University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heels Ready To Start New Era
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
February 2, 1999
1999 Carolina Baseball Preview
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A new era in Carolina athletics began on May 7, 1998, when UNC Athletic Director Dick Baddour introduced former Tar Heel player Mike Fox as the new head coach of the Tar Heel baseball program.
In Mike Fox, I strongly believe that we have the right fit for Carolina, addour says. He understands this institutions values and tradition well, and I think Carolina baseball is going to do very, very well for a long period of time under his direction.
In the nine months since his appointment, Fox has hit the ground running and is poised to lead Carolina baseball in what should be one of its most exciting seasons in recent memory. The 1998 Tar Heels played their best baseball in the second half of the season and nearly rode their hot streak to the College World Series, dropping a heartbreaking, 7-4 decision to No. 1-ranked Miami in the finals of the NCAA Atlantic I Regional.
Six field starters, the top four starting pitchers and four top relievers return from last years squad, ready to make another run for the College World Series in 1999.
I expect us to be competitive in every game we play this year, Fox says. We had some success last year and return some experienced players. Well play some outstanding teams this season, and I expect our players to have the confidence to go out in every game and never feel that they are overmatched. I hope last year develops an attitude in our players that we can compete with anybody if we play hard.
Fox returns to coach his alma mater, where he was a member of the Tar Heels 1978 College World Series team, after serving as the head coach and athletic director at North Carolina Wesleyan College. Fox led the Battling Bishops to eight NCAA Division III CWS appearances and the 1989 national championship in 15 seasons.
You build a winning program by having good kids and focusing on the fundamentals, working hard every day in practice, says Fox. I think winning is a process, and I think the process is basically the same at every level. You try to take a group of young men and push them not to focus on stats and individual accomplishments, but to focus on the team. Im used to winning, and I know these players are, too, especially after the season they had last year. Attitude and tradition play big roles in winning, and weve got to continue to build a winning tradition here.
Carolina returns a number of experienced players, but several of those players hadnt seen much action until last season and others will be tackling new positions this year.
Even our upperclassmen, a lot of them didnt play much until last year, Fox says. To me, experience shows when you go into a hostile environment in some tough road games and dont get flustered. Time will tell how we deal with those challenges.
PITCHING
Leading Carolina into the 1999 campaign is a deep and talented pitching staff
that should rank among the best in the nation. Last years starters, junior
Kyle Snyder, junior Mike Bynum, sophomore Ryan Snare and junior Chris Elmore,
will be joined by senior Corey Richardson, one of the top relievers in school
history, in a five-man rotation that should start almost every game this season.
We basically named five starters at the end of the fall Kyle, Mike, Ryan, Chris and Corey in no particular order, Fox says. We didnt name weekend starters because Im going to give the ball to the guy who is hot if I think he can get the job done. If we get into a five-game regional or the ACC Tournament and can match up our five starters with the other teams, Ill feel pretty good about our chances.
Snyder earned more votes among pro scouts as the top prospect in the Cape Cod League last summer than any other player and is expected to be one of the top picks in the 1999 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in June. The 6-8, fireballing righthander was a preseason first-team All-America choice by aseball America and was rated by the magazine as the top college pitching prospect in the nation entering the season. Snyder won his last four decisions of 1998, allowing just four earned runs in 34.0 innings (1.06 ERA) with 30 strikeouts and seven walks during the streak.
Kyle has a tremendous fastball and can throw his breaking ball and changeup for strikes, Fox says. People expect a lot from him this year, and the key for him is to keep his feet on the ground and have fun this spring. If you can have one guy that you know is going to go out there and get a win for you, thats a huge key. Kyle can be that guy. We also have several other guys who can step up and do that.
ynum, a hard-throwing lefty, is another likely high choice in the 1999 draft who has led the Tar Heels in strikeouts in each of the last two seasons.
Mikes a great kid and a hard worker, says Fox. He can go out there and get on a roll and mow people down. He needs to go after hitters, because he has a great curve ball and he throws hard enough from the left side that he can rely on his fastball.
Snare was one of the best freshmen pitchers in the nation last year, displaying a deadly curveball that helped him rank among the ACCs leaders with 9.29 strikeouts per nine innings. His breakthrough came in a start at No. 2 Miami on March 20 when he struck out 12, including seven in a row at one point, allowing just two hits and no runs against perhaps the best offensive team in the nation.
Everyone saw what Ryan Snare was capable of doing at Miami last year, Fox says. Hes a real loose competitor, doesnt let much bother him and his teammates have confidence in that if he walks a couple of guys he can strike out the side and get out of the jam.
Elmore tied a school record for single-season winning percentage by going 5-0 a season ago. Carolina went 8-2 in his 10 starts last year.
I love Chris Elmore because he throws strikes and makes the other team swing the bat, says Fox. Hes got to be good with his control and keep the ball out of the middle of the plate to be successful. He keeps the ball down and gets a lot of ground outs.
Richardson tied for the ACC lead in 1996 with 10 saves and led UNC in ERA in 1998. Now he will take a starting role. Last summer, he threw the only no-hitter in the Coastal Plain League.
Corey has been mainly a reliever here, but we feel he can get the job done as a starter and he wants to do that, Fox says. He can hit 90 or 91 on the radar gun and he has a great curveball. He has the makeup to be a starter.
Despite Richardsons shift to the starting rotation, Carolinas relief corps should remain strong. Returning relievers Derrick DePriest, Ryan Earey, Michael Horney and Jay Madeira combined to go 14-4 with a 3.63 ERA last year.
DePriest, who led the ACC and set a school record with 44 appearances in 1998, going 7-3 with a team-high 114.1 innings pitched, will be the closer.
Derrick made no bones about it, he wants to be the closer, Fox says. It helps when guys love their roles like that. He relishes working out of jams, and a closer needs to have that mentality.
Horney, Madeira and Earey will serve as set-up men and in middle relief, with freshmen Joey Popovich and Matt Tanner and junior B.J. Finnerty also providing depth.
CATCHING
Sophomore Dan Moylan returns to start at catcher after batting .340 with 10 home
runs, 14 doubles and 38 RBI last year. He earned freshman All-America honors
for his efforts. Freshman Ryan Blake and sophomore Wes Reynolds will back up
Moylan.
Dan had a good freshman year, and I hope hell build on that this year, Fox says. His defensive skills have improved and hes a patient hitter with a dangerous bat.
INFIELD
Three of four infield starters from last season Jay Madeira (1B), Rob Miano
(2B) and Ryan Earey (3B) return, and 1997 third baseman Clay Hooper returns
from a redshirt year to take over at shortstop.
Madeira hit .265 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI while starting 45 games at first base last year. He was named to the All-Atlantic I Regional Team after batting .389 in five NCAA Tournament games.
Jay had a good fall, Fox says. I love how aggressive he is at the plate, although he needs to keep that under control. He can also play in the outfield.
Miano started every game at second base in 1998. A good contact hitter, he scored 55 runs, batted .364 with runners in scoring position and tied for the team lead with nine sacrifice bunts.
Rob is a guy whos going to hit down in the order, put the ball in play and not strike out very much, like a No. 2 hitter at the bottom of the order, Fox says. He enters the year as our starter, but weve got guys like Chris LaMarsh, Clay Hooper and Chris Maples that can also play there. I like the competition.
LaMarsh earned second-team All-ACC honors at designated hitter a season ago, batting .336, and can play second or third base.
Earey earned freshman All-America honors last year, starting 64 games at third while tying for third on the team with 55 RBI and tying for fifth on the squad with 10 home runs.
As big as Ryan is, Fox says, he moves well, has a strong arm and is without question our best third baseman defensively.
Hooper will start at shortstop after starting for Carolina at third in 1996 and 1997. He was the teams hottest hitter in fall practice and has taken well to the new position.
Clay can play short at this level, says Fox. None of our pitchers could get him out in the fall and we hope that carries over for him this season. I think Clay can have a great year.
OUTFIELD
Senior Jarrett Shearin, a first-team All-ACC choice in 1998, returns to start in
centerfield for the fourth season in a row despite being drafted in the 11th
round of the 1998 Major League draft by Seattle. An All-America candidate, he
is one of the best players in the ACC and ranks among the leaders in the Tar
Heel record books in several career and single-season categories.
Jarrett can play centerfield as well as anybody Ive seen in all my years of coaching because he has that instinct that lets him get good jumps on balls, Fox says. He has a good arm and hes about as good as you can be as far as releasing the ball quickly. He keeps getting more consistent on offense and could have a great year at the plate.
Sophomore Tyrell Godwin started most of the second half of last season in left field and has been named a preseason third-team All-America by Baseball America in anticipation of his first year as a full-time starter. His batting average of .337 was fourth among Tar Heels last season and his .627 slugging percentage ranked second on the team. Also a member of the Carolina football team, Godwin missed most of the baseball teams offseason work after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee late in the football campaign.
Tyrell has great tools, Fox says. Hes a little behind, but he may just need to play every day to get comfortable and get into his groove.
Matt McCay, who hit over .400 in two seasons as under Fox at N.C. Wesleyan, transferred to Carolina and could start in right field.
Matt can swing the bat, Fox says. It remains to be seen over the long haul if he can do it at this level, but hitting is his strength. Hell hit in the middle of the order and well see how he handles it.
Transfer Ryan Mathews will provide depth in the outfield this season.
