CLG's Stixxay is not trying to be the next Doublelift

ByTYLER ERZBERGER
January 29, 2016, 4:42 PM

— -- Stepping into the shoes of a franchise's superstar is never easy. It's even harder when you're a rookie in your first professional season. Counter Logic Gaming's Trevor "Stixxay" Hayes is trying to do just that during this North American League Championship Series split, as he assumes the mantle left behind by current Team SoloMid bottom lane starter Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng.

Through the first four games of the season, Hayes has had the ups and downs you'd expect from a player coming out of the minor leagues. He's accumulated 16 kills, 13 deaths and 21 assists, helping CLG open with a 2-2 record -- including a Week 1 victory over TSM. Hayes needs to cut down on his deaths, though, if he wants to be a viable starter in the upper echelon of the league.

The young AD carry says the transition to the big leagues is a nonissue. "I'm not super nervous playing on stage. It's whatever," said Hayes. "I still make mistakes on stage that I wouldn't make in scrims, but that's expected to happen. It's not too much different. There is a lot more spotlight on you, so there are a lot more people judging you."