ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 23, 1997 TAG: 9702250032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
FERRUM
Coach: Abe Naff (354-115-1, 12 seasons).
Affiliation: Dixie Conference, NCAA Division III.
1996 record: 35-11-1 overall, 9-3 Dixie (second), NCAA regional runner-up.
Opener: Tuesday, at Averett.
Home opener: March 8, Washington & Jefferson, 1 p.m. (DH).
Top returning players: OF Pat Daly, Jr., (.362, 7 HR, 51 RBI); DH Patrick Muncher, Soph., (.310, 10 HR, 48 RBI); SS Todd Cunningham, Sr. (.297, 30 RBI).
Area notables (high school): C Riley Hodges (Franklin County), Jr. (.357, 3 HR, 30 RBI); SS Greg Stubblefield (Rockbridge County), Fr.
Inside pitch: The Panthers lost 16 lettermen from a team that ranked 10th in the final Division III coaches' poll in 1996, including two All-Americans, P Jimmy Hamilton and 2B David Jones. It was the first time Ferrum had two All-America picks in one season. ... After several years of pitching-strong clubs, the Panthers are expected to win with offense this season. ... The Dixie, one of the best Division III leagues in baseball, plays its conference tournament May 17-19 at Dan Daniel Park in Danville.
RADFORD
Coach: Lew Kent (50-54, two seasons).
Affiliation: Big South Conference, NCAA Division I.
1996 record: 20-30 overall, 9-12 Big South (fifth).
1997 record: 3-1.
Top returning players: 2B Kelly Dampeer, Sr., (.310, 7 HR, 27 RBI); SS Mike Lombardi, Soph., (.305, 40 RBI); P-DH Jason Anderson, Jr. (2-8, 5.24 ERA); P Tim Manwiller, Sr., (3-6, 5.85).
Area notables (high school): Dampeer (Northside); Anderson (Glenvar); OF-1B Chris Carr (William Byrd), Jr. (.268, 5 HR, 28 RBI).
Inside pitch: Roanoke's Dampeer moves from SS to 2B to make room for freshman All-America choice Lombardi. Dampeer was MVP of the summer Valley League All-Star Game in 1996. ... Anderson is drawing plenty of interest from major-league scouts. It helps to be a big, strong left-hander. ... Baseball America picks Radford to finish fourth in the Big South. The league returns to a conference tournament format this spring, taking four teams to Knights' Castle (Charlotte's Class AAA home) from May 16-18. The league also has one of 18 automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. ... The Highlanders have eight everyday players and three starting pitchers back.
VIRGINIA
Coach: Dennis Womack (408-403-5, 15 seasons).
Affiliation: ACC, NCAA Division I.
1996 record: 44-21 overall, 11-13 ACC (tie, fifth); won ACC tournament title, runner-up in NCAA South I regional.
1997 record: 4-0.
Top returning players: P Pat Daneker, Jr., (8-5, 4.21); SS Adam Robinson, Sr., (.336, 10 HR, 40 RBI); OF John Galloway, Sr., (.335, 6 HR, 38 RBI).
Area notables (high school): 2B Ryan Gilleland (Jefferson Forest), Jr. (.283, 8 HR, 43 RBI).
Inside pitch: A season after winning the ACC title and falling one victory short of the College World Series, the Cavaliers are picked to finish eighth in the nine-team ACC by Baseball America. That's what happens when you lose the No.6 pick in the amateur draft and a U.S. Olympian, RHP Seth Greisinger. Cavaliers' first two ACC series are three-game trips to Florida State and Clemson, both ranked in the preseason Top 25 nationally. ... Four of UVa's top five hitters return from the school's first ACC title team. ... The ACC tournament is May 13-18 at Al Lang Stadium in St.Petersburg, Fla.
VMI
Coach: Scott Gines (36-57, two seasons at VMI; 202-230 overall, nine seasons).
Affiliation: Southern Conference, NCAA Division I.
1996 record: 17-29 overall, 7-16 Southern (seventh).
1997 record: 3-5.
Top returning players: 1B Nate Shepperson, Sr. (.361, 14 HR, 39 RBI); OF Dale Moore, Sr., (.279); C Scott Thompkins, Soph. (.247, 28 RBI).
Area notables (high school): 3B Franco Martin (Martinsville), Sr. (.312, 9 HR, 27 RBI); OF David Dixon (Alleghany), Soph. (.241, 4 HR).
Inside pitch: Gines' often-changing lineups have given the Keydets more depth in recent years. What VMI needs is consistent pitching. In the first five games of an Alabama trip to open the season, the Keydets' earned run average was 3.09. It was 6.70 at the end of last season. ...Shepperson was drafted by Pittsburgh in June, but elected to return for his senior season. He was the MVP of the Valley League this past summer. ... The Keydets finished 17-17 in 1996 after an 0-12 start, and placed third in the Southern Conference tournament. This year's league tournament is April 23-27 in Charleston, S.C.
VIRGINIA TECH
Coach: Chuck Hartman (655-334-3, 18 seasons at Tech; 1,138-559-3 overall, 37 seasons).
Affiliation: Atlantic 10, NCAA Division I.
1996 record: 35-24 overall, 16-4 in A-10 (won West Division); lost in A-10 tournament final.
1997 record: 1-0.
Home opener: March 11, Campbell, 3 p.m.
Top returning players: P Jon Hand, Jr. (7-4, 3.69); P Denny Wagner, Jr. (3-3, 5.67); SS Kevin Kurilla, Sr. (.254, 18 RBI).
Area notables (high school): OF Matt Reynolds (William Byrd), Sr. (.262, 6 HR); 3B Chad Foutz (Franklin County), Soph. (.266, 4 HR, 23 RBI); OF Gray Hodges (Franklin County), Fr. ; C Ryan Brittle (Radford), Jr., transfer from Ferrum.
Inside pitch: Baseball America picks the Hokies to win the A-10 West Division again, but to lose in the conference tournament to Massachusetts - which is what happened last year when the Hokies needed one victory in Boyertown, Pa., to earn an NCAA trip and lost a pair of games. ... Hartman's 1,138 career victories rank fourth among active Division I coaches, behind Al Ogletree (1,187) of Texas-Pan American, Jack Stallings (1,173) of Georgia Southern and Augie Garrido (1,152) of Texas. ... Wagner, a right-hander, is considered the top draft prospect in the A-10 this season. ... With a roster dominated by youth, albeit experienced youth, Hartman calls this a ``wait-and-see team.'' The early-season schedule includes games with South Florida, Maine, Michigan, Rollins and Georgia Tech.
WASHINGTON AND LEE
Coach: Jeff Stickley (76-148-2, 10 seasons).
Affiliation: ODAC, NCAA Division III.
1996 record: 15-13-1 overall, 11-5 ODAC (second).
1997 record: 0-4.
Home opener: March 1, West Virginia Tech, 1 p.m. (DH).
Top returning players: SS Patrick Hall, Soph. (.349, 28 RBI); 2B Tucker Bixby, Sr. (.301, 31 RBI); P Bob Weston, Soph., (4-1, 4.50).
Area notables (high school): 1B Christian Batcheller (Patrick County), Fr.; INF Mike Elder (Cave Spring), Fr.
Inside pitch: W&L is coming off its best season since 1935, when the Generals went 17-4-2 and won the Southern Conference title. W&L has had two winning seasons since 1972. In the ODAC coaches' preseason poll, the Generals are picked to finish seventh in 1997. ... Hall begins the season on the sideline after dislocating a finger. He is due back by early March. ... Opponents batted .194 against LHP Chad Reynolds last season in his 10 relief appearances. ... The ODAC tournament returns to Lynchburg's City Stadium, May 2-3, with the top four in the nine-team league in the field.
All statistics are for 1996 season; 1997 records are through Friday.
LENGTH: Long : 137 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Dampeer, Shepperson, Wagnerby CNB