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February 16, 2009 There have always been two keys that have helped the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball team become one of the top programs on the East Coast, pitching and solid infield defense.
“I really feel this group is one of the best all-around infields we have had in a while,” Head Coach Paul Keyes said. “Defensively, we have a ton of range and good arm strength.” Otto will help fill the void left by departed third baseman Chris Jackson, who was drafted by the Houston Astros in last June’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. Last season at Johnson County Community College (Kan.), Otto started all 59 games to help lead the Cavaliers to it’s first-ever appearance in the NJCAA Juco World Series. He led the squad in batting average (.424), doubles (20), triples (5) and stolen bases (30). His excellence is not limited to the offensive side of the game as he shines at shortstop with great range and arm strength. His defensive prowess was exhibited last year when he earned the NJCAA Rawlings Gold Glove award at shortstop. “Doug is a kid we have a lot of confidence in,” Keyes said. “He has a great knowledge of the game and really knows how to play the game, especially in the style of play that we play. He’s going to be a great addition to our squad this year.” Van Meter showed his versatility last season as he played both shortstop and third base during his 43 games for the Rams. Best known for his cannon of an arm, he has the ability to drive the gaps and become a run-scoring machine for the Black & Gold. “Joey is a kid that will never get outworked,” Keyes said. “He is a tough kid who knows how to handle both the glove and bat. His off-season work ethic was tremendous and it has paid off. I look for him to be a big part of our success this year.”
The junior comes from a long-standing pipeline from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and has racked up over 100 hits, 60-plus RBIs and nearly 60 runs scored in just two seasons with the Rams. With the departure from All-CAA first baseman Jared Bolden, VCU finds themselves with a hole that senior R.J. Schenk (Yorktown, Va.) (right) and sophomore Michael Cheatham (Chesterfield, Va.) hope to fill. “A talent like Jared is not going to be replaced,” Keyes said. “On the other side, we feel like R.J. and Cheatham have the ability to be a great tandem that will split time at first this season. Both have tremendous offensive ability and will be a major part of our lineup.” Schenk saw most of his time at the designated hitter spot last year, compiling a .308 average with nine doubles and 21 RBIs. Cheatham is one of the most talented players on this year’s roster and can play in numerous spots on not only the infield, but the outfield too. Depth is a key component of any squad and the 2009 VCU baseball infield is no different with a very talented incoming crop of Paul Nice (Powhatan, Va.), Josh Alford (Midlothian, Va.), Jason Kittell (Stafford, Va.) and Brent Mikionis (Powhatan, Va.). All four freshmen are Virginia natives that provide solid options off the bench for the Rams. “We did a great job of getting a very talented overall group of freshman and our infield is a major part of that,” Keyes said. “Alford and Mikionis are extremely gifted athletes that will vie for significant playing time this year, while Nice and Kittell are great pieces of our puzzle that can help is many different ways.”
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Entering the 2009 campaign, the latter is a definite for the Black & Gold as Junior College All-American Doug Otto (Jefferson City, Mo.) (left) joins returners Richard Gonzalez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) and Joe Van Meter (Oyster Bay, N.Y.). 
While Otto and Van Meter have the left side of the infield locked down, Gonzalez has been a foundation on the Black & Gold infield ever since stepping onto the VCU campus. All rights reserved.
