June 6, 2004

By Adam Lucas

COLUMBIA, SC--One of the first things they teach you at Professional Sportswriter School is how to ask insightful questions that probe the minds of the finely-tuned athletes you just watched compete.

Fortunately, I didn't attend Professional Sportswriter School, and that's why no questions were needed at the conclusion of Sunday's 7-6 Carolina loss to South Carolina. The two teams shook hands, two solid squads that have the misfortune of being geographically close to each other and therefore frequent NCAA Tournament opponents.

The Tar Heels and Gamecocks returned to their dugouts, and then the Heel players had to make the long walk from their third-base dugout to the sidewalk that accessed the team bus behind first base.

Suddenly, as they all gathered in front of the dugout, it seemed to hit them--this particular team, this bunch that seemed to have a knack for playing exciting ninth innings, would never be together on a diamond again. It started with high fives, with sophomore Jonathan Hovis slapping hands with fellow bullpen mate and senior Scott Senatore. Then, just a few moments later, the high fives were turning to hugs.

It was a wistful moment, especially for those who have been lucky enough to get to know some of these players and coaches as they went through a 43-21 season. This was a group that truly enjoyed playing baseball together, a group that when they come together in 20 years to trade stories will still probably know each other by their nicknames--Sena, Mike D, Ace, The Hove, Mango.

It was, in a way, refreshing. So much of college sports today is about players looking out for themselves, about angling for draft position or racking up point totals.

Junior outfielder Marshall Hubbard is one of those players who could have been thinking about draft position. He went to William & Mary for one year before transferring to Carolina. The Tribe wouldn't release him, so he had to sit out last year before playing this season. The wait was worth it, as Hubbard set a single-season Carolina record for RBI.

But he struggled mightily in Columbia this weekend, striking out 11 times in the Heels' four games. And that's why, when he hugged head coach Mike Fox between home and first on the way off the field, he couldn't do much except pull his hat over his face and cry. Hubbard was 24 hours from being a major league baseball draftee, as the big leagues hold their draft June 7. But at that moment, he didn't seem to care. He and his coach had a long embrace and then walked off the field. Together.

Moral victories are for people who don't win, but it's no Pollyanna talking to say that if you give me 25 guys who care as much about Carolina, their teammates, and their coaches as Marshall Hubbard, I'll be perfectly happy--and I'll probably win quite a few games. It was the last game as Tar Heels for seven seniors and probably a handful of juniors. Most, if not all, of them will leave Chapel Hill having not become household names. Their replica jerseys aren't sold on Franklin Street, and they've spent more hours on a bus than on a chartered plane.

But know this--you'd like them and you'd be proud of them.

Without question.

Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.