THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9504020170
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Last year's All-Tidewater high school baseball team left a lot of big shoes to fill for the class of 1995. One is playing professional ball while others are making their way through the college ranks.
Here is an update of how some of last year's best are doing:
Derek Lindsey: Lindsey (Princess Anne) a freshman third baseman at East Carolina, is tearing it up in the Colonial Athletic Association. He is batting
``Right now I feel like I am having a hell of a season,'' said Lindsey. ``I am just doing whatever I can to help the team.''
Lindsey has two home runs, sported a seven-game hitting streak through March 29 and nine of his RBIs have come with two outs. His fielding has been good - four errors in 69 chances.
Last season at Princess Anne, Lindsey hit .417 and drove in 16 runs.
``Coming in as a freshman I really didn't know what to expect,'' Lindsey said. ``In the fall I faced some of our pitchers and I realized that there wasn't a huge difference between high school and college. Sure the pitchers throw faster and have more control, but a ball is a ball and you hit it with a bat.''
Lindsey was glad to see that he along with other standouts in his class are doing so well.
``We all showed that we weren't just high school superstars,'' he said. ``We are all just carrying over our success.''
Jimmy Anderson: A graduate of Western Branch, Anderson was the high school player of the year in the Tidewater area last season. He was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and had a stellar year in rookie ball. He posted a record of 5-1 and a 1.60 earned run average and struck out 66 batters in 56 1/3 innings pitched. Anderson will likely be moved up to Class A ball this season.
In Anderson's senior year at Western Branch he was 8-0 with an earned run average of 0.11 and tossed a no-hitter.
Chris Libbey: The Maury graduate received a partial scholarship from Virginia Commonwealth and has become the starting shortstop for the Rams. Although he is struggling at the plate with a .190 batting average, to be a starter as a freshman in a highly recognized Division I program is an accomplishment in itself. While at Maury, Libbey batted .471 and was dubbed the best hitter in South Hampton Roads by Milwaukee Brewers scout and Oscar Smith baseball coach Ernie Rogers.
Brett Craun: The graduate of Nansemond River is one of William and Mary's top pitchers so far. Craun is currently 3-2 with a 3.95 earned run average. He is his staff's workhorse, pitching 43 innings in 10 appearances. Craun is second on the team in strikeouts with 31 and opponents are hitting only .225 against him. Craun was a second-team All-Tidewater selection last season.
Derrick Daye: Daye, a graduate of Lake Taylor, is playing well at Louisburg Junior College in North Carolina - a team-leading .396 average, six doubles, one home run, 14 runs batted in and 10-for-10 stolen bases. The fast outfielder batted .370 with 20 runs batted in and four home runs last season at Lake Taylor.
Shawn O'Dell: O'Dell was drafted last year out of Indian River by the Florida Marlins in the 20th round. He is hitting .229 with two doubles and one home run at Louisburg. He has driven in 14 runs. Last year O'Dell hit .407 with six home runs and 17 runs batted in.
Mike Hoskins: A Greenbrier Christian Academy graduate, Hoskins also is at Louisburg, where he is hitting .296 with four doubles and eight runs batted in. Hoskins suffered a hand injury, but is almost fully recovered. He hit an astounding .516 last season with 26 runs batted in, recovering from Hodgkin's disease to play.
MONARCHS REPORT: WGH, AM-1310, will broadcast six upcoming Monarch baseball games. They are: April 6 vs. VCU at 7 p.m.; April 11 vs. N.C. State at 7 p.m.; April 12 vs. Liberty at 7 p.m.; April 15 vs. George Washington at 1 p.m.; April 16 vs. George Washington at 1 p.m.; May 14 vs. Western Carolina at 1 p.m. . . . The CAA golf championship will be April 7-9 at Kiln Creek in Newport News. Junior Alan Zimmerman leads the team with a 76 stroke average. Junior Chris Krueger is second at 76.5.
SPARANETTE REPORT: The Norfolk State softball team is second in the CIAA with an 11-2 record, 16-6 overall. The Spartanettes have won 12 of their last 14. They average 9.6 runs per game. In its last game, NSU defeated Elizabeth City State 17-0. Key players in that game: Lakicia Coltrane, a sophomore from Portsmouth (Manor), was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three batted in. Onisha Cook, a junior from Sacramento, Calif., went 4-for-5 with three runs batted in and four runs scored. She hit a home run and a triple. Tianika Mangrum, a junior from Chesapeake (Indian River), was 4-for-6 with with four runs scored and two runs batted in. . . . Pitcher Angela Smith, a sophomore from Virginia Beach (Kellam), is 5-1. Junior Shane Sams is 4-0 and junior Trina Williams is 5-3. . . . Head coach Turan Smith, in his ninth season, has a career record of 245-75, a winning percentage of .756. by CNB