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Coach Rudy Abbott Optimistic About Approaching JSU Baseball SeasonBy Bill LynchWith spring in the air, and the 1972 Jacksonville State University baseball season only two days away, Coach Rudy Abbott is optimistic about the coming season, and he should be! He is blessed with an abundance of talent in the field, at the bat, and on the pitching mound. However, the only thing that has him wondering is the lack of team experience and the completely new look his 1972 edition will have.Hit hard by graduation, Coach Abbott’s senior team of last year is gone, leaving him one senior to carry the load. “Last year’s seniors were the heart of the team, they kept the team together on and off the field. They were unselfish and encouraged the young ones along,” Abbott revealed, and said, “leadership is a problem this year. And I’ll be counting on the juniors to be willing to pat-on-the-back and be unselfish. Put the team ahead of personal goals, and the season’s outcome will be good.”■i.'■ rm «!, I : „ IAHoward Echols, a junior from Huntsville. He transferred from Columbia Junior College where he made first team All American and was the number one draft choice of the Boston Red Sox.Abbott tabs his short stop, John Hunter, a sophomore from Atlanta, as becoming the best infielder to play at JSU before he graduates and a good pro prospect.At second base is one of Coach Pell’s gridiron stars, Ralph Clayton. Clayton, a freshman from Evarts, Ky., is quick at the bat and is getting better day by day. Second is a new position for him, but he has the ability to handle the job.Slipping around to first base is Abbott’s big strong man, John Kyle, junior from Nashville, Tenn. He, too, was first team All American at Columbia Junior College and is the team’s power hitter and consistent driver.At catcher is Tim Dees, a promising freshman from Mobile with alot of talent.Moving to the outfield, here again the lack of experience is present. The only returner from last year’s team is left fielder Larry Foster, a junior from Attalla. Last year he was the number two homerun hitter and the number four batting average man in the nation. Turning in 13 homers was twice as many as any other player at Jacksonville has ever hit.In center are two fine players, Jimmy Snow and Thomas Woo. Snow transferred from LSU in Baton Rouge and is a fine pro prospect. Woo, a freshman from Birmingham, will also see plenty of action.Rounding out the fielders isFOSTERCharles Maniscalco, a junior from Birmingham. Abbott calls him his best clutch hitter and a team man.Turning to the mound and the pitching staff, the Gamecocks have the talent. The squad’s only senior, Jerry Still, is coming back from an injury but should see plenty of action before the season’s end. Barney Wilson, a junior from Oxford, is one mean pitcher and Abbott is counting on him greatly. A surprise or two on the mound and the pitching staff could really be strong.When Coach Rudy’s Gamecocks take the field, there are many questions about his 1972 team to be answered. And with leadership, timing, and experience, those answers are sure to produce one whale of a season for baseball players and watchers alike.
Newspaper Details
Jacksonville Chanticleer
Jacksonville, Alabama, US
Mon, Mar 06, 1972
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Leslie H.
AL, USA 09 Feb 2022
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