Pulaski Yankees GM honored
The Appalachian League today announced the recipients of its annual awards for the 2018 season, with the Pulaski Yankees claiming two honors. Yankees General Manager Betsy Haugh was named the League’s Woman of Excellence, while David Gravely of The Southwest Times earned the League’s Sports Media Award. The awards are voted on by the Appalachian League General Managers.
Haugh, who served as the Yankees’ Assistant General Manager during the 2018 season, was named Appalachian League Woman of Excellence for the second consecutive season after previously earning the recognition with the Danville Braves in 2017.
The Woman of Excellence award is presented to the woman who has made outstanding contributions to her club, community, league, and/or baseball, and, as the 2018 Appalachian League recipient, Haugh will serve as the League’s nominee for the 2018 Rawlings’ Woman Executive of the Year Award.
RU to play Wake, Roanoke
Following an NCAA rule change, the Radford baseball team will be afforded the opportunity to host two scrimmages at Carter Memorial Stadium this fall.
The Highlanders will take on Wake Forest at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 and Roanoke College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6.
“Based on the new NCAA rules, we are allowed to play two outside competitions in the fall that will not count against the 56 game spring schedule,” Head Coach Joe Raccuia explained. “We’re excited to be hosting Wake Forest University and Roanoke College. Competing against them versus the normal instra-squad scrimmage should provide a little more excitement to our annual fall season.”
Former Hokie nominated for MLB award
Major League Baseball recently announced that Chad Pinder was named the Athletics 2018 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award, the most prominent individual player award bestowed by MLB. He will be recognized on the field prior to the start of tonight’s game versus the Texas Rangers.
The Roberto Clemente Award is the annual recognition of a player from each MLB Club who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.
Each Club nominates one current player to be considered for the Roberto Clemente Award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character. Pinder is one of the 30 Club nominees for the annual award. Since joining the Oakland Athletics and making his Major League debut with the team in 2016, he has worked to make a positive impact throughout Oakland and the East Bay.
VT baseball adds two more to staff
The Virginia Tech baseball program will officially start the fall season next week, but before announcing the newest student-athletes joining the team, head baseball coach John Szefc wanted to introduce the two newest members to the Hokies support staff – Brian Neal, the senior director of strength and condition, and Kyle Staggers, a director of sports medicine.
Neal, who is originally from Forest, Virginia, played football at Bridgewater College and played for the Division III national championship in 2001 before starting his professional career.
He was a graduate assistant at Southern Miss (2005-07), was an intern for the US Olympic Training Center in 2007 – training Olympic and Paralympic athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and worked as an assistant strength coach at Sam Houston for three seasons, helping the track and field programs win a handful of championships.
Neal comes to Blacksburg from his latest stop in Starkville, Mississippi where he worked for the Bulldogs baseball program the past eight seasons.
Drive for 25 Day
Wanting to take advantage of the momentum created by a best ever finish in the Learfield Directors Cup standings and the securing of the Commonwealth Clash for a second straight year, the Virginia Tech Athletics Department is calling upon all fans to participate in its first ever Drive for 25 Day, which will be held Sept. 25.
Starting at noon on that day, the Hokie Club – the fundraising arm for the athletics department – will be encouraging fans and alums to make a financial contribution and join the Hokie Club. Fans can contribute either to a specific sport or to the Hokie Scholarship Fund, which helps the athletics department pay for the scholarships of more than 550 student-athletes.
Giving day events are normally 24-hour online fundraising challenges that universities, departments, and/or organizations sponsor to rally supporters and inspire donations. The Drive for 25 Day, though, will last 25 hours through 1 p.m. on Sept. 26 – a tribute to the importance of the No. 25 worn by former head football coach and pending College Football Hall of fame inductee Frank Beamer, whose contributions to the department and university have been well documented.
ACC 2021, 2022 basketball sites
The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the site of the 2021 and 2022 men’s basketball tournaments. Washington, D.C. will host in 2021 and Brooklyn, New York, in 2022.
The league had previously set tournament locations for Charlotte in 2019 and Greensboro in 2020.
Swimmer commits to VT
Erin Quinn of Osbourn High School in Manassas has verbally committed to swim at Virginia Tech. She was a Virginia state finalist in the 200 and 500 Free-Style, and swims year-round for the Nation’s Capital Swim Club.
Penn State tipoff set
ESPN has announced that the Virginia Tech at Penn State men’s basketball game in the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge will tip-off at 7 p.m. on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. The Tuesday, Nov. 27 game was previously announced.
The 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, in its 20th year, will take place across three days, beginning Monday, Nov. 26, with matchups on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. The Challenge will feature 14 matchups between ACC and Big Ten teams.
Last season, the Hokies defeated Iowa, 79-55, at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum on Nov. 28 as part of the 2017 Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Hokies have won its last two games in the event and their last road game, 73-70, at Michigan on Nov. 30, 2016. Tech is 5-7 all-time in the Challenge.
