Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 4, 1992 TAG: 9203040114
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
What it doesn't have is a lot of experience. Of the 32 players on the roster, more than two-thirds are in their first or second year of collegiate baseball.
"Twenty-two have no idea of what is expected in a college atmosphere," said coach Scott Gines.
So instead of worrying about winning, Gines has stressed making the sport fun.
"I tell them to play like they did in Little League," said Gines. "Not talent-wise but with the same enthusiasm and joy for the game as when they were 10-, 11- and 12-year olds. And if they are able to go out and do that, they will probably have a pretty good year."
Gines is counting on two things. When you enjoy your work, you can become good at it; that's one. The second is that most of the team is only a few years removed from Little League.
The plot already may have begun to thicken. After going 19-33-4 last year, Radford started the season off with a sweep of Bucknell, giving it an unprecedent 3-0 record to start the season.
The lineup for those three games featured only two seniors: rightfielder Donnie Just and designated hitter Phillip Haney. Radford took the field with one freshman and three or four sophomores. The pitching rotation included a freshman and a sophomore - no senior.
However, the team does not worry about its apparent lack of experience.
"I think from the first few games we could have a pretty good year," said Just. "The team has a lot of potential. It depends on how fast everyone matures."
Added Haney: "I think we'll have a good year if the pitching keeps coming along. We've got a pretty good offense. And the defense is top notch, especially with the addition of [Tom] Curran at shortstop; that solidified the infield. I think we'll be a good ball team."
Part of the optimism is because of who returns. Just was an all-conference selection last year, hitting .335 with seven homers and 33 runs batted in.
Haney hit .265 with seven homers and 42 RBI in 1990 before sitting out virtually all of last year because of a wrist injury.
Prominent juniors include second baseman Rob Amos and first/third baseman Galen Heidrich. Amos hit .242 with 28 RBI and nine stolen bases. Heidrich led the team with a .432 on-base percentage while hitting .286 with four homers and 21 RBI.
Another veteran who will contribute when they recover from preseason injuries include catcher John Gegg. A junior, Gegg hit .281 despite playing the final part of last season with a broken thumb. He also is the Highlanders' top defensive catcher.
Still, the Highlanders will rise and fall with the performance of newcomers. Junior-college transfers Curran and Darren Jones will play big roles. Shortstop Curran was a team captain last year at South Florida Junior College. Jones, a right-hander, went 8-2 in two years at Anderson, S.C., Junior College. He also started Radford's first game of the year.
Top freshmean on the squad include outfielder Duane Filchner and pitcher Jim Abbott. Filchner started RU's first three games in centerfield. Abbott, a right-hander, pitched Radford's second contest.
"Every year is like a clean slate," said Amos. "We start fresh with new players and a new attitude. We just need to get our first few games under our belt and go from there."
Radford's regular season continues through the first week in May. Home double-headers at Dedmon Center Park include Alderson-Broaddus on Saturday; Charleston Southern on April 4; Shenandoah on April 5; Shawnee State on April 8; UNC-Ashville on April 11; and Coastal Carolina on April 18.
The Highlanders also have two night games Pulaski's Calfee Park: North Carolina State on April 15 and the University of Virginia on April 21.
The Big South Conference tournament begins the weekend of May 8 with first-round games at home sites.
The semifinals and finals are May 14 through 16 at Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.
\ UPDATE ON NEW TEAMS: The RU softball team took to the field Feb. 25 and lost 3-2 to Campbell in the first game of a double-header. Shannon Winston had the distinction of getting the first hit and scoring the first run in team history.
The second game of the scheduled double-header was suspended because of rain.
The women's golf team finished second in a three-team field in its first spring tournament at William and Mary. The Highlanders fired 443, more than 100 strokes behind the tournament host but 39 strokes less than Virginia Commonwealth.
\ UPCOMING EVENTS: Men's basketball: Thursday-Saturday, Big South Tournament at Anderson, S.C. Women's basketball: March 12-14, Big South Tournament at Dedmon Center. Baseball (home games): Thursday, Western Carolina, 3 p.m.; Saturday, Alderson-Broaddus, double-header, noon; Sunday, Alderson-Broaddus, 1 p.m.; Monday, Virginia Commonwealth, 2 p.m. Softball (home games and tournaments): March 13-14, at UNC-Wilmington tournament; March 18, Campbell, 5 p.m. Lacrosse (home games): Today, Greensboro, 3 p.m.; March 18, Pfeiffer, 3:30 p.m. Men's gymnastics: Saturday, at Great Lakes Championships, 12 noon. Women's gymnastics: Friday, at Longwood, 7 p.m. March 15, at Virginia State Championships in Harrisonburg, 2 p.m. Men's golf: March 13-15, at James Madison University tournament. Women's golf: Saturday, at Charleston Southern; March 16, at Virginia Commonwealth. Men's tennis (home matches): March 12, Indiana, Pa., 3 p.m.
M.J. Dougherty is a correspondent for the New River Valley bureau.
by CNB