North Carolina had fought through 10 runners left on base, a late-inning blown lead and even an ejection of coach Mike Fox.Before the 10th inning, senior shortstop Ryan Graepel had fought through an 0-for-1 day, three walks and a baserunning mishap that left both Graepel and Fox sprawled on the ground.
Right after a demoralizing December bowl loss to Pittsburgh, North Carolina coach Butch Davis stood at a podium in the depths of Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and proclaimed that his focus was already on the 2010 season.Others — namely the team’s fans — weren’t choosing such a selective memory. And rightly so, especially when focusing on the Tar Heels’ offensive production, which finished tenth or worst in most notable passing categories in the ACC last year.
For once on Friday night, it appeared Jesse Wierzbicki might not add to his RBI tally.
Long after North Carolina had raced to two early leads on Friday and Sunday and long after the Tar Heels had subsequently lost each with late rallies by Florida State, UNC coach Mike Fox dropped a quite unexpected line during his postgame interview.“I don’t think the story Friday or today is our bullpen,” Fox said Sunday. “I was really proud of the guys that we brought in today.”
She had been called out by her coach, stripped of her leadership responsibilities and benched on more than one occasion.She had suffered through more losses than in any other season during her three years in Chapel Hill. She had thrown up an absolute clunker against Duke in the teams’ last meeting — recording not one field goal.
The statline for North Carolina’s first baseman seemed almost customary Tuesday night against UNC-Greensboro. And for the past three seasons, it was — heck, even expected.
It took only one play. One play with less than a minute to go and four seconds remaining on the shot clock.The play summed up North Carolina’s season, the utmost maxim in UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell’s basketball repertoire, and everything that could have been this year if the Tar Heels consistently followed her words.
Quite frankly, North Carolina baseball coach Mike Fox tries not to think about what’s gone. The 213 wins and just 62 losses in the past four seasons alone. The multiple trips to Omaha, Neb., and the College World Series. The two runner-up finishes and the numerous MLB draft picks.
DURHAM — Their expressions told it all.North Carolina’s usually exuberant assistant coach Andrew Calder stood stone-faced before a timeout with 3:53 left in the second half. Freshman Tierra Ruffin-Pratt buried her face in a towel. Team leaders Italee Lucas and Cetera DeGraffenreid stared blankly ahead.They all knew. It was over.
RALEIGH — North Carolina entered Reynolds Coliseum on its most successful stretch ever against N.C. State. A staggering 17 of the past 19 contests had gone in the Tar Heels’ favor, yet with 12 minutes remaining in the second half, none of that seemed to matter.
