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UNCP Today
Fall 2011
the Braves posted 37 victories en route to landing a program-best
four players, Matt McGovern, Seth Kivett, Kevin Dietrich and
Jason Coker, on the All-PBC team, while also qualifying for the
PBC Tournament for the first time in 12 years. McGovern and
Dietrich also gave the program multiple All-American selections
for the first time.
"In 2005, we started to get a little more revenue in our
program. We started to make a bigger commitment into all of our
athletic programs," O'Neil said. "That made a difference right
there. It also just took some time to rebuild this team and change
the culture. When you don't have unlimited resources, it takes a
lot longer to build something than people realize. When you're
dealing with a limited budget, you're going to have to make two
steps forward and then another step back, and it kind of goes like
that until you finally get your footing where the foundation has
been built for you.
"That's what happened with our program with getting it
established," he continued. "Our success is due to the fact that
we can now bring in a better student-athlete now than we were
able to in my first couple of years here. That's what started our
run. Better players make things easier for you."
But the best was yet to come. The Braves tallied a 34-14
record in 2009, its best winning percentage in 36 years, but,
despite finishing as co-champions in the newly formed PBC
Eastern Division, the performance was still not enough to lift the
Braves into the NCAA postseason. To make matters worse, the
senior class that season included a slew of standout players, so
future hopes of breaking through to that next level seemed, well,
somewhat bleak.
But, something happened in the offseason. Perhaps taking
a cue from all of the success of the previous 10 seasons
under O'Neil, the 2011 version of the Braves came together
more seamlessly than in previous seasons, according to the
enthusiastic skipper. Behind the leadership of a decorated senior
class, including the school's all-time home run hitter Keith
Whitman and pitchers Josh Bagley and Brad Isom, they did
what no Braves team had accomplished eclipse the 40-win
plateau, win a conference title and advance to NCAA postseason
play. Along the way, the Braves shattered seven team records,
registered a 29-2 record at Sammy Cox Field and captured five
PBC series.
UNCP sent a program-best five players to All-PBC honors and
two players to All-American honors. Three players, including
tournament most valuable player, Braxton Perkins, were named
to the All-Tournament Team after winning the PBC Tournament
title.
"The guys on our team last year bought into what we were
trying to do as a team, and they pulled from one another," O'Neil
said. "The group of seniors that we had last year was extremely
strong. They weren't selfish and weren't concerned about their
own personal statistics. That is why we were successful. Was last
year's team the most talented team to ever come through UNC
Pembroke? I don't think so but, as far as a team goes, they were
absolutely the best team to ever come through here."
O'Neil, who is the father of three girls, still thinks the best
is yet to come for his Pembroke family. Although a golden
foundation has been laid for the program, the goals have already
been set higher for 2012.
"I try to think back to players who have come through the
program, and I think back to some of the guys that were in our
first recruiting class," O'Neil said. "There were guys who were
outstanding people and are doing great things with their lives
right now. Those are the kids who started the foundation for us.
One of those kids, Adam Beaver, drove down from Baltimore to
watch us play in the regionals last year.
"I talk to the guys that we have had here in the past that have
really pulled for the program," he said. "Those guys sacrificed an
awful lot for the good of this program. They are the reason this
program is where it is today. When I got here, there were some
people that told me there was no way in hell we could win in
baseball here. I have just kept that in mind the last 11 years. I
guess we proved them wrong."