Tar Heel baseball at familiar crossroads

A strange thing happened in the top of the fourth inning during North Carolina’s 4-2 win against George Washingon at Boshamer Stadium on Saturday.

With two out and no one on, an otherwise inconspicuous inning took a turn for the weird when it occurred to me that someone had left their hat in center field.

No one seemed to notice except me. But, before I had a chance to tell anyone, Colonials DH Stephen Oswald sent a line drive dipping toward the void between the left and right fielders.

In an flash, out sprung a pair of Nikes and a glove from beneath that hat. A miniature person appeared and dove toward the dipping liner, made the catch and voila! Inning over – one, two, three.

Mike Cavasinni, ladies and gentlemen.

It turns out, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound senior spark plug was there all along. And that wasn’t the only trick up his sleeve.

With the Tar Heels trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, he was up to his old antics.

Having already delivered a clutch hit a day prior, in the season opener, Cavasinni delivered again, this time with a bases loaded single through the middle that gave UNC a 2-1 lead.

That single would prove to be the game-winner.

It would also go a long way in proving that neither Cavasinni nor the No. 11 Tar Heels should be overlooked.

Since 2006, the Tar Heels’ first trip to the College World Series in Omaha since 1989, North Carolina has found itself in a similar situation in each of the last three seasons.

North Carolina has rebounded nicely each time, running its impressive streak of CWS appearances to four.

But without the sheer power, both at the plate and on the mound, that UNC has grown accustomed to, this season might be the one that relies most heavily on the intangibles that players like Cavasinni provide.

Picked to finish third in the Coastal Division in the ACC preseason coaches’ poll, leadership and toughness are vital if the Tar Heels hope to beat the odds for a fifth straight year.

Having bounced back from a broken orbital bone and a torn ACL in the past, toughness doesn’t appear to be a problem for Cavasinni.

And leadership?

Well, his bat is having no problem leading the way early on.

So, even though a stop in Omaha this season might seem like a tall task, teams throughout the ACC and NCAA would be wise to keep UNC on their radar.

Contact Brandon Staton at bkstaton@email.unc.edu.