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I
10 • The Red and Black • Thursday, April 5. 1990
■ FANFARE
SPORTS
The Georgia Ruggers took the April Fool's Day tournament title
last weekend in Clemson with a combined score of 105-14. The
club takes on Old White of Atlanta Saturday at 1 p.m. at the In
tramural Reids.
New, improved Diamond Dogs set sights on championship
By ERIC GARBER
Sports Writer
Roughly halfway through this
season, it seems that the Georgia
baseball team has effectively filled
last year’s holes and has molded its
youth and experience into a suc
cessful squad that may make a
push for the SEC title.
The 15th-ranked Diamond Dogs
are 26-7 overall (before Wednesday
night’s game against Augusta),
and if it wasn’t for a disappointing
Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.,
against Vanderbilt last weekend,
which saw the team lose both
games of a doubleheader, the team
would find itself atop the SEC.
However, even with the losses,
Georgia is 6-3 in the conference
and owns second place, just one
game behind Mississippi State (7-
2, 20-7).
“We’ve played well up to now,”
Georgia coach Steve Webber said, a
big challenge ahead of us, and the
players know that."
Even with the departure of
catcher Roger Miller and his 45 ca
reer home runs last spring, the
1990 team has managed to win
seven more games than last year’s
team at this time. Catchers Terry
Childers and Tommy Owen have
combined for 16 RBI in Miller’s ab
sence and have committed only two
errors.
In addition, Webber has found
three consistent starting pitchers
in All-American Dave Fleming (5-
2, 3.06 ERA), Mike Rebhan (6-2,
2.61 ERA), and Tom Zdanowicz (3-
0, 4.10 ERA). Seniors Matt
Hoitsma (3-0, 5.14 ERA) and Joe
Kelly (1-0, 4.34 ERA), although
shaky at times, have added an ef
fective complement to the staff.
Out of the bullpen, left-hander
Ray Kirschner has chipped in one
save and has a 2.05 ERA in 22 in
nings pitched.
“You really have to put the
season in perspective,” Webber
said. “We still have the majority of
the SEC schedule left and that will
be our staff's real test.”
To brighten Webber’s picture
even more, freshman left-nander
Stan Payne, who has missed sev
eral weeks with mononucleosis, is
expected back within seven to 10
davs. Kendall Rhine, who at 6-7
played SEC championship basket
ball team, is also expected to join
the team and looks to be the team’s
future closer.
From an offensive standpoint,
Georgia is also much improved
over last season. This season’s
team batting average (.312) is 30
points higher than last spring’s
and Georgia’s 40 homers thus far
are only eight under last year’s
total. The fact that the Diamond
Dogs can find power without
Miller, who hit 10 nomers with 68
RBI in 1989, indicates that this
team has come together offen
sively.
Fortunately for the Diamond
Dogs, their offensive consistency
masks their glaring weakness —
the lack of team speed. As a team,
Georgia has swiped just 16 bases
this season. Last year the team fin
ished with 43 stolen bases.
However, with designated hitter
Brian Jester (.411) and third
baseman Jeff Cooper (.331) hitting
seven home runs to lead the team,
speed has not been a necessity.
Diamond Dog Doings: Georgia
plays Tennessee three times this
weekend.
Peter Frey/The Red and Black
BASEBALL ACTION: Georgia’s Doug Radziewicz takes second on a slide in a recent
Diamond Dog victory. The 15th-ranked team’s record is 26-7 overall.
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FLEMING
From page 1
balls that had us leaning,” Tiger
assistant coach Billy Best said. “It
sounds simple to do, but many
people have failed to gain that kind
of control. He’s a great pitcher from
a fine baseball program.”
Fleming's control can be seen in
his stats. In almost three years at
Georgia, Fleming has walked 99
batters, while striking out 215.
That’s equivalent to just 3.3 bases
on balls per nine innings, com
pared to 7.23 strikeouts per nine.
Last season, the Diamond Dogs as
a team walked 4.3 batters per nine
innings, while averaging 6.8
strikeouts.
This past summer, Fleming
toured the country with the United
States Amateur Baseball Team
and had a chance to pitch against
top-notch competition.
“It was a great experience to
play people from Oregon, Wash
ington, and even Cuba and Puerto
Rico,” Fleming said. “After the
summer ended, I felt tired so I
didn’t pitch during the fall season.
I think that gave my arm some
rest.”
Fleming has won 22 career
games against 13 losses, while
holding a steady 3.15 ERA at
Georgia. He also holds the school
record for most complete games
pitched in a season (10 in 1989).
Georgia coach Steve Webber,
who has helped develop major
league pitchers Derek Lilliquist
and Cris Carpenter at Georgia,
and John Tudor at Georgia
Southern, knows the value of a
southpaw to pro teams.
“Fleming’s success speaks for it
self,” Webber said. ‘There is a
shortage of good left-handed
itchers across the country. Dave
as enough poise to adjust to ups
and downs and maintain control.
He has a good attitude that allows
him to find ways out of tricky situ
ations."
Said Fleming, “I’ve been playing
ball since I was six-years old so I
basically know what I have to do.
But if I lose control, it’s nice to
know that he (Webber) will come
out there and help me calm down. I
know he has had a lot of experience
with pitchers.”
Although his career has been
filled with success, Fleming has
had some rough times. In 1988,
Fleming was hit by a line drive in
batting practice and suffered a con
tusion to the brain that kept him
out of action for two weeks.
Tt wasn’t as serious as some
people thought,” Fleming said
about his ir\jury. “We didn’t even
know about it until it came up later
in a few tests. It was a little fright
ening, but it didn’t affect my atti
tude toward the sport.”
So, what else has Fleming done
at Georgia?
• He holds the SEC tournament
record for fewest hits allowed in a
game at three (Florida, 1989).
• He led the SEC with a 2.08
ERA in 1989 and has been named
an All-American by Baseball
America .
• He is second on the all-time
Georgia list for games won in a
season (12 in 1989).
“Everyone has a lot of confidence
when Dave is out there,” catcher
Terry Childers said. “He is very
easy to work with because of his
great control, especially against
left-handed batters. I don’t know of
any left-handers that can hit him.”
Everything aside, Fleming, who
has not chosen an academic mqjor,
puts his baseball career in perspec
tive.
‘The days I play in the majors
are a long way off," he said. “Right
now, I just have to concentrate on
my opportunities today. I still need
to work.”
Superpitcher Dave Fleming: In Diamond Dog action
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UNIVERSITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS
STUDENT MEMBERS
I he deadline for petitions of candidacy for election to the University Council as a
student member from the schools and colleges listed below has been extended.
Agriculture
Arts and Sciences
Business Administration
Education
Environmental Design
Forest Resources
Graduate School
Home Economics
Journalism and Mass Communication
These elections will be held April 17, 1990 in conjunction with the Campus wide
elections. Any regularly enrolled, full-time student of sophomore level or above
in good academic and disciplinary standing is elegible to qualify for election. Un
dergraduate students must be elected by the students in their respective school or
college. Graduate students may be elected by graduate students to represent the
Graduate School or may stand for election by the undergraduate students enrolled
in the school or college which directs their degree program. No graduate student
may qualify simultaneously in both categories.
Petitions for candidacy are available in the Office of Student Affairs, 201 Academic
Building and at the Information Desk in the Tate Student Center. Completed peti
tions are due and must be retuned to the Student Affairs no later than 5:00 p.m.,
Wednesday, April 11.1990.
For more information contact the Office of Student Affairs.
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