Title still eludes Tar Heels

By Dane Huffman
Jun 19, 2009

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Perhaps its appropriate Roy Williams was at the game on Thursday night in Omaha, Neb. Williams knows what it's like to come so close for so long without winning a national title.

Williams was an assistant on some great North Carolina basketball teams that didn't win a national championship until 1982, a victory that lifted a heavy weight from Dean Smith's program.

And Williams himself, despite enormous success at Kansas, could never punch through and win a title until 2005 at UNC.

Now, of course, the North Carolina baseball team is in a similar role. You can't help but marvel at how Mike Fox has molded this program into a national power. But no ACC team has won the NCAA title in baseball since Wake Forest in 1955 – a stunning lack of hardware for a league that is generally among the elite. Florida State, for all its past success, has never left Omaha victorious. Clemson, Georgia Tech and new addition Miami have had tremendous runs but never brought the ACC a championship.

Carolina has a decent, but not great, baseball history. Given that, what has happened in recent seasons is outright phenomenal. The Tar Heels have signed the nation's best prospects and produced a steady stream of elite players. Only a few years ago, it seemed like Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard were once-in-a-decade players. But Alex White is an elite pitcher, and Dustin Ackley is one of the best hitters the league has ever seen.

Top that off with the fact that Carolina now has a swank, renovated Boshamer Stadium, and you're looking at a program that is among the country's best .The Tar Heels can now host regionals and Super Regionals on a regular basis, and that's always the best path to Omaha.

But then ... what?

"I'm never going to say that a program is defined by a national title," Fox told ESPN recently. "I refuse to do that. Doesn't mean we aren't going to go out and do our best, but I think you're selling yourself short if you do that. And I'm not trying to set myself up for thinking if we don't [win it], but it is very hard to win a national championship in any sport.

"Our program is defined by a lot more; at least, I hope it is."

Aah, that's true, but can't you just see Dean Smith saying that in 1979 ... or Roy Williams in 2003?

And can't you see how the perceptions changed once a national title was secured?

What if Smith had never won a national title? What if Carolina had lost to Illinois in 2005 – can you image the pressure on the 2009 team?

The College World Series is different than the Final Four. There are eight teams, not four. And baseball is a quirky game where the best team doesn't always win.

But this is a program that has shown it wants more than great steaks and a good time in Omaha. Carolina had a marvelous team this season, but ultimately, it didn't have the bullpen it needed, a weakness exposed again in Thursday's loss to Arizona State.

North Carolina has established itself as a strong program. Four straight appearances in Omaha is an achievement to be celebrated, regardless of the outcome.

But they were trips that finished unfulfilled, and only a national title will put the Tar Heels in the sport's elite.

Most Recent Comments

RE: Title still eludes Tar Heels

Let's Go Duke!!!

RE: Title still eludes Tar Heels

laarmstrongii,

I was only responding to Robert S's contention that ECU had never won anything. Simply not true so I set the facts straight. No ECU fan had even said anything to call for that comment about us.

Not to mention calling us EZU. I guess you consider him a "reasonable UNC fan" when making uncalled for comments.
- Posted by johnnyaudit

Fair enough.

RE: Title still eludes Tar Heels

The "title" has eluded every ACC baseball team since Wake won it in the 50s. The Tarheels should be proud of their dominance in conference and in the World Series. Mike Fox is a great coach! Keep him there and UNC will definitely make more runs and eventually win it all! Go Heels!
- Posted by bathroom_monkey

I can't really disagree with this. The Heels ARE good in baseball, for sure.

RE: Title still eludes Tar Heels

The "title" has eluded every ACC baseball team since Wake won it in the 50s. The Tarheels should be proud of their dominance in conference and in the World Series. Mike Fox is a great coach! Keep him there and UNC will definitely make more runs and eventually win it all! Go Heels!

RE: Title still eludes Tar Heels

September 19th should be a good match-up. Go Pirates

I doubt it. I think ECU beats the pants off of them on their own turf. And I'm not just saying that to make Carolina fans mad or anything like that. ECU will be pretty good (I think they're preseason top-20, aren't they?)

Carolina just has TOO MANY questions on offense. They might end up being good this year, but it will be an unexpected surprise if they are.

WRAL Sports Fan

Dane Huffman