Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 26, 1992 TAG: 9202260027
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CAN HOKIES IMPROVE LAST YEAR'S BUMBLING BASEBALL?
Moments after Virginia Tech's baseball team was eliminated from the Metro Conference Tournament last April, it seemed to Chuck Hartman as if coaching the 1991 Hokies had been less fun than, say, three-putting on the last hole of a Nassau.Hartman, an avid golfer who probably is no stranger to such bets, also happens to have 486 baseball wins in 13 seasons at Tech. However, none of them came in the last nine games of '91, when the Hokies skidded to a 24-30 record - their first losing season in 26 years.
Hartman figures things will change.
"I don't think we got any senior leadership [last year]," he said. "We had very poor self-discipline."
Steve Render and David Dallas, the team's top two hitters in '91, are co-captains and already have better rapport with teammates and coaches than last year's seniors, Hartman said. And Hartman has gotten stricter.
"Things we let go last year, we're not letting go," he said. "We always take the weekend [before the season] off. A couple of kids said they wanted to leave early. I said, `You're not leaving early. If you can get home, you can; if you can't, you can't.' "
A pitching-thin Tech club, which returns seven everyday players and will have three freshman starters, opens on Friday at North Carolina-Wilmington. The Hokies finish the weekend at North Carolina-Greensboro before their home opener March 2 against VMI.
It's the first baseball season for the revamped Metro Conference, which lost Memphis State, Cincinnati, South Carolina and dominant Florida State. Tech has never played new member South Florida; the Hokies are 21-9 all-time against Virginia Commonwealth and 10-8 against UNC-Charlotte.
The Metro tournament is May 13-17 in New Orleans, where Tulane will be host. The tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Dallas, an All-Metro Conference pick as a shortstop after batting .371 and stealing 27 bases, will move to second base, and freshman Dee Dalton of Roanoke will start at shortstop. Freshmen Matthias "Popeye" Smith and Sal Colangelo are fighting over the center-field job. Rookie Denny Hedspeth will catch.
Hartman's worry is pitching. After starters Brad Clontz (5-5 with a 3.69 ERA last year) and Jamie Patteson (4.82 ERA, seven saves as a reliever), the staff is unstable. Scott Robertson, who won six games last season, is battling tendonitis. Robby Douglas, whom Hartman said has been among the biggest surprises of preseason, had three starts and a 7.64 ERA in '91.
Les Jennette, who had 12 pitching starts a year ago and hit .328 with 35 RBI as a first baseman-outfielder-designated hitter, won't pitch this year because of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Hartman's not even sure how effective Jennette can be at the plate.
Bryan Hastings, a junior who has missed most of the past two seasons with arm injuries, is back. He was 4-1 as a freshman with a shutout win in the Metro tournament. His health is a concern.
"He's probably pitched better in preseason than anybody," Hartman said. "[But] we're going to ease into it with him, too."
Before last season, Hartman said he didn't like the team's chemistry.
"So far it looks much, much better," Hartman said.
That might help Hartman's personal record book. He enters his 33rd year as a head coach needing 31 wins to reach 1,000 in his career; he needs 14 to have 500 victories at Tech. He already is the Hokies' top winning coach.
"I think 1,000 will mean something," he said. "When I came here, I made a statement that I'd like to stay here until I win 1,000 games. It's been kind of a goal."
But can this year's Hokies overcome last year's stumbles and win at least 31 games?
"We'd better," Hartman said, "or I'm going to break some legs."
Hokies baseball fans can call the Tech baseball score line to find out same-day results of Tech games. Call (703) 232-3720.
\ UPCOMING IN BLACKSBURG: Baseball - VMI, 3 p.m. March 2; Western Carolina, 3 p.m. March 3-4; Howard, 1 p.m. March 6 (doubleheader), 1 p.m. March 7. Women's basketball - Tulane, 1 p.m. Feb. 29; Southern Miss, 7 p.m. March 2. Indoor track - Richmond, 10 a.m. Feb. 29.