February 17, 2010

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University Baseball enters 2010 with one of its most experienced and talented teams since the program moved to Division I scheduling in 2005. The Lancers of veteran 32nd-year head coach Charles Buddy Bolding return seven position starters among 16 overall returning lettermen, and return eight pitchers as well, while adding 10 newcomers to the tradition-rich program. Additionally, a three-year starting outfielder rejoins the team this season following a redshirt season a year ago and will be in the lineup again in 2010. This talent and depth has surrounded the program with much excitement and optimism for the season. Coach Bolding is assisted this year by former standouts Brett Mooney and Brian McCullough, along with volunteer Jonathan Quigley.

Longwood is scheduled to open the campaign on Wednesday, February 24, as the College of William and Mary is slated to visit Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium in Farmville for a 4 p.m. game.  The Lancers' originally-scheduled opening weekend of action for February 19-21, hosting Big Ten Conference member Penn State University along with Coppin State University has been canceled due to the remaining snowpack still on the field from the recent winter storms.

Among the returning position starters are seniors Phil Cerreto/Midlothian (Midlothian) [.367, 8 HR, 13 2B, 52 RBI, 12-16 SB], Casey Havers/Thorofare, N.J. (West Deptford) [.391, 5 HR, 14 2B, 38 RBI], and David Smiy Jr./Chesterfield (Matoaca) [.367, 2 HR, 18 2B, 27 RBI]. Each is serving as a team captain along with returning pitcher and classmate Lance Harting/Ballston Spa, N.Y. (Ballston Spa) [5-7, 5 saves, 7.07 ERA, 56.0 IP, 51 K]. A third baseman, Cerreto was named the Offensive Player of the Year in last summer's wooden-bat Coastal Plain League (CPL) while hitting .351 with eight home runs, 16 doubles, and 40 RBI as a CPL All-Star too. He enters his final season with a .374 career batting average, 10 home runs, 30 doubles, and 104 RBI. A first baseman, Havers was an All-Independent 2nd-Team selection a year ago while leading the Lancers in batting average and on-base percentage (.452) while proving difficult to strikeout (10.6) as well. A left fielder, Smiy enjoyed a breakout year in 2009 while among the team's leaders in nearly every statistical category. A great student as well, he earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 3 1st-Team honors. A right-handed pitcher, Harting is the career saves leader with 12, and adds 13 wins over his 53 appearances.

The other returning senior position starter is Scott Kimble/Spotsylvania (Spotsylvania) [.325, 3 HR, 10 2B, 22 RBI, 25-29 SB], while junior Brant Jones/Richmond (Monacan) [.387, 7 HR, 17 2B, 44 RBI] returns to the lineup as well. A shortstop, Kimble led the program in steals a year ago, and enters this season with 45 career steals. A second baseman, Jones is another who enjoyed a breakout campaign a year ago, earning All-Independent and VaSID All-State 2nd-Team honors. He was named a wooden-bat New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) Top 25 Pro Prospect after hitting .338 this past summer. Brant was an NYCBL All-Star as well.

The other two returning starters include sophomores Robby Newman/Virginia Beach (Salem) [.293, 4 HR, 14 2B, 31 RBI] and Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby) [.287, 3 HR, 4 2B, 24 RBI]. This year's full-time catcher, Newman split the majority of his starts last year between right field (13), catcher (12), and designated hitter (18). A right fielder, Sollars saw some action in center field as well during 2009.
The starting center fielder this season will be senior Robbie Bailey Jr./Mechanicsville (Hanover), a three-year starter who sat out last season while utilizing a redshirt year. The opening day DH is slated to be sophomore Matt Gwaltney/Chesterfield (Matoaca) [.226, 1 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI]. Bailey hit .302 with four home runs, 10 doubles, 19 RBI, and 15-21 stolen bases during 2008, and enters his final season tied for fifth in career triples (8) along with 46-63 stolen bases. Sophomore #D.J. Pomposini#/Danville (George Washington) [.222, 1 HR, 6 RBI] returns and provides depth at the catching position.

Other returning pitchers to the program, in addition to Harting, are juniors Chris Briere/Midlothian (James River) [3-2, 6.28 ERA, 43.0 IP, 26 K], Troy Dickman/Midlothian (Midlothian) [3-1, 7.35 ERA, 52.2 IP, 27 K], and Luke Townsend/Virginia Beach (Ocean Lakes) [0-0, 5.79 ERA, 14.0 IP, 7 K], along with sophomores Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton) [3-5, 5.57 ERA, 63.0 IP, 64 K] and Daniel Johnsen/Arlington (Yorktown) [1-0, 5.62 ERA, 16.0 IP, 5 K]. Briere [RHP] will open as the #1 starter for 2010, while Dickman [RHP] will begin as the #2 starter. Montgomery [RHP], who was a wooden-bat 2009 Clark Griffith League (CGL) All-League Team and All-Star selection, opens as the #2 guy in the bullpen behind Harting (#1). Johnsen will open in the bullpen. Junior Garrett Lythgoe/Chesterfield (Matoaca) [LHP] is doubtful this year due to injury.

Among the newcomers, sophomore Michael Sims/Stafford (North Stafford) will serve in a utility role while the back-up catcher and third baseman as well. First-year team members include Carlos Cruz/Lexington Park, Md. (Great Mills), Michael Johnson/Chesapeake (Atlantic Shores Christian), Scott Laabs/Glen Allen (Deep Run), Justin Lacy/Glen Allen (J.R. Tucker), Kyle Long/Halifax (Halifax County), Kyler Morgan/Lancaster, Pa. (Lampeter-Strasburg), Kyle Profilet/Virginia Beach (Frank W. Cox), and Bobby Shelton/Forest (Jefferson Forest). Cruz is a right-handed pitcher who will open as the #3 starter in the rotation. Labbs and Lacy will play in reserve roles at second base and first base, respectively, while also seeing time at the utility spot and DH as well, respectively. Long and Profilet will play in reserve roles at left field and right field, respectively. Shelton is a left-handed pitcher who will open as the #4 starter in the rotation. Johnson is a right-handed pitcher who will open as the #5 starter in the rotation. Morgan will open in the bullpen.

Coach Bolding has put together another formidable schedule for 2010, including a visit to Farmville by Big Ten Conference member Penn State, along with Virginia schools George Mason, James Madison, Norfolk State, Richmond, Radford, Old Dominion, VCU, as well as William and Mary. Overall, Longwood is scheduled to play 34 home games at Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium, a well-deserved naming distinction for the long-time coach of the Lancers that took place October 3, 2009. It's only fitting that 2010 could become a season to remember.