UMO, Wingate meet for 3rd time this season

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on May 14, 2015 1:46 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Just over a month ago, University of Mount Olive seemed a long shot at earning its sixth consecutive postseason bid.

The Trojans posted a 4-4 record over a 19-day period that left them treading water, and clinging to a thread that became thinner by the minute. All four defeats occurred against Conference Carolina lower-tier teams, including a shocking 0-2 result in the season-ending league tournament.

Was UMO done?

Had its playoff streak finally ended?

"Honestly to end the year, the team kind of got complacent and assumed we were going to win rather than going out and winning," Trojan senior right fielder Tyler Farmer said.

"After going 0-2 in the tournament, I kind of did think my playing career was basically over, but thank God it isn't."

Head coach Carl Lancaster scheduled non-conference games against in-region foes Catawba, ranked No. 1 in the Southeast Region at the time, and Peach Belt member Francis Marion. A split or two losses would set up a season-ending meeting for the players to turn in their uniforms.

But the players, somehow, rekindled that flame which led to a midseason 12-game win streak that lasted 3 1/2 weeks. The Trojans easily handled Catawba and posted an impressive shutout over Francis Marion.

Surely, in Lancaster's -- and his players' minds -- they had done enough to keep that streak of Southeast Regional trips intact.

"We knew we had a chance and had to have some things go our away against Catawba," junior midfielder Zak Orrison said.

Still, doubts remained.

In-state region foe Wingate, conference opponent North Greenville and Georgia College upset the apple cart by winning their respective league tournaments. That left three at-large berths, and surely one would go to Catawba.

One team expected to be the "odd man out" -- either UMO, North Georgia or UNC Pembroke. Pembroke was not selected for the six-team regional that begins Thursday morning.

Now, with new life, the Trojans (37-14 overall) have spent the week preparing for Wingate. They swept a pair of tightly-contested games from the Bulldogs by total of three runs.

"Wingate will be a bit different game than the first time around this season," UMO assistant coach Jesse Lancaster said. "Not only is it regional baseball, but both clubs will be throwing weekend arms this time around. Wingate has a dangerous offense that can score in bunches, if pitches are not executed.

"We will definitely go over our charts to ensure that our guys have a strong understanding of the opposition."

The Bulldogs (32-24) hit .386 as a team and are led by Thomas Spitz, who leads the team in three offensive categories -- runs scored (80), home runs (17) and RBI (76). He hits .387 at the plate and is second on the team in total hits with 87.

Tyler Brown appears to be Wingate's top arm out of the bullpen. He is 8-4 with a 3.44 earned run average in 65-plus innings on the bump. In his 20 appearances, he's logged three saves and fanned 48 opposing batters.

"We're going to take full advantage of this opportunity and not hold anything back," Orrison said. "As for the team, we need to come with everything we've got. We are extremely talented, we all know this. We just need to show the rest of the country what we are capable of.

"Play with a chip on our shoulder."