The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, September 21, 1994          TAG: 9409210556
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                         LENGTH: Short :   47 lines

ODU TO GET CATCHER FROM WESTERN BRANCH

On Monday night, Nick Ardagna sat down with his family and made a decision that could affect the rest of his life.

A highly-touted catcher for Western Branch, Ardagna weighed all his options and chose Old Dominion University as the place he would continue his playing career. Word spread quickly Tuesday of Ardagna's verbal commitment to the Monarchs, but instead of taking calls at home from well-wishers, Ardagna spent the afternoon attending to a more pressing duty:

Mowing his grandmother's lawn.

``I've been cutting it for years,'' Ardagna said. ``There's no reason to stop now.''

To anyone who knows Ardagna, it's not a surprise that the first recruit of first-year ODU coach Tony Guzzo would spend the afternoon doing something as mundane as yard work.

``He's got a great work ethic, and he's a super guy,'' said Bruins coach Jim Stanko.

According to Ardagna, the opportunity to play for Guzzo made ODU his first choice.

``He was a catcher himself, so that's a big plus, and he's a good friend of the family,'' Ardagna said. ``If he had stayed at Virginia Commonwealth (Guzzo's coaching position prior to joining the Monarchs), I probably would have gone there.''

He may only be a high school senior, but Ardagna's tools are not in dispute. At 6-1, 190, he has good size for a catcher, and a batting average (.397 last year) to match.

Better still, Ardagna has a gun of an arm, throwing from home to second in 1.9 seconds. The major league average is 2.1.

Ardagna said that ODU's offer, while not a full scholarship, ``made me and my parents very happy.'' His agreement with ODU is a verbal commitment; the official signing won't take place until Nov. 9.

By settling on Old Dominion, Ardagna has guaranteed himself solid coaching, a good education, and a home-cooked meal whenever he wants one. Not a bad payoff.

``And I can still cut my grandmother's lawn once a week.'' by CNB