County shocked by treasurer's arrest - Offical Contest Rules

8
Former Bulldogs will
once again play key role
in success
Ashland, VA— There’s
a buzz on the Randolph-
Macon College campus as
spring draws near and it’s
not coming from the Yellow
Jacket mascot. This buzz is
emerging from the R-MC
baseball team and the anticipation
of opening the 2011
season in a brand new complex.
With the competition
of Hugh Stephens Field at
the Estes Park complex on
campus, the R-MC baseball
team will finally have a home
to themselves.
“I’m excited for our guys
to be able to come out and
have a field to call their own,”
said head coach Ray Hedrick.
“It’s exciting for anybody
who’s ever been a part of the
Randolph-Macon baseball
program.”
Prior to this season, the
baseball team had to share
space with football because
Thursday
February 10, 2011
SPORTS: Youth, High School, College, Recreational, Professional
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Yellow Jackets buzzing about everything new
BY CHARLIE LEFFLER
cleffler@goochlandgazette.com
their fields overlapped.
“We’re excited to play,”
said first baseman Jordan
Walton.
Former Goochland standout
Brian Jordan agreed. “I’ve
really enjoyed having our
own field,” he said. “Sharing
with football was a burden
really and now that we can
do our own thing whenever
we want to, is great.”
The stadium, which features
permanent seating, a
new scoreboard, enclosed
dugouts and a press box has
been described as one of the
state’s premiere facilities.
“I think having this facility
legitimizes our program,”
Hedrick said. “Not that I
don’t think we had a legitimate
program to begin with,
but when you’re playing in a
shared facility, a dual sports
facility, it’s hard to get your
guys excited about playing
college baseball and get them
to understand what privilege
it is to play college baseball.
You come out here; this is one
of the finest facilities at any
and all levels.”
But the Yellow Jackets have
plenty to be excited about
Trevor Jenkins chooses Liberty
Goochland offensive lineman
Trevor Jenkins has signed
a national letter of intent for a
full scholarship to play football
at Liberty University. The
three year letterman committed
to Coach Danny Rocco and
the Flames in the summer of
2010.
Jenkins was a first team
Jefferson District and Region
II offensive tackle, and named
second team All-Metro by the
Richmond Times Dispatch.
Jenkins was named second team
All State by both the Associated
Press and Virginia High School
Coaches Association. Trevor
is the son of Todd and Cindy
Jenkins of Columbia.
above and beyond playing on
Hugh Stephens Field. This
year the team is also abuzz
with talent.
“This year, I think is the
best team I’ve been on at
Randolph-Macon,” said
Walton. “Everybody’s buying
into the whole program.”
And the biggest coin in
that cash crop is senior catcher
Jay Lichter who was tabbed
as the school’s first pre-season
All-American.
“That’s a guy who’s worked
extremely hard,” Hedrick said.
Lichter returns as the team’s
top hitter, batting .433 with
a .531 on-base percentage.
“All of the awards and different
things he’s been able to
achieve over the past year and
a half, he’s very deserving.”
And while Lichter cannot
play for his teammates, his
All-American status gives the
squad an added boost.
“That anchors our team,
knowing we have that leadership
behind the plate calling
the game,” Walton said. “We
feel comfortable with him.”
Senior pitcher Kyle Hicks,
another Goochland standout,
returns as the team’s top hurler
after being granted an extra
year of eligibility due to injury.
For Hicks it’s a bonus being
able to throw to a player like
Lichter. “It’s pretty comforting
knowing you have an All-
American on your team,” he
said. “I don’t think anything
will change in his mind, but it
does feel good.”
Hicks finished last season
with a 6-2 record and a 2.15
ERA with 48 strikeouts in
54.1 innings pitched.
With the NCAA rules
change mandating use of
BBCOR bats, pitching will
be the key to success in college
baseball this season. And
while it was often a setback
last year due to injury, R-MC
can boast a deeper and more
talented rotation this spring.
Photo by Charlie Leffl er
This Saturday, the Randolph-Macon baseball team is set to kick off their season in a brand new
stadium, but there is even more buzz about the talent on this year’s team.
“I think our pitching staff
has a chance to be pretty good
this year,” Hedrick said.
With Hicks, the Yellow
Jackets return five of their
top six hurlers from last season;
Hicks, Jordan, Michael
Helbig, James Bierlein and
Justin Thorn. But Jordan,
who had shoulder surgery
last summer, will not pitch
this season.
Yet even without Jordan,
the rotation has been deepened
by incoming transfers
of junior Ryan Wood and
sophomore Jamie Hendrick.
Hedrick also likes what he’s
seen from freshman Matt
Fischgrund.
Sharing time behind the
plate with Litchter will be
senior Cory Jackson.
The players on the left side
of the infield will be new
to college baseball but not
their positions, yet there is no
question about the right side
where Walton will cover first.
“Arguably the best first
baseman in our league, certainly
from a defensive standpoint,”
Hedrick said.
Along with Jordan in
the outfield, sophomore Jeb
Weymouth returns. Last year
as a freshman, Weymouth
had an immediate impact as
the team’s leading scorer, batting
.556 with a .427 on base
percentage. Hedrick feels
the best is yet to come from
Weymouth. “He has a chance
to be an All-American, All-
Region player at our level,”
Hedrick said.
With the newness of the left
infield, one player who could
make an immediate impact
because of his versatility is
freshman Kevin Carroll out of
Goochland. “He’s certainly in
the mix,” Hedrick said. “He’s
a very athletic player. He can
do a lot of different things
for your team. Heck, he can
probably play every position,
he can probably even catch…I
think he’s going to have an
opportunity to do a lot of different
things.”
When it comes to putting
the ball in play, R-MC
also returns a majority of its
hitting talent. “Offensively,
we only lost two guys out of
our lineup last year,” Hedrick
said. “So we should be able to
hold our own offensively.”
Even though they received
the most (5) first place votes
R-MC (88 pts) was tabbed
second over-all by league
coaches in the preseason
ODAC poll that was released
last week. Defending champion
Bridgewater (90 pts)
came out on top despite
only receiving four first place
votes.
The break-in period for
Hugh Stephens Field will not
be long as R-MC plays five
home games in the first week
of the season. This Saturday,
the Yellow Jackets will host St.
Mary’s of Maryland in a noon
double header then play N.C.
Wesleyan on Wed. Feb. 16. A
trip to Christopher Newport
on Thursday is followed by a
home double header against
Rowan on Feb. 19.
Local players on other
ODAC teams this season
include former Goochland
player Colby Carter who
is a freshman infielder at
Hampden-Sydney and
Benedictine’s Guy Hatch,
a sophomore pitcher for
Virginia Wesleyan.