Boston College Athletics
Weekly Roundup: April 11, 2017
April 10, 2017 | Boston College Athletics, #ForBoston Files
Oops, softball did it again.
This past weekend, the Boston College softball team did what is quickly becoming a weekly tradition. The Eagles won a weekend series with a rally, defeating an opponent perceived as superior and rolled forward in ACC play. It's something they've been doing with regularity, each week knocking off a team with a precieved better pedigree and national stature.
Facing Louisville, a team that won 35 games last season and went to the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles lost the first game, 5-3, before rallying for back-to-back victories on Saturday and Sunday. In both victories, they either sealed or clinched victory with runs in the late innings, from the fifth on. On Sunday in particular, BC erased a 1-0 third inning deficit with a run in the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth.
"We didn't play that great on Friday," head coach Ashley Obrest said. "But I thought we kept getting better and played great on Sunday. Sunday was one of those high-energy wins and it clinched the weekend against a good team. Taking two out of three is great for us and we tried to enjoy it on Sunday night before we got back to work (on Monday)."
With their wins over the Cardinals, the Eagles are 8-3 in the ACC with a .727 winning percentage, placing them in second place. They sit only behind Florida State, a 38-1-1 powerhouse currently ranked No. 1 in the nation and undefeated in league play (18-0). BC gained a measure of national respect by winning its first conference games against teams that aren't in the bottom three and it likely inserted its name square into the national picture.
But let's conceptualize just how dominant BC has been this year: The 2.05 team ERA is second best in the league, behind only Florida State's 1.28. It's one of two ACC teams below 100 runs allowed, and the 201 strikeouts are one of three programs eclipsing the mark. Opponents are hitting .221 against the Eagles, making them one of only two teams with an opposing batting average below .240.
It's more than just pitching. Opponents are only hitting .263 when they actually put the ball in play, a result of the league's third-best defense. Even after a four-error performance on Friday, the Eagles are still fielding at a .968 clip.
Combine that with timely hitting. The batting average on balls in play statistic (or BABIP) measures a team's performance within the lines, removing home runs and strikeouts to reflect how dangerous a team is at the plate. Within that scenario, BC is hitting .301, meaning it's nearly 40 percentage points better at the plate than its opponents - and that's with intentionally removing the team's 20 dingers, of which eight belong to Tatiana Cortez.
The bottom line is that this team is picking up steam and will make for an incredibly compelling story for the meat of the ACC schedule. With games against Connecticut and Boston University this week, the Eagles will have a competitive non-conference schedule before heading into a weekend series at North Carolina.
That's the same UNC team that eliminated BC in the ACC Tournament last year. At 31-11, the Heels are starting to resemble the programs that won 40 games at the start of the decade, and they're one win away from matching last year's entire total. They're also a team gunning for the Eagles' second-place position, especially as FSU - whom BC does not play in the regular season - distances themselves from the pack.
That puts a premium on this week for the Eagles, a team that's been playing with a relentlessly driven, team-based attitude.
"The girls have that chip on their shoulder," Obrest said. "After Friday, everyone wanted to talk about our errors, but we weren't getting credit for having a defense with a .970-something fielding percentage to that point. There's a lot of programs and people who still might not think about us, so every game, including UConn and BU, become statements for us. We have to get right back to work because these are tough games that we have to focus on before we get ready for UNC."
The Eagles travel to Connecticut to play the Huskies on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. before hosting the Terriers on Wednesday at 4 p.m. This weekend's series against UNC, which includes a Friday doubleheader, will be broadcast from Chapel Hill, N.C., on ACC Network Extra.
*****
Grow The Beard, Hoist the Cup
The Stanley Cup playoffs kick off this week with 16 teams still harboring dreams of fulfilling childhood fantasies. On those rosters sit a number of Boston College alumni looking to have their names etched in history on rings of silver that, when combined, weigh 34.5 pounds of eternal glory. That gives plenty of rooting interest for Eagles fans who might be looking for a place to watch.
It'll be highlighted by some of BC's bigger alumni names. Johnny Gaudreau, for example, will lead Calgary back to the postseason after missing the bracket last year, but he's going to run into Patrick Eaves and the Anaheim Ducks. Eaves, who hit 30 goals this year for the first time in his career (by scoring in a game against Calgary, of all teams), is in his first year in Anaheim after three seasons in Dallas. Those are just two examples of an extensive alumni list that touches many of the playoff rosters.
It's true that Boston College missed the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time in almost a decade. That may cause people to think that the Eagles' time is setting opposite other rising powers. But there's a tradition that's unmatched over the past 17 years (and beyond) in Chestnut Hill that's impossible to ignore. As long as former BC players continue to compete, it'll serve as a reminder that there's still a championship to root for and that the Eagles will, very much, be back.
*****
A Must Read
We've talked a lot about Pete Frates as of late, with both the Boston Marathon, which will be run by Pete's brother Andrew, and the ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park fast approaching. This week, there's another exciting announcement from the Frates family - the novel written about the man behind the Ice Bucket Challenge is available for pre-order.
Authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge co-wrote Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy about the Boston Marathon bombings, excerpts of which were helped with the screenplay of the movie Patriots Day. They teamed up again to chronicle Pete's story, and how it touched so many people in the summer of 2014. The book is officially available for preorder on Amazon.
It's another step in Pete's story, which just continues to gain new chapters and defy expectations. This season's ALS Awareness Game is being moved to Fenway Park on April 22, against NC State. The sixth annual event, it's become a rite of passage to honor the man who's inspired so many perfect strangers into action.
Along with Pete, the game will honor Chris Combs. Diagnosed in May, 2016, Chris has helped fight ALS in his own right, having helped raise funds for research taking place at Columbia University.
Tickets are only $10 and are still available on the Boston Red Sox website. I've been fortunate enough to attend more than a couple of the ALS games, and it's an event unlike anything I've ever experienced. There's a joy that comes whenever Pete is at the ballpark and it's evident almost immediately. There's a special atmosphere that comes with the game, and it's something we'll look more into as the game draws closer.
It should be noted that it's part of a larger, special day in Boston College athletics. Football's Jay McGillis Spring Game and softball's ALS Awareness Game are both scheduled for that Saturday.
*****
Season Tickets Now On Sale!
If you haven't noticed yet, next season's hockey and basketball ticket packages are now on sale. They include a couple of pretty cool incentives, especially if you have some kids of your own.
Hockey season ticket holders who renew or purchase tickets before August 1, for example, will have the chance to tour the locker room for any game of their choosing (as space allows). They'll also have the chance to ride the Zamboni for any game or win a group experience that would include both watching a practice and a private meet-and-greet with the Eagles. I've actually ridden a Zamboni in my lifetime; it's wildly underrated for 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated fun.
Basketball season ticket holders who renew or purchase before the August 1 deadline have a chance to win a trip for two to a potential road game and court-side seats for a home game. There's also the chance to win a game-worn jersey or a pair of tickets to a Boston Red Sox game. If you've never been on the road to soak anything in, nothing beats wearing your team's colors into someone else's arena.
Facing Louisville, a team that won 35 games last season and went to the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles lost the first game, 5-3, before rallying for back-to-back victories on Saturday and Sunday. In both victories, they either sealed or clinched victory with runs in the late innings, from the fifth on. On Sunday in particular, BC erased a 1-0 third inning deficit with a run in the fourth and two in the bottom of the sixth.
"We didn't play that great on Friday," head coach Ashley Obrest said. "But I thought we kept getting better and played great on Sunday. Sunday was one of those high-energy wins and it clinched the weekend against a good team. Taking two out of three is great for us and we tried to enjoy it on Sunday night before we got back to work (on Monday)."
With their wins over the Cardinals, the Eagles are 8-3 in the ACC with a .727 winning percentage, placing them in second place. They sit only behind Florida State, a 38-1-1 powerhouse currently ranked No. 1 in the nation and undefeated in league play (18-0). BC gained a measure of national respect by winning its first conference games against teams that aren't in the bottom three and it likely inserted its name square into the national picture.
But let's conceptualize just how dominant BC has been this year: The 2.05 team ERA is second best in the league, behind only Florida State's 1.28. It's one of two ACC teams below 100 runs allowed, and the 201 strikeouts are one of three programs eclipsing the mark. Opponents are hitting .221 against the Eagles, making them one of only two teams with an opposing batting average below .240.
It's more than just pitching. Opponents are only hitting .263 when they actually put the ball in play, a result of the league's third-best defense. Even after a four-error performance on Friday, the Eagles are still fielding at a .968 clip.
Combine that with timely hitting. The batting average on balls in play statistic (or BABIP) measures a team's performance within the lines, removing home runs and strikeouts to reflect how dangerous a team is at the plate. Within that scenario, BC is hitting .301, meaning it's nearly 40 percentage points better at the plate than its opponents - and that's with intentionally removing the team's 20 dingers, of which eight belong to Tatiana Cortez.
The bottom line is that this team is picking up steam and will make for an incredibly compelling story for the meat of the ACC schedule. With games against Connecticut and Boston University this week, the Eagles will have a competitive non-conference schedule before heading into a weekend series at North Carolina.
That's the same UNC team that eliminated BC in the ACC Tournament last year. At 31-11, the Heels are starting to resemble the programs that won 40 games at the start of the decade, and they're one win away from matching last year's entire total. They're also a team gunning for the Eagles' second-place position, especially as FSU - whom BC does not play in the regular season - distances themselves from the pack.
That puts a premium on this week for the Eagles, a team that's been playing with a relentlessly driven, team-based attitude.
"The girls have that chip on their shoulder," Obrest said. "After Friday, everyone wanted to talk about our errors, but we weren't getting credit for having a defense with a .970-something fielding percentage to that point. There's a lot of programs and people who still might not think about us, so every game, including UConn and BU, become statements for us. We have to get right back to work because these are tough games that we have to focus on before we get ready for UNC."
The Eagles travel to Connecticut to play the Huskies on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. before hosting the Terriers on Wednesday at 4 p.m. This weekend's series against UNC, which includes a Friday doubleheader, will be broadcast from Chapel Hill, N.C., on ACC Network Extra.
*****
Grow The Beard, Hoist the Cup
The Stanley Cup playoffs kick off this week with 16 teams still harboring dreams of fulfilling childhood fantasies. On those rosters sit a number of Boston College alumni looking to have their names etched in history on rings of silver that, when combined, weigh 34.5 pounds of eternal glory. That gives plenty of rooting interest for Eagles fans who might be looking for a place to watch.
It'll be highlighted by some of BC's bigger alumni names. Johnny Gaudreau, for example, will lead Calgary back to the postseason after missing the bracket last year, but he's going to run into Patrick Eaves and the Anaheim Ducks. Eaves, who hit 30 goals this year for the first time in his career (by scoring in a game against Calgary, of all teams), is in his first year in Anaheim after three seasons in Dallas. Those are just two examples of an extensive alumni list that touches many of the playoff rosters.
It's true that Boston College missed the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time in almost a decade. That may cause people to think that the Eagles' time is setting opposite other rising powers. But there's a tradition that's unmatched over the past 17 years (and beyond) in Chestnut Hill that's impossible to ignore. As long as former BC players continue to compete, it'll serve as a reminder that there's still a championship to root for and that the Eagles will, very much, be back.
*****
A Must Read
We've talked a lot about Pete Frates as of late, with both the Boston Marathon, which will be run by Pete's brother Andrew, and the ALS Awareness Game at Fenway Park fast approaching. This week, there's another exciting announcement from the Frates family - the novel written about the man behind the Ice Bucket Challenge is available for pre-order.
Authors Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge co-wrote Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy about the Boston Marathon bombings, excerpts of which were helped with the screenplay of the movie Patriots Day. They teamed up again to chronicle Pete's story, and how it touched so many people in the summer of 2014. The book is officially available for preorder on Amazon.
It's another step in Pete's story, which just continues to gain new chapters and defy expectations. This season's ALS Awareness Game is being moved to Fenway Park on April 22, against NC State. The sixth annual event, it's become a rite of passage to honor the man who's inspired so many perfect strangers into action.
Along with Pete, the game will honor Chris Combs. Diagnosed in May, 2016, Chris has helped fight ALS in his own right, having helped raise funds for research taking place at Columbia University.
Tickets are only $10 and are still available on the Boston Red Sox website. I've been fortunate enough to attend more than a couple of the ALS games, and it's an event unlike anything I've ever experienced. There's a joy that comes whenever Pete is at the ballpark and it's evident almost immediately. There's a special atmosphere that comes with the game, and it's something we'll look more into as the game draws closer.
It should be noted that it's part of a larger, special day in Boston College athletics. Football's Jay McGillis Spring Game and softball's ALS Awareness Game are both scheduled for that Saturday.
*****
Season Tickets Now On Sale!
If you haven't noticed yet, next season's hockey and basketball ticket packages are now on sale. They include a couple of pretty cool incentives, especially if you have some kids of your own.
Hockey season ticket holders who renew or purchase tickets before August 1, for example, will have the chance to tour the locker room for any game of their choosing (as space allows). They'll also have the chance to ride the Zamboni for any game or win a group experience that would include both watching a practice and a private meet-and-greet with the Eagles. I've actually ridden a Zamboni in my lifetime; it's wildly underrated for 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated fun.
Basketball season ticket holders who renew or purchase before the August 1 deadline have a chance to win a trip for two to a potential road game and court-side seats for a home game. There's also the chance to win a game-worn jersey or a pair of tickets to a Boston Red Sox game. If you've never been on the road to soak anything in, nothing beats wearing your team's colors into someone else's arena.
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