Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 18, 1993 TAG: 9303180460
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
GLENVAR WILL EXCEL WITH BASEBALL, TOO
The sporting thrills keep right on coming at Glenvar.Tennis, golf, girls' basketball, boys' basketball, football, wrestling - seems like those Highlanders just keep turning out contenders at the regional and state level.
Baseball looks like it's going to be the same way this year.
"Talent-wise, we'll be in the thick of things," Glenvar coach Larry Wood said.
"This is one of the fastest teams I've ever had. We've got good power; we've got both our starting pitchers back from last year. We expect to do well," he said.
He's not just blowing smoke. One of the main reasons is that he has a guy who can throw some smoke - left-hander Jason Anderson, last year's sophomore of the year in Timesland.
You can say what you will about Anderson's adventures in American Legion play last summer. You can question the glowing reports from the radar guns all you want. But all you really need to know about the serious-minded junior is he's gotten out Group A batters regularly and in large numbers for the past two years. In 1992, when Glenvar went 16-4, Anderson rode the point with a 9-0 record, 0.54 earned run average, and 148 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched. He surrendered 18 hits.
Balancing out the pitching staff is right-hander David Henderson, another junior. A hard thrower (but not as hard as Anderson), he went 5-2 with a 2.67 ERA last year. Unlike Anderson, who hit .428 with 26 runs driven in, Henderson struggled with the bat last year. A third baseman when he's not pitching, Henderson is counted on to snap out of his offensive stupor this year.
Elsewhere, the Highlanders will be strong in key places with junior shortstop Tim Carroll (.363, 18 steals, 24 hits) and junior catcher Joey Hutton (.314, 12 out of 15 steal attempts thrown out), and second baseman Trevor Willis (.415, 27 hits batting ninth).
The outfield must be rebuilt around Rob Robinson, the only experienced player. Also, Brandon Semones, whose made a name for himself in football and wrestling, is out for the team for the first time. Early reports are that he's extremely rusty, but too good an athlete to write off.
Elsewhere in the metro area:
\ William Byrd is coming off its best season ever, when it finished 23-1 and lost in the state Group AA semifinals to eventual state champion Virginia High. Off that team, 10 seniors and coach Gary Walthall are gone. Four starters return; Walthall has been replaced with top assistant Rodney Spradlin.
The veterans include shortstop Gary Wiggins (.340), second baseman Kevin Saunders (.355), first baseman/pitcher Chris Carr, and center fielder Shannon Gray. Carr and Gray played the field only when the incumbents at those postions - Brian Young and Matt Reynolds, both now playing for Virginia Tech - pitched. Carr, the only experienced pitcher, has a total of five innings experience.
As at Byrd, another new coach has gone to work at Northside, where Dave Tibbs succeeds Greg Booker.
Tibbs will have one of the area's top shortstops - Kelly Dampeer, who figures to be a college prospect. The trick for Northside will be to find Dampeer some help so that opponents won't pitch around him.
Pitching, however, should be solid. Allan Christian went 5-2 last year and figures to be one of the better hurlers in the Blue Ridge District. Mark Freeland had been solid before breaking a leg and missing most of last season.
Benji Taylor, a transfer from Lord Botetourt, catches and swings a big bat. Jim Porter and Shane Whisnant are good athletes who should contribute.
\ Lord Botetourt figures to be a Blue Ridge District contender because of sound pitching and some good hitters.
Donnie Meador (.452, three home runs, 19 RBI) is certain to be one of the area's big hitters. Matt Edwards (.333) was a solid leadoff guy and center fielder last year, but may be deployed elsewhere this year.
The pitching will be left to right-hander Billy Arthur (3-0-1, 4.40 ERA, 39 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched) and Chad Shelton, a strong-armed left-hander who was ineligible last year.
The third new coach in the Blue Ridge is Scott Atkins, who takes over for John Hinkle at Salem.
Atkins is counting on his seniors, including right-handed pitcher and outfielder Ryan Blevins, the team's top hitter a year ago; center fielder Tracy Butt; catcher Eric Kennedy; shortstop Tommy Lee and second baseman Matt Burge.
"From what I've seen, we'll be strong defensively, and we ought to be able to score some runs," Atkins said. "The question is going to be an inexperienced pitching staff."
\ Cave Spring may not be the top Roanoke Valley District contender it has been in recent years - the consensus is that Franklin County has the class of the league this season - but the Knights won't be down for long.
The reason is youth. Coach Roger White has called up six sophomores and a freshman, the youngest group in a long time.
Meanwhile, White is counting on veterans such as right-handed pitcher Kevin Vineyard; pitcher/first baseman/third baseman Will Goodman; second baseman Scott Fayed; and shortstop Chris Corcoran.
Al Holland has taken over at William Fleming, long one of the area's most under-achieving programs.
"All we're trying to do is put ourselves on the map, so to speak," Holland said.
Holland, a Roanoke native, put himself on the map by playing in the major leagues. Now, he's trying to impart some of his expertise to a team that may hold some promise.
Among the top players are Holland's son Al Jr., a pitcher and shortstop; right-handed pitcher Travis McLaughlin; center fielder Eddie Jones, infielder Mike Souma; and first baseman Brian Dillard.
"It's a very young team, but one I think is going to surprise some people," coach Holland said.
\ Patrick Henry is another program trying to pick up the pieces.
Third-year coach Mark Hairston has five starters back from a 4-16 team that tied Fleming for last in the district. The best of the lot are shortstop Corey Plunkett (.460, 18 RBI, 12 doubles), catcher Brad Wright (.360), outfielder Daniel Orfield (.292, three HR) and sibling outfielders Kyle McMahon (.290, 18 steals) and Mike McMahon (.290).
Most fortunately, the Patriots picked up three transfers, all of whom can pitch. They include sophomore right-hander Richard Mason, from Cave Spring, junior right-hander Dallas Keister from Salem and right-hander Larry Hall, who is from Mississippi.
\ Craig County is another team with a new coach (Mark Baetz) and a youth movement (one senior, two juniors, the rest freshmen and sophomores). The Rockets will make do with a team built around youngsters Johnny Crawford, Robbie Huffman and Ben Boardwine.
Help is on the way: They're starting a junior varsity program this year.
\ James River is rebuilding. Except for shortstop Jeremy Hendrix, the Knights will need an entirely new infield. Keith Bryant (5-2, 3.50) will have to duplicate his mound heroics. Jody Steger and Troy Thompson are two-thirds of an experienced outfield. They're light hitters, though.
Yet another new coach - Jim Farmer - is in charge at Roanoke Valley Christian. The better players there include first baseman Scott Apjok, center fielder Scott Hurt, and pitcher Nathan Hicks.
Information on North Cross was not available.