After being named the 11th best recruiting class in the country by Baseball America, the 2009 freshman class had a lot to live up to as it arrived in Raleigh. Players hailed from all over the eastern sea board ranging from Miami, Fla. all the way to South Park Pa. And so far, the class has not disappointed as many of the players from the 15 player class are playing impact roles for the team and have helped the Pack to a 14-7 (2-4 in ACC) record, as the team is almost halfway through the season.

“They have been good,” coach Elliot Avent said. “We knew we had a lot of talent in this year’s class.”With this, four freshman, outfielder Tarron Senay, shortstops Chris Diaz and Matt Bergquist and first baseman Danny Canela have played the biggest roles as they have helped power a Pack offense that is averaging 14 runs per game. With the transition from high school baseball to college baseball being such a large leap and a big adjustment period, many freshmen struggle through their first year due to a lack of experience. But Avent never had a doubt that this group of players would be able to come in and immediately contribute to the team. “It’s not a certain date that you have to play to,” Avent said. “In baseball does experience help? Yes. Does 1,000 ground balls help? Yes. Does being in a certain situation in the eighth inning help? Yes and you draw from your experiences. But the freshmen give you a lot of energy and enthusiasm. They believe that they can do anything and that they are superman.”A part of the struggles that came with last year’s team that finished six games below .500 was the lack of a shortstop, as the position was a revolving door throughout the season. However, both Bergquist and Diaz have come in and been able to stabilize the position defensively, while providing an offensive spark in the bottom of the lineup. The two players who have split starts this season have combined to make only eight errors, while posting averages of .345 and .313 each. But Dallas Poulk believes it is their abilities to interchange between the two and both provide above average play at the position that makes the two players so valuable to the team. “I play with both of the guys [Chris Diaz and Matt Bergquist] up the middle,” senior second baseman Poulk said. “They fairly routinely both get to play a lot and it’s good to know that you can count on either one no matter which number you call. We like to use the guys off the bench in the right situations. We play that kind of style and it is good when they can step in from sitting the bench all day and get a pinch hit in the eighth or ninth inning.”

Senay, who has been splitting time in the outfield, is tied for second on the team in home runs and runs scored with five and 20 and is also hitting .370 on the year, the fourth highest on the team. However, the freshman hardly expected to make this big of an impact when he arrived on campus just seven months ago. “As a freshman you just want to get as much playing time as you can and you earn it through the fall,” Senay said. “But the coaches gave me the opportunity, and hopefully I will continue to play well and earn more playing time.”Canela has also made an impact on the team by providing a lot of versatility in the field, as he has played multiple positions this season, including catcher and first base. He is proving to be an RBI machine as Canela has already driven in 22 runs, forth best on the team. “Canela has had some big hits,” Avent said. “He has been catching, playing first base, DHing some. So he has had varied roles and has handled that well.”Even with the success the freshmen have had so far this year, Poulk hopes the freshman continue to do exactly what they are doing now and not try to do too much and trust in the team and the system that the coaches have developed.”They have definitely stepped up,” Poulk said. “They are playing their roles very well and we just want them to keep it up and keep their heads on straight. We don’t want them to try to do too much. They don’t have to prove anything and be the best in the country. We just need them to fit the system and use the fundamentals we teach every day and come out here and have good at-bats.”