UNC baseball's Tyler Ramirez removes the pressure

After the second game of the No. 10 North Carolina baseball team’s season-opening series against UCLA on Feb. 19, Tyler Ramirez needed someone to talk to.

Coming into the 2016 season, the junior outfielder felt like he was supposed to be “the guy” for a Tar Heel team filled with first- and second-year players. But after a rough-two day performance that saw him go 3-for-8 with four strikeouts, Ramirez felt like he was putting too much pressure on himself.

He decided to talk to his parents and a few close friends to help with the stress.

“Coming into this year you’re supposed to be the guy. It’s your junior year, you’ve played well the past two years so you better step up and be the guy,” Ramirez said after UNC’s win against Oklahoma State on Feb. 26.

“I really talked to my parents and a few people in my life and it just calmed me down.”

In Game 3 of the series against UCLA, Ramirez hit his first home run of the season in a 14-5 win for the Tar Heels.

Fast-forward a month later and the junior is the focal point of a North Carolina team that just earned its first road sweep since 2013, defeating the Duke Blue Devils at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park 11-2, 12-2 and 8-2.

In 2015, UNC struggled at the plate for the better part of the season. But through 19 games in 2016, the Tar Heels (17-2, 5-1 ACC) have scored 10 or more runs in a game 10 times.

The early offensive firepower has been a welcome change from a season ago, especially for North Carolina’s pitching staff.

“It’s just a huge confidence boost when you can go out there in the fourth, fifth inning and know that you’re up by six, seven runs,” said junior pitcher Zac Gallen. “You can try and pitch a little bit more effectively, not have to try to strike everyone out and be so perfect.”

Ramirez has led the way for the Tar Heels at the plate and is currently leading the team in hits, walks, home runs, RBIs and total bases. Against the Blue Devils (10-10, 1-5 ACC), he went 5-for-13 with a home run, three walks and eight RBIs.

For Ramirez, his recent success has been the product of staying cool under pressure, something he didn’t do in 2015 and in the first two games of the 2016 season.

“In big situations I got a little pumped up and I tried to do too much ...” he said.

“Now I’m trying to stay as disciplined as possible and really put good swings on pitches that they’re giving me.”

But Coach Mike Fox thinks Ramirez’s play has been assisted by the environment in the clubhouse.

A season ago, the Tar Heels were without true leaders or a collective chemistry among its players. In 2016, UNC has both, and Fox believes it has allowed Ramirez to flourish.

“I think he’s just enjoying it more. When you enjoy it more, you usually play better ...” Fox said. “I think everybody’s playing at a different level because they have good teammates and they enjoy pulling for each other.”

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