March 1, 2010
NORFOLK, VA-- The ODU Monarchs host Mount St. Mary's who is coached by ODU Hall of Famer Scott Thomson (ODU'91),Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Complex beginning at 3 p.m.
Jacob Darr leads the Mountaineers with a .385 batting average, followed by Kyle Kane and zach Helman at .333.
Mount St. Mary's head coach Scott Thomson was a Sun Belt Conference All-Rookieselection as a freshman at ODU with 31 RBI. In his junior season, he was selected pre-season All-American by BASEBALL AMERICA. That season he led the nation in triples with eight, hit .399 and was named first team All-Sun Belt. Later that season, ODu reached the Sun Belt finals and earned an at-large berth to the NCAA'sat the University of Texas. Thomson hit a lead-off homer against Cal State Fullerton.
As a senior, Thomson again led the Monarchs to the Sun Belt finals an was named Virginia Collegiate Player of the Year. Thomson has been the head coach at MountSt. Mary's for 12 years. In 2007, he was the NEC Coach of the Year.
ODU and Mount St. Mary's have met 11 previous times, with the Monarchs leading, 9-2.
Freshman Austin McGowan (Midlothian, VA.)leads the Monarchs in hitting with a .444 batting average. He knocked in five runs over the weekend. Catcher Edgar Hernandez (Luquillo, PR.)is at .417, followed by Josh Wright (Bridgewater, VA.) at .368, Cameron Scott (Culpeper, Va.) at .318 and Chris Buss (Rosemount, MN.) at .310.
On the mound, Brandon Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) has a 0.77 ERA coming out of the pen.He has eight strikeouts in three appearances.
Junior lefthander Kyle Hald (Springfield, VA.) has a 2.92 ERA with a 2-0 record. Hald fanned 11 in six- plus innings of work Friday against Bucknell.
ODU hosts LaSalle this weekend in a three-game series.