Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 24, 1994 TAG: 9405240066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
During the weekend, a suddenly stout staff got Tech into the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time in 17 years.
``They pitched crazy,'' said Tech catcher Denny Hedspeth.
The Hokies entered the Metro Conference tournament in Louisville, Ky., with the second-worst team earned run average (6.34) in the league, but that number shriveled to 2.45 in five tournament games - no small thanks to 10 double plays and excellent fielding (only five errors) - as sixth-seeded Tech became the lowest seed to win the Metro's automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA field.
The Hokies (32-24) play Auburn (40-19) on Thursday in Clemson, S.C., in an East Regional first-round game of the double-elimination tournament. The regional winner advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
``I knew they were all going to be tough,'' said Chuck Hartman, Tech's coach. ``It'll be interesting. I really didn't care [who we played]. I tried to sit back and not make a wish.''
The Hokies, seeking their first berth in the CWS, are 3-8 in four NCAA Tournament appearances (1954, '69, '76 and '77). Tech would be the first Virginia team to advance to Omaha since James Madison in 1983.
It probably will take more of the insanity Hedspeth saw during the weekend, when the Hokies beat the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 seeds en route to their first Metro tournament title.
The baseball team was an unlikely bet to join the football, women's basketball and golf squads as Tech's 1993-94 NCAA postseason qualifiers - the most the Hokies have had in one school year.
Although Tech had a 10-game winning streak in mid-April, the Hokies gave up 111 runs in 14 games from April 17 through a 12-4 loss at Southern Mississippi on May 13. In the next seven games - two against the Golden Eagles and five in the tournament - Tech opponents scored 19 times.
Rob Gibson of Salem shut down Southern Miss in a 1-0 Tech victory, before the Golden Eagles won the series finale 5-4.
Brian Fitzgerald opened the tournament with a two-hit shutout of third-seeded South Florida. Ron Preston followed with eight strong innings to stop second-seeded Southern Miss 6-4. Gibson gave up one hit in eight-plus innings as top-seeded UNC Charlotte fell 4-1.
Tulane knocked around Chris Freeman during the Hokies' only tournament loss, but Fitzgerald held the Green Wave to two earned runs in eight innings as Tech beat Tulane 5-3 for the championship Sunday.
``They get contagious,'' said Hedspeth, a junior from Virginia Beach who calls Tech's pitches. ``They fed off each other. Brian set the tone in the first game.''
Fitzgerald, a sophomore from Woodbridge, will break the Hokies' record for starts in a season (17, held by current Philadelphia Phillie Mike Williams) with his next start - probably Thursday against Auburn.
Fitzgerald said all his pitches were working during the tournament, but he credited Hedspeth for knowing what to call and when.
``We made a lot of 2-1 and 2-2 pitches,'' Hedspeth said. ``They made some clutch pitches; if it goes the other way, it's 3-1 or 3-2.''
Hedspeth didn't need proof before he called a pitch, either. Tech was 28-23 in the regular season (8-9 in the Metro) and was expected to leave Louisville early. In its 15 years in the league, Tech was 19-28 in Metro tournaments and was one of two current Metro schools (with South Florida) that never had played in the championship game.
``The first game of the tournament, I was like, `Hey, we've got nothing to lose,''' Hedspeth said. ```If we walk a couple of guys, we walk 'em, but we're not just going to let 'em tee off on us.' It was cool.''
It also was surprisingly mature. Tech has 17 freshmen or sophomores on its roster - including closer Charlie Gillian, a redshirt freshman whose 29 appearances are a school record.
``[We] had a hard time convincing our players that some of the young guys were pretty talented,'' Hartman said. ``They were very doubtful. They thought we were too young to win. There was a fear of losing. The young guys would screw up and it was like, `I told you so.'''
Fitzgerald remembers, but he says the team has forgotten.
``At the beginning of the year, they were going, `Jeez, we've got 20 freshmen on our team, what are we gonna do?''' he said. ``At the end of the year, they didn't even really think about it.''
by CNB