Aaron Schoonmaker
Aaron Schoonmaker is the senior sports web editor for WRALSportsFan.com. A Denver native, he moved to North Carolina in 2007. You can follow him on twitter @AaronSchoony or contact him by email at aschoonmaker@wral.com.
By Aaron Schoonmaker
Apr 29, 2013
Cam Ward (30) makes a save during the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Winnipeg Jets NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C. Friday, March 30, 2012.
The Carolina Hurricanes did not fall off the deep end this season because of too many injuries; they landed a couple rungs above the cellar floor (among other reasons) because key players were injured at inopportune times and the fill-ins weren’t up to the task.
So, if you plan on using injuries as an excuse for their collapse in an office discussion, you would be advised to frame your argument in the context of who and when, not how many. Yes, there is a big difference.
In 2013, the Canes were 15th in the NHL total man-games lost to injury with 269. Right there in the middle of the league. Of the 14 teams more injured than Carolina in the strike-shortened season, seven made the playoffs. (Two years ago, the Canes were the least injured team by having only 56 man-games lost, and they still missed the playoffs.)
Key injury No. 1 was to Cam Ward. Of the 269 MGL by the Canes in 2013, 68 were by active goaltenders which placed them fourth worst in the league. Ward may not have started off the season great, but he had won seven of 11 with an overtime loss sprinkled in before his early exit on March 3. After March 3, the Canes won just seven of 27 games.
Ward, Justin Peters and Dan Ellis each started 16 games this season. Ward won a team-best nine games, had a team-best 2.84 goals against average and had a team-best .908 save percentage. Peters and Ellis combined to win just 10 games, had a combined goals against average close to 3.30 and had a combined
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Apr 20, 2013
Going into Sunday, the leaderboard at the RBC Heritage was a Triangle-area reunion. Broughton and Wake Forest graduate Webb Simpson, Duke’s Kevin Streelman, NC State’s Tim Clark and Greenville/Charlotte/Wake Forest’s Bill Haas were all among the Top 6 at the PGA event heading to the final round.
Not in Hilton Head, S.C., but found on the driving range in Raleigh, was Web.com Tour golfer Chesson Hadley who was honing his swing during the tour’s natural weekend off. The 25-year-old, who attended North Raleigh Christian Academy, has been working his way to the Tour, finding breaks and making his voice heard along the way.
PGA golfers with Triangle ties
“I have been working really hard on all parts of the game,”
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Apr 9, 2013
Jake Odorizzi through the first pitch of the Durham Bulls home opener Monday, April 8, 2013 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. This year marks the 18th season for the ball club to play in their current home. (Photo by Jeffrey A. Camarati)
The Durham Bulls defeated the Gwinnett Braves Monday night in a baseball fan’s baseball game. A 2-1 Bulls win on opening night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park was defined by patience, strategy, good pitching and timely offense.
Ultimately, top prospect Wil Myers started a rally in the ninth inning with a single and Durham was able to earn the walk-off win on a two-run error by Braves shortstop Sean Kazmar after the Bulls’ Brandon Guyer simply put the ball in play. The winning run, scored by Leslie Anderson, is what sent the 8,035 fans home happy. The build-up to the ninth is what made the game more than a simple win.
Bulls win home opener over Gwinnett Braves
“Earlier
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Apr 4, 2013
Manager Charlie Montoyo fist bumps players on his 2012 Durham Bulls team.
How highly regarded is he? He was the key piece in the deal with Kansas City for MLB arms James Shields and Wade Davis. How good is he? The former catcher moved to the outfield, finished second in the minors in home runs last year with 37 and joined Josh Beckett and Andruw Jones as the only players to be named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, USA Today and TOPPS all in the same season.
He is the definition of a five-tool player and doesn’t expect to stick around Durham long.
“He’s going to get to play and we are going to give him the workouts to play the game,” Montoyo said. “The rest is up to him.”
A former, third-round pick out of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, Myers said he forgot that Durham was part of the Tampa Bay organization until a week after the trade from the Royals. Even though he had aspirations of playing in Florida in April, getting an assignment close to home is not the worst.
“I spent the last two nights at my house which is cool to be around my family,” Myers said. “I’ve never been here for a Durham Bulls game but I’ve been here for a lot of ACC tournament games. I’m excited to be here in Durham and playing in front of the home crowd.”
King Archer
Myers isn’t the only local product that is surrounded by hype and expecting to be in Joe Maddon’s dugout soon. Last year, Clayton native Chris Archer burst onto the scene and even tasted the coffee in the show. He will make the opening day start for the Bulls at Norfolk on Thursday – his first such call in seven seasons at the professional level.
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Mar 29, 2013
Yes, I know it is the heart of the NCAA tournament right now, and if you are a Duke fan, you are still fully invested. But this weekend is also the start of the Major League Baseball season and for those with fantasy teams, favorite teams or at least a half-hearted interest, I have a nine-minute breakdown of what you missed during the offseason and what to expect over the next eight-plus months.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Getting the pearl
For those unfamiliar, the “pearl” is a fresh game ball – so let’s look at starting pitching.
Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg, who was held out of the postseason last year because of an innings pitched limit and forced to watch an epic collapse from the bench, will have no such limit this year. Nat’s fans are immediately optimistic.
Staying in the NL East, Mets pitcher Johan Santana re-injured his shoulder and may miss the entire season if he opts for surgery. Career-ender? Perhaps.
Pitchers on the move include knuckler R.A Dickey, who heads north to Toronto along with Josh Johnson and Mark Bueherle. Kansas City also stocked up getting James Shields and Ervin Santana. The last of the big moves saw top free agent Kyle Loshe sign with the Brewers. Moves that could also pay off include Zack Greinke in Los Angeles, Edwin Jackson going to the Cubs, Shaun Marcum joining the Mets and Dan Haren helping the Nationals.
Big contracts went to the big names.
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Mar 23, 2013
Richard Howell (1) and Lorenzo Brown (2) have a word with T.J. Warren (24) during quarterfinal action of the 2013 ACC Men's Basketball Conference Tournament between NC State and Virginia at the Greensboro Coliseum on March 15, 2013 in Greensboro, NC.
In the end, the problems for North Carolina State came in the beginning.
Yes, that was the case on Friday as the Wolfpack fell behind by double digits early and were ousted by Temple in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, 76-72.
“In the first half, we came in there and didn’t bother to defend as well as we should, turned the ball over 10 times and they turned about every turnover into a basket,” said head coach Mark Gottfried.
And yes, that was the case for the season as a whole, as the Wolfpack impressively plummeted from a preseason No. 6 ranking to beyond the receiving votes cutline.
Slow start dooms NC State in loss to Temple
“When you come in the season with a target on your back like we had, people are going to give you their best shot,” said senior forward Richard Howell. “There were times when we came out and didn't give other teams our best shot. That's something that you have to do when you have a target on your back,
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Mar 22, 2013
In a game of five-on-five, North Carolina State will be concerned with stopping one when they open up NCAA tournament play Friday against Temple (1:40 p.m. TBS / 99.9 FM The Fan).
The Owls have one player that started all 32 games this season. He leads the team in field goals made and attempted, three-pointers made and attempted, free throws made and attempted, points, assists and is second in steals. For those unfamiliar with Temple (23-9, 11-5 Atlantic 10), the Owls rise and fall on the play of senior guard Khalif Wyatt goes – and he also happens to wear No. 1.
“I think we know that they have a very good guard that we have to be aware of,” said NC State forward Calvin Leslie. “We know he likes to get it and go, and he's capable of making big time plays. We have to be aware of him at all times on the court.”
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Mar 10, 2013
Duke's Mason Plumlee during the Blue Devils' 79-76 victory over Miami on Saturday, March 2, 2013 in Durham, NC (Photo by Jack Morton).
The seeds for the ACC Tournament were not written in pen until overtime expired of the final game of the regular season. After an unpredictable year, it seems only appropriate.
Miami surprised many fans and experts alike to claim the ACC No. 1 seed at the tournament in Greensboro this season. Virginia Tech surprised the same group by finishing dead last and “earning” the No. 12 seed. North Carolina might have turned the heads of an even bigger following to claim the No. 3 seed after starting ACC play 0-2, then “progressing” to 3-3. And raise your hand if you had Wake Forest going 6-3 at home in conference play with wins over Miami, NC State and Florida State.
Ahh, the ACC…
The conference could have the Player of the Year come from the last place team. The preseason favorite to win the conference will finish the regular season unranked. A team with three 7-footers will play on day one of the tournament. And yet again, a team from Virginia finds itself on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Speaking of Virginia, they fought tooth-and-nail in their finale, rallied from 17 points down and needed overtime to beat Maryland and wrap up the No. 4 seed.
It is now time for all 12 programs to put the panic buttons down, and take the un-anointed crowns off the heads.
Crazy man’s interjection: If Liberty can go 15-20 on the year, win their conference and make the tournament, who is to say Virginia Tech and Clemson are done?
Now back to
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Feb 27, 2013
Campbell skipper Greg Goff speaks to his team following a victory over in state foe North Carolina State University NCAA baseball game in Buies Creek, N.C. Tuesday April 17, 2012.
Scouts from the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates were in the stands Wednesday at Jack Coombs Stadium in Durham as Duke played host to Campbell. In years past, a scout at a Devils-Camels game in February meant there was an outstanding talent on the diamond – say a Marcus Stroman. This year, however, it simply signifies two promising programs with talent to go around.
This is Greg Goff’s sixth season as the head coach at Campbell. His program has gone from a scheduler’s want-to to an opponent’s dread. The Camels won 41 games a season ago, bettering their 2011 mark by 24 games. Chris Pollard at Duke, meanwhile, had a win at powerhouse Florida in his debut for the Devils. He also had back-to-back double-digit strikeout performances from his starters over the weekend in a sweep of Bucknell in which Duke out-scored the Bison 15-1.
But how these two teams are gaining recognition could not be more different.
With all due respect to the top-10 programs in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, baseball is unique in the fact that a team can be better on paper, but lose to a buzz-saw of an arm. For Duke in the ACC, they are banking on that.
“Every day you go out, and if our starting pitcher goes out and throws well, you have a chance to win,” Pollard said. “Every day is different. Momentum is only as good as your starting pitcher and that is especially true in college baseball. We had three really good starts over the weekend and we were in a position
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By Aaron Schoonmaker
Feb 12, 2013
Greg Goff (right) and Elliott Avent (left) speak before the Campbell University vs. North Carolina State University NCAA baseball game in Buies Creek, N.C. Tuesday April 17, 2012.
While baseball fans across the country are rejoicing the unofficial start of the baseball season this week with spring training camps opening up, devotees to America’s Pastime in the Triangle should be excited for the summer ahead as well.
UNC and NC State enter the season with high expectations as top-10 teams, Duke looks to get their program back on track with a new head coach and the trio of ECU, NCCU and Campbell could all be relevant on the big stage in May.
North Carolina head coach Mike Fox said this weekend that the ACC is so deep this year, navigating through the conference will prepare a team for a legitimate national title run. He should feel that confident because his Tar Heels are the preseason No. 1 in the Baseball America poll which boasts seven ACC programs.
UNC also drew preseason No. 2 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ poll and the Collegiate Baseball poll behind Arkansas.
The Tar Heels held three scrimmages this past weekend and will play their final preseason intra-squad Tuesday. While pitchers generally have an early season edge on the hitters, UNC bats have been alive in the practice games plating 16 combined runs on Sunday and 25 over the weekend.
One thing to watch for UNC this year will be how they handle youth. They boast one of the top incoming recruiting classes around, but their roster is constructed of just three seniors, nine juniors
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