Photo by: John Quackenbos
Baseball Charges Into Postseason for Second Straight Year
May 22, 2017 | Baseball, #ForBoston Files
Here we go again: BC enters ACC Championship with all kinds of momentum
Thirty games into the 2017 season, the Boston College baseball team wasn't on anyone's radar. The Eagles just received three blowout losses from North Carolina, giving up 48 runs across a full weekend slate. Just 9-20 overall, they were 1-14 in conference play, a clear 14th place. Beset by injuries to key players and with a good chunk of underclassmen in their lineup, the Eagles simply weren't treading water.
That's not the case anymore.
For the second straight season, the Eagles used a red-hot, late-season run to win their way into the conference tournament. With a sweep of Notre Dame, they finished the season on a 16-6 clip and won their way into the ACC Championship. Now 25-26, they ended their ACC slate with 11 wins, good enough for an 11th-place finish and a trip to Louisville. It also means that, once again, Boston College is proving how to hard-charge the postseason by maximizing the entire 50-game schedule.
"This is exactly where we want to be," head coach Mike Gambino said. "This is the best and toughest conference in all of college baseball and we have a chance to compete with them for a conference championship."
That BC ratcheted up the pressure isn't a stroke of luck. The Eagles developed and emerged this year thanks to a bevy of new heroes. Even though it's cut from the same cloth as last year's magical Super Regionals team, it's a completely different and new take on the team's proven formula.
It's something evident in three of BC's top four hitters. Last season, Jake Alu played in 10 games with only four at-bats. This season, he's become a force, hitting .335 in his 47 games. He has 23 RBIs and 24 runs scored, establishing himself as one of BC's biggest threats at the plate. This past weekend, he hit .500, collecting four hits with four runs scored as a cog in BC's sweep over the Fighting Irish.
"I think we started growing up at the plate," Gambino said. "We knew our young guys needed to get some innings in and the experience helped. Players have to learn how to hit ACC fastballs and ACC sliders and in the beginning of the year, it's not what they're used to. But while they're learning how to face those guys, they're also learning how to work out of a slump. That combination of practice and building a database is instrumental to helping them improve."
Gian Martellini had experience last year, but it was somewhat limited. He played in only 38 games, hitting .224. This year, he's started all 50 games he's played in. He's more than doubled his hits totals and is one of two Eagles hitting over .300. With 35 RBIs, he's become a mainstay in the heart of the Eagles' batting order, while adding pop with five homers.
Add Jacob Yish into that equation. Yish, a local freshman from Byfield, Mass., started the year with three hits in his first five games. But starting with the Duke series, he's exploded at the plate with hits in all but three of his next 13 games. That included a 3-for-5 day at the dish in a win over the Blue Devils where he scored twice and drove in two. With a .284 average, he's right on the heels of Donovan Casey, arguably the Eagles' most stalwart player.
Their emergence occurred as injured Eagles simultaneously returned to form. After injuring his hamstring against Louisville, Jake Palomaki returned to the BC lineup 11 games later during the UNC blowouts. Against Duke, he notched three runs scored along with three hits, lifting his average to a season high .281. He's maintained that level, finishing the season at .275 and continuing a propensity for working counts and getting on base. Just a junior, he's already broken the all-time walks record at BC.
It all combined with the formation of a formidable pitching rotation. The Eagles started the season with Jacob Stevens entrenched as the top, "Friday night" starter. Drawing work against other ACC aces, Stevens held the fort with 79 innings thrown. After BC lost five of his first eight starts, he's thrown at least six innings in three of his last four conference starts. In turn, the Eagles are now 5-2 in his last seven starts, with Stevens himself earning three of his five season wins.
Behind Stevens, Dan Metzdorf and Brian Rapp emerged as legitimate ACC starters. They finished the season with about 70 innings apiece, with Rapp going 3-1 in his last five starts, including a complete-game shutout over NC State. Metzdorf, meanwhile, is undefeated since that pivotal UNC series, going 3-0 while staking his team to a 6-1 record in his last seven starts.
"We always knew we had pitching capable of winning baseball games," Gambino said. "We've expected these types of performances out of these arms. But we also knew that it would take a little while to develop, and how we would do would depend on how quickly they would eventually develop."
Tying everything together is the same baseball methodology and team unity that permeated through the magical run of a season ago. The heart of Boston College baseball remains a gritty, tough mentality of a team willing to do whatever it takes for a teammate. Galvanized by the UNC losses, it's once again created the "us against the world" mentality that always seems to come out in their style of play.
"Our boys always believed in themselves," Gambino said. "I think the early losses and struggles shook them up a little bit but they've bonded and started to play how we expect to play. They're playing hard, getting extra bases, going from first to third on base hits and sacrificing for one another. That's the style of play we've always had."
With an expansion to 12 teams, the ACC Championship will be four groups of three teams. Every team plays two games against its pool with winners advancing to a semifinal round. The semifinals and championship are then single elimination.
While the Atlantic Division features five 30-win baseball teams to the Coastal's two, the league is stacked and primed for a run at a national championship. As the 11th-place team, BC draws itself into Pool B against NC State and North Carolina.
"I love the new format because everyone gets to play two games," Gambino said. "One win can be the difference and stealing a game could be what wins one team its group over someone else. This is the hardest and most competitive conference in college baseball. Division strength varies from year-to-year and all of these teams are incredibly talented. The bottom line is that we have 12 teams in the conference tournament and a lot of them are going to get into a Regional. Eight or nine ACC teams have a chance at a national championship. So it's not a case of Atlantic or Coastal because every game in the ACC is a playoff game."
It means BC very well could be the wild card to spoil the party. Baseball championship so very often come back to teamwork, pitching and defense. As the Eagles enter with momentum, they're now the train charging down the tracks.
"The ACC is always playoff baseball, no matter who you're playing and when," Gambino said. "Our goal is to always be built to have success in the postseason. It's who we are, and it's how we play."
The Eagles open up Pool B play against NC State on Tuesday at 3 p.m., followed by a Wednesday matchup, also at 3 p.m., against North Carolina. Both games can be seen on the ACC Network Extra, which will be broadcast locally in Boston on NESN Plus.
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That's not the case anymore.
For the second straight season, the Eagles used a red-hot, late-season run to win their way into the conference tournament. With a sweep of Notre Dame, they finished the season on a 16-6 clip and won their way into the ACC Championship. Now 25-26, they ended their ACC slate with 11 wins, good enough for an 11th-place finish and a trip to Louisville. It also means that, once again, Boston College is proving how to hard-charge the postseason by maximizing the entire 50-game schedule.
"This is exactly where we want to be," head coach Mike Gambino said. "This is the best and toughest conference in all of college baseball and we have a chance to compete with them for a conference championship."
That BC ratcheted up the pressure isn't a stroke of luck. The Eagles developed and emerged this year thanks to a bevy of new heroes. Even though it's cut from the same cloth as last year's magical Super Regionals team, it's a completely different and new take on the team's proven formula.
It's something evident in three of BC's top four hitters. Last season, Jake Alu played in 10 games with only four at-bats. This season, he's become a force, hitting .335 in his 47 games. He has 23 RBIs and 24 runs scored, establishing himself as one of BC's biggest threats at the plate. This past weekend, he hit .500, collecting four hits with four runs scored as a cog in BC's sweep over the Fighting Irish.
"I think we started growing up at the plate," Gambino said. "We knew our young guys needed to get some innings in and the experience helped. Players have to learn how to hit ACC fastballs and ACC sliders and in the beginning of the year, it's not what they're used to. But while they're learning how to face those guys, they're also learning how to work out of a slump. That combination of practice and building a database is instrumental to helping them improve."
Gian Martellini had experience last year, but it was somewhat limited. He played in only 38 games, hitting .224. This year, he's started all 50 games he's played in. He's more than doubled his hits totals and is one of two Eagles hitting over .300. With 35 RBIs, he's become a mainstay in the heart of the Eagles' batting order, while adding pop with five homers.
Add Jacob Yish into that equation. Yish, a local freshman from Byfield, Mass., started the year with three hits in his first five games. But starting with the Duke series, he's exploded at the plate with hits in all but three of his next 13 games. That included a 3-for-5 day at the dish in a win over the Blue Devils where he scored twice and drove in two. With a .284 average, he's right on the heels of Donovan Casey, arguably the Eagles' most stalwart player.
Their emergence occurred as injured Eagles simultaneously returned to form. After injuring his hamstring against Louisville, Jake Palomaki returned to the BC lineup 11 games later during the UNC blowouts. Against Duke, he notched three runs scored along with three hits, lifting his average to a season high .281. He's maintained that level, finishing the season at .275 and continuing a propensity for working counts and getting on base. Just a junior, he's already broken the all-time walks record at BC.
It all combined with the formation of a formidable pitching rotation. The Eagles started the season with Jacob Stevens entrenched as the top, "Friday night" starter. Drawing work against other ACC aces, Stevens held the fort with 79 innings thrown. After BC lost five of his first eight starts, he's thrown at least six innings in three of his last four conference starts. In turn, the Eagles are now 5-2 in his last seven starts, with Stevens himself earning three of his five season wins.
Behind Stevens, Dan Metzdorf and Brian Rapp emerged as legitimate ACC starters. They finished the season with about 70 innings apiece, with Rapp going 3-1 in his last five starts, including a complete-game shutout over NC State. Metzdorf, meanwhile, is undefeated since that pivotal UNC series, going 3-0 while staking his team to a 6-1 record in his last seven starts.
"We always knew we had pitching capable of winning baseball games," Gambino said. "We've expected these types of performances out of these arms. But we also knew that it would take a little while to develop, and how we would do would depend on how quickly they would eventually develop."
Tying everything together is the same baseball methodology and team unity that permeated through the magical run of a season ago. The heart of Boston College baseball remains a gritty, tough mentality of a team willing to do whatever it takes for a teammate. Galvanized by the UNC losses, it's once again created the "us against the world" mentality that always seems to come out in their style of play.
"Our boys always believed in themselves," Gambino said. "I think the early losses and struggles shook them up a little bit but they've bonded and started to play how we expect to play. They're playing hard, getting extra bases, going from first to third on base hits and sacrificing for one another. That's the style of play we've always had."
With an expansion to 12 teams, the ACC Championship will be four groups of three teams. Every team plays two games against its pool with winners advancing to a semifinal round. The semifinals and championship are then single elimination.
While the Atlantic Division features five 30-win baseball teams to the Coastal's two, the league is stacked and primed for a run at a national championship. As the 11th-place team, BC draws itself into Pool B against NC State and North Carolina.
"I love the new format because everyone gets to play two games," Gambino said. "One win can be the difference and stealing a game could be what wins one team its group over someone else. This is the hardest and most competitive conference in college baseball. Division strength varies from year-to-year and all of these teams are incredibly talented. The bottom line is that we have 12 teams in the conference tournament and a lot of them are going to get into a Regional. Eight or nine ACC teams have a chance at a national championship. So it's not a case of Atlantic or Coastal because every game in the ACC is a playoff game."
It means BC very well could be the wild card to spoil the party. Baseball championship so very often come back to teamwork, pitching and defense. As the Eagles enter with momentum, they're now the train charging down the tracks.
"The ACC is always playoff baseball, no matter who you're playing and when," Gambino said. "Our goal is to always be built to have success in the postseason. It's who we are, and it's how we play."
The Eagles open up Pool B play against NC State on Tuesday at 3 p.m., followed by a Wednesday matchup, also at 3 p.m., against North Carolina. Both games can be seen on the ACC Network Extra, which will be broadcast locally in Boston on NESN Plus.
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