
DATE: Thursday, May 8, 1997                 TAG: 9705070191

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 13   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, SUN SPORTS EDITOR 

DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                      LENGTH:   57 lines

WESTERN TIDEWATER PLAYERS A HIT WITH CNU

Year by year, Western Tidewater's influence on the Christopher Newport University baseball team grows.

In the last three years, Suffolk resident David Mitchell, who attended Alliance Christian; Isle of Wight Academy's Andrew Gregory and Nansemond-SuffolkAcademy's Derek Riebel have joined the Captains. And the trio, each player taking a different route to CNU, accounted for the team's top three batting averages this season while helping lead the squad to a school-record 22 victories.

``The No. 1 thing we're doing is building our facilities and that's in an attempt to attract the top local talent,'' said coach Curt Long, who is in his fourth year with the Captains.

Of the three Western Tidewater players, only Gregory was immediately attracted to CNU from high school.

Gregory, a sophomore, started last year as a freshman for CNU and this year tied for the team lead in batting average (.343) and led in hits (48) and doubles (11). The second baseman started in 40 of the 41 games and only committed eight errors.

Mitchell, a junior center fielder who batted .338 this season and made just one error, intended to play at Chowan after high school.

``I was all signed up,'' he said.

But family problems kept Mitchell at home. He then attended Tidewater Community College for a semester before transferring to CNU.

Riebel, the 1994 TCIS player of the Year at N-SA, enrolled in Virginia Tech following his senior year in 1995 but was cut from the baseball team after fall practice. He transferred to Christopher Newport last fall.

``It was tough,'' Riebel said. ``It as the first time in 13 years I didn't play in the spring.''

Despite the rust, the former Saint joined made an impact immediately.

Riebel, a sophomore in class, but a freshman for athletic eligibility purposes, was voted the Captains' MVP after tying for the team lead in batting average (.343) and leading in home runs (7), RBI (30) and slugging percentage (.577). Not to be lost in his offensive numbers was his defensive contributions. Riebel, who only committed two errors on the season, moved from the outfield late in the season to first base.

``That was by need only,'' Long said.

Next year, the Captains will have at least one more player with Suffolk ties on the team.

Mike Johnston, N-SA's pitching ace last year and Mitchell's cousin, will transfer from Presbyterian College in the fall.

``He really didn't like some of of the stuff with the baseball team and the school,'' Mitchell said.

He should feel at home at CNU. ILLUSTRATION: Photos

David Mitchell

Andrew Gregory

Derek Riebel