THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 24, 1995 TAG: 9505240643
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Maika Symmonds, Old Dominion University's only starting lefthanded pitcher, will probably start the Monarchs' opener in the Atlantic I Regional Thursday in Tallahassee, Fla.
``I hear Ole Miss has five lefthanded hitters in their lineup, so there's a chance Maika could get the start,'' ODU coach Tony Guzzo said. ``Besides, he has a little more rest than (righthander Anthony) Eannacony,'' who pitched Sunday.
Fifth-seeded ODU (37-18) will face No. 2-seed Mississippi (37-20) in the 3 o'clock game Thursday afternoon.
Symmonds, a senior who pitched only seven innings for ODU prior to this season, has become a vital cog in the Monarchs' staff and was named most valuable player in last week's Colonial Athletic Association tournament. Symmonds pitched the first complete game of his career in an 11-0 victory over Richmond Saturday, striking out 14, one short of a school record.
Symmonds, first-team All-CAA as an outfielder, has had a season of peaks and valleys. He switched fielding positions with Kevin Gibbs, with Symmonds moving from center to rightfield. After a few errors in right that cost the Monarchs some early-season games, Symmonds said his confidence wavered.
``It's different in right,'' Symmonds said, ``but I felt I was a good enough athlete that I should have adjusted sooner. I was kicking myself.
``Defense went from being the best part of my game to being one of my worst parts. Then it gets mental and you don't even want to see a fly ball coming your way.''
It didn't hinder his hitting, however, as Symmonds hit .348 with eight home runs and 56 runs batted in. And Guzzo said he never lost confidence in Symmonds (5-2, 3.72 earned run average), either as a position player or pitcher.
``He had a sore arm at the beginning of the season that slowed him,'' Guzzo said. ``I think he could have had an outstanding pitching year. As it was, he's had a very respectable year that just got delayed. In 38 2/3 innings, he's given up just 18 hits. When he's in a zone, he's really good.''
FIXED WHEEL? Brett Wheeler, the Monarchs' staff ace at the beginning of the season, has received medical clearance to pitch again.
The sophomore righthander has been bothered by a strained muscle in his pitching elbow for six weeks. But his most recent MRI showed no ligament damage.
``We've got medical clearance,'' Guzzo said. ``But I'm not really sure what that means. We had medical clearance when he pitched against James Madison, but he could only go one inning. He wasn't right. The poor guy's been trying to go the whole time. But if he's not ready, the last thing we want to do is jeopardize his career.
``We've got to see a pain-free delivery, pain-free recovery and pitches with velocity. Then we'll know he's ready.''
Asked what he'd want from Wheeler (6-1, 1.64 ERA) if he can go, Guzzo said, ``If we can get four or five innings, that would be huge.''
Other than Symmonds, ODU's probable tournament starters include Eannacony (8-4, 3.35 ERA), Justin Kreider (5-3, 4.03 ERA) and Ron Walker (6-5, 3.19 ERA).
MONARCH MUSINGS: ODU is 8-29 lifetime against Southeastern Conference opposition. . . . Senior first baseman Rob Morgan leads ODU in hitting with a junior, is hitting .353 and has stolen 47 bases this season. His 133 career stolen bases is an ODU record. . . . With Matt Quatraro out for the season with a separated shoulder, junior Mike Henderson was pressed into full-time catching duties and responded by hitting a team-best .526 in the CAA tournament.
NOTES: Mississippi's probable starter against ODU is Jamey Price (11-4), whose 1.18 ERA leads the country. . . . Mississippi enters the tournament on a three-game losing streak while ODU has won four straight. . . . Florida State, the top seed and host of the Atlantic I Regional, is making its 18th straight NCAA tournament appearance. FSU lost to Clemson, 4-1, in the ACC tournament title game. . . . Ramada Inn North (904-386-2900, ext. 2002, contact Marie Long) in Tallahassee is offering a special package rate of $52 per night for the tournament. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Maika Symmonds was MVP in last week's Colonial Athletic Association
tournament.
by CNB