May 29, 2007
By Adam Lucas
Carolina Baseball fans continued to make a statement about the explosion of the sport at UNC by snapping up every available Chapel Hill all-session regional ticket on the first day of availability.
The Tar Heels and Vanderbilt--both national seeds, with the Commodores first overall and Carolina third--are the only two regional host sites in the country to achieve a first-day all-session sellout.
"College baseball is great entertainment and some people around here are catching onto it," head coach Mike Fox said. "The increased media exposure has helped, but the most important thing is winning. Everyone wants to be associated with a winner, and our kids have won on the highest stages. The players deserve all the credit because they're the ones who have gone out and gotten it done on the field."
By getting it done on the field, they've captured the imagination of a fan base still relishing last year's trip to the national championship series. Boshamer Stadium should be awash in blue this weekend, because tickets were reserved for Rams Club members and past baseball ticket purchasers on Tuesday. Reserved grandstand tickets were sold out within 15 minutes of the ticket office phone lines opening on Tuesday morning.
Fans continued to purchase general admission tickets on the grassy hill throughout Tuesday afternoon. By mere minutes after tickets were opened to the public, every available all-session ticket was sold.
"Carolina fans had an outstanding response to this regional," said associate athletic director Clint Gwaltney. "They really stepped up and showed how dedicated they are to our baseball program."
"There's so much excitement around the program right now," said senior Robert Woodard, the school's all-time victory leader. "We couldn't ask for anything more than such a fast sellout. It also shows how much we need that new stadium.
"It's a great feeling to be able to run out there in front of a full house, especially when you're a lifelong Carolina fan. Putting on that uniform and representing this program is a true honor."
The days of Boshamer Stadium in its current incarnation are limited. Construction will begin on a $17 million renovation when the 2007 home schedule is completed.
Notes: Woodard will get the ball Friday night against Jacksonville. "It was a no-brainer for us," Fox said. "The first game in a regional is critical. We're in a little different situation than last year. Miller, Bard, and Woodard had thrown in a regional game, so we might have had more choices. We need someone who will walk out there with a packed house and we need a strike-thrower who will make them put the ball in play."...Woodard actually has some Jacksonville ties. He attended baseball camp there for several years and was best friends with Dolphin second baseman Logan James when the pair were in middle school together...
Fans who were able to secure tickets should stay updated on the latest traffic information for the regional...The ACC batting race continues to be a tight one. FSU's Tony Thomas Jr. has the current lead at .442, with Carolina's Dustin Ackley close behind at .437. The Seminoles also earned a national seed and will host a regional this weekend.
Adam Lucas's third book on Carolina basketball, The Best Game Ever, chronicles the 1957 national championship season and is available now. His previous books include Going Home Again, focusing on Roy Williams's return to Carolina, and Led By Their Dreams, a collaboration with Steve Kirschner and Matt Bowers on the 2005 championship team.
