Nov. 15, 2009

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a new feature on CollegeBaseballInsider.com, highlighting notes from around college baseball.

Nov. 1-15, 2009

Full-tournament passes are now on sale for the 2010 ACC Baseball Championships, to be played May 26-30 at Greensboro’s NewBridge Bank Park. Before Dec. 31, passes to all 13 games are $120. After Jan. 1, the price rises to $130. Individual games tickets will go on sale in April. Each game is a separate session.

Former Virginia Cavalier Ryan Zimmerman won a Gold Glove at third base for the Washington Nationals of the National League. He is the first former Cavalier to win the award and just the fourth ACC player, joining Mark Teixiera (Georgia Tech), Doug Mientkiewicz (Florida State) and Jason Varitek (Georgia Tech). Zimmerman, the first National to win a Gold Glove, led all NL third basemen in assists, total chances, total outs recorded and games started. He hit .292 with 33 home runs and 106 RBI.

Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Dale Murphy, a two-time MVP in the National League, will be the featured speaker at the sixth annual Hot Stove Banquet & Silent Auction on Jan. 22 at Mark Clark Hall on The Citadel campus. The event is sponsored by Tommy McQueeney State Farm Insurance Company. The Hot Stove Banquet is an annual collaboration between The Citadel and the Charleston RiverDogs. Murphy hit 398 home runs in an 18-year major league career. He was a seven-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger Awards. Murphy was the NL MVP in 1982 and 1983. His No. 3 jersey has been retired by the Braves.

Hall-of-Famer Dave Winfield will be the keynote speaker for Virginia’s eighth annual Step Up to the Plate event on Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena. Winfield was a 12-time All-Star and hit 465 home runs and knocked in 1,833 runs with 3,110 hits in his 22-year major league career. He is Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor with the San Diego Padres and an analyst for Baseball Tonight on ESPN. Winfield is a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame for his career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Former UCLA first baseman Cody Decker was named the George M. Trautman Arizona Rookie League Player of the Year by Topps and Minor League Baseball. Decker led the league with 15 home runs, 63 RBI, 21 doubles, 39 extra-base hits and a slugging percentage of .717 in 52 games. He was a 22nd-round pick of the San Diego Padres this past June. Decker hit .288 with 47 home runs, 28 doubles, 153 RBI and 118 runs in 191 games during his four-year career with the Bruins. He led the Pac-10 with 21 home runs this past season.

Former Pepperdine head coach John Scolinos passed away at the age of 91. Scolinos led the Waves from 1946-60, posting 263 wins in 15 seasons. Pepperdine posted a winning percentage of .546 under Scolinos. He moved to Cal Poly Pomona, guiding the Broncos to three NCAA championships (1976, 1980 and 1983). Scolinos had an all-time record of 1,198-949 in 44 years.

The Southern Conference announced sites for future championships. The 2011 championship will be at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C., as will the 2010 tournament. The 2012 and 2013 events will be at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C. The 2009 championship was held at Fluor Field for the first time in 2009, drawing 17,820 fans over five days. The championship game between Georgia Southern and Elon drew 2,388 fans.

Virginia associate head coach Kevin McMullan was named the 2009 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year. He helped the Cavaliers win the ACC championship and reach the College World Series for the first time in program history. McMullan is approaching his seventh season at Virginia, serving as recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and defensive coach with the catchers and infielders.

Former UT Arlington hurler Steve Foster was named bullpen coach for the Kansas City Royals. He spent the previous three seasons in the same role with the Florida Marlins. Foster was the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1988 and was a reliever for the Cincinnati Reds from 1991-93. KC manager Trey Hillman (1982-85) and third base coach Dave Owen (1977-79) are both former Mavs.