■
Page Four, THE HILLTOP, March 23, 1978
Arrival of Spring Sports
Baseball: Pitching
Key to Success
to have
stated
“We’ve got a good chance
our first winning season ever
Coach A1 Ferguson.
Considering that the baseball program
can offer no scholarships and that the
Lions face their toughest schedule in
history, a winning team might be a tall
order for Ferguson in his third year as
the Mars Hill baseball mentor. And yet
among the players and coaches there
abound high hopes and a confidence
that must be present among winners.
Offense will once again be the team's
greatest strength. Last season the Linns
batted a phenomenal .314 as a squad,
and since they lost only two players to
graduation and transfer, they promise
to show more of that explosiveness that
produced an average of over six runs a
game.
First cousins Tim and Danny Miller
both hit in the high .300’s, and both
return this year at shortstop and second
base, respectively. Rick Owens, Ricky
Anderson, and Frank Maennle all re
turn from starting roles and give sta
bility to the outfield. Porky Spencer
will likely start as the first sacker, and
Jeff Treadway holds down third base,
with freshman Randy Parton likely to
Com
plete
see action at the latter position,
peting for the spot behind the
are Jeff Davis and Jeff West.
A large determinant of a possible
winning season lies in the pitching staff.
Chris McKinnon and Dickie King re
turn as experienced hurlers. But much
lies on the shoulders of three young men
pitching their first years of collegiate
ball. Doug Maybin, Eric Mann, and Pat
Jones look to silence the bats of opposing
players. Assisting with the development
of the pitching staff will be Tom Wood,
a member of the Physical Education
faculity.
The Mars Hill baseball season is tra
ditionally a hectic one, and this campaign
is no exception. The Lions play 28 games
in 44 days in what Coach Ferguson calls
“our toughest schedule ever.”
The Lions make the transition from
District 6 to 26 this year. At the season’s
conclusion, the top four teams in the
district will compete in a playoff to
determine who goes to the national
tournament.
Tug McGraw of the New York Mets
recently coined a phrase which simply
stated: “Ya gotta believe.” And the Lion
players believe they’re the best base
ball team Mars Hill has ever sponsored.
The 1978 Mars Hill College Tennis Team, Photo by Archie
Lytton’s PactExtended
Mars Hill’s Cage Boss
Baseball season is underway as shown
here by recent practice by the Lion base
ball team.
Editor’s Note;
This article was reprinted from The
Asheville-Cilizen Times written by
Sports Writer, Miles D. Morgan.
The Board of Trustees of the Athletic
Committee at Mars Hill announced Tues
day that Jack Lytton, basketball coach
at the college for the past eight years,
has had his contract extended.
Athletic Director Claude Gibson and
Dr. Fred B. Bentley met with the board
in a three-hour meeting and recommend
ed the extension.
“One thing that was taken into con
sideration was his consistency over the
past eight years,” Gibson said. “He
has had well-coached basketball teams,
he is a fine person and he gets along
with his players.
“When knowledgeable people recog
nize what happened to him this year
with the attrition problems and the in
jury problems, they know the year was
tough for him.” Lytton’s team finished
7-22.
“Primarily,” said Gibson, “we have
confidence that he can turn the program
around and bring success in basketball
to Mars Hill in the future. He needs a
good recruiting year and he recognizes
that. He is the type of guy that is a dedi
cated professional and we are glad to
have him.”
Lytton entered the year with an over
all 110-116 mark. He has carried the
Lions to district playoffs three of the last
four years.
However, the Lions never got untrack
ed this season as five players quit the
team, one was lost to academic inelig
ibility, and all five starters at the end
of the year missed playing time with
illness or injuries at one time or another.
The 35-year-old Lytton, who came to
Mars Hill in 1970, said, “I’m pleased for
the vote of confidence and I
tli^l
gqL
the things that happened to our
this year are not the type of thing®
are going to occur very often.
“I fully expect, with the
gained by our players this past » ^
and with our bringing in some jjni
emits, that we will be comp® giit
with every one of our opponents
schedule next year,” Lytton said, .[jail
“The future for Mars Hill ba® ^ jt®
luc luiuit; lui iviaib mix
looks bright at this point and I'm
be a part of it and to get the vote ■V
fidence. My aim is to see the p®'
continue to grow.” ]fi'
Lytton also announced that
has signed its first recruit:
gan, who played for state 4-A cha
Hunter Huss two years ago.
Pagan, a 6-3, 180-pound
had been at Middle Georgia l,{o(
College in Cochran, Ga. He 1®
a year and averaged 10 points a
rebounds a game.
He left the school recently and ® ,
ed at Mars Hill Monday so m
would be eligible next season.
His junior and senior years. ® gii>
averaged better than 17.5 poin ®
9 rebounds. He led the team tl’*
and rebounding and was named
all-state team.
He also was voted the most yn
player on Huss’s team his senin®
and he holds the school record pS'
reer rebounds. Pagan is second
reer scoring. Jit
“We feel like Chuck is a qaabW
er that has the potential to becom^ jjs-
of the outstanding players in n ^^1®
trict. He has exceptional leaping
ty, good quickness and he is
shooter. He is a very
and we are glad to
added.
^ h) /
unselfish P poi*
have him.
J’son, i
S"? sea
G ‘he
'hyeri
■Vk,
\ tv
NB;
Scotty M
Blen
Mew
teni
Jhroug
o{
Tr
a
On I
i>the
»'hat int,
mwili
>‘.whi
j'ae to