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Open Seven Game Road Trip

Cavaliers Take Field

By Barney Cook

Photo By Ted Putziger

Cavalier Pitcher Launches Aerial Toward Plate In Early Spring Practice Session

Coach Jim West's Baseball Team Opens Season Saturday Afternoon With East Carolina

The 1969 edition of the University
of Virginia baseball team
initiates its most ambitious schedule
in its eighty year history with
single games Saturday and Sunday
against the East Carolina Pirates at
Greenville, North Carolina. In all
the Cavalier nine is scheduled to
play 35 contests.

Following the two-day stand
against the Pirates, the Cavaliers
will visit Pembroke, Davidson, William
& Mary, Old Dominion and
George Washington for single contests.
The games will be played on
successive days with Wednesday
being held open for travel. The first
home encounter will be against
Maine on April 3.

Coach Jim West's squad has
been hampered by the lack of
outdoor work having practiced
outside only seven times prior to
the initial encounter with East
Carolina. West states, "Our practices
indoors have been limited to
infield work, base running and
bunting situations. Of course everyone
takes his regular turn in the
batting cage. The pitchers, catchers
and outfielders have been hurt the
most by not being able to get
outdoors."

Coach West expects the Cavalier
nine to perform well defensively,
have better overall speed and, occasionally,
to hit the long ball. The
infield is set with experience
balancing inexperience. Co-captains
Joel DeBoe and Buzzy Schultz will
man the right side with DeBoe
handling first base. DeBoe led
Virginia in the hitting department
last year with a .333 average and
Schultz was the Cavaliers' most
proficient at getting on base.

First-year players Mike Cubbage
and Mike Judkins will be in the
starting line-up. Cubbage, who also
plays quarterback in football, is
expected to provide much of the
team's power hitting. Coach West
has indicated that letterman Bruce
Boger, a right hand swinger, could
replace Judkins depending upon
which way the opposition's hurler
pitches. Cubbage, third base, and
Judkins, shortstop, will be rested
by first-year man Robin Marvin
the utility infielder.

Possibly the outfield starting
Saturday could be composed of
three lettermen. Lou Paulson could
start in left with Steve Bryant and
Chuck White joining him in center
and right, respectively. Bryant was
a regular in center a year ago in
center and batted .323 as a
sophomore. White hits from the left
side and will platoon with right-
hand hitting Terry Dan, another
first-year man. Second-year man
Mike Massimini and first-year man
Steve Gardner are pushing the
veterans for starting assignments.

Although Coach West can call
on three letterman pitchers, he still
considers his mound corps with a
question mark. Ed Kihm, southpaw
Stan Owens and Dave Greer are the
returnees, but the three show only
three victories for their work of a
year ago. Rick Spigone, a right-hander
who was ineligible last year,
seems to be the number one hurler
so far and will start the East
Carolina game. Lefthanders Jan
Luse and Sandy Kreps along with
freshman Dan Merchak will bolster
the pitching situation.

Senior Dave Counts, who took
spells behind the plate last year
when not performing at third base,
has nailed down the starting catching
assignment. Relieving Counts is
freshman Grayson Fitzhugh.

Coach West will have ten lettermen
in his top fifteen ballplayers
but could start three first-year men
at key positions. The diamond
mentor, in his eighth year, commented,
"Our experience should be
the key to a much stronger team
than we had last year, especially
concerning speed and getting the
long ball more often. Of course the
contingencies are pitching development
and the three starting freshmen,
but in the latter case, they're
excellent baseball players and I feel
they just need varsity level competition."