DATE: Tuesday, June 3, 1997                 TAG: 9706030467

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER  

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   64 lines

MORE THAN A HAIR CHANGE FOR WESTERN BRANCH STAR JAMES FTISCAR HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE HIS LAST STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE.

The James Fticsar who started at shortstop for Western Branch in the state baseball tournament three years ago wouldn't recognize the James Fticsar who will pitch tonight in another state tournament game for the Bruins.

The Fticsar (pronounced Fitz-car) who plays tonight against Mills Godwin in Richmond has a Mohawk haircut for one thing. The Fticsar of three years ago was so shy he barely spoke to his teammates.

``I didn't know my teammates very well and they all seemed much bigger than they really were,'' Fticsar said.

The new Fticsar is hitting well over .300 and will bat leadoff tonight. The old Fticsar was prized for his glove and coach Jim Stanko frequently used a designated hitter to bat for him.

``It was fun as a freshman, but it was also nerve-wracking,'' he said. ``I knew I was only in for my defense and I could be pulled at any time.''

Those worries are gone. In the region semifinal against First Colonial Fticsar gave up four hits and two runs in the bottom of the seventh of a 4-3 victory, but the bullpen never stirred.

``I was going to win it or lose it with Fitz,'' Stanko said.

Fticsar's transformation has been gradual for a four-year letterman. Stanko didn't let him bat regularly until the middle of last season and only inserted him in the rotation this season when projected ace Jonathan Tinkham struggled early.

``I was always worried if we took him off the mound we'd be in real trouble,'' Stanko said.

Fticsar, who scored nearly 1200 on the SAT and will attend Virginia Tech in the fall, has few memories of his last state tournament game. Only that Western Branch lost to Clover Hill and no ground balls were hit to him.

The infield often was quiet when strikeout artist Jimmy Anderson - who would become a ninth round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates - was pitching. Fticsar remembers committing a pair of errors and hearing about it in a game that Anderson lost to Great Bridge, despite striking out 22 batters in 10 innings.

``Jimmy was Jimmy,'' Fticsar said. ``You weren't going to change him. Looking back it was a good experience to play with him because he'll probably pitch in the major leagues someday.''

Fticsar has fonder memories of Dre Bly, the former centerfielder who was a consensus All-American defensive back last fall as a redshirt freshman at North Carolina.

``With his personality you couldn't help being his friend,'' Fticsar said. ``He just went out and played.''

Fticsar also has had a unique view of two other big-time players, Great Bridge's Mike Cuddyer and John Curtice. Both are expected to be drafted today.

``Cuddyer's a friend, someone you can talk to,'' Fticsar said. ``I don't know Curtice as well, but once the season is over I'll be rooting for them both.''

Fticsar credits much of his development this season to a weightlifting course he took last fall. He wasn't sure how much it had helped, however, until he went 1 for 3 and put two balls in play off Curtice in the season opener.

``That gave me the confidence that I could hit people,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

```It was fun as a freshman, but it was also nerve-wracking. I knew

I was only in for my defense,'' Ftiscar said.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu