At first, Eli Sutherland hit a home run.
It was his first as a member of the North Carolina baseball team. It took awhile — seven games into his senior year — but every hitter gets a hold of one every now and then.
Three days later, he hit another. It raised some eyebrows, but Sutherland stands at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. The wind must have been blowing.
But now, after hitting his third home run of the season in Tuesday's 11-5 win over Gardner-Webb (13-1), the UNC infielder is starting to become a household name in Tar Heel country.
“It’s a good thing," Coach Mike Fox said. "You get good surprises as a coach, and this is a good surprise."
Sutherland has been on a tear in the past six days, amassing three home runs in his previous five games. Yet power surges like these have not always been a common occurrence.
The senior was one of the better hitters on his little league team, but he didn't have that over-the-wall power. Maybe some balls off the fence — but Sutherland was seemingly confined to warning-track power.
Fast forward to junior college at Walters State. The power starts to show during his first year, but it fades away in his second season.
"I’ve never been a huge home run hitter,” he said.
