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Post by Charlie on Aug 24, 2004 9:41:51 GMT -6
www.baxterbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040824/SPORTS/408240311/1006Razorback baseball, track teams make changes to coaching staffs
By NATE ALLEN
FAYETTEVILLE — A new volunteer coach is on staff and some new players on the roster for Dave Van Horn's Razorback baseball team, which experienced its first day of fall semester classes Monday at the University of Arkansas.
Steve Bell, an assistant the past three years at Texarkana Community College, is replacing former All-Southwest Conference Razorback and retired longtime St. Louis Cardinals catcher Tom Pagnozzi as volunteer coach.
Pagnozzi has started a construction company called Pagnozzi Properties in Fayetteville and is heavily involved with it, but will stay close to the program and his Pagnozzi Charities Foundation.
Bell isn't familiar to Razorback fans but is familiar both to Van Horn and hitting coach Matt Deggs, the former Texarkana Community College head coach for whom Bell was an assistant three seasons ago.
"I recruited Steve to play at Northwestern State and signed him but never got to coach him because I went to Nebraska," said Van Horn, also a former Texarkana Community College head coach. "Steve is 27 and has some big shoes to fill.
"Tom did a great job for us," he continued. "Tom will still be around the program but he's got a lot going on with Pagnozzi Properties. Steve will do a great job for us. He'll have four or five catchers to work with, plus he can help out with the hitters. He's a very good hitting coach."
Aside from a signing class that stayed intact despite the pro draft, Van Horn said two transfers began classes today as UA freshmen.
They are pitcher Lee Land of Wake Forest, granted a hardship year because of arm surgery, and Brian Walker, a left-handed hitting catcher from Tulsa Union High who redshirted last spring as a freshman at Arizona State.
Both are eligible to play right away. Land won't be available until late season next spring as he continues rehab from arm surgery.
Walker is expected to battle sophomore letterman Blake Parker of Fayetteville among others for the catcher's spot vacated by Brady Toops turning pro.
"We had recruited Brian," Van Horn said, "but he ended up going to Arizona State. They didn't want to release him but he talked them into it."
Devin Day, at time the regular second baseman last season but likely to be in a utility role this season behind senior Scott Bridges and newcomer Brock Bond, has transferred to Santa Clara, said Van Horn.
Also, outfielder Kern Watts, used infrequently as a freshman last year, intends to seek more playing time at another school, Van Horn said. Van Horn wished both well.
"They want to play every day and I can't blame them," he said.
A couple of pitchers who didn't figure after early season trials, Robby Daniel and Zach Butler, have also transferred. Daniel went to UCA and Butler to Texas Tech.
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