Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503300041
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
``We're going to have to get it done as a team this year,'' White said.
That will be Cave Spring's strong point.
Cave Spring was a run-scoring factory a year ago while going 15-6 and losing to eventual champion Hylton in the Group AAA Northwestern Region playoffs. The Knights may not be scoring 237 runs (11.2 per game) as they did in 1994, but they may not need to.
Cave Spring will be among the contenders in the Roanoke Valley District (Franklin County and possibly Pulaski County will be the others) because it will be strong up the middle, on the mound, and at the plate.
Leading off and playing center field for the third straight year is Robert Kaczmarek (.358, two home runs, 27 runs, 26 RBI), who has already signed with Charleston Southern. Josh Salmon (.364, two HR, 14 RBI) had two errors at catcher all year.
Chad Smith (.352, two HR, 15 RBI) will be moving from the outfield to third base and another veteran, Steve Burtis (.419), will be shifting from designated hitter to first base. At shortstop, Doug Kenney will be trying to following up a solid sophomore season (.361, 21 RBI).
On the mound, right-hander Robey Caldwell (6-3, 2.88 earned run average) will be the top guy and certainly one of the best in the district. If Kaczmarek and Kenney pan out as pitchers, the Knights ought to have sufficient depth to challenge again for the postseason.
``We've got a lot of capable kids here,'' White said.
Elsewhere in the area:
Glenvar loses a nucleus of four-year starters including All Timesland left-hander Jason Anderson who carried the Highlanders to their first Group A state baseball title last year. But feel no sympathy for Glenvar coach Larry Wood and those who remain. Glenvar could be right back in the thick of things again.
``I'm interested to find out what we can do without those other kids who have graduated,'' Wood said.
He and the rest of us will find out soon enough, although baseball veterans Sparky Atkinson, Jason Darnall, Eric East, Brian Snead and Troy Henderson were occupied with the Highlanders' drive into the state basketball championship game last week.
Atkinson will be staying at third base and the speedy and athletic East at shortstop, but Darnall is probably going to be re-deployed from the outfield to second base. Brendan Kassebaum, who had the game-winning hit in last year's championship game victory over Central of Lunenburg, is going to be moving from the outfield to first base. He'll also get a chance to pitch. Snead will continue in the outfield.
As for the pitching, there will be no replacing Anderson, but returning right-handers Jake Weddle and Joey Taylor both had around 30 innings pitched and ERA's near 2.00.
William Byrd is showing few signs of a dropoff from the levels that have made it one of Timesland's most consistent programs in recent years. Mike McGuire (8-2, 2.25 ERA, .345, eight HR, 30 RBI) will lead on the mound and at the plate and veteran Ryan Caya (.325) at short and C.D. Polumbo at third also are expected to have big years. Caya will help fill out the rotation along with prized sophomore left-handers Chris Manning and Joey Stinnett.
The Terriers will be leading contenders in the Blue Ridge District, but so too should Salem and Northside be.
Salem lost one of its best players, .400 hitter Brian Crosswhite, because of insufficient academic performance, but enough solid performers remain from last year's 13-7 team to make the Spartans a tough out for anybody. Center fielder Charlie Hammersely (.280) has not been slowed much by knee surgery, even though he will be wearing a brace. Ricky Eubanks will be looking to duplicate the success he had as a freshman catcher (.395) as will batterymate and classmate Greg Harrison (7.0, 4,50).
Kevin Feazell (.312) at third base and shortstop Seth Moore (.310) are good players in the field. If they pan out as pitchers (both have excellent arms) then the Spartans are going to be trouble.
Northside figures to be pitching strong with left-hander Jacob Hambrick and right-hander Tommy Huffman. Hambrick, a 6-2, 160-pounder went 3-0 last year before breaking his wrist. Huffman had a 2-1 record on the varsity but was 6-0 on the JV.
Speed and defense will also be Northside specialties. Jay Stafford (.490, 23 steals) is a college prospect assuming he can make a successful transition from second base to shortstop. Right-hander Scott Booth can pitch and hit (.350, 14 steals) and John Doss (.390, seven doubles, 13 steals) will anchor the outfield.
Lord Botetourt is trying to build on a season in which it won its first district tournament title. Ten players are back from that team, including three-year starter Brian Davis (.300, 14 steals) at second base and leading RBI man (17) Shannon Williams at short. Keith Shupe is scheduled to move across the infield from third base to first. Cavaliers coach Chuck Pound would also like to make the hard-throwing Shupe into a closer.
If Shupe works out as the short man, then that will take some pressure off the untested and all-lefty rotation of Mark Sweeney, J.W. Snyder and David Leonard. Sweeney has limited varsity mound experience; Snyder and Leonard are both sophomores. It would also help if Pound can find a sound catcher.
William Fleming is rebuilding in the wake of losing two-time All Timesland shortstop Al Holland Jr. Al Holland Sr., the coach, has only three seniors, four juniors, and the rest are sophomores. The seniors are left fielder Phillip Barrett, who will be the leadoff man, and right-handed pitchers Travis Ringstaff and John Wright.
Desmond Lee hit .290 and can go get a lot of balls in center field. After that, there are a lot of questions.
``I'm seeing progress every day,'' Holland said.
Patrick Henry has a new coach in John Griffith, an 18-year veteran of the business, who came to the Patriots from Amelia County. Griffith has immediately set about renovating the neglected field at the school, but that won't be ready for about a month. Meanwhile, the Patriots will be back in their old digs at Maher Field.
PH has 20 players, the most veteran of whom include first baseman Mike Sisler, center fielder Jeremy Bailey, third baseman Ryan Johnson and outfielder Adam Johnson. The pitching could be pretty good if left-hander Seth Callis, a strikeout pitcher, recovers from a preseason thigh problem and hard-throwing Fleming transfer Bill Cowden develops.
Defending RVD champion Franklin County will battle Cave Spring and anybody else that takes a notion to stage a challenge. The regional runner-up Eagles lost some good seniors, but should be coming back strong behind shortstop-pitcher Chad Foutz (.377, .522 on base, 23 runs, 4-0, 1.45 ERA) and pitcher-first baseman David Webster (.333, 6-5, 3.14 ERA). Other key returnees include outfielder John Sawyer and third baseman Steve Hurt. Eagles followers are also buzzing about the potential of sophomore left-hander Larry Bowles, whose bloodlines include brother Phil Bowles, All Timesland as a southpaw pitcher several years ago.
The world didn't tip on its axis when Liberty went 7-11 last year, but a whole lot of folks were surprised. Veteran coach Jim Cutler, who has only two losing seasons while assembling a record that puts him among the state's all-time winningest coaches, was plenty dismayed. The Minutemen will stage a comeback behind a strong pitching staff that includes left-handers Johnny Cash and Russell Smith and sophomore right-hander Brandon Painter. It'll take shortstop Gregg Reynolds, second baseman Mike Padgett and first baseman Brian Long a little longer to round into form because they were mainstays on Liberty's state semifinal basketball team. But Liberty fans should fear not, it'll be fine even if the Seminole District does include a bona fide state contender in Brookville.
Craig County will present a lot of headaches in the Pioneer District if it can find some pitching. Of the five seniors and eight juniors on hand, the best include catcher Robbie Huffman, right-handed pitcher Ben Boardwine, and outfielders Zachary Peters, Michael All and Chris Blankenship. Third baseman Dwain Sowers hit .350 last year and has as much power potential as anybody on the team.
North Cross has been down lately, and its best chance to come back resides with center fielder Allen Lawrence, shortstop Brad Densmore, catcher Ed Machado and infielder-pitcher David Foster.
James River is retooling under a new coach, who is baseball all the way, as his given name of Gehrig Ferguson would indicate. The Knights didn't hit much last year while going 4-10, but outfielder Greg Austin was among the better sticks with a .292 average. Lee Simpson will have to play center field, pitch, and hit around .300 as he did last year. Others who figure into the mix include shortstop-pitcher Chris Firebaugh and first baseman-pitcher Jason Peery.
Roanoke Valley Christian, also with a new coach, will be trying to improve this year. The new man is Wayne Brooks, who will be looking for a lot out of seniors Richard Booth, Robbie Camper and Mike McGuire if the team is to be better than the 1-10 it was in 1994.
Information on Staunton River was unavailable.
by CNB