Adam Pate: Defining his role at UNC

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 29, 2014 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

Adam Pate stepped into the batter's box and dug out space to get his footing.

The TV announcer glanced toward the monitor and said that "Pate is a 5-foot-9 freshman from Pikeville who looked like his mom just dropped him off at the park."

Appearing in a pinch-hit role, the baby-faced Pate connected on a single and eventually scored a run as North Carolina slugged its way past Maryland, 13-7, on the final day of pool play during the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament in Greensboro.

It was Pate's 49th plate appearance of the season.

The Charles B. Aycock alum hopes he -- and his teammates -- have plenty of at-bats left when the Tar Heels open play Friday afternoon in the Gainesville Regional hosted by the University of Florida. Third-seeded UNC (34-25 overall) faces second-seeded Long Beach State at 1 p.m. The Gators, the overall No. 2 national seed, oppose College of Charleston.

The double-elimination tournament continues through Sunday with the winner facing the Coral Gables champion in the best-of-three super regional.

"Your ultimate goal is to be in the tournament. The season we've had ... ups and downs ... we've still got a chance," Pate said. "It's been exciting for me. I have a role on this team that gives me the experience of playing with some best players in the country.

"I feel truly blessed to be on this team and going along for the ride."

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Pate's journey to this point started last fall.

Relying on his biggest asset, speed, he hustled and tried to make things happen on the bases during practice and scrimmages. His workman-like attitude drew the coaches' attention and eventually led to playing time.

Where would he fit in?

Part of a talent-ladened offensive team, Pate realized he'd probably come off the bench in a pinch-hit situation. Head coach Mike Fox plugged the right-hander into the lineup when matchups favored the Tar Heels.

"Coming off the bench pinch-hitting is not easy ... one of the most difficult things to do when you're not starting," Pate said. "Obviously the pitching you see day in and out, you can't match that in high school and showcase ball. Hitting is one of the hardest things to do and seeing good pitching can really wear and tear on you."

Pate has collected 11 hits, including two doubles, and scored 12 runs this season. He's drawn 11 walks and logged an on-base percentage of .377 -- .014 points higher than the overall team OBP.

Defensively, he's compiled a 1.000 fielding percentage with 20 putouts and one assist in 21 chances.

"Any start, I try to take advantage and bide my time until I can be an every day player," said Pate, who has played in 36 games and earned 14 starts.

"We've struggled with injuries and I've tried to be ready to just help the team win. It's all processing and learning to make plays. Once I made that adjustment, it's helped me going forward."

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Pate had no doubt the team would reach the big dance.

Despite 19 losses by two runs or less, the Tar Heels' resume had merit with so many conference teams ranked among the nation's RPI leaders.

Fox's squad almost won road series against Miami and national seed Virginia. A 2-2 showing in the ACC tournament opened the selection committee's eyes a little further.

Still, there were some tense moments Monday before the NCAA released the field of 64. That stress quickly changed to relaxation when the Heels saw Clemson, a team with a lower RPI, selected to the Nashville Regional.

"We were good ... then happy, pumped when we saw our name," Pate said.

Fox is taking his 13th team to the NCAA tournament and the Heels are making their 29th appearance overall in program history. UNC and LBSU have met once with the Heels winning in 1992.

Carolina is seeking its seventh trip to Omaha since 2006.

Pate thinks the Heels can advance beyond Gainesville.

"Timely hitting, I think, is the biggest thing," he said. "We have a great pitching staff and we know they're going to do their part to keep us in ballgames. Key hits with runners on base is really what is going to help us win."

And lead to more at-bats.