University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heel Hurlers Begin Building for 2006
June 27, 2005 | Baseball
June 27, 2005
CHATHAM, Mass. - North Carolina lefty Andrew Miller might not have watched a lot of last week's College World Series, but he understands what a trip there in 2006 would mean for his teammates and the Tar Heel program.
"It would mean a lot," said Miller, who only caught about three innings from Omaha due to his summer schedule with the Chatham A's of the prestigious Cape Cod League. "It would be a lot of fun from everything you hear about it. Everybody wants to experience it just once, and next year would be a good year to do that."
Spearheaded by junior starters Miller, Daniel Bard and Robert Woodard, the Tar Heels figure to be among the nation's elite next season. Along with six other Carolina teammates, this trio is spending its summer on the Cape in preparation for the 2006 campaign in Chapel Hill. So far so good for the starters, as Bard, Miller and Woodard are a combined 3-1 in the early part of the season.
Teammates in Chatham, Miller and Woodard both picked up a win in their first start of the summer. Miller allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings against Hyannis on June 21. He fanned eight and walked four. Miller's next scheduled start is against Wareham Tuesday.
Woodard, who also has made one relief appearance, went eight innings in a start against Hyannis on June 20. He allowed just one run on five hits and did not issue a walk. Woodard struck out five, and teammate Matt Danford closed out the victory with a perfect ninth. Woodard is slated to start Monday against Brewster.
Bard has made three starts with Wareham and is 1-1 with a 1.47 earned run average in 18.1 innings. Through Sunday's action, he led the league with 24 strikeouts. Last time out, he allowed just one earned run on six hits and two walks over six innings but suffered a tough-luck loss to Orleans. Bard fanned seven in the game.
In addition to the strong showings by Carolina's top-flight starters, Danford has yet to allow a run over five innings, and Jonathan Hovis has surrendered just one run over six innings. Both relievers have made three appearances this summer.
Andrew Carignan and Andy Gale, who recently completed their rookie seasons at Carolina, also are pitching on the Cape this summer and figure to add even more depth in 2006 for the pitching-rich Tar Heels.
"We all know how good we can be," said Miller, who was 8-4 a 2.98 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 96.2 innings in 2005. "We know we have a good staff top to bottom. We know how well we can do and showed that this year earlier in the year. We also know how we can struggle at times, which we did a little at the end."
Most of the late-season struggles Miller refers to came in the control department, as the Tar Heels hit 80 batters and issued 232 walks on the season. But the staff combined for a 3.17 team ERA, their lowest since 1990 and the 10th-best mark in the nation prior to the College World Series. The Tar Heels, who finished 41-19-1 and made their fourth straight NCAA appearance, also tallied seven shutouts on the season, which tied a school record.
So far, Bard, Miller and Woodard have been sharp on the Cape, allowing just nine walks in 35.1 innings.
Miller's stated goals for the summer are simple but could go a long way next season: "I'm trying to be a better pitcher, trying to throw more strikes and get more outs." Despite a solid season in 2005, the Gainesville, Fla., native is expecting bigger and better things from the staff next season.
"We already had a year under our belts this year, but with another year of experience, I'm sure we'll be a little bit more prepared for each outing," added Miller, who pitched in the Cape's All-Star Game last summer and was named the league's top prospect by Baseball America. "I'm sure we'll be a little bit better than we were last year."
A little bit better could be scary for the Tar Heels' 2006 opponents, especially when it comes to Bard, Miller and Woodard. This group gives the Tar Heels one of the most experienced starting staffs in the ACC, if not the nation. And these three have already corralled a slew of awards and honors in their first two collegiate seasons. Their freshmen class was rated No. 1 in the nation in 2004, and all three have earned All-ACC at least once over the last two seasons. This trio has combined for 45 of Carolina's 84 victories over 2004-05 and figures to put a few more in the win column in 2006.
In the meantime, Miller and the rest of his teammates will continue to hone their games this summer on the Cape and in the other wooden bat summer leagues. The Tar Heels are working on their individual games this offseason, but they know that these improvements can lead to team success in the spring.
"Everybody's just trying to do their best," said Miller. "But I think everyone is rooting for each other, too."
