GoHeels Exclusive: The Key, Consistency

By: Davis Dupree

For Kyle Datres, Carolina's junior third baseman, success seems to comes naturally.

After all, it's in his DNA.

Kyle's mother never lost a collegiate tennis match. His father helped coach a high school basketball team to a state championship. His sister Kelli was a three-time gymnastics state champion. His brother Kory is a four-time state baseball champion.

Apparently, winning just runs in the family.

So, it should come as no surprise that Kyle followed suit. A three-sport star in baseball, football and basketball at Loyalsock Township High School in Williamsport, Penn., Datres played on state championship teams in all three sports. He was also runner-up for Mr. Football in Pennsylvania during his senior year and a three-time all-state player in baseball.

This season, that winning mentality is showing more than ever at Boshamer Stadium and throughout ACC play. As he was in high school, he once again is the team leader in a variety of statistical categories. Datres leads the Diamond Heels in average (.340), hits (64), runs scored (48), doubles (13) and stolen bases (9) through Thursday.

The key: consistency.

For a player who hasn't missed a start in 108 games and has put together the team's longest hitting streak at 18 games, he knew he needed to work on the next piece of the puzzle.

"I knew if I wanted to play at the next level that was a thing I had to work on and build on, just staying consistent from one game to the next," said Datres, who hit .265 with 51 RBIs as a sophomore.

As with any competitive athlete, Datres strives for perfection. Some might say he hates to lose more than he loves to win, which is especially tough in baseball, a sport where you fail more than you succeed. But with three years under his belt, he's harnessing that maturity more and more this season.

"I'll get excited when I need to get excited," said Datres. "It's just when things go bad I try not to get upset with myself. That's what I have been working on and it has paid off so far this year."

His hard work off the field, and success on it, has led to him becoming a primary leader in the clubhouse and earned him the respect of his teammates. While Tar Heel Head Coach Mike Fox thinks Datres might bring an intimidating presence to the younger guys in the locker room, it's in a positive, healthy way. He is a player that can set the tone and lead by example.

"I think the other guys know this guy brings it every day," Fox says. "He's one of the hardest workers and strongest, toughest players."

It's a good thing he is considered one of the toughest players, as he is the team leader in hit-by-pitch, something that is proudly displayed in the Tar Heel locker room. The team keeps track of HBP with the Dose Board. It's something the players take so much pride in they even pass around a Dose Belt, a custom WWE style belt that stays with the last player to get plunked – until the next player gets plunked. (Dose, by the way, is baseball lingo for getting drilled).

Being the leader on the Dose Board, Datres gets to carry the belt into each game. It's a symbol of his toughness and willingness to wear pitches when he has to.

The Dose Belt certainly isn't the only hardware Datres hopes to win this year. After coming up empty in the NCAA Regional following a great regular season last year, Datres is poised to lead his team into the postseason again, hoping to use some of that fire from last year's early exit as added motivation. The Tar Heels (33-14, 18-6 ACC) are once again in position to earn a national seed with home field advantage throughout the regionals and super regionals.

Datres tries not to think about last season too much, as this is a new season with new guys in the locker room. But keeps that feeling in his back pocket for when he needs it.

"Just remember that feeling you had in the locker room after we went home earlier than we wanted to; that's not going to do anything but fuel you," said Datres.

Fox isn't looking for anything new out of Datres down the stretch. He just wants his third baseman to continue playing at a high level, with an emphasis on timely hitting and driving in runs.

But there are still three weeks of baseball to be played before the postseason, and you can be certain that Datres is going to keep showing up every day and giving it all he's got.

After accomplishing so much at the high school level, and playing his way into a top prospect for the next level, he only has so much time left in Chapel Hill. And, hopefully, he has another championship left to win.

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