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Notes, Quotes and Slants
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Pirate
Notebook No. 68
Monday, May 20, 2002
By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist |
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Pirates navigate season
of timeless lessons
©2002 Bonesville.net
Team for the ages
The 2002 East Carolina baseball team won't go down as the
best in school history. That much is evident in the Pirate's overall record.
But when the season does come to a close whether it is
this week in Kinston or next month in Omaha this year's Diamond Bucs will
go down as a resilient and courageous bunch extraordinaire.
Losing five sluggers would be difficult for any program to
overcome. Replacing four steady fielders is by no means a cinch, either. Yet
those are just a couple of the more common hurdles this team had to leap.
But there was nothing common about this season nothing
routine about the adversity this team faced.
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Still, somehow, the Pirates took a business-as-usual
approach to the season. They never offered excuses. They never complained.
Who could have imagined it this time last year when the Bucs
looked destined for an Omaha berth? A fiery, determined Keith LeClair would
endure the cruel symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is
named for Hall-of-Famer Lou Gehrig, who ironically played the same position
first base.
Though the disease limited LeClair's involvement this
season, it didn't reduce his impact. Vowing to defeat the undefeated, the
Pirates' head coach left an indelible imprint on his players, who adopted
the never-quit mentality of their coach and friend.
I believe that I will defeat this, LeClair said earlier
this year. I believe that I will persevere. I believe one day that I will
hit fungos and throw BP, and coach like I did before this happened.
LeClair's words, both convincing and inspiring, carried over
to East Carolina's play this season, especially when its back was against
the wall.
After dropping three straight to TCU, the Bucs bounced back
to win nine straight and return to the national rankings. Friday night, the
Pirates erased a five-run deficit against red-hot Louisville to transform
what appeared to be an inevitable defeat into a rousing triumph.
Lacking the talent of years past, assistant coach Kevin
McMullan never quit tinkering with the lineup, constantly seeking the
perfect offensive punch. Without the powerful pop to bust games open, he
resorted to textbook baseball situational hitting and a station-to-station
approach on the paths.
Coach Mac's pinch-hit performance was exemplary, especially
when you consider the pressures and emotions involved. Though LeClair's
health worsened as the season progressed, the third-year assistant never
lost focus, constantly reminding the Pirates of their long-range goals.
"You look around our office, and on my computer screen, it's
Omaha," McMullan said. "In our locker room, we talk about going to Omaha.
That is our goal."
It was a goal heard loud and clear with the break of each
huddle, as the Pirates routinely shouted their simple, one-word battle cry
"Omaha!."
Though the season, overall, would be considered a success
37 wins would move the fans to genuflect at most schools it isn't the wins
and losses that will be remembered most about this team. Rather, it will be
the resolve with which a score of college kids played, and life's important
lessons that were taught to us by an unflinching coach who is a winner in
every sense of the word.
Faith was at the forefront of this Purple machine, both in
God and in each other. There was an impermeable bond with this team, one
strong enough that each man considered his teammate a brother.
Those are the ideals LeClair taught us, the ideals by which
he continues to live. Each breath reinforces those standards, brings to
light the priorities about which our parents used to speak.
"You may go 0-for-4 and lose a game," centerfielder Warren Gaspar said, "but
you look at Coach LeClair, and you realize it's just a baseball game.
There's more to life than just baseball."
That's the unforgettable story about the 2002 Pirates, the
team that statistically could get lost among the rest.
It's a team that by season's end may not have tangible
evidence of its championship caliber, no hardware for its crowded trophy
case.
But, rest assured. This group has already discovered an even
greater victory the championship of the human spirit.
Berth in the
balance
Three weeks ago, ECU was entertaining thoughts of a
fourth-consecutive NCAA No. 1 seed. Now, the Pirates are just hoping for a
postseason bid.
Whether or not the Diamond Bucs attend college baseball's
Big Dance could depend largely on their performance in this week's
Conference USA tournament.
Stumble, and ECU could be left to ponder the What Ifs in
relation to its late-season slide. Hang around until the weekend, and it
will be tough for the selections committee to ignore these tough-as-nails
Pirates.
Even then, nothing short of a tournament title assures the
Pirates of an extended season and chance to reach college baseball's Holy
Land. And one glance at the tournament pairings suggests that hoisting the
championship trophy will be no easy task.
The first obstacle for the sixth-seeded Pirates is
hard-hitting Texas Christian, which swept the Pirates in Greenville earlier
this season. Bypass the formidable Frogs, and the Bucs will likely face
Louisville, which pasted Pirate pitchers for 26 runs this past weekend.
If the Pirates are to make a serious run at the title, they
will need to return to the basic principles that pushed them to the cusp of
the nation's top 10 earlier this season solid pitching, steady defense,
and timely hitting. It has been well over three weeks since East Carolina
put all three together in successive outings.
The good news is ace left hander Sam Narron is expected to
return to the rotation after missing two starts with a sore arm. Perhaps his
return could be the energizer the Pirates need to make the final postseason
push.
No "Jungle," no
problem
One thing that should way heavily in East Carolina's favor
this week is the pro-Pirate crowd that will be on hand in Kinston, which has
been a regular stop for ECU over the years.
The Pirates' most recent visit to Grainger Stadium occurred
during last season's super regional, in which Tennessee staged late-inning
comebacks on consecutive days to upend ECU's Omaha dreams.
ECU athletics director Mike Hamrick fondly remembers the
atmosphere in K-Town last year, which he recently described as "rocking,"
despite the absence of the "Jungle."
"We didn't have a Jungle last year in Kinston, and we didn't
have one in Wilson last year," Hamrick said. "But, I can still remember
shaking the AD's hand at Tennessee last year in Kinston Doug Dickey, and
he's been there forever and he told me 'Mike this is the best college
baseball atmosphere I have ever seen."
With plans for a new stadium well under way, the Jungle's
status has been a hot topic among the ECU faithful. For years, die-hards
have lined the outfield wall at Harrington field, creating one of college
baseball's most unique atmospheres one that the Jungle's inhabitants would
like to keep.
According to Hamrick, plans are in place to preserve ECU's
rowdy baseball haven with a new-and-improved version of the Jungle.
"You can still have the Jungle atmosphere in our new
stadium, and we're going to try to keep that," Hamrick said. "That's a good
atmosphere, and it's one we like.
"Occasionally we have some problems with that, but we deal
with it. The new stadium will have picnic areas, and it will have an area
for the Jungle. It will be a stadium that is conducive to a family
atmosphere birthday parties and picnics."
'The Natural'
from New Hanover
When C-USA announces its postseason awards, ECU first
baseman Darryl Lawhorn will almost certainly be recognized as the league's
top freshman, and is a virtual shoe-in to collect first-team All-C-USA
honors.
If the voters truly do their homework, they'll consider him
for the league's top player award, too.
Lawhorn led the Pirates in virtually every offensive
category this season, including batting average (.413), home runs (16), runs
batted in (56), slugging percentage (.711), and on base percentage (.502),
just to name a few. His 16 dingers shattered the ECU freshman record for
homers in a season previously held by John Williamson.
Lawhorn's performance is even more impressive when you
consider just two other ECU regulars catcher Clayton McCullough and second
baseman Jedd Sorensen batted over .300, while no other Pirate reached
double digits in home runs.
Quick and athletic, Lawhorn stole a team-high 13 bases, and
showed enough versatility on defense to man both infield and outfield
corners at one point during the season or another. If need be, the
Wilmington standout could even provide the Pirates spot duty out of the
bullpen, considering he was initially recruited as a pitcher.
Yet, as attractive a candidate as Lawhorn may be, he will
likely take second chair to talented Houston standout Jesse Crain, who
posted impressive numbers at the plate (.318, 10 HR, 41 RBI) and on the
mound (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 9 saves).
Perhaps the most fitting tribute to Lawhorn's contribution
to the cause is simply to acknowledge that the Pirates would likely be out
of postseason contention without their freshman slugger.
Few in the Pirate camp would argue that another C-USA player
was more valuable to his team than the "Natural" from New Hanover.
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02/23/2007 01:46:24 AM
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