Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104040309
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-14 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The reason? Nobody seems to have the potential to dominate.
What that means is that everybody has their weaknesses. But many also have strengths.
The strongest of the lot is anybody's guess. The best bet is that the eventual champion will emerge from a group that includes Grayson County, Shawsville, Giles, or Narrows.
Yet that prediction comes with a caveat: Arms get sore, boys get mad and quit, into each life some rain must inevitably fall. Meaning if problems plague the apparent front-runners, then teams such as Galax, Floyd County, and Auburn may step forth.
At Rocky Gap, the prospects are somewhat darker.
The teams:
\ GRAYSON COUNTY has a coach, Ed Goodson, who played in the major leagues and sells his expertise on hitting for big bucks per hour. The team also has a player in Devin Floyd who can strike out opposing players by the busload while roughing up opposing pitching staffs for a .560 average and 21 runs batted in (his 1990 numbers).
The Blue Devils last year went to the state tournament, where they fell in the semifinals. However, aside from Floyd, they might not have quite enough pitching.
\ GILES is the new kid on the Mountain Empire District block. To hear some of the Spartans' future league opponents tell it, they're the new bullies in town.
That may or may not be true, but Giles is going to be more than competitive. The reason: good players and sound coaching from Bruce Frazier.
Giles will get a lot out of right-hander Andy Tawney (6-1, 3.47), who also will probably be required to play in the field, either in the outfield, third base, or at designated hitter.
Jared Wilburn also will be an important figure, both as a pitcher and as a third baseman. He had a .463 average with 25 hits and 29 runs scored a year ago. The infield will gain further stability from Gary Hilton (.340), who is moving to shortstop after having only two errors at second. Stacy Hutchison (.259) is a sound first baseman.
The outfield is iffy. Giles has a sophomore, Matt McGuire, in center field. He's the first 10th-grader who has started for Giles in a long time, so his future must be considered bright.
\ NARROWS needs some arms to go with all its big bats.
The Green Wave will be assured of sending baseballs to all sectors with the likes of outfielder Chris Dunford (.485, five home runs, 27 RBI), Mason Bragg (.500), Jon Bowman (.375, four homers), outfielder Rodney Perdue (.405, 18 steals), and second baseman Kelly Lowe (.410, 10 doubles), who is newly recovered from a severe broken leg.
Now for the pitching. Bragg, though lightly experienced, is a fine athlete and has a stout arm. Bowman, too, is going to have to do some pitching. Those two come through and another pitcher turns up, then Rick Franklin's team is going to be hard to handle.
\ SHAWSVILLE is no secret anymore.
The Shawnees clearly have one of the top programs in the MED. The reason is consistency. This year will be no different because pitching and hitting are available in quantity.
Right-hander Scott Phillips (8-3, 3.30, 72 strikeouts in 57 innings) and right-hander Danny Lovern (4-2, 3.18, 68 strikeouts in 41 innings) comprise what is likely to be the most formidable mound duo in the league. Both can also play the field, Phillips at shortstop and Lovern at shortstop and catcher. Phillips batted .315 with 25 RBI and nine steals; Lovern batted .469 with team leading totals of 31 RBi and 31 runs scored.
Other Shawnees to watch include Robert Ryan (.278, 21 RBI, two homers) and Mickey Akers (.409, 11 RBI, eight steals).
\ AUBURN expects to be considerably improved over the unit that finished 2-12 a year ago.
Among the reasons are outfielder/pitcher Chris Shark (.400, six doubles), first baseman Chris Belcher (.350, two homers), catcher Skip Thompson, and pitcher/outfielder B.J. Wojciechowski. Tony Divers, a first baseman, has given indications that he's going to revive a previously quiet bat.
Pitching is the question. Todd Collins figured to be the staff ace until recently, when he broke his hand sliding into base and is expected to be out four to six weeks. With that, the job went to Grady Phillips, a good athlete who hasn't played baseball since he was a freshman.
\ FORT CHISWELL is a team worried about its prospects up the middle.
The Pioneers need pitching and catching.
But things may not be as bad as they seem. Sophomore B.W. Hill, the team's best player, can do it all, especially hit (.452, four homers, 20 RBI); he can also pitch. First baseman Mike Adams can drive it deep to all fields. Junior Dunford has outstanding quickness in the outfield and looks as though he'll hit better than he has in the past. Chris Lampkins, a terrific athlete, has gone out for the team and has landed a job in the outfield.
Eddie Wolfe, a left-hander, can hit and pitch. A finesse pitcher, he's the team's bullpen stopper with six saves in 1990.
\ FLOYD COUNTY had four full-time starters back from a team that finished 7-11 and lost five one-run ball games.
One of them isn't Dale Marshall, the big right-hander who stunned Buffaloes coach Wes Starkey and his team by announcing he would not be back for his senior season. That's put a load on left-hander Brady Yntema, a senior with 12 innings of varsity experience.
Also expected to produce are second baseman Jeremy Cox (.353 in 1990), catcher Johnny Quesenberry, first baseman Mark Harris (.270), and left fielder Brian Horne (.290).
The Buffaloes have a solid sophomore class that includes shortstop Brad Huff, center fielder Mike Hylton, second baseman Timmy Wallace, and outfielder Tater Thompson.
\ GALAX in 1990 did something Larry Spangler has never seen in 23 years of coaching: Hit nary a home run.
Guess what? Things may be no different this year.
However, the Tide ought to be able to stroke plenty of base hits with the likes of first baseman Lynn Crockett (.377, six doubles, 11 RBI), catcher Chad Choate (.341) and infielder John Plant (.358).
Galax can ill afford injuries with 11 players. The Tide will be starting a freshman, Matthew Snow, at third base.
\ ROCKY GAP might want to consider teaming up with county neighbor Bland to field a team. As it is, there is still one squad for the two schools now that Bland has bagged the sport.
Things don't look promising for the Gap. In their first two games, the Eagles were outscored 32-1.
"We've got a long way to go," coach Tim Richardson said. "We've got our work cut out for us, to be honest."
by CNB