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SPORTS
Baseball season in fnll swing as team hopes to knock it ont of the park
By Zachary Thontas
Staff Writer
One of Guilford College's oldest athletic traditions, the
baseball season, got underway last Wednesday against
Greensboro College, the first match in a 40-game season
that spans from February to April.
A cold, cloudy afternoon did not appear to dampen
the spirits of the white-capped, maroon jacket-wearing
Guilford team, with players lining the dugout railing
looking on and cheering teammates out on the field.
"1 have very, very high hopes for this team," said
Head Baseball Coach Nick Black of the upcoming season.
"We're deeper than we've been for a long time in many
spots. We have more quality players on the mound than
we've had in the past."
The Quakers enter this season with five returning
starters and 22 letter winners from last season. One of
ten schools in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference,
the team was picked seventh in the annual preseason
coaches' poll.
Overall, the team sports a more balanced, youthful
roster with only five seniors on the team. The pitching
staff in particular features ten newcomers.
"The biggest need going into this year from last year
recruiting-wise was for pitching," said Black, a first-year
player. "I think we're talented, but we will be young this
year."
This season, the Quakers will be without 2011 ODAC
Player of the Year Kyle Wooden '11. The Guilford
graduate and school career-hitting-leader will be
playing professionally in Sweden starting in April. In
the meantime, he will be assisting the Guilford team
by helping train outfielders and infielders, according to
Black.
The Guilford students currently on the team hold a
positive outlook for the upcoming season and hope to
grow individually and as a team.
"For me personally, it's about just getting better every
day and trying to help the team win," said first-year
Dexter Allen through an email interview.
Having played on a state championship team last year
while in high school, he expects Guilford to compete in
conference play this year.
"I'm really excited to be finally playing new teams and
seeing new pitchers," said Allen about the start of the
season.
It is a sentiment echoed by fellow first-year student
Junior left fielder Jordan Slate crosses the plate after hitting his first homer of the season. Slate finished the day 2-3, scoring twice,
as the Quakers (1-2) fell to Greensboro 6-3.The Quaker bats are back in action in a double-header against Maryville Feb. 18 beginning
at 12 p.m. on the Edgar H. McBane Field.
and Guilford baseball player Ethan Harter. "I expect the
team to finish in the top half of the conference this year.
From what I hear, we will be a team with much more
consistency than in the past," said Harter.
The team has been working since almost the beginning
of the school year to get ready for this time of the year.
"We started doing early morning conditioning about
the third week into the fall semester ... as far as official
practice, we began about a week after returning to school
from Christmas break," said junior Justin Pittman in an
e-mail interview.
A transfer student from the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, Pittman is excited just getting back
to playing baseball after not doing so at his previous
school.
"After being away from the sport of baseball for almost
three years, it is a dream come true to be able to play
again," said Pittman.
With the Quakers playing home games at Guilford's
McBane Field, Black sees plenty of good baseball on hand
for the college community.
"Man, they're all going to be good," said Black of the
team's scheduled games this season. "That's the great
thing about baseball in this area—there really aren't any
bad teams. Every team you have to play hard to win, so
they'll all be exciting."
Despite dropping the season opener to Greensboro
College 6-3, the Quakers bounced back with a 16-9 home
win against Bluefield State College Feb. 11. The Quakers
will have many chances to prove themselves on the
baseball field.
"I look forward to getting into the season and working
as hard as we can to bringing pride to Guilford College,"
said Pittman.
The Quakers will host against Maryville College on
Saturday, Feb. 18, at 12:00 p.m.
The Battleground Betties and the Elm St Nightmares
competed on Feb. 12 at the Greensboro Sports
Complex.With legal checking,fast paced roller skating,
and sexy, but fierce outfits. Roller Derby is extremely
entertaining and an exclusively female sport.The Elm
St. Nightmares took home the win for the day. If you
are interested in taking up this aggressive and thrilling
sport, visit http://www.greensbororollerderby.com/.