Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 22, 1993 TAG: 9304220345
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-14 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Some even said Byrd was going to perform a serious belly-flop when the next season arrived.
The Terriers had lost 10 seniors, including seven starters, three of whom signed to play for Virginia Tech. Several went on to play at other colleges. Also gone was veteran coach Gary Walthall, who retired.
Tailspin city for those Terriers, the wise guys said.
Wonder what they had to say when Byrd started the current campaign 6-0 with a composite score of 67-16?
"I think we'll surprise some people," catcher Kevin Saunders said.
Done.
One of them does not appear to be new coach Rodney Spradlin, a Byrd alumnus who has helped with the team on and off the past several years.
"We probably surprised a lot of people except for ourselves," he said. "If we were going to do well, I had to count on a lot of young kids playing well, and they have. But we've still got a long way to go."
It can't be argued that Byrd has mixed it up with the most imposing competition the first five games. But E.C. Glass and Patrick Henry are Group AAA teams, after all, and even though Glenvar has struggled early, it has the potential to be one of the better Group A teams before it's all over.
Byrd didn't play its first Blue Ridge District game until last Friday, when it defeated Northside 4-3. The Terriers dominated the league in 1992 (they finished the year 23-1), but this year teams such as Northside, Alleghany and the new one from Rockbridge County figure to offer plenty of stout challenges.
Regardless of the competition so far, Byrd has played well. Among the achievements:
Chris Carr and Chris Jones combined on an 11-0 no-hitter against Patrick Henry. Carr, a junior who also plays first base and is batting close to .500, was the team's most experienced pitcher coming into the season; he worked five innings last year. Carr (3-0) hit a two-run home run and was the winning pitcher against Northside on Friday.
Michael McGuire, a right-hander, has gone 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA and has allowed two hits in eight innings pitched. He's a sophomore. Another sophomore, C.D. Polombo, is hitting nearly .430 but can't crack the starting lineup at third base. Yet another 10th-grader, first baseman John Bradberry, is batting better than .440 when he plays first base on the occasions that Carr pitches.
Center fielder Shannon Gray and second baseman Kenny Rickerson, both veterans, have moved into full-time roles with outstanding results. Gray is hitting close to .333 and clearly is the team's best defensive outfielder. Rickerson, a senior, has cranked out a .500 average in his first year as a starter at second base.
And, Byrd has gotten plenty from its two best players: Saunders and shortstop Gary Wiggins, both of whom Spradlin considers Division I college prospects.
Saunders has moved from second base to catcher, the position manned by 1992 Timesland player of the year Josh Herman. Saunders has been so little traumatized by the change of scenery that he is hitting in the .588 range.
"I'd played catcher all along [before he reached the varsity] until I moved to second last year so Josh could play there," he said. "It's nothing new to me."
Wiggins is in his third year as a starter at shortstop. His bat is the story this season. His average is close to .600, with two homers.
"We're hitting the way we are because we've already been in the batting cage for two months," he said. "Some of these other teams are just now getting out on the field."
Byrd has continuity - assistant Doug Pence has been around long enough to have coached Spradlin - and some good young players are on the way. Meanwhile, the year is young.
Spradlin is right. It will be a long season. But nobody's complaining about the start.
by CNB