8 | SPORTS
FRIDAY APRIL 23, 2010
THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Baseball welcomes Pitt for series BY MICHAEL CARVELLI SPORTS WRITER
The West Virginia baseball team will have its work cut out when it welcomes No. 24 Pittsburgh to Morgantown for a three-game series that begins today. First pitch for Friday’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Hawley Field. It will be the second “Dollar Night” of the season. All tickets and select concessions will be available for $1 each. In Wednesday’s 23-6 win against Duquesne, the Mountaineers (17-20, 3-9 Big East Conference) set their season high in runs and had 23 base hits, while hitting four home runs. “We don’t put a lot of stock in stuff we did in one game helping us in the next one,” said West Virginia head coach Greg Van Zant. “If we can just go out there, swing the bats and keep getting better, we should be fine this weekend.” Pittsburgh also picked up a win Wednesday, beating Youngstown State 21-12.The win improved the Panthers’ record to 27-10. The dangerous Pittsburgh offense is coming into the series hitting a staggering .363 as a team and it has outscored opponents 354-233 this year. “We just have to go out and play the game and not worry about how good they are,” Van Zant said. “It is a big challenge. They have a lot of very good hitters in their lineup.” Like it is for every other sport, this series represents the biggest rivalry for the baseball team, especially with the schools being only an hour and a half away from each other.
CAREY Continued from PAGE 5 of an immediate impact. While Austin has the tools and work ethic for a strong sophomore season, his inexperience and 173-pound structure may not make him the perfect fit alongside Devine and Sanders. Still, Austin should receive at least 10 touches per game with his tremendous explosiveness
“Anytime that we play, it’ll be a rivalry game,” Van Zant said. “We like to beat them, and they like to beat us. The game always comes down to who wants it more and who can execute better on the field.” Van Zant said another interesting part of the rivalry is that since the schools are so close geographically, they recruit many of the same players. Oftentimes a few players on one team will have either played with or against players on the other team at some point prior to their college careers, Van Zant said. During the weekend, the Mountaineers will hope to keep their great offensive output alive, and much of that could be put on the back of shortstop Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko, who was named by ESPN’s Keith Law as one of the top 50 prospects for the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft, is crushing the ball in the early part of the season, hitting .359 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI out of the leadoff spot. “Jedd just goes out and doesn’t worry about what he can’t control,” Van Zant said. “That draft is completely out of his hands. All he can do is go out and play well, play hard and prepare. He’s definitely one of the best players in college baseball, and I’d like to find a person who is a better hitter than he is.” Junior outfielder Dom Hayes is also putting up good numbers at the plate. Hayes currently leads the team with a .420 batting average, and 17 of his team-leading 63 hits on the season have been for extra bases. Normally when West Virginia begins a weekend series, all-Big
East pitcher Jarryd Summers takes the mound, but according to Van Zant, that might not be the case this weekend. “We got rained out last Friday, so (Jarryd) didn’t get to pitch until Saturday,” Van Zant said.
“We’re going to wait and see how he feels after practice (Thursday) before we determine if he’ll pitch in Game 1 or if he’ll go later on in the weekend.”
and ability to create in the open field. Another receiver likely to play a big role in WVU’s offense is Brad Starks. Starks was third on the team in receptions (29) and yards (405) last season. He has the ability to stretch the field but must use his 6-foot-3 frame to become a better go-to possession wideout. Starks has been unable to take contact throughout spring practice, as he is still recovering from a sprained ankle suffered in a
pickup basketball game. The one potential offensive weapon that stands out from the rest West Virginia has to offer is running back Ryan Clarke. Clarke is a nearly 250-pound bruising backfield presence who wears down defenses and provides the Mountaineers with a change of pace. Clarke will be a key component of this year’s offense, as he is likely to get the call in the majority of short-yardage situations.
As a freshman, Clarke scored eight touchdowns and averaged 4.2 yards on 60 carries. He may be poised for a breakout sophomore season, but it remains to be seen how much of a workload Clarke can handle. He was redshirted two seasons ago for being overweight and spent the beginning portion of this spring running up and down the steps at Mountaineer Field to get in better shape. Offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen would like nothing more than to be able to count on a number of guys, but he must figure out how to make it all work. “I’m real excited about our first four or five skill guys, and I’m happy with the other ones. It’s just that they’re not ready,” Mullen said after a recent practice. If he has similar thoughts come fall, opposing defenses will know who to key in on, and West Virginia will fail to average 27 points for a third consecutive season.
McDavid adjusting to life in Morgantown BY MATTHEW PEASLEE SPORTS WRITER
CHELSI BAKER/THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Junior Jedd Gyorko hits a home run against Connecticut April 3.
james.carvelli@mail.wvu.edu
gregory.carey@mail.wvu.edu
SAFETY Continued from PAGE 5 As the safeties continue to excel, Sands believes the veterans are helping form a bond that could make the unit a special group this season. “There is more experience at the safety position this year. It is a lot of hard work and dedication on our part. We watch extra film and put in the extra hours,” Sands said. “We also talk out there. Communication is a big key to our defense.” gregory.carey@mail.wvu.edu
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Justin McDavid came nearly 3,000 miles from his hometown of Queen City, Ariz., to play baseball at West Virginia University. The Mountaineer catcher still hasn’t quite made it. McDavid, who transferred from Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Ariz.) to WVU for the 2010 season, lives with his aunt and uncle in Bruceton Mills, W.Va., – a 40-minute commute from the WVU campus. “It’s definitely tough,” McDavid said of his daily drive. “I have to make sure I have everything packed early in the morning because the days get long with class and practice.” It may be a hefty downside in being a Division I baseball player, but after all, McDavid brought it upon himself. With family living in the surrounding area, attending West Virginia University had always been in the back of the junior’s mind. Even after high school, he briefly talked with WVU head coach Greg Van Zant on possibilities of coming to Morgantown before opting to stay closer to home and play at New Mexico State. He transferred to CGCC after a one-year stop at Central Arizona College. Once his eligibility at junior colleges expired, McDavid knew he needed a change of scenery and found his way to Morgantown with a bit of persistence along with what he calls “dumb luck.” “I ended up sending coach (Van Zant) an e-mail in the summer, and he said they were look-
ing for someone to fill in as a role player,” he said. “And here I am.” With 10 former junior college transfers, McDavid knew Van Zant had always been welcome to developing older players who transfer to WVU. And while Van Zant admittedly did not recruit McDavid, after a season where he is batting .310 along with 31 RBI and 19 runs scored, the coach is glad McDavid kept the Mountaineers in mind. “McDavid has been a really big surprise for us,” Van Zant said. “He just showed up from Arizona. He wasn’t a guy that we recruited, so anytime you get some productivity out of a guy that you didn’t even know about, that is pretty good.” While McDavid is listed in his natural position of catcher, the junior has been used in more of a utility role by Van Zant. All 28 of his starts have come at first base – a position McDavid says he is becoming comfortable at. He has started every game for the Mountaineers at first base since WVU’s matchup with Illinois March 7. “McDavid has been great,” said WVU shortstop Jedd Gyorko. “He has confidence and swings the bat like he belongs at this level.” Although it has been harder than he previously expected, McDavid said he has no regrets about how he came about playing Division I baseball. “It’s been worth every bit,” he said. “I enjoy just being out on the field and playing for this team any way I can.” matthew.peaslee@mail.wvu.edu
Rowing travels north for Big East Championship BY JAMIE MCCRACKEN SPORTS WRITER
The West Virginia rowing team will head to Worcester, Mass., Sunday to compete in the Big East Conference Championship Regatta. The Mountaineers will enter five boats in the Regatta including two varsity 8+ boats, two varsity 4+ boats and a novice 4+. It’s the largest team WVU has taken to the championship. The last two years the team was able to enter just three events. “We’ve changed some of our lineups,” said WVU head coach Jimmy King. “Most notably in the two varsity 8+ boats and the varsity fours in search of better matchups within those crews. Hopefully it made both more competitive than they were before. “We have spent more time working on our shifts from the start down to base rate and up from base to sprint.” Senior co-captain Caroline Rettig said this week’s practices have been strong, and the team is prepared heading into the championship. “I’ve been trying to make our goals clear,” Rettig said. “I’ve just been trying to make sure (my teammates) have been pushing themselves hard enough so that those goals are attainable.” The Mountaineers will hit the water against seven clubs including last year’s Big East Champion Notre Dame. The
No. 16 Fighting Irish have had another strong year and are favored to win again. Although Notre Dame will be one of the tougher opponents the Mountaineers will face this weekend, the team will also be contending against Connecticut, Rutgers, Villanova, Syracuse, Louisville and Georgetown. “Like in running and swimming, everyone has a good idea of which crews are the favorites based on prior race performances,” King said. “So it’s more a matter of trying to race your best and finish higher than your seed.” The team will be racing in Lake Quinsigamond – a lake known for its blustery environment. “Wind is the predominant concern at Lake Quinsigamond,” King said. “If there is a quartering head or tailwind, it can affect the fairness of the racecourse.” The first heats will get underway at 8:10 a.m. Sunday. “Our team’s expectations are similar to other races,” King said. “Our crews will focus on the things we can impact – our race day preparation, focus and racing – rather than what the other crews are doing, which is beyond our control. “But it is the Big East, so we also have added motivation to perform at our best.” jamie.mccracken@mail.wvu.edu
Taking Applications for Fall 2010 Employment E
The Daily Athenaeum’s Distribution Department is looking for responsible, student employees to fill the following positions:
Delivery Driver Distribution Box Foreman Applications available at the Daily Athenaeum, 284 Prospect St. Please include a Fall 2010 class schedule