Boston College Baseball ACC Tournament Recap - Game Two: North Carolina

Going into Thursday’s contest, it was known that the Boston College baseball team would need to put forth a spectacular effort in order to knock off not only the #2 seed in the tournament, but also the #2 team in the nation, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Unfortunately, the Eagles did not get that performance and were beaten by UNC 10-0 in seven innings, per the tournament’s mercy rule. While the outcomes of BC’s two games in Louisville were not what were hoped for, this team has no reason to hang its head going into the offseason.

We will touch on this more in our season recap coming out next week, but the 2017 Boston College baseball team deserves recognition for a couple things. The first, and most prominent, being that they displayed an enormous amount of perseverance and determination this season. As has been noted on this site multiple times, at the halfway point of the season, BC was 9-20 overall, with a 1-14 mark in the ACC, and nowhere near a berth in the postseason. In fact, at that time, the idea that Boston College would be playing meaningful baseball at the end of May was laughable. However, instead of folding and succumbing to what seemed to be their season’s fate, the team rallied together and finished the year 16-6, with a 10-5 record in the ACC, earning their spot in the postseason with a final weekend sweep of Notre Dame at home. It’s cliché to say it, but this team has a huge amount of heart, and for that they should be proud.

Secondly, the senior class must be recognized for the contributions they made to the program as a whole during their time on the Heights. Not only were Johnny Adams, Michael Strem, Chris Balogh, Luke Fernandes, and Bobby Skogsbergh integral parts of last season’s Super Regional run, but they were also the driving force behind keeping this year’s team together when things got tough. Their work in the last four, and in some cases five, years truly exemplifies the motto of legendary BC coach Eddie Pellegrini, “Leave the program better than you found it.” They will be missed.

In conclusion, it’s a tough way to end the season, but to even be in that spot, given where they were only a month and a half ago, is amazing. While a 25-26 overall record may not seem particularly outstanding, this season gives yours truly a lot of optimism and excitement moving forward. As stated above, we’ll be coming out with our season recap next week along with other articles about the upcoming MLB draft, but for now, hold your heads high Eagles.