THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9504300190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
After batting .480 in her sophomore season at Christopher Newport, catcher Cathy Riddick still saw room for improvement.
Riddick, a graduate of Churchland High School, wanted to work on her defense.
Riddick had played shortstop at Churchland and centerfield as a freshman, but she had never caught.
``I wanted to work on my throw-downs and my pitch-calling,'' Riddick said. ``I worked with the coaches and (former Lady Captain) Kim Wells, and I felt more comfortable this year in calling pitches.''
By calling better pitches, Riddick also helped bring the Lady Captains' earned-run average down from 2.25 last year to 1.49 this season. She also has committed only one error this spring.
Offensively, Riddick does it all. This season she is hitting .386, second on the team. She also has driven in 96 runs in her career, putting her within five RBIs of the all-time leader. Her career average at Christopher Newport is season ranks second. She also holds the career record for doubles with 24.
Riddick was named first-team All-Dixie Conference this season and was the Dixie tournament's MVP for the second consecutive season. Yet despite the records and honors, she is a team player first.
``Coming into this season, my first goal was for us to get back into the regionals,'' she said. ``When we made regionals my freshman year, that was the biggest moment of all. I really don't think about my personal goals during the season. I set my personal goals in the offseason.''
The Captains (34-7) are ranked 18th in the nation in Division III, No. 4 in the Atlantic Region. Regional tournament bids will be announced May 7.
ALUMNI REPORT: Karla Roberson (Great Bridge) and Jason Hatcher (Kempsville) were named freshman female and male athletes of the year at Longwood College. Roberson, a golfer, averaged 81.1 through 20 rounds. She has two top-10 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, where she shot 76-77-153. Hatcher, a baseball player, entered the week with a .333 batting average with 23 RBIs, and had started all 37 contests at third base. . . . Shawn Knight (Maury) was named co-male athlete of the year at William and Mary. Knight is the Division I-AA recordholder for passing efficiency with a 170.8 rating. On the Tribe career list, Knight is first in completion percentage (65.5), No. 2 in touchdown passes (46) and third in passing yards (5,705) and total offense (6,408). . . B. McCoy award as the outstanding male senior athlete. He compiled a 13-13 overall mark in 1994. He had two pins wrestling at the 150-pound weight class. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Churchland alum Cathy Riddick was named first-team All-Dixie
Conference this spring in softball.
by CNB