Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 6, 1995 TAG: 9504060045
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS KING CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
With its entry into the Three Rivers District, the Buffalos will face district foes, in the form of first-year programs Auburn and Radford, for the first time. Despite the possibility they may not advance to regional play, Floyd views the competition as a step in the right direction.
"It is nice to have other teams in the district. Hopefully, Shawsville and Giles will add teams as well," said Floyd coach Wes Starkey. "We would like to win our district this year and advance to regionals and possibly state."
The addition of district competition removed an automatic bid into the regional playoffs for the Buffalos, but they appear to be a mortal lock to advance to post-season play. The Buffalos return a solid base from last season's squad and will benefit from the addition of Sara Conner and Leigh Ann Pursifull, both of whom played on Floyd's state championship basketball team and are expected to contribute immediately.
As with most teams, a key to Floyd's success will be pitching; with the combination of pitcher J.J. Sowers and catcher Kim Moran, they appear to have a strong base. The two juniors are best friends off the field and have been battery mates since the sixth grade.
"I can throw anything, and I know she will stop it," Sowers said. "If one of us is having a bad day, we can talk to the other one to help raise our game up a notch."
While Sowers will spend the majority of the time on the mound, Moran will be called on to deliver quality innings when she needs a rest.
"If you want to be competitive on the state level, pitching is very important," Starkey said. "J.J. and Kim have been together for several years and, because of that, they have faith in each other. I think the familiarity has helped J.J. become a more confident pitcher."
To help fortify Sowers' hurling abilities, Starkey hopes to field a solid defensive club. Conner, a centerfielder, has displayed an excellent glove early in the season and will be counted on to be the outfield leader. The infield, where many of the players are interchangeable, will be led by Kim Sutphin, Laura Pratt and Sonya Hilton.
"Defense wins ballgames," Starkey said. "Offensively, we have a good blend of speed and contact hitters. If we can develop consistent hitting out of our 7-8-9 spots, I think we will be able to play with anybody."
Playing with anybody is what the Buffalos, who have their sights set high, have in mind.
"Our first goal this season is to win the district," Starkey said. "If we can do that, we would then like to advance to the state tournament. We have a young team - mostly sophomores - but the experience of going to regionals as freshmen should help them this year."
Another strength of the Buffalos will be their versatility. Floyd can go two deep at most positions without a significant drop in the quality of play. The leader of the Floyd utility crew is Pursifull, who can play five different positions and wields a potent bat.
Standing in Floyd's way are TRD foes Radford and Auburn,
The Bobcats will be made up almost entirely of underclassmen, with one junior and one senior on the Radford roster. Along with youth will come obligatory growing pains.
"We are so inexperienced, the more they play, the better off they will be," said Radford coach Carolyn Kimbleton. "Somewhere along the line, someone will have to step up and be a leader."
Anchoring the Radford pitching staff will be sophomores Laura Maybie and Ellen Moseman. Maybie will rely on pinpoint control, while Moseman will attempt to overpower opposing hitters. Second baseman Kate Henley and shortstop Ashley Miear will form the Bobcats' middle infield.
Auburn, too, will feature a young, inexperienced team that will be building for seasons to come. Leading the Eagles will be senior captain Julie Bower, who will play shortstop and provide leadership. Also expected to play key roles are freshmen third baseman Jeanetta Politis, third baseman Nicole Hooper and second baseman Laura Underwood.
"We need practice and game experience," said Auburn coach Anita Browning. "We are learning the fundamentals and hoping to jell and become a competitive team."
Also sporting a first-year team will be Christiansburg. The Blue Demons will be looking toward the future with 15 freshman on a 20-person roster. The Christiansburg starting lineup is expected to feature seven freshman.
"Right now, we are concentrating on the fundamentals, but we have made a lot of progress," said Blue Demons coach Kirk Litton. "If we keep developing the way we are right now, this will be a team to contend with when these kids are juniors, and not just on the local level. We could surprise some people."
Leading the Christiansburg contingent will be shortstop Amber Reed, the team's best athlete and fielder, and second baseman Tasha Huffman, the team's best hitter.
by CNB