THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509170196
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
After going 15-22 last season, Virginia Wesleyan baseball coach Nick Boothe decided something had to change.
``That record is not my idea of a successful season,'' Boothe said.
So he and his staff went out and recruited 35 prospects to go along with the 17 returning players.
``With the guys we got coming in it is going to be like night and day between last year's team and this year's,'' Boothe said. ``We got rid of some of the bad attitudes from last year. The attitude around the ballpark has to change.''
A top newcomer is Norfolk Christian graduate Jeremy Elms, an infielder. Elms was the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools Player of the Year and an All-Tidewater selection. Elms chose Virginia Wesleyan after looking at Division I schools such as Old Dominion and Virginia Tech.
``They have a real good program here,'' Elms said. ``After I met with coach Boothe I decided to come here because of that. I just hope I can be a starter in the spring.''
Boothe said he likes Elms' potential.
``He is going to be a good player,'' Boothe said. ``He is a quick learner and I think that he can hit on any level.''
Joining Elms on the locals' list of possible roster players are Kevin Flanagan of Kempsville, Andy Wissinger of Great Bridge, Francisco Del Carmen of Tallwood, Eddie Gosman of Greenbrier Christian, Glenn Davis of Princess Anne, Larry Bowles of Great Bridge and Keith Barboza of Cox.
Foremost among the recruits from outside the area could be Fella Dolby, a switch-hitting catcher from Chantilly, Va., who transferred from Maryland, where he was a scholarship player.
``He possesses a major league arm and will also be used as a relief pitcher,'' Boothe said. ``He throws about 90 mph and is a good hitter.''
Other notables include Chris Lemore, a catcher who transferred from Monmouth (N.J.) College; Matt Apple and Tim Squires from Bath, N.Y.; Jonathan Kane, Mike Lee, Ken Derry, Adam Leed, Scott Mitchell and Aaron Wells.
MARLINS SOCCER: The Virginia Wesleyan men's team, ninth-ranked in Division III, travels to Chowan College on Saturday and then returns home for a Sunday match against 18th-ranked Greensboro College at 2 p.m. ... The 12th-ranked Lady Marlins will play in the Randolph-Macon Soccer Classic against ninth-ranked Kean (N.J.) College and Allegheny (Pa.) College.
OLD DOMINION REPORT: Matt Quatraro, a catcher for the Monarchs, will return for his final season. Quatraro had attempted to transfer to Mississippi State to join former ODU coach Pat McMahon. He tried to get a waiver from the Southeastern Conference to transfer and play as a senior, but was unable to.
Last season Quatraro batted .371, second in the Colonial Athletic Association, tied an ODU record with 13 home runs and was second in the CAA with 62 RBIs. Quatraro was also a CAA All-Academic selection with a 3.45 GPA in history. ... Sophomore field hockey player Kelly Driscoll was named the CAA's player of the week. Driscoll, an attack player, scored two goals as the third-ranked Lady Monarchs beat seventh-ranked Northeastern, 4-2. ... Freshman Adrian Unger placed sixth for the women's cross country team in the William and Mary Invitational with a time of 15:09. ... Clarisse Machanguana, 1995 CAA Player of the Year for the Lady Monarchs basketball team, is in Harare, Zimbabwe, for the African Games. She will be playing for her native Mozambique. If the team wins it will qualify for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
ALUMNI UPDATE: Kelly Hostetler (Kempsville) saw action for the first time this season in goal for the William and Mary women's soccer team. Hostetler walked on this year as a junior. ``The backup keeper quit and I wanted to play so I took the initiative,'' said Hostetler. ... Michelle Hagar (Kempsville) is the captain of the women's soccer team at Virginia Tech. ... Mark Grissom (Norfolk Collegiate) has four goals for the Randolph-Macon men's soccer team. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Jeremy Elms
by CNB