Cook makes Top 10 plays for second time by stealing homer; UNC has made segment five times

By R.L. Bynum

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Those homer-stealing Tar Heels keep snagging the spotlight.

When redshirt freshman right fielder Casey Cook reached his arm over the wall and stole a two-run home run from Wright State’s Julian Greenwell in the fifth inning of UNC’s 5–0 Saturday victory in the Terre Haute Regional, it earned him the No. 9 play on the ESPN “SportsCenter” Top 10 Plays segment.

It was the fifth time this season that a Carolina player has made the Top 10 Plays segment, and the fourth time it’s come by stealing a home run.

It was the second time Cook has caught the national spotlight.

On March 11, in a 6–0 home victory over Virginia, Cook made a spectacular play. He deflected the ball with his glove to steal a home run, then caught it with his bare hand after landing on the field. That stole a home run in the fifth inning from Kyle Teel, the eventual ACC Player of the Year.

That was the only one of the five UNC Top 10 Plays that was No. 1.

In the seventh inning of UNC’s 17–7 victory on March 21 at Pittsburgh, center fielder Vance Honeycutt made an insane leap to rob the Panthers’ Justin Acal of a home run. That was the No. 3 play on the segment the next day.

On April 2 at Notre Dame, left fielder Patrick Alvarez leaped to get his glove on the ball to keep the drive by the Irish’s Carter Putz from going over the fence, then caught the ball on the way down to rob a two-run homer. It was similar to Cook’s play against Virginia, earning him the No. 4 slot the next day and helping Carolina win 5–2.

The only Top 10 Play that didn’t steal a home run and didn’t come in a win was an amazing diving catch going out to right field by second baseman Jackson Van De Brake against Campbell on May 2. The Camels won that game 6–5, but Van De Brake got the national attention as that day’s No. 4 play.

Do the Tar Heels have any more Top 10 Plays coming?

Photo via screengrab from ACC Network broadcast

1 Comment

Leave a comment