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Show nov. 3, 1972 signpost page 3 been 5 ous mumim s The Weber State baseball team, defending Big Sky champions, is currently going through fall practice sessions under the guidance of Coach Blaine Sylvester.The Wildcats have been playing intra-squad games with approximately 25 candidates trying out for the varsity squad. Coach Sylvester will defend the Big Sky title next spring with 12 returning lettermen, four returned missionaries, two red-shirts, and four freshmen. Starters back for the Wildcats include catcher-outfielder John Edwards, first baseman Brad Hawkins, shortstop Rich Debiec, center fielder Ron Fisher, and second baseman Frank Park. Additional veteran lettermen are Dave Hoch and Tom Andrew at third base and Pat Jerome in the outfield. Veteran pitchers who all saw starting duty last year include right - handers Craig Clayson and Steve Rose, and left-handers Dave Day and Dean Miller. Expected to bolster the pitching staff are freshman BillMura, a 6-0, 195 right-hander from Whitehall, Michigan, mission returnee Bob Nicholson, a righthander, and southpaw Wayne Es-plin who transferred from BYU. Coach Sylvester feels he has ssdoitds the best overall team speed in recent years and expects the Wildcats to be very good defensively.Power at the plate and timely hitting is still a questionmark, and the success of the Wildcats will most likely depend on the ability to get base hits when needed. Sylvester's pitching staff is young but strong. There are no senior hurlers. The Wildcats will be missing shut-out pitcher Barry Bagley, who starred for the Ogden Dodger rookie team last year, and will miss the experience of veterans like Zeke Zimmerman, Jim Amicone, and Dan Stromberg, who all completed their eligibility. S wirExi3JiflG by robert 1. judson In quest of their sixth straight Big Sky Conference title, the Weber State College basketball team is currently working out daily in the Wildcat Gym in preparation for the upcoming 1972-73 campaign. Head Coach Gene Visscher, last year's BSC Coach of the Year in his first season, and assistant coach Neil McCarthy will have a relatively short and inexperienced squad for this season. Seven lettermen return, but only three of them were regular starters last year. The Wildcats will return their starting guard line this season, as 5-11 Brady Small and 6-5 Wes Van Dyke were starters on last year's team. The other returning starter for Weber State is 6-7 center-forward Richard Cooper. "Small and Cooper will serve as captains for this season's squad," Coach Visscher said. Making up for the loss of the other two starters from last year's team will be rough. Bob Davis, Weber State's leading scorer and rebounder, has departed to the pro ranks, and Jonnie Knoble, the team's second leading scorer, has used up his eligibility. A number of players have a chance for the other two starting berths. Riley Wimberly, a 6-6 sometimes guard sometimes forward, leads a pack of four other returning lettermen. The other players with varsity experience are 6-3 guard Greg Soter, 6-4 forward Ken Gubler, and 6-5 forward-center Dave Muirbrook. Two junior college transfers have a chance to see plenty of action this season. Forwards Steve Fleming, 6-5, from Oakland, Calif., and Frank Childs, 6-6, from Fullerton, Calif, have joined the Wildcat squad this ear. Up from last year's fresh man team are guards Dan Dion, 6-1, and 6-0 Tom DeVita. This year, a new rule by the National Collegiate Athletic Association allows freshmen to play varsity ball, and Weber State has two freshmen players who may get some varsity playing time. They are forwards Jim Watts, 6-7, from Menlo Park, Calif., and Paul Marigney, from Oakland, Calif. At 6-8, Marigney is the Wildcats' tallest player. Other freshman prospects are 6-4 guard Don Collins, from Fairfield, Calif.; 6-7 forward Al DeWitt, from Alameda, Calif.; 6-5 forward Steve Gemelos, from Tracy, Calif.; 6-4 forward guard Scott Heineke, from Mid-vale, Utah; and 6-6 center Mike Moynihan, from Oakland, Calif. On the guard line, Weber State is set, with Small and Van Dyke. Cooper should hold the center spot, but the forward positions are unsettled. Wimberly may get one of the forward slots, when he is not substituting at guard. Coach Visscher said he plans to use a 1-3-1 offense this season and also said that the 'Cats will fast break more this year than they have in the past. Weber State opens the season at home with the Chilean National team on Nov. 28 and closes the regular season at home with arch-rival Utah State University on Feb. 28. All home games will start at 7:30 p.m. Included in the 26-game schedule are 14 conference games that determine the NCAA playoff berth for the BSC. If Weber State wins the conference title, they will be trying to improve their fourth place finish in the NCAA regional playoffs last year. Coach Visscher feels that Idaho State University, Gonzaga University, and Northern Arizona University will be challenging for the conference title this year, along with his Weber State Wildcats. Bill Mura is a freshman who has joined the Wildcat baseball squad and who will help bolster an already exceptionally fine pitching staff, (photo by mike dabling) Save up to $3.00! Major label LP's! Top artists! Many, many selections in this special purchase. Classics included! Hundreds of records! Come early for best selection! Sale starts today! IB OffCS Get your favorites at Big Discounts! |