University of Virginia Library

Baseball Season Opens

by Davis Marshall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

"We have good speed, hustle and
a lot of scrap," stated head baseball
coach Jim West yesterday afternoon
on the season's prospectus.
Add these salient traits to the two
fine hurlers returning from a good
19-14 '69 team and the University
may have its first 20-victory season
since 1947.

But the task is a difficult one.
For example, today at two o'clock
the Cavalier nine opens its season in
a Lambeth Field game with Bucknell.
All the Bisons did last year was
clean up the Middle Atlantic
Conference with a solid attack
featuring four .400 hitters, thereby
gaining a berth in the NCAA
post-season tournament. With the
'69 team virtually intact the Bisons
are already looking forward to the
NCAA's and consider Charlottesville
just another stop on a
warm southern tour with their
tennis team.

Returning outfielder Randy Ruger
led the Bisons' conference
onslaught last year with a .494
average, good enough for the
NCAA University Division batting
crown. Backing up Ruger again this
year are catcher Chris Riley, who
batted .448, and shortstop Vic
Cegles, an even .400 hitter. In the
department where the Bisons were
weakest last year, pitching, they
should do well. Either of the
leading hurlers, Ward Steward (7-1
last season) or Tony Zidnarsek
(5-1), will start this afternoon's
game.

But, besides a more difficult
schedule, Jim West has positive
aspects going for him too. Outstanding
centerfielder 'Bear' Bryant
will lead the offense again. Last
spring he led the starters with a
.319 average. Playing in 33 games
he tallied 17 runs and drove in 16
while collecting five doubles, six
triples (a school record) and two
homeruns. For his efforts Bryant
was accorded All-District and second
team All-ACC honors. Little
Robbin Marvin, an outfielder who
won a starting berth after connecting
on half of his twelve trips
to the plate as a pinch hitter last
year, should complement Bryant's
power nicely in the lineup.

The right-left tandem of hurlers
Rick Spigone and Ed Kihm should
be another bright spot for Coach
West. Spigone, best known for a 1-0
pitching gem over post-season tourney
bound Virginia Tech last year, is
the workhorse of the mound corps.
Appearing in a record 14 games he
compiled a 7-4 ledger with two
saves and hurled 89 innings for a
2.11 ERA. Kihm, a defensive end
who forgoes spring football practice
like shortstop-quarterback
Mike Cubbage, appeared in only
seven games last year. But he still
managed a team best 4-2 record and
1.88 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 48-innings.
This pair should work most
of the game, with Spigone receiving
the starting nod.