THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504230192
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Sitting in a doctor's office, Virginia Wesleyan's Billy Kachuba listened as he was told his baseball career as a pitcher was all but over.
As a senior at Cox High School, Kachuba tore tendons and ligaments in his right elbow and his baseball future looked bleak.
``When the doctor told me that I would never pitch again I told him no way,'' said Kachuba, a junior. ``I looked him in the eye and told him that I have been playing baseball for 13 years and I am not going to quit.''
With the encouragement of Marlins' coach Nick Boothe and his college teammates, Kachuba battled his way back.
``Coach Boothe told me that he would help me get better,'' said Kachuba. ``He is a lot of the reason why I decided to play here.''
He has shined since. Last season, Kachuba was 7-1 on a team that went 28-6. At 6-1, he has nearly duplicated that feat this year and is on pace to break the Marlins' single-season record for victories. The record is eight, set by Gene Hassell in 1975.
Kachuba said he wasn't interested in personal honors. He was adamant, however, on winning the Old Dominion Athletic Conference tournament next weekend in Lynchburg.
Throughout this season Kachuba has relied on several of his teammates to keep him in a positive mindset.
``(Shortstop) Jason Williams has really given me a great deal of enthusiasm,'' Kachuba said. ``All of the other seniors have done their share in helping me.''
Before Saturday, Kachuba had a 3.88 earned-run average and 46 strikeouts in 58 innings.
MONARCHS REPORT: Senior outfielder/pitcher Maika Symmonds is third in the Colonial Athletic Association in hitting at .379, and as a team the Monarchs are hitting .317, which leads the conference. Symmonds and Matt Quatraro are second and third in runs batted in with 46 and 45, respectively. The Monarchs are second in the CAA in ERA at 3.55. This week the Monarchs play at Duke on Monday but then not again until May 7 against George Mason because of exams and graduation. ... The athletic awards banquet and Hall of Fame ceremonies will be Tuesday at the Norfolk Omni Hotel. A social begins at 5:30 p.m. and the Hall of Fame ceremonies at 6:15. The awards will be presented at 7. Tickets are $25. The Hall of Fame inductees are Marianne Stanley, Kelly Lyons, Terry Hutchingson, Dick Dozier and Kevin Bearse.
WESLEYAN SOCCER: The Marlins' men's soccer team went 3-0-2 in its spring season. All the victories were against Division I opponents. No seniors were on the team. The Marlins beat ODU, 2-0, Richmond, 3-0, and Virginia Military Institue, 2-0. The ties were against American and William and Mary.
ALUMNI REPORT: Tom McLemore (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy), a sophomore baseball player at the Naval Academy, is 4-0 and has an ERA of 2.16. He recently tossed his third straight complete game as the Midshipmen beat Lehigh, 6-1. ... Myra Simpson (Kellam), a swimmer at Mary Washington College, was named the Capital Athletic Conference's track and field athlete of the year. Simpson placed first in the 100m hurdles at 15.2, 100m dash at 12.57 and the long jump at 38- 1/2. She finished second in the high jump at 4-8. Her 100m time, the long jump and the triple jump are all CAC championship meet records. Her triple jump qualified her for the NCAA Division III Nationals May 24-27 in Northfield, Minn. Her long jump qualifies her as a provisional qualifier. The hurdles time is a school record. ... VanDisha Wilder (Deep Creek), a senior at Christopher Newport, had the fastest times in the 100m, the 200m and the 400 meter relay at the Liberty Invitational. She has qualified for the Division III Nationals also. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Billy Kachuba suffered a career-threatening arm injury as a senior
at Cox High School.
by CNB