Baseball Travels to Old Dominion

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February 23, 1999

Virginia at Old Dominion
Bud Metheny Complex
Norfolk, Va.
Feb. 24, 1999

Cavaliers return to road for single game at ODU: UVa will play its lone road game in a span of 12 contests Wednesday, traveling to Norfolk for a single game against Old Dominion. The Cavaliers are 2-4 this season away from Charlottesville, but 1-0 on opponents’ home fields (5-1 over The Citadel two weeks ago). Virginia and ODU have met 43 times with the Monarchs owning a slim 23-19-1 advantage. The Cavaliers are 8-17-1 against ODU under Womack. The Monarchs have won the last two meetings, seven of the last eight and 11 of the last 13. UVa’s last win over Old Dominion was a 3-2 victory in Charlottesville three years ago. Old Dominion has won five consecutive meetings in Norfolk and 10 of the last 11. UVa’s last win in Norfolk – and the only in Womack tenure – was a 10-4 decision in 1989.

Old Dominion
1998 Record: 28-29
1999 Record: 2-1
1998 Final Rankings: none
Head Coach (Record at ODU): Tony Guzzo (140-86; five seasons)
ODU-UVa Series: ODU leads 23-19-1
Last Meeting: ODU, 7-6 in Charlottesville (1998)

Wahoos take two of three against Nittany Lions: Virginia swept a doubleheader against Penn State Saturday, but could not complete the series sweep Sunday afternoon in its first home series of the 1999 season. The Cavaliers downed the Nittany Lions 6-3 and 4-3 Saturday, striking out 24 PSU batters in 16 innings. However, the Cats from Happy Valley bounced back Sunday for a 4-2 victory despite another 12 strike outs by Cavalier pitchers. With the 2-1 game advantage by UVa on the weekend, the all-time series is now knotted 8-8-1.

Pitching staff racking up the whiffs: Through nine games this season, the Cavaliers have struck out 82 batters – an average of 9.5 per nine innings and 31 more than opposing pitchers. Sophomore Southpaw Greg Withelder leads the staff with 23 strike outs in 16 and two-thirds innings (12.4 per nine innings). Sophomore Brandon Creswell is second on the team with 20 in 17 and one-third innings (10.4 per nine innings) and junior Kevin Shrout ranks third with 15 in 11 and two-thirds innings (11.6 per nine innings). Reliever Jon Metzger leads the team in strike outs per nine innings with 17.2; however, he has only thrown three and two-thirds innings with seven strike outs.

Cavs slow out of the blocks: Part of the Cavaliers problems in scoring runs this season (4.1 per nine innings) has been their inability to get the leadoff batter on board. In 76 innings, UVa’s leadoff batter has reached safely just 19 times (25 percent). Meanwhile, opponents have put their leadoff batter on the paths in 39 of 78 innings (50 percent).

UVa experiencing scoring drought: With only 35 runs in nine games, the Cavaliers rank ninth in the ACC in runs scored per game. More than a third of UVa’s runs (12) came in a victory over Oklahoma. Take away that game and the Wahoos are scoring a paltry 2.9 plate-crossings per contest. On top of that, UVa has scored in just 18 of 76 innings this season (23.7 percent). Only six times have the Cavs scored more than one run in an inning. This past weekend, UVa scored two runs in an inning twice and three runs in an inning once, doubling its number of multiple-run innings this season.

Withelder, Shrout establish personal bests: In the weekend of strike outs for the UVa pitching staff, two hurler established personal bests. Despite taking the loss in Sunday’s series finale, Greg Withelder had a career-high nine strike outs. It was the second time this season he has eclipsed his career best. Kevin Shrout came two strike outs shy of matching his career best when he had 12 strike outs in the series opener against the Nittany Lions. However, he amassed the dozen whiffs in just five and two-thirds innings of work – a career best for strike outs per nine innings in a game.

Benick’s hitting streak snapped: Penn State held sophomore first baseman/catcher Jonathan Benick hitless Sunday in four at bats. It marked the first time this season he had not collected at least one hit in a game. The eight-game hitting streak is a career-best, topping a modest four-game run he had last season at Auburn. During the streak, Benick hit .500 (15-for-30) with three doubles and nine RBI. Benick currently leads the team with a .441 average and nine RBI.

LaVigne working on saves mark: Junior closer Tim LaVigne is creeping toward the school record for saves. After notching three as a freshman in 1997, LaVigne led the squad for a second consecutive season with six last year. He added another save in the first game of a doubleheader against Penn State. His 10 saves ranks second all-time at UVa, just three shy of Todd Ruyak’s 13 amassed from 1989 through 1992.

Player          Sv   Seasons1. Todd Ruyak   13   1989-922. Tim LaVigne  10   1997-993. Greg Haden    8   1976-79

Should LaVigne lead the team in saves again this season, he would be the first Cavalier to top the team in that category for three consecutive seasons since Ruyak in 1990, 1991 and 1992. No other UVa player has ever accomplished that feat.

Creswell named ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week: Sophomore lefty Brandon Creswell was named co-pitcher of the week in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the week ending Feb. 14. The Southpaw struck out a career-high 11 batters in UVa’s 5-1 victory over The Citadel on its home field Friday night in first-day action of the Winn-Dixie Shootout. Creswell tossed the second complete game of his career and scattered six hits with only one walk. He held the Bulldogs scoreless for seven innings before giving up a scratch run in the eighth. Creswell struck out five batters in the final three innings to nail down his career high and the victory.

Benick named to all-Shootout Team: Creswell’s chances at all-Shootout honors were squelched when East Carolina’s Foye Minton hurled a no-hitter against North Carolina State in Game 8 Feb. 14. However, sophomore Jonathan Benick did display enough gusto on the weekend tobe named to the team. After blasting an RBI double off the right-center wall against The Citadel, Benick went on to hit .545 (6-for-11) on the weekend. With a hit in all three games, the first baseman/catcher has hit safely in every game this season. Benick is in his first season at Virginia after transferring from Auburn.

Withelder named all-tournament: For his two-run, two-hit performance over five innings of work against then-No. 32 Oklahoma, sophomore lefty Greg Withelder was named to the all-tournament team at the ACC/Disney Blast. The only Cavalier on the 11-man team, Withelder surrendered both runs and both hits in the first inning of Sunday’s game. He then pitched four innings of no-hit, scoreless baseball and picked up the first win of the season for the Cavaliers. Auburn’s Chris Bootcheck joined Withelder as the only pitchers on the team.

Season-opener streak snapped: All good things must come to an end, and for the Virginia baseball team last weekend was the time. For the first time in a decade, the Cavaliers lost their season-opener when the Jacksonville Dolphins downed the Wahoos 13-2 in first-day action of the ACC/Disney Blast. UVa is 8-1-1 in its last 10 season openers, which included a quaint seven-game winning streak and a nine-game non-losing streak prior to this season. In 1991, Virginia and Liberty battled to a 5-5 tie before darkness suspended the game. Ironically, the Cavs also tied their second game that season, again 5-5, this time to Radford. The Wahoos’ last loss in a season opener was a 6-2 defeat by VCU in 1989.

Floyd out for three to four: Freshman center fielder Mike Floyd caught a bad break in the third inning of the game against Auburn. The Severna Park, Md., native, who had already made one dazzling, diving catch in center the day before against Jacksonville, dove for a ball in the gap against the Tigers. Not only was not able to come up with another spectacular catch, he fractured two bones in his left hand (catching hand). Floyd is expected to be out three to four weeks due to the injury.

LaVigne, Creswell preseason picks by Collegiate Baseball: Junior shortstop Tim LaVigne and sophomore lefthander Brandon Creswell were named Preseason Players to Watch in the ACC by Collegiate Baseball. LaVigne hit .262 with five home runs and 20 RBI last season to go along with seven steals in seven attempts. He was also 2-4 on the mound with a 5.76 ERA and a team-leading six saves. Creswell was 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA last season as a freshman with a couple of saves. He also struck out 49 batters with only 18 walks in 58 innings of work. Creswell also had a complete game, joining Casey Kennedy, who tossed three, as the only pitchers on the UVa staff with complete games.

Cavs try for four in a row: UVa’s 28-26-1 record last season marked the third consecutive winning tally for the Cavaliers. It was the first time the Wahoos have accomplished this since the 1984-86 seasons. Over this three-year span, Virginia is 104-69-2. The last time the Cavaliers posted four consecutive winning seasons was in the 1978-81 seasons. UVa’s record for consecutive winning marks is 13, set in the 1897-1909 seasons.

ACC coaches tab Cavaliers eighth: UVa was picked to finish eighth this season in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the annual preseason poll of the conference’s head coaches. Georgia Tech is the early favorite after nabbing five of nine first-place votes and 76 total points. Florida State and Wake Forest each received two of the other first-place votes; however, the Seminoles edged the Deacons 71-62 in total points to place second. North Carolina was picked fourth, followed by Clemson, Duke and North Carolina State. Maryland finished behind UVa in ninth.

UVa baseball on the air waves: WINA/1070 AM, the Home of the Hoos, will carry 15 games this season. Former UVa left-handed pitcher Robby Robinson and baseball media relations director Larry Little will be on the call. Virginia’s radio season will get under way in late March with most of the broadcasts coming on the weekends. The Cavaliers went 2-2 in games broadcast by WINA during the 1998 season.

Cavaliers on the Net: Up-to-date information on the University of Virginia baseball team is now available on the internet at http://www.virginiasports.com. The site includes the Cavaliers’ roster, schedule, results, player profiles, statistics, releases, game stories and historical information. Game stories will be updated on a timely basis following the completion of each contest. Updated statistics will be posted each Monday during the season.

Probable Starters

 2  Shawn McCleary  LF  .208, 0, 3 1  Robbie Marvin   2B  .156, 0, 034  David Stone     RF  .212, 0, 1 9  Jonathan Benick 1B  .441, 0, 913  Mark Rueffert   DH  .300, 0, 416  Tim LaVigne     SS  .267, 0, 4 5  Josh Bowling    C   .250, 0, 117  Luis Giraldo    3B  .158, 0, 2 8  Ryan Kalamaya   CF  .333, 0, 1

Wednesday

25  Casey Kennedy   RHP  (Jr., 6-1, 190) 0-2, 5.40 ERA

Baseball Weekly/ESPN ABCA Top 25 Poll (as of Feb. 15)

Team (1st place votes) Rec. Pts. LW 1. Florida State (37) 9-0 994 5 2. Miami, Fla. (4) 5-3 827 2 3. Auburn 7-0 814 13 4. Rice 9-2 803 10 5. Wichita State 3-1 720 4 6. Stanford 6-3 675 6 7. Arizona (1) 13-1 644 – 8. Texas 7-2 640 – 9. Louisiana State 1-2 640 310. Arizona State 13-4 562 1511. Southern Cal 3-5 552 1 12. Florida 2-2 543 813. Clemson 3-0 468 1614. Long Beach State 3-3 429 915. Cal State-Fullerton 4-3 362 1216. Texas A&M 4-2 358 1417. Texas Tech 6-2 313 2018. Georgia Tech 4-4 307 719. South Carolina 4-0 285 1720. Pepperdine 8-0 276 NR21. Mississippi State 2-0 239 1822. Alabama 1-2 228 1123. North Carolina 3-0 198 2524. Washington 3-0 194 2154. Oklahoma State 3-0 155 24

RECEIVING VOTES: Houston (123), Florida International (98), Hawaii (95), Oklahoma (93), Wake Forest (78), Arkansas (39), Florida Atlantic (36), Illinois (34), Notre Dame (24), Ball State (23), UCLA (18), Jacksonville (17), North Carolina State (17), Southwest Louisiana (16), Ohio State (15), Baylor (15), Missouri (13), NC-Greensboro (10), Minnesota (10), Central Florida (8), California (8), Tennessee (3), Nevada (2), Oregon State (2), Rutgers (2), Washington State (1), East Carolina (1), St. John’s (1).

Multiple-Hit Games

No. Player (Hits)          Date    Opponent (game) 1  Jonathan Benick (3)    1-31    vs. Oklahoma 2  Shawn McCleary (3)     1-31    vs. Oklahoma 3  Luis Giraldo (2)       1-31    vs. Oklahoma 4  Ryan Kalamaya (2)      1-31    vs. Oklahoma 5  Robbie Marvin (2)      1-31    vs. Oklahoma 6  Jonathan Benick (3)    2-12    at The Citadel 7  Ryan Kalamaya (2)      2-12    at The Citadel 8  Jonathan Benick (2)    2-14    vs. VCU 9  Josh Bowling (2)       2-14    vs. VCU10  Tim LaVigne (3)        2-20    Penn State (1)11  Jonathan Benick (2)    2-20    Penn State (1)12  Mark Rueffert (2)      2-20    Penn State (1)13  David Stone (2)        2-20    Penn State (1)14  Jonathan Benick (2)    2-20    Penn State (2)15  Ryan Kalamaya (2)      2-20    Penn State (2)16  Mark Rueffert (2)      2-20    Penn State (2)17  Tim LaVigne (2)        2-21    Penn State    

1999 Cavalier Firsts

Batting
At bat: Robbie Marvin – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville
Hit: Jonathan Benick – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 1)
Run: Luis Giraldo – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 2)
RBI: Mike Floyd – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 2)
Extra-base hit: Julian Gonzalez (2b) – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 7)
Double: Julian Gonzalez – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 7)
Triple: Robbie Marvin – Feb. 14 vs. VCU (top 1)
Home run:
Base runner: David Stone (walk) – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 1)
Walk: David Stone – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 1)
Strike out: David Stone – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 3)
Hit batsman: Luis Giraldo – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 2)
Sacrifice bunt: Tim LaVigne – Jan. 14 vs. VCU (top1)
Sacrifice fly:
Stolen base attempt: Luis Giraldo – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 2)
Stolen base: Luis Giraldo – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (bottom 2)
Caught stealing: Robbie Marvin – Jan. 31 vs. Oklahoma (bottom 1)

Pitching
Win: Greg Withelder – Jan. 31 vs. Oklahoma
Loss: Casey Kennedy – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville
Save: Tim LaVigne – Feb. 20 vs. Penn State (game 1)
Complete game: Brandon Creswell – Feb. 12 at The Citadel
Shutout:
Strike out: Casey Kennedy – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 1)
Walk: Casey Kennedy – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 4)
Wild pitch: John Metzger – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 8)
Hit batsman: Casey Kennedy – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 3)
Balk:

Fielding
Putout: Jonathan Benick – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville
Assist: Robbie Marvin – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 1)
Fielding error: David Stone – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 9)
Throwing error: Luis Giraldo – Jan. 29 vs. Jacksonville (top 4)

Collegiate Baseball Top 25 (as of Feb. 15)

School Rec. Points LW 1. Florida State 9-0 483 2 2. Wichita State 3-1 479 1 3. Rice 9-2 477 3 4. Auburn 7-0 473 5 5. Texas 7-2 469 17 6. Miami, Fla. 5-3 467 8 7. Florida 2-2 466 6 8. Louisiana State 1-2 462 7 9. Stanford 6-3 460 1210. Long Beach State 3-3 459 411. Georgia Tech 4-4 457 1112. USC 3-5 456 913. Texas Tech 6-2 455 1314. Cal State-Fullerton 4-3 451 1415. Arizona 13-1 448 2116. South Carolina 4-0 446 1617. Texas A&M 4-2 443 1518. Alabama 1-2 442 1019. Oklahoma State 3-0 440 2020. Clemson 3-0 436 2221. Washington 3-0 431 2422. Arizona State 13-4 424 26 23. Pepperdine 8-0 423 3024. Florida International 9-0 420 NR25. Hawaii 10-2 417 2326. Oral Roberts 4-1 416 NR27. Houston 3-2 414 NR28. North Carolina 3-0 413 2829. UCLA 6-7 411 1830. Wake Forest 2-1 410 27

Baseball America Top 25 (as of Feb. 15)

Team Record LW 1. Florida State 9-0 1 2. Rice 9-2 2 3. Wichita State 3-1 5 4. Miami, Fla. 5-3 7 5. Stanford 6-3 10 6. Southern California 3-5 4 7. Long Beach State 3-3 3 8. Auburn 7-0 11 9. Florida 2-2 610. North Carolina 3-0 1511. Clemson 3-0 1412. Arizona State 13-4 1213. Texas A&M 4-2 914. Texas 7-2 2015. Louisiana State 1-2 816. Cal State-Fullerton 4-3 1717. Georgia Tech 4-4 1618. Alabama 1-2 1319. Arizona 13-1 NR20. Pepperdine 8-0 NR21. Wake Forest 2-1 1822. Texas Tech 6-2 1923. Washington 3-0 2124. Houston 3-2 2425. South Carolina 4-0 25

In the pen …

Pitcher           App   IP  ER    ERA  W-L Opp Sv  BS   H   Pct.    PtsTim LaVigne        2   1.2   0   0.00  0-0  1   1   0   1   100.0   2.5Kevin Shrout       1   1.0   0   0.00  0-0  0   0   0   0    00.0     0Bradley Nuckols    1   0.2   0   0.00  0-0  0   0   0   0    00.0     0Jon Metzger        3   3.2   1   2.45  0-0  0   0   0   1    00.0   0.5Denny Chapman      3   4.0   3   4.50  0-0  1   1   0   0   100.0   2.0Tommy Keiper       3   7.2   7   8.22  0-0  0   0   0   1    00.0   0.5Mark Hurrie        1   2.0   2   9.00  0-0  0   0   0   0    00.0     0John Thomas        1   1.0   1   9.00  0-0  0   0   0   0    00.0     0Brandon Creswell   1   2.2   7  23.63  0-0  0   0   0   0    00.0     0Total             16  24.0  21   7.88  0-0  2   2   0   3   100.0   5.5