Virginia Baseball Recognizes Senior Day This Afternoon

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May 15, 2004

Seven of Virginia’s nine fourth-year players will be involved in their final home regular season series contest this afternoon when the Cavaliers host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. UVa’s Joe Koshansky, Alan Zimmerer, Chris Gale, Shooter Starr, Canon Hickman, Paul Gillispie and Matt Street are enjoying their last season of collegiate baseball. Virginia’s two other remaining fourth-year players on the team, Kyle Werman and Jeff Kamrath, will be returning next year to complete their final remaining year of eligibility at UVa.

Here is just a glance at each of Virginia’s seven fourth-year player who will be recognized this afternoon for their contributions to the University of Virginia baseball program.

Joe KoshanskyJoe Koshansky has been a mainstay for the Cavaliers over the past four years, both on the mound and at first base. One of the team’s tri-captains this year, Koshansky is currently second all-time at UVa for both most starts on the mound with 46 and for most innings pitched with 298. His 20 career wins brings him into a tie for third on the all-time Virginia list, while his seven wins so far this season matches his entire win total for last year, placing him tied for sixth for most wins in a single season at UVa. Koshansky is also fifth all-time at Virginia for strikeouts, with an impressive career total of 215. At the plate, Koshansky is 10th all-time at UVa for most home runs, knocking out 23 for his career, while his 13 home runs this season is seventh on the list for single season records at Virginia. Coming into this Wake Forest series, Koshansky has started 114 of the 135 games he has appeared in, recording 118 hits in 416 at-bats with 100 RBI and 93 runs scored. His 58 RBI this season earns him fourth for most RBI in a single season at UVa. Last year, Koshansky was named First Team All-ACC, selected to the ACC All-Tournament Team, named to the CollegeBaseballInsider.com All-America Team as an Honorable Mention choice. Koshansky has been named ACC Pitcher of the Week on April 26th for his complete game victory over #4 Miami on April 25, 2004, where he posted six strikeouts through 9.0 innings and allowed only three runs on eight hits. Koshansky was also twice named ACC Player of the Week this year on March 15th and February 17th.

Alan ZimmererAlan Zimmerer has been reliable as one of Virginia’s relief pitchers over the past four years. Serving as one of the team’s tri-captains, Zimmerer has always stepped up when needed. His career total of 64 game appearances places him eighth on the all-time list at UVa. For his career, Zimmerer has recorded 65 strikeouts in 98 innings of work, and his five wins include this season’s 14-6 victory over Richmond on March 2, 2004, where he pitched 3.0 scoreless innings and allowed only three hits while striking out one batter. Zimmerer has proven to be most effective in high-pressure games. Last season on May 23, 2003, he helped Virginia to a 12-11 victory over Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament by pitching 3.2 scoreless innings and he also recorded a season-high five strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work against #25 VCU on May 12, 2003. On March 15, 2002, in what is perhaps one of Zimmerer’s career highlights, he posted a victory in relief over #1 Florida State by pitching 1.0 scoreless innings and striking out two batters.

Chris GaleChris Gale has been a member of Virginia’s pitching rotation for the past four years, establishing himself as a starter since 2002. Entering the series with Wake Forest, Gale has started 29 of the 46 games he has appeared in for UVa. For his career, Gale has 93 strikeouts in 142 innings of work, and has pitched three complete games. On March 2, 2002, Gale recorded a complete game shutout against Seton Hall, striking out five batters while allowing only seven hits. Gale’s four victories this season includes a 9-1 win over #28 UNC Greensboro, where he recorded four strikeouts through 7.0 innings and allowed only one run on five hits. Last season, Gale pitched a combined 25.1 innings against four ranked opponents after facing #4 Florida State, #17 Georgia Tech, #12 Richmond and #14 N.C. State and averaged four strikeouts per game to go along with an averaged of just two runs per contest.

Shooter StarrShooter Starr has proven himself to be a resilient member of the team, coming back from surgery last season to rejoin the pitching staff this year. Named team captain last year, Starr has started 8 of the 50 games he has appeared in for UVa, recording 66 career strikeouts in those 108 innings of work. For 2004, Starr has posted a team-low 1.42 ERA in 12.2 innings with a 2-0 record. Making an impact since his first appearance on the mound, Starr continues to set an example both on and off the field.

Canon HickmanCanon Hickman has served as one of the team’s best relief pitchers over the past four years. As Virginia’s top closer last season, Hickman’s five saves placed him in a tie for fifth place for most saves in a single season at UVa. His career total of seven saves moves him up to a tie for fourth on the all-time list. Entering this weekend’s series against Wake Forest, Hickman has started 20 of the 55 games he has appeared in for Virginia, posting 16 wins and 13 losses. He has pitched a total of 154 innings and has recorded 100 career strikeouts. Hickman was instrumental in this season’s three-game sweep over Georgia Tech, the first ever for Virginia. After posting a 2-1 win on March 13, 2004, where he recorded two strikeouts through 2.0 scoreless innings, Hickman came back the next day to pitch 1.2 innings, allowing only one run on one hit while striking out one batter to help UVa to an 8-5 victory over Georgia Tech.

Paul GillispiePaul Gillispie has been a force at the plate for UVa when called upon. Named one of the team’s tri-captains, Gillespie has served as DH and played outfield for the Cavaliers for the past four years. He has 57 hits in 203 career at-bats, posting 37 RBI and scoring 29 runs. This season, on March 5, 2004, Gillespie finished a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored in Virginia’s 17-1 win over Central Connecticut. In a career outing last season, Gillespie connected on his first career home run, a grand slam in UVa’s 13-3 victory against James Madison on March 25, 2003.

Matt StreetMatt Street has been one of Virginia’s most consistent players, both in right field and at the plate. For the past two seasons, Street has started every game for Virginia in right field. Entering this weekend’s series against Wake Forest, Street has started 146 of the 152 games he has appeared in for UVa, knocking out 182 hits in 597 career at-bats. His 235 at-bats last season was the third most at-bats in a single season at UVa. During his career, Street has posted 29 doubles, 8 home runs and 85 RBI while scoring 126 runs. He has also been hit 28 times by a pitch, the second most hits by a pitch by a Virginia player in school history. Street has also proven to be a menace on the base paths, tallying 19 steals in 22 attempts this season. His 43 career stolen bases places him eighth all-time at Virginia. One of Street’s highlights this season occurred on April 21, 2004 when he posted his first home run of the season, a grand slam, en route to going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double, five RBI and one run scored in UVa’s 21-10 victory against Virginia Tech.