University of Virginia Library

Cavs Challenge
Carolina Nines

By DOUG DOUGHTY

Last gasp time comes
around for the Cavalier
baseball team this weekend as
it hosts N.C. State, Saturday
morning at 10:00, and North
Carolina, Sunday, for a
doubleheader.

Virginia Coach Jim West
sees no reason that the Cavs'
cannot beat either team. A
point in the Wahoos' favor is
that N.C. State plays Maryland,
Sunday, and could be looking
towards the doubleheader at
College Park, while the Tar
Heels tangle with the Terps,
Saturday, and may enervate
themselves in the struggle at
Maryland.

Pulling no punches in an
attempt to re-enter the ACC
race, Mr. West will present his
three best pitchers this
weekend. John Cunningham
(2-2) a first-year portsider, will
test the Wolfpack and Steve
Brindle (2-3) and Dave Lacross
(2-2) will try to dazzle the Tar
Heels right out of the upper
echelons of the conference.

Due to the contests at
Maryland, neither N.C. State
nor North Carolina has
divulged its pitching
assignments for the weekend.
N.C. State could start Reid
Carter, 2-0 after last weekend
with a 1.55 ERA, if they
wanted to get downright nasty.
He is the ace of the staff, but
what does that make Rick
Phillips, who is 3-1 with a 0.62
ERA? Not much fun either.

At the head of the ACC
pitching statistics after last
weekend was UNC's John
Danneman, a big sophomore
left hander who is 3-0 with a
0.73 ERA. With chances that
Tar Heel Coach Walt Rabb will
pitch Danneman, Saturday, at
Maryland, Jim Chamberlain,
also a left hander, will likely be
trotted out to face the
Cavaliers in at least one of
Sunday's games.

Pitching doesn't make a
baseball team and both of the
Cavaliers' opponents have
shown little cowardice at the
thought of coming to bat.
Wolfpack first baseman Rick
Richardson has crushed the
ball so far this year, with a
league-leading six home runs
and 23 runs batted in. The 6-5,
215-pound Richardson, a giant
of a man, is batting only .257
but he provides the power for
the club led in hitting by Mike
Baxter, hitting .347 and Jerry
Mills at .290.

The Tar Heels also have
some hitters, outfielder Dale
Lydecker is up above the .328
mark and has 15 RBI's, catcher
Mike Roberts is knocking the
ball at a handsome .321 clip
and shortstop Bobby Guthrie
checks in at .271. Roberts and
outfielder Pete Franklin are the
league leaders in doubles and
Guthrie has been up the most
of anybody in the league.

Right now the baseball race
shapes up with Maryland (6-2)
and Clemson, with the same
record, leading the league.
North Carolina is a game back
and Duke (3-1) should be
reckoned with. The Cavaliers
have a 3-4 showing to date.

Coach West, who saw a
sweep over Maryland,
Wednesday as necessary,
thinks the Cavaliers can get
right back in the ballpark with
a three-win weekend.

With two hitters now above
the cherished .300 mark, Steve
Sroba (.313) and Robbin
Marvin (.305), the Cavaliers
have presented a beefed-up
attack recently.