THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 16, 1995 TAG: 9505160428
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Their leading power hitter is out for the season. Their leading pitcher all but out.
Old Dominion University's Monarchs are toothless lions as they enter this week's Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament in the hunt for a possible NCAA tournament bid.
Fifth-seeded ODU (33-17, 9-9 CAA) opens tournament play Wednesday against fourth-seeded George Mason (29-23, 11-7) at 11:30 a.m. at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, N.C. The tournament runs through Sunday.
As if the Monarchs needed another bad break, catcher Matt Quatraro dislocated his left shoulder in practice last week and is out for the season. This on the heels of staff ace Brett Wheeler missing 10 starts with a muscle strain in his pitching elbow.
Shortstop Dan Almonte missed 27 games earlier in the season with torn ligaments in his left thumb. And centerfielder Kevin Gibbs missed four games with a spike gash in his shin. He was also slowed by tendinitis in a knee from running into the outfield fence.
``I don't remember ever having it quite this bad,'' said ODU coach Tony Guzzo. ``It's especially tough when you have a really good team, and this was a potential championship team.''
The Monarchs, the CAA's defending tournament champions, can still do it, but must do so without Wheeler (6-1, 1.64 earned-run average) and Quatraro (.371, 13 home runs, 62 RBIs).
Righthander Anthony Eannacony (7-3, 3.08 ERA) will start Wednesday's game. After that, the Monarchs will shuffle the pitching staff according to opponent, with John O'Reilly, Ron Walker, Justin Kreider and lefthander Maika Symmonds all expected to see action.
Until two weeks ago, the Monarchs' difficult non-conference schedule and their success with it had earned a No. 12 ranking in the national Rating Percentage Index. But losing two of three games in their conference series with James Madison, Richmond, UNC-Wilmington and George Mason this season has undermined their RPI strength.
The slew of injuries has led to a large number of lineup changes, most evident in that Brian Fiumara, last year's designated hitter, has played leftfield, rightfield, third base and first base this season.
``A lot of teams would not have responded,'' Guzzo said. ``But I still feel we're capable of winning the conference tournament.''
And if the Monarchs can last long enough, Guzzo hopes the usual tournament scenario, where offense becomes more important with each game, is the case. ODU ranks 14th nationally in runs scored with 8.27 per game.
``I'm disappointed we haven't played defense at a championship level,'' Guzzo said. ``But I'm confident we'll swing the bats fine. If we play well early and stick around, that'll be to our advantage.''
NOTE: First baseman Rob Morgan was named CAA Player of the Week. Morgan went 4 for 6 with two RBIs in a 14-2 victory over George Mason on May 7 and had a two-run home run in a 7-5 victory over Western Carolina on Saturday. He hit .700 for the week. by CNB