University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: ACC Tournament Notebook
May 25, 2008 | Baseball
May 25, 2008
By Adam Lucas
JACKSONVILLE--Carolina went into the last weekend of the regular season with a stalwart bullpen and struggling starters. In Jacksonville, the roles reversed.
The Tar Heels received quality starts from all three starters, as Adam Warren, Matt Harvey, and Alex White all worked at least into the sixth inning. But other than a good outing by Colin Bates against FSU, the bullpen misfired. Tar Heel relievers have now allowed 29 runs over the last six games.
Of course, those six games also include three against power-hitting Miami and an unusual situation against Florida State that saw several Tar Heel relievers enter in unfamiliar spots. Rob Catapano, who ordinarily needs to establish a rhythm at the top of an inning, faced just one batter in the middle of the sixth, a role that did not suit him in 2007. Fellow lefty Brian Moran also faced just one hitter, and Tim Federowicz--who all parties agree is better when taking the mound at the start of an inning--had to enter the ninth with runners already on first and second.
Meanwhile, the UNC starters were excellent. The headliner was Harvey, who finally had the breakthrough start everyone had been waiting for during his freshman season. The righty threw eight dominating innings against Wake, striking out thirteen.
"In Miami I think I was a little worried about getting hit instead of throwing strikes so they'd hit it," Harvey said. "That's what I did against Wake. I kept the ball down and gave the infield a chance to field it.
"I have to work more during the week on mechanics than I have been. I might have gotten a little lazy in the bullpen during the week."...
The Tar Heels used Ryan Graepel as a defensive replacement against both Virginia and Florida State. The sophomore shortstop responded with flawless defense, including a pair of very difficult plays, in both games. Graepel also put down a perfect bunt against FSU...Carolina has just two stolen bases in its last six games...Chad Flack will enter the NCAA Tournament needing only two total bases to tie Jarrett Shearin's UNC career record in that category...
Mike Fox refused to knock the ACC Tournament format that produced a result in which the Tar Heels were eliminated from championship contention after playing just one game.
"It's our own fault," the head coach said. "For us to say we're playing two meaningless games is a little shallow. We practice all year and work hard all year to play games. We're still going to play, so we still need to stay sharp. When you focus on what's not at stake you lose the point of competing."...
The Tar Heels will finally arrive home on Sunday after the long bus ride from Jacksonville. It will mark the first time since Wednesday, May 14, that the team has been at home...On that bus ride home, Fox and his coaching staff will turn their attention to NCAA Tournament preparation. Carolina's back-to-back College World Series appearances have been built on two very different ACC Tournament results. In 2006, the Tar Heels went 0-2 in Jacksonville, but last year they won the tourney title. Based on those experiences, Fox has a good grasp of how much postseason carryover exists.
"I don't think there will be any carryover from this one way or the other," he said. "We've got a week to prepare and there will be a lot of excitement on Monday."...
The excitement begins on Sunday night when regional host sites are announced at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The NCAA Tournament selection show will air on ESPN Monday at 12:30. Once the host sites and brackets are announced, keep checking TarHeelBlue.com for all the NCAA baseball ticket information. Fans who are a member of the Rams Club, Diamond Heel members, Boshamer Stadium contributors, or past baseball ticket purchasers should receive an email Sunday night or Monday with ticket purchase instructions. If you believe you are a member of that group but do not receive an email, call the ticket office Tuesday morning. Fans are strongly encouraged to buy tickets as soon as they are available to beat the intense demand that is expected.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.
