O’Neil talks of high hopes for Braves baseball in upcoming season

By Tina Ray
Staff Writer

Coach Paul O’Neil has his mind on baseball. As head coach of the UNCP baseball team, he's getting the Braves ready for the opening game in February 2005.

According to O’Neil, the strength of the team this year is its athleticism.

With key players such as sophomore designated hitter Chris Beck, senior pitcher Sandy Jacobs, junior outfielder Tripp Lockhart and senior pitcher Tyson Van Dam returning, among others, O’Neil believes this is probably the most athletic team he’s had since coming to UNCP five years ago.

Nevertheless, because of the strength of the team this year and the fact that the season is four months away, O’Neil doesn't want to commit to releasing a starting roster at this juncture.

There are still drills to be run and assessments to be made.

Although the outlook of the team is bright, it is not perfect.

There are areas that need the coach’s attention.

“I think the biggest area that I’d like to see us develop is with the pitching staff, more so, our middle-of-the-week pitching,” O’Neil said.

Because O’Neil is a demanding coach, improvement in any area should be easily accomplished.

He expects the same commitment in the classroom as well as on the baseball field.

“They (players) know what their expectations are. Go to class; give 100 per cent with everything they do, whether it's with their schoolwork, or on the baseball field, or in the weight room,” O’Neil said. “They know what's expected of them as a student athlete here.”

As far as changes in coaching strategies to achieve success this season, O’Neil said that he’d try to do a few more athletic things such as train the players to take extra bases and use a more aggressive style of play.

O’Neil is very outspoken about how impressed he's been with the team this year.

“I’ve been proud of their commitment to this point. I’ve been very proud. They’ve worked very hard, on the field and off the field,” O’Neil said.

The personal motto that O’Neil lives by is conveyed to his student athletes as well.

“What I try to do with them is I try to treat them the way I like to be treated myself. That’s what I do with them,” O’Neil said. “All the boys or young men know where they stand with me at all times.”

Perhaps one of the most important lessons that O’Neil tries to communicate to his athletes is that education and athletics correlate.

“Obviously, they're here to get an education first. That is first and foremost for them,” O’Neil said. “I would love for every single player of mine to get a chance to play professional baseball and get a paycheck for doing it. But the reality of that is that so few players get a chance to make a living as a professional baseball player, so getting their degree has to be a priority for them.”

The UNCP baseball players should be doing their best in the classroom and on the field because in O’Neil, they have a coach who is doing his best.

This year, O’Neil favored the Red Sox to win the World Series. I favor the Braves to win the Peach Belt Conference.