March 13, 2009

QUINTET OF RAMS SHINING BRIGHT IN BIG LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING CAMPS
Meredith, Marshall have given up a combined one run in 13 innings of work

The Virginia Commonwealth University baseball program has become synonymous with Major League clubs and the 2009 season appears to be no different. Five former Rams are lacing up their spikes and shining bright during this season’s spring training workouts.

Southpaw Sean Marshall (Chicago Cubs) (left) and side-winding right-hander Cla Meredith (San Diego Padres) (above) are leading the way for an outstanding for spring for the group that also includes Brandon Inge (Detroit Tigers), Scott Sizemore (Detroit Tigers) and Jason Dubois (Chicago Cubs).

Marshall is said to be in a battle for the fifth spot in the Cubs starting rotation with newly acquired Aaron Heilman. The Richmond, Va., native has certainly stated his case this spring allowing just one run and six hits in nine innings of work.

"I had a good off season, got a lot of work done," Marshall said. "My body feels good, I feel strong. I’ve come out after three innings in each of my starts and don't feel as if I threw many pitches. I felt if they needed me to throw a fourth or fifth inning, I could do that."

In three starts, Marshall has kept his hitters off balance with his strong array of off-speed pitches and Cubs manager Lou Piniella has noticed.

"He has gotten stronger, more velocity and has as good a curveball as I've seen all spring training," Piniella said.

Meredith has been just as good in Padres Spring Training with four perfect appearances, picking up four strikeouts along the way.

The Chesterfield, Va., native will be relied upon to step into San Diego’s main set-up role now that future Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman left town.

He will be looking to continue the success he has had since he has become a Padre with 10 wins in 198 appearances over three seasons, along with just a 3.43 ERA and 145 strikeouts.

Inge enters his ninth spring with the Tigers big league club and will be the team’s starting third baseman this year.

Trades and new acquisitions by Detroit had Inge moving all over the field last season, including catcher, third base, left field and center field.

He has responded with quite a spring, hitting .318 with two doubles and a home run in 10 games for the Tigers.

Sizemore and Dubois are both trying to play their way onto spots on the 40-man rosters of their respective teams.

Sizemore, who is recovering from a wrist injury that shortened his 2008 season, is in his second straight big league spring training and is a highly-touted prospect by the Tigers.

He’s seen action in seven games and launched a solo home run against the defending World Series Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies, earlier this spring.
Dubois has worked work to stay around baseball and returned to the original team that drafted him last season, blasting 25 home runs and posting a .307 batting average with Triple A Iowa.

He has seen action in eight games so far this spring and looks to be in a battle for a spot in a very crowded Cubs outfield in 2009.

VCU has had a long standing tradition with the big leagues. The Rams have had over 50 players sign major league contracts, including at least one player in every year since 1998.