VCU Baseball
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VCU (Rams) Baseball refers to the mid-major NCAA Division I baseball program located at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. This program, established in 1971, is one of 12 participating in the Colonial Athletic Association conference formed in 1983, and possesses an 867-792-5 record with a 155-81 record in-conference (CAA). The head coach for the Rams is Paul Keyes, who has held that post since 1995 when VCU first came into the CAA from the Sun Belt Conference (1987). Keyes's assistant coach since 2001 has been Tim Haynes, who also held that position during the 1991-1992 seasons. Significant past events are: First place CAA finishes in 1997, 1998, & 2003; 2002, 2003, & 2005 CAA Tournament champions, fell in NCAA championship series by 1 run in 10th inning against NC State (4-3); 6 NCAA Tournament appearances since 1996; and an average of 30 or more wins (56 game schedule) in each of the past 11 seasons.
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[edit] Recent Accomplishments
- 8 NCAA Regionals
- 24 All-CAA honorees
- 16 All-Americans
- 3 CAA Championships
[edit] Records [1]
VCU holds distinction as one of only two CAA Tournament teams that has produced a 1-hitter during the tournament, the other being Maika Symmonds of ODU, vs. Richmond, 5-20-95. Ram pitcher, Matt Prendergast, accomplished this feat against George Mason on May 25, 2003. VCU and GMU share the record for most RBI in a tournament with 11 by Brandon Inge, VCU, 1997 (4 games) and 11 by Jeff Palumbo, GMU, 2003 (5 games). The Rams also hold CAA Tournament records for most appearances by a single pitcher with 6 by Brian Marshall in 2002 (1 win, 4 saves), most strikeouts with 17 by Sean Marshall, also in 2002, (3 games, 12.0 IP), and most saves with 4 by Brian Marshall, again in 2002 (6 games).
[edit] Alumni
It is worth noting that VCU has produced several MLB draftees, some of whom have continued on to enjoy successful careers in MLB. Among these are: Brandon Inge (DET, 3B), Cla Meredith (SD, RP), Sean Marshall (CHC, SP), Jason Dubois (BAL, RF) [2].
[edit] Noteworthy contributions to CAA All-Conference teams [3]
- Rookie of the Year (1996) & Co-player of the Year (1998), Brandon Inge, in 1996, 1997, & 1998
- Coach of the Year, Paul Keyes, 1997, 1998, & 2003
- Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, Matt Davis, in 2001
- Rookie of the Year (2001), Sean Marshall
- Jason Dubois in 1998, 1999, & 2000
- Rookie of the Year (2004), Harold Mozingo
- Co-Defensive player of the Year (2005), Pete Farina
- Rookie of the Year (2005), Sergio Miranda
- Defensive Player of the Year (2007), Sergio Miranda
[edit] Results of the 2006 MLB Draft [4]
In 2006, the CAA was responsible for 28 total draftees, and VCU itself offered 3 - Harold Mozingo (RHP, KC, overall pick #167), Scott Sizemore (2B, DET, overall pick #142), & Michael Gibbs (RHP, COL, overall pick #498). These numbers can be compared with the total draftees presented by both the Southern Conference (12), and the West Coast Conference (24) to see that VCU Baseball has become a respectable contributor to the sport and to Major League Baseball's pool of young talent.
