Parks Jordan's transition doesn't secure a win for UNC baseball

In the last few weeks, former pinch hitter Parks Jordan has made the move from the dugout to outfield and the hitting rotation.

His move to a more significant role isn’t one that’s gone unnoticed.

“He’s made a lot of good plays out there,” third baseman Colin Moran said. “He’s fielding great. He’s always been a big competitor, doesn’t give away at bats.

“He’s been real clutch.”

In Tuesday night’s 9-8 loss to UNC-Wilmington, Jordan made a fantastic diving catch across the left field foul line to end the seventh inning and stopped what was starting to look like another Seahawk rally.

He’s also been the team’s hottest hitter in the last week, and he had a chance to save the No. 1 North Carolina baseball team from suffering its third loss when he stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth.

But instead of getting on base, he flew out to center and ended the game.

“I’m normally pretty good in those situations,” Jordan said. “I normally don’t let the pressure get to me, I just try not to think and do the best I can.

“Tonight it was a good pitch, I just missed it, and you know, it’s going to happen some times.”

With only three losses through 42 games, dropped games like the one the Tar Heels suffered Tuesday night can seem foreign.

“It’s disappointing every time we lose, but baseball is a long season,” Moran said. “Sometimes that just happens in baseball. We’ve got good pitchers, they just had an off night, it happens in a long season, like I said.”

In baseball, where some failure is expected, players have to deal with losses in their own way.

“It needs to eat at you for a short period, but pretty much just let it go after this,” Jordan said.

“We get out of the stadium, we need to go focus on our school work and forget about it.

“(We need to) come in tomorrow and keep doing the same thing that we have been doing, so just try to forget it.”

Fox said nothing needed to change in between Tuesday’s loss and the game against UNC-Charlotte today.

Jordan’s production of late means that Fox will have multiple dependable options, including Chaz Frank, Brian Holberton and freshman Skye Bolt — when he returns from a broken foot.

“(Jordan) has played well for us,” Fox said. “You’ve got to give Parks credit. We needed someone to step up, (and) Parks has played well (while) Skye’s been out.”

“I like those options,” Fox said. “I’ll worry about having too many good players instead of not enough.”

And one loss won’t take any of that away.

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.