University of Virginia Library

Open ACC Season

Baseballers Play Clemson

By Dave Marshall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Having completed almost a third
of the season with a respectable 8-3
record, Virginia's baseball team
opens the Atlantic Coast
Conference part of their schedule
today at Clemson. The
doubleheader in South Carolina is
the first of a seven game swing
through the Carolinas and Virginia.

Head Coach Jim West plans to
start third-year Cavalier Rick
Spigone in one of today's games,
probably the first. The 6-2, 185
pound right hander is the leader of

Virginia's mound corps. Having
hurled 25 innings for a 2.16 earned
run average and a 2-1 record,
Spigone has turned in both of
Virginia's complete games.

Coach West and assistant coach
Ralph Law have not decided on the
other pitcher, but should either
starter falter, there are able
relievers.

Dave Greer heads the relievers.
The right hander from
Massachusetts has a 2-1 ledger. He
has pitched 15 1/3 innings, all in
relief, for a 1.20 ERA. And should
Greer tire there is another
ace right hander Ed Kihm. The
second-year Ohioan has not given
up an earned run in the ten innings
he has pitched. His record is 1-0.

Backing up the pitching will be
a potent hitting attack. The
Cavaliers have banged out 114 hits
in 401 trips for a 284 batting
average. By contrast the Cavalier
pitchers have held the opposition to
just 81 hits and a 213 percentage.

Steve Bryant, centerfielder who
last year was the runner-up in
hitting.

Steve Bryant, centerfielder who
last year was the runner-up in
hitting with a 324 mark, is
currently setting the pace with a
.370 average. Scattered among his
17 hits in 46 trips are five doubles,
only two off the Virginia record,
Co-captain Joel DeBoe, last year's
batting leader with a .333 mark, is
connecting at a .340 clip.

Virginia has two other players
batting over .300 in Buzzy Schultz,
.318, and catcher Dave Counts, .311.

DeBoe plays first base and
Schultz plays second. Rounding out
the Cavalier infield are Mike
Cubbage at third and either Mike
Judkins or Bruce Boger at
shortstop. Lou Paulson plays in
right field while Bubba White and
Terry Dan platoon in left.

After the Clemson games
Virginia will continue on its junket
through the South. This Saturday
the Cavaliers visit South Carolina's
Gamecocks for a single game. Then
they go north for a doubleheader
with Duke on April 17. After a
game with Wake Forest on the
eighteenth the Cavaliers wind up
the road trip with a game at
Richmond on April 23.

In playing Clemson's Tigers the
Cavaliers will be facing a team
which finished the last season with
a 27-14 ledger, 11-7 in the ACC.
The Tigers, who defeated Virginia
last year 6-4, have only three
seniors back and will field a
freshmen dominated team. But an
experienced mound staff and some
sophomore hold-overs could carry
Coach Bill Wilhelm through another
successful season.