The Insider Magazine vol 20 #9 May 2018 by The Insider Magazine

INSIDER

the

May 2018

www.HerdInsider.com

Remembering

HAL GREER

1936-2018

WHAT WE’ VE GOT VOLUME 20 NO. 9

05.18

Tri-State Sports

UP FRONT

Editor Bill Cornwell shares some of his experiences as a voice in the Huntington-area sports media.

MU SOFTBALL

IT TAKES A THIEF

Marshall Softball’s Elicia D’Orazio again causes havoc on the basepaths.

Loss of a MARSHALL BASKETBALL

LEGEND

Hal Greer dies at age 81.

14 “THE MITCH” One Special Place Ceredo-Kenova’s Little League Ballpark brings a community together.

MU Baseball

A Search for CONSISTENCY

Marshall baseball looks for late-season success.

555 Fifth Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 (304) 523-8401

General Manager Mike Kirtner

Creative Director Haley Donaldson

Associate GM Reeves Kirtner

Writer Dave Walsh

Web Operations Alex Hackney

Editor Bill Cornwell

Contributor James E. Casto

First Subscriber Geoff Sheils

Printing Printograph, Inc.

UP F RO N T MU FOOTBALL

05.18

VOLUME 20 NO. 9

system and improved ventilation three years ago and now the athletic department, in conjunction with media rights holder IMG, is spending a million dollars on a new center-court video board along with new basket stanchion displays.

player Larry Aaron, who took the Courage and Commitment Award, football’s Ryan Yurachek--the Chad Pennington Leadership Award, Basketball’s Jon Elmore--Dedication to Excellence and softball’s Madi Marshall--Perseverance.

The additions will give the arena a more “big-time” look and the ability to show high-definition ads and game replays will enhance the fan experience. The video presentation is important in drawing fans to sporting venues since improved affordable home video offerings often makes it tough to sell tickets, an issue which has been seen in the NFL in recent years as many stadiums have Three other players also signed had considerable numbers of empty free agent deals---Linebacker seats. Davon Durant with the Washington Redskins, safety C.J. Reavis with Another item Coach D’Antoni might the Jacksonville Jaguars and kicker/ want to see soon is development of a punter Kaare Vedvik with the Balti- basketball practice facility, possibly by renovating the Gullickson Hall more Ravens. gymnasium. This is a project which In addition, tight end Ryan Yura- might require a lot of private financchek took part in a tryout with the ing, but its a job that D’Antoni and Cleveland Browns as he tried to Marshall athletics leadership are willing to undertake. earn a free agent deal.

Jon Elmore was tops for Men’s Basketball Play of the Year, a 31.5-foot 3-point shot in the NCAA tournament win against Wichita State. Keion Davis won for Football Play of the Year with two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the season-opening victory against Miami (Ohio).

Marshall’s football program was “shut out” in the 2018 NFL Draft, but several Herd players will get a chance to earn a spot on an NFL roster. The most notable draft snub was Herd 3-year starting quarterback Chase Litton, who decided to give up his final year of eligibility to enter draft consideration. After the draft ended on April 28th, Litton accepted a Free Agent contract offer from the Kansas City Chiefs, where he must compete for a spot with three other quarterbacks.

The last Marshall player taken in -------------the draft was Darryl Roberts, who MU ATHLETICS was taken in the 7th round in 2015 by the New England Patriots. April 28th was a night for honors for Marshall Athletics as the “Herdspys” -----------were handed out at the 40th annual Big Green Scholarship Foundation MU BASKETBALL dinner at the Henderson Center. The success of the 2017-2018 Marshall Men’s Basketball team has led It was no surprise when the Herd to some long-needed moves to im- basketball teams Conference USA tiprove the game presentation at the tle and run in the NCAA tournament Cam Henderson Center, long on was the winner of a fan vote as Marthe “wish-list” of Thundering Herd shall’s Sports Moment of the Year. Head Coach Dan D’Antoni. The “Cam” received a new sound Other winners were the late football

Elicia D’Orazio of Herd softball was also a winner for her steal of home and Abigail Estrada for a walk-off winning single against DePaul in the NCAA tournament, the Olympic Sports Moment of the Year. -----------------------------

MU VOLLEYBALL

Fans of Marshall Volleyball will need a roster in hand when the season this fall as Coach Mitch Jacobs has completely remade the roster in the offseason after the club struggled to an 11-19 record last season. Jacobs has only five players back from the 2017 team and there are ten new players on the roster, including seven signed this spring. Among those missing from the roster is 2-year standout hitter Jaccara Walker, who transferred to South Florida. The newcomers should bring some needed size and strength to a team that at times was overpowered at the net last season. Players to watch out for this season include middle

4| blocker Destiny Leon from Trini- Hess led the Highlanders to three dad and outside hitter Michaela Class AAA titles. Ahlenslager. The 40-year-old Holmes was a Further incentive for the Herd to 1996 graduate of the old Huntingdo is well is the fact that Marshall ton High and has been a long-time will be hosting the Conference assistant at Huntington, but he USA Volleyball Championships in picked up plenty of prior experiNovember. ence as a successful head coach at Huntington St. Joe, plus was part -----------------------------of the coaching staff at Huntington Prep, working with Rob Fulford HUNTINGTON HIGH and Arkell Bruce.

BASKETBALL

A good call by the Cabell County Board of Education in hiring Ty Holmes as the new boys head basketball coach at Huntington High. The hiring came about a monthand-a-half after long-time HHS Coach Ron Hess decided to resign.

Holmes might have some rebuilding to do in 2018-2019 as Class AAA all-stater Mikal Dawson is gone, but the cupboard is not bare on Highlander Mountain as Amare Smith returns for his junior season and starters Bryce Damous and Andrew Shull are back, as is massive reserve center Darnell Wright.

Continuity is important when coaching changes are made and that is certainly the case at Huntington as Holmes will be joined on the bench by long-time Highlanders assistant coaches Steve Freeman, Tony Shackleford and Zach Sissel. ------------------------------

It Takes a

Marshall Softball’s

THIEF

Elicia D’Orazio

again causes havoc on the basepaths. story by Dave Walsh THE INSIDER writer

photographs by Primetime with Adam Gue

E licia D’Orazio knew it wouldn’t be easy at the outset. Several key players and a head coach who made 2017 a memorable season had departed. Hitting machine Morgan Zerkle and pitching machine Jordan Dixon graduated and coaching guru Shonda Staton left the Thundering Herd for Indiana and the Big 10. D’Orazio would be back for her senior season as would Jordan Colliflower. They would be two of the players new coach Jen Steele needed to step up if Marshall wanted to be considered a Conference USA contender. Steele’s assistant coaches are Nichole Andrade and Sable Lee and volunteer assistant Luis Andrade. So far results have been mixed and won’t approach the program-best 42-12 mark Marshall produced in 2017. Marshall took 2 out of 3 in a big home series against Charlotte on April 14-15 and went 1-2 the following weekend at Western Kentucky to stand 11-9-1 and in third place in the league’s East Division and 23-24-1 overall. The Herd wrapped up C-USA play May 5-6 at home aginst Middle Tennessee. The top three teams in the East and West divisions, plus two wildcards, qualify for the C-USA Tournament scheduled May 9-12 in Charlotte. “We’re definitely doing a lot better than I thought,” D’Orazio said April 11 after the Herd split a home twinbill against Morehead State. “At first it was rough trying to get used to each other. We definitely handled the transition well. We’re a young team. A lot of them (young players) are in the lineup now. Just do my jo, everyone else do theirs and we’ll be OK.” D’Orazio’s job is getting on base and causing nightmares for opponents. The second baseman led the nation in stolen bases a year ago with 59 and hit .397. Zerkle had 39 swipes, giving the two a combined 98. D’Orazio had 38 steals after the Charlotte series to bring her career mark to 158. She needed five more to better Zerkle’s career steals mark. D’Orazio also played for Team Puerto Rico in the Canada Cup last year and also played in the World Cup of Softball XII in Oklahoma City, Okla. “Get on base and keep the energy going,” D’Orazio said. “That’s my job and have the guys move me around. In conference everyone is pretty close. We have to make sure we’re playing good ball all weekend. I honestly think we’ll go up from here.” Steele came to Marshall from Jacksonville University, an Atlantic Sun Conference member. The Dolphins won 86 games in her three seasons there, including 30 in 2017. Steele’s debut as Herd coach came Feb. 8 in a 4-0 loss at No. 13 Auburn. “I have never been uncomfortable,” Steele said. “We’re figuring out what our identity is. We have a lot of young players who play all the time. Take a bunch of young kids, mix in veterans and that makes it difficult. I like where we’re at now. We have a better understanding of what we can do.” Steele’s biggest task would be developing a pitching staff as Ali Burdette was the only experienced pitcher back. Abigail Tolbert, a Cabell Midland product like Zerkle, has emerged No. 1 with support from Kailee Williamson and Tatum Ksiazek. Tolbert had a win and loss against Charlotte to stand 10-9 with a 3.05 ERA. Coming into the season, Tolbert (12-10 through April 22) had just one inning of work to her credit. She started the Auburn game and allowed six hits in five-plus innings. Williamson, a sophomore, sported a 7-7

record and after a Game 1 win against Charlotte. “There’s always one ace on the staff,” Steele said, noting Andi Williamson and Dixon were staff aces in the Herd’s two most recent NCAA appearances. “That’s not necessarily what we have now. We’ll make the best of it. The girls have done a nice job of competing. They get better every opportunity they get. Look at the staff overall and it’s a little bumpy now. We’ll continue to take steps forward.” At the plate, D’Orazio and Colliflower, two effective slap hitters with some punch, are the table setters. Colliflower recorded hits in both games against Morehead State to extend her hitting streak to 23 games. However, Colliflower’s streak (second longest in school history) came to an end in Game 1 against Charlotte when she went 0-4 followed by 0-3 in Game 2. She had a hit in the finale to put her average at a team-best .379. “Elicia (Preseason All-C-USA pick) and Jordan have been on fire,” Steele said. “We need both of them to get on at the top of the lineup. They create a lot of havoc. We utitlize different parts of their game, bunting, slapping, hitting away when the time calls for it. They’re very tough to defend.” “We were coming off a nice year and I like that,” Colliflower said. “We have a lot of potential, a lot of talented young girls. New coaching staff, new girls, I knew I needed to step up. We’ve got a lot of good hitters behind us. We can create a lot of havoc, create momentum. Running leads to a lot of chaos and makes teams play fast.”

|7 Colliflower likes the progress the Herd’s made since those chilly early days in February. “We played against the big names and hung in there. No one bullied us,” Colliflower said. We’ve got a lot of different ways to score. I’m happy where we are, but it’s all about May. We have to make it (tournament) and do it there.” Another key returning player is catcher Taylor McCord. The senior had thrown out 43 runners and picked off 20 more in her first three seasons. At the plate in 2017, McCord had career highs in batting average (.349), runs scored (41), hits (53), doubles (11), home runs (team-high 12), RBI (52), total bases (102), slugging (.671) and on-base percentage (.429). She, too, was a Preseason All-C-USA selection. In other key offensive stats, Aly Harrell led the Herd in homers with seven and RBI with 30 after the Charlotte series. McCord was No. 2 in RBI with 27.

“WE’RE COMPETITIVE. THE LEAGUE’S COMPETITIVE,” STEELE SAID.

“NO ONE’S RUNNING AWAY WITH IT. WE BEAT UP ON EACH OTHER. WE WANT TO PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME.”

Legend

Loss of a MARSHALL BASKETBALL

When one examines the basketball career of Hal Greer, it becomes clear he was pretty darned good at two things. Knocking down jump shots and barriers. Those talents helped him blossom into quite a role model on and off the court. Greer, a Huntington, W.Va. native who attended Douglass High School and went on to star at Marshall University and the NBA with the Syracuse Nationals and Philadelphia 76ers, died on April 14 at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona after a brief illness. The all-time leading scorer for the 76ers was 81. The 6-foot-2 guard’s death was made public two days later and that’s when the tributes started to pour in on social media. “Throughout his 15-year career with the Syracuse Nationals and Philadelphia 76ers, Greer solidified his place as one of the greatest basketball players ever,” the 76ers said in a statement. “In addition to his historic contributions on the court, Greer will forever be remembered as a true gentleman who used the tremendous platform of basketball to uplift and inspire others.” Closer to home, Huntington mayor Steve Williams expressed similar sentiment. “He proved that a person of exceptional skill, a strong work ethic, and unbridled determination

HAL GREER dies at age 81. story by Dave Walsh THE INSIDER Writer photographs by Rick Haye

|9 could set standards that the world would seek to emulate. It’s a sad day for all Huntingtonians,” Williams told Rick McCann, sports editor of the The (Huntington) Herald-Dispatch. Greer first made a name for himself at old Douglass High School and caught the eye of then-Marshall College head coach Cam Henderson, who recruited him for the Thundering Herd. In 1955, playing for Jule Rivlin who took over from Henderson as head coach, Greer became the first African-American scholarship athlete at Marshall, breaking the color barrier among predominantly white schools in the Mountain State. The achievement would have its downside then due to skin color. When traveling, the Thundering Herd could enter a restaurant and Greer’s presence meant no service because he was black and thus the team would depart or the team could arrive in a town and discover hotels had distinctions for white and black and those in the Herd party would stay in the lesser of the two. “When I look back at what happened to Hal and how he handled it, and I couldn’t imagine anyone doing it better,” Jack Freeman, one of Greer’s teammates at that time, told the HerdZone.com’s Chuck McGill. Sonny Allen, another of Greer’s teammates at Marshall, told McGill Greer never felt any problems with other players, students or fans. During his three varsity seasons, Greer became part of the 1956 Mid-American Conference champions and NCAA tournament team, made All-MAC twice and MVP in the MAC once. He tallied 1,377 points and 765 rebounds. And remember he was on the court with the likes of Charlie Slack, Cebe Price and Leo Byrd. He wore No. 16 and that number later was retired. “Hal was a gentleman’s gentleman,” David Haden, a manager for the basketball team during Greer’s senior season, told McGill. “He was always the first one to help out; just a wonderful man. And he always told people he was a Marshall guy. He was always proud of that.” After clearing the first racial hurdle, Greer set out putting up impressive numbers year after year in the NBA. Fifteen years to be exact. Syracuse took him with the 14th pick in the 1958 NBA Draft where

10 | he played five seasons before being dealt to the Sixers. He averaged between 18 and 24 points per game every season from 1961 to 1971, using a reliable mid-range jumper from the floor and patented jumper at the free-throw line. He rarely missed a game before his final season in 1972-73. He finished his career with a franchise-record 21,586 points. He’s also the 76ers’ career leader in field goals, field goals attempted, games and minutes played. Greer was the first player to have his number retired by the 76ers when they retired his No. 15 in 1976. He was the first player to be honored with a sculpture on 76ers Legends Walk at the team training complex in 2017. He was named to 10 straight All-Star Games and earned All-Star Game MVP honors in 1968. Greer earned a spot on the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996. He has been enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Marshall Athletics Hall of Fame. Like college, life in the NBA wasn’t all that easy for Greer at times as Tim Koechlin wrote on his Twitter account: “And, like every African American player of his era, he endured heavy-handed, unsubtle racist sh-t everyday.” Current 76ers players donned black patches with the No. 15 on their jerseys to honor Greer during the NBA playoffs. Greer built up chemistry with fellow legend Wilt Chamberlain during the Sixers’ title-winning season in 1967. Greer perhaps shined the brightest during the 1968 AllStar game, when he lit up Madison Square Garden with 21 points in just 17 minutes while playing with a record 17 future Hall of Famers. “Hal’s record speaks for itself as far as his abilities,” Allen said. “He got better each year in college, but I had no idea he’d end up as one of the top 50 players of all-time.” Greer would receive numerous honors from his hometown. There was “Hal Greer Day” in 1966. There’s an exit off Interstate 64 that leads to Hal Green Boulevard (formerly 16th Street). Greer was one of nearly 100 former Herd players and coaches who returned to Huntington in 2012 for the “Farewell to Veterans Memorial Field House.” The then-home to Marshall basketball was torn down to make way for the Marshall’s new soccer complex. As for all the tributes on social media, they ranged from local to the NBA. Marshall Men’s Basketball Head Coach

“

Dan D’Antoni

Hal was a fantastic ambassador for Marshall and a great basketball player

”

Hal came in and played cross court in Gullickson Hall before the NBA season started. He didn’t seek any special attention on or off the court. If you wanted to win the game to 21 you made sure he got the ball at 20/20. We talked at the alumni game and he was still the very gracious man that I have known for over 50 years.”

-Don Perry

“He made us all proud. Loved watching him and the 76ers play Celtics on Sunday afternoon tv.”

-Tom Myers

“Hal Greer, an NBA Hall of Famer and Son of Marshall, will forever be remembered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time – but he never forgot his West Virginia roots. He was a true West Virginia legend both on and off the court.” -U.S. Representative Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) “We know there are a lot of Marshall fans in Clendenin and the surrounding Elk River Valley area and our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every one of you and the entire Marshall University family. You don’t have to be just a Marshall fan to recognize the great impact that Hal Greer had on Marshall, the City of Huntington and all the lives he touched through his talents on the basketball court.”

-The Clendenin Leader

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12 |

“He also embraced a leading role in the racial integration of basketball at Marshall University and his home state of West Virginia. As the NBA family mourns Hal’s passing, we celebrate his deep and lasting impact on our game.” -NBA commissioner Adam Silver “One of the greatest to ever do it, Huntington’s Hal Greer left his thumbprint on the NBA and the game of basketball. @huntingtoncity is extremely proud to call him one of our own.” -Grant Taylor, sports writer for The Herald-Dispatch In the Spring 2012 issue of Huntington Quarterly, the staff selected the 12 greatest players in Marshall history and named Hurrying Hal Greer was No. 1. “My mom went to college at Marshall, when Greer played there. Remember watching him on ABC Sunday basketball games. He was fierce!” -Joseph Pratt “Very sad news for Marshall University as well as my family. My grandfather and my great uncle Kyle grew up with Hal and played sandlot ball and things together. Prayers for his family! He always represented Huntington with class! A True son of Marshall!” -Jason Arthur “Another sports legend is gone. He was 81 which now does not seem old at all . He broke the color barrier for West Virginia collegiate sports which now seems hard to believe ever existed.” -Judy Jennings “He was one hell of a basketball players and even though he’s in the HOF and his jersey has been retired by both Marshall and the 76ers, I think that he get’s overlooked too much. Rest in Peace Hal Greer, you played the game with heart, talent and the way the game should be played.” -Kevin Popeck “One of my favorite opponents that I watched play in the old n very best rivalry: Celts vs 76ers... stop & pop Hal.” -Jack Snow Great old time Sixer!!! The Celts and The Sixers were rivals that played the game the right way back then. I could be wrong, but was Hal Greer the only pro basketball player to jump shoot a free throw. He was smooth and quick with the ball. One of the few Sixers I would emulate at the line as a kid playing pick up school yard ball. Your were one of the best.” -Bob Farrell Magic Johnson, former NBA great with the Los Angeles Lakers, understood what Greer’s passing meant as he wrote on his Twitter account: “It’s a sad day because one of my childhood heroes, Hal Greer, passed away.”

14 |

“THE MITCH”

ONE SPECIAL PLACE

Ceredo-Kenova’s Little League Ballpark brings a community together. There is no better sound than the crack of the bat and scream of fielders on a spring day as another youth baseball season begins. Just as special as the youngsters filling out those Little League, Tee-Ball and Minor League rosters are the fields where they play. Community ballfields are a testimony to leaders who had a vision to provide a place for young people to develop baseball skills, make friends, learn how to compete and accept both victory and defeat with grace. One of the Tri-State’s standout youth baseball facilities sits on the border of Ceredo and Kenova, a border which is a simple railroad track...that ballpark is Mitch Stadium, or simply “The Mitch” as its known by players and fans. How Mitch Stadium came to be is a story of moms and dads determined to provide their youngsters with not simply a ballfield, but a high-quality facility which has been the envy of other youth leagues throughout the region. Little League baseball came to Ceredo-Kenova in 1953 and games were played on existing community fields for two seasons. At the conclusion of the 1954 season, a need was seen to create a new playing facility for the community’s growing number of boys interested in baseball. In fact, the C-K Little League was in danger of not operating in 1955 if a new field wasn’t built. The league’s president at the time, Ceredo banker Floyd Stark, actually provided the lot along a rail spur which became “The Mitch”. Now that the league had the land, it was up to volunteers to actually build the field, create the infield, construct an outfield wall, bleachers and a concession stand/press box building. Dozens of men (and women) worked on the project and made it a reality in time for 1955 play. How did the ballpark get its name? That part of the story goes all the way back to its 1955 roots and man named Elmer “Big Mitch” Mitchell. Mitchell was a Kenova policeman who was concerned about providing kids with healthy recreational opportunities, knowing that keeping youngsters busy kept them

story by Bill Cornwell THE INSIDER Editor

photographs from Adobe Stock out of trouble. He became involved with the stadium project and his involvement grew so much that the ballpark eventually became his home. Mitchell literally lived at the ballpark, setting up a small apartment in the rear of the press box. In exchange for living there, he became the ballpark’s groundskeeper, watchman, concession stand operator and promoter. To the kids of C-K, he was a beloved man who they simply called “Mitch”. Mitchell lived and worked at the field for 27 straight years, staying there until his 1981 death. Six years earlier, in 1975, the Ceredo-Kenova Little League honored Mitchell by renaming the ballfield in his honor. Mitch Stadium isn’t just any Little League ballpark, but it’s been a home of champions and championships. Due to the care that was taken on its infield and outfield surfaces, it has hosted seven W.Va. Little League tournaments as well two marquee regional events, the 2009 Southeast Regional Tournament which decided a spot in the Little League World Series field as well as the ten-state Tournament of Champions for 10-year-old All Stars. The Tournament of Champions was actually started by the C-K Little League, then led by current Ceredo Mayor Paul Billups, and the event continued at Mitch Stadium until 2014, when it was moved to Greenville, North Carolina. One person who appreciates the tradition of Ceredo-Kenova’s Little League and Mitch Stadium is current league president Charles Shumaker, who has had two sons play in the league. Shumaker hopes those who play there realize their good fortune. “The Mitch has been a landmark in the communities of Cere-

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do and Kenova for many years because of the traditions established and memories made,” Shumaker said. “Players for decades have been privileged to have a facility like The Mitch as their home field.”

Copies of “My Life at the Mitch” are still available at Amazon.com.

“For 6 innings at a time players at The Mitch are treated to a big league experience in a Little League setting.”

“I have many memories during my time there as a player and coach,” Cisco said. “I still drive by The Mitch on occasion and just stare at her in the darkness. I hear the bats falling, I can see my son playing. As silly as it sounds I think it’s a Field of Dreams.”

When “The Mitch” hosts local and regional tournaments, Shumaker knows that it’s an eye opener for the visitors. “Opposing players from across region and country cannot hide their amazement when they arrive at the Mitch and take in the manicured field cared for by volunteers and fan-friendly setting for watching baseball,” Shumaker said. “I consider myself fortunate to have spent years at The Mitch and I’m always fond of the stories shared of the many years it has been home to Ceredo-Kenova Little League.” Mitch Stadium has even been the subject of a book. Former C-K Little League player and coach Matthew Cisco wrote a book in 2009 titled “My Life at the Mitch: A Little League Baseball Story”. He said that while coaching his son Jay-Michael, he started writing down stories about his Little League experiences. Those experiences also included time spent at the field with his father, Arnold Cisco. The notes kept growing into what eventually became a book manuscript. When the book was finally published, Cisco says that folks involved with Little League baseball around the nation picked up copies, related to his stories and fell in love with C-K’s little ballpark. There was a lady that emailed me from Kansas who said she cried when she read my book because there was a story she could relate to with her child, “ Cisco said.. She asked if she could send me her book to autograph and I gladly did and that one reply made it all worthwhile for me.”

Cisco says years of playing and coaching at “the Mitch” never leave his mind.

He also said that the ballpark created a true sense of community in Ceredo-Kenova. “ People that had no links to the kids would just drop in for a game of baseball,” Cisco said. “The Mitch packed the stands during the regional tournaments and gained national exposure on ESPN.” “She’s a majestic place to play ball that was created by the hard work and donations of scores of volunteers. When she was refurbished it was truly a community effort, a labor of love for the game of baseball and for the children in our community.” What is the future for Mitch Stadium. Shumaker and others are working to keep it the high-quality facility it’s been in the past and maintain a genuine small-town baseball experience.

“Big Mitch” would be proud.

(Photo courtesy--Prep Baseball Report)

Cayden Ross Many consider “7” as a lucky number. That’s certainly been the case for our Wendy’s High School Athlete of the Month, Wayne High School Senior Shortstop/Pitcher Cayden Ross. who wears “7” on his Pioneers jersey. Ross is a key part of a Pioneer program that is on quite a roll the past two seasons. Wayne won another Cardinal Conference title this season. Last year, the Pioneers, a 4-time Class AA state champion, made it back to Charleston and the state high school baseball tournament before eventually losing in the semifinals to Bridgeport. Coming into the 2018 season, Pioneers Head Coach Todd Ross had some holes to fill, but Ross was one proven commodity and his regular season play has been stellar. Heading into sectional play, Ross had a .372 batting average and his on-base percentage was .491, meaning that he was reaching base on nearly half of his at-bats. At the end of the regular season, Ross had recorded 16 hits in 20 games, recording 11 RBIs. His top offensive games in the regular season came against the Huntington St. Joe Irish on March 16th and the Man Hillbillies on April 10th when Ross picked up 4 hits in each contest. Ross likes to cause some havoc on the basepaths and he was quite successful as a thief with 12 stolen bases. Ross is also having an outstanding 2018 in the field, as he played errorless baseball in the regular season on 36 total fielding chances and 25 putouts. Ross has also had to produce on the mound this year for the Pioneers and his numbers have been impressive. He’s made several appearances out of the bullpen and recorded a stingy 1.25 regular season earned run average in 22-anda-third innings. He averaged more than a strikeout per inning, with 32 Ks, including 10 strikeouts March 27th against Logan and 11 on April 20th against Herbert Hoover. He recorded a save on April 25th against Point Pleasant, with two strikeouts against four batters faced. The Pioneers have seen a resurgence in their program in recent years after dominating W.Va. Class AA baseball in the 1990s under the leadership of one the state’s all-time great coaches, George Brumfield. Cayden Ross is one reason why going “out Wayne” is again a daunting task for an opponent.

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A Search for

CONSISTENCY story by Dave Walsh THE INSIDER Writer

photographs by Rick Haye

Marshall baseball looks for late-season success.

Marshall has something in common with perennial Conference USA baseball power Rice going into the final month of the 2018 season. Both teams were in the lower tier of the league standings. The Owls stood 6-8-1 and the Thundering Herd 5-10 in league play entering a key late April series against Louisiana Tech at Linda Epling Stadium in Beckley. That doesn’t shake the faith Thundering Herd coach Jeff Waggoner has in his team. A year ago, Rice entered the C-USA Tournament as No. 6 seed, then edged host Southern Miss in the championship game (5-4) to win the title and get the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and finish 33-31 overall after being 7-19 earlier in the season. “Don’t sell Rice out,” Waggoner said on April 17 after Marshall beat Ohio University, 6-2, at the YMCA Kennedy Center. “They were at the same point last year and next thing you know they won it. We’re a top five RPI conference. We’ve had three teams ranked. This team can be really good, can beat anybody. We have to get our confidence up and eliminate the freebies, the walks and errors. That’s the big thing.” Southern Miss was ranked No. 13 (Baseball America) and 16th (USA Today Baseball Coaches) midway through April. Louisiana Tech and FAU have either been ranked or received votes in both polls. Marshall started 9-4 in the non-conference part of the early schedule. The Herd then went 1-8 in the first three C-USA series, including being swept by league leader FAU at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston. During that run, Marshall lost starting pitchers Wade Martin and Will Ray to injuries, though Ray still sees action in the infield and at the plate. “Starting out we felt good,” Waggoner said. “We’ve got an all-conference pitcher (Wade Martin) who’s been so good to the program and Will Ray who’s been good, too. To have those two guys go down was tough. You have to have the next guys step up. That’s the game. Those guys might not be ready. That’s why the mid-week games are so important. Get some other guys in the game who get pitch ability and can help us on weekends. “Our starters on weekend have to give us quality starts. We have to play better defense as a team. We’re basically starting two freshmen in middle infield. We have got to continue to work with them to get them better because we’re swinging pretty good, running bases really good. Offensively we’re putting it together. We have to play better defense and get quality starts to make a run here late.” One of Waggoner’s challenges is working with 17 players in their first year in the program. Just two years ago, the Herd posted single-season records for overall wins (34) and C-USA wins (21). Waggoner was voted Keith LcClair C-USA Coach of the Year. The Herd had three players make first-team all-conference and four players taken in the 2016 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, second most in a single draft. Catcher/DH Reynaldo Pastrana, the team’s top hitter, believes the Herd has the talent to make things happen. The way to do that is execute the basics and eliminate errors that allow opponents to escape with walk-off wins. The Herd did that in a series sweep at Middle Tennessee and some blunders led to a 1-2 mark in a series at Western Kentucky. “We’re not getting the breaks,” Pastrana said. “We give up a couple of runs here and there. We’re jumping out in early innings. We have to avoid runs coming in late. It’s baseball man. You’ve got to work every play. It all starts with pitching and defense. If you can’t pitch and play defense, you’re not going to win many ball games. The Middle Tennessee series really lifted us up. At

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Western, we don’t make the routine plays, gave up some runs and were not able to bounce back. “At the start, Wade and Will are throwing good and it’s hard to have two weekend guys go down. The guys are doing a good job of picking things up. You never know. It’s a long season. We’re fighting for our lives, fighting to make the tournament right now. It’s all about getting hot at the right time.” The top eight teams qualify for the C-USA Tournament scheduled 23-27 in Biloxi, Miss. Two of the Herd’s top returnees are Andrew Zban, a junior centerfielder who played at Huntington High, and outfielder Shana Hanon, who led the team in batting a year ago with a .342 average. Sophomore second baseman Peter Hutzal belted two homers in the April 17 win over Ohio to take over the team league with eight. “He’s probably one of most total guys we have in this conference,” Waggoner said of Zban. “He’s got super power and can really run. He’s got to shorten his swing some times with two strikes. Man he can get us going. He’s an electric kid. He’s our spark in the lineup. Get on base and a lot of good things can happen. Peter’s certainly gotten better. He struggled early, now has a better approach and is putting together great at-bats.” Pastrana’s surge has moved him to team leads in average, runs, hits, doubles, RBIs and slugging percentage. Geordon Blanton, freshman shortstop from Johnson Central High School, tops the Herd in steals with 13 in 14 attempts. “I’m seeing the ball better now,” Pastrana said. “In baseball you have those rough patches. The game always humbles you. If you’re always swinging at good pitches, things work out better. Early in the season I swung at a lot of bad pitches and got out of the groove. The more pitches you see, the more success you have.” Going down the stretch, the Herd’s rotation for C-USA play would be Brad O’Connor, Joshua Shapiro and Zac McNeel. In C-USA pitching statistics, the Herd was 10th in ERA at 5.23 through mid-April. “Defense has to play a lot better, be more consistent,” Waggoner said. “Make routine plays. We need to get quality starts. The bullpen has to grow with confidence like we did today (April 17 against Ohio). The guys game in and did a great job, worked out of some tough spots. That’s the way you get things done.”