Wednesday, January 31, 2001

Johnson City, Tenn. -- The East Tennessee State baseball team opens the 2001 campaign with a three-game series in Myrtle Beach, S.C. against Coastal Carolina from February 2-4.

The season-opener between the Bucs and Chants will be at 3 p.m. on Friday, February 2 in Coastals Wilmore Stadium. The middle game of the series will be played at 2 p.m. on February 3 and the series finale starts at 2 p.m. on February 4.

ETSU junior Reid Casey will start opening day on the mound. The Kinsport, Tenn. native finished the 2000 season with a 5-9 overall record. He ranked second on the team with five complete games and 98.2 innings pitched. Casey compiled 66 strikeouts and a 7.48 earned run average in 19 appearances.

The Buccaneer offense is generated by lead-off hitter Jeremy Terry. The junior is the top returning hitter after batting .309 while being the everyday shortstop. The Cumberland, Ky. singles. He also ranked second on the team with 43 runs scored.

Left-hander Jackson Simerly set an ETSU single season record with 28 appearances. The junior was 1-4 with a 5.30 ERA in 56.0 innings pitched. Sophomore Chad Boruff ranked fourth on the team with a .290 batting average and led the team with 10 home runs.

Senior Andy Baxter joins the Bucs after playing his first three seasons at North Carolina State. The third baseman brings all-star credentials and solidifies the middle of the lineup. The Erwin, Tenn. native, had a .321 batting average in 107 career games at N.C. State.

The Bucs finished the 2000 campaign 21-31 overall, 15-15 in the Southern Conference. ETSU earned a fifth-place Conference finish in head coach Tony Skoles first season.

Following the three-game set at Coastal Carolina, the Bucs will travel to Troy, Ala. to face Troy State for a three-game series from February 9-11.