Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 10, 1990 TAG: 9005090352
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
"We don't have a dominant player," catcher Johnny Self said. "Our pitching staff has been great, we don't have any weak defensive players, and we all hit the ball fairly well."
In other words, balance has been the heart of the Blue Demons' success:
Christiansburg is a collection of heavy hitters.
Seven players - Self, pitcher/center fielder Mike Royal, shortstop Alan Ferrell, outfielder Scott Self Lucas, outfielder Jerry Shepherd, designated hitter Toby Akers and pitcher/center fielder Darren Graham are hitting over .300.
Six players have eight or more runs batted in.
As of last week, Self had 16 hits, was batting .457 and had a team-leading three home runs and 14 RBI. Royal had 15 hits and was batting .441. Leadoff man Ferrell was batting .400 with nine runs scored, eight steals and two triples. Graham, hidden at No. 9 in the order, had three triples Graham and a .360 average. Akers, a sophomore, was batting .389. Lucas was batting close to .400.
Christiansburg has a doomsday duo of pitchers.
Graham and Royal, both right-handers, have been so good (and the weather so favorable as to not disrupt the schedule) that Demons coach Kirk Litton has dipped into the bullpen only twice this season.
Despite not having quite the offensive support Graham has enjoyed, Royal has compiled a 2.48 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 31 innings. The hard-throwing Graham (4-0) has allowed only eight earned runs in 31 innings. He'd also fanned 47 batters.
"Last year, I played American Legion ball during the summer and before that, it was Southwest League," Royal said. "That's kept me in a rhythm. I've played basketball in the winter, but I always couldn't wait for baseball to start."
Graham was converted from the bullpen, where he had been the past two seasons. No big deal, he said, the right arm was all limbered up from throwing a football last fall.
"I threw so much during football that I built up the strength in my arm" the three-year-starting quarterback said. "Pitching seven innings hasn't been a problem."
In order to hurl all the extra pitches, he had to come up with an extra pitch. Working with assistant principal Keith Rowland, the former coach at Narrows, Graham developed a curveball.
"Since our district has a lot of good fastball hitters, the curve has really helped him," Self said. "They sit on the fastball then he throws that curve, which is a lot slower, and it really throws them off stride."
The defense has been much better than expected.
The first order of business for Christiansburg this season was to totally rebuild the infield. Planning, skill and luck all contributed to the proper mix.
First, planning. Ferrell, a senior, was converted from the outfield to shortstop to add veteran stability in the infield.
"He's played great," Litton said. "We knew we were going to need a shortstop last year, so we started working him in in practice. Then, he played there all last summer, so he was ready when the season started."
Then, luck. The Demons picked up sophomore second baseman Mike Sweeney when he transferred from Shawsville. Sweeney was a starter for the Shawnees as a freshman.
"He never lets down on anything," Litton said.
Donnie Robinson at first and Richard Shaver at third have been steady throughout.
Ditto for Self behind the plate.
"He's handled the pitchers great," Litton said. "I've called maybe two or three pitches all season. He's called the rest. He knows just what the pitchers can and cannot do."
The coaching has kept everybody on the right track.
"Steve Brown came to us this year from Virginia Tech and he's really helped us out a lot," Litton said. "He's coached hitting and that's left me free to concentrate on the defense."
Not to be overlooked is Litton. Since taking over Christiansburg three years ago, he's directed them to the first Group AA Region IV tournament in school history. The Demons have made back-to-back appearances, and, if they win the regular season district title (they were tied with Giles for first at the start of the week) or the league tournament, they'll be regional-bound again.
Christiansburg's seniors - Graham, Royal, Self and Ferrell among them - have been in on what may be the greatest all-sports run of success in school history.
In short, they've learned how to win.
"People have always put Christiansburg down, but these seniors have set goals for themselves and gone out and accomplished some things," Graham said.
In the past two years, Christiansburg won its first Region IV title in football (Graham, Self and Ferrell were all involved) and went to its first state boys' basketball tournament (Royal and Robinson aboard).
In other sports, the Demons have been the dominant boys' track program in the area the past three years. They won their first state title in any sport when the boys' cross country team brought home the trophy last fall.
"The whole senior class has supported each other in all the sports," Self said.
The way baseball has been going, Christiansburg students may have ample opportunity to support a postseason drive in that sport.
by CNB