Former Cavs’ Pitcher Metheney Selected to Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame

February 7, 2008

Salem, Va. – Former UVa-Wise baseball pitcher Nelson Metheney will be part of five new members to be inducted in the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame. The five former baseball standouts will be welcomed to the honored group in a Sunday night, February 10 th banquet in the Salem Civic Center.

A three-year member of the Highland Cavalier diamond squad, Metheney played scholastically for Salem High. The UVa-Wise alum pitched from the 1991 through 1993 seasons under former head coach and current athletic director Ray Spenilla.

The pitcher holds two Cavs’ season pitching records for strikeouts (89) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.06) from the 1993 campaign. The 13.06 strikeouts per contest also led the NAIA in the category that season. The former hurler ranks in the program’s career list in second for earned run average (2.85), strikeouts (198) and strikeouts per game (9.90) while tied for third in wins (17). For his career, Nelson was 17-9 over 30 career games in 180.0 innings on the mound.

After three years on the Wise campus, Metheney was drafted in the eighth round by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Metheney is joined by former Cave Spring High School coach Garland Berry, Ferrum baseball coach Darren Hodges, who played for Franklin County High, Ferrum College and pitched in the New York Yankees’ organization, veteran umpire Tim Callahan, a Jefferson High graduate and long-time coach in the North Roanoke recreation program Bobby Ragland.

The banquet will have former World Series pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates Steve Blass will serve as speaker for the special induction ceremony.

Metheney has now went on to the vice president-Surety Bonding for Humphrey, Stump & Haynie, Inc. in Salem, Va.