Wake Forest Athletics
Men's Baseball Hosts Davidson
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
February 16, 1999
DEMON DEACONS HOST DAVIDSON, VISIT GEORGIA THIS WEEK
After winning two of three games versus Evansville last weekend,
21st-ranked Wake Forest will host Davidson and travel to Georgia this week.
The Demon Deacons and the Wildcats will square off on Wednesday at 2:30
p.m. at Hooks Stadium. The two-game series with the Bulldogs, the first
road games of the season for Wake Forest, are set for Saturday at 3 p.m.
and Sunday at 1 p.m. at Foley Field in Athens, GA.
THE DEMON DEACONS AT A GLANCE
Wake Forest returns seven starters in the field as well as seven
pitchers from last year's ACC Championship squad. Leading the way
offensively is All-American first baseman Jon Palmieri, who earned ACC
Player of the Week honors after last weekend's series with Evansville when
he hit .500 with three home runs and six RBI. Jump starting the Wake Forest
offense was center fielder Scott Daeley, was a fixture on the basepaths all
weekend for the Deacs. Daeley hit .500 (6-for-12) and walked twice, scoring
five runs on the weekend. He was also a perfect 2-for-2 in the stolen base
department.
Sophomore DH Danny Borrell had a solid weekend at the plate as well, batting .417 with two home runs and four RBI. Right fielder Ben Danosky got his season off to a good start by also hitting .417 with a pair of doubles.
Wake Forest's left-field platoon of righty Ricky Mendez (5-for-8) and lefty Stephen Sullivan (3-for-8) combined to hit .500 with five RBI in the Evansville series, while second baseman Jason Aquilante (3-for-9) had a solid weekend at the plate and provided sparkling defense in the field.
Shortstop Chase Voshell, who struggled at the plate last year, got 1999 off to a good start when he went 2-for-4 with a home run and a triple on opening day. Voshell sat out Sunday's doubleheader with a sore shoulder that was injured while sliding into third base and is listed as questionable for this week's games. Should Voshell not be able go, junior utility man Chris Turner will play in his place.
Among the starting nine, only catcher Andrew Riepe (2-for-13) and third baseman Corey Slavik (3-for-13) got off to slow starts last weekend. Slavik, however, homered and double twice, and the two players combined to drive in five runs in three games.
Junior righty Eric Schmitt turned in the best pitching performance of the weekend, tossing eight shutout innings to pick up his first win of the season and improve his career record to 14-1. Junior right hander Mike MacDougal started and picked up a victory on opening day by tossing five solid innings before the game was suspended by rain. Both players will likely start this weekend at Georgia.
Sophomore righty Scott Siemon emerged as the top player out of the bullpen last weekend after making two strong appearances and tossing eight innings in relief. Junior right hander Matt Briggs and freshman righty David Bush combined to pitch four shutout innings out of the bullpen against Evansville, allowing just one hit between them. The lone pitcher to struggle last weekend was freshman southpaw J.J. Moult, who started the third game of the series but could not retire any of the five batters that he faced. Moult struggled primarily from a case of freshman jitters rather than a lack of talent.
SERIES VS. DAVIDSON
Wake Forest and Davidson will be meeting for the 47th time on
Wednesday, with the Demon Deacons holding a 39-7 lead in the all-time
series that began in 1960. Wake Forest has won five straight games in the
series and 25 of the last 27 games played between the two schools.
The Demon Deacons have a 20-3 record vs. the Wildcats in Winston-Salem and have won 14 straight at home against Davidson. In fact, Davidson's last win in Winston-Salem came in 1987 when current Wake Forest head coach George Greer was in his final season as the Wildcats' skipper.
Wake Forest is 26-3 against Davidson under Greer.
PROBABLE PITCHING ROTATION
Senior southpaw John Hendricks (0-0) will make his first appearance
of the season when he takes the mound against Davidson on Wednesday
afternoon. Hendricks is coming off one of the most successful seasons in
school history after posting a 13-4 record and a 3.14 ERA last spring.
Junior right-hander Mike MacDougal (1-0, 5.40) will get the starting call in the first game of the Georgia series. MacDougal picked up a win in his first start of the year against Evansville after allowing three runs in five innings of work.
Junior righty Eric Schmitt (1-0, 0.00), who owns a 14-1 career record, will get the nod on Sunday vs. the Bulldogs. Schmitt is coming off a strong performance in his opening start of the year, tossing eight shutout innings in a 15-0 rout of Evansville.
DEACONS OPEN '99 WITH GUNS FIRING
Wake Forest opened the 1999 season against Evansville with its
offense running in high gear. In the three-game series with the Purple
Aces, the Demon Deacons hit .377 (40-for-106) as a team while scoring 30
runs (10 per game). Additionally, the Deacs pounded out the extra-base hits
in regular fashion, picking up 10 doubles, four triples and eight home runs
in the series (.774 team slugging).
Conversely, the Wake Forest pitching staff held the Purple Aces to a .274 team batting average and allowed just four extra-base hits (two doubles and two home runs).
THE PALMIERI WATCH
Senior first baseman Jon Palmieri has scattered his name throughout
the Wake Forest record book during his three-plus year career in
Winston-Salem. Following is a closer look at how Palmieri ranks on Wake
Forest's career batting charts:
BATTING AVERAGE DOUBLES 1. Billy Masse 1988 .422 1. Chris Kowilcik 1989-92 71 2. Bill Merrifield 1981-83 .400 2. Dave Lardieri 1994-97 67 3. Jon Palmieri 1996- .389 3. Jon Palmieri 1996- 63RUNS BATTED IN TRIPLES 1. Jake Austin 1989-92 236 1. Jake Austin 1989-92 13 2. Dave Lardieri 1994-97 210 2. Mark Melito 1991-95 12 3. Chris Kowilcik 1989-92 181 3. John Morabito 1985-87 11 4. Warren Sawkiw 1988-90 179 Tommy Gregg 1982-85 11 5. Bill Merrifield 1981-83 178 5. JON PALMIERI 1996- 9 6. JON PALMIERI 1996- 153
HITS RUNS SCORED 1. Jake Austin 1989-92 317 1. Jake Austin 1989-92 213 2. Brian Shabosky 1987-90 277 2. Brian Shabosky 1987-90 198 3. Dave Lardieri 1994-97 275 3. Chris Kowilcik 1989-92 196 4. Chris Kowilcik 1989-92 264 4. Tommy Gregg 1982-85 185 5. Tommy Gregg 1982-85 250 5. Dave Lardieri 1994-97 177 6. Warren Sawkiw 1988-90 247 6. Danny Martz 1989-92 172 7. Mark Melito 1991-95 243 7. Warren Sawkiw 1988-90 171 8. John Morabito 1985-87 235 8. Wade Perry 1985-88 168 9. JON PALMIERI 1996- 226 9. Mark Melito 1991-95 161 10. JON PALMIERI 1996- 154
PALMIERI EARNS ACC WEEKLY HONORS
Senior first baseman Jon Palmieri was tabbed the ACC's Player of
the Week on Feb. 15 after hitting .500 (6-for-12) in three games against
Evansville. After an 0-for-4 performance on opening day, he bounced back
with six hits in his next eight at bats in the second and third games of
the series. For the weekend, Palmieri finished with three home runs, one
double, six RBI and five runs scored. He was also a perfect 2-for-2 in the
stolen base department.
THE HENDRICKS WATCH
Senior left-hander John Hendricks is also among the Demon Deacons'
career leaders in a number of different categories. Following is a closer
look at how Hendricks ranks on Wake Forest's career pitching charts:
VICTORIES INNINGS PITCHED
1. Frank Humber 1986-89 29 1. Frank Humber 1986-89 348.2
2. JOHN HENDRICKS 1996- 24 2. Ross Atkins 1992-95 285.1
Marc Palmieri 1990-93 24 3. Merle Henkel 1974-77 282.2
4. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 282.0
5. JOHN HENDRICKS 1996- 279.0
APPEARANCES STRIKEOUTS
1. Frank Humber 1986-89 86 1. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 277
2. Buddy Jenkins 1987-91 85 2. Frank Humber 1986-89 269
3. Mike Ramseyer 1994-97 74 3. Ross Atkins 1992-95 250
4. Keith Ksansnak 1983-86 69 4. Mike Buddie 1990-92 235
5. Bobby Wood 1993-96 68 5. Bob Plemmons 1959-61 230
6. Michael Holmes 1994-97 64 6. JOHN HENDRICKS 1996- 224
7. Craig Gourlay 1984-87 62
8. JOHN HENDRICKS 1996- 59
HEAD COACH GEORGE GREER
The winningest coach in Wake Forest history in any sport, George
Greer is now in his 12th season with the Demon Deacons. He owns a record of
385-259-2 at Wake Forest, and has led the Deacs to 30 or more wins in 10 of
11 seasons, including a school record 43 wins last season. Greer needs just
15 more wins to reach the 400 victory plateau at Wake Forest and would
become just the 8th coach in ACC history to accomplish that feat.
A 25-year veteran of coaching, Greer has a 491-381-6 record at the Division I level. Prior to coming to Wake Forest, Greer coached at Davidson and Connecticut-Avery Point as well as in the Cape Cod League. With just nine more wins, Greer will reach 500 career victories.
