Baseball Opens Friday
February 13, 2003 11:02 AM | General
February 13, 2003
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – West Virginia University baseball coach Greg Zant has no illusions about opening the season with the No. 7-ranked team in the country. He knows his team is facing a daunting task Friday at Wake Forest.
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| Baseball coach Greg Van Zant begins his ninth season at West Virginia. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
“They’re not the No. 7 team in the country for nothing,” he said.
West Virginia is looking to recover from last year’s disappointing 24-26 season that saw the Mountaineers lose 10 of their last 14 games.
Van Zant, now in his ninth season at WVU, has to reassemble a pitching staff that has had eight players drafted in the last two years.
“You just can’t lose as many arms as we’ve had in the last two years without rebuilding,” said the coach. “But we’ve got some kids that can pitch.”
West Virginia also had the weakest offense in the Big East last season scoring a conference-worst 275 runs in 50 games, an average of just 5.5 runs per game in a college game known for high offensive production.
West Virginia only hit 37 home runs as a team and had a slugging percentage of just .416.
Van Zant has taken all of that under consideration, but his biggest worry has been something he has absolutely no control over.
“This is the first time since I’ve been here that we haven’t been outside at least once before opening the season,” he said. “The fewest number of times we’ve been outside in the past I think is three times.”
West Virginia’s extraordinarily cold temperatures in January and February have forced the team to workout indoors. And while football’s indoor practice field is a magnificent facility for the baseball team to use, the Mountaineers can’t simulate fly balls or completely go over outfield defense.
Van Zant says some of the simplest things will be done for the first time Thursday when his team arrives in Winston-Salem for an afternoon workout.
“Some of our guys are just lacing their new spikes,” he said. “We’ll be breaking in new shoes today for the first time.”
Van Zant will also be breaking in a new pitching staff that includes just two pitchers with extensive experience in senior righthander Jason DiAngelo and sophomore lefthander Zac Cline.
DiAngelo posted a 1-3 record last year and has pitched well enough in the fall to warrant being the team’s No. 1 starter to begin the season on Friday.
Cline pitched well at times last year as a freshman and blanked No. 3 Wake Forest for six innings in Morgantown before losing, 4-1. Cline had a 4-5 record as a freshman and is expected to get the start Saturday.
Touted freshman righthander Brandon Halstead could get the start on Sunday if he isn’t used in relief on either Friday or Saturday.
When he’s not pitching, Halstead will also start in left field and join a lineup that returns six starters from last season.
Van Zant says his opening day lineup will be comprised of junior center fielder Jarod Rine hitting leadoff, followed by senior second baseman Eric Grimm, junior first baseman Kurtis Clinton, senior third baseman Tim McCabe, sophomore shortstop Grant Psomas, junior designated hitter Derek Cisar, sophomore right fielder Lee Fritz, Halstead, and sophomore catcher Travis D’Amico.
“I think those nine are pretty solid,” said Van Zant. “I think we’re capable of being a pretty good offensive team and we have a chance to score some runs this year.”
Wake Forest comes into the series with a 1-1 record. After pounding Appalachian State 26-0 in its season opener, the Demon Deacons dropped a 4-1 decision to Elon Wednesday.
Wake returns its top four hitters from last year and one of the nation’s top pitchers in All-American lefthander Kyle Sleeth.
“The first three batters in their lineup are lefthanded,” said Van Zant. “And we expect to see Sleeth on Sunday.”
The coach sees this weekend’s three-game series as an opportunity to measure his program against one of the top teams in the country.
“We’ve got to play good teams early,” he said. “Hopefully we can go out there and play well and get some confidence.”
Notebook: Wake Forest leads the all-time series 10-2 including last year’s 4-1 win in Morgantown …West Virginia is just 2-8 in its last 10 season openers … senior Tim McCabe is currently fourth on the school’s home run list with 24 … McCabe needs five home runs to pass Steve Rolen (1986-89) for third place with 28 … Mark Landers (1991-94) holds the school record with 32 … West Virginia was picked to finish 10th in the preseason Big East poll ahead of just Georgetown … McCabe was the only player named to the preseason all-Big East team … West Virginia’s last win against a Top 10-ranked team came in 1999 when the Mountaineers defeated No. 9 Ohio State, 8-6 in Morgantown.
