ODU HURLER NAMED TO ALL-CAA TEAM

Old Dominion University sophomore righthander Justin Verlander was named to the first team of the All-Colonial Athletic Association team by the league coaches.

Verlander finished the 2003 season with a 7-6 record and a 2.46 earned run average. He led the CAA and ranked 25th nationally in strikeouts with 139 in 116.1 innings. He average 10.78 strikeouts per nine innings.

Verlander broke Kevin Bearse's 1987 single-season strikeout mark with 139. Bearse, who is a member of the ODU Sports Hall of Fame and pitched for the Cleveland Indians in 1990 fanned 138 in 1985. Verlander just missed the record last year with 137 as a freshman. The CAA single season record is 143 set in 2000 by Mike Smith of Richmond.

Verlander fanned ten or more batters six times. His highest was a no decision against George Mason, when he fanned 15 in eight innings. He defeated Vanderbilt, 2-0, and Oklahoma State, 2-1, this year, while losing to then-18th ranked Clemson, 2-0.