Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Prior to Saturday’s regular season finale, redshirt junior Dave Zappacosta was honored as Virginia Tech’s recipient of the 2009 Johnny Oates Memorial Baseball Award.
The award was established in 2006 by Oates' Virginia Tech teammates in fond memory of a good friend and loyal teammate whose enduring faith, devotion to family, character, integrity, competitive nature and perseverance continue to be an inspiration. It is presented annually to the Virginia Tech baseball player who best exemplifies those traits.
Four of Oates’ friends and former teammates, including Jim Dean, Dean Hahn, Bob Dickerson and Mike Knight, were on hand to present the award.
Zappacosta, a redshirt junior in his final season with the Hokies, made 36 relief appearances over his three seasons, recording 33 strikeouts in the process. Used primarily as a specialist to retire left-handed batters, he earned his first career save just last week by pitching the final three innings in a win over Delaware State. A native of Baltimore, Md., Zappacosta majored in marketing.
Oates came to Blacksburg in 1965 and was an outstanding catcher for the Virginia Tech baseball team. He hit .410 in 1966 and .342 in 1967 before signing with the Baltimore Orioles after his junior season. Oates spent 11 seasons in the major leagues as a player, seeing action in two World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers and one with the New York Yankees. After retiring as a player in 1981, Oates tried his hand at coaching and went on to become the major league manager of the Orioles and the Texas Rangers.
Oates was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his Tech jersey retired in 2002. He died Dec. 24, 2004.