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AAC TOURNAMENT BEGINS

Cavs Seek First AAC Tournament Title
May 4, 2004

UVa-Wise begins its quest for its first Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament title beginning Wednesday when the team opens conference postseason play against Bluefield College. The Cavaliers have won the AAC's regular season crown twice in the past three seasons (2002 and 2004), but have never won the tournament.

For the Record UVa-Wise (36-6 overall, 25-3 in the AAC, 1st place) has rolled off an impressive string of 12 consecutive wins and has won 19 of their last 21 games. Earlier in the season, UVa-Wise broke its old school record of 30 victories in a season, set way back in 2001.

Opening game Wednesday's AAC Tournament opening-round game against Bluefield College marks the fifth meeting between the two teams this season. UVa-Wise won the season series 4-0.

Last time on the diamond Krystal Showers smacked a one-out, walk-off double to left field in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday (April 29) to clinch the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season title for UVa-Wise in a dramatic 1-0 victory over Milligan College in game one of a doubleheader at Hilltop Park. Showers' two-bagger scored pinch runner Meagan Jones from first base and put the Cavaliers two games ahead of second-place Milligan with only a game remaining to play in the regular season. In that finale, Showers again provided the game-winner with a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning to give UVa-Wise a 1-0 win in the nightcap.

The Coach Jimmy Mitchell took over April 2 as interim head coach of the UVa-Wise softball team following Wayne Leftwich's resignation from the position. Mitchell, a former softball coach at Powell Valley High School, will guide the team throughout the remainder of the 2004 season. The Cavaliers are 21-3 (through the regular season) since Mitchell took over the squad.

Top performers For the third consecutive week, the UVa-Wise softball team had the AAC's top players of the week on its roster. On Wednesday, April 29, conference officials announced April Damron had been voted the AAC's Pitcher of the Week by the league's coaches. Also, the coaches selected UVa-Wise senior shortstop Jennifer Law the conference's Player of the Week. The previous week, Melissa Barnes received the Player of the Week honor; Kendall Rainey picked up the honor the week before. Damron's award was her second in three weeks. Sophomore hurler Dani Benton was top AAC pitcher for April 22.

Goodbye to Hilltop Last Thursday's doubleheader wins over Milligan College marked the end of the Cavaliers' Hilltop Park. Beginning with the 2005 season, UVa-Wise will compete in a new ballpark located behind Greear Gymnasium on the UVa-Wise campus. The Cavaliers were 13-1 at Hilltop this season, only losing a 12-4 non-conference game to Lincoln Memorial University there on April 8.

Wins Queen The next time April Damron gets a win in the circle for UVa-Wise, it will tie Stephanie Brumfield's school record of 16 pitching victories in a season. Brumfield set the record as a senior in 2001. Junior Nichole Poore is not far behind with 13 wins. The duo had only three losses between them during the regular season.

Tossing goose eggs The UVa-Wise softball pitching staff has tossed 24 consecutive scoreless innings, and has allowed only one run in its last 30 innings pitched. The last opponent to score on the Cavaliers was Virginia Intermont College when the Cobras picked up a run in the top of the seventh on Tuesday (April 27) in the Cavsâ 6-3 win. UVa-Wise has shutout its opponents in half the games it has played this season (21 of 42 games).

Hitting the national scene According to statistics posted on dakstats.com, UVa-Wise leads the nation with a .324 batting average.

Senior moments Three seniors, April Damron, Heather Gentry and Jennifer Law, played their final games at Hilltop Park last Thursday. Interim coach Jimmy Mithcell said Damron "may have pitched the best game of her career" after she blanked Milligan to win the AAC regular season title. Both Gentry and Law struggled a bit at the plate -- most of the Cavaliers did against the tough Milligan pitching -- but were at their best defensively, creating a black hole for ground balls and pop flys on the left side of the infield. Gentry and Law combined for 10 assists, getting to every ground ball hit near them and frustrating Milligan batters a few times by gobbling up what seemed to be sure singles. In game two, Law, who had four putouts, made a spectacular running catch on a pop fly in shallow left-field territory to record a key out in game two.

Dean of swing UVa-Wise sophomore Megan Dean has been swinging a hot bat since entering the starting lineup in early April. Dean, who has receveived considerable playing time in right field since Jimmy Mitchell took over as the Cavaliers interim coach, is hitting .433 with a double and nine RBI in 30 at-bats.