The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, May 9, 1968 :: University of Virginia Library

Virginia's baseball team is not
great. With its 10-15 record, some
may even question whether or not
it's good. One thing no one denies
however, is that the Cavaliers
have two of the best players in the
ACC.

Steve Bryant and Joel DeBoe
are the players who send opposing
pitchers to an early shower.
They're the ones who make Coach
West look forward to next year.
And they're the men who win ball
games this year.

Second-year man "Bear" Bryant
is currently leading the team with
a .344 batting average. His only
competition in that department is
from third-year man DeBoe who
is hitting .337.

Both men are all around ball
players. Bryant has played center-field
and third base, and DeBoe
has played second base, the outfield
and is now at first.

Last year Bryant led the first
year team with a .514 average.
This year, in addition to the top
batting average he is first in hits
(31), at bats (90), runs scored
(16) and games played (25). He
is second in total bases (34), and
tied for second in doubles (2).

DeBoe, who was a starter last
year at Ferrum Junior College,
leads the team in total bases (37),
stolen bases (6), and is tied for
first in home runs. He is right
behind Bryant in batting average,
hits (28), and runs scored (14).
Last year, in addition to baseball,
DeBoe also was quarterback on
the football team and was voted
Outstanding Athlete at Ferrum.

Last weekend when the team
beat Duke and split a doubleheader
with Wake Forest, DeBoe
went five for twelve and
brought his average up from .328
to .337. Bryant went four for
eleven bringing his average to
.344 from .335.

DeBoe has a great sense of
humor and is the one who picks
up the team's spirits after a tough
defeat. Last week the team was
sitting at the dinner table when
Yates Hall reached in front of
someone to get the salt. DeBoe
quietly got up, walked over to Hall
and smacked him in the head for
his table manners. He then started
to ball out Buzzy Schultz for
having his elbow on the table.

Bryant, who bats left handed and
throws right handed, has one of
the best arms on the team. From
center field he has cut down two
men at the plate.