TO THE MOON - A perfect start for Coastal Carolina Baseball
Man, it feels great to be back at Spring Brooks Stadium, from astronaut helmets to Coach Gilly getting tossed out of a game to multiple absolute beatdowns. It's been an exciting start to the season, to say the least. I could try to wax poetically about the first few weeks, but I want to highlight some of the great things that have happened with a highlight-style column as we still try to gain an understanding of the team as a whole.
Here is a quick overview for you if you haven't seen the schedule and scores yet:
Player of the week(s)
There are 3 players I could make a solid argument for in this category. When you have absolutely murdered teams in your 6 wins… Makes for a lot of players having excellent seasons.
The answer that I have to land on, however, is Jake Books. Two moments that set the tone so far for the season stick out to me.
One: On opening day, it was the bottom of the first, and Coastal was winning 2-0 against George Mason. Next thing you know - Books hit the opposite field Grand Slam, busting the game wide open.
Two: Huge top-25 matchup against Campbell this past Tuesday. Things were feeling a little spicy, Coach Gilly got tossed out, and the bases were loaded in a close game. Books steps up to the plate and bangs a double against the center field wall to score two runs. Once again, busting open the game.
2 massive moments that were tone-setters.
Also this stat line is pretty decent.
Pitcher of the Week (s)
Once again, this is another challenging statistic. As a whole, the entire staff has been fantastic. For a team that people were questioning if the staff could hold up due to injuries - they are proving many people wrong.
Let me highlight some guys.
Eikhoff had a masterful performance against George Mason.
O’Neill has 2 solid starts.
Carbone is dicing people up as a freshman.
Hinkel has had some great relief pitches.
Flukey has some nasty stuff to work with.
I could highlight several freshmen in this section, but I'll reserve their shine for later.
But my answer lands on Alexander Meckley. I couldn't believe how well he pitched against Ball State. 7 innings pitched, just 2 runs allowed, and 8 strikeouts (team-leading 14 on the year.) I don't know what it was, but he had 3 pitches in the 7th inning that were the best of the game. Just a really well-done performance.
Hit of the week(s).
Zack Beach. Are you kidding me? 114 exit velo!!!!!
Pitch of the Week(s)
This pitch by Hinkel was disgusting.
Stat of the week(s)
Let’s repeat that for dramatic effect.
Coastal’s Freshman pitchers have combined for 25 innings pitched, 1.08 era, and 10.94 k/9.
I played some college football at a much lower level, but even at that lower level, I experienced a crazy learning curve as a freshman. Knowing the game speed and adjusting to the increased talent level is hard. For these young men to step in and pitch like they have…. It may just be the difference maker for the Chants this year.
Random musings of the week(s)
Ant is really impressive so far.
I had no idea, but Sam Antonacci grew up about an hour and a half from my hometown, played against my local Juco team, and destroyed them. He's been impressive so far; he's a good bat and patient at the plate. A fun leadoff batter with some serious power behind him.
Coach Gilmore's retirement tour is really cool.
We have already seen the retirement tour begin, and it is incredible. I Love starting every game with his favorite song laid over a highlight video. The gifts people distribute to him are fun, and we really cherish his leadership right now.
Chauncey with the girls is more fun than it should be.
Our 10-month-old loves Chauncey; our 2-year-old calls him Ducky Ducky, and is terrified of him. That's the beauty of parenthood.
There has been a great stadium experience so far this season.
The opening weekend crowd was huge; our relationships are building with regulars, and with our seats, we are also talking to some players' parents. Just a really good experience so far. It's hard to complain about anything there!
Best walk up song - Beach or Books?
They are both great, but my money is on Beach. I have to sing along with, I love you, I love you, I love you every time.
Sneaky catchy one? Graham Brown. The beat drop is perfect.
Runs for/against
My dad and I talked about runs/for and against stats for all of college baseball. While I know there are a lot of teams that have blown other teams out, that is the nature of college baseball. But still, Coastal is blowing teams out to an unreal level, they have 101 runs scored for Coastal, while only giving up 29 this season!
If anything, what I have found over these first two weeks is that this Coastal ball club has all the potential in the world. I didn't even get to mention guys like Bodine, Bender, Barthol, and others who have been significant contributors. This team is loaded and ready for a great season. I am fascinated to see it continue to play out.