Joe Raccuia

Season highlights

Radford University baseball

• 6-1 record (best start in program history)
• Feb. 26, Radford 9, James Madison 5 (Radford’s 1,000th game)
• March 1-2, three-game sweep of Evansville
• Friday: vs. Seton Hall, 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday: vs. Seton Hall, 1 p.m.
• Sunday: vs. Seton Hall, 1 p.m.
• Quotable: “We’ve swung the bat very well the last few weeks leading up to the season, and I think that’s going to be the strength of our team. But we’ll need our pitching and defense to improve, and when that happens our offense will be able to win us games, rather than just keep us in them.” — Joe Raccuia

RADFORD -- Joe Raccuia is no stranger to the New River Valley. The first-year Radford University baseball coach played for the Highlanders from 1993 to 1995, leading the program to its most wins in a season during his senior campaign.

Raccuia's mug may be familiar to these parts, but he returns to his alma mater with hopes of being the face of change in its baseball program.

"We're playing the game at a different tempo than these guys were used to, and I think they're getting adjusted to that," Raccuia said. "But to me, if we lose every game and play the game the right way, I have no problem with it. I think that will benefit the program down the road. The truth is, if you play the right way, there's no way we could lose that many games."

So far so good. The Highlanders won the 1,000th game in program history Feb. 26, stopping host James Madison 9-5 behind 14 hits. Freshman Abram Williams, a 2007 All Timesland pick from Radford High School, got his second save in as many outings.

Since then, the Highlanders played swept a three-game series over Evansville to push their overall record to 6-1. That mark is the best start in program history.

Sophomore outfielder Reggie Keen led the way in the sweep, en route to being named Big South Conference Player of the Week for Feb. 25 to March 2. Keen hit .500 (8-for-16) with one home run, eight RBI, and a .588 on-base percentage.

With such a fast start, it is clear that the players are listening to what their coaches are telling them.

"I think a good team goal for us is to pay attention to this coaching staff because they know how to win and as a team it's very important for us to listen to what they're saying," senior captain Nate Toth said. "A bunch of us have been through some tough times, and I think bringing in our new coaches have really helped us.

"The coaches have done a great job of getting us ready, and I think the guys are ready to play."

Raccuia is happy to have his veterans on his side. Older players often have difficulty adjusting to a new system, but the Radford veterans are clearly open to change.

The leadership of captains Toth, Alex Gregory and Eric Evans is considered vital.

"I've told the captains that they'll be the most important leaders this school has had in quite a while," Raccuia said. "These older guys are mature, and they understand that they haven't been as successful as they wanted to be when they came to Radford. I think they want to find a way to do something different, and they've embraced our philosophies. They realize that our success greatly relies on their leadership. They're supporting a new regime and essentially new program, and if they don't back us, that'll hurt us greatly down the road."

Pitcher Williams was reeling from freshman culture shock, so advice from older players was welcome.

"I look up to the older guys because they lead by example every day," Williams said. "When Nate's catching me, he doesn't hesitate to help me out, and I've learned a lot through him. I learned to work hard through watching Eric Evans. I try to out-work him every day, but that's just impossible. I think it takes strong leadership to be a good team, and we certainly have that in these three captains."

Gregory thinks that consistent execution is a reasonable goal for this team.

Raccuia is not interested in making predictions or setting goals. He thinks that a program in transition is in no shape to set standards for numbers of victories or place in the conference standings. Cliche or not, Raccuia said the only goal is to improve on a daily basis.

The bats will define the team, the coach predicted. Gregory and Toth, the No. 3 and cleanup hitters respectively, anchor the Highlanders' lineup. Gregory, a junior infielder, batted .430 last season, leading the Big South and placing sixth nationally in the category.

Toth hit .277 last season, with two home runs and 17 runs batted in. As a sophomore, the Highlander catcher hit .293 with 31 RBI.

"Offensively, we have a good blend of team speed and pop in our bats," Raccuia said. "We're looking for someone to protect Alex and Nate from the five spot in the batting order. If we're able to do that, I think our offense will be very explosive. Our top two guys and bottom two guys are able to run and handle the bat."

Raccuia is optimistic about his pitching staff as well. During a scout's day in the fall, the coach saw some powerful arms. The task now is to refine them.

"I think we have five or six guys on the mound who can get outs and wins at this level," Raccuia said. "I'm also excited about our relievers because we've got some guys there who can really pitch.

"Say what you want, but we're going to run out there with a bunch of left handed pitchers to start baseball games. That can often do enough damage to a good team to get them off balance. It's just a matter of throwing strikes and sticking to our strengths."