| Chat Live With Baseball Coach Jerry Meyers Chat live with the Monarchs head baseball coach Jerry Meyers Monday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m.Please submit your questions about the upcoming season, the team, the CAA and baseball in general, and Coach Meyers will check in on Monday with his responses. Meyers is in his second season with ODU. Prior to coming to ODU he served eight years as the pitching coach for the University of South Carolina, who went to the College World Series three times, finishing second in 2002 and third in 2004. Meyers was an assistant at ODU in 1996 when the Monarchs won the CAA title and its pitching staff fanned a then school record of 426 batters. ODU opens the 2006 season Friday, Feb. 10 against Iona at 3 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. |
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| Moderator: Good evening everyone andwelcome to today's chatroom. |
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| KEENAN, RALEIGH: What upgrades, if any, are planned for the "Bud" in the near future? |
| | Jerry Meyers: We have the indoor hittingfacility which is in the plansand we look forward to havingthat facility which will add toour complex. |
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| Bristol: How solid are you at the catcher position this year? |
| | Jerry Meyers: We Feel like we are very solidbehind the plate. We haveTyler Belcher and Patrick Nichols, which are both frontline conference players. Boththrow well, block and receive well. Both will play a significant role for us offensively as well. |
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| Parker Friske (Virginia Beach): What are the strengths and weaknesses of this year's team? |
| | Jerry Meyers: Good to hear from an ODU alumnus. We are hoping thatwe don't have a lot of glaringweaknesses. We feel like wehave added depth at everyposition as well as on the mound. Our questions yet tobe answered will be how ournewcomers respond as theygain experience. |
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| K.C. Hayes (Manteo, N.C.): Who will be the impact players on this year's squad? |
| | Jerry Meyers: Brian Cipolla who was one ofthe top RBI men in the CAA and in the nation last yearwill continued to be counted on heavily in the middle ofour lineup. Other guys whowill be counted on are newcomers Jimmy Miles andMike Zahm, our two catchersand on the mound Kevin Gunter, Dana Arrowood, BryanHansen are veterans whoa alot of experience. |
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| Tom (Virginia Beach): I see you have Maryland andVirginia on the schedule this year.Any chance you may be able to add other ACC teams down the road? |
| | Jerry Meyers: Right now we are scheduled toopen up at Duke next year and play Virginia Tech in anearly season tournament aswell. We are always going totry to play a very competitivenon-conference schedule aswe can. |
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| Larry: Jerry,Is this year's CAA tournament inWilmington and how many qualify?Good luck this season. |
| | Jerry Meyers: Yes, the CAA tournament isback in Wilmington. The topsix teams qualify for the event. |
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Scott (Hampton, VA): Jerry, Who are the teams to beat in theCAA this year? and do youkeep up with the Gamecocks? |
| | Jerry Meyers: It looks like UNCW and VCUreturn alot of their starters and the league coaches pick them to be at the top. Theleague as a whole should bestrong from top to bottom.I do try to keep up with SouthCarolina, and talk with RayTanner quite often, as he isa great mentor and friend. |
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| Daniel, Virginia Beach: Since you have experience as a pitching coach then why don't you have a set rotation? Did you do operate like that at SC? |
| | Jerry Meyers: We go into every weekend totry and win the series. At times that will mean you will want to throw one of your potential Sunday starters inrelief in game one or game two. A lot of times it dependson matchups with the opponent. Alot of successfulprograms operate that wayfrom week to week which isa change from what you seein professional baseball (set rotation). |
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Sharon from Chesterton, Indiana: HAVE A GREAT SEASON.. CAN'T WAIT TO COME TO VIRGINA TO SEE SOME GAMES...BY THE WAY ..DO YOU PROVIDE BUS TRANSPORTATION FOR YOUR OUT OF STATE FANS???? |
| | Jerry Meyers: Thanks for the note. Look forward to seeing you whenyou get down here, but Idon't think the athletic department will foot that bill... |
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| Moderator: Well Monarch fans, ourtime is up. Thank you all foryour questions and don'tforget the Monarchs openthe season Friday at 3 p.m.with Iona. |
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