QUARTET OF FORMER RAMS LACING THEM UP IN MINOR LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Eppley, Dubois, Miranda and Bolden all part of postseason play

The theory is that winning is contagious. Four former members of the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball program are doing their best to prove that theory true as they have taken their winning experiences at VCU on to the minor leagues.

Jared Bolden, Cody Eppley, Sergio Miranda and Jason Dubois were all key components of the Black and Gold’s run through the Colonial Athletic Association that included four CAA Tournament titles, five regular season championships and seven NCAA tournament appearances between 1998 and 2007.

“Being a part of those tournaments will really help me relax out here because I know from those experiences the type of pressure that is on you,” Eppley said. “The Myrtle Beach regional (2007) reminds me of what the playoff atmosphere is like here, having that many people with their eyes on you. It’s part of the excitement of the game and this time of year. Everyone is out there pushing for that top spot and hoping that they are the ones still standing at the end.”

All four former Rams are a part of the Minor League Baseball postseason this year with Bolden a member of the Spokane Indians, Eppley with the Clinton LumberKings, Miranda with the Winston-Salem Warthogs and Dubois with the Iowa Cubs.

Dubois joined the Cubs in mid-May after being released by the Washington Nationals organization. The hard-hitting first baseman has been on fire ever since, racking up a .307 batting average with 62 runs scored and 56 RBIs in 76 games for the I-Cubs. His most astounding number is his team-leading 25 home runs, which ranks in the top 15 in the Pacific Coast League.

The Virginia Beach, Va. native helped Iowa to an overall mark of 83-59 and its first appearance in the PCL playoffs since 2004, where they will take on the Oklahoma RedHawks in the first round.

In the first game of the series last night, Dubois led the Cubs to a 10-3 thrashing of the RedHawks with three hits, including two doubles and a home run.

Miranda (pictured), who is in his second professional season, rejoined the Warthogs in mid-August for his second stint of the year with club. After hitting just .156 in his first go-around, the Bayamon, Puerto Rico native has scorched opponents’ pitching to the tune of a .333 average with three doubles, a triple and seven runs scored in 12 games.

Miranda and the Warthogs take on the Pelicans of Myrtle Beach in a five-game series to open up the Carolina League playoffs.

The switch-hitting infielder kept up his hot-hitting in the first game of the series last night going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, but the Warthogs fell on the road in game one, 6-4.

Eppley got a timely promotion from the Arizona League Rangers to Clinton as he joined the LumberKings after they had clinched a spot in the Midwest League postseason. In his two outings so far with Clinton, he has tossed two innings, allowing two hits and two runs.

“It’s really an exciting opportunity to be a part of this,” Eppley said. “The atmosphere is great and you can just feel the excitement and anticipation from both teams.”

The Dillsburg, Pa., native did not make an appearance in game one as his LumberKings teammates were unable to get anything started offensively and fell 3-0 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Bolden was a vital part of the Indians run to the Northwest League Eastern Division title, helping them to a 51-25 mark, the best record in the league by eight games. The Lynchburg, Va., native started 61 contests, finishing with a .263 batting average with three home runs, 13 doubles and four triples.

“It’s a different game up here,” Bolden said. “To be at the top of your game, you have to be able to make adjustments day-in and day-out both on the mental and physical side of the game. Every day you have to have a new attitude. I’m sure the playoffs will just amplify that feeling even more and I’m excited to get things started.”

The former Black and Gold standout looks to help Spokane topple the two-time defending league champion, Salem-Keizer, in a five-game championship series that starts tonight with a 6:30 p.m. PCT contest.