Sports
Rob Vernon leads Bulldog
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
f,'C were able to accomplish that.”
This year, Vernon leads the
Bulldogs with 38 RBIs, 34 runs,
63 hits, six home runs and a slug
ging percentage of .644. His bat-
ling average, .387, is second
Khind freshman Justin Schumer,
ivho only has 29 at bats.
“There are always things that
j’m working on,” the senior said,
pin terms of numbers I’ve obvi
ously improved this year from
last year. I’d like to think that I’m
nore mature and a little bit
Dil _
??
I’ll certainly look back at my
)ime here and have a lot of
fond memories, especially our
fchampionship season
Rob Vernon
Senior Outfielder
imarter.”
Last seaspn Vernon batted .330,
ith 37 runs, 59 hits, seven home
ns and a .547 slugging percent-
ge-
As a coach, it’s been a pleasure
to coach him and watch him
come a better baseball player,”
tewart said.
Vernon said UNC Asheville
aseball provided him with a
eat opportunity. He leaves the
ulldogs hoping that he made a
sitive impact on the team and
NC Asheville athletics in gener
al.
“I’ll certainly look back at my
' Jme here and have a lot of fond
memories,” Vernon said.
^Especially our championship
ason, the teams that we’ve been
le to play and the places we’ve
en able to go.”
Vernon is set to graduate in May
ith a degree in literature.
He hopes to continue his base-
iy,!jall career after graduating, and
„ kave his name in the record book
Trey Bouvier - Staff Photographer
Rob Vernon leads the Bulldogs in RBIs with 38, runs with 34 hits
with 64 slugging percentage with .635 and home runs with six.
Against Gardner-Webb on Tuesday Vernon went 1-4 from the plate.
at UNC Asheville. The only base
ball player active in the major
leagues is Ty Wigginton, who
plays third base for the Tampa
Bay Devil Rays. No former-play
ers are currently active in the
minor leagues, but 17 Bulldogs
have been drafted since 1989.
“That’s always been one of my
goals, ever since I was a little
kid,” Vernon said. “If I keep play
ing well 1 think I’ll have the
opportunity, but a lot of it’s luck
and timing.”
Sit Oh the
Bench
AND SUPPORT
YOUR BASEBALL
TEAM!
April 20
bulldogs V. High Point
? p.lM.
® Oreenwood Field
Baseball Tennis
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
ter and we are all going out there
playing tough to the end.”
Radford series
The sweep against the Radford
Highlanders marks the first BSC
series sweep by the Bulldogs since
they did it last year against VMl.
In the first game of the series there
was precision pitching by junior
Alan DeRatt. DeRatt went a sea-
son-high seven innings giving up
two runs on ten hits. Sophomore
Jordan Dorsett pitched the final
innings allowing just one walk.
“The series we had with Radford
was a good one for us,” said
Whited. “When
we got them
down early, we
kept them
down. In some
of our past
games this sea
son we have not
been able to
close the door
on teams and
we did that
Alan DcRan
against them.
“They are a good ball team, but
when we get ahead four or five
runs and add on to that every
inning it’s going to be hard to
come back on us.”
Alan DeRatt, Josh Lett and
Graham Baughn picked up the
three victories over the weekend.
“We had some great individual
performances this weekend,”
Baughn said. “Alan DeRatt threw
really well for us. Getting Ben
Buchanan back on the mound
proved to be huge as well, and he
got the win in the second game on
Friday and came in for the save on
Saturday.”
In game two of the series,
Vernon hit his sixth home run of
the season with a man on board in
the first inning to put the Bulldogs
up 2-0. Smith made it 3-0 with a
solo home run in the second
inning, his .second of the .season.
Radford made five errors in the
bottom of the seventh inning
allowing five Bulldogs to score on
just one hit.
The Bulldogs added to the lead
with two runs in the eighth to make
the score 11-4. The final score was
11-5.
“We came ready to play, and we
hit the ball really well and pitched
well too,” Mattison said. “We also
capitalized on Radford’s mistakes,
which were also a key to put them
away and not let them in the game.
Timely hits and good stop innings
from our pitchers were a big part
of our success in the game.”
In the final installment of the
weekend sweep. Smith went 3-5
with an RBI and junior infielder
Elliott Arrington went 2-3 with
two RBIs as the Bulldogs won 5-3.
Baughn, the starter for the
Bulldogs, gave up only two hits
through six innings.
Closing the game for the
Bulldogs on the mound was junior
Ben Buchannan who racked up his
11th save of his career as a
Bulldog, tying former Bulldog
Jason Tyner for the career saves
record.
“It was huge for us to sweep
Radford,” Baughn said. “Their
record might not indicate it, but
they are a pretty good hitting team
who beat one of the best pitchers in
the conference the weekend before
they played us. For us to come out
and get three Big South
Conference wins was huge.
Getting the sweep gave us lots of
confidence heading into another
big series this upcoming weekend
against High Point.”
'aGSOum:
CONFEfieMCi
Baseball Rankings
singles and doubles matches.
Rhoney’s younger sister plays
for Mars Hill tennis team at the
No. 5 spot.
The Bulldogs (4-11, 0-7 BSC),
seeded last in the conference face
first place Winthrop (8-14, 7-0
conference) in the Big South
Conference Tournament.
The Bulldogs lost 7-0 to the
Eagles in their March 31 face-off.
“It’s a David and Goliath
match,” head coach Larry
Hubbard said.
If the Bulldogs fall, it will be
Rhoney’s last match.
Hubbard said he hopes assistant
CONTINUED FROM PAGE
coach Joanna Cahi will stay wit
the program for the next two year
as she completes her Master’s i
ii
It’s a David and Goliath
match.
Larry Hubbard
on rlic uiK'oniin>i; tcmii.s
match against W’mthrop
Western Carolina University.
On Thursday, heavy winds can
celled the women’s match again;
Brevard College.
S K Y L A N D
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// Stay In the Game !!
Are any of the MIowing problems
interfering with your ability to play
to your potential?
♦ Shoulder Pain ♦ Knee Injury
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1. Coastal Carolina (8-1)
2. Winthrop (8-1)
3. UNCA (7-5)
4. High Point (6-6)
5. VMI (5-4)
6. Liberty (5-4)
7. Charleston So. (2-10)
8. Radford (1-11)
4
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