a tryout, but it never hurts to shoot that shot, and I like to be aware of what talent and interest exists naturally on our campus.”
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
