UNC baseball players sharpen skills in summer

North Carolina pitcher Trevor Kelley had never thrown sidearm before. He had never even considered it.

But halfway through last season, Kelley, then a freshman, found himself buried within the deep Tar Heel bullpen.

Discouraged by his lack of playing time, the right-hander tried dropping his arm angle — a tweak that could make all the difference in the next three years of his collegiate career.

After pitching just 1.2 innings last season, Kelley joined the Baltimore Redbirds of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, where he was able to truly refine his new throwing motion.

He was even able to meet Baltimore Orioles sidewinder Darren O’Day and throw in front of him at Camden Yards.

Better yet, when the Redbirds won the league championship, it was Kelley who shut the door with a 3.1-inning save.

“I was pretty much the go-to guy in tough situations, and I think that will give me enough confidence to go into the fall and do really well (for UNC),” said Kelley, who recorded a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings with the Redbirds.

“I can throw every pitch for a strike now. And when the bases are loaded, I know I can get them out.”

And Kelley isn’t the only one returning to Chapel Hill with a championship.

He is one of 11 Tar Heels who participated in a summer league. He shares the Cal Ripken League crown with North Carolina outfielder and summer teammate Parks Jordan.

Junior Brian Holberton also took home a championship — and MVP honors — with the Ballantyne Smokies of the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

But Holberton said a summer-league postseason doesn’t carry the same weight as the College World Series.

“It’s a little different,” he said. “You play to get better at what you’re trying to get better at.

“There’s not as much pressure, but you always want to win. And it’s just a fun experience.”

For Holberton, summer ball was a chance to play with his high school coach and some of his best friends in his hometown of Charlotte.

For Colin Moran, playing in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League helped him make up for lost time.

“I mean, the only way to get better in baseball is to play and get experience,” said Moran, who missed 21 games last year with a broken hand.

“It was nice playing every day. It was kind of like a pro-ball experience,” he said. “It’s a lot of baseball, and it’s a lot of fun.”

After recording 170 at-bats in the spring, Moran picked up another 164 this summer. He batted .311 and hit six home runs, holding his own against some of the nation’s finest collegiate talent.

As the focus shifts to the fall and spring seasons, summer experience could help established veterans like Holberton and Moran take their games to a higher level.

And for players like Kelley, it could help put them on the map.

“I really focused on the tougher hitters in Baltimore, and in big situations, I either got the guy to strike out or ground out,” Kelley said.

“I feel like that’ll get me going into the fall and in the spring.

“I’m gonna be a key player — that’s the goal, at least.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.