Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 29, 1990 TAG: 9003280074
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"If you can beat Carroll County, you can win the district," George Wythe coach Joe Gardner said.
And as usual, the Cavaliers will have other ideas. Yet three teams - Christiansburg, Radford and Gardner's Maroons - may have what it takes to do the job. Giles and Blacksburg are going to pull some upsets but don't figure to be challenging for the top this year.
The teams:
\ CARROLL COUNTY'S bid for another league title comes accompanied by an asterisk.
If Matt Montgomery's sore right elbow doesn't round into shape pronto, prospects for another Cavaliers title cloud considerably. Montgomery, a hard-throwing pitcher/catcher and one of the best athletes in the school, is penciled in as the ace of what could be a very good pitching staff. A year ago, Montgomery went 4-3 with a 1.58 earned run average and 56 strikeouts in 44 innings.
While Montgomery is waiting for his wing to heal, he'll be a designated hitter, a task he should be up to as indicated by his .500 batting average and 20 runs batted in of a year ago. Meanwhile, Cavaliers coach Bill Worrell will make do with right-hander Mike Reavis, who also doubles as a catcher, and sophomore Daniel Easter, the winner when Carroll County captured the title game of the New River District tournament a year ago.
Second baseman Eric Hill (.280) will double as the bullpen stopper.
Other prominent players include shortstop Brad Sharp and center fielder Dennis Cobler. Sharp has a big bat (.340, four home runs) but was leaky defensively. Worrell said he must improve. Cobler has good speed and a good glove but not much stick (.230). Worrell may be displaying a leap of faith to bat him leadoff this year.
"We don't have much speed around here," Worrell said by way of an explanation.
\ CHRISTIANSBURG is in very good shape to build on the best season in school history.
The Blue Demons have two of the top three pitchers off a team that won the district and was a Region IV semifinalist. Veteran right-handers Mike Royal (5-0, 2.08, 42 strikeouts in 45 innings) and Darren Graham will be two-thirds of a very promising rotation. The No. 3 starter, Scott Lucas, split time between the varsity and junior varsity this past season.
At the plate, Christiansburg will be sound. Royal (.380, two home runs, 16 RBI) is slated to hit fourth. Catcher Johnny Self (.313, seven RBI), in his second season behind the plate, will bat fifth. Graham had a mediocre average (.270) but hit what he got hold of hard (two home runs, two triples, two doubles).
Quick-footed Alan Ferrell has been moved from the outfield to shortstop to stabilize the infield, the team's primary question mark. At first base, 1988 Timesland player of the year Randy Lawrence (.500, 19 RBI in 1989) will be hard to replace but Demons coach Kirk Litton has a steady senior in Donnie Robinson there. A sophomore transfer from Shawsville, Mike Sweeney, will play second and third will be occupied by Richard Shaver, promoted from the JV.
Once horribly downtrodden,\ RADFORD will continue a remarkable turnaround under second-year coach Wayne Pridgen.
The Bobcats have good players sprinkled throughout the roster and will be a definite contender for the district title.
Pridgen's biggest problem will be to find a candidate to replace Robbie Arnold (7-2, one save, 3.44) as the ace of the pitching staff. The main prospects are seniors Andrew White (four innings, no decisions in 1989) and junior Chad Phillips (4-2, 4.36), a left-hander. If anything, Radford will be deep on the mound: a third starter and spot starts could also come from left-hander Adam Plum and right-handers Richie Delaney and Chris Learn.
Carey Caldwell, the center-fielder (.390, 12 runs, 11 walks, six steals), will be used in short relief.
Hitting and scoring runs shouldn't be a problem. White, who will also play shortstop, is a four-year starter and a left-handed hitter who is capable of batting .500 or better. He had a subpar .328, 15-RBI 1989 campaign. He also stole nine bases and only struck out four times in 61 at bats. Catcher Brandon Smith (.264, nine RBI), who has already hit three home runs, first baseman Eddie Martin (.333, two errors and 68 putouts), second baseman Jimmy Tynan, Phillps (.273, seven RBI) and Caldwell all should have plenty of pop too.
Radford scored 51 runs and had 52 hits in its first four games and is 3-1.
An emerging star is sophomore Brody Smith, the only New River District player to have been a Sports Illustrated "Face in the Crowd." Smith will move around the infield, primarily playing third base and shortstop when White pitches.
"Brody's tough," Pridgen said. "The best thing I can do is leave him alone."
Year in and year out,\ GEORGE WYTHE joins Carroll County as the district's most consistent program.
The Maroons have only four players back with starting experience, but you can bet that the new players know how to play. They always do.
The marquee names include pitcher/shortstop Jamie Lee (5-1, 2.12, 55 strikeouts in 43 innings, .439), third baseman/pitcher Geoff Goff (.400), outfielder Franklin Linker and second baseman Chris Turpin, a three-year starter.
Other key players include catcher Robbie Fox, pitcher/outfielder Dan Chumbley and first baseman John Luttrell.
If Goff and Chumbley can develop into credible starting pitchers to take some of the pressure off Lee, the Maroons will be right in the thick of the race.
The breaking-in period for new\ BLACKSBURG coach Steve Price should be eased by some superior athletes on the Indians roster.
Pitcher/third baseman Eddie Sloss (1-2, one save, 2.75, .356), pitcher/shortstop Lloyd Zelazny (.250, 12 runs), first baseman Mark Mathena, outfielder Brian Richards and outfielder Brian Crist are all proven winners having helped the Indians to the Division 4 state football championship last fall. Zelazny, Mathena and Crist are all established three-sport (football, basketball, baseball) performers.
The problem is, Mathena, Crist and Richards are all playing varsity baseball for the first time. That means veterans such as Sloss, Zelazny and outfielder Ronnie Turpin (.129 but 21 walks in 58 innings) will have to exert some leadership.
Blacksburg seems to always hit well but at the same time have its problems on the mound. Sloss has given indications he has the talent to help turn that around.
It would not appear that this is going to be\ GILES' year.
"We're looking to play the role of spoiler," said Spartans coach Bruce Frazier, whose team will compete in the Group A Mountain Empire District next year.
The main candidate to spoil a foe's day is shortstop/pitcher John Hunt (.286, only one strikeout in 46 at bats). Frazier hopes that Hunt can get some pitching help from Donnie Eaton, Andy Tawney and Jared Wilburn. Both Tawney and Wilburn are off the JV. Eaton has about 10 innings worth of varsity hurling experience. He compiled a 6.10 ERA last season.
One thing never changes at Giles. For as long as anybody can remember, there hasn't been a left-handed pitcher for the Spartans. Such is again the case this season.
by CNB