ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996 TAG: 9605160125
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Pitches thrown from the left hand of Blacksburg High's Reed Shabman often may be mistaken for something else.
Something else as in a baseball that is easily hit.
Such assumptions have proved unfounded, or so his 4-1 record with an accompanying 1.29 earned run average would indicate.
First impressions are difficult to shake, though. To some eyes, Shabman's ball isn't in any particular hurry to get to the plate.
Again, though, it is unwise to make quick assumptions about a supposedly dawdling fastball.
Michael Davis will tell you that. And how does Mr. Davis know, you ask? Because he is the fellow who must catch these deceptive deliveries, that's how.
``He throws hard,'' said Davis in matter-of-fact, I-don't-know-what-you're- looking at tones.
Jim Shockley, the Blacksburg coach, sees the same pitches from a different angle.
``His best pitch lately has been his fastball, especially during his streak,'' Shockley said.
The aforementioned stretch continued through a 3-1 complete game three-hitter over Christiansburg and also included an average of one strikeout for each of the 21 previous innings. Over the same span, he gave up a puny one earned run.
Shabman, obviously can strike a fellow out with the drop of a curve ball. Through his first 592/3 innings, he'd struck out 64 batters. As many agree, those are eye-opening numbers for a 10th-grader.
``His ball really moves,'' Blacksburg assistant coach Vaughan Phipps said. ``He can't throw it straight.''
Shabman takes all of this quietly, perhaps even stoically.
``I don't show a lot of emotion,'' he advised.
Just as well. It is a little unseemly for a sophomore to be gyrating around the mound, pointing, and laughing.
Shabman isn't that kind of guy. A scientifically minded sort with a solid record of academic achievement, he aspires to a job in medicine someday.
Funny how he's managed to make some of the hitters who have seen him sick.
``It's surprised me a little how well I've done this year,'' Shabman said.
Not so for his coaches.
``We've been following him for a while now in the rec leagues,'' Shockley said. ``We knew we had a good one coming. we saw him in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades and he was dominant at every level.``
Shabman is not quite dominant with the bat yet, but he is hitting in the neighborhood of .250 and he has been something of a clutch performer.
``The batting average isn't that high, but he has walked a lot of times,'' Shockley said.
Shabman has not had to do it alone on the mound. Henry Barnett has been a solid starter from the right side.
Oddly, Shabman seems to be at his best when the situation is most critical. When he's pitching with men on base, even as a result of one of his mistakes (not that there are many of those), Shabman continues to quietly go about his business.
``He does not rattle easily when things aren't going his way,'' Shockley said.
Shabman acts as though he believes that is his responsibility.
``I don't worry about what I don't control,'' he said.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Reed Shabman, Blacksburg High School's starting pitcher,by CNBwinds up during a recent game against Radford High School. color
ALAN KIM STAFF KEYWORDS: MGR