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Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
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A NEED FOR MORE
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Pitcher Donovan Burke looks to add to his collection of baseball rings
By JOHN BREEDEN The Breeze
Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
With only one loss at home and a 10-6 record, it was a gut punch to the entire JMU baseball team when the remainder of the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. For redshirt sophomore pitcher Donovan Burke, he only took the mound for two innings that season. 2021, however, was drastically different for Burke. He appeared in 13 games — more than any other JMU pitcher — and had a 4-1 record. He pitched 33 innings and threw 38 strikeouts. Burke also threw 17.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. In a 9-5 win over VMI on March 11 last year, Burke threw five strikeouts and earned the win. “We can play for a long time and for
more than however many games we have on the schedule,” Burke said postgame. “We have a strong lineup. We have a strong bullpen and we’ll be able to do big things with the group we have.” Pitching coach Jimmy Jackson considers Burke as one of JMU’s top three pitchers and hopes he’ll be one of the weekend starters. He said Burke’s offseason training was “incredible”. “Each pitch is developing more and more consistently,” Jackson said. “His daily routine stuff is incredibly good, [and] his confidence is great.” Jackson said he plans to start Burke but added that he knows he’s good out of the bullpen. He said the lineup they might switch around, but Jackson and JMU
“Donovan is a fiery competitor. He wants to show everybody that he’s worth everything that he expects he is. I think he’s going to turn himself into a fine baseball prospect, whether he’s drafted or whether he gets signed.” George Laase
Strasburg Express head coach
baseball head coach shared their plan is to make him the Saturday starting pitcher this season. Over the summer, Burke competed for the Strasburg Express in the Valley Baseball League. He started in all seven of his games, throwing 35 strikeouts with a 2-3 record. Strasburg head coach George Laase said Burke was one of his favorite players he’s coached. When Laase was scouting for the upcoming summer season, he said, Burke pitched with “so much competitiveness” and had all the tangibles to build a team around. “Donovan is a fiery competitor,” Laase said. “He wants to show everybody that he’s worth everything that he expects he is. I think he’s going to turn himself into a fine baseball prospect, whether he’s drafted or whether he gets signed.” Laase said Burke’s level of passion for the game made it “so much fun” watching him play in the VBL. He said there were times he had to pull Burke off the mound due to high pitch count because he’s so competitive. “It was a lot of fun because he’d know I’d be coming out and he’d get this grin on his face like, ‘I’m not going out, you’re going to have to take me out,’” Laase said. “It was our running joke all season long; he says, ‘one of these days … you’re going to pay for all this.’ It was all good fun.” Laase said people like Burke “make the world change” because of their competitiveness and desire to carry the team on their shoulders. Burke would be upset to have to come off the mound, but Laase said it didn’t affect their relationship. “We become one big family,” Laase said. “When you create those kinds of relationships, even if you win or don’t win
the championship, you’re winning overall in life.” Jackson said Burke developed quickly with more playing time last season. He said Burke was like most JMU pitchers: They’re usually a top pitcher at their high school, but when they show up in college, they’re not close to the top. But despite the adjustment period, Jackson said, Burke’s confidence has always remained high. “Even when he only threw a half inning or whatever, he still truly believed he was one of the top guys on our pitching staff,” Jackson said. “I really think that’s helped him hop right in there and be the guy last year.” From a work ethic standpoint, Jackson said, Burke has become a leader on the team — instead he said Burke isn’t a vocal leader in the sense of telling teammates how to do things. He said Burke is a leader by example. “If any of our younger guys just sit and watch him from the second he shows up to the second he leaves, he is constantly doing something to get himself better,” Jackson said. As Burke enters his third year playing for the Dukes, Laase will be watching him closely throughout the season. Going into 2022, he has high expectations for the pitcher. “I look for him to have a dominating season,” Laase said. “It’s going to be fun to watch [JMU] compete this year. I look for Donovan to help lead the charge … He’s going to put his team in a position to win games; it’s just going to be a matter of making sure they close it out.” CONTACT John Breeden at breed2jr@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @ TheBreezeSports.
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6
‘ONE PITCH
AT A TIME’ JMU sophomore pitcher prepares for bigger role with the Dukes
Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
By LOGAN SKINNER The Breeze
It’s June 7, 2021. JMU softball faces elimination against No.1 Oklahoma in the Women’s College World Series. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, JMU head coach Lauren LaPorte pulls standout supersenior pitcher Odicci Alexander. On comes freshman pitcher Alissa Humphrey in her WCWS debut. After a rocky fifth inning, Humphrey settles in and strikes out Oklahoma redshirt senior catcher Lynnsie Elam to end the sixth inning. Humphrey finished the game with one strikeout and one earned run in 1.1 innings pitched as the Dukes fell to the Sooners 7-1. “Her composure was amazing all-around,” JMU sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett said. “No matter what situation she was thrown in, she was always able to keep her cool”. Humphrey was no stranger to getting JMU out of jams in 2021. The first time Humphrey took the field for the purple and gold was against George Washington on Feb. 27. She relieved Alexander in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and no outs. After walking the first batter, she retired the next three batters — two via strikeout — and stranded all three runners on base. “It wasn’t like [pitching against Oklahoma] was anything new to me,” Humphrey said. “I just had to take it one pitch at a time and try not to make the moment bigger than it was”. Humphrey, from Micanopy, Florida, was the No. 73 recruit in the 2020 class according to Softball America. As a freshman in 2021, Humphrey made an impressive tandem with with Alexander, combining for a record of 32-3 and 345 strikeouts. Humphrey said Alexander taught her how to be a winner. “[Alexander] was the perfect Tre vo example of rC oc kb how to get urn /T it done,” he Bre Humphrey eze said. “Even when she didn’t have her best stuff, we still relied on her and she still just got it done — no matter what”. Humphrey had a historic freshman campaign with 141 strikeouts, a perfect 14-0 record and a 1.56 earned run average — the third lowest in program history. She earned CAA Pitcher of the Week honors three times and was named the 2021 CAA Rookie of the Year. Humphrey also set new program records for no-hitters in a season with four and 10.49 strikeouts per 7 innings. In JMU’s 1-0 win against Longwood on March 21, 2021, Humphrey struck out a
career-high 15 batters. Performances like this landed Humphrey on the Schutt Sports/NFCA DI National Freshman of the Year Top 15 List. “I’m proud of Alyssa; she’s kind of coming out of her shell a little bit,” LaPorte said. “I think just with [Humphrey and redshirt senior pitcher Alexis Bermudez]’s experience and what they were able to do last year on carrying the load and the circle until Odicci got back is going to be important.” Following the 2021 season, Humphrey was named an alternate for the USA U-18 Junior National Team for the Junior Pan American Games and the WBSC U-18 World Cup — taking home the gold medal for both. During the World Cup, Humphrey threw a seven-strikeout perfect game against the Czech Republic and a four-strikeout perfect game against the Netherlands. “I got to play with some of the best athletes I’ve ever been around,” Humphrey said. “It was such an amazing experience to represent my country and come out with two gold medals at the end of the trip”. Following JMU’s trip to Oklahoma City last summer, Humphrey said she and the entire JMU pitching staff have made significant strides. “We’re really busting it in the weight room, in our conditioning and in our individual bullpens,” Humphrey said. “I think we’re working really well as a staff, and if we keep working well as a staff, we’re going to be successful this year.” Of the returning pitchers for the 2022 season, Humphrey has the most innings pitched in the previous season with 94.1 — Bermudez was next with 56 innings pitched. Since Alexander graduated after last season, Humphrey will have a larger role to play on the JMU pitching staff. “[Humphrey]’s gotten a lot stronger,” Bernett said. “We’re working on a couple of things in bullpens that I’m excited to see in games, but overall [she’s] just getting stronger mentally and physically.” In the first-ever Extra Elite 100 College Player Rankings, extrainnings.com ranked Humphrey as the No. 87 best college softball player for the 2022 season. “My goal personally is to compete,” Humphrey said. “I want my team to have enough confidence in me to have my back every single inning, every single out, every single pitch.” JMU softball opens its season against The University of Connecticut on Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. in Charlotte, North Carolina. CONTACT Logan Skinner at skinnela@dukes. jmu.edu. For more coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
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The road ahead A prospective look at competitive teams on JMU's upcoming athletics schedule
MEN 'S
U.Va. U.Va. Invite April 22-23, Charlottesville, Va.
Auburn Tiger Invitational March 6-8, Opelika, Ala.
Elon CAA Individual Championships, date/location: TBD
College of Charleston CAA Individual Championships April 24-26, Beaufort, S.C.
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Old Dominion University Dorado Beach Collegiate Feb. 27-March 1, Dorado, P.R.
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Miami (FL) Hurricane Alumni Invitational April 9, Coral Gables, Fla.
FIELD
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@ Davidson March 15
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@ Campbell March 18
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Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
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forehands in foresight JMU women’s tennis embarks on a competitive 2022 schedule
By CRAIG MATHIAS The Breeze In a year where JMU women’s tennis can’t defend its CAA crown, the schedule and expectations won’t ease up during its dual-match season. Dubbed the “toughest schedule in program history” by head coach Shelley Jaudon, she said the Dukes are aware they have their work cut out for them this spring. Jaudon said this label has pushed the team to be better instead of bending to excessive pressure. “Honestly, they’re pumped,” Jaudon said. “They’re all in on a new vision and a new direction for our program this spring … With [the tougher schedule], it pushes us to make a little bit bigger of a jump, but we have the schedule to do it.” That “jump” is qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Without the chance to win the conference, the only route to the NCAA tournament is via an at-large bid. With 30 of the 64 tournament teams
coming in as conference-tournament winners, the competition for an at-large spot intensifies. JMU’s run of tough opponents began at the ITA Kickoff Weekend where it drew No. 9 U.Va. and Arkansas. The Dukes dropped the opening match to the Cavaliers 4-0 and then fell to the Razorbacks 4-1. Despite the opening results, matchups with these teams, along with the rest of the schedule, are why Jaudon said she believes an at-large bid is attainable. Five of JMU’s eight home matches are in February against Penn State, Cornell, VCU, Morgan State and Coppin State. The furthest JMU travels is Feb. 26 when the Dukes trek to Starkville, Mississippi, to face Mississippi State. When asked if any match caught her or her teammates’ attention, redshirt junior Kylie Moulin said the team looks at every game on the schedule the same regardless of conference or ranking. Focusing too much on one future game, she said, is how to get derailed from achieving the team’s ultimate goals at
the season’s end. “I think for us, every match, we take it one at a time,” Moulin said. “It’s very easy to look at the big names on the schedule, but I think [looking at each match] one by one really keeps us focused.” Similar to Moulin, redshirt junior Daria Afanasyeva said the team is eager for the new challenge of competing against top 25 opponents like U.Va that the schedule brings. She said this is something the Dukes have been asking Jaudon over the past couple of years, and they’re ready to put JMU on the women’s tennis map. “We’ve always wanted to challenge ourselves,” Afanasyeva said. “Our team is really excited for this year and all the tough opponents ahead of us.” With all the schedule changes, Jaudon said this doesn’t change the end-of-season aspirations. The path to their goals changes, Jaudon said, but everyone’s focus is at the same place. “Every year, our goal was to win the CAA and get into the NCAA tournament,” Afanasyeva said. “This year, obviously, is
different, but our goal is still the same. We all know what it’s going to take, what teams we’re going to face and we know it’s doable.” Jaudon said she has faith in her team to rise to the occasion. This year is a breath of fresh air in JMU’s pursuit of being a well-respected tennis program not just in Virginia, she said, but the country. “Our girls are ready for the challenge,” Jaudon said. “I think they’re excited to play for something bigger than even a CAA championship.” When the 64-team bracket is announced later this spring, the Dukes hope to hear their name called. After a 4-0 defeat to Tennessee in the 2021 NCAA women’s tennis tournament, the next step is getting past the first round. CONTACT Craig Mathias at mathiack@ dukes.jmu.edu. For more women’s tennis coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
arter / The Breeze Jacob C
Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
Redshirt junior Daniela Voloh goes for the ball at the JMU Tennis Bubble. Courtesy of JMU Athletics
Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
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A LOOK INTO SPRING SPORTS Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Former JMU pitcher Odicci Alexander pitches during JMU’s second game against Stony Brook in March 2021.
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Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Justin Showalter throws a pitch during May 2021 game against Saint Joseph’s University.
Senior midfielder Ava Frantz celebrates after scoring a goal in March 2021 game against George Mason.
Matt Young / The Breeze Emma Connelly / The Breeze
Former infielder Madison Naujokas celebrates a home run in March 2021 game against East Carolina University. Redshirt junior infielder Hannah Schifflett prevents Stony Brook player from making it safe to first base in March 2021 game.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Taylor Marchettie battles Elon player for possession in April 2021 game. Matt Young / The Breeze
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Former innfielder Sara Jubas leaps into the air during JMU’s April 2021 game against UNCW.
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Redshirt junior utility Trevon Dabney dives for the ball in March 2021 game against Bowling Green.
Junior midfielder Lilly Boswell attempts to gain posession of the ball in March 2021 game against George Mason University. JMU players flip as part of their pregame ritual before March 2021 game against Bowling Green.
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
JMU sophomore pitcher Alissa Humphrey winds up a pitch in April 2021 game against the College of Charleston.
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LA
LEGACIES Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
2018 national championship continues to impact JMU lacrosse
By JOSHUA GINGRICH The Breeze
Breeze file photo
Thursday, Febuary 3. 2022
DESIGN. PRINT. MAIL. HERE.
With 22 seconds left in the 2018 women’s lacrosse national championship, No. 3 JMU was up 16-15 over No. 4 Boston College. JMU senior midfielder Haley Warden squared off alongside Boston College junior attacker Sam Apuzzo in the draw control circle. The referee blew the whistle, and the two players launched the ball in the air. Warden came down with the ball and passed it to junior attacker Hanna Haven, securing the victory and the first national title in JMU lacrosse history. JMU’s title marked the first time a midmajor has won the national championship since Princeton won in 2003, and no midmajor has won the title since 2018. All the other champions since 2003 have come from either the ACC or the Big 10. Almost four years after the title, redshirt senior goalkeeper Molly Dougherty, redshirt senior midfielder Katie Checkosky, Warden — now an assistant coach for JMU — and head coach Shelley Klaes are the only people from the national championship team who are still in the program. They all said that having the experience both on the field and in the coaching staff will benefit the 2022 team. “It’s the same kind of team dynamic but
different players [are] back, trying to compete and understanding that we’re all on the same page trying to get another national championship,” Dougherty said. “We’re not playing soft about it, and I think that’s something really special about this year.” JMU’s championship chase began well before the NCAA Tournament. Klaes, who’s been at JMU’s helm since 2007, said she noticed the 2018 team was special in fall ball when the Dukes went undefeated. “The leaders on the [2018] team had a really strong presence,” Klaes said. “They were organized, they were unified and they were a constant presence in front of the team, articulating what their vision was for the squad.” The Dukes started the year 8-0, with a seasonopening victory over No. 3 UNC and a win over No. 20 Penn State. JMU lost its first and only game of the season at No. 4 Maryland, a game Warden called a “reality check.” JMU rebounded from the loss, winning the last eight games of the regular season and two in the CAA Tournament — the first of four consecutive CAA Championships. During that stretch, the Dukes beat No. 17 Virginia 15-10 and emerged victorious over a top10 Towson team twice, including in the CAA Championship.
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13 “The leaders on the [2018] team had a really strong presence. They were organized, they were unified and they were a constant presence in front of the team, articulating what their vision was for the squad.” Shelley Klaes
Head coach, JMU lacrosse “I view our loss to Maryland as a belief thing — like, we hadn’t beaten Maryland in a very long time, and for some reason, we had this weird mentality that they were this untouchable team,” Warden said. “We knew we were better than how we had played, and we made those adjustments and started to believe in ourselves again.” The Dukes were named the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and after earning a firstround bye, JMU faced U.Va again. Warden and senior attacker Kristen Gaudian each scored four times en route to a 15-12 JMU victory. “[One] thing about that season is every game we went into, we were always the underdog because we’re from the CAA and playing ACC teams in the playoffs,” Checkosky, a freshman in 2018, said. “That [under]dog mentality is what pushed us through those games and kind of allowed us to come out on top.” The title game against No. 4 Boston College was close throughout, with neither side leading by more than three goals at any point. Senior midfielder Elena Romesburg scored the game-winner; Warden scored four goals and was named the NCAA Championship’s Most Outstanding Player ; and Dougherty s av e d s e v e n shots. “I think that’s obviously something we’re all going to remember for a Tr ev or
Cockburn
/ Th e Breeze
CONTACT Joshua Gingrich at gingrihj@dukes.jmu.edu. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @ TheBreezeSports.
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Thursday, Febuary 3, 2022
really long time,” Dougherty said. “It’s like the ultimate victory and relief of just so much hard work … And of course being part of the first team to do it for JMU [lacrosse], that really is special and to know we’re making history just by being there.” Klaes and Warden both said the title has impacted the program’s development. Both said they’ve had players commit to JMU who might not have come if not for the 2018 run. “I definitely think [our title] threw some people for a loop because they think you need these fancy abilities and scholarships and all these highest level recruits,” Warden said. “I think it gave some of the smaller schools some hope, gave them a little grit and were like, ‘Hey, if a school like
JMU can do it, then anyone can do it.’” Dougherty and Checkosky played their first collegiate games in 2018, and they both said the run has benefitted their play over the past three seasons and helped them become mentors for younger Dukes. “Getting to play with a lot of those girls, my main goal was to be [as much of a] sponge from those upperclassmen girls as I could,” Checkosky said. “Throughout the past couple years, I’ve really tried to take other girls under my wing.” Warden and Klaes both said the championship impacted the way they coach. The 2018 season set an expectation for the program to live up to, Klaes said. “I think it sets a standard that we know what it takes and we felt what it feels like to be the best,” Klaes said. “I think it puts a lot of pressure on the program, and I think it puts a lot of pressure on me as head coach to meet that standard every single year.” While individuals might commemorate great moments in separate ways, t h e 2 0 18 t e a m d i d s o m e t h i ng t o remember it as a group. Almost everyone from that squad has “MMXVIII” — 2018 in roman numerals — tattooed on their bodies, Dougherty said. Even though the focus for JMU is on the 2022 season and earning an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, Klaes said she hopes people remember the 2018 squad as the “ultimate team.” “Everybody [was] willing to sacrifice for the good of the team and a reminder that the best team will win the game,” Klaes said. “It’s not about the individuals or the hype of the school you’re going up against, like these Power 5 schools or the all-Americans you’re facing that you played against in high school — we are a team sport, and if we can be the better team, we can beat anybody.”
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The journey back to OKC A look at JMU softball’s schedule and how the Dukes loaded the slate for another OKC run
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It wasn’t the 10-inning win, the victory over Tennessee or the late breakthrough against Liberty; it wasn’t the game-three win over No. 8 Missouri in the Super Regional or the flight to Oklahoma City. It wasn’t even the win over the top-ranked team in the country, Oklahoma, or JMU’s final victory of the 2021 campaign against the Sooners’ rival, Oklahoma State. For JMU softball head coach Loren LaPorte, her favorite memory from the Women’s College World Series was the two weeks after the final pitch — when JMU softball returned home. Those two weeks, though, were simultaneously nerve-wracking for the head coach. “You’ve formed so many close relationships with your players, and then you lose so many of those close relationships,” LaPorte said. “I was so nervous — not nervous, but excited — to build new relationships, so those first two weeks just were a lot of fun.” This offseason hasn’t been like anything the Dukes have seen in recent years. Eight of nine batters graduated, along with the majority of the defense. Yet, LaPorte and the team are optimistic this offseason with one of the biggest freshman classes in five years entering and with the asset of a pitcher who played in the World Juniors. At the same time, the Dukes have one of the toughest schedules in recent years, with multiple top-25 teams on the slate and long road trips ahead. Since JMU can’t compete in the CAA tournament, the team needs tough opponents to boost its resume for the NCAA tournament. The Dukes said that doesn’t make them any less excited, however. JMU’s season was limited in 2021 due to COVID-19, creating travel restrictions — the team didn’t see top talent until the NCAA tournament. This year, that’s changed. “I’m super excited to get out of that, to get out away from conference to play some of these bigger teams,” sophomore pitcher Alissa Humphery said. “I think that they’re going to test our team, but I’m so super excited to see how we match up against them.” LaPorte said she was happy the schedule gives the underclassmen, especially the juniors, the ability to play a full schedule facing full talent. The season in 2020 was shut down before conference play hit, and in 2021, the Dukes didn’t play their usual number of games. The head coach said the biggest impact from this is that now three classes in the program haven’t experienced what it’s like to consistently play against elite players. When the Dukes battled Liberty at the Knoxville Regional, it was the first time they’d played against top-25 talent since the Clearwater Invitational in 2020. “We did want to make [the schedule] competitive,” LaPorte said. “Our upperclassmen are our students, our seniors and our super seniors — they knew what it was about. So, we needed to make sure that we were putting them in situations where it was going to be like postseason play.” This year’s slate backs that up. The Dukes compete in five tournaments spanning from
Harrisonburg to Orlando, Florida, and battle with four games against D1 Softball’s Top 25 and an additional game against a team that received votes in the poll. The last two seasons, JMU softball’s played in the St. Pete Clearwater Elite Invitational, a February touranament that historically has hosted teams that make the NCAA tournament. JMU went in 2019 and 2020. LaPorte told The Breeze the tournament invites different teams every year but according to the schedule, the Dukes won’t compete. The reigning conference champions open at the Charlotte Invitational, where the Dukes take on the University of Connecticut, Campbell and Charlotte. They then head to Florida for the UCF Knights Classic. There, JMU battles with No. 5 Florida on day three of the tourament. The Gators fell in the Super Regionals last season to Georgia, the only other non-seeded team to make the NCAA tournament. After heading back to the Commonwealth, JMU stops at Liberty from March 4-6 for the Liberty Classic, where the Dukes battle the No. 24 Flames in an NCAA tournament rematch. In that series in 2021, the Dukes went 2-0 with a 10 inning 4-3 win and an 8-5 victory to send JMU to the Super Regionals. Then, after the home opener against Norfolk State, JMU hosts the JMU Classic. Ha r r i s o n b u r g w e l c o m e s Maryland, Lehigh and No. 10 Arkansas to Veterans Memorial Park. JMU hosts No. 13 Duke in a double header April 12. This is the second time the Blue Devils — who have been a program since 2018 — are coming to JMU. Last time, in 2019, the Dukes swept the series 2-0. Duke made it to regionals in the NCAA tournament in May. “I know everybody’s chomping at the bit to get back, start practice and be able to go and travel and play these amazing teams,” sophomore catcher Lauren Bernett said. “We’re trying to prove ourselves like we did last year with the World Series and how everybody thought we were a Cinderella story. Well, we have something to prove again.” LaPorte said the schedule was finished prior to the CAA postseason ban. Now, she said, it’s good that the schedule is just as tough so that the Dukes have the chance to get into the NCAA tournament without the conference crown. “I told them with only playing 32 ball games, we didn’t even have a chance, even [for an at-large bid last year],” LaPorte said. “This year, it’s kind of flipped — we still can get an at-large bid if we compete.” JMU softball’s schedule is filled with Power 5 teams and has a new cast of players on the roster. However, LaPorte’s optimistic and said JMU softball’s culture of competitiveness and heart can match top opposing talent. “I think this fall was just about learning each other and figuring out who we are as a team,” LaPorte said. “Their work ethic is good, they’re excited about keeping the program at a high level. Sometimes it just takes time when you have such a turnover year, but I think we have the players that have the mindset that we’re there ready to compete.”
The Dukes’ record under head coach Loren LaPorte:
148-34
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CONTACT Savannah Reger at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more softball coverage follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
All eyes on them
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Opinion | Top JMU baseball players to watch for this season
Justin Showalter (RHP) Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Chase Delauter (OF/LHP) One of the highest projected MLB draft picks in the country, redshirt junior pitcher and center field Chase DeLauter will have all eyes on him this season. With seven home runs and 40 runs in his two seasons at JMU, DeLauter went to the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Orleans Firebirds. There, he scored nine home runs and 27 runs in 34 games. Head coach Marlin Ikenberry said DeLauter had a strong pro day in October and will be a big target for scouts.
Matt Young / The Breeze
Donovan Burke (LHP) Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Trevon Dabney (OF) Redshirt junior Trevon Dabney will take over as the starting left fielder this season after hitting .274 with 12 runs and five home runs in the 2021 season. Playing in the Coastal Plains League with the Peninsula Pilots over the summer, he scored 19 runs — including three home runs. Ikenberry said Dabney performed well throughout the fall offseason and can be another potential target for draft scouts looking for a powerful hitter in their lineup.
Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
The most decorated Duke from this summer, redshirt junior pitcher Donovan Burke won two summer ball titles — first with the Valley Baseball League’s Strasburg Express and the second with Cape Cod’s Brewster Whitecaps. He led the VBL with a 2.29 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. Burke will be a pitcher who fans should keep an eye out for, focusing on his consistency this season. Ikenberry plans to start Burke on Saturdays this season after multiple seasons in the bullpen.
Travis Reifsnider (C) Matt Young / The Breeze
Nick Zona (SS/RHP) Trevor Cockburn / The Breeze
Staying in Harrisonburg yearround, redshirt junior catcher Travis Reifsnider looks to crack the Dukes’ lineup as the starting catcher. He played with the Harrisonburg Turks over the summer, earning five runs and two RBIs in 14 games. The catcher also entered the JMU record books against VMI when he hit three home runs in a single game — only the 11th player in JMU baseball history to do so.
CONTACT Madison Hricik at breezesports@ gmail.com. For more baseball coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter @TheBreezeSports.
Thursday, FEbuary 3, 2022
Redshirt junior shortstop Nick Zona enters his fourth season as the starter, following the last two seasons batting ninth in the order. Zona started in all 23 games last season, scoring 10 runs and his first collegiate home run against William & Mary. Over the summer, Zona turned his attention to pitching, helping earn the East Division Regular Season title with the Pulaski River Turtles. Expectations are that he’ll be used both as the starting shortstop and from the bullpen, Ikenberry said.
A consistent starter for the Dukes, graduate pitcher Justin Showalter is one of three starters in the pitching rotation. Going 1-2 last season with a 4.37 ERA, Showalter will look to have a career-best final season in the purple and gold and impress scouts before the draft this summer. JMU head coach Marlin Ikenberry confirmed Showalter will be the starting pitcher for series openers this season, coming as no surprise to Diamond Dukes fans.
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