UNC Tar Heels outfielder Casey Cook provided a textbook lesson for young baseball players in a game Saturday.
Don’t ever give up on a play.
Patrolling right field for the Tar Heels against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first game of a doubleheader, Cook went back to the outfield wall for a towering fly ball off the bat of Kyle Teel.
Cook timed his leap perfectly, reached over the wall and prevented a home run, knocking the ball back into the field. That would have been enough to make this a great play, as he prevented a home run.
Yet as Cook fell backward. he never took his eyes off the ball. He reached out to grab the ball barehanded and then held on as he slammed to the ground.
The home crowd in Chapel Hill gave Cook a huge round of applause.
Cook, a freshman, hails from Chantilly, Virginia. He’ll always remember this catch. Family members are probably already waiting to tape his play’s appearance on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”
Fans on Twitter definitely liked the play.
=[Carolina Baseball; Photo Credit: Carolina Baseball]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.