Hardly Ever Noticed Sportsmanship

Duke won their second Lacrosse title Monday beating Syracuse 16-10 after they were trailing in the second quarter 5-0.  By games end Duke was in control and the last couple of minutes for them were the sweetest any athlete can have.  Even while the game is in progress you know towards the end you have done what you set out to do win it all.

Duke like all teams had the national championship tee shirts and hats all printed and ready to distribute to each member when the game ended but coach John Danowski made his players remove the tee shirts and hats until after the end of the game handshake.  He didn't want to insult Syracuse to have to look at the gear while they waded through the handshake line.  Boy, when was the last time you saw sportsmanship like that.

If there was ever a coach that came to a team at the right time Danowski is it.  If you remember he became coach after the Rape scandal hit the Blue Devils.  The program for all intent and purpose was dropped like a hot cake only to find out lies had been told a coach fired who later sued Duke and won.  In walks Danowski and seven years later Duke has two national championships under their belt.

Who would have ever thought that the Triangle area would be the center of the college Lacrosse world.  UNC women won the championship giving the Triangle the top two trophies.  Two is exactly two more than what the Big Three won in basketball.

UNC and N C State begin play in their respective baseball Regional Friday night.  Carolina plays at 6pm and State will begin at 7.  By the way all eight ACC teams that played last weekend in the ACC Baseball Tournament are all seeded no lower than #2 in the regional that each is playing.  Five are hosting  UNC, Virginia, Florida State, N C State and Virginia Tech.  Clemson. Georgia Tech and Miami are traveling to other Regional sites.  If the ACC doesn't get five to the Super Regional this weekend will be a big disappointment

THE CASE: The NCAA Versus Campbell

Every year when the NCAA basketball brackets come out there is always someone who thinks that they should be part of the 68 teams that make the tournament.  Every case the NCAA can throw at you statistics and in some case facts as to why a certain team did not get in.  Monday when the NCAA baseball brackets were announced N C State had every reason to think that according to the numbers they could have been as high as a five seed because those higher in the final bracket at least four don't have the stats and facts that the Pack has this year.  The one thing the Pack has is it is in the tournament and will host a Regional this weekend.  On the other hand Campbell who had every reason to plan on practice Monday afternoon was left to pack up the equipment and call it a season.

Campbell has only been to the baseball tournament once since they have gone to division 1 baseball.  This years was the best in the history of the school when they won 49 and lost ten.  Their winning percentage is the fifth best in the country.  You have heard me within the past month preach about RPI and there's is 38 well within the top 64 in the land.  They won their division of the Big South with a 19-5 record..  The biggest objection the NCAA can have is they have a strength of schedule of 237.  No one who made the tournament that didn't automatically get in has a worse SOS.

The curious problem with not allowing Campbell in is they gave the #3 team in the Big South Coastal Carolina an invite.  They trailed CU in RPI  38 to 50  and behind them in the division of the Big South.  The only winning point for CC was their SOS was 76 to CU's 237.  I can see where Campbell was bumped but here is where I am really disappointed for Ben Fish.  The former Rocky Mount Gryphon like every one at Campbell wanted to find out what it is like playing any where country in the NCAA Tournament.

They beat ECU twice this year but as the year has unfolded that didn't help Campbell's RPI with the year ECU had.  The real kicker is that Coastal Carolina and Campbell did not meet during the regular season so there is no  face to face battle to decide who goes.  The bottom line the writing was on the wall for Campbell when they lost their tournament final to Liberty who got in.  A victory on Saturday and the Fighting Camels  would be playing this weekend.

The Northern Nash football program is sponsoring  a Bar-b-que chicken dinner at the high school on June 14th.  Plates are selling for $7 and all the profits will go to the football program at Northern.  The time is from 11am -2pm and if you company would like to order at least ten plates they will deliver.  Help support the Knights as they try to get new coach Randy Raper off and running at Northern Nash.

Carolina Top Seed In NCAA Baseball

 UNC fresh off the ACC baseball Tournament title has earned the top spot in this year NCAA Baseball Tournament.  N C State is seeded ninth which means they will join Carolina in hosting a Regional this weekend but will have to hit the road in two weeks if they survive their  Regional.  Elon and UNC Wimington are the only other two teams from North Carolina in the field.

That leaves Campbell with their greatest season ever at home after they played for their conference title on Saturday and lost to Liberty who made the tournament.  Campbell was in the winners bracket and Liberty in the double elimination tournament survived to play Campbell in a one game winner take all and Liberty won 2-1.  So Campbell lost only once in their conference tournament and that one loss knocked them out of the Tournament.

Eddie Loesner the baseball coach at Northern Nash has resigned and will not return next season as baseball coach.  Thinking out loud here but if he turns in an application I think Greg Clifton the former Northern assistant and now the head coach at Faith Christian would be a very good choice.  He has been within the program before and has in his two years at Faith raised baseball up at Faith.

I am surprised some what that there has not been an up roar from those that attended the State -Carolina game last Saturday night in Durham.  Any tournament you go too theses days will clear the stadium out between games because they sell individual tickets and there are those who buy tickets for all games.  They clear everyone out to get the single game ticket holders out so the new batch of single game ticket holders don't have to fight for their seat.

Since TV wanted to get the game started as close as possible to 7pm and the two earlier games had the 7pm game late all 11,000 fans going to the State -Carolina game had to get their tickets scanned and through the gates after everyone from the second game got out.  The normal procedure between games is 51 minutes there was not enough time to get the previous crowd out and the monster crowd in by 51 minutes.  A couple of thousand who had already been waiting outside a couple of hours to get in didn't get to see the first pitch.

There is one advantage for North Carolina teams playing close to home and of course their fans flock to see the games where hardly any other team has any.  The disadvantage is knowing that State-Carolina will draw huge crowds and Saturday's game ending at near 2am Carolina had little time to rest before Sunday's championship game at 1pm.

Legion Wins Opener

Hank Jones  has shaken the bushes all over the area and then some to find the Coleman Pitt Post 58 American Legion team for 2013.  Rocky Mount High and Rocky Mount Academy lead the way with 4 players each.  Corinth Holder High from Wendell has three players on this years squad.Two players each from Northern Nash and Faith Christian.  East Wake, Roanoke Rapids and Hobgood Academy each have one player.  Corinth Holder's players come courtesy of Raleigh Area Legion teams having full rosters and these players want to play Legion ball.

This being the first game of the season and Hank Jones wanting to look as many pitchers as possible went three innings each with three different pitchers. Jeremy Johnson got the start but he was greeted in the first inning by a two run homer by Apex's Alex Malinsky.  Johnson finished out his three innings not giving up another run and when he left it was tied 2-2.  Post 58 struck back in the bottom of the first after Jonathan Aparicio double home Linwood Jones who lead off with a hit.  Aparicio scored on an infield single by Abel Hernandez.

Sam Burman pitched innings 4-7 and Apex touched him for three runs on three hits in the fifth. Alex Malinsky rbi single and  Alex Yarem single lead to getting three runs home.   Just like the first Rocky Mount responded but got only two to trail 5-4 after five.  Nick Vester singled and a David Williams double got the first run and Williams scored on an error at third.

Innings 7-8-9 belonged to Northern's Derrick Carter at he shut the door on Apex striking out 5 and allowed only one hit and walked one batter.  Finally in the bottom of the eighth P58 scored six times  Andy Morris singled with one out, Spenser Ramsey walked, Linwood Jones hit a come backer to the pitcher who fielded the ball but while trying to throw to first dropped the ball loading the bases.  Corey Shirk slapped a single up the middle  scoring one.  Jonathan Aparicio's single plated two more runs.  Adam Bayless walked and Nick Vester single brought home two more.  A wild pitch scored run number 10.

Nick Vester who did not start got three hits and 2 rbi. Jonathan Aparicio another three hits and three rbi.  Linwood Jones had two hits along with Spenser Ramsey Corey Shirk, Abel Hernanadez legged out an infield hit but was injured at first and left the game in the first inning.   Andy Morris and David Williams had the other hits.  P58 starts 2013 off with a win 10-5 over Apex.

Derrick Carter did his job keeping Apex at the five run mark and was rewarded for his effort with the win .  P58 produced 14 hits on the night while P 58 pitching held Apex to hit hits.

Most folks have Monday Memorial day off and I would like to remind everyone that Memorial Day is the day to remember those who have fallen in battle and did not come home from defending our country.  We are able to do the things that we want to because of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Coleman Pitt Post 58 begins the Memorial Holiday with it's first win.

11,392 Got Their Monies Worth

Earlier on Saturday afternoon Virginia and Florida State went 12 innings and those three extra innings pushed the start of the State-Carolina game back to 7.41pm start time.  All most all of the 11,392 were waiting outside the gates for game two of the ACC Tournament to get over  and then with electronic tickets and each one needing to be scanned about 1,500 were not in their seats when Carlos Rodon tossed the first pitch of the night.  Even though some didn't see the start  I doubt if there were many complaining by midnight.
In what I have to say is the greatest sporting event I have ever seen  and in my case on TV North Carolina beat N C State 2-1 in 18 innings. 

It was seen by the most people to ever watch a baseball game in the state of North Carolina. It is the longest game in ACC Tournament history. It started at 7:41pm and ended at 1:51 AM. Carlos Rodon pitched 10 innings  gave up 1 run on 1 hit and did not win the game. It  was an  unearned  run while striking out 14.  Rocky Mount's  Hobbs Johnson struck out 9 in 5.1 innings and was losing when he left the game.

22 Tar Heels struck out while 21 Wolfpack players failed to make contact.  State had 10 hits while Carolina only had 6 for the entire game.  State had three men on third in the extra innings and failed to score.  State committed four errors and two in the 8th  caused them to have to play 10 more innings.  Carolina's relief pitchers held State scoreless in the last 12 innings. Both teams pitcher pitched almost 600 pitches in the game.

My son Brooks texted me at 10:45 and said his heart was racing at 200 miles per hours.  I have never seen a game that every pitch from the 8th inning on was like the 9th inning in game 7 of the World Series.  North Carolina has played 32 innings in the last 30 hours.  They play again at 1pm today.

This is the second year in a row that State and Carolina have gone extra innings in the Saturday night ACC Tournament game.  If you remember Carolina won last year 4-0 in the 12th inning.  Those two games Carolina has scored just 1 run in the first nine innings of both last year's game and won both.   State has scored only once in the same time frame in those two games against Carolina in 30 innings..  Carolina has outscored State 5-0 in those two games extra innings. 

There  is no doubt this was a game to be remembered for ever.  Now Carolina must focus on this afternoon's championship game

By the way there was no Post 58 Legion game on Saturday so their season opens tonight at 6pm against Apex at the Rocky Mount American Legion Field.

Show Down In The Bull City

North Carolina used up eight of their nine lives Friday night trailing Clemson 7-2 in the ninth inning but scored five times to send the game into extra innings.  Seemed as if Clemson had a chance to win in every inning in of overtime but the last one when Carolina put another five spot on the board and beat Clemson 12-7 in 14 innings.  Earlier in the day North Carolina State got great bull pen pitching and timely hitting along with outstanding defense in beating Miami 7-1.  It sets up for the first time in their history that North Carolina and North Carolina State play each other in the ACC Baseball Tournament when both teams are 2-0.

It had been announced earlier in the day that the game was  a sell out and all available standing room only space has been bought too. This should mean that the crowd tonight should be the largest to ever watch a college baseball game in North Carolina. 

I was in Durham for the State game but I need to remind everyone that Virginia Tech has already played their three games in this years round robin and stand 3-0 and will play the winner Sunday for the ACC Championship.  There are a lot of people that complain that the tournament in Durham is an advantage for both Carolina and State but the third closest team to Durham Virginia Tech is playing some ball too. Yes there were maybe 3,000 State fans and only 35 Miami fans at the game Friday but when everyone left the State game 400 or so VT fans were waiting to get in their 3pm game.

The Hokies are 35-19 on the season but have won 11 out of their last 12 games.  We are all concerned about RPI and Carolina stands #1 in the RPI.  State has passed Florida St  into 8th but Virginia Tech has moved up to #11.  Neither the Tar Heels or the Pack had better think the championship is Saturday night because Virginia Tech is ready to play at 1pm Sunday against tonight's winner.

Coleman Pitt American Legion Post 58 begins their season tonight as they travel to Creedmor.  Sunday night at 6pm they will be home when they host Apex.

Sunday Home Opener

If you have been involved with Legion baseball as long as I have you know that non-conference games get cancelled, changed, put off  or moved in a moments notice.  The season starts Saturday with Post 58 on the road.  If you have a printed schedule that you have received in the last 72 hours tear it up because it has changed since then.

Sunday night Post 58 will open it's season at home.   The old schedule the first home game was not until the first week of June.  Opening pitch at the Rocky Mount American Legion field will be Sunday at 6pm.  Hold your breath the schedule could change before then.

North Carolina and N C State are on a collision course to meet Saturday night at 7pm with a winner take all for the right to play Sunday for the ACC Baseball Championship.  In order for that to happen both must win today.  State plays at 11am against Miami and I plan on being there for that one and Carolina and Benton Moss play at 7pm against Clemson.  Even though Clemson and Miami have one loss neither have been eliminated as of yet.  We know for sure Both State and Carolina win today one of them will play Sunday.

Virginia Tech is in the drivers seat in the other bracket after they beat Florida ST 3-2 Thursday night. FSU and Virginia are out as the best Virginia can do is 2-1 and tie VT but VT beat UVA so they get the tie breaker.  So if GT beats VT then they play Sunday.

Any body that keeps up with high school football in North Carolina knows the name Jack Holley.  Holley is the all time wins leader in North Carolina football coaches with 412.  He coached 44 years and in that 44 years lost only 96 games.  Holley died earlier this week at the age of 74.

There is something about football that for those that played and endured the pain, sweat and agony you go through a practice just to be able to set foot on a football field on a Friday night.  Those coaches that you think while you are enduring that the coach is the devil.  Not to far in your life away from football you realize that what that coach was doing for you was not helping you wins games but was preparing you for life.

Hearing from all those players that played for Jack Holley I can tell you that they like me would run through a wall for him as I would for my high school coach.  Holley had that ability not only to win  but teach life lessons along the way.  The way you have to prepare for a football game is completely different than any other sport.  I played all three of the major sports in high school and I was better in baseball than football.  What I learned on the practice field  of football about getting knocked  down and and getting back up for the next play can't be taught in any other sport.

There are coaches who have the touch. Jack Holley had it.  The world is a better place because he left a legacy of life.   His funeral will be at the Wallace Rose Hill High football Stadium where many of Holley's victories occurred.  Many a Friday night that stadium has been run over with people. Why do you think it is being held at the stadium.  There is no funeral home can can handle the crowd that will be there.  Most of them there will be there to honor the man that made them men.