Monday’s winner was Gene Richards; he’ll move on to face Mike Lowell in the Sweet Sixteen.

Tuesday’s Match

Today we have Dan Pasqua (New Market 1981) squaring off against Denny Walling (Waynesboro 1975).

  • Pasqua was drafted out of William Paterson University by the New York Yankees in the 3rd round in 1982. He became the only alum from that school to make the majors in late May, 1985, when the Yankees called him up. He had his best season in the majors the next year when he slashed .293/.399/.525 in 280 at-bats, with 17 doubles and 16 home runs. Even with his limited time on the field (he topped 400 plate appearances only twice in his ten-year career), he hit a total of 117 home runs and 129 doubles in 2,620 at-bats. Oddly, he was a teammate of John Elway in his first minor league season, and of Michael Jordan in his last.
  • Walling was the first overall pick in the June 1975 draft- of the Oakland A’s, out of Clemson. He made his major league debut very quickly- in September of 1975. Mostly known as a pinch hitter throughout his 18 year career, Walling’s best season was in 1986, when he hit .312/.367/.479 in 382 at-bats, with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, and a 36/31 BB/K ratio. Over his career, spanning 2,945 at-bats, he hit .271/.339/.390, with 142 doubles, 30 triples, 49 home runs, and an almost-even 308/316 BB/K ratio. He played in three playoff series with the Astros- 1980, 1981, and 1986- but did not advance to the World Series. After his playing career, he joined the Oakland A’s coaching staff from 1996 to 1998, was the hitting coach for the New York Mets in 2003 and 2004, a roving minor league hitting instructor for the Baltimore Orioles from 2007 to 2011, and a hitting coach in Triple-A for the Norfolk Tides from 2012 to 2014. He also went back to Waynesboro to throw out the first pitch at a Generals game in 2009.

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Pasqua
Walling