Holt played in just 18 games during his freshman year and harbored frustrations about having to watch UNC’s 2008 College World Series run from the bench.
The following season, prior to UNC’s weekend series with Virginia, coach Mike Fox approached Holt with the opportunity to start as designated hitter against the Cavaliers.
But even with the ideal chance to prove himself, Holt couldn’t escape a slump.
The sophomore had no hits in nine at-bats that weekend and struck out twice in the final game of the series.
That’s when Holt first thought he had hit the point of no return.
“After that, I was like, ‘Man, can I really hit here?’” Holt said. “You know, (Fox) gives me the opportunity to hit against all these pitchers, and I couldn’t do it. Where do I go from here?”
Searching for a niche
Holt’s dad, Brian Holt, a former pitcher at Springfield College, watched his son play from the stands of Boshamer Stadium on a regular basis.
And when the one thing that had usually come so easily to Greg quickly became the cause of his struggle, he knew exactly who to turn to for help.
Holt credits his father’s words of encouragement as the motivation he needed to work harder at his game.
“Baseball is such a mental game, and he was at a bad place mentally,” Brian Holt said. “He still had the physical tools. He had the power and the strength. But mentally, every time he went to the plate he put too much pressure on himself.”
Having spent time on the mound in addition to playing third base in high school, Holt tried his hand at pitching for the Tar Heels during his sophomore year.
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At first, Holt saw similar pitfalls on the mound. In game three of a series against Georgia Tech during his junior year, the pitcher allowed five runs on two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the Yellow Jackets went on to win the game in the tenth inning.
But Holt had his sights set on being a consistent contributor for the Tar Heels. And that was something he was determined not to throw away.
Towards the end of the 2010 campaign, Holt’s performances began to turn around. Against Clemson, Holt had key strikeouts in the series finale, and he gained NCAA tournament experience by pitching in UNC’s regional games.
For pitcher Bryant Gaines, seeing his teammate turn the corner had been a long time coming.
“We encourage each other by humbling one another,” Gaines said. “Greg, just like anybody else, when he struggled, he heard it from all of his teammates… I think he kind of just got sick of getting so much grief all the time that he had to play better.”
Success at last
It was almost as if a switch had been flipped inside of Greg Holt.
The pitcher has a 7-1 record so far this season, and now that Holt has found his niche, the weight — and the bat — has been lifted from his shoulders.
In UNC’s ACC tournament opener against Miami, the senior started from the mound and pitched 5 2/3 innings.
The very next day against Wake Forest, Holt — who owns a team-best .385 batting average — blasted a two-run homer in Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
“It’s nice, people saying, ‘Oh you’re so versatile. You’ve got a two-way super star,’” Holt said. “I’m like, ‘No, I’m just a pitcher who hits.’”
The Tar Heels are just two wins away from a trip to the College World Series, and Holt is looking forward to helping his team get to Omaha in whatever role he might fill.
But when Greg Holt’s collegiate career ends later this month, his legacy at North Carolina will be about more than just records and championship runs.
“If (younger guys) are struggling or something like that, they can look at Greg’s story and be like, ‘Well, look at where he came from, and look at what he’s doing today,’” Gaines said.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.
