Grit.
It’s the word Paul O’Neil, head coach of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke baseball team, used to describe the 2017 edition of the Braves following Saturday’s season-ending loss to Lincoln Memorial in the NCAA Southeast Regional at Mount Olive.
“The grit of this team was something special,” O’Neil said. “The legacy that these guys are leaving to these returning guys is so important. You have to be a grinder if you want to be successful at UNC Pembroke. … If anybody ever watched us, I would think that they would say those guys never stopped. They always kept trying to win.”
And grind the Braves did.
With seniors Drew Beaver and Nick Debo by his side at the team’s final press conference of the season, O’Neil reflected on a group that helped the program return to form.
UNCP reeled off 11 straight seasons with 30-plus wins before a disappointing 27-22 record in 2016. Following the hiccup, the 2017 squad produced the second-most wins (41) in program history, including a run to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game and a victory in the NCAA Tournament.
It was a telling sign that the 2016 season was a mere blip for a program that has become synonymous with excellence during O’Neil’s time in Pembroke.
“It was a big adjustment last year,” O’Neil said. “To see these guys come in this year in August after being in the program for a year, taking on more of a leadership role and an identity, it’s great and it’s a huge improvement.”
Driven by the “will to work hard,” Beaver helped lead the charge as a captain along with Jesse Stinnett.
“The improvement we made from last year to this year has been incredible,” Beaver said. “We kind of paved the way for these underclassmen. Hopefully, they can lead off of that and have a good year next year.”
Debo called it a “memorable” season and unlike any other during his baseball career.
“This is by far the best team I’ve ever played on,” he said. “I’ve never played on a team that refused to give up. … I’m grateful for all of my experiences.”
It was a squad that set out to #DoItFor6, a hashtag that flooded social media during the Braves’ impressive run to the postseason.
But it was more than a mantra. Showing their mettle throughout the season, the players made it clear that everything they accomplished was for O’Neil, who dons the No. 6 jersey on game days.
They came up short in the NCAA Tournament, but showed the fortitude to battle until the bitter end.
And O’Neil won’t soon forget what his latest team accomplished.
“I’m very proud of the way our team played this year,” he said. “What (the seniors) have done for our program, they’ve helped our program take another step. It’s greatly appreciated.
“They got us back on track to where we want to be and that’s the whole key to this thing — having the accomplishments that we had this year to hopefully lead into next year and the year after.”
